At the brink of Eternity

Munch

2012-01-28T03:43:00.001+08:00

“What you’re doing is not going to benefit your future”, the words of his uncle felt like a piercing knife cutting through the flesh of an open wound.

Jack kept his composure and responded to the condescending statement with a gentle quiet smile.

We all desire a bright future, a future filled with stability, success and status. Who wouldn't. Yet, the question lies - what defines a bright future? Stability, success and status? Really?

Munching away his sixth pineapple tart, Jack filtered through his myriad of thoughts on this issue. It irked him emotionally to receive such a deigned statement.

"What you're doing is not going to benefit your future" - a statement with many layers of truth. It reveals how people define success in the eyes of the world and what their priorities and direction in life are. It's true, what we do defines who we are and who we are or who we want to be shapes our future. Ultimately, there's only two ways to respond to this statement; choose to define or be defined.

It was discouraging to receive such a comment, Jack thought. Yet beneath the pelter of such comment, certain things became evident. It was clear that what Jack was about to do was radical, something beyond the norm. Something perhaps many cannot accept. It proved that where he was about to step was uncharted territory. It reassured him of what needed to be done, who he was and what sort of future he desires to have. The torrential feelings of despair and discouragement slowly turned into an assurance of sorts. The calm after the storm.

Jack opened the lid, dug his hand in the container, took a piece out and munched his seventh pineapple tart with satisfaction.

Munch or be munched, he satirically thought.

Missing You.

2012-01-25T03:33:00.002+08:00

Just got home from a mini reunion with some childhood friends, friends I don't get to meet very often these days. Childhood friends are really quite special, aren't they? I don't have many childhood friends but the ones I have, I love them much. Even though we may all be living in separate parts of the world/Malaysia now yet whenever we come together we cherish every minute of it.

Driving back home just now got me thinking also about a particular friend whom I really miss, a dear friend. I miss you.

I miss all of you much.

Blessed Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T01:21:00.000+08:00

2011 flew by real quick and I hardly blogged... Last entry dated September 2011 :/

God willing, I’ll try to set some time to blog a little more this year. I miss it much.

For now, I just want to wish all you folks a blessed Chinese New Year!
May this Chinese New Year be filled with God’s blessing as you spend time with your loved ones!

Be safe on the road!

Love,

Chris

Building Champions: Feeding the Sheep

2011-09-03T03:28:00.000+08:00

In my previous post, I talked about the mandate of putting on the leadership mantle, a called that Christ has embedded in us to build champions.

Once we put on the leadership mantle, we got to get moving. One of the key tasks as leaders is to feed our people.

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,

“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time,

“Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

On all occasions when Simon Peter answered Jesus’ question, Jesus replied all three times with almost identical answers. “Feed my lambs”, “Take care of my sheep”, “Feed my sheep”. There’s the verb: Feeding and taking care, and there’s the nouns: lambs and sheep.

Feeding

Feeding deals with food. We consume food into our bodies because it is a necessity for us if we want to stay alive. On the other hand, consuming food doesn’t mean we will stay alive. It depends on what we consume. What we consume can potentially make us stronger or weaker; eat junk we end up junk and eat healthy and we end up healthy.

Say no to junk food!

Lambs?? Sheep?? Who to feed?

Why did Jesus use two different nouns? Why didn’t he just stick to lambs or sheep for that matter? Well, obviously there’s a difference between the two.

A lamb by definition is a sheep that is 12 months old or less. In other words, a lamb is a baby sheep. A sheep on the other hand is obviously an adult version. In other words, Jesus is commanding us to feed two groups of people – the young and the old, the baby and the adult.

Feeding the young requires sacrifice of time and convenience; it requires effort and willingness of the heart to serve (as mentioned in previous post). A lot of time we understand and embrace our mandate to feed the young, however, many of us overlook the commandment and the authority that God has given us to also feed the old.

One of the key things I’ve learn is that sometimes, as children, we need to learn to educate our parents. Note the word educate, not disobey. Sometimes parents can be so fixed in their mindset due to perhaps their upbringing so much so that it distorts their spiritual lenses. As children, we need to educate them. I’m not saying children should disrespect or disobey their parents, I’m saying that in any given relationship – be it parent-child, peer-peer or husband-wife relationship – both parties have the right to educate one another and that’s how any functional relationship grows.

Similarly, once we put on the leadership mantle, we must understand that God has called us to feed not just to the young but to the old as well. He has given us that authority to do so. We are to empower the generation, both the young and the old. Pray and continue to ask for wisdom and divine insights to do so.

Now that we understand who we need to feed, we must now tackle the what.

What do we feed?

We need to feed each other with 2 essential spiritual food amongst many others:

1. The Word:

John 1: 1-5 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... In him was life...”

It says that the “Word was God” and “in Him was life”. If we neglect feeding our people with the word, it simply means that we are taking away life from them, not in the literal sense but in the spiritual. Without the word, we lose essence of the life and purposes that God intended for us to have. What happens then is that we become like shepherds who lead sheep in circles, always moving but never entering the gateway that God intended for us. Leading soon becomes more of a “chore” and a routine than anything else. Without the word, there is nothing “solid” to feed the people any longer, and what’s worst than going through a “chore” is when the sheep begin to wander off simply because the shepherd no longer feeds them with “life”.

2. Prayer

James 5 talks about the prayer of faith. Whenever we talk about prayer, most talk about how powerful prayers are and we should never underestimate the power of prayer. That is true. But there is another significant element about prayer that’s important when we are in the midst of building champions and that’s accountability.

James 5: 16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed”. Aside from the fact that prayers can heal, it’s the confessing-to-each-other that is crucial as well. This speaks of accountability between a shepherd-sheep relationship, to not just uphold each other in prayer, but to account for each other in life.

Shepherd = Sheep

The fact that Jesus asked us to feed the young and the old simply puts us in a dual position – as a shepherd who feeds others and as a sheep who receives feeding from others. A lot of times, feeding others is easier than being fed because the latter may hurt our ego. This brings back to the issue of the heart which I’ve shared in the previous post. We need to be humble to receive and to give. Being both the shepherd and the sheep also means that we must constantly feed ourselves with the Word and prayer. No exception.

"Feed my sheep".

Building Champions: Be the Leading Element

2011-08-28T15:10:00.000+08:00

Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep." (John 21: 17)

It's interesting to see how Jesus metaphors His calling to us as believers - He called us to be fishers of men (Matt. 4:19), to be the light to the world (Matt. 5:14) and as aforementioned, a shepherd to His sheep and lambs (John 21: 15-17), just to name a few. If I could paraphrase the one underlying mandate into my own words it'd be... He's called us to Build Champions.

