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For ONELife 3 to continue to grow in love for God and His people...

Bible Reading Plan

Thursday, 31 December 2009

Reflection: Closing 2009

Wow, in a few hours' time, 2009 is going to come to a close. For some of us, it might have been an easy year and for some it might have been a rough year.

2009 has its equal shares of ups and downs for me but I am still thankful to be able to sit here. I remember Elder Freddy sharing at service at the end of last year, that despite our circumstances, we can still thank God for placing us where we are, because it is really true that we have it better than others in other parts of the world. Our life circumstances, for example, are relatively better and our life expectancy is anything from 78-80 years old as compared to some which is 39 years old. So, amidst all the downs, I still find that I can still be thankful for much which may have been taken for granted.

Indeed, as I reflected the year, I still thank God for the wisdom He has provided me at work, for blessings in my relationships, for friends, for the lives I have seen changed by Him, for blessing my ministry (which I had so wanted to give up) and for healing that He has given me in my back problem and even in my life.


Something which I like about new years is the hope it brings; for some it signify a new start and hope that perhaps things can be better. And yes, as Christ-followers, we can have it better because we have the hope that we are entering the new year with God. And while trials are a part of parcel of life, we know we don't have to deal with it alone.

Was doing my quiet time this morning and was reading from Psalm 50.

Psalm 50: 14-15
"Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

No matter how easy or rough the year has been, let us round up 2009 in thanksgiving and praise to God for how He has been faithful in our lives. Honor the Lord as He has delivered you. The Lord reminds us that he is "The Mighty One" and that we can continue to look to Him.

John 15: 1,4 (NIV)
"I am the true vine... Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

John 16:33 (NIV)
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

At chapel today, I was ministered to by an old hymn in The Salvation Army's song book, sang to the tune of the hymn "Thanks to God":

Thank you, Lord, for all your goodness:
Through the years of yesterday;
Thank you, too, for present mercies
And your blessing on my way.
Thank you for each revelation,
And for what you choose to hide;
Thank you, Lord, for grace sustaining
As I in your love abide.

Thank you, Lord, for sunlit pathways,
Thank you, too, for byways rough;
Thank you for the fruitful summers
Also for the winters tough.
Thank you, Lord, for fragrant flowers
Growing right amid the weeds;
Thank you for the peace you give me
Even when my spirit bleeds.

Thank you, Lord, for wayside roses,
Even for the thorns beside;
Thank you for the prayers you granted
And for those that you denied;
Thank you, Lord, for precious comfort
In my hours of grief and pain;
Thank you for your precious promise
Life eternal I shall gain.

Authors: August Ludvig Storm (1862-1914),
Translated Flora Larsson
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 552

Friday, 25 December 2009

一世人跟隨你 (Hokkien Gospel Song)

求你教示阮數算自己的日子
互阮得到智慧的心
因為佇你看千年親像過昨暝
閣親像睏一醒

阮一生誇口只有勞苦和憂愁
緊緊過去無留什麼
求你早起時用你慈愛充滿阮
互阮一世人歡喜

阮一生欲跟隨你阮的心 
獻上給你
阮一生欲跟隨你欣慕你 
和你徛起
阮一生誇口只有勞苦和憂愁
緊緊過去無留什麼
求你的美妙掂佇阮的頂面
願你的榮光顯明

Saturday, 12 December 2009

Important Reflections in Life

Today we celebrated my brother in law birthday. My younger sis told me that she had been a free thinker for many years. Actually all along I consider that she is a backslided believer. To hear that from her made my heart feel so painful and I can feel that my heart just sank then. How could she have received Jesus in her life so many years back and then now behave she dun really know him at all? I asked if it is because of me. She was shocked when she heard that, she said she had became free thinker because of her hubby-my brother in law who is a staunch Buddhist. This probably gave her more space and more flexibility to deal with different situations in life, and she say can worship other Gods as they wish. To her it seems like her husband is her everything in life. How about the Lord Jesus in her life? Where are you my Lord Jesus? Can you come back to my younger sis's life once again? Why has Christian faith become just a religion and a set of ritual to her? To think that she felt that I came back from the wake and was concerned I go shower soon due to some superstitious thinking. About my friend's grandmom who had passed on lately, I told my sis to me the ritual (even if it is Taoist one) is not everything but I only hope that her grandmom has indeed received Jesus into her heart, that is all that really matters. At the end it seems my dear sis could not really identify with what I had said, the trace of her childlike faith as in the past is no longer there now, I felt really deeply grieved at the change I see in her now. I really feel very sad and burdened whenever I think of my family salvation. I felt guilty at times maybe I felt I have not prayed hard enough for their salvation. But I really wanna to thank God because of the courage to share with her about my thinking of our Christian faith and also about my friend's grandmom passing on with my sis, and though I am upset but I am glad God let me know of her spiritual state better.

In fact as the year is ending off very soon, I hope to do some reflections of life since 2 years back then. Ever since I was restored back to the Christian community (my cg) in 2008 when I aspired and wanna to be committed to be part of cell, the community God had put me in, this is also a year which the foundation in my life is laid again. Before that I was quite distracted by many issues in life and I was so far away from God. God had been faithful to me, never he had forsaken me despite some tough challenges and temptations to go back to the old ways. It is a year when I experienced restoration and healing in my life. I am really thankful to what God had done in my life. Year 2008 is also a special time God began to place in my heart a burden for my family salavation, my mothers and my 2 sisters (especially my younger sis who moved from christian to backslided Christian to a free thinker), God ignited me a passion and love for my family never like before even though many times I lamented at my imperfections.

