Monday, 31st December 2007
We live in a time where abbreviations are in vogue.
For example, I have heard members of NCC say there are from "New Cree", because that is only 2 syllables instead of the 4-syllabled "New Creation". Fellow churchmates say they are from "Pee El" instead of the 7-syllabled "Paya Lebar Methodist".
We often call our daughter "Ray" instead of "Rachel", and many of my friends and colleagues call me "Mal" instead of "Malcolm".
The word "emo" is used to describe those who are "emotionally-accentuated", and the word "homo" is shortened form of "homosexual", but that's another thing altogether...
Which brings me to another abbreviation and the topic of today’s entry – "NY resos", which is the short-form of the word “new year resolutions”.
And what better time to talk about resos than on the last day of the year.
As I look back upon the year 2007, I must say that it has been an extremely eventful one. Sure, some of the incidences that took place can even be described as unpleasant. If these had taken place two years before, they may have caused me to be stressed out and have sleepless nights.
But thanks be to God that because of His grace, I have emerged not only relatively-unscathed but even more strongly-convicted than before.
One thing remains deeply entrenched in my spirit – and that is my opinion of Abba Father gets better and better each day. Why so?
Because I picture Him as that loving father who sprints towards me, embraces me and kisses me repeatedly, in spite of my prodigous ways. (Luke 15:20)
Because I know that He is for me and not against me (Rom 8:31)
Because I know that He wants to prosper me and give me a glorious and hopeful future (Jer 29:11).
Because I know that no weapon formed against me will prosper (Isa 54:17).
Because I know that I am the seed of Abraham, and as a result of that I am an heir of the promise (Gal 3:29).
And because I know that all His promises are Yes and Amen in Christ (2 Cor 1:20).
That being the case, what resos do I have for 2008? I have made 3:
(1) To learn more about Jesus and what His finished work on the cross has accomplished for me
By listening to sermons by Pastor Prince and Pastor Reuben. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ as preached by these anointed men of God!
(2) To hunger and thirst even more for His Word
I intend to read the entire Bible in one year. I have tried reading it end-to-end several times before, but usually give up by the time I get to Leviticus.
Thank God that I have discovered a version that is written like a modern-day novel, and hence very refreshing and readable. This contemporary paraphrase is The Message by Eugene Peterson. I notice that our TRAC President, Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup often quotes from it so it must his favourite...
Check out how Psalm 1:1-3 is paraphrased
1How well God must like you— you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College.
2-3 Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
(3) To impact lives
The gospel of grace should not just be head knowledge, but should result in renewed minds and transformed lives. As a result of learning more about God’s grace, may it affect the way I love my wife, bring up my kids and relate to those I come in contact with each day.
So help me God...
May the year 2008 be one that is filled with the blessings of Abraham! Amen?
Siblings-in-Grace
Sunday, 30th December 2007
On Christmas Day, I received an sms greeting from a mobile number that was not stored in my handphone. I responded, "Thanks for your Christmas greetings, but may I know who this is?", to which the sender replied, "Jeffrey, your brother-in-grace."
That phrase struck a chord in my heart. It is actually a play on the phrase "brother-in-law", but what Jeffrey said is true. We, who are partakers of the New Covenant, are are all siblings-in-grace. We are co-heirs of the promise. We are the seed of Abraham through what Jesus Christ has done.
Speaking of siblings-in-grace, I thank the Lord for bringing quite a number of them into my life in the past few months, as a result of this journey.
Back in Aug 07, I blogged about how I got to know fellow NTU alumnus, Joshua. He is the author of the book Walking on Water.
In Oct 07, I blogged about how I've gotten to know Stanley, Douglas, Lawrence, Daniel and Clifton. They are regular readers of ROOTSS.
Then in Nov 07, a couple from Iloilo, Philippines, who are recipients of Destined To Reign, were here in Singapore for their honeymoon. We had fellowship over lunch at PepperLunch, AMKHub. I blogged about that here. It so happened that my daughter had borrowed my camera for a class outing that day, so I did not manage to take a photo with them.
Hence, when Matt from Wales, UK told me that he would be visiting Singapore with his wife Ruth sometime during Christmastide and we arranged to meet for lunch, I reminder myself to bring the camera.
I was already planning to have lunch with Matt and Ruth on Boxing Day. That very same morning, I received an sms from Jeff asking to meet for lunch, so all of us ended up having a meal together!
Here is a photo of us siblings-in-grace. From left to right, that's me, Jeff, Ruth and Matt.
If the background looks familiar, it is because we ate at the same place that I brought my wife for our 15th anniversary a month ago (which you can read about here).
It so happens also that Jeff and Matt knew about each other because both of them are regular visitors to Andrew Wommack's website, and have also been in correspondence with Joshua. Jeff has also met up with Stan.
As I reflect upon this, I really give thanks and praise to God. Somehow, in His great and mighty plan, He has gotten us like-minded believers connected to one another. All of us also appreciate sermons by grace preachers such as Joseph Prince, Peter Youngren and Age Aleskjaer.
Like Jeff put it, "the circle is completed". Amen, dear brother-in-grace, amen!
On Christmas Day, I received an sms greeting from a mobile number that was not stored in my handphone. I responded, "Thanks for your Christmas greetings, but may I know who this is?", to which the sender replied, "Jeffrey, your brother-in-grace."
That phrase struck a chord in my heart. It is actually a play on the phrase "brother-in-law", but what Jeffrey said is true. We, who are partakers of the New Covenant, are are all siblings-in-grace. We are co-heirs of the promise. We are the seed of Abraham through what Jesus Christ has done.
Speaking of siblings-in-grace, I thank the Lord for bringing quite a number of them into my life in the past few months, as a result of this journey.
Back in Aug 07, I blogged about how I got to know fellow NTU alumnus, Joshua. He is the author of the book Walking on Water.
In Oct 07, I blogged about how I've gotten to know Stanley, Douglas, Lawrence, Daniel and Clifton. They are regular readers of ROOTSS.
Then in Nov 07, a couple from Iloilo, Philippines, who are recipients of Destined To Reign, were here in Singapore for their honeymoon. We had fellowship over lunch at PepperLunch, AMKHub. I blogged about that here. It so happened that my daughter had borrowed my camera for a class outing that day, so I did not manage to take a photo with them.
Hence, when Matt from Wales, UK told me that he would be visiting Singapore with his wife Ruth sometime during Christmastide and we arranged to meet for lunch, I reminder myself to bring the camera.
I was already planning to have lunch with Matt and Ruth on Boxing Day. That very same morning, I received an sms from Jeff asking to meet for lunch, so all of us ended up having a meal together!
Here is a photo of us siblings-in-grace. From left to right, that's me, Jeff, Ruth and Matt.If the background looks familiar, it is because we ate at the same place that I brought my wife for our 15th anniversary a month ago (which you can read about here).
It so happens also that Jeff and Matt knew about each other because both of them are regular visitors to Andrew Wommack's website, and have also been in correspondence with Joshua. Jeff has also met up with Stan.
As I reflect upon this, I really give thanks and praise to God. Somehow, in His great and mighty plan, He has gotten us like-minded believers connected to one another. All of us also appreciate sermons by grace preachers such as Joseph Prince, Peter Youngren and Age Aleskjaer.
Like Jeff put it, "the circle is completed". Amen, dear brother-in-grace, amen!
A Blogger's Delight
Saturday, 29th December 2007
Thanks to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, I got the biggest bonus of my entire career on 21 December 2007.
The very next day, I decided to give myself (instead of others, for a change) a treat and got a UMPC, or an "ultra-mobile personal computer".
I have blogged before that I am quite a "latest-gadget" person, and the UMPC is the latest craze to hit the market.
There are several out there, like the eee from Asus and U-1010 from Fujitsu, but those from Japanese company Kohjinsha provide the most value-for-money.
The one I bought has a 7-inch monitor, weighs less than 1kg, has 120GB hard disk storage capacity and is Wi-Fi enabled. The RAM was 512KB but I had it upgraded to 2GB.
In order to appreciate how tiny and portable this baby actually is, a CD has been placed on it in the top photo, and the Destined to Reign book has been placed next to it in the photo on the right :-)
This particular model operates on Windows Vista, so the usual applications like Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint can run on it.
And of course, what goes without saying is that Internet Explorer can also be launched...
The monitor can be swivelled around so that it becomes a tablet PC. The screen is also touch-sensitive, and a stylus is provided for tactile input.
The display can also be rotated 90, 180 or 270 degrees so
you can view in portrait, reverse landscape or reverse portrait. In the picture on the right, the display has been rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise, and voila... the UMPC becomes an electronic bible :-)
I thank God for blessing me with this latest toy.
It is indeed a blogger's delight.
Now whenever I bring my daughter for her tuition classes or for her shopping trips with her friends, while waiting for her, I can sit quietly at a McDonalds or library nearby and blog on my UMPC over a cup of mocha or cuppicino.
By the way, the battery can last about 2.5 to 3 hours.
Thanks to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, I got the biggest bonus of my entire career on 21 December 2007.
The very next day, I decided to give myself (instead of others, for a change) a treat and got a UMPC, or an "ultra-mobile personal computer".
I have blogged before that I am quite a "latest-gadget" person, and the UMPC is the latest craze to hit the market.
There are several out there, like the eee from Asus and U-1010 from Fujitsu, but those from Japanese company Kohjinsha provide the most value-for-money.
The one I bought has a 7-inch monitor, weighs less than 1kg, has 120GB hard disk storage capacity and is Wi-Fi enabled. The RAM was 512KB but I had it upgraded to 2GB.
In order to appreciate how tiny and portable this baby actually is, a CD has been placed on it in the top photo, and the Destined to Reign book has been placed next to it in the photo on the right :-)
This particular model operates on Windows Vista, so the usual applications like Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint can run on it.
And of course, what goes without saying is that Internet Explorer can also be launched...
The monitor can be swivelled around so that it becomes a tablet PC. The screen is also touch-sensitive, and a stylus is provided for tactile input.
The display can also be rotated 90, 180 or 270 degrees so
you can view in portrait, reverse landscape or reverse portrait. In the picture on the right, the display has been rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise, and voila... the UMPC becomes an electronic bible :-)I thank God for blessing me with this latest toy.
It is indeed a blogger's delight.
Now whenever I bring my daughter for her tuition classes or for her shopping trips with her friends, while waiting for her, I can sit quietly at a McDonalds or library nearby and blog on my UMPC over a cup of mocha or cuppicino.
By the way, the battery can last about 2.5 to 3 hours.
One Leg Step Two Boats
Friday, 28th December 2007
Back in Aug 07, I wrote a short story entitled “Sincere… but sincerely wrong”.
I got some positive feedback about that one, so here is my second short story. Do let me know what you think about it...
[1] Ann is short form for An-tioch. Antioch was the place where Jesus' followers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26)
[2] Johanan is the Hebrew word for “God’s favour”, ie. God's grace
[3] Peter is the Greek word for “stone”. Stone is also used to symbolise the Law (2 Cor 3:7)
[4] Deut 28
[5] Matt 5:17-20
[6] Rom 7:6
[7] Rev 3:15
[8] 一脚踏两船 A Chinese idiom which means being a "two-timer"
[9] Gal 4:30
Back in Aug 07, I wrote a short story entitled “Sincere… but sincerely wrong”.
I got some positive feedback about that one, so here is my second short story. Do let me know what you think about it...
“Hi, Ann [1]. It’s good to see you. I asked you out today because I am very worried for you. This new man in your life –-- you seem to be overly-devoted to him.”
“You could say that, but the truth is that I have never known anyone like Johanan [2] before! And the more I know him, the more I fall in love with Him.”
“But don’t you think you need to careful about giving your heart totally away again? I mean, have you forgotten what happened with Peter [3], your ex?”
“Ya, but Johanan is different...”
“Face it Ann, all men are the same. It’s not safe for you to take such an extreme stand. No offence, but I find Johanan to be rather strange and illogical. Whatever you say about Peter, at least you can’t deny that he was rational and predictable. He may have been extremely demanding, but at least you knew where you stood with him. Whenever you obeyed him, he rewarded you. Of course, when you disobeyed him, you also got what you deserved [4]."
“And that’s exactly why things didn’t work out with Peter. He was always demanding this and that of me, yet did not even bother to lift a single finger to help me. It was driving me to despair, as I found that I could never meet up to his expectations. Come to think of it, Johanan’s standards are actually even higher than that of Peter’s [5]. But the difference is that he helps out me in everything, so much so I feel so restful and secure just abiding in his love. In fact, he even showers me with gifts of love even at times when I feel I do not deserve them.”
“That is why he is too good to be true, Ann. No such person exists. I suggest for your own sanity’s sake, you should still continue to see Peter, just in case.”
“But I am married to Johanan! Surely you are not suggesting that I commit adultery [6]?!"
“Adultery is such a strong word. Look, I am not asking you to leave Johanan. I am just saying you should have both Peter and Johanan in your life to strike a balance. What’s wrong with that? I mean, just look around you, I’m sure many others like you are doing the same thing [7]!”
"But that’s asking me to step two boats with one leg [8]. God forbid that I do so [9]!"