Recently Gateway City Church had Sports Ministry Sunday and the theme was "Building Champions". God gave me three essential points on building champions which I'd like to share because I believe all of us, no matter where we are placed, are called to build champions.

So, how do we actually build champions? I believe in order for us to build Christ-centred champs, we need to exercise three crucial Christ-like attributes. The first which point which I'd like to share is:

1. We need to be the Leading element

Jesus, God's perfect example of Leadership

If there's one thing Jesus is known for even if not as the son of God would be the fact that he was a great leader. When Jesus was just twelve, he built champions in the synagogues by expounding on the Word of God. He wasn't just knowledgeable, he led. When he did ministry in the last three years of his life, he did not just heal the sick, fed the 5,000 or raised the dead. He led. He led people through the word, through His lifestyle, through His actions. He put on the leadership mantle wherever he went.

"It's not the position but the condition"

Whenever we build something, e.g., a sports team, we need a Team Manager to lay out the direction for the team - what's their goal and objective, etc. He leads the team by giving specific direction. If we want to build champions, we must learn to put that sort of leadership mantle. Having said that, I must also clarify that at the end of the day, it's not about the position of a role (e.g. team manager, coach, CEO, Manager, etc) but the condition of the heart that matters to God.

Control vs. Leading

It's really sad to see how some people hold fast to the world-view belief that IF only they are given the opportunity to be in a high-ranked position, only then can they fulfill their God-given purpose as a leader. Some may even go to the extent to say that if they are not given the role of the top-most leadership, they will not serve at all. They'd rather not serve at all than to be subordinates to another leader. Simply put, they want to be in control, not to lead. There's a huge difference. Control has to do with pride, and leadership has to do with servanthood. Both deal with the condition of the heart.

In God's eyes, leaders are not defined by their position but by the condition of their hearts. 1 Peter 5:2-3 clearly commands us to "Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve". The key here is the willingness to serve!

The Pest called Pride

The main problem with us is this thing we have called "pride". The only way we can be the leading element in this world is to put aside our pride and put inside us God's light. How do we do that?

Step 1: Be humble to understand the condition of God's heart

The only way to rid of pride is to first understand the condition of God's heart and in order to do that, you can be sure it requires a huge amount of humility. And that's exactly what God wants because humility is a key trait of a God-chosen leader.

Step 2: Be honest with the condition of our own heart

When we begin to humble ourselves to understand God’s heart and bring ourselves in light of that, we will see how filthy and weak we are. We can then begin to see the intensity of God's heart for the people around us so much so that no position nor role nor earthly success can contain that divine intensity.

Step 3: Be God’s Chosen Leader!

And because nothing can contain the intensity of God’s heart for his people, no matter where we are or what role we are given, we have the authority to put on the leadership mantle to change the world around us! Note: WORLD.

So understand that God wants us to be the leading element in this world, and it takes the right spirit and the willingness of the heart to be able to do that. It is God's desire to sharpened us so that we can spearhead in our community, to be the leading element that changes the landscape of the world that we are in.

"You are the light of the world.

A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither 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.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5: 14-16

Seasons of Life

2011-08-18T11:27:00.000+08:00

"I'm going through a dry-patch in my walk with God." That was my answer during one of the CG meetings with the young adults of my church.

I'm sure all of us have gone through "dry-patch" season - the subdued-flame period, the "silent" season, the "wandering" times, etc. A lot of times, we place ourselves into this season with reasons such as we aren't hearing anything from God therefore we're in a a dry-patch. We aren't receiving any new word therefore we're in a dry-patch. All of which may be true. But as I reflected upon my personal dry-season, the Lord rebuked me with a rhetorical question,

"So, who's to fault that you're in a dry-patch?"

The answer inevitably points back to ME.

God created some parts of the world to go through the four different seasons which display His creativity and glory. Summer in most part of the world, is traditionally associated with hot dry weather. The "dryness" can be quite appalling. In order to protect themselves from the dryness, people put extra effort in keeping themselves hydrated and whatever other means which would help them beat the dryness. Note: They put EXTRA effort. Only then will they be able to take advantage of the warmer temperatures by doing outdoor activities, travelling and so on.

My point is this.

God places us in different seasons all the time so that we can enjoy and experience His presence under different "weather" or "conditions". But in order for us to enjoy and experience Him in spite of the dry-patch that we may be in, we need to put in extra effort to fix our eyes on Him. Otherwise, we will end up perceiving that God is "torturing" us under the sun rather than "exposing" us to His glory. Waiting upon the Lord need not be a "dry" thing to begin with, because surely the God who created the universe and the stars is not one that is "dry".

So, when God remains silent or commands us to wait - which with our human interpretation term it to be a dry-season - we should never just sit and allow the "dryness" to consume us but rather, we continue to hydrate ourselves with His word and presence, only then can we enjoy the fullness of His glory.

God created the four different seasons in life so that we may enjoy them.

Teach me, O Lord, to search you deeper and to enjoy Your presence

whether I'm in spring, summer, autumn or winter.

Amen.

Thank God for every storm

2011-08-03T09:58:00.003+08:00

“If we are true Christians, we must not expect everything smooth in our journey to heaven. We must count it no strange thing, if we have to endure sicknesses, losses, bereavements, and disappointments, just like other people. Free pardon and full forgiveness, grace by the way and glory to the end – all this our Savior has promised to give. But He has never promised that we shall have no afflictions.

He loves us too well to promise that.

By affliction He teaches us many precious lessons, which without it we should never learn. By affliction He shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world and makes us long for heaven. In the resurrection morning we shall all say, ‘it is good for me that I was afflicted.’ [Psalm 119:71] We shall thank God for every storm.”

- J.C. Ryle -

Transition

2011-08-01T11:03:00.000+08:00

We're already into the second half of the year, can you believe it?

It still bugs me to think how fast time flies. The next half of the year will be even more significant as transition slowly begins to take its course.

It's been a year filled with transition and looking at the people around me going through this season just reassures me of what is about to take place. Friends leaving their jobs while others just stepping into the working world, all of which signify a season of change - a season of stepping out. Having been through transitional period, I for one can testify that I hate that sickly feeling. Not a nice thing to go through.

But where God leads, that's where we must learn to carry our cross to. Scary, frustrating and perhaps discouraging at times, yet His promises say otherwise if we fix our eyes on Him and allow Him to do His thing no matter how harsh the condition may eventually turn out to be.

Move out and press on.

BSAC

2011-06-26T14:46:00.000+08:00

"Be Strong And Courageous."

These four simple words have been the source of our drive.

It's been carved as part of our identity even.

The league is over, and yet again I'll say this -

Be strong and courageous is not merely a credo or motivational quote.

