Keeping in Pace ...

True to my own words ... I've finally post another update after the long break ...

I guess really this is not my cup of tea ... but I'm taking it easy ... so no pressure for me ... haha!

Well life has always been busy ... and this year in 2009, I personally believe it's a kairos moment for change. I like what Ps Tan said recently, "Big Change is Possible". Many people are afraid in this challenging time as they perceived that the change is negative and even destructive. Yes, one must acknowledge that these are difficult times ... many lives are devastated by the present crisis.

However, in every crisis, there will always be opportunities ... there have always been solutions ... and the truth is, light shines the brightest in the darkest moment. I have learned that being a Christian, you have to be an optimist! To be pessimistic is to deny the hope that is in us ...

So I want to encourage all, in this world, we will have tribulation ... but be of good cheer, He has overcome the world.

Stay strong and move on!

The Return ...

Finally, I'm back ... and hopefully for good and I can hang around the blog long enough...

The last I penned down my thoughts was about 6 months ago ... 2 reasons for the delay: busy and undisciplined (for blogging).

In fact, I'm really amazed by many who are so "faithful" in their blogs, I really saluted all these people for their "hard work." For me ... this is more like a luxury to unload some of my thoughts.

A quick update for the past 6 months ... I have finally just submitted for my last paper for the semseter today ... what a relief!

I have also shifted to my new place since Dec 07, below are some pictures of the new place ...



The living room ....

The Boys' Bed ...










The Kitchen ...









I really like my new place ... food is great, view is good, location is ideal ... Thank God for giving me this new place, I've got it through balloting.

Special thanks to Joanne and Angeline for making our house so beautiful with their great taste and superb service!


My youngest boy can now start crawling and he's adorable .... hopefully the video below works.

Rest of my update ... next post !!!

Expect a Miracle ... AGAIN!

Well, as you can see, it has been more than 1 month since my pervious post. The reason is obvious ... busy ... busy ... busy ...

I've just finished 2 of my exams paper, and now is about 2.41am in the morning, trying to finish one more assignment. Life is also never the same with the arrival of my 4th boy, Ansel. He has been a "good boy", keeping daddy companion most of the time until about 5 or 6am in the morning. I'm expecting his familiar cry for milk in a short while time. In the mean time, the renovation work for my new place is about 75% done. I'm excited to look forward to the completion and shift into a new environment. Life in Christ is indeed not boring!

In the midst of the busyness and tight resources, our church is in the Arise and Build season again! My heart is thrilled when Pastor mentioned that we are going to get a stadium, something that will be befitting to the glory of the Lord! What Pastor shared concerning Dr. Cho's church in Korea really stirred my heart. We need to build the House of God, the Gate of Heaven, where lives of millions can be touched by His presence. CHC needs to grow like never before, and that is what the building fund is about: BUILDING LIVES!

However, personally I could sense that this building fund is not without challenge from the enemy. I could feel there will be obstacles that will seek to hinder what the Lord wants to do. There will be a fight, a spiritual confrontation, before the breakthrough can take place. I am excited ... I am stirred ... because the breakthrough will be BIG one!

So saints of the Most High: Man your battle station, take up your spiritual position, it time to seek the Lord, till He rains down His miracles again.

(I hope to share with you shortly on some insights I had recently ... back to my paper ...)

New Arrival and New Vision!

Finally ... the new arrival to our family ... ANSEL TAN WEI EN, also our final arrival as 4 boys is really quite a handful for both me & my wife.

I'm grateful to the Lord, both mother and child are healthy and the operation went on very smoothly. Once again, as I hold the child in my hand, my first prayer was directed to our Father in heaven, as I dedicated him for the work of God and the purpose that lies ahead of him. Some people are amazed at the 4 kids that we have, and wondered how we coped with 4 children in a expensive nation like Singapore. Moreover, we are in the midst of renovating our new place and the expenses ... are HIGH ...