[1] Ann is short form for An-tioch. Antioch was the place where Jesus' followers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26)
[2] Johanan is the Hebrew word for “God’s favour”, ie. God's grace
[3] Peter is the Greek word for “stone”. Stone is also used to symbolise the Law (2 Cor 3:7)
[4] Deut 28
[5] Matt 5:17-20
[6] Rom 7:6
[7] Rev 3:15
[8] 一脚踏两船 A Chinese idiom which means being a "two-timer"
[9] Gal 4:30
Daddy's Home
Thursday, 27th December 2007
I guess you probably would have known by now that I am a big fan of Cliff Richard :-)
There was one stage in the 1980s when he would consistently release a "Christmas single" every single year, and that single will invariably reach the Top 10 of the secular UK charts, and on occasions, even the very pinnacle of it.
In 1981, his Christmas single was a remake of a 1960s classic "Daddy's Home". This song reached #2 and stayed there for 4 weeks, held off the top spot by The Human League.
Although the song does not specifically mention the word Christmas, it has a nice festive feel about it. It speaks about a father who has been working overseas, misses his family, and decides to be re-united with the ones he love.
You're my love you're my angel
You're the girl of my dreams
I'd like to thank you for waiting patiently
Daddy's home your daddy's home to stay
How I've waited for this moment
To be by your side
Your best friend wrote and told me
You had teardrops in your eyes
Daddy's home your daddy's home to stay
It wasn't on a Sunday
(Monday and Tuesday went by)
It wasn't on a Tuesday afternoon
(all I could do was cry)
But I made a promise that you treasured
I made it back home to you
How I've waited for this moment
To be by your side
Your best friend wrote and told me
You had teardrops in your eyes
Daddy's home your daddy's home to stay
Daddy's home to stay
I'm not a thousand miles away...
I guess you probably would have known by now that I am a big fan of Cliff Richard :-)
There was one stage in the 1980s when he would consistently release a "Christmas single" every single year, and that single will invariably reach the Top 10 of the secular UK charts, and on occasions, even the very pinnacle of it.
In 1981, his Christmas single was a remake of a 1960s classic "Daddy's Home". This song reached #2 and stayed there for 4 weeks, held off the top spot by The Human League.
Although the song does not specifically mention the word Christmas, it has a nice festive feel about it. It speaks about a father who has been working overseas, misses his family, and decides to be re-united with the ones he love.
You're my love you're my angel
You're the girl of my dreams
I'd like to thank you for waiting patiently
Daddy's home your daddy's home to stay
How I've waited for this moment
To be by your side
Your best friend wrote and told me
You had teardrops in your eyes
Daddy's home your daddy's home to stay
It wasn't on a Sunday
(Monday and Tuesday went by)
It wasn't on a Tuesday afternoon
(all I could do was cry)
But I made a promise that you treasured
I made it back home to you
How I've waited for this moment
To be by your side
Your best friend wrote and told me
You had teardrops in your eyes
Daddy's home your daddy's home to stay
Daddy's home to stay
I'm not a thousand miles away...
Twelve Days of Christmas
Wednesday, 26th December 2007
Here in Singapore, there is only one Christmas public holiday - 25 December itself.
In England, 26 December is also a holiday -- Boxing Day.
Yet there was a time when Christmastide lasts 12 days.
I did a Wikipedia search about the "Twelve Days of Christmas", and this is what was returned...
The Twelve Days of Christmas and the associated evenings of those twelve days (Twelve-tide), are the festive days beginning the evening of Christmas Day (December 25) through the morning of Epiphany (January 6). The associated evenings of the twelve days begin on the evening before the specified day. Thus, the first night of Christmas is December 25–26, and Twelfth Night is January 5–6. This period is also known as Christmastide.
There is a song entitled "The Twelve Days of Christmas" where the singer sings about gifts that his "true love" gave to him on each of the twelve days. On the surface, it may seem like a fun and meaningless song. But do you know there are hidden meanings behind the lyrics?
There was a period in the history of the church where Christians could not openly profess their faith because of persecution.
This song was composed during that period, and the gifts and their hidden meanings are shown on the right.
Anyway, check out this version by Christian rock band Relient K that I found on YouTube:
Here in Singapore, there is only one Christmas public holiday - 25 December itself.
In England, 26 December is also a holiday -- Boxing Day.
Yet there was a time when Christmastide lasts 12 days.
I did a Wikipedia search about the "Twelve Days of Christmas", and this is what was returned...
The Twelve Days of Christmas and the associated evenings of those twelve days (Twelve-tide), are the festive days beginning the evening of Christmas Day (December 25) through the morning of Epiphany (January 6). The associated evenings of the twelve days begin on the evening before the specified day. Thus, the first night of Christmas is December 25–26, and Twelfth Night is January 5–6. This period is also known as Christmastide.
There is a song entitled "The Twelve Days of Christmas" where the singer sings about gifts that his "true love" gave to him on each of the twelve days. On the surface, it may seem like a fun and meaningless song. But do you know there are hidden meanings behind the lyrics?
There was a period in the history of the church where Christians could not openly profess their faith because of persecution.
This song was composed during that period, and the gifts and their hidden meanings are shown on the right.
Anyway, check out this version by Christian rock band Relient K that I found on YouTube:
Saviour's Day
Tuesday, 25th December 2007
Today, I shall blog about another song that Sir Cliff Richard released with a Christmas theme.
This one is entitled "Saviour's Day" and it went all the way to the top of the UK secular charts in 1990, where it spent a total of 3 weeks.
It is my personal favourite among all the Christmas-themed songs that he has ever released, because of the meaningful lyrics and catchy tune.
Wishing every one of you a most blessed Saviour's Day!
Now we have been through the harvest
Winter has truly begun
Now we have walked in the chill of the night
We are waiting for, waiting for
For the Saviour's Day
Many have come from the valleys
Many have come from the hills
Many have started their journey home
To be with someone, with someone
on the Saviour's Day
Open your eyes on Saviour's Day
Don't look back or turn away
Life can be yours if you'll only stay
He is calling you, calling you
On the Saviour's Day
Joining the old and the young ones
Joining the black and the white
Meeting the need of the hungry is He
Will we ever remember Him
On the Saviour's Day?
Here's to the God of the present
(Raise your glasses)
Here's to the God of the past
(Drink to the King)
Here's to the hope in the future He brings
We will sing to Him, sing to Him
On the Saviour's Day
Today, I shall blog about another song that Sir Cliff Richard released with a Christmas theme.
This one is entitled "Saviour's Day" and it went all the way to the top of the UK secular charts in 1990, where it spent a total of 3 weeks.
It is my personal favourite among all the Christmas-themed songs that he has ever released, because of the meaningful lyrics and catchy tune.
Wishing every one of you a most blessed Saviour's Day!
Now we have been through the harvest
Winter has truly begun
Now we have walked in the chill of the night
We are waiting for, waiting for
For the Saviour's Day
Many have come from the valleys
Many have come from the hills
Many have started their journey home
To be with someone, with someone
on the Saviour's Day
Open your eyes on Saviour's Day
Don't look back or turn away
Life can be yours if you'll only stay
He is calling you, calling you
On the Saviour's Day
Joining the old and the young ones
Joining the black and the white
Meeting the need of the hungry is He
Will we ever remember Him
On the Saviour's Day?
Here's to the God of the present
(Raise your glasses)
Here's to the God of the past
(Drink to the King)
Here's to the hope in the future He brings
We will sing to Him, sing to Him
On the Saviour's Day
Reason For the Season
Monday, 24th December 2007
I am sure many of us must have seen posters containing the words "Jesus is the reason for the se
ason".
This is a well-meaning reminder that in the midst of all the partying and revelry that comes with the celebration of Christmas, we should not forget the birthday boy Himself.
Well, yesterday in church, we were given another perspective to this.
In Ps Reuben's sermon entitled "Restedness -- Are we focused?" (which, together with all his other sermons, has been made available on this blog via Imeem for your listening pleasure), he said something radical, even "blasphemous", as he put it.
He said that WE are the reason for Christmas!
And the more I thought about it, the more I agree with him!
Christmas is the time when we remember God the Son becoming flesh to dwell among men. But what was the reason that He gave up the comforts of heaven to come down to earth? Us!
Because of His great immeasurable love for us, He came from heaven to earth, and then the earth to the cross, and then the cross to the grave. His sole mission on planet earth was to shed His precious blood for us, so that we could become beneficiaries of the New Covenant made between God the Father and God the Son.
What is the reason for the season? We are!
Ps Reuben mentioned that a couple of guys sang the song "We are the Reason" at a pub, and it brought many of the pubgoers to tears. We sang that as the closing song during the service and tears just kept streaming down my cheeks.
Here is a version of that song by Christian band Avalon that I found on YouTube. May the words minister to you too :-)
I am sure many of us must have seen posters containing the words "Jesus is the reason for the se
ason".This is a well-meaning reminder that in the midst of all the partying and revelry that comes with the celebration of Christmas, we should not forget the birthday boy Himself.
Well, yesterday in church, we were given another perspective to this.
In Ps Reuben's sermon entitled "Restedness -- Are we focused?" (which, together with all his other sermons, has been made available on this blog via Imeem for your listening pleasure), he said something radical, even "blasphemous", as he put it.
He said that WE are the reason for Christmas!
And the more I thought about it, the more I agree with him!
Christmas is the time when we remember God the Son becoming flesh to dwell among men. But what was the reason that He gave up the comforts of heaven to come down to earth? Us!
Because of His great immeasurable love for us, He came from heaven to earth, and then the earth to the cross, and then the cross to the grave. His sole mission on planet earth was to shed His precious blood for us, so that we could become beneficiaries of the New Covenant made between God the Father and God the Son.
What is the reason for the season? We are!
Ps Reuben mentioned that a couple of guys sang the song "We are the Reason" at a pub, and it brought many of the pubgoers to tears. We sang that as the closing song during the service and tears just kept streaming down my cheeks.
Here is a version of that song by Christian band Avalon that I found on YouTube. May the words minister to you too :-)
Little Town
Sunday, 23rd December 2007
In this day and age, it takes much more courage for someone who is in the sports or entertainment arena to profess he is a Christian than it does for someone to profess that he is gay or a womaniser.
That is why I am very encouraged to read about how Zach Johnson and Kaka boldly make a stand for our Lord Jesus Christ, which I blogged about here and here respectively.
By the way, since then, Kaka has gone on to win the FIFA Footballer of the Year award. All glory to God!
But I digress...
Another person who boldy proclaims his faith is Sir Cliff Richard.
One of the hymns I remember singing in church during Christmastime was "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Well, this hymn was given a modern-day interpretation by Cliff in 1982, and released as a single with the title "Little Town" during Christmastime and reached #5 in the secular UK charts that year.
Hence the title of today's post.
Actually, Bethelehem was indeed a humble little town in Judea (as compared to the more renowned Jerusalem). But it was in God's sovereign plan that His Son would be born in the very same place where David the shepherd boy had grown up. (Of course, not to the extent of being born in a manger, but you get my drift).
Joseph and Mary were actually from Galilee in Nazareth, but had to travel all the way to Bethlehem because of the census that was taken. You can read more about Bethlehem here.
Back to the song "Little Town". The tune may have been changed, but the words of the original hymn remain unchanged.
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie,
Above the deep and dreamless sleep,
The silent stars go by.
Yet in the dark streets shineth,
The everlasting light,
The hopes and fears of all the years,
Are met in thee tonight.
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts,
The blessings of His heaven.
We hear the Christmas angels,
The great glad tidings tell,
O come to us, abide with us,
The Lord Emmanuel.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
In this day and age, it takes much more courage for someone who is in the sports or entertainment arena to profess he is a Christian than it does for someone to profess that he is gay or a womaniser.
That is why I am very encouraged to read about how Zach Johnson and Kaka boldly make a stand for our Lord Jesus Christ, which I blogged about here and here respectively.
By the way, since then, Kaka has gone on to win the FIFA Footballer of the Year award. All glory to God!
But I digress...
Another person who boldy proclaims his faith is Sir Cliff Richard.
One of the hymns I remember singing in church during Christmastime was "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Well, this hymn was given a modern-day interpretation by Cliff in 1982, and released as a single with the title "Little Town" during Christmastime and reached #5 in the secular UK charts that year.
Hence the title of today's post.
Actually, Bethelehem was indeed a humble little town in Judea (as compared to the more renowned Jerusalem). But it was in God's sovereign plan that His Son would be born in the very same place where David the shepherd boy had grown up. (Of course, not to the extent of being born in a manger, but you get my drift).
Joseph and Mary were actually from Galilee in Nazareth, but had to travel all the way to Bethlehem because of the census that was taken. You can read more about Bethlehem here.
Back to the song "Little Town". The tune may have been changed, but the words of the original hymn remain unchanged.
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie,
Above the deep and dreamless sleep,
The silent stars go by.
Yet in the dark streets shineth,
The everlasting light,
The hopes and fears of all the years,
Are met in thee tonight.
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts,
The blessings of His heaven.
We hear the Christmas angels,
The great glad tidings tell,
O come to us, abide with us,
The Lord Emmanuel.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
Oh My Lord
Saturday, 22nd December 2007
As we approach Christmas, I thought I'd feature some Christmas-themed songs that made it big in the secular charts.
1970s was the era of disco, and one of the bands that were part of that scene was a 4-piece group from Germany known as Boney M.