It's a lifestyle.

It must seep into every part of our lives.

So to my dear Spearhead family, remember to always Be Strong and very Courageous.

"Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be terrified,

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1: 9

Dengar Doa Kami

2011-06-14T00:03:00.000+08:00

In recent times, they've been an urgent call for believers and churches to arise in prayer be it for Malaysia or the world for that matter. It's clear. God is stirring something in our midst, something beyond the physical realm. With all that's been happening in our nation and in the world, there's a climate change in the spiritual. In Penang and in Gateway City Church, the message is clear - we need to intercede for the city and nation.

In line with what God has placed in our hearts, Run for the Nation has been initiated in Penang about two years ago. Since then, we've been challenging churches to be part of this prayer run event, believing that as people run through every street corner of Penang God will answer their prayers of blessing upon the city and nation. This year, as we see what God is doing, we decided to initiate Run for Penang - a prayer run event focussing on rallying churches in Penang to intercede specifically for this city that He has placed us in.

As part of the organising team, I was given the charge to oversee the overall running of the event. Hence, I didn't literally "run" with the participants. However, while driving and overseeing the event, 3 very simple yet essential truths came clear to me.

1. We are His chosen people

Seeing the young and the old coming out as early as 3.30am just to pray for the city was mind-blowing! Not to mentioned the team from KL and RunNat Comm who came up to Penang just the night before to support us in prayer was awesome! It was truly an encouragement to me to see people of all ages heeding the call to pray. As I see these people run and pray, God just assured me 1 Peter 2: 8-10 - "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light".

The time is now for us to arise in faith, young or old, God has chosen us to be the salt and light of this generation. We are His "special possession", warriors of His army!

2. The Light will come and darkness will be removed

Besides being known for the land of good food, Penang is also marked with numerous temples and idol worshippers. Driving through the different parts of Penang, passing through different temples and communities, it was evident that this city is plagued by darkness. The enemy is preying upon this land and its people. But God once again assured me that His light will shine through amidst the darkness - "... that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light".

As runners ran through the streets and declare praises to God, I believe God was and is already in the process of exerting His wonderful light amongst the darkness that we see. He is causing a spiritual change in this city.

Run. Pray. Believe.

3. United as a Holy Nation

The beautiful sight of seeing different individuals from different churches coming together was an assurance that unity is crucial. 1 Pet 2: 8 says that we are his "holy nation" and the picture of a nation that comes to my mind is synonym to that of a united group of people coming together under a single government, and that's God. Should change happen in Penang we must first stand united as one body of Christ.

Different churches represented by individuals praying together

at the closing of RunPen in EPCC.

Standing united as one body of Christ.

Although RunPen has officially ended, let's continue to assume our role as His chosen people. A ripple of change is coming our way. Surely He listens to our prayer and His hand is moving in our midst. Let's keep pressing in, advancing forward with single-mindedness to glorify His name. Unity among brothers and sisters must be fostered. As we do that, darkness will flee and God's wonderful light will shine through upon this city and nation.

RunPen organizing committee with the KL RunNat team.

This is Us

2011-05-21T23:50:00.000+08:00

1 Peter 2:8-10

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

This is us
Verse 1:
This is it, Here we are
The moment we've been waiting for
Is right here, right here, right now
Don't hold back, Don't look back
To all the things you've done before
Cause' He's here, right here, right now

Pre-chorus:
The time is now, The time is Here
Don't hesitate, Don't be afraid... No more!

Chorus:
This is me, This is you
A chosen generation
Declaring out to the King of Kings & let His name resound,
This is me, This is you
A chosen generation
Advancing forth for His Kingdom's sake & make His name renown,
This is us!

Verse 2:
Look ahead, Look at Him
Guiding you through all these times,
Hear His call, Give your all
Stand tall
Look at me, Look at You
We're called to be in times like this
Right here, right here, right now

(Pre-chorus)

(Chorus)
Bridge:
We'll fear no more, we'll rise in faith
Move ahead and lead the way

(Chorus)

End:
This is it, Here we are
The moment we've been waiting for
Is right here, right here, right now

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-21T21:47:00.002+08:00

It's been a long time since I celebrated mother's day in KL. In fact, I think since I left KL 5 years ago I hadn't had the chance to celebrate mom's day. So, this year I decided to take time out to return home for mom's day! A 5 1/2 hours journey ride home in my "sickly" old faithful Saga but it was worthwhile.

Admittedly, I'm a mommy's boy. There are just some facts in life that you can't deny and this is one of them :P Mom used to sing "Shi shang zhi you mama hao...You ma de hai zi xiang ge bao..." while patting me to sleep in the town house we used to live in Taman Petaling, Petaling Jaya. The song is stuck in my head until this very day. Beautiful song.

I was a sticky child too. Very sticky. When I was a kid, I remember clinging on to mummy's long skirt during Sunday school sessions. While the rest of the kids there were enjoying singing songs like "My God is so big" or "I love you Jesus deep down in my heart...", I was the kid with the long face clinging on to mommy dearest at the back.

I was a long-winded kid too. Whenever mom scolded me between the age of 3-6 years old, I will bug her asking her, "meee, you love me anot?" simply because I was afraid she don't love me anymore cause she scolded me. Hahaha. In cantonese, they'd say I'm very "cheong hei". Rightly so. :P

Generally speaking, I was a good kid. My parents never used "rotan" on me or my siblings. Well, only this one time when I didn't want to go over to my babysitter. Why? Cause' I was a sticky kid and was afraid mom don't love me anymore and won't pick me up from babysitter after she put me there. Hahaha. Then out came the feather duster, a few "zorro" here and there managed to convince me to stay with my babysitter. :P

Then there was the period where I went through teenage angst, a rebel without a cause. It was a warzone at home at that time. Mom say do this, I don't do. Mom say don't do this, I do. But as always, mom's love always pulls through even in tough times. She still poured me a big cup of Milo every morning and night :)

You know, it's true what they say - Mommy knows best simply because they are the best! Though it was a short trip back home again, it was well spent. To my mom, I love you.

And to all the mothers' out there, know that you're a gem! :)

The Paseo

2011-04-27T00:07:00.000+08:00

The evening was rather serene. En route home after a long and tiring day, Jack made an impulsive decision. He decided to detour to that place. He swerved the steering towards the lake, a place he hasn't visited for a very long time.

He parked his car, stepped out only to breathed in the air of familiarity. He lets out a heavy sigh as he looked around the unforgettable surroundings. Somewhat hesitant, he finally moved his legs towards the paseo, the one that's filled with shades of memories both good and bad.

"Things will never be the same again no matter how many times you walk down this path and try to relive the past", his alter ego seemed to nudge him as he continues to trod that walkway.