Then in this year 2009 which will be passing on in 19 days times, there are many things I really wish to give thanks to. This is a year when I started serving God in the ministry and also contributed more to part of cell life, learning to build God's community where he has placed me in. Even there were down moments but as I choose to fix my eyes on Jesus and surrender it all to him, I felt it had always been joyful and privileged to be serving God and his people, I thank God for all I had learn in this spiritual journey with the Lord, perseverance, faith and trust in him, full surrender of troubled emotions to the Lord. I am thankful I am learning to let go of my old self, of course this year there is lots of tough battles, dealing with negative condemnations and lingering hurts, many times my emotions acts to deceive me, all I can say it is tough but again I learn to look beyond myself to serve God and his pple, learning to let go and to see from pple's perspectives and have a clearer communication (having a clearer expectations may help). Going through Mission Trip in September helps me further to look beyond myself and having a closer glimpse of mission on God's heart, my life and many of those who went on the mission trips, our life have been transformed!

God also brings me to different groups of Christian community in my life, that goes bey0nd my own cg (CG is still the source despite I did learn a lot and blessed through many of these community). I felt encouraged and experienced spiritual growth as I established deep bonds with these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ (regardless of church background and denominations) and we encouraged each other along this journey. And I thank God that through christian community he placed me in he has blessed me with the friendship and support of a fellow sister in Christ who is also my dear prayer partner. Even though she maybe quiet in her own ways but I thank God for her being supportive and her friendship that really means a lot to me. Somehow we are able to encourage and pray for each other naturally, iron sharpen iron is the word that describe about our friendship and partnership.

I also started with my reading of God's words this year, not easy because I tried to use many different forms (online reading, different types of bible study plans printout, daily devotions) and there are times I have stopped for a while as I was feeling pretty tiring and unmotivated to read God's words and I remembered I also had a challenging discussion with a fellow brother on reading God's words. Somehow this challenging discussion seems to play quite a significant role to help me to get back to the basics of hearing from God through reading of his words.

For next year I hope that God can help me to continue to grow spiritually through diligent reading of God's word (to be more comfortable with the current bible reading plan), more personal time with God, more time to pray and fast especially for my family salvation (I wanna to experience this hunger to pray earnestly and hungry for God's word), I ask God to expand my heart to serve and love pple even if it requires me to go through a heart surgery-change my heart Lord so that God can use me to do his work. I ask God to expand the ministry in my heart, to be seeking God in any other possible area of ministry that he will be placing me in. May I continue to rise up to his call in year 2010!

Saturday, 21 November 2009

Joy vs Happiness




What's Your Rug?

We all know what it feels like to have the rug pulled out from under us. I like this video because it nicely illustrates how we can sometimes be standing on wrong rugs... I am guilty of it and have once stood on the rug of career...

Riverlife's Core Value 2: Transformation in People

Hi everyone, thanks for all your prayers for my slip disc. I am getting better by the day and it's amazing how from I was bed-ridden a few days ago, not being able to do anything, to being able to walk a little today. I am amazed at the progress made and even the peace that came upon me yesterday as cell came by. Couldn't have been recovering so well if not for all your prayers and well-wishes. Thanks again!

Video Sermon: Transformation in People

This is the 2nd sermon on this series and SP Vincent re-emphasized the importance of unity and not uniformity. Having a set of core values can be instrumental in keeping unity in the church as they influence the way we conduct ourselves, make decisions and how we disciple others.

This week’s core value is “Transformation in People” and this is about discipleship. God made man in His image (Genesis 1:27) and so, the church is about people. It is about us being created in God’s image though ours is blemished by sin. Yet for those of us who are believers, the Spirit of God transforms us to redeem and restore us into His image. It is about our hearts turning towards God while we grow in our passion for Him and loving people wholeheartedly. This is so because God’s heart is for the people, especially for the poor and the needy (2 Cor 3:18).

SP Vincent challenged us to grow our church into one with “a heart for people” and to seek godly transformation in them. To fulfill this vision, we are to:

1. Commit to reach the unsaved and disciple them
We are to develop a lifestyle of evangelism and obey the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). There’s no true transformation without salvation and renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2). Hence, the importance of discipling new believers.

2. Believe in people and their God-given potential
We are to value and love our neighbours (Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 25:31-46) and pray for them to fulfill their God-given potential (Ephesians 4:11-12).

3. Be responsible for our own spiritual growth and development
Just as we’ve learnt to feed our physical body, we must also learn to feed ourselves spiritually (Hebrews 5:11-6:3). We are to take personal responsibility for our spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:14).

4. Create conducive environments for life-long learning and growing
Transformation happens when people experience God. Thus, we must seek to create a faith environment where one can experience the spiritual and the supernatural. We may do this through fasting and prayer.

SP Vincent further exhorted us to consider what makes our day. What brings us delight?

What is the church about at the end of the day? Though we may grow weary we must not lose the heart for people. This is because people matters to God and they should matter to us too. Let us examine our “heart capacity” for God and for people, and believe in His transformation work for ourselves and for others.