In May/June 1978, they were #1 in the UK with "Rivers of Babylon", a song based on Psalm 137. In December of that same year, they reached #1 again with the Christmas-themed song "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord".
For those of us who are in our 40s (like me), this song should bring back fond memories :-)
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day
and man will live for evermore because of Christmas Day
Long time ago in Bethlehem so the Holy Bible said
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day.
Hark now hear the angels sing a King was born today
and man will live for evermore because of Christmas Day
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day.
While shepherds watched their flocks by night they see a bright new shining star
they hear a choir sing a song the music seemed to come from afar.
For a moment the world was aglow all the bells rang out
there were tears of joy and laughter
people shouted let ev'ryone know there is hope for all to find peace.
Now Joseph and his wife Mary came to Bethlehem that night
they found no place to bear her child not a single room was in sight
and then they found a little nook in a stable all forlorn
and in a manger cold and dark Mary's little boy was born
Oh my Lord You send your Son to save us
oh my Lord Your very self you gave us
oh my Lord that sin may not enslave us
and love may reign once more.
Oh my Lord when in the crib they found Him
oh my Lord a golden halo crowned Him
oh my Lord they gathered all around Him
to see Him and adore.
Oh my Lord with the child's adoration
oh my Lord there came great jubilation
oh my Lord and full of admiration
they realized what they had (until the sun falls from the sky)
Oh my Lord (well praise the Lord)
they had begun to doubt you
oh my Lord (He is the truth forever)
what did they know about you.
Oh my Lord (so praise the Lord)
but they were lost without you
they needed you so bad (his light is shining on us)
As we approach Christmas, I thought I'd feature some Christmas-themed songs that made it big in the secular charts.
1970s was the era of disco, and one of the bands that were part of that scene was a 4-piece group from Germany known as Boney M.
In May/June 1978, they were #1 in the UK with "Rivers of Babylon", a song based on Psalm 137. In December of that same year, they reached #1 again with the Christmas-themed song "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord".
For those of us who are in our 40s (like me), this song should bring back fond memories :-)
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day
and man will live for evermore because of Christmas Day
Long time ago in Bethlehem so the Holy Bible said
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day.
Hark now hear the angels sing a King was born today
and man will live for evermore because of Christmas Day
Mary's boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day.
While shepherds watched their flocks by night they see a bright new shining star
they hear a choir sing a song the music seemed to come from afar.
For a moment the world was aglow all the bells rang out
there were tears of joy and laughter
people shouted let ev'ryone know there is hope for all to find peace.
Now Joseph and his wife Mary came to Bethlehem that night
they found no place to bear her child not a single room was in sight
and then they found a little nook in a stable all forlorn
and in a manger cold and dark Mary's little boy was born
Oh my Lord You send your Son to save us
oh my Lord Your very self you gave us
oh my Lord that sin may not enslave us
and love may reign once more.
Oh my Lord when in the crib they found Him
oh my Lord a golden halo crowned Him
oh my Lord they gathered all around Him
to see Him and adore.
Oh my Lord with the child's adoration
oh my Lord there came great jubilation
oh my Lord and full of admiration
they realized what they had (until the sun falls from the sky)
Oh my Lord (well praise the Lord)
they had begun to doubt you
oh my Lord (He is the truth forever)
what did they know about you.
Oh my Lord (so praise the Lord)
but they were lost without you
they needed you so bad (his light is shining on us)
Another Accolade
Friday, 21st December 2007
Back on 4 Feb 07, ROOTSS was given the Best Christian Blog of the Week Award. It came at a most appropriate moment in time because that very morning, I had broken down and cried bitterly in church during Holy Communion, because relationships that had taken much time to build up had started to become strained. The Award was the Lord's way of telling me, "Son, this is the cost of discipleship. Take heart, and continue to blog about what I'm doing in your life."
Well, many other events have taken place since then, which I will not go into detail anymore lest people accuse me of sounding like a broken record :-)
Recently, I have been standing at another crossroad of my spiritual journey because I sense a greater animosity and resistence to the grace message here in my church.
And I give praise and thanks to God again, because in His great mercy and grace, He has meet me once again at my point of need.
I was checking out the Sitemeter statistics, and discovered via a link that ROOTSS has just been given the Best Christian Blog of the Year 2007 Award! It is a great honour and privilege to be accorded this accolade.
Thank you dearest Lord Jesus for this. I will continue to declare the mighty works You are doing in my life!
Back on 4 Feb 07, ROOTSS was given the Best Christian Blog of the Week Award. It came at a most appropriate moment in time because that very morning, I had broken down and cried bitterly in church during Holy Communion, because relationships that had taken much time to build up had started to become strained. The Award was the Lord's way of telling me, "Son, this is the cost of discipleship. Take heart, and continue to blog about what I'm doing in your life."
Well, many other events have taken place since then, which I will not go into detail anymore lest people accuse me of sounding like a broken record :-)Recently, I have been standing at another crossroad of my spiritual journey because I sense a greater animosity and resistence to the grace message here in my church.
And I give praise and thanks to God again, because in His great mercy and grace, He has meet me once again at my point of need.
I was checking out the Sitemeter statistics, and discovered via a link that ROOTSS has just been given the Best Christian Blog of the Year 2007 Award! It is a great honour and privilege to be accorded this accolade.
Thank you dearest Lord Jesus for this. I will continue to declare the mighty works You are doing in my life!
The Big Four-Oh
Thursday, 20th December 2007
Recently, there has again been a forwardlog on ROOTSS :-)
The observant among you would have noticed that I skipped the date 20 December in the forwardlog. Well, that is because that is the day I turn FOUR- OH. Yup, forty years on this planet.
Back in early November, my wife’s elder brother turned forty, and his wife threw him a surprise birthday party. I jokingly said to my wife then, “So dearie, are you going to organise a surprise party for me as well?”
Well, guess what? My Proverbs 31 woman took me seriously! Read on…
The day started off quite uneventfully actually. I have been feeling slightly under the weather since Tuesday with a bout of flu, and woke up about 9am. I checked my handphone and noticed several birthday wishes via SMS from well-wishes.
Then, my kids gave me something they had made me for my birthday.
My daughter gave me a huge birthday card, with colourful crayons and stickers on them.
My son gave me birthday coupons (which can be used to redeem for such things like “no computer for 2 days” or “no junk food for 13 days”) .
God bless their hearts :-)
Then at about 11am, a truck arrived from Emicakes delivering a huge 2kg cake. Hmm… that cake was big enough to feed 25 to 30 persons, I thought to myself. Is there something big that was being planned for tonight?
Anyway, my wife, kids and I went for lunch at a nearby country club, after which I came home to take a nap. I got up at about 4.30pm, and this kinda caught my wife by surprise. I was supposed to sleep until 5.30pm. She did not allow me to step into the living room, so she asked our son to stall me by playing computer games with him in his room.
Then just before 6pm, I was asked to take a quick shower, after which I was led into the living room. Right before my very eyes was that birthday cake and about 30 birthday guests. They included my parents, my siblings and their kids, my in-laws, members of the just-defunct 3L7 and Ps Reuben and his family.
We started with a time of worship (led by my daughter, accompanied on the guitar by my youngest sis and with my son controlling the powerpoint slides). After that, my daughter showed us a video made up of snapshots of me as a baby, a toddler, a kid, a youth, an adult and until now. I was really touched. I suppose the first thing that will strike you is how much weight I have put on down through the years :-)
This video has been uploaded onto YouTube for your viewing pleasure...
My dad then prayed a blessing over me, after which Ps Reuben was asked to give thanks for the food. This being Christmastime, the food was a spread of turkey, honey-baked ham, potato salad, cranberry sauce, shepherd's pie, etc.
And all these were organised by my most capable wife, with assistance from my 2 lovely kids. She had activated the guests list, seen to the catering, logistics, etc.
As I reflect back upon the 40 years here, I want to thank the Lord for family and loved ones. They are the ones that will stick with you through both thick and thin.
But most of all, I thank God for my wife. She has indeed been a long-suffering helpmeet – who has seen me through all the years that we have been married, and have been putting up with all my "nonsense", indeed for better and for worse.
I was also asked to make a speech, when I acknowledged the presence of all that had taken the effort to celebrate my 40th birthday with me. My wife has certainly set a very high standard here, and it will be a tough call for me to equal or exceed that standard when I reciprocate in 2 years' time what she had done for me today.
Recently, there has again been a forwardlog on ROOTSS :-)
The observant among you would have noticed that I skipped the date 20 December in the forwardlog. Well, that is because that is the day I turn FOUR- OH. Yup, forty years on this planet.
Back in early November, my wife’s elder brother turned forty, and his wife threw him a surprise birthday party. I jokingly said to my wife then, “So dearie, are you going to organise a surprise party for me as well?”
Well, guess what? My Proverbs 31 woman took me seriously! Read on…
The day started off quite uneventfully actually. I have been feeling slightly under the weather since Tuesday with a bout of flu, and woke up about 9am. I checked my handphone and noticed several birthday wishes via SMS from well-wishes.
Then, my kids gave me something they had made me for my birthday.My daughter gave me a huge birthday card, with colourful crayons and stickers on them.
My son gave me birthday coupons (which can be used to redeem for such things like “no computer for 2 days” or “no junk food for 13 days”) .
God bless their hearts :-)
Then at about 11am, a truck arrived from Emicakes delivering a huge 2kg cake. Hmm… that cake was big enough to feed 25 to 30 persons, I thought to myself. Is there something big that was being planned for tonight?
Anyway, my wife, kids and I went for lunch at a nearby country club, after which I came home to take a nap. I got up at about 4.30pm, and this kinda caught my wife by surprise. I was supposed to sleep until 5.30pm. She did not allow me to step into the living room, so she asked our son to stall me by playing computer games with him in his room.
Then just before 6pm, I was asked to take a quick shower, after which I was led into the living room. Right before my very eyes was that birthday cake and about 30 birthday guests. They included my parents, my siblings and their kids, my in-laws, members of the just-defunct 3L7 and Ps Reuben and his family.
We started with a time of worship (led by my daughter, accompanied on the guitar by my youngest sis and with my son controlling the powerpoint slides). After that, my daughter showed us a video made up of snapshots of me as a baby, a toddler, a kid, a youth, an adult and until now. I was really touched. I suppose the first thing that will strike you is how much weight I have put on down through the years :-)
This video has been uploaded onto YouTube for your viewing pleasure...
My dad then prayed a blessing over me, after which Ps Reuben was asked to give thanks for the food. This being Christmastime, the food was a spread of turkey, honey-baked ham, potato salad, cranberry sauce, shepherd's pie, etc.
And all these were organised by my most capable wife, with assistance from my 2 lovely kids. She had activated the guests list, seen to the catering, logistics, etc.
As I reflect back upon the 40 years here, I want to thank the Lord for family and loved ones. They are the ones that will stick with you through both thick and thin.
But most of all, I thank God for my wife. She has indeed been a long-suffering helpmeet – who has seen me through all the years that we have been married, and have been putting up with all my "nonsense", indeed for better and for worse.
I was also asked to make a speech, when I acknowledged the presence of all that had taken the effort to celebrate my 40th birthday with me. My wife has certainly set a very high standard here, and it will be a tough call for me to equal or exceed that standard when I reciprocate in 2 years' time what she had done for me today.
Paradise was a Place in Hell
Wednesday, 19th December 2007
Back in the 1980s, there was a popular song entitled "Heaven is a Place on Earth". This is of course not scriptural, because we know that heaven is where we as believers will go to after we pass on from this earth.
What if I were to tell you that Paradise was a place in hell? Would you be surprised? Read on…
In Matt 12:40, Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Here, Jesus was telling the scribes and the Pharisees that He would spend three days and three nights in hell. We of course know that He was referring to the time just after He would be crucified.
Yet, we also read in Luke 23:43 a verse that is often quoted at funerals. Jesus told one of the thieves, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
If Jesus had spent three days and three nights in hell, and yet also told this thief that he would be with Him in paradise, then the logical conclusion is that paradise was a place in hell!
Before someone shouts “Heresy!”, please let me continue…
Jesus also said in Jn 14:6 that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and that no one got to the Father except through Him.
This is no problem for the believer today. Once a person accepts Jesus, He is guaranteed life eternal in heaven, where God the Father resides.
But how about those patriarchs of old such as Adam, Noah, Abraham or David, etc? When they were alive, Jesus was not yet made available to them, so to speak.
Aah.. when they died, their souls too went to the "holding place" called paradise, and they were there waiting in eager anticipation for Jesus to finally come and bring them up to heaven!
That place is also known as Abraham’s bosom or Abraham’s side, as described in the parable that Jesus told about the rich man and the beggar in Luke 16:19-28. Even though paradise and Sheol were both located in hell, we read in that parable that there was a great chasm that divided them, and no one could cross over from one place to the other.
Jesus died for all our sins, past, present and future. While the cross stands outside the dimension of time, we humans are bounded by time, hence the “past” sins that Jesus died for would refer to those that were committed by those patriarchs, and Jesus died for each and every one of them too.
So what exactly did Jesus do during those three days and nights in the depths of the earth?
(1) He went to get the keys of death and Hades back from the devil.