Deep down inside, Jack knew it too. He just didn't want to face it. He didn't know how to face it. With all that has happened, he's handled everything in the worst possible manner. Stupidity and fear got the better out of him.

The last stretch is always the hardest and as Jack strolled the last stretch of the paseo, he was reminded of how important the paseo was and is to him. Perhaps too important. Jack finally came to a full circle and arrived back at his car.

He opened the car door and just before he entered the car, he consciously breathed in the all too familiar air once again. Things will never be the same again no matter how many times you walk down this path and try to relive the past. The past has spoken and the present is echoing its consequences.

Jack got into the car, started the engine and headed back home.

Fulfillment

2011-04-07T10:08:00.000+08:00

As mentioned in my previous post, GSN hosted a floorball programme and I had the privilege of meeting both Jill and Jacintha, two very talented players and coaches from Singapore. Jill, the renown floorballer who started her coaching company 13 Shining Stars partnered with GSN to conduct the 2 days floorball training with Jacintha being her assistant.

Jac' & Jill! :)

To know more about what the floorball programme was all about, please visit gatewaysports.com.my for your reading pleasure :)

On a more personal note, it was great to have so many young floorballers taking part in this event. I truly hope this training has given them an idea and a fresh perspective of coaching and playing. As for senior floorballers who attended the training, I hope that they are inspired afresh for the game. To me, just watching Jill play and listening to her stories and experiences has definitely given me an extra boost for floorball. It's always an encouragement to have people who have the same passion and vision.

Speaking to Jacintha during one of our meal time together, she shared with me how inspired she was to see how receptive and hungry we were to learn more about floorball. But more than that, she was inspired to see not just the passion, but the vision that drives the passion. It's another boost of assurance that we need to keep running the race with perseverance!

What thing I've learnt from the both of them is this - Even the best and the most successful person in the world will one day come to the realization that there is an emptiness inside that cannot be filled with mere temporal pleasures nor countless moments of success. Jill shared her life story and it depicted exactly that. No matter how good, talented and successful we are, it comes to nothing if we don't allow God to sit in the centre of our lives. If God is not in us, good simply becomes mediocrity, talent becomes ordinary and success becomes dissatisfaction. The emptiness can only be filled by Him and Him alone.

Spearhead Floorball Club with Jill and Jacintha!

Floorball!

2011-03-13T14:45:00.000+08:00

Ah, it's going to be a great week of floorballing, meeting and networking with different people in the floorball scene. Excited for what's ahead!

On another note, took some time out to check out the State Development team at their weekly Balik Pulau Tuesday training. What an encouragement to see how much they've improved! Keep it up State Development team (STD)! Kudos to STD Coach Kuan Yang as well! Keep it up, bro'!

Let's keep the passion along with the vision!

Trust

2011-03-10T12:10:00.004+08:00

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 3: 5-6

In hindsight, yes it was a tough season. Just like anyone else, I was hurt, disappointed and heart-broken. But I thank the Lord for pushing me to keep the faith and trust. Now as I look ahead, I'm happy and glad for how things turn out for me, and for everyone else. Surely God has His ways even when we are in the midst of the ugliest moment of our lives.

He shapes us and builds us up, if only we decide to trust and leap into His loving arms.

Reflection: Are you leaping into His arms or are you still weeping about the past?

1.6

2011-03-09T11:41:00.000+08:00

"Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give to them".
Joshua 1:6

That's our call as leaders.
To hear and receive the word from God.
Then to serve and lift the people out of the wilderness and into the promised land.

Circumcision of the Heart

2011-03-03T12:21:00.001+08:00

"This circumcision involves God cutting away

everything in our lives that doesn't bring glory to Him.

Stripping away our pride and self-reliance.

Teaching us to trust in Him alone."

- Sun Stand Still, Pastor Steven Furtick

"No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly;

and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,

by the Spirit, not by the written code.

Such a man’s praise is not from men,

but from God."
Romans 2:29

Embracing the Penan

2011-03-02T09:17:00.000+08:00

God's love stretches beyond what our eyes can see. That was what I experienced in my inaugural visit to the Penan community.

Since my first mission trip about 4 years ago into the Iban community, I felt challenged to make a yearly trip back into the interior of Sarawak. Being part of GCC, we've been given a specific vision for the Penan community and since early last year, prayers have been uttered and plans have been made for a trip to visit this particular people group. So, from the 19th--27th Jan 2011, four "explorers" from Gateway City Church embarked on their first ever mission trip into the interiors of Long Seridan, Miri, Sarawak.

While I'm very much familiar with the Iban culture, people and language, I was totally foreign to the Penan. I had no idea what to expect. A note of caution was given to us about the strenuous hike into the interior, the leeches, etc. How bad was it going to be? No idea. What were the conditions like in the interior? No idea. How were the people like? No idea. We entered with so many questions. The only sure answer we had was to the question "Why the Penan?".

Why?

Simply because God has given us a specific vision for this people group. With that embedded in our hearts, we trudge through the jungle with excitement and anxiety.

The journey to the Penan village was indeed a strenuous one. We had to fly from Penang-KL-Miri-Long Seridan before we went on foot into the jungle to arrive at our first Penan Village. The people there were really friendly and hospitable. Shy and quiet in nature, it was a challenge to connect with them at first but eventually, they opened up to us. It became clear that they were hungry not just in building relationship with us but also with God. Secluded in the thick jungle of Sarawak, God's love proved to be relentless as this group of people were touched by His amazing grace.

Arriving at the airstrip at Long Seridan via small propeller plane.

Trudging through mud and tracks.

Baa Leng, the village where we lived

We spent most of our days at this particular village. We held services and shared the word to them. It was evident that these people needed empowerment for they lack the confidence that they should have in Christ. "Jangan takut" (Don't be afraid) was the essence of most of our messages there, challenging the people to rely on God and step out to serve Him in whatever ways that they can. It was encouraging to see the openness and the hunger that they had for God. As for the younger group of people, it took a while to be able to connect with them but once we did that, it was clear that they too need to be empowered. I particularly enjoyed playing "sepak raga" with the guys and boy, they're good!

Sharing the word with the beautiful people.

Singing praises!

Sepak raga!

Man, they're good!

Poh Sim unleashing her badminton prowess!

One of our daily activities there was to rub cream all over our
legs and hands due to the massive attack of the sandflies!