I was particularly challenged by SP as he asked us a few questions during the sermon. Have you thought about them for yourself?
  • What drives you? What do you live your life for?
  • What makes your day?
  • Do we have a heart to reach and disciple them?
  • Do we believe in people, their value and their God-given potential?
  • Are we doing our part to grow spiritually?
  • Are our gatherings e.g. Sunday services, cell group meetings etc conducive for transformation and growth?
Transformation and OL3
What would your response to that be? Perhaps about the part on whether our cell group meetings are conducive for transformation and growth, maybe you can also share your views with me how we can help OL3 to grow further for that to be possible.

Spiritual Growth & Transformation
The discussion on being responsible for our spiritual growth and development was particularly insightful too. As Raymond shared, we need to understand what this means contextually in transformation in people.

We are told to grow from strength to strength in our faith. In Ephesians 4:11-15, we are told to grow in maturity and not be easily swayed by deceit in the world:

Ephesians 4:11-15 (NIV)
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

1 Peter 2 also implore us to grow up in our salvation:

1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV)
2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

It becomes clear to us that we are to grow in our spiritual maturity. But the question remains why? Why do you think we need to grow? When we become transformed personally, we are obedient to God's word of calling to grow spiritually.

When We Grow... We Make God Known
God's heart is to redeem, reconcile with and restore His people. But He does not only want to stop at one. His heart is for all, who Christ died for so that they can be reconciled to God.

Perhaps, John 10 provides a vivid imagery of this:

John 10:14-16 (NIV)
14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Luke 15 also shows how heaven rejoices when sinners repent and those who are lost are found.

This is the heart of God.

And as we grow and shine, we glorify and make God known to others too, as they see our light and praise God:


Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

When We Grow... We Allow Others to be Transformed
Chek Shih also shared about how when we become too comfortable and choose not to grow, we ultimately takes up resources. How do we then reach out to receive more into God's kingdom when our ministry resources are focused on people who refuse to grow spiritually i.e. only wanting to remain as spiritual babies? Instead, we need to raise up more to share God's love and how He can help transform lives through His people and His community.

Matthew 9:36-38 (NIV)
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Are we ready to have our lives brought to the next level with God and also to help others' lives be transformed? We are all, after all, called to the ministry of reconciliation:

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV)
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.


How Then Do We Grow Spiritually?

Learning from Professional Development
It's interesting how there is so much correlation between our professional growth and spirtual growth. Chek Shih asked what would we do if we want to advance and grow professionally... well, we will go for the right courses, read the right books, look for the right mentors, join professional groups for growth, spending time practicing etc... It is the same with growing spiritually and in the same way, we can go for the right Christian Education courses, read the right books or even better, reading directly from God's word. looking for mentors or even spiritual growth partners, spending time in our quiet time with the Lord, praying etc.

Learning from Relationships
If the Christian faith is about relationship with God, how can we develop our relationship with God when it is just mainly through books and courses; we need to spend time with the Lord Himself.

In addition, we cannot rely solely on our spiritual leaders to develop our relationship with the Lord in the same way we cannot solely rely on others to develop our personal relationships; we need to develop that relationship ourselves.

Just as people grow closer together in relationships and who may even start to understand and share the same perspective of seeing things, we will also start to see and share God's heart as we continue to spend time with Him.

Are we transformed and helping many others' lives to be transformed?

Sunday, 15 November 2009

From the Inside Out

A song that moves my heart to tears today at the Service.
Yes, May your light shine when all else fades.
May the cry of my heart be to bring praise to my Lord forever, yes let it be so the cry of my heart! May my life be a praise onto him, the love for God and his people never grown cold!

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring
You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring
You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out


Saturday, 14 November 2009

寶貴十架 (The Precious Cross)

主耶穌 我感謝你
Lord Jesus I thank you.
你的身體 為我而捨
Your body that is sacrificed for me,
帶我出黑暗 進入光明國度
bringing me out of darkness, entering into the kingdom of light,
使我再次能看見
allows me to see again

主耶穌 我感謝你
Lord Jesus, I thank you.
你的寶血 為我而流
Your precious blood that is shed for me.
寶貴十架上 醫治恩典湧流
On the precious cross, the flow of your healing grace
使我完全得自由
leads me to gain freedom completely.

# 寶貴十架的大能賜我生命
The power of the precious cross that gives me life
主耶穌我俯伏敬拜你
Lord Jesus I bow and worship you
寶貴十架的救恩是你所立的約
The saving grace on the precious cross is the new covenant you establish
你的愛永遠不會改變
Your love is never changing.....

爱,我愿意 (Love, I do)

十字架上的光芒,溫柔又慈祥,
The radiant light of the cross, filled with gentleness and kindness,
帶著主愛的力量,向著我照亮。
bringing forth the power of God's love, shining brightly before me.
我的心不再隱藏,完全的擺上,
My heart is never hidden again, presenting it completely before you,
願主愛來澆灌我,
May God's love water my soul,
在愛中得自由釋放。
in God's love be freed.

我願意降服,我願意降服,
I am willing to surrender, I am willing to surrender,
在你愛的懷抱中,我願意降服。
In your loving arms, I am willing to surrender.
你是我的主,你是我的主,
You are my Lord, you are my Lord,
永遠在你懷抱中,
Forever in your arms
你是我,你是我的主。
You are mine, you are my Lord.

十字架上的光芒,溫柔又慈祥,
The radiant light of the cross, filled with gentleness and kindness,
帶著主愛的力量,向著我照亮。
bringing forth the power of God's love, shining brightly before me.
我的心不再隱藏,完全的擺上,
My heart is never hidden again, presenting it completely before you,
願主愛來澆灌我,
May God's love water my soul
在愛中得自由釋放
in God's love be freed.