As a result of first Adam's sin, man had to die. The keys of death were effectively handed over to the devil. But the second Adam conquered death and Hades and redeemed mankind back unto the Lord. Consider the following verses:
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil. (Heb 2:14)
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Rev 1:18)
(2) He proclaimed His victory over the fallen angels who during the time of Noah, had tried to corrupt the human race by procreating with the daughters of Eve
Back in the 1980s, there was a popular song entitled "Heaven is a Place on Earth". This is of course not scriptural, because we know that heaven is where we as believers will go to after we pass on from this earth.
What if I were to tell you that Paradise was a place in hell? Would you be surprised? Read on…
In Matt 12:40, Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Here, Jesus was telling the scribes and the Pharisees that He would spend three days and three nights in hell. We of course know that He was referring to the time just after He would be crucified.
Yet, we also read in Luke 23:43 a verse that is often quoted at funerals. Jesus told one of the thieves, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
If Jesus had spent three days and three nights in hell, and yet also told this thief that he would be with Him in paradise, then the logical conclusion is that paradise was a place in hell!
Before someone shouts “Heresy!”, please let me continue…
Jesus also said in Jn 14:6 that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and that no one got to the Father except through Him.
This is no problem for the believer today. Once a person accepts Jesus, He is guaranteed life eternal in heaven, where God the Father resides.
But how about those patriarchs of old such as Adam, Noah, Abraham or David, etc? When they were alive, Jesus was not yet made available to them, so to speak.
Aah.. when they died, their souls too went to the "holding place" called paradise, and they were there waiting in eager anticipation for Jesus to finally come and bring them up to heaven!
That place is also known as Abraham’s bosom or Abraham’s side, as described in the parable that Jesus told about the rich man and the beggar in Luke 16:19-28. Even though paradise and Sheol were both located in hell, we read in that parable that there was a great chasm that divided them, and no one could cross over from one place to the other.
Jesus died for all our sins, past, present and future. While the cross stands outside the dimension of time, we humans are bounded by time, hence the “past” sins that Jesus died for would refer to those that were committed by those patriarchs, and Jesus died for each and every one of them too.
So what exactly did Jesus do during those three days and nights in the depths of the earth?
(1) He went to get the keys of death and Hades back from the devil.
As a result of first Adam's sin, man had to die. The keys of death were effectively handed over to the devil. But the second Adam conquered death and Hades and redeemed mankind back unto the Lord. Consider the following verses:
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil. (Heb 2:14)
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Rev 1:18)
(2) He proclaimed His victory over the fallen angels who during the time of Noah, had tried to corrupt the human race by procreating with the daughters of Eve
Satan had heard God prophesy in the Garden of Eden that a seed of Eve would crush his head. So he tried to prevent that from happening by getting his fallen angels to appear in human form to procreate with humans in order to corrupt the human race.
This extent of this corruption was so widespread that only 8 persons were purely human: Noah, his three sons and their wives. You can read more about that here.
Through whom also He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water (1 Pet 3:19-20)
I can imagine Jesus saying to those fallen angels "nani nani poo poo", because God outwitted the devil by sending the flood to destroy them. We read in Jude 1:6 that "these angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode are now kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day."
(3) He went to "Abraham’s bosom" to release all those who were there and took them up with Him
Consider the following passage of Scripture
Matthew 27:50 - 53
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Verse 53 is very interesting – it says that these saints appeared to many. Can you imagine how those in Jerusalem must have felt when they saw right before their very eyes their forefathers like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or David in flesh and blood before them.
So was there anyone the other side of the cross who went to heaven without having to spend time in this holding area?
Based on Scripture, there seems to be 3 persons: Enoch, Moses and Elijah.
Enoch and Elijah did not taste death but were raptured. We read in Gen 5:24 that "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away", and also in 2 Kings 2:11 that "suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.".
The third person to have gone to heaven was Moses. Unlike Enoch and Elijah, Moses tasted death, but Jude 1:9 records that "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
Here we see that Michael the Archangel and the devil fought over Moses' body, each probably laying claim to why he should have it. Satan's argument was that he had the power over death at that stage, but the fact that Moses appeared in glory next to Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration shows us the outcome of this "Holy War".
So friends, paradise was a place in hell. It was a holding area for the saints who passed away before the cross. For us this side of the cross, we can go straight to heaven. Amen?
Afternote: A fellow believer who calls himself Oblivion has kindly given me a link to a Youtube video whereby Ps Prince talks about this very topic, which you can view below:
Botak Ang Mo
Tuesday, 18th December 2007
Since Christmas is drawing near, I thought I should have some light-hearted topics as well, rather than the heavy doctrinal posts of late.
And today, I shall talk about western food located in the heartlands, which was featured in the local newspapers a couple of months back.
One of them is called Botak Jones, which I first heard about via radio advertisements on the station Power 98FM.
They recently opened an outlet at Block 970A Toa Payoh North (next to SPH's News Centre), which is about a 10-minute drive from my home.
Pictured on the right is their signature meal, the Botak Cheese Burger, which has 2 patties and chilli fries.
Another one is known as Crazy Ang Mo, located at Block 279 of Bishan Street 24. This one is run by an Australian (hence the kangaroo on the logo) and he has even invested in a PA and queueing system to manage the orders.
Their signature meal is the Crazy Burger with Everything on the Side, which is pictured on the right.
If you happen to be in the vicinity, do drop in and give them a try.
Since Christmas is drawing near, I thought I should have some light-hearted topics as well, rather than the heavy doctrinal posts of late.
And today, I shall talk about western food located in the heartlands, which was featured in the local newspapers a couple of months back.
One of them is called Botak Jones, which I first heard about via radio advertisements on the station Power 98FM.They recently opened an outlet at Block 970A Toa Payoh North (next to SPH's News Centre), which is about a 10-minute drive from my home.
Pictured on the right is their signature meal, the Botak Cheese Burger, which has 2 patties and chilli fries.
Another one is known as Crazy Ang Mo, located at Block 279 of Bishan Street 24. This one is run by an Australian (hence the kangaroo on the logo) and he has even invested in a PA and queueing system to manage the orders.Their signature meal is the Crazy Burger with Everything on the Side, which is pictured on the right.
If you happen to be in the vicinity, do drop in and give them a try.
School-Based Churches
Monday, 17th December 2007
Back in August 2007, I blogged about a farewell that the MC had entitled "Barney-Lor" because Pastor B was moving to Cairnhill Methodist Church and Loretta, the then-Director of Administration was going to Living Waters Methodist Church to be its assistant pastor.
Cairnhill Methodist Church worships at the ACS Junior school hall and has a membership of about 150.
Living Waters Methodist Church hold their services at the auditorium of ACS Independent and has a current membership of about 350.
Churches that are based in schools have a rich harvestfield of youth. In fact, just this month, our own church moved its Youth Service to the auditorium of Paya Lebar MGS Secondary. The youth is about 350-strong, but since the autororium can hold 700, there is a potential for the congregation to double.
May God continue to do a mighty multiplication work in these school-based churches. Amen?
Back in August 2007, I blogged about a farewell that the MC had entitled "Barney-Lor" because Pastor B was moving to Cairnhill Methodist Church and Loretta, the then-Director of Administration was going to Living Waters Methodist Church to be its assistant pastor.
Cairnhill Methodist Church worships at the ACS Junior school hall and has a membership of about 150.Living Waters Methodist Church hold their services at the auditorium of ACS Independent and has a current membership of about 350.
Churches that are based in schools have a rich harvestfield of youth. In fact, just this month, our own church moved its Youth Service to the auditorium of Paya Lebar MGS Secondary. The youth is about 350-strong, but since the autororium can hold 700, there is a potential for the congregation to double.
May God continue to do a mighty multiplication work in these school-based churches. Amen?
Peace and Goodwill
Sunday, 16th December 2007
Just noted that yesterday was the 333rd entry on ROOTSS.
Some of you who have been reading this blog recently may get the impression that I am against 2 of my pastors (and my ex-one as well). Let me assure you that this is definitely not the case. I have blogged before that one of them has a shepherd's heart while the other has a heart for the lost, and I really appreciate the work that they are doing here in PLMC. [As for my ex-pastor, he has great musical talents and I love the song he wrote for our Ohana Church Camp].
Let me state categorically again that I have nothing against them personally. It is the law-based teachings that I do not agree with. Similarly, I believe they have nothing against me personally etiher. It is the grace-based beliefs I hold that they do not agree with. Hence, we will just have to agree to disagree.
Even though we have our differences, Christmas is the time when the choir of angels sang, "Peace on earth and goodwill toward men". Hence, I decided to put those aside during this festive period, and got a log cake each for my 3 current pastors.
The reason for the season is Jesus the Christ. Amen?
Just noted that yesterday was the 333rd entry on ROOTSS.
Some of you who have been reading this blog recently may get the impression that I am against 2 of my pastors (and my ex-one as well). Let me assure you that this is definitely not the case. I have blogged before that one of them has a shepherd's heart while the other has a heart for the lost, and I really appreciate the work that they are doing here in PLMC. [As for my ex-pastor, he has great musical talents and I love the song he wrote for our Ohana Church Camp].
Let me state categorically again that I have nothing against them personally. It is the law-based teachings that I do not agree with. Similarly, I believe they have nothing against me personally etiher. It is the grace-based beliefs I hold that they do not agree with. Hence, we will just have to agree to disagree.Even though we have our differences, Christmas is the time when the choir of angels sang, "Peace on earth and goodwill toward men". Hence, I decided to put those aside during this festive period, and got a log cake each for my 3 current pastors.
The reason for the season is Jesus the Christ. Amen?
The Judgment Seat
Saturday, 15th December 2007
Down through the years as a Christian, I have often times heard teachings where the judgment seat was spoken about. As a result, the picture that was painted in my head was that after departing this earth, I would have to appear before God. He was like this judge in a court of hearing sitting on a big throne, and I was like the criminal being tried, with my head hung low.
A videotape of my entire life from the time I was conceived in my mother's womb to the time I breathed my last breath would then be broadcasted. Every single sin I had ever committed would be stored in that videotape. There was no need to watch the entire video, because halfway through, the judge would have seen enough, bang the gavel on the sounding block and by doing so, effectively sentence me to death eternal.
Praise be to God that I now know beyond the shadow of any doubt that He is definitely not like that at all. He has already exhausted all His holy and righteous judgment on the body of His beloved Son on that Calvary cross 2,000 years ago, and He cannot justly and righteously punish the same sin twice -- once on the body of Jesus, and then again upon me.
Not only that, what appears on that "videotape" would only be events that God credits to me as righteousness because I exercise my faith in His Word and have a good opinion of Him, just like what happened to Noah, Abraham, Moses, David et al in Hebrews 11.
But doesn't Paul talk about the judgment seat of Christ in Rom 14:10 and 2 Cor 5:10, some of you may be saying.
Yes he does, but if we look at the Greek origin, we realise the word there is bema.
The concept of the Bema Seat comes from the ancient Olympics, where a judge would sit on the Bema Seat placed at the finishing line of a race.
In those days, sensors and timers were not invented yet. So in order to determine the sequence as to who had crossed the finishing line first, second or third, etc, the judge himself had to sit right there next to finishing line. His job was to give out the appropriate rewards and throphies after doing so, and not to "find fault" with the participants.
The Bema Seat judgment is also different from the Great White Throne (in Greek: megas leukos thronos) judgment as mentioned in Revelation 20:11-15.
Believers will appear before the former to receive their reward, whereas unbelievers will appear before the latter to receive their judgment.
Down through the years as a Christian, I have often times heard teachings where the judgment seat was spoken about. As a result, the picture that was painted in my head was that after departing this earth, I would have to appear before God. He was like this judge in a court of hearing sitting on a big throne, and I was like the criminal being tried, with my head hung low.
A videotape of my entire life from the time I was conceived in my mother's womb to the time I breathed my last breath would then be broadcasted. Every single sin I had ever committed would be stored in that videotape. There was no need to watch the entire video, because halfway through, the judge would have seen enough, bang the gavel on the sounding block and by doing so, effectively sentence me to death eternal.
Praise be to God that I now know beyond the shadow of any doubt that He is definitely not like that at all. He has already exhausted all His holy and righteous judgment on the body of His beloved Son on that Calvary cross 2,000 years ago, and He cannot justly and righteously punish the same sin twice -- once on the body of Jesus, and then again upon me.
Not only that, what appears on that "videotape" would only be events that God credits to me as righteousness because I exercise my faith in His Word and have a good opinion of Him, just like what happened to Noah, Abraham, Moses, David et al in Hebrews 11.
But doesn't Paul talk about the judgment seat of Christ in Rom 14:10 and 2 Cor 5:10, some of you may be saying.Yes he does, but if we look at the Greek origin, we realise the word there is bema.
The concept of the Bema Seat comes from the ancient Olympics, where a judge would sit on the Bema Seat placed at the finishing line of a race.
In those days, sensors and timers were not invented yet. So in order to determine the sequence as to who had crossed the finishing line first, second or third, etc, the judge himself had to sit right there next to finishing line. His job was to give out the appropriate rewards and throphies after doing so, and not to "find fault" with the participants.
The Bema Seat judgment is also different from the Great White Throne (in Greek: megas leukos thronos) judgment as mentioned in Revelation 20:11-15.
Believers will appear before the former to receive their reward, whereas unbelievers will appear before the latter to receive their judgment.