One of the main highlights of the trip was a gruelling 16hours hike through the night! We went through this arduous journey simply to meet a man from another village that had fallen ill. It was another sign that God's blessing was upon us as well when rain started to pour heavily the very moment we arrived at that village! We had our dinner there with the family. After which, we spent some time encouraging and praying for them and particularly for the man who was ill. By then, it was about 8pm and we had to hike back to the village where we stayed. With the pitch black jungle ahead of us, equipped only with a torch light, only by God's grace did we manage to survive crossing rivers, bridges, trudging up and down hilly mountains with the company of leeches and bugs. Believe it or not, we arrived back at our village 6.30 in the morning! Praise the Lord!

Everybody looking lively before the 16hours hike.
You wouldn't want to see our faces after the hike :P

In retrospect, twas' really quite an experience. That experience gave us something to boast about God's covering upon us and the people. In some sense, that trip also helped us forge a stronger relationship with the people.However, if you were to ask me to do it again... Hmmm....

Anyone who lives with this people group would be able to tell you that there are many needs. From daily, physical needs to spiritual ones. Being a tribe who lives in such secluded parts of Sarawak, consequently, they are detached from the outside world, hence, the lack in daily necessities such as slippers, sarongs, utensils, etc. Education is another primary concern; either they don't see the importance of education or financially unable to pursue education, hence, many dropped out after primary level. Spiritually, this people group lack the resources, encouragement that they so desire. One of their cries right now is to have a Penan evangelist to be among them, to live with them and to minister to them.

The granny with great wisdom and strength

whom we affectionately address as "mama".

They are gifted musically.

On the last two days of our trip, we hiked back out to Long Seridan (the airstrip). There's a church there and we were asked to conduct a service for the people around that area. We met Pastor Welly and his wife, great servants of the Lord. Their life of simple faith, passionate drive and undeterred spirit really encouraged us. We took the opportunity there to get connected with him and to hear his heart and vision for the Penan.

The church at Long Seridan.

Pastor Well (far right) and his wife (3rd from right).

At face value, the Penan and us are diversely different in culture, language and lifestyle. We went in not knowing how to connect with this people. But spending a week with them, God's love proved to be the connector of all relationships. We're all made beautifully in the image of God no matter how vast a difference we may be. Saying goodbye to the people there was hard. I do hope that I'll be able to meet them again and I do hope that the word that we've shared with them would not be left unturned.

No matter how far this tribe may be, I was reminded of Hosea 6: 3. As surely as the sun rises at every corner of the world, He will appear. His love will pour upon this land like the spring rain.

God's love stretches beyond what our eyes can see.

"As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;

he will come to us like the winter rains,

like the spring rains that water the earth."

Hosea 6: 3

Vision

2011-03-01T16:08:00.001+08:00

Lately I've been chewing a lot about this thing most leaders like to make a big hoo-ha about...

This 'thing' called Vision.

When I first heard the term, I didn't quite understand what's the big deal about it. Vision, dream, ambition, aspiration - all these unnecessary mumbo-jumbo. To me, it's all the same. Perhaps, the word "vision" has a nicer ring to it. But the more I chew on it, the more I'm convinced that spiritual vision is the lifeline of our spiritual growth.

I'm not here to talk about what is vision and go through all the theoretical explanation and definition. You can google that up I'm sure. Instead, I want to share my understanding and circumstances in relation to God's vision in my life.

In case you don't know, I work as a lecturer. What I do with the different groups of students every last class of each semester is to talk about this thing called "vision". The number one favourite question they always ask when I challenge them to draw a mind-map of their vision is, "... But sir, I don't know what I want to/can/should do...". When we talk about vision, many get stuck with this question.

I believe for many of us, vision comes through small traces of dreams, experiences and passion that God has placed in our lives. Personally as I look back, I can see and testify that God has put certain experiences and passion in place to position me where I am today. And I'm not merely talking about the good experiences, but the bad ones as well. God is an expert in turning a useless looking quartz into a sharpened flint. More often than not, God gives us enough clues to know where to place our next step. But for many of us, we're not intentional enough to find those clues.

While looking back is important, essentially vision is about looking ahead. Being in a world saturated with all sorts of distraction, our spiritual sight have been impaired by the things around us causing many of us to be short-sighted. Relationship, entertainment, and even work in itself can be distractions that impair our spiritual sight. Being a phelgmel, one question I constantly I ask myself from time to time is, "What in the world am I doing in Penang?" and I believe it's an important one. It does not just keep me aware of my present state, but also my purpose for the present and for what's ahead.

Why am I in college? Why am I in this relationship? Why am I hanging out with this group of rebels? Why am I working in this boring power plant? Is there something more?

I believe the more one asks such questions in the right spirit, not only will God reveal His vision but more than that, the individual will begin to allow God to saturate every area of his/her life and ultimately glorifying Him at His workplace, college, family, etc.. Recently, I read "Sun Stand Still" by Pastor Steven Furtick and there's line in that book that goes, "my vision defines the parameters that I live by". That line really bothered me for a while. Vision defines the parameters that I live by. Simply put, vision dictates our lifestyle.

Rightly so.

At the end of the day, as believers, we have one crystal-clear vision - to glorify the King in everything that we do. Many ask the question "what is my vision" and expect such answer "full-time worker", "school teacher", "pastor", etc. We associate tangible position to spiritual vision. If that's the case, then we've missed the point. For me, sports is merely the medium through which that vision is magnified. For others, their workplace, college and so on. Building a sports complex in itself is a vision, but a physical one and it should birth forth from spiritual vision. Vision is about seeing God.

I begin this entry by saying that spiritual vision is the lifeline to spiritual growth. If we lose sight of God, we lose not just spiritual growth, we lose purpose and hope which will then lead to a natural death. Vision should not propel us to do just extraordinary feats like walking on water but it should propel us to walk on water toward Jesus. Each step taken in light of the vision should birth spiritual growth.

Vision comes from God and if we were to rephrase the quote above...

"God defines the parameters that I live by."

Simply put, God dictates our lifestyle.

That's the core of any vision.

So, what is your vision? :)

Discernment

2011-01-18T11:41:00.002+08:00

I shall not move if you have not spoken but when you do speak,
forbid Lord my feet to be still.

Renew my mind to be more like Yours,

teach my heart to discern Your ways,

& move my feet to walk in Your path.

Amen.

Arise!

2011-01-14T00:31:00.002+08:00

Tis' the season of expanding, stretching and living out in faith!

Arise!

Needing Grace

2011-01-13T09:11:00.002+08:00

I open my hands to receive Your calling and Your sufficient grace.

Hold my hand, Lord.

"But he said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

2 Corinthians 12:9

Break Forth in The Anthem of Faith

2011-01-03T14:44:00.003+08:00

Can you believe it? It's 2011 in a flash. Ah, a brand new year with greater things in store! I can taste the excitement already :)

I'm not here to type a long thesis about 2010 journey nor my resolutions for 2011. I merely would like to share a song I wrote a couple weeks back, a song which pretty much sums up how I want to be in 2011.