我願意降服,我願意降服,
I am willing to surrender, I am willing to surrender,
在你愛的懷抱中,我願意降服。
In your loving arms, I am willing to surrender.
你是我的主,你是我的主,
You are my Lord, you are my Lord,
永遠在你懷抱中,
Forever in your arms
你是我,你是我的主。
You are mine, you are my Lord.

我願意降服,我願意降服,
I am willing to surrender, I am willing to surrender,
在你愛的懷抱中,我願意降服。
In your loving arms, I am willing to surrender.
你是我的主,你是我的主,
You are my Lord, you are my Lord,
永遠在你懷抱中,
Forever in your arms,
你是我,你是我的主
You are mine, you are my Lord
永遠在你懷抱中,
Forever in your arms,
你是我,你是我的主
You are mine, You are my Lord!

Being, Not Just Doing

Hi there,

Sorry for the misleading title in the earlier post "Being, Not Doing"... just to clarify that we need to also remember our being in God and not just doing or even doing for the sake of looking righteous. It is a fine balance to reach and I am still learning as well.

Jesus said in Matt 28:19 "therefore, go and make disciples of all nations..." and James 2:26 (NIV) also said that "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." So there is also doing part in the Christian walk.

The Christian faith is not one which focuses on just what we do but also who we are; children of God and who we are refined and transformed to be; Christ-like.

A personal lesson for me is that the starting point for me is in the "being" and loving God, and the actions will naturally follow. I remember a sermon on the 2 greatest commandments (Matt 22:34-40) and the pastor mentioned that when we love God, we will naturally fulfill the first 4 commandments and when we love our neighbours, we will naturally fulfill the other 6 commandments. It was refreshing because I have come to realise it was not an easier "standard" but it is something which starts from the inside... that as we love God and our neighbours, we will fulfill His commandements.

For me, I can tend to be focused on "doing" sometimes to help with my self-esteem. But at the end of the day, God reminds me that I am His child and that I can depend on Him and need not strive for human praise. But what matters most is how I am walking with Him, growing in Him and receiving others into His Kingdom. Well, it's a fine balance and I am learning. I have to always keep myself in check to see if I am indeed focusing on doing, for the wrong reasons.

So, yes, the title should read "Being, not Just Doing" and I have amended it. Forgive me for the mistake and may God continue to watch over you and help you walk stronger and stronger in faith.

Being, Not Just Doing

I have been reflecting...

The Christian faith is not so much about doing but it's also about being: being redeemed by God from the enemy, being restored by God, spiritually, emotionally, physically, as He wills, being a child of God, being holy and righteous in our walk, being one who seeks and loves the Lord, being still and know that he is God, being a loving neighbour who is there to bless others as God blessed you, being a vessel through which God's light to the world can shine.

John 1:12-13 (NIV)
12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Psalm 23 for the Workplace

Hi everyone,

Came across this interesting article which is a good reminder, especially to us in the Onelife zone in this phase of our lives.


PSALM 23 FOR THE WORKPLACE


The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray and do all things
without murmuring and complaining.


He reminds me that he is my source and not my job.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honor him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn’t cooperate every morning, I still will not stop— for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.
He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.

He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.
His Faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check.

His retirement plan beats every insurance plan there is!
When it’s all said and done, I’ll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!!!!!

Wandering Mind

Friday, 13 November 2009

Being, Not Just Doing


I have been reflecting...


The Christian faith is not so much about doing but it's also about being: being redeemed by God from the enemy, being restored by God, spiritually, emotionally, physically, as He wills, being a child of God, being holy and righteous in our walk, being one who seeks and loves the Lord, being still and know that he is God, being a loving neighbour who is there to bless others as God blessed you, being a vessel through which God's light to the world can shine.


John 1:12-13 (NIV)
12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

The Choice

Choices @ the Heart of Life
Choices are at the heart of everything. Just as I was listening to the sermon last week on "Battling with Passion" and as I went about the week preparing for cell, reflecting on the things that happened throughout the week, I came to think more and more about choices.


How do you make choices in life? At cell, some of us has shared how some of us make choices based on our end goals in mind, some make choices base on opportunity cost and consequences, some base it on exprience, some base it on feelings, while some seek advice from friends and some seek the Lord.

I always remember the time I made a choice which I still remember ultimately changed my college life. It was the second intake for college and I was given a choice to change my subject combination. Then, I was taking "A" levels Chinese. Though I did not understand why I choose to take "A" levels Chinese (given I didn;t seem to have the flair for it) but I made the choice to continue on with my subject combination because I had not wanted to leave my friends who I have come to know. And, well, as they say, the rest is history and I chartered this part of my life story and made a decision based on my feelings.

Everyday in our lives, we are confronted with choices to make. From our attire, to our meals, to how we respond to various matters, we make choices everyday. Even in our spiritual life, we are faced with choices, starting from the choice we make to make Jesus our Lord and Saviour, to the challenges we face daily in making choices which would impact our walk with the Lord e.g. making priorities about our quiet time, participation in church, ministry, prayer meetings, cell vis-a-vis other priorities in life or even making choices between succumbing to temptation vis-a-vis choosing how God would like us to respond as children of light. Choices are real and part and parcel of our life.