Crossing Paths
Friday, 14th December 2007
A group of Christians in my office meet up every Thursday for a time of prayer and fellowship.
Last week, I was introduced to a chap called Jonathan, who just joined Infineon about a month ago. He asked me whether I knew who Dr Michael Loh is, and I told him that he is my dad.
It turns out that Jonathan knows my dad because he used to attend PLMC, and he said he used to be a worship leader, cell leader and served in the Boys' Brigade.
When he told me this, suddenly things fell into place!
Back in July 2007, I had blogged about The Path Already Taken, where I mentioned that I came across some comments made on a blogger's website by a Jonathan who had travelled a similar spiritual journey to mine, and his final decision was to transfer his membership from PLMC to NCC.
And lo and behold, the guy seated before me was that very same Jonathan! What are the odds of that happening? Unlikely you say? Well, our God is the God of the impossible and in His infinite wisdom, He has caused our paths to cross!
Since our first meeting last Thursday, I have already had lunch with him twice this week, and I thank the Lord for assuring me in a most concrete and wonderful way that in spite of recent circumstances taking place, I do not travel this path alone.
I suppose the only difference is that while God told Jonathan to move on to NCC, God is telling me to stay on to change things in PLMC from the inside.
Jon and I had a wonderful time of fellowship and sharing of mutual experiences. Seems also like Pastors Barnabas and Kay Leong have left a very deep impression on him, but I will not go into details here for obvious reasons. Pastor Peter did not manage to do so because by then, he had already made the move to NCC.
I thank God for causing our paths to cross. I am sure there must be reasons why Jon and I are now colleagues, and I look forward to His plan being unfolded to us in the months to come.
A group of Christians in my office meet up every Thursday for a time of prayer and fellowship.
Last week, I was introduced to a chap called Jonathan, who just joined Infineon about a month ago. He asked me whether I knew who Dr Michael Loh is, and I told him that he is my dad.
It turns out that Jonathan knows my dad because he used to attend PLMC, and he said he used to be a worship leader, cell leader and served in the Boys' Brigade.
When he told me this, suddenly things fell into place!
Back in July 2007, I had blogged about The Path Already Taken, where I mentioned that I came across some comments made on a blogger's website by a Jonathan who had travelled a similar spiritual journey to mine, and his final decision was to transfer his membership from PLMC to NCC.
And lo and behold, the guy seated before me was that very same Jonathan! What are the odds of that happening? Unlikely you say? Well, our God is the God of the impossible and in His infinite wisdom, He has caused our paths to cross!
Since our first meeting last Thursday, I have already had lunch with him twice this week, and I thank the Lord for assuring me in a most concrete and wonderful way that in spite of recent circumstances taking place, I do not travel this path alone.
I suppose the only difference is that while God told Jonathan to move on to NCC, God is telling me to stay on to change things in PLMC from the inside.
Jon and I had a wonderful time of fellowship and sharing of mutual experiences. Seems also like Pastors Barnabas and Kay Leong have left a very deep impression on him, but I will not go into details here for obvious reasons. Pastor Peter did not manage to do so because by then, he had already made the move to NCC.
I thank God for causing our paths to cross. I am sure there must be reasons why Jon and I are now colleagues, and I look forward to His plan being unfolded to us in the months to come.
Curses this Side of the Cross
Thursday, 13th December 2007
Have been wanting to blog on this topic, but somehow other stuff came up, so here it is finally :-)
I believe most of us are familiar with stories like the Ugly Duckling, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.
Imagine you going into a bargain-basement store and seeing these books not only in hardcover, but fully-illustrated in colour being sold for only 50 cents each. With Christmas just around the corner, you decide to buy 500 copies -- to give to nephews and nieces, and even maybe for birthdays and other special occasions the following year.
After arriving home and flipping through the books, you discover to your horror that there are missing pages. In the Ugly Ducking story, the ending part about it turning into a beautiful swan is not there. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are still in a deep coma. You thought you had found the bargain of the year, but you now feel like you are the buffoon of the year. You have been cheated and swindled, and in disgust, you decide to throw the entire lot into the garbage bin.
Back in July 2007, I heard a sermon where the pastor spoke very strongly on Deut 28. He was warning the congregation that they needed to be obedient to God, otherwise the curses as recorded in verses 15 to 68 will not only visit them but their generations to come.
Let's look closely at Deut 28:15. It says "But it shall come about it, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do ALL His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that ALL these curses will come upon you and overtake you."
We also read in James 2:10 that anyone who breaks even one of God's law is guilty of breaking them all.
Honestly, ever since accepting Jesus, which one of us can truly say that we have not committed even one sin? If we embrace what the above preacher said, then every single one of us are going to be cursed to our fourth generation.
Gospel means "good news" and this sure ain't good news.
Remember the story about those books, where the ending part was missing? It is the same thing here. Whenever we hear sermons from the Old Testament without being told of its context in the New, we are being shortchanged. We are being told that the duckling is still ugly or the beauty is still sleeping. So what do we do with such teachings? Throw them into the thrash can where they rightly belong, like those books with the missing pages...
Thanks be to God that Jesus by His death on the cross, has redeemed us from all curses. Any curses as described in the Laws of Moses (ie. in Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Numbers) no longer apply to us because we read in Gal 3:13 that Jesus, by being crucified on the tree, took those curses upon Himself. Even the curse that Adam brought about on mankind because he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil no longer applies. Sure, in the Garden of Eden, a curse was pronounced upon the ground, and he had to toil in hard labour, but in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus sweat drops of blood that fell upon the ground to redeem it, so that our work need no longer laborious and stressful.
So are you saying that there are no more curses this side of the cross?
If only that were so.
If we search the scriptures for writings that took place after Jesus paid the price on the cross, we see that 2 curses still operate today.
In Gal 1:8-9, Paul wrote
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
What was Paul referring to here? I have blogged about this on at least 2 previous occasions, so I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that Paul was angry with the Galatians (and also the apostle Peter) because the grace gospel was being adulterated.
Those who preach a gospel that mixes law and grace are under a double curse, so the sad irony is that while that preacher was trying to tell his congregation that those curses under the law still operate today, by doing so he was instead exposing his very ownself to curses -- those 2 curses that Paul spoke about.
But the good news is that if he (and other law-based preachers) begin to realise that Jesus has redeemed every one of us from those curses and embraces that truth for themselves, even these 2 curses no longer apply to them.
Those of you out there who have crossed over from other churches to New Creation Church, please continue to pray for the pastors of your previous church. Remember, God loves each one of them too. Even though Peter, and even the church in Laodicea had mixed law and grace, I believe every single one of them are now in heaven, and I look forward to saying hi to them when my time here on earth is up :-)
Have been wanting to blog on this topic, but somehow other stuff came up, so here it is finally :-)
I believe most of us are familiar with stories like the Ugly Duckling, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.
Imagine you going into a bargain-basement store and seeing these books not only in hardcover, but fully-illustrated in colour being sold for only 50 cents each. With Christmas just around the corner, you decide to buy 500 copies -- to give to nephews and nieces, and even maybe for birthdays and other special occasions the following year.
After arriving home and flipping through the books, you discover to your horror that there are missing pages. In the Ugly Ducking story, the ending part about it turning into a beautiful swan is not there. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are still in a deep coma. You thought you had found the bargain of the year, but you now feel like you are the buffoon of the year. You have been cheated and swindled, and in disgust, you decide to throw the entire lot into the garbage bin.
Back in July 2007, I heard a sermon where the pastor spoke very strongly on Deut 28. He was warning the congregation that they needed to be obedient to God, otherwise the curses as recorded in verses 15 to 68 will not only visit them but their generations to come.
Let's look closely at Deut 28:15. It says "But it shall come about it, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do ALL His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that ALL these curses will come upon you and overtake you."
We also read in James 2:10 that anyone who breaks even one of God's law is guilty of breaking them all.
Honestly, ever since accepting Jesus, which one of us can truly say that we have not committed even one sin? If we embrace what the above preacher said, then every single one of us are going to be cursed to our fourth generation.
Gospel means "good news" and this sure ain't good news.
Remember the story about those books, where the ending part was missing? It is the same thing here. Whenever we hear sermons from the Old Testament without being told of its context in the New, we are being shortchanged. We are being told that the duckling is still ugly or the beauty is still sleeping. So what do we do with such teachings? Throw them into the thrash can where they rightly belong, like those books with the missing pages...
Thanks be to God that Jesus by His death on the cross, has redeemed us from all curses. Any curses as described in the Laws of Moses (ie. in Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Numbers) no longer apply to us because we read in Gal 3:13 that Jesus, by being crucified on the tree, took those curses upon Himself. Even the curse that Adam brought about on mankind because he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil no longer applies. Sure, in the Garden of Eden, a curse was pronounced upon the ground, and he had to toil in hard labour, but in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus sweat drops of blood that fell upon the ground to redeem it, so that our work need no longer laborious and stressful.
So are you saying that there are no more curses this side of the cross?
If only that were so.
If we search the scriptures for writings that took place after Jesus paid the price on the cross, we see that 2 curses still operate today.
In Gal 1:8-9, Paul wrote
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
What was Paul referring to here? I have blogged about this on at least 2 previous occasions, so I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that Paul was angry with the Galatians (and also the apostle Peter) because the grace gospel was being adulterated.
Those who preach a gospel that mixes law and grace are under a double curse, so the sad irony is that while that preacher was trying to tell his congregation that those curses under the law still operate today, by doing so he was instead exposing his very ownself to curses -- those 2 curses that Paul spoke about.
But the good news is that if he (and other law-based preachers) begin to realise that Jesus has redeemed every one of us from those curses and embraces that truth for themselves, even these 2 curses no longer apply to them.
Those of you out there who have crossed over from other churches to New Creation Church, please continue to pray for the pastors of your previous church. Remember, God loves each one of them too. Even though Peter, and even the church in Laodicea had mixed law and grace, I believe every single one of them are now in heaven, and I look forward to saying hi to them when my time here on earth is up :-)
The Cost of Discipleship
Wednesday, 12th December 2007
Critics of the grace gospel say that there should not be an over-emphasis on God's grace. They say that we should maintain a balance. After all, the Scriptures do mention that there is a cost to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Well guess what? I agree! There IS a cost to discipleship. Read on...
Sometime in March 2006, I was approached by my cluster leaders about starting a new cell group. At that time, I was not prepared to do so, because I was already approached by the Finance Chairman in January 2006 to take over the role as Honorary Treasurer with effect from August 2006. However, with further coaxing and encouragement, I finally agreed to their request and went for the Cell Leader Training in October 2006.
I was somewhat the "blue-eyed boy" of 3L, having great favour with my cluster leaders, my fellow cell members in 3L2 as well as many other members of the cluster. One of my cell members labelled me 3L's PR and Marketing guru because I helped them to set up the 3L Cluster Yahoo Group, printed cluster tshirts and calendars.
At this same time last year, I was a cell leader intern in 3L2 and was about to embark as the cell leader of 3L7. I remember having great plans for 3L7. Having been so blessed by grace messages, I had wanted to share this with my cell members. Already when I was in 3L2, I had lots to share, but being only a cell member, there were limits to what could be done (and especially so when Pastor B was also in the same cell... speaking of which, he did mention earlier this year that he suspected I had begun to embrace grace teachings during the course of conversations with him and in the cell. I suppose one cannot be an undercover agent or closet grace embracer for too long, but that is another story for another day).
Anyway, as I was saying earlier, when 3L7 was first birthed in Jan 07, I had great plans for it. I found the Humorous Bible Illustrations DVD to contain many nuggets of God's truth in them. This DVD consists of 30 extracts of sermons of about 3-10 minutes each, and I thought it would be good if I could show one episode per cell meeting...
Alas, my senior pastor got wind of this, and so he mentioned during the PIC-CL meeting in Jan 07 that all external materials had to be cleared with the Disciple & Nurture department (which he oversees) Needless to say, that DVD was completely banned, and I mean completely. At a meeting in his room on 24 January 2007, he told me categorically that he did not agree with any of the materials on that disc. I had no choice but to comply, so my cell members were deprived of watching the disc in the setting of a cell.
My relationships with Pastor B as well as my cluster leaders had also started to become strained. On 4 February 2007 when I went up to receive Holy Communion, I sobbed (not wept) uncontrollably. Pastor KL prayed for me, thinking that I was feeling remorseful about embracing grace teachings, but nothing could be further from the truth! I sobbed because I sensed a loss in those relationships that had taken so much time and effort to build up in 2006, and yet were now strained because of the difference in opinion regarding the grace message. It was then when I started to wonder whether this was the cost of discipleship.
And as the saying goes, the rest is history, and I mean HISTORY :-)
My role as a cell leader became history in Aug 07.
My role as Honorary Treasurer became history in Aug 07.
My cell group became history in Dec 07.
My involvement in 3L will become history at the end of this year.
Sad to say, but the truth of the matter is that the grace gospel divides -- and the devil is working overtime here because he does not want the believer to hear it and be completely liberated.
Sure, the Laws of Moses were given by God, but we are now under the New Covenant that surpasses the Old one. The devil is now using those very same laws to condemn, confuse, entrap and imprison the believer. No wonder Paul says in 1 Cor 15:56 that the "strength of sin is the law (KJV)". And the sad fact is that there are preachers today who are unwittingly allowing themselves to be used by the devil as his tools when they attempt to put their flock back under the law.