2010 has been a hard ground (ok fine, allow me to share just a wee bit). It's been a year where God did some major "pruning" and "weeding" in the spirit, in my lifestyle, in my character. And no, I didn't like being "pruned" or "weeded" BUT twas' necessary.

2010, the Year of Deepening

2011 is the year of growth. I foresee many more challenges, pruning and weeding along the way, but I also see God planting spiritual seed that would bear manifold fruits. My prayer for 2011 is that I would rise up just like Joshua did when he was called to lead the Israelites. Joshua didn't back down from the gargantuan task of leading a nation of approximately 2 million people into the promised land! Instead he rose up in faith, stepped into His grace, trusting that his God will never leave him nor forsake Him.

2011, the Year of Growth.

Time to break forth in the anthem of faith peeps!

The Anthem of Faith

Verse:

Strength and courage, the Lord has given to me

He will never leave me nor forsake me,

Rise up in faith and step into His grace,

The Lord my God will be with me through all my days,

Pre-chorus:

This is the time to put my trust in Him,

Laying down my all to Him,

Surrendering my fears and let my faith arise...

Chorus:

This is the anthem of faith,

Declaring that Jesus reigns,

Bringing down the walls of Jericho,

Lifting up His name,

This is the anthem of faith,

Proclaiming that Jesus saves,

Slaying down the fears I have in me

And let my faith arise

In Christ!

Blessed Christmas!

2010-12-25T11:53:00.000+08:00

To everyone,

Blessed Christmas!

As you celebrate Christmas with loved ones,

remember the reason for the season,

the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ...

The greatest gift ever!

With love,

Chris

Growth

2010-12-20T16:23:00.008+08:00

I could literally feel my pulse racing like it's gonna explode, my palms were exuding cold sweat and my legs were fidgeting.

That's how I knew God is impressing something heavy, powerful and significant upon me and the church.

I felt that so evidently yesterday in church service. Whoa, I'm not kidding with my opening paragraph okay. I could feel my heart pumping real hard, my hands were literally sweating and my legs were fidgeting. I simply couldn't sit still. But what caused this "manifestation" you wonder. Allow me to share, or rather, I believe God wants me to share this uncontainable impression.

On Sunday, the word that was spoken was on growth, in line with next year theme which is "Year of Growth". My pastor began by saying that he changed his message last minute because he felt God wanted him to speak on growth instead of our series on spiritual disciplines. I was thinking to myself, sure something is up but just didn't know what. Anyway....

There are 3 areas that we need to put in place in order for us to GROW RIGHT and in line with God.

(1.) We need to ANTICIPATE and EXPECT growth to happen!

"No farmer would plant a seed and not expect it to growth", my pastor said with jest but also with an undertone of seriousness. The parable of the talents (Matt 25: 14) depicts that. The first two servants put their money to work and expected it to grow but the third servant thought otherwise. Many times we go through the motion of asking God to "grow" us but in actuality, we never even expect and anticipate growth to happen in the first place. And mind you, we shouldn't just expect to grow in the "spiritual" or "churchy" stuff but more than that, expect growth in your work, studies, relationships... every area of your life!

Question #1: What kind of growth are you expecting?

(2.) We need to be READY for growth!

Be ready? But how??

By investing in heavenly things! That's how! We cannot succumb to laziness, like that of the third servant who did nothing with the talent. If we do, eventually we WILL die a natural death. Growth is natural and so is death. So, choose to grow in Christ! And when we invest in heavenly things, really, we're simply just saying "Lord, I want to remain in You!" (John 15) and when that happens, growth will just surge forth like an explosion.

Question #2: What are we investing our energy, time and life in?

(3.) Growth comes with a sense of URGENCY!

Ah, this is the part where my heart began to palpitate and my body temperature rose.

When it comes to growth, we must anticipate, be ready and be urgent about it. God made us with the capacity to grow beyond our imagination. He made us to bear fruits, fruits that will last. So if we are praying and asking God for growth, then be urgent and hungry enough to want it. Don't sit around and do nothing with the talent like the servant, invest and get yourself prepared for explosive growth! Pastor Edward also mentioned that in the parable of the talents, the first two servants who received the talents went out "AT ONCE" to put their talents to work.
AT ONCE = URGENCY!

As I sat there listening to these anointed words, my heart began to beat hastily and I felt my body temperature rising. No kidding. I turned to my senior pastor's wife and told her, "Eh, my heart beating very fast and my palms sweating wei". She laughed. I was still sweating. The weight/impression of the Lord was heavy. I could feel it.

My senior pastor closed by challenging all of us to expect, to prepare and to be urgent to grow individually and as a church in God. And God brought to mind my journey thus far with Him, in particular these two years since I became part of GCC. I felt as if He was assuring me that I've grown within these two years but that's just the beginning. "Hang in there, something bigger is about to come," I could almost hear it audibly. GCC is growing, that I don't doubt one bit. In fact, we're growing to the extent that we need to move out of where we are to a bigger sanctuary. Talk about growth, eh. And make no mistake, growth can be a scary thing IF God is not in the picture. Do we have the resources to move into a new place? Are we ready to be strong and courageous to step out in faith? Well, on our own, absolutely not, but with God, you can stand and stare River Jordan right in the eye and say, "Bring it on!".

As we closed in prayer, God reminded me again the calling of GCC, the call to be the contemporary Joshua and in this coming season, it's time to pack up our supplies, get ready and cross over the Jordan river!

"Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.

Joshua 1: 2-4

"So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.’”

Joshua 1: 10-11

God is commanding us to GET READY (to anticipate and to be prepared) to cross the Jordan river and TAKE POSSESSION (urgency and authority) of the land! As I thought about how I felt yesterday, with all the cold sweat and all, I realized that it's not so much of being scared of the unknown, or even afraid of lacking provision. It wasn't because I was looking at Jordan River and shook in fear. But I believe I felt what I felt is because I saw what's across Jordan River and just the sight of it caused me to have this uncontainable excitement!

An explosion of growth is coming... Just you wait.

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you;

I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Joshua 1: 2-5

Disclaimer: I couldn't think of a bigger word than "explosion". Explosion is too small a word to express the sort of growth God is about to cause. Forgive me, Lord, for the lack of a better word :P

Sold out!

2010-12-11T23:57:00.001+08:00

After much thought... I'm convicted.

I'm sold out for Him!

Fight!

Highway Reminders

2010-12-04T09:32:00.001+08:00

I took a personal drive back home last weekend. It's been a while since I've done that. Honestly, I was a little fearful about driving down to KL with the unpredictable condition of my car.