Choices & Life
Just last week, I have had the opportunity to speak to 3 very different people who made different choices... one was sharing with me about his younger days and how he was in triads and how he met his wife who changed him. As he shared about the horrors of what happens at the gallows for some of his friends, I can see him being all relieved that he has turned back in time to not be in the shoes of some of hos friends. Equally, I have also spoken to different ones who responded very differently to trials and also in their choices to either let God triumph over circumstances or circumstances "over" God.

In Pastor Chye Aik's sermon the previous week, he spoke from Galatians 5. To me, as I read, it spoke to me clearly about life and the choices we make.

In Galatians 5: 16-18, we see that there are two extremes: life by the Spirit and life by the flesh...

16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.


There is a clear conflict between the two and we are to choose from them.

And Galatians 5:19-25 further goes to show the outcome of life by the Spirit and by the flesh:

19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.


Verse 21 mentioned that those who live life by the flesh "will not inherit the kingdom of God" but those who live by the Spirit will experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This is a choice we have to make.

But how do we live by the Spirit? Basically, it does come down to choices we make... Indeed, I don't think there is a "7 step formula" for being able to live by the Spirit. But, when I reflect upon it and also look at my own spiritual walk, I wonder why is it that some people seem to have some much passion for God that keeps them going despite all circumstances? What about Jesus; Son of God, born as Son of man? What kept Him going that, amidst all the agony of knowing He is to be crucified on the cross, that He would go on to say the familiar "not my will, but yours be done", ultimately dying a horrible death on the cross for our sakes? The passion of Christ? To me, it became clear it is a choice.

As I did my quiet time last week and read from John 8:12-30, several things spoke to me:
  1. Jesus knows where He is from and where He is going (v14)
  2. Jesus knows He does not stand alone but with the Father (v16, 29)
  3. Jesus knows Father God (v19)
  4. Jesus knows the Father's purposes for Him (v28-29)
Jesus knew all these and had made the choice to yield Himself to God. Jesus knows who He is and where He is going and yielded to God.

As I look back at my life and realised how, thanks be to God, I have matured relatively in how I make choices in my life. But even so saying, at present, I do still struggle with some decisions I which have a big bearing on my ministry and life. But as I reflect, I have realised how I have moved from choices made based on "me-centric-ness" ("me, me, me") to more or less "God-centric-ness" ("God, what's your will for this?"). And it becomes clear that yieldnesses to God is so critical in our life by the Spirit because unless we yield ourselves and the choices we make to God, we will be living life based on ourselves, our flesh, our emotions, our strength.

Do you know who you are and where you are going?
Do you know that despite all circumstances that God is always with you?
Do you know the Father's heart and His purposes for you; not only to restore you to Him and refine you but also to restore many others to Him, what Paul calls the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor 5:11-21).

I have to admit that it can be a journey of uncertainty but God is an Almighty God and nothing is impossible for Him:

I know I am had been saved by grace by God;
I know that I am redeemed and restored by God through all the work He has done in my life;
I know that I do not need to go through life alone and can trust in Him becaase I saw how He provided and brought me out of the pits when I held on;
I know that God is a sovereign God and has His plans for me;
I know He has restored me to be a blessing to many others
I know that I am a child of God;
I know where I am going after passing on from life.

To live life by the Spirit, choose to see all He has done in your life and choose to yield to Him. Do not do life alone or with your own strength. Nothing is everlasting, not even our lives, our riches we have, our jobs, our ministry, except for God, His will and His love.

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

Reflections of Melaka Mission Trip

Our Mission Trip Photo Slideshow:






Thinking back, I really thank God for the trip and have come to realize how much I had been blessed through the trip. Even though it may sound cliché, but on hindsight, as I am sitting here typing this reflection, I have come to realize how God is in control all the time and I would say that this is the greatest take away for me.


Philippains 4:13 (NIV)
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.


Mark 10: 27 (NIV)
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."


God’s Timing & Plans

I recall a year ago when I was doing cell planning for 2009 and I remember putting down, as one of the goals for the cell, that our cell would take up a mission trip together. Frankly, at that time, I wasn’t much hopeful that this would happen but nonetheless, I remember telling myself it is a good goal to work towards anyway and I do long to be able to anchor a mission trip together with my cell.


Fast forward almost a year later and I found myself prompted to ask my cell if they wanted to anchor a mission trip together. Initially, only 3 indicated interest and chances of it happening seemed so slim. I recall sharing with Min Qin, my fiancée, how I look forward to be able to join the trip. But as we are scheduled to go for marriage preparation course in church, we would only end on 27 Sep, which also happens to be the last day of missions. But, I thank God for working things out and soon, we were told that our marriage preparation course would end a week earlier instead. So that would mean that both me and Min Qin would be able to join the other 3 trippers for the mission trip. Soon, Chek Shih, our Area Overseer, also told us that he would like to join us for the trip too, bringing the number of trippers up to 6 persons. And so we have a mission team! Thinking back, it is amazing how God has worked things out, because the early conclusion of the marriage preparation has availed me, Min Qin and also Chek Shih (who is helping as a facilitator for the marriage preparation course). At the same time, the KAIROS course has also ended on the Saturday before the trip, a timely “graduation” as Min Qin and Trina (who helped out as KAIROS table hosts) and Joyce, were “launched” into missions just a few days later. All in all, it is amazing to note the timeliness of everything.