Instead of trusting and allowing the Holy Spirit in each of them to work, they try to "help" God by giving their flock a set of rules and regulations to follow. Do they think they are smarter and mightier than the Holy Spirit? Reminds me of how Abram and Sarai also tried to "help" God via the bondservant Hagar.
Is there a cost to discipleship? There sure is! But I take heart, because Jesus says in Matt 5:10-12
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Critics of the grace gospel say that there should not be an over-emphasis on God's grace. They say that we should maintain a balance. After all, the Scriptures do mention that there is a cost to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Well guess what? I agree! There IS a cost to discipleship. Read on...
Sometime in March 2006, I was approached by my cluster leaders about starting a new cell group. At that time, I was not prepared to do so, because I was already approached by the Finance Chairman in January 2006 to take over the role as Honorary Treasurer with effect from August 2006. However, with further coaxing and encouragement, I finally agreed to their request and went for the Cell Leader Training in October 2006.
I was somewhat the "blue-eyed boy" of 3L, having great favour with my cluster leaders, my fellow cell members in 3L2 as well as many other members of the cluster. One of my cell members labelled me 3L's PR and Marketing guru because I helped them to set up the 3L Cluster Yahoo Group, printed cluster tshirts and calendars.
At this same time last year, I was a cell leader intern in 3L2 and was about to embark as the cell leader of 3L7. I remember having great plans for 3L7. Having been so blessed by grace messages, I had wanted to share this with my cell members. Already when I was in 3L2, I had lots to share, but being only a cell member, there were limits to what could be done (and especially so when Pastor B was also in the same cell... speaking of which, he did mention earlier this year that he suspected I had begun to embrace grace teachings during the course of conversations with him and in the cell. I suppose one cannot be an undercover agent or closet grace embracer for too long, but that is another story for another day).
Anyway, as I was saying earlier, when 3L7 was first birthed in Jan 07, I had great plans for it. I found the Humorous Bible Illustrations DVD to contain many nuggets of God's truth in them. This DVD consists of 30 extracts of sermons of about 3-10 minutes each, and I thought it would be good if I could show one episode per cell meeting...
Alas, my senior pastor got wind of this, and so he mentioned during the PIC-CL meeting in Jan 07 that all external materials had to be cleared with the Disciple & Nurture department (which he oversees) Needless to say, that DVD was completely banned, and I mean completely. At a meeting in his room on 24 January 2007, he told me categorically that he did not agree with any of the materials on that disc. I had no choice but to comply, so my cell members were deprived of watching the disc in the setting of a cell.
My relationships with Pastor B as well as my cluster leaders had also started to become strained. On 4 February 2007 when I went up to receive Holy Communion, I sobbed (not wept) uncontrollably. Pastor KL prayed for me, thinking that I was feeling remorseful about embracing grace teachings, but nothing could be further from the truth! I sobbed because I sensed a loss in those relationships that had taken so much time and effort to build up in 2006, and yet were now strained because of the difference in opinion regarding the grace message. It was then when I started to wonder whether this was the cost of discipleship.
And as the saying goes, the rest is history, and I mean HISTORY :-)
My role as a cell leader became history in Aug 07.
My role as Honorary Treasurer became history in Aug 07.
My cell group became history in Dec 07.
My involvement in 3L will become history at the end of this year.
Sad to say, but the truth of the matter is that the grace gospel divides -- and the devil is working overtime here because he does not want the believer to hear it and be completely liberated.
Sure, the Laws of Moses were given by God, but we are now under the New Covenant that surpasses the Old one. The devil is now using those very same laws to condemn, confuse, entrap and imprison the believer. No wonder Paul says in 1 Cor 15:56 that the "strength of sin is the law (KJV)". And the sad fact is that there are preachers today who are unwittingly allowing themselves to be used by the devil as his tools when they attempt to put their flock back under the law.
Instead of trusting and allowing the Holy Spirit in each of them to work, they try to "help" God by giving their flock a set of rules and regulations to follow. Do they think they are smarter and mightier than the Holy Spirit? Reminds me of how Abram and Sarai also tried to "help" God via the bondservant Hagar.
Is there a cost to discipleship? There sure is! But I take heart, because Jesus says in Matt 5:10-12
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Two Front Teeth
Tuesday, 11th December 2007
Just the other day, I asked my daughter what she wanted for Christmas, and do you know what her answer was? Nothing!
As I reflected upon what she said, I realise that she had answered thus because I have constantly been providing for her -- like topping up her phone cards, giving her the Pocoyo plush toys and Converse shoes, providing her with a weekly allowance even though it is now the school holidays, etc etc.
Because she has been a position of constantly receiving, there was no need for a special occasion like Christmas to request for anything out of the ordinary.
When I was in the University, I studied a subject known as Economics. One fundamental cornerstone in Economics is the concept of scarcity. Because resources are limited and hence its supply, an increase in the demand for a particular good or service will drive up its price.
And that is how our world operates in the natural. This scarcity mentality and spirit of poverty is operating everywhere we turn. When there is only one cake available to eat from, one getting a larger slice will result in another getting a smaller slice.
But that is not how our God is like because He is not limited by the natural. He is supernatural. When He blesses, He blesses lavishly and outrageously. Because His resources are boundless and limitless, five loaves and two fish can feed 5,000 men and many other women and children and still have 12 baskets full left over.
Instead of a scarcity mentality and a spirit of poverty, we the new-covenant believer should have an abundance mentality and a spirit of prosperity. We need not wait till Christmas or a special occasion for our Heavenly Father to bless us; we can expect His goodness and favour to be upon us every single minute of the hour, every hour of the day, every day of the week, every week of the month, and every month of the year.
Coming back to the earlier story about my daughter. Even though she asked for something less than 2 front teeth for Christmas, as her father who loves her for the only reason that she is my daughter, I decided to get her a 16GB Creative Zen music player for Christmas.
Of course she was thrilled to receive it. She asked me why I decided to get her the top-range 16GB one when a 4GB or 8GB one would have sufficed. Her question gave me as her earthly father the opportunity to share with her what her Heavenly Father is like -- one who is extravagent in His love for us.
You know something else? I think I derived more pleasure in giving her that Christmas present and seeing her enjoy it than she did receiving it. And I believe our Abba Father feels the same when He blesses us and sees us enjoy those blessings. Amen?
Many children look forward to Christmas, not because it is a reminder of the advent of baby Jesus, but because it is that one time of the year when they can expect a big present from daddy and mummy. And then throughout the rest of the year, their needs and wants have to be deferred until the next Christmas.
As parents, we are the earthly representation of our Abba Father. Which type of picture of Him do we want to paint to our kids? One who is generous or one who is stingy? One who operates out of abundance or out of scarcity? One who operates out of prosperity or poverty?
Just the other day, I asked my daughter what she wanted for Christmas, and do you know what her answer was? Nothing!
As I reflected upon what she said, I realise that she had answered thus because I have constantly been providing for her -- like topping up her phone cards, giving her the Pocoyo plush toys and Converse shoes, providing her with a weekly allowance even though it is now the school holidays, etc etc.
Because she has been a position of constantly receiving, there was no need for a special occasion like Christmas to request for anything out of the ordinary.
When I was in the University, I studied a subject known as Economics. One fundamental cornerstone in Economics is the concept of scarcity. Because resources are limited and hence its supply, an increase in the demand for a particular good or service will drive up its price.
And that is how our world operates in the natural. This scarcity mentality and spirit of poverty is operating everywhere we turn. When there is only one cake available to eat from, one getting a larger slice will result in another getting a smaller slice.
But that is not how our God is like because He is not limited by the natural. He is supernatural. When He blesses, He blesses lavishly and outrageously. Because His resources are boundless and limitless, five loaves and two fish can feed 5,000 men and many other women and children and still have 12 baskets full left over.
Instead of a scarcity mentality and a spirit of poverty, we the new-covenant believer should have an abundance mentality and a spirit of prosperity. We need not wait till Christmas or a special occasion for our Heavenly Father to bless us; we can expect His goodness and favour to be upon us every single minute of the hour, every hour of the day, every day of the week, every week of the month, and every month of the year.
Coming back to the earlier story about my daughter. Even though she asked for something less than 2 front teeth for Christmas, as her father who loves her for the only reason that she is my daughter, I decided to get her a 16GB Creative Zen music player for Christmas.
Of course she was thrilled to receive it. She asked me why I decided to get her the top-range 16GB one when a 4GB or 8GB one would have sufficed. Her question gave me as her earthly father the opportunity to share with her what her Heavenly Father is like -- one who is extravagent in His love for us.
You know something else? I think I derived more pleasure in giving her that Christmas present and seeing her enjoy it than she did receiving it. And I believe our Abba Father feels the same when He blesses us and sees us enjoy those blessings. Amen?
Many children look forward to Christmas, not because it is a reminder of the advent of baby Jesus, but because it is that one time of the year when they can expect a big present from daddy and mummy. And then throughout the rest of the year, their needs and wants have to be deferred until the next Christmas.
As parents, we are the earthly representation of our Abba Father. Which type of picture of Him do we want to paint to our kids? One who is generous or one who is stingy? One who operates out of abundance or out of scarcity? One who operates out of prosperity or poverty?
Radically at Rest
Monday, 10th December 2007
Several years ago, I used to envy those who worked in organisations where there were lots of Christians. A dear brother of mine shared about how he and his colleagues would have regular times of prayer and worship together, and I had longed for that to take place in my department as well.
Taking this type of thinking to its logical extension, the most ideal place to work in would be a church, where every single one of one's colleagues would be a Christian.
But I now know much better...
The writer of the book of Hebrews, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, draws a parallel in chapter 4 between the nation of Israel and us as new-covenant believers this side of the cross. Whereas the Israelites were promised a physical piece of land in the form of Canaan, we today are promised God's rest.
We read in Ex 3:8, Ex 13:3 et al that God provided the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey. We read further in Deut 6:10-11 that this land had large, flourishing cities they did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things they did not provide, wells they did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves they did not plant. Everything was there for them for the taking, they just had to step out to possess the land by faith.
So it is with us as beneficiaries of the new covenant. Instead of a physical "land", God promises His children "rest". It does not mean that we do not need to work, but what it means is that our work is one that is stress-free, comfortable and enjoyable.
And that is exactly what I am experiencing right now, praise be to God!
In my previous company, I was working much harder and putting way longer hours, staying late on weekdays and even going back to the office on weekends. Yet, my increment was only 3% annualised. There was even a year when I received a NINB (no increment no bonus) letter.
Since joining this company in Jan 2005, I have gotten increments 5 times already (3 in the past 13 months) and my increment is about 15% annualised. My year-end bonuses for this year and last year are the highest ever. And the sweet irony is that I am putting in lesser hours than compared to my previous job. In fact, I have not left the office after 6pm for more than a year already! That allows me to fetch my wife to work in the morning, and fetch her back from work in the evening, every single working day!
Some of you may be wondering how is this possible. Well, it is the same explanation as to why those Israelites did not have to labour to stay in big houses, or to drink from large wells, or to eat from huge vineyards and olive plants. The people of the world built those houses. The people of the world dug those wells. The people of the world planted those trees.
Let's apply that to today's context. Sure, somebody has to operate the MRT on Sundays. Sure, somebody has to work overtime or around the clock. Sure, somebody has to travel frequently around the region. But that somebody does not have to be YOU, dear child of Abba Father.
Which brings me back to the point I was trying to make in the first paragraph. Those of us that work in the marketplace need to realise that the secular organisation that we work in needs to have both new-covenant believers and people of the world in order that the above principle can operate :-)
God has promised you rest, and if your current job is taking time away from your family, or from spending time with God Himself, then that job is definitely not what God wants for you.
May we be radically at rest, because that is the position that Abba Father wants us His children to be in. Amen?
Several years ago, I used to envy those who worked in organisations where there were lots of Christians. A dear brother of mine shared about how he and his colleagues would have regular times of prayer and worship together, and I had longed for that to take place in my department as well.
Taking this type of thinking to its logical extension, the most ideal place to work in would be a church, where every single one of one's colleagues would be a Christian.
But I now know much better...
The writer of the book of Hebrews, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, draws a parallel in chapter 4 between the nation of Israel and us as new-covenant believers this side of the cross. Whereas the Israelites were promised a physical piece of land in the form of Canaan, we today are promised God's rest.
We read in Ex 3:8, Ex 13:3 et al that God provided the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey. We read further in Deut 6:10-11 that this land had large, flourishing cities they did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things they did not provide, wells they did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves they did not plant. Everything was there for them for the taking, they just had to step out to possess the land by faith.
So it is with us as beneficiaries of the new covenant. Instead of a physical "land", God promises His children "rest". It does not mean that we do not need to work, but what it means is that our work is one that is stress-free, comfortable and enjoyable.
And that is exactly what I am experiencing right now, praise be to God!
In my previous company, I was working much harder and putting way longer hours, staying late on weekdays and even going back to the office on weekends. Yet, my increment was only 3% annualised. There was even a year when I received a NINB (no increment no bonus) letter.