5hours journey alone can be quite... drowsy and boring. But good thing the sermon preached in my church a week before that was on spiritual discipline, in specific, the discipline of meditation. I took the opportunity to have a 5hours meditation upon the Lord and you know what, the journey didn't seem that boring after all cause' my God is not a boring God!

Few symbolic scenes appeared in a tangible manner before my eyes as I drove on the north-south highway speaking to God. Firstly, you gotta know that throughout my 5hours journey, it rained like 80% of the time. But oddly enough, as I was driving, I unconsciously turned to my right to look at the sky and lo and behold, a couple miles away I saw an astounding image of the sun's ray beaming through ever so beautifully amid the dark clouds. It looked something like this (disclaimer: the photo does not do justice to what I witnessed with my own eyes).

We usually see this kind of image on postcards but I saw it with my own eyes. It captivated me and I couldn't take my eyes of it. I slowed down a little and soaked myself into it for a while. Through that beautiful image, God reaffirmed my heart that though dark clouds may be whirling around me, the light of His holiness and love will never fail to beam through the darkness. Looking at that image, I felt... at peace.

The second image that I saw were the mountains along the highway. I was reminded that I've been called to be a mighty warrior, though I don't necessarily feel like one at this point. Nevertheless, God has his funny way of reminding us things at the most unexpected moment. Through the image of those scenic mountains, I'm reminded that we are called to be conquerors... to be warriors...

to be Mountain Movers.

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,

you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17: 20

We've been called to be overcomers of impossibilities, warriors of the Mighty God. We need to live our faith in this Mighty God over and over again. Even when the odds are stacked against us and even when we're broken down in our lives for whatever reasons to the point where only a glimpse of faith remains in us, yet it is exactly this small little glimpse that will be our weapon to move the mountains of adversity. It is this small glimpse of faith that you have in Him that will tag you as

"Mountain mover, Overcomer of impossibilities, Warrior of the Mighty God".

Even in our circumstances - which means even in our failures, our disappointments, our struggles, our tears, our brokenness - the joy that we have is that we are still more than conquerors because God's love penetrates all these darkness of human pain.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God that is

in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8: 37- 39

Thank you Lord for the tangible reminders.

Oh, and thank you for keeping my car alive too! :) You rock!

The Wedding of a Nerinut

2010-11-03T08:23:00.000+08:00

I never really understood why people can get all emotional at weddings... Not until last weekend.

A good friend, a sister, a comrade and a mentor tied the knot last Saturday. The joy to see her walk down the aisle is indescribable. She's the first in our Neriton family to be married! Congrats, Jun!

Jun, if you're reading this... I don't usually say this but heck...

Banting boleh!!! Hahaha! :)

The Nerinuts celebrating our beloved sister's wedding day!

Oh, that means we now have a brother-in-law! :P

The Authentic King

2010-10-20T09:40:00.002+08:00

There's a current craze going on in Penang over Burger King.

Yes, you got that right. THE Burger King is in town.

BK has finally landed itself in Penang Island.

But you know what...

I think I'm going crazy over another sort of King....

........................

......................

...................

................

.............

............

.........

........

......

.....

...

..
.

Burger King says "Have it your way".
I say, "Have it Jesus's way".

Let's chew, taste and savour the authentic KING of kings!

Small

2010-10-16T12:56:00.004+08:00

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,

you can say to this mountain,

'Move from here to there' and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matt. 17: 20

The Principle Within

2010-10-15T16:39:00.000+08:00

The Principle Within

I want a principle within of watchful, godly fear,
A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near.
I want the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire,
To catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire.

From Thee that I no more may stray, no more Thy goodness grieve,
Grant me the filial awe, I pray, the tender conscience give.
Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make;
Awake my soul when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake.

Almighty God of truth and love, to me Thy power impart;
The mountain from my soul remove, the hardness from my heart.
O may the least omission pain my reawakened soul,
And drive me to that blood again, which makes the wounded whole.

(Written by Charles Wesley)

My God is so Big!

2010-10-14T10:35:00.004+08:00

Everyone knows the classic Sunday school song that goes something like this...

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There's nothing that He cannot do!
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There's nothing that He cannot do!

The rivers are His, the mountains are His
The stars are His handiwork too
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There's nothing that He cannot do!

The song is simple.

The words are simple.
His truth is simple.

He is a BIG God.
He can do BIG things.
He created BIG things.
There's nothing too BIG for Him.

Yet, all He requires of us is to have faith as SMALL as a mustard seed in order for Him to make us BIG.

Child-like faith is what the Father wants to see.

Jeremiah 32:27
"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh:
is there any thing too hard for me?"

Big God. Big Growth. Big Shoes.

2010-10-14T01:21:00.003+08:00

With our feet planted in Christ Jesus, our Big God,

Big growth will surely take place so that we

are able to fit into His Big Plans,

Plans that are promising and filled with hope.

God wants us to grow into His Big shoes, not small ones,

simply because He is a Big God.

His Ways

2010-10-07T15:02:00.000+08:00

When God wants to drill a man:

And thrill a man:

And skill a man:

When God wants to mold a man

To play the noblest part;

When He yearns with all His heart

To create so great and bold a man

That all the world shall be amazed:

Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects

Whom He royally elects!

How He hammers him and hurts him,

And with mighty blows converts him

Into trial shapes of clay which

Only God understands;

While his tortured heart is crying

And he lifts beseeching hands!

How He bends but never breaks

When his good He undertakes;

How He uses whom He chooses:

And with every purpose fuses him;

But every act induces him

To try His splendor out -

God knows what He's about!
(Author Unknown)

"For the time being no discipline brings joy,

but seems grievous and painful;

but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness

to those who have been trained by it...

in conformity to God's will in purpose, thoughts, and action,

resulting in right living and right standing with God."

(Hebrews 12: 11)

Tic Toc

2010-10-05T13:53:00.000+08:00

I need more time.

RUN FOR A CAUSE: Will you run with me?

2010-09-29T11:34:00.001+08:00

This year will be my third outing to conquer the Penang Bridge in the annual Penang Bridge International Marathon. But this year, I've got a different reason to run. I'll be running for a cause.

Come, join me in my attempt to conquer the bridge once more, this time with a purpose.

For more information about this cause and how you can be part of it, please visit www.gatewaysports.com.my

Will You run with me?

Refuge

2010-09-25T23:34:00.000+08:00

In You

2010-09-15T09:49:00.003+08:00

Lord, you know the very condition of my heart.

I place my desires, burdens and uncertainties
into your loving and gracious hands.

I want to remain in You, and You in me,
so that I can bear much fruit for You.

Help me, Lord, I pray.