Anxiety Brews…

The pre-trip preparation was somewhat nerve-wrecking because we did not know what to expect. With only 2 out of the 6 trippers having experience with mission, and with less than two weeks left to the trip following the missions briefing, we started off feeling lost and not knowing what to do. And the thought of 6 of us setting foot onto unfamiliar grounds and meeting people we have yet to meet was enough to bring about much anxiety for me.


Spiritual Warfare

I recall the few weeks prior to the trip, the team started to meet with lots of challenges. For me, I was suddenly entering into the peak period of my work and there was a sudden increase in stress at work, so much so I wasn’t sleeping well at night and was even getting worried about going to work. Soon, I also learnt that my dad was not feeling well and was developing high fever and we had to rush him to the Accidents and Emergency and was warded for pneumonia. Along the way to A&E, my mum also got injured when she tried to get into the taxi and she accidentally knocked her face against the corner of the door. But thank God she is OK. Soon, I also came down with a bad case of flu which plagued me for days up till the eve of the trip. On my way back from the doctor’s, I had also suffered a rather deep cut on my finger as I dug for the key to my house. Things came to a point where I was so overwhelmed by stress at work, at having to deal with my father’s hospitalization, my illness and preparing for the mission trip, that I began to wonder how I am going to cope with it all. I remember turning to God and praying for Him to help me.


One night, I remember being rudely awakened by a nightmare which seemed so real. I had dreamt of a little girl but there is this evilness that I can sense in her and she held on tightly to my arm and threatened me to forsake God. I woke up in cold sweat and panting. This was the first time I had experienced something like this and as I laid there gasping, I could feel a physical pain where the girl had held on to me. The nightmare had been so real that fear began to grip me and I had to do something. I remember bringing out my bible and started to read and meditate on Psalm 23. Soon after, I felt the peace of God returning and I was able to fall back into sleep without much problem.


By this time, I was feeling overwhelmed but the more it got difficult for me, the more I was convinced that I needed to engage in spiritual warfare and pray. I remember one of our cell members commenting in an email that the fact that we are facing so much spiritual attacks does goes to show that we are most probably on the right track. Soon, I have also learnt about my sister having to deal with exhaustion both at work and with preparing for the children’s programme for the mission and there was generally quite a bit of anxiety among the trippers and people were also falling sick, even up to the eve of the trip.


As a team, we decided to fast and pray for the trip and also engaged fellow colleagues, friends, loved ones and cell members as prayer warriors to pray along with us. We were blessed when many of them willingly agreed to pray along for us. Frankly, I felt that we would not have been able to survive the whole trip without our prayer warriors and to that we give thanks to God for; we give thanks for every single one of them. The trip went smoothly because it was bathed in prayer. Talking about the power of prayer!


The Many Willing Helping Hands

As we slowly approached the day of the mission trip, I continue to see how God continued to journey with us and blessed us. It was amazing seeing how much He has helped us to achieve within a short period of time of 12 days; amidst all the stresses and anxiety and work, we had managed to meet up to practice Malay praise and worship songs, bought all the necessary logistics and work on the props for the Sunday school. It was also amazing how God has brought people into our midst to help prepare us for the trip, including Eric and Lydia, who came to share with us their experience in previous trips and taught us Malay praise and worship songs and children action songs. We also thank God for the many cell members who have came forward to help us, including, Jeslyn, in offering her creative skills and helping us to do up the giant worship song sheets; Kent, Elly and Raymond in helping us to do up the backdrop for the skit and cut up stickers for the children. Even though it seemed like a tight deadline to have everything done up, I thank God for unity and also for joy as we went about the shopping and doing the preparations. I thank God for protecting the relationships between all the brothers and sisters and how it seemed the preparations have also brought about much bonding between the trippers.


Dealing with Anxiety

Personally, I also thank God for how he ministered to me during this period. Throughout the whole period of preparation, I can see how the team members are all so focused on doing their best to ensure the success of the trip. I do not deny that this brought with it quite a bit anxiety and stress as we thought “there are so many things to do but yet so little time”. This is especially true for me because, call it occupational hazard, I am a person who is very particular about planning as I do extensive planning to ensure success in my role at work. So by this time, I was getting all edgy with so many things to do but yet having so little time to plan. We literally had to plan as we did our preparation. But throughout the preparation phase, I sensed from God through my quiet time, how we should not focus on the wrong things and ultimately, it is not about how well the things run but it is about how both we and the people we are ministering to are blessed. Things became more crystallized when I found myself in a situation where I had to share about what God has placed on my heart, to encourage one of our trippers about this. Talking about a steep learning curve! So, it’s amazing how God has first ministered to me, and then, as if to drive the point in, caused me to minister to another.


Throughout the preparation phase, I continued to seek God to give me His word so I can encourage our trippers. So, in my quiet time, He continued to speak to me through Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 62:10 and Isaiah 40:10 and reminded me that all we need to do is to just focused on preparing the way for Him and for His people to come to Him and how we are to continue to trust in Him that He will strengthen us and help us.


Prepare the way for Him

Isaiah 40:3 (NIV)

A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.


Prepare the way for His people to come to Him

Isaiah 62:10 (NIV)

Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.


Continue to trust in God that He will be with us as we go forth

Isaiah 40:10 (NIV)

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.