Since joining this company in Jan 2005, I have gotten increments 5 times already (3 in the past 13 months) and my increment is about 15% annualised. My year-end bonuses for this year and last year are the highest ever. And the sweet irony is that I am putting in lesser hours than compared to my previous job. In fact, I have not left the office after 6pm for more than a year already! That allows me to fetch my wife to work in the morning, and fetch her back from work in the evening, every single working day!
Some of you may be wondering how is this possible. Well, it is the same explanation as to why those Israelites did not have to labour to stay in big houses, or to drink from large wells, or to eat from huge vineyards and olive plants. The people of the world built those houses. The people of the world dug those wells. The people of the world planted those trees.
Let's apply that to today's context. Sure, somebody has to operate the MRT on Sundays. Sure, somebody has to work overtime or around the clock. Sure, somebody has to travel frequently around the region. But that somebody does not have to be YOU, dear child of Abba Father.
Which brings me back to the point I was trying to make in the first paragraph. Those of us that work in the marketplace need to realise that the secular organisation that we work in needs to have both new-covenant believers and people of the world in order that the above principle can operate :-)
God has promised you rest, and if your current job is taking time away from your family, or from spending time with God Himself, then that job is definitely not what God wants for you.
May we be radically at rest, because that is the position that Abba Father wants us His children to be in. Amen?
Treasures in Earthen Vessels
Sunday, 9th December 2007
Two days ago, I went to The Concourse.
Actually, I go to The Concourse twice every day from Mondays to Fridays to fetch my wife to and from work (because her office is there), but I digress...
I was there 2 days ago to buy a Christmas tree.
The shop that sells fibre optic trees had sold its 3-footers to 6-footers out; all that were left were the 7-footers.
Also, they do not provide delivery service, so I had to pay cash and carry it all the way to my car.
If you were to look at the tree without the lights on, it looks extremely plain and ordinary.
But once the electricity is switched on, it becomes transformed into a most beautiful and awesome sight to behold.
A deeper spiritual truth can be drawn from the above.
We may appear ordinary to others, but because Jesus Christ is in us, we can be transformed into a thing of beauty for the LORD.
That is why Paul says in 2 Cor 4:7 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
Let us continue to abide in Him, and He in us, so that we can bear much fruit. Amen?
Two days ago, I went to The Concourse.
Actually, I go to The Concourse twice every day from Mondays to Fridays to fetch my wife to and from work (because her office is there), but I digress...
I was there 2 days ago to buy a Christmas tree.
The shop that sells fibre optic trees had sold its 3-footers to 6-footers out; all that were left were the 7-footers.
Also, they do not provide delivery service, so I had to pay cash and carry it all the way to my car.
If you were to look at the tree without the lights on, it looks extremely plain and ordinary.
But once the electricity is switched on, it becomes transformed into a most beautiful and awesome sight to behold.
A deeper spiritual truth can be drawn from the above.
We may appear ordinary to others, but because Jesus Christ is in us, we can be transformed into a thing of beauty for the LORD.
That is why Paul says in 2 Cor 4:7 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
Let us continue to abide in Him, and He in us, so that we can bear much fruit. Amen?
Word of Faith Convention
Saturday, 8th December 2007
The Word of Faith Convention Singapore 2007 will be held at Suntec City Convention Hall Rooms 325 and 326 on 14 and 15 December.
The session on Fri 14 Dec will be from 7pm to 9pm, while the session on Sat 15 Dec will be held from 2pm to 9pm.
That means that most of us need not have to take leave from work to attend it.
The 2 speakers at the Convention are Rev Cheong Yew Kwong of Faith Family Church (who happen also to be the main organiser and sponsor) and our very own TRAC President, the Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup.
Admission is free, so what are you waiting for? Sign up now by clicking on the link below...
http://www.faithfamilychurch.org.sg/wofc.html
The Word of Faith Convention Singapore 2007 will be held at Suntec City Convention Hall Rooms 325 and 326 on 14 and 15 December.The session on Fri 14 Dec will be from 7pm to 9pm, while the session on Sat 15 Dec will be held from 2pm to 9pm.
That means that most of us need not have to take leave from work to attend it.
The 2 speakers at the Convention are Rev Cheong Yew Kwong of Faith Family Church (who happen also to be the main organiser and sponsor) and our very own TRAC President, the Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup.
Admission is free, so what are you waiting for? Sign up now by clicking on the link below...
http://www.faithfamilychurch.org.sg/wofc.html
No Compromise!
Friday, 7th December 2007
[Warning: this post contains what some may consider to be "severely disturbing" content. Please read with care and caution.]
If you are someone who has been reading my blog regularly, something may be causing you to be puzzled. On the one hand, I come across as someone who strongly advocates grace teachings. Yet on the other hand, some of my posts give the impression that I am someone who is very uncompromising. Where is the grace, some might ask?
If the above describes you, please allow me to cite 2 examples in the scriptures.
I believe all of us are familiar with the fruit of the Spirit as recorded in Gal 5:22-23. But in the very same epistle, do you know that Paul, the great apostle of the gospel of grace, did something that seem rather ungracious? If we look at Gal 2:11, we read that he opposed the apostle Peter to his face. Not only that, he admonished Peter not in private but in front of others (Gal 2:14). If that wasn't enough, he recorded this in his letter to the entire Galatian church! And now that the book of Galatians forms part of the canon, millions of others down through the generations get to read about it! Where is the grace, you might ask?
I believe many of us are also familiar with the term "lukewarm" and the passage where in appears in the Bible.
In Rev 3:15-16, the church in Laodicea was told, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Not very gracious words now, are they? Well, guess who said them? None other than Jesus, who is supposed to be grace personified!
In fact, the Greek word used there is "emeo" (Strongs' G1692), which actually means "vomit"!
So why is it Paul and Jesus appear to be so uncompromising in the above situations. Because the message of grace was being diluted!
In the first example, Peter had started to re-embrace the Law and insisted that the church in Galatia practice customs of Judaism. What resulted was a mixture of law and grace. What's the big deal about this, some of you might ask? I mean, we still believe in God's grace, but to be safe, we should balance it with some laws. Otherwise, people will take it as cheap grace, and think we are giving them a licence to sin!
Well, mixing law and grace IS a big deal. In Gal 1:6-7, Paul labelled this "confusion" and "perverting the gospel of Christ". In fact, he even goes on in Gal 1:8-9 to pronounce a double curse on anyone who preaches this type of gospel.
If you are still not convinced that it is not a big deal to mix law and grace, let's go on to the second example. Here, Jesus is telling the church in Laodicea that He would have preferred them to be either hot or cold, but because they were lukewarm, He would spit them out.
When I was younger, I was told that being a lukewarm Christian means not being passionate enough for Jesus. But if that is the correct interpretation, then why did Jesus say that He preferred us to be cold? Wouldn't a lukewarm Christian still be better off than a cold one? At least, his level of zeal and passion would be more than the cold one.
I now realise that the illustration of hot and cold refers to being under the Law and being under Grace. Jesus said that He would prefer someone to be totally under grace or totally under law. The one who is totally under law is better off than the one who embraces a mixture of law and grace. This is because in due time, he will realise that his own efforts only bring frustrations and when driven to despair, he will ultimately turn to Jesus.
The one who embraces both law and grace has a false sense of self-sufficiency. On the one hand, he knows he is saved and justified by grace. Yet, on the other, he continues to trust in his own efforts in the process of sanctification by trying to live a life of holiness and right doings. If this describes you, sorry to tell you this but Jesus vomits you out of His mouth.
If there is one thing where there can be no compromise, that is the gospel of grace. It has to be pure and adulterated, not to be mixed even with one single bit of the law. Amen?
[Warning: this post contains what some may consider to be "severely disturbing" content. Please read with care and caution.]
If you are someone who has been reading my blog regularly, something may be causing you to be puzzled. On the one hand, I come across as someone who strongly advocates grace teachings. Yet on the other hand, some of my posts give the impression that I am someone who is very uncompromising. Where is the grace, some might ask?
If the above describes you, please allow me to cite 2 examples in the scriptures.
I believe all of us are familiar with the fruit of the Spirit as recorded in Gal 5:22-23. But in the very same epistle, do you know that Paul, the great apostle of the gospel of grace, did something that seem rather ungracious? If we look at Gal 2:11, we read that he opposed the apostle Peter to his face. Not only that, he admonished Peter not in private but in front of others (Gal 2:14). If that wasn't enough, he recorded this in his letter to the entire Galatian church! And now that the book of Galatians forms part of the canon, millions of others down through the generations get to read about it! Where is the grace, you might ask?
I believe many of us are also familiar with the term "lukewarm" and the passage where in appears in the Bible.
In Rev 3:15-16, the church in Laodicea was told, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Not very gracious words now, are they? Well, guess who said them? None other than Jesus, who is supposed to be grace personified!In fact, the Greek word used there is "emeo" (Strongs' G1692), which actually means "vomit"!
So why is it Paul and Jesus appear to be so uncompromising in the above situations. Because the message of grace was being diluted!
In the first example, Peter had started to re-embrace the Law and insisted that the church in Galatia practice customs of Judaism. What resulted was a mixture of law and grace. What's the big deal about this, some of you might ask? I mean, we still believe in God's grace, but to be safe, we should balance it with some laws. Otherwise, people will take it as cheap grace, and think we are giving them a licence to sin!
Well, mixing law and grace IS a big deal. In Gal 1:6-7, Paul labelled this "confusion" and "perverting the gospel of Christ". In fact, he even goes on in Gal 1:8-9 to pronounce a double curse on anyone who preaches this type of gospel.
If you are still not convinced that it is not a big deal to mix law and grace, let's go on to the second example. Here, Jesus is telling the church in Laodicea that He would have preferred them to be either hot or cold, but because they were lukewarm, He would spit them out.
When I was younger, I was told that being a lukewarm Christian means not being passionate enough for Jesus. But if that is the correct interpretation, then why did Jesus say that He preferred us to be cold? Wouldn't a lukewarm Christian still be better off than a cold one? At least, his level of zeal and passion would be more than the cold one.
I now realise that the illustration of hot and cold refers to being under the Law and being under Grace. Jesus said that He would prefer someone to be totally under grace or totally under law. The one who is totally under law is better off than the one who embraces a mixture of law and grace. This is because in due time, he will realise that his own efforts only bring frustrations and when driven to despair, he will ultimately turn to Jesus.
The one who embraces both law and grace has a false sense of self-sufficiency. On the one hand, he knows he is saved and justified by grace. Yet, on the other, he continues to trust in his own efforts in the process of sanctification by trying to live a life of holiness and right doings. If this describes you, sorry to tell you this but Jesus vomits you out of His mouth.
If there is one thing where there can be no compromise, that is the gospel of grace. It has to be pure and adulterated, not to be mixed even with one single bit of the law. Amen?
The Wedding Banquet
Thursday, 6th December 2007
Two nights ago, I went to church to pass something to a church leader who asked me to buy something online from UK on her behalf.
The parcel had arrived that afternoon, so I decided to pass it to her that night, and at the same time attend the WIN session (which I had not been attending for quite a long while already, probably about 6 months now).
At the session, the PIC spoke about the second coming of our Lord, and asked those present who felt that they were ready for this to raise their hand. I reckon that I was probably the first one to do so, and he counted another 6 others or so.
I did so not because I had confidence in and of myself. I did so because I have the confidence in the One who paid the price for me already by His finished work on the cross. I have the blessed assurance and am prepared to even be raptured at anytime.
There is a parable that Jesus told in Matt 25 about the Ten Virgins. When I first heard this as a youth, it did not bring me comfort. What happened if I were numbered among the 5 who ran out of oil, and had to miss the wedding banquet? However, I now know that that parable refers to the nation of Israel. When Christ comes again, half of the Jews would be ready while half of them would still not acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah.
The ten virgins are the equivalent of today's bridesmaids. We, who are born-again believers, are no longer considered bridesmaids but have been promoted to become the bride of Christ. As His bride, it is inconceivable that Jesus the bridegroom will abandon us at the altar, or leave us out of the wedding banquet!
Instead, we will be honoured right there at the centre of where the action is!
So the next time when anyone asks whether we are ready for Jesus' coming again, may we all be numbered among those who say "aye". Amen?
Two nights ago, I went to church to pass something to a church leader who asked me to buy something online from UK on her behalf.
The parcel had arrived that afternoon, so I decided to pass it to her that night, and at the same time attend the WIN session (which I had not been attending for quite a long while already, probably about 6 months now).
At the session, the PIC spoke about the second coming of our Lord, and asked those present who felt that they were ready for this to raise their hand. I reckon that I was probably the first one to do so, and he counted another 6 others or so.
I did so not because I had confidence in and of myself. I did so because I have the confidence in the One who paid the price for me already by His finished work on the cross. I have the blessed assurance and am prepared to even be raptured at anytime.
There is a parable that Jesus told in Matt 25 about the Ten Virgins. When I first heard this as a youth, it did not bring me comfort. What happened if I were numbered among the 5 who ran out of oil, and had to miss the wedding banquet? However, I now know that that parable refers to the nation of Israel. When Christ comes again, half of the Jews would be ready while half of them would still not acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah.
The ten virgins are the equivalent of today's bridesmaids. We, who are born-again believers, are no longer considered bridesmaids but have been promoted to become the bride of Christ. As His bride, it is inconceivable that Jesus the bridegroom will abandon us at the altar, or leave us out of the wedding banquet!