However, I'm not worried, because I believe. And my belief is a simple one ... and a biblical one ... if the Father so take cares of the lilies of the field and the sparrow of the air, surely He will take care of my family and my 4 boys. Such is the assurance I had from the Lord. Amazingly just a few days ago, someone just blessed me with $1000 and I'm grateful to the Lord for his unfailing provision. Yes, the challenge and the stress may be there, but I choose to trust rather than to worry.

Yesterday I shared a simple offering message (in the combined zone meeting) from Matt 6:31-34 ... which is a rhema the Lord spoke to me.

Matt 6:31-34
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

You know the Gentiles -the natural people - their main motivation in lives is actually quite simple:

• What shall we eat?
• What shall we drink?
• What shall we wear?
• => Material pursuits! (The house we live in, the car we drive, our career ... etc.)

And material pursuit is not wrong, cos' Jesus also acknowledges that we have need for all these things, but it is just natural!

And the big problem is this: if you function purely in the natural realm, it usually comes with this baggage called “WORRY.”

That is why worldly people “worry”, worldly Christians also “worry”.

Jesus mentioned earlier in verse 24 “you cannot serve God and mammon,” i.e. you can’t live at the same time under 2 conflicting systems.
And verse 25 He further to say “Therefore, do not worry …"

Worry is an indication you are under the other system, the natural system of the world.

• A system of lack, anxiety, and frustration!
• A worry-free life is a life that Jesus is offering … it is part of the “life, and life more abundantly” in John 10:10.

But it is not automatic, you must seek this Kingdom, and you must seek it FIRST! You must give your priority; give your devotion and heart to this Kingdom.

And how do we do it practically?

Matt 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Your giving ushers you into this Kingdom ...

Your giving shows your priority for this kingdom ...

When you gave, you are making a statement that, “God, I’m not going to worry, but I’m trusting in your kingdom (or system) first.

Make up your mind, step out in faith, especially in the Arise and Build season.

Break free from worry … step into His Kingdom … through your giving in faith!
And get ready to step into a worry-free life … “because all these things shall be added unto you …”

I believe that ... it has worked for me all these years and life IS WONDERFUL!!!

Perfected in Weaknesses

This was the title of the CG message I've shared this week. You must be wondering why?

Well I have my reasons ....

As of this very minute, I have been staying awake for the past 40 hours ... (but i "cheated" a little, took a nap for about an hour.) Please don't think that I'm torturing myself. No way ...
Reason being yesterday I was preparing for my Greek Mid-Semster Exams and tonight I'm rushing another paper. I guess I really got to manage my time even better, but some of these nights are the inevitables of life.

But I've received a great new on Wednesday. What happened was that I went to conduct a last minute furneral for a related church visitor on Monday night and Tuesday morning. I was stretching myself a little too much, but I think it's worth it! Because I heard that the elder daughter (who was a "tought" unbeliever) gave her heart to Jesus on Wednesday, 1 day after the cremation.

The report I heard was that she was very touched by the love of CHC members who rose to the occasion to stand with the family ... that's what I call the "Caring System"! It works! When we care enough, people will see the light of Jesus, hallelujah! [Of course I was also encouraged to hear that she was very ministered by the message that I shared, glory be to God!]

But mind you, I was feeling tired and weak because of all the activties and committements, especially with the renovation for my new place and the arrival of my 4th boy. Even today, while I was giving some personal BS, I was struggling to focus my thoughts well. I was thinking to myself, how am I going to take the CGM tonight?

On my way to CG, I prayed to the Lord a simple heartfelt prayer ... "HELP! I don't want to fall asleep during my own preaching." I was physically tired, and if you may, I call it "weak in the flesh." But God is so good ... in the CGM, I felt strength came back ... the anointing, the grace ... + the revelation ... PERFECTED IN WEAKNESSES. I shared from 2 Cor 12: 8-10 a short 3-points sermon:

1) God's Grace is revealed in my weaknesses ... there is nothing for me to boast about ... in my weakness I realize I really need Jesus ... badly ... That's why grace is some amazing, and the promise in 2 Corinthian is "My grace is sufficient for you ..." There is no situation that you will encounter in your life that you deplete or exhaust the grace of God towards you. There is always the extra strength, that extra favour, that extra wisdom that will come from on high when we pray ....