In fact, God continued to minister to me through His word and through people even throughout the trip. I recall that on the first day in Melaka, as we were doing some last minute shopping at the local shopping mall, we entered a Christian bookshop. There, my sister came up to me with a devotional book and pointed out to me how the devotional for the day and the day before was just so timely and appropriate; about not focusing on the wrong things but on worshipping God through what we do. That evening, we had a powerful time of worship, which I sensed further drove this point deep into the hearts of our trippers.


The Body of Christ; One Body Many Parts

I thank God for blessing the team with wisdom and for how each member of the team joyfully brought their giftings to bless one another. I thank God for using me and my skills in planning to put the trip together, though I have come to realize how my planning skills was of no use midway through the trip and realized I had to rely on my other members and God). I thank God for using my meticulousness in managing the mission fund. I thank God for sustaining me through His word, and as much as I was encouraged spiritually, I do hope that I had also been able to encourage the team spiritually too. I thank God for Joyce for her skills and experience in working with children and how this came in handy in planning the children’s programme for the trip as she willing offered her skills and experience. I thank God for Trina for her desire to serve, for her supportive role she played in the team; always ready to serve in any way and also the insights she brings to the team. I thank God for Chek Shih for his ability to confidently drive us around, for being the fatherly figure thus reassuring us, for his ability to translate for us, for his extrovertedness in engaging the Orang Aslis, and also for his humor in bringing much light hearted moments to the trip. I also thank God for Daniel for the joy and enthusiasm he injects to the team and for his willingness to plan out the programme and also his quick-mindedness in responding to situations. I thank God for Min Qin for her enthusiasm, joy, her support to me during the time of trip preparation, her quick-mindedness and her facilitation of the powerful time of worship on Friday evening which spoke into the hearts of the team and also in planning the worship for the trip and drafting out the mission trippers’ booklet. I also thank God for the various people He has placed to support us as well, including the many who supported us in our preparation and pray for us, including Kent, who provided me assurance when he offered to be the contact person in Singapore should my parents need help and James and Joyce Marissa who graciously agreed to help facilitate cell in my absence. God made it very clear to me how he has given each and every one of us different giftings, experiences, skills and how, when we are willing, we complement one another and can achieve much in His ministry. In fact, this was really beyond what I could have imagined because in the early stages of planning, I was still concerned how we are going to pull off the trip when I realized we only had a small team, we did not really have the time to practice worshipping in Malay with the guitar and we might not have someone who could speak Malay. But God provided and showed us that as we set forth to do His work, He provides. And as the body of Christ is willing to be a part, things are achieved.


1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 14, 25-27 (NIV)
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good… Now the body is not made up of one part but of many… so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.


God’s Presence

I thank God for His presence with us throughout the trip, not only protecting us; granting us journey mercies, but even in ministering to us through a powerful time of worship on Friday, when the word came how we just needed to focus our attention on praising His name as we embarked on our projects starting the next day and not on anything else.


We thank God for his presence at Sungei Mering when we were caught by surprise and were asked to facilitate a children’s programme but yet without any plans. Nonetheless, we managed to pull together a whole programme and engaged the children. We just trust God and one another and sprung into action. And before we know it, we had managed to engage the children with action songs and the adults were finishing their sharing. By this point, I sensed God teaching me how I need to sometimes learn to rely on Him.


And I thank God for His presence with me on Sunday, as I stepped out to share my testimony with the Orang Asli. There was just a sense of peace and confidence as I faced the people, contrary to how I would feel when usually sharing in public and especially to a group of people I do not know. God gave me the words to speak and blessed my heart and gave me peace, that I found myself confidently sharing and even daring to interact a little with the locals as I shared.


Takeaways

I also thank God for the various takeaways I brought home with me:

  • Renewed Spiritual Fervor
    Throughout the trip, I am inspired by Pastor Joseph and his team. I have had the opportunity to chat with Pastor Joseph on Friday when we first met him. I have come to be encouraged by this man, who, despite the challenges faced in his ministry with the Orang Aslis (ranging from their indifference to disruptions from the police and authorities), he continued to hold on to his ministry for years; building rapport with the Orang Asli one by one, spanning his ministry over 17 kampungs over long distances. And yet, he has but a lean team of himself, his wife and 2 other helpers. It does make me ashamed of how I have come to lament and complain when faced with small challenges in ministry to just a small number of people, in blessed Singapore.

    It was also amazing seeing Pastor Joseph’s helpers worship the Lord on Sunday. As another of my trippers has remarked: “they have nothing to gain out of their ministry but yet they are putting in so much to serve the Lord”, reaching out to people who might reject them but yet holding on. As I saw his helpers worship and one of them worshipping in tears, I come to realize how each one of them must have a story behind them, an encounter with God, which motivates and sustains them. As for me, I am reminded again as we shared our testimonies on Friday evening, that I have a story too and a rather powerful encounter with God. But because I am rarely revisiting it nowadays, I seem might be slowly forgetting about how God is so real in my life. I need to continue to remember what the Lord has done in my life and am thinking that it might be good for me to revisit my story on an annual basis during my spiritual retreat while continuing to be aware of how real God is in my life every single day.

    Psalm 77:11-12 (NIV)
    I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
  • “One-Truth-At-A-Time”
    Pastor Joseph also shared about his ministry principle of sharing one bible truth at a time to the Orang Asli. I guess it is a real reality check for me to take a step back sometimes in ministry and how sometimes packing too many truth into one sharing might not be helpful and I need to cater to varying levels of spiritual growth.
  • We are linked to one another to God
    During the trip, I had the chance to chat with Pastor Joseph and in the midst of talking, I had come to learn that he was classmates with an officer in The Salvation Army, where I work. This officer is also the same one who persisted and shared Christ with him, bringing him to Christ. Talking about a small world! And now he is here, reaching out to, ministering to and blessing many others.