Instead, we will be honoured right there at the centre of where the action is!
So the next time when anyone asks whether we are ready for Jesus' coming again, may we all be numbered among those who say "aye". Amen?
Feeding the Oxen
Wednesday, 5th December 2007
Sometime in May 2007, I wrote an entry entitled Do Not Muzzle the Ox where the apostle Paul quotes a verse in Deut 25 not once but twice in his epistles, in 1 Cor 9 and 1 Tim 5.
I also mentioned in that post that there were 3 important dates to remember, namely 13th March, 26th May and 12th December.
Well, since then, there is another important date that we as members of PLMC should start commiting to memory, and that is today, 5th December.
[Of course, those of us who are close to our previous pastor need not conveniently forget his birthday].
Paul even reminds us via his epistle to the Galatian church that "Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support] (Gal 6:6).
Hence, may we not only refrain from muzzling oxen, but take it one step further by making a conscious effort to actively feed them! Amen?
Starting with durian today :-)
Sometime in May 2007, I wrote an entry entitled Do Not Muzzle the Ox where the apostle Paul quotes a verse in Deut 25 not once but twice in his epistles, in 1 Cor 9 and 1 Tim 5.
I also mentioned in that post that there were 3 important dates to remember, namely 13th March, 26th May and 12th December.
Well, since then, there is another important date that we as members of PLMC should start commiting to memory, and that is today, 5th December.
[Of course, those of us who are close to our previous pastor need not conveniently forget his birthday].
Paul even reminds us via his epistle to the Galatian church that "Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support] (Gal 6:6).
Hence, may we not only refrain from muzzling oxen, but take it one step further by making a conscious effort to actively feed them! Amen?
Starting with durian today :-)
Acknowledging the Lord of the Harvest
Tuesday, 4th December 2007
Sometime in August and September of this year, the Lord prompted me to bless others with a copy of Destined to Reign, having been so blessed by it myself.
I had originally planned to give out copies as an "advanced tithe" on my year-end bonus, but finally ended up giving out some more as an "advanced tithe" on my annual wage supplement as well.
You can read about that here.
I did expect the LORD to bless me with a good year-end bonus back then. But as to how good, once again, He has overdone Himself as Jehovah Jireh! I just received confirmation yesterday on what the quantum is going to be like, and words cannot express my joy and gratitude!
I have blogged before about my 2006 bonus being the highest I had ever received in my career. Well, that is going to change because come 21 Dec 2007, what I will be receiving will surpass even that!
Let's put it this way... The total amount I spent in giving out those 75 copies of Destined to Reign is short of 10% of it, which means to say that I will be having to put top up to make up the tithe.
There won't be an "extravaganza" like the one we had last year (since our cell is no more), but I am sure the Lord will prompt me as to how best He wants me to sow further.
I really want to thank the Lord for His bountiful harvest.
To those of you out there who do not think I deserve it, guess what? I agree with you wholeheartedly -- I do not deserve it one single bit.
Thank you for saying that, because you are effectively acknowledging what is known as God's grace. That's exactly what God's unmerited favour is all about -- us getting from Him what we do not deserve. Amen?
Sometime in August and September of this year, the Lord prompted me to bless others with a copy of Destined to Reign, having been so blessed by it myself.
I had originally planned to give out copies as an "advanced tithe" on my year-end bonus, but finally ended up giving out some more as an "advanced tithe" on my annual wage supplement as well.
You can read about that here.
I did expect the LORD to bless me with a good year-end bonus back then. But as to how good, once again, He has overdone Himself as Jehovah Jireh! I just received confirmation yesterday on what the quantum is going to be like, and words cannot express my joy and gratitude!
I have blogged before about my 2006 bonus being the highest I had ever received in my career. Well, that is going to change because come 21 Dec 2007, what I will be receiving will surpass even that!
Let's put it this way... The total amount I spent in giving out those 75 copies of Destined to Reign is short of 10% of it, which means to say that I will be having to put top up to make up the tithe.
There won't be an "extravaganza" like the one we had last year (since our cell is no more), but I am sure the Lord will prompt me as to how best He wants me to sow further.
I really want to thank the Lord for His bountiful harvest.
To those of you out there who do not think I deserve it, guess what? I agree with you wholeheartedly -- I do not deserve it one single bit.
Thank you for saying that, because you are effectively acknowledging what is known as God's grace. That's exactly what God's unmerited favour is all about -- us getting from Him what we do not deserve. Amen?
A Hattrick of Sorts
Monday, 3rd December 2007
Those of you who are soccer (or even cricket) fans would be familiar with the term "hattrick".
In soccer, it refers to a player who scores three goals in the same game. In cricket, it refers to a bowler who dismisses three batsmen in successive deliveries.
According to Wikipedia, the term originates in the Victorian era. Back then, the term "hat trick" referred to a common trick by magicians, where the magician used a top hat. At first, they would appear before the audience wearing the hat, which they would remove and put upside down on a nearby table (on stage). Later in the show, the magician would take out 3 rabbits, one after another, from the hat.
Back in Aug 07, I was asked by my PIC to step down as the Honorary Treasurer and cell leader of 3L7. I am probably the shortest-serving treasurer and cell leader in the history of PLMC: 1 year for the former and 7 months for the latter respectively.
Then, last Saturday, a hattrick of sorts was "achieved". 3L7 has become the shortest-surviving cell: 11 months. We were asked to gather together at the home of our cell leader, where in the presence of our cluster leaders, it was announced that 3L7 was to be dissolved.
We are still coming to terms with this latest development, but I remember what PIC said in his sermon 3 weeks ago, "when I give you a lemon, what do you do? Make lemonade!"
And that is what I did this morning when I saw a birthday reminder from the 3L cluster's Yahoo Group. I sent greetings to the birthday girl and signed off as Mal & Pin, 3L zero :-)
[For those of you who are not familiar with the 3L cluster, the cell groups are numbered from 1 to 6, ie. 3L1, 3L2, 3L3, 3L4, 3L5 and 3L6.
Up to 30 November, there was also 3L7, but with its dissolution, we are now "in-between" cells, so I told my wife two days ago that we are now in 3L0.
We are now seeking the Lord as to what direction He wants us to go, so please pray for us. One option is to go back to our previous cell, 3L2. Another is to join the New Creation Church care group that meets in our estate.
Even though this hattrick is not quite something to "sing and dance" about , my opinion of the Abba Father remains very, very good.
In fact, I just obtained news today confirming what my year-end bonus for this year is going to be, and will blog about it tomorrow. Till then, have a most blessed day ahead!
Those of you who are soccer (or even cricket) fans would be familiar with the term "hattrick".
In soccer, it refers to a player who scores three goals in the same game. In cricket, it refers to a bowler who dismisses three batsmen in successive deliveries.
According to Wikipedia, the term originates in the Victorian era. Back then, the term "hat trick" referred to a common trick by magicians, where the magician used a top hat. At first, they would appear before the audience wearing the hat, which they would remove and put upside down on a nearby table (on stage). Later in the show, the magician would take out 3 rabbits, one after another, from the hat.
Back in Aug 07, I was asked by my PIC to step down as the Honorary Treasurer and cell leader of 3L7. I am probably the shortest-serving treasurer and cell leader in the history of PLMC: 1 year for the former and 7 months for the latter respectively.
Then, last Saturday, a hattrick of sorts was "achieved". 3L7 has become the shortest-surviving cell: 11 months. We were asked to gather together at the home of our cell leader, where in the presence of our cluster leaders, it was announced that 3L7 was to be dissolved.
We are still coming to terms with this latest development, but I remember what PIC said in his sermon 3 weeks ago, "when I give you a lemon, what do you do? Make lemonade!"And that is what I did this morning when I saw a birthday reminder from the 3L cluster's Yahoo Group. I sent greetings to the birthday girl and signed off as Mal & Pin, 3L zero :-)
[For those of you who are not familiar with the 3L cluster, the cell groups are numbered from 1 to 6, ie. 3L1, 3L2, 3L3, 3L4, 3L5 and 3L6.
Up to 30 November, there was also 3L7, but with its dissolution, we are now "in-between" cells, so I told my wife two days ago that we are now in 3L0.
We are now seeking the Lord as to what direction He wants us to go, so please pray for us. One option is to go back to our previous cell, 3L2. Another is to join the New Creation Church care group that meets in our estate.
Even though this hattrick is not quite something to "sing and dance" about , my opinion of the Abba Father remains very, very good.
In fact, I just obtained news today confirming what my year-end bonus for this year is going to be, and will blog about it tomorrow. Till then, have a most blessed day ahead!
JPM Group on Facebook
Sunday, 2nd December 2007
I was checking the sitemeter stats recently, and happened to discover that CybeRanger has created a blog specifically to list the Best Christian Blog of the Week awardees.
He has also placed a Facebook link on this site of his to join a group entitled Joseph Prince Ministries. I just joined the network, and discovered that it has already got 1,226 members!
And I happen to know several of them :-)
Oh by the way, if you guys don't know already, Facebook is the latest application to take the Internet by storm, since YouTube.
I was checking the sitemeter stats recently, and happened to discover that CybeRanger has created a blog specifically to list the Best Christian Blog of the Week awardees.
He has also placed a Facebook link on this site of his to join a group entitled Joseph Prince Ministries. I just joined the network, and discovered that it has already got 1,226 members!
And I happen to know several of them :-)
Oh by the way, if you guys don't know already, Facebook is the latest application to take the Internet by storm, since YouTube.
Breaking News: It's Finally Here!
Saturday, 1st December 2007
I was supposed to blog about "curses this side of the cross" but I just received some fantabulous news!
I was previously using Palm OS handheld devices, and back then, Laridian's PocketBible was the choice.
Having switched to a Windows Mobile device at the end of last year, I did a Google search and discovered that only e-Sword has a Simplified Chinese version of the Bible, and hence I started using Pocket e-Sword instead.
But there was one major shortcoming: e-Sword did not have the New International Version... until today!
I just received an email (as shown on the right) saying:
NIV Now Available for e-Sword!
Dear Friend:
We are very pleased to announce the release of the NIV Family of Bible Translations for e-Sword. At a price lower than just the NIV alone on many other sites, we are offering all 3 of the NIV Family texts in one bundle (only available as a set):
The New International Version® Bible (NIV) is the #1 bestselling modern Bible translation, and is the most requested item by the 6 Million+ users of e-Sword worldwide.
Today's New International Version® Bible (TNIV) is the next generation of the hugely popular NIV. The TNIV is marketed as "the new translation for today’s generation." The TNIV translators' goal was to strike a balance between “word-for-word” and “thought-for-thought" translation.
The New International Reader's Version® Bible (NIrV) was developed to enable early readers to understand God's message. The NIrV was designed to make the Bible clear and understandable to children and early readers and can be read by a typical fourth grader.
Please click below for more information:
NIV Family Bundle – e-Sword PC Version
NIV Family Bundle – Pocket e-Sword Version
Our team worked long and hard to achieve this license for the NIV Family, and we hope these translations are a blessing to you and your study of God’s Word.
Blessings,
Your Friends at eStudySource.com
So those of you out there who are also using e-Sword or Pocket e-Sword, tell me watcha waiting for?
With the USD at an all-time low against the SGD, what better time to get this? I just did :-)
By the way, here's a screenshot of NIV and CUV-S (Chinese Union Version - Simplified) appearing side-by-side.
I was supposed to blog about "curses this side of the cross" but I just received some fantabulous news!
I was previously using Palm OS handheld devices, and back then, Laridian's PocketBible was the choice.
Having switched to a Windows Mobile device at the end of last year, I did a Google search and discovered that only e-Sword has a Simplified Chinese version of the Bible, and hence I started using Pocket e-Sword instead.
But there was one major shortcoming: e-Sword did not have the New International Version... until today!
I just received an email (as shown on the right) saying:
NIV Now Available for e-Sword!
Dear Friend:
We are very pleased to announce the release of the NIV Family of Bible Translations for e-Sword. At a price lower than just the NIV alone on many other sites, we are offering all 3 of the NIV Family texts in one bundle (only available as a set):
The New International Version® Bible (NIV) is the #1 bestselling modern Bible translation, and is the most requested item by the 6 Million+ users of e-Sword worldwide.
Today's New International Version® Bible (TNIV) is the next generation of the hugely popular NIV. The TNIV is marketed as "the new translation for today’s generation." The TNIV translators' goal was to strike a balance between “word-for-word” and “thought-for-thought" translation.
The New International Reader's Version® Bible (NIrV) was developed to enable early readers to understand God's message. The NIrV was designed to make the Bible clear and understandable to children and early readers and can be read by a typical fourth grader.
Please click below for more information:
NIV Family Bundle – e-Sword PC Version
NIV Family Bundle – Pocket e-Sword Version
Our team worked long and hard to achieve this license for the NIV Family, and we hope these translations are a blessing to you and your study of God’s Word.
Blessings,
Your Friends at eStudySource.com
So those of you out there who are also using e-Sword or Pocket e-Sword, tell me watcha waiting for?With the USD at an all-time low against the SGD, what better time to get this? I just did :-)
By the way, here's a screenshot of NIV and CUV-S (Chinese Union Version - Simplified) appearing side-by-side.
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