2) God's strength is made perfect in my weaknesses ... Isa 40:29 ... He gives power to the weak, and to those with no might, He increases strength. The irony of Christian faith is the more you recognise your weaknesses, the stronger you become. If you think you are strong, I pity you ... but when you realize your are weak (i.e. weak in your own human abililty and resources), you will discover His Perfect Strength!

3) God's power is released through my weaknesses ... truly not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit .... Paul says, I will glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest on me. The funny thing about the power of God is that it is called the power of His resurrection (Phi 3:10). Have you wonder why? You have to die to your own strength 1st before you can experience this resurrection life ....

If the great Apostle Paul only boast about his infrimities, surely in it lies the secret of his success ...

What a great God we serve, our imperfection is for a purpose ... to show that He is "The Perfect One ..."

Thanks be the Christ who always leads us into triumph!

Building the Altar

The past 2 weeks had been busy (as usual), but boy, I'm really enjoying myself more in life.

Last week had to travel to Taiwan to attend to some last minute matter. It was tiring but very rewarding. What I enjoyed the most is the fellowship with some of my friends over the meals after a hard day of work. We always say jokingly among friends, that we catch up more with one another overseas than locally. In the midst of the sleep during last Thursday, Taiwan was hit by a 6.6 earthquake. I felt the shaking tremors, and it's really exciting. The interesting thing is there is no fear at all. Well, a fearless life is really an exciting life, and I believe that is what Jesus offered to us, an abundant life.

Also I'm in the midst of expecting the arrival of my 4th boy, Ansel, which will be due on 29 Sep 07. And praise the Lord I've got the keys to my new place at Bedok on Wednesday. So will be busy with the renovation works.

As you can perceive, the upcoming weeks will be very busy and exciting for me. Though many times I'm physically tired, I'm really grateful to the Lord for such fulfilling life. Serving Jesus is really something, and many times, I feel sad for those Christians who live way below God's plan for their life.

I was reminded of the story of Abraham, the father of faith and also called a friend of God. As I as reading through Gen 12-14, I see a important element in his life that distinguish him from the rest. You will find that wherever Abraham went, he would always do one thing - BUILD AN ALTAR to the Lord.

An altar before he built his own house or career. An altar is a place of commitment and dedication. An altar is a place of sacrifice and love. An altar is where the fire keeps burning, and the light keeps shining. At the altar you find the meaning of life and the purpose of your calling.

Many Christian live an "altar-less" life, no cause to lay down their life, no lasting purpose to pursue and the result is an average, mediocre life. I don't want to be an average Singaporean. I don't want to just survive and get by in life. No, I want to build my altar and live life to the fullest for Jesus Christ.

Just like what Pastor Kong (Hee) always taught us, you have only one life, live it to the fullest without any regrets!

The Narrow Way + The Radical Choice (Rev. Kong Hee) 1&2 Sep 07

THE NARROW WAY ... Pastor started with a "unpopular" title, very interesting I thought. Moreover it coincides with the CCF and SOT graduation, where I thought a message on faith or revival might be more "exciting" for the graduating class.

But Pastor did hit the bull's eyes ... for the graduating class as well as for every church members in the concluding message of the Sermon on the Mount ...

... it is about CHOICE!

Whether is it health or sickness; blessings or curses; prosperity or poverty, honor or shame, life or death: the choice is yours and mine to make!

As I reflect, I am really amazed by God's way.

Though He knows all things, especially the future or the end results, He still gives us the option to choose the path ...

Though He deserve all praise and reverence, He still gives mankind a choice to love Him or reject Him ...

Though He sees through the real intention of our hearts, He still offers us a 2nd, 3rd ... 1000th ... etc chance to walk with Him ...

Though He knows the best for us, He still allows us to decide what we want ...

Why? Sometimes I wish He can "decide" for me, or even "force" me into His will, but I know He will never ...

Because true obedience is not "forced obedience" ...
Love is only possible when there is freedom of choice ...

The conclusion to the Sermon of the Mount should be " As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" Jos 24:15.

Truly our greatest honor will always be to serve my Lord and King.