    Much later in the trip, I recall Chek Shih sharing how we are all part of God’s link in reaching out to His people; that we can choose to be a strong link, the weakest link or the missing link.

    2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NIV)
    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

    Even after I returned to work from mission trip, this continue to speak strongly to me when I heard my colleagues share how one of them shared her testimony during Alpha course the week before and as a result, someone who used to be resistant to receiving Christ, was touched and chose to receive Christ that very week. My colleague had shared that the pastor who approached her mentioned that he was prompted to ask her to share her testimony and how she, despite feeling her testimony is just a simple one, was also led by the Spirit to accept the invitation to share. And after she had shared, God used her testimony to touch the life of this lady who subsequently decided to accept Christ. Nothing is impossible for God.
  • Beware of cultural Assumption
    I have come to also realized how sometimes I would bring cultural assumptions into the missions field, just as how I nearly asked a boy who was doing some colouring to use orange for skin when I realized that their cultural understand of skin colour is dark brown. And God made each and every person they way they are, despite differences in skin colour, lifestyle, habits etc. I have learnt that I needed to be mindful of my cultural assumptions I bring into missions.
  • Breakthroughs
    I thank God for the breakthroughs in trip. At the beginning of the trip, I was feeling really lousy at not being able to engage the children and retreating again into my introvertedness. But as I reached the second project site at Sungei Mering, I remember telling myself that there is nothing to lose and I just needed to trust God. I did managed to break out of my negativity and became more engaged with the locals as we sang and danced to Malay praise songs.

    Similarly, I had initially also intended not to share my testimony because the Pastor was telling us on Saturday that we can choose what we wanted to share with the locals, either a testimony or a song item etc. But after hearing him share about his challenges with the Orang Asli and how he would like to bring them to a deeper level of worship of God; from worshipping God for the goodness they received, to worshipping God for His greatness, I decided to just trust God and hoped to share and encourage them. At that very moment, God placed in my heart a burden and it became far too difficult for me to say no to share.

    I was glad that I took the step of faith and could sense His peace upon me as I began to share my testimony with confidence on Sunday. Even though it was just a short version of my testimony, I trust God to be able to use it mightily according to His will.


Frankly, I can go on and on… but I just want to thank God for:

  • journey mercies and how despite plans and project sites were changed, we did not get lost and managed to always find our way to different places.
  • exposure to working with children on Saturday as we observed the our Malaysian brothers and sisters engage the children and how this has helped us to prepare ourselves for our second project at Sg Mering and also for Sunday School.
  • blessings over the trippers’ health and there was no major health problems during the trip, with the exception of me having a breakout of rashes on my neck, which cleared up soon.
  • friendly locals who welcomed us
  • unity and bonding not only within the team but also with Pastor Joseph and his team there. There was even a time where the team spontaneously burst out singing hymns as we made our way to Sunday service.
  • food credits for our hotel stay and so we had got to enjoyed a good sumptuous Japanese buffet on the evening of day 2.
  • energy and being able to sustain through the few days despite having little sleep with all the preparation the previous nights e.g. rehearsal for skit etc.
  • time for fellowship and a little eating and shopping on Sunday after finishing off with Sunday service.
  • touching me as I worshipped the Lord in the midst of people of a different culture, even though I did not understand them. It was amazing and awesome to see people of different tongues worshipping the Lord together. And I can’t imagine how it would be like on the day of Christ’s return when people of every nation and tongue worship and praise Him.
  • enough funds and how there is even remaining money from our fund.
  • the good rest I had at the trip, being away from all my work and challenges in Singapore.

Sunday, 11 October 2009

尽情地敬拜你



耶稣,圣洁公义救主
彰显神的智慧能力
你的爱是何等长阔高深
满有丰富无穷的恩典
耶稣,权柄统管万有
配得荣耀尊贵颂赞
我以心灵诚实尽情敬拜
坐在宝座上深爱我的主
举起我的心来敬拜你
用生命来回应你的爱
哦我的主,让我单单在乎你
尽情地敬拜你

耶稣,圣洁公义救主
彰显神的智慧能力
你的爱是何等长阔高深
满有丰富无穷的恩典
耶稣,权柄统管万有
配得荣耀尊贵颂赞
我以心灵诚实尽情敬拜
坐在宝座上深爱我的主
举起我的心来敬拜你
用生命来回应你的爱
哦我的主,让我单单在乎你
尽情地敬拜你

(主让我的心不再
在乎于这个世界所能给我的
也不再在乎于别人的眼光,
让我的心单单属于你,
单单在乎你的心思意念,
我要全人全心尽情来敬拜你,
只想你的心得满足。)

举起我的心来敬拜你
用生命来回应你的爱
哦我的主,让我单单在乎你
尽情地敬拜你
举起我的心来敬拜你
用生命来回应你的爱
哦我的主,让我单单在乎你
尽情地敬拜你
尽情地敬拜你
举起我的心来敬拜你
尽情地敬拜你

举起我的心来敬拜你
用生命来回应你的爱
哦我的主,让我单单在乎你
尽情地敬拜你
尽情地敬拜你