Amen.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage;
do not be afraid, nor be dismayed,

for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1: 9

Of wedding and reunion...

2010-08-10T14:08:00.001+08:00

I was down in KL last weekend for a friend's wedding, a close friend who was my course mate back in university. Since then, I already warned her to better invite me to her wedding or else... and she did of course.

I must say though, it felt a little weird watching a good friend walking down the aisle. It's like a reality check to remind me that I'm way past my very much cherished student life - I'm in fact an adult. A good reminder. Ah, but on the other hand, it was really nice to be able to witnessed her wedding too along with my other ex-university mates :)

Speaking of which, that was a highlight too. To be able to meet up with everyone for the first time since graduation is a real gem. We were known as the "Muhibah" group due to how multi-racial we were. It was really nice to be able to catch up with them and to know that everyone is doing well. Nowadays, I have to really pick which weddings to attend... But if anyone of us gets married the next round, I'll surely try to be there ;) Till' then, hidup USM! Keke.

Soulmate

2010-08-02T12:30:00.016+08:00

"At the core of each of us is a compulsion for completion so strong that no single human can consistently fulfill it. There are times, glorious moments of intimacy and belonging (with family, friends, or a soul mate), that make us feel complete. But those times are few and far between. They are snapshots we paste into our mental scrapbook to fondly recall and treasure. Unfortunately for some, these moments become the mark against which their self-worth and significance in the relationship is now measured.

The heart of the issue here is personal significance. This need is woven into the fabric of our nature, our very being. The desperate need for significance is as real as any physical need we ever experience. And we'll do almost anything to get our need for significance met. Some seek money, prestige, beauty, success, achievements, or fame to satisfy the yearning, but sooner or later all of us look to relationships for a deeper level of personal fulfillment. We dream of a relationship that will complete our need for significance.

... We realize that even the most loving human relationship can never consistently quench our deepest need. Ask any married couple. Every husband and wife, no mater how loving and godly, has many times failed to provide what their partner has needed most.

So are we stuck, forever floundering between fleeting moments of relational fulfillment?

Fortunately not.

While our earthly relationships will let us down time and time again, a relationship with God can be counted on to genuinely and fully meet our deepest need for significance... only God can ultimately and consistently love us when we are moody, when we make mistakes, and when we feel rejected and unloved by the person we counted on the most.

"God is love."

And we can rely on God's love. As the writer of the Psalm said, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart." The New Testament says, "God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." Once we internalize this truth, we discover the ultimate cure for our compulsion for completion. We may heal our hurts, discard our masks, and even take ownership for our destiny, but ultimately, only God's love can make us whole."

He will walk with us all the way like a passionate lover.

His love is made complete in us.

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, "Relationships" (Michigan: Zondervan, 1998) 37-39

Flame on!

2010-08-02T12:13:00.000+08:00

In Christ, we're all superheroes with superpowers.

Flame on!

Untitled Feelings

2010-07-30T00:56:00.000+08:00

The Mask

2010-07-29T12:15:00.003+08:00

Chanced upon this great piece of writing that talks about our pretentious self; the self that wears a thousand masks. It's poignantly true.

*****************************************

Don't be fooled by me.

Don't be fooled by the face I wear for I wear a mask, a thousand masks, masks that I'm afraid to take off, and none of them is me. Pretending is an art that's second nature with me, but don't be fooled. For my sake, don't be fooled.

I give you the impression that I'm secure, that all is sunny and unruffled with me, within as well as without, that confidence is my name and coolness my game, that the water's calm and I'm in command and that I need no one, but don't believe me. My surface may seem smooth but my surface is my mask, ever-varying and ever-concealing.

Beneath lies no complacence. Beneath lies confusion, and fear, and aloneness. But I hide this. I don't want anybody to know it. I panic at the thought of my weakness exposed. That's why I frantically create a mask to hide behind, a nonchalant sophisticated facade, to help me pretend, to shield me from the glance that knows.

Who am I, you may wonder?

I am someone you know very well.
For I am every man you meet and I am every woman you meet...

I am right in front of you.

By Charles C. Finn

Control

2010-07-27T12:31:00.003+08:00

This morning devotion spoke on this word called "control". It's something I believe many of us can relate to. At every phase of our lives, no matter where we are, we constantly struggle to be in control of what's going on about and in us. Just as God reminded me this morning how I should respond to Him and not react when things go out of control, I hope this devotion will nudge you in your circumstance as well.

Control

Today's Promise

"For the LORD is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in,

not to be a place of empty chaos. "I am the LORD," he says,

"and there is no other".

Isaiah 45: 18

Today's Thought

Sooner or later we all face situations beyond our control. But even when you find yourself in unpredictable, uncontrollable, frustrating circumstances, there is still one thing you can control:

Your reaction to the situation.

You can trust God to work in your life and bring order, hope and peace out of chaos.

Today's Plan
How would fully trusting in God's control affect your response to uncontrollable circumstances in your life?

"I am the LORD," he says, "and there is no other".

Freewill

2010-07-26T14:17:00.004+08:00

Since the beginning of time, God has granted humanity one of the most profound gifts of all - the gift of freewill.

Freewill is defined as "the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies". Freewill, or free choice as has been used interchangeably, is indeed a power that has been bestowed upon us since the world came into existence. In fact, it's conceivable to believe that freewill is the greatest sort of power anyone could ever have. However, because freewill has evolved through time and has since seeped into every part of our daily lives, the magnitude of its power has gradually been diluted. We humans sometimes disregard, belittle and take for granted the power that freewill has in our lives.

Freewill gives us the power to create, to love, to forgive, to be compassionate, to sacrifice, to trust, to believe... It gives us the opportunity to make the right choices. At the other extreme, freewill also gives us the power to destroy, to hate, to revenge, to resent, to be selfish, to lie, to be sceptical.. As much as it gives us the door to make all the right choices, it also gives us the door to make all the wrong choices. This is why it has so great a power.

We make all kinds of choices every single day, from the simplest to the most complex, from the seemingly insignificant to the life-changing ones. As I mulled over this gift of freewill, I realized that although I make all sorts of decisions every day, I was awakened to the fact that a huge chunk of the choices that I make has to do with God and I.

The free choice to either glorify Him or to glorify myself/world.

I'm a phlegmatic melancholic and so by nature, I loathe making decisions. I'm the aiya-anything-also-can type, which is bad. The reminder that freewill is a gift from God and how it places me in a position to choose either to glorify Him or to glorify myself totally re-aligned my perspective about making choices. I acknowledge that it's never easy when there is a struggle between what the flesh wants and what the spirit wants. The struggle can be very intense sometimes. And for most part, I've gone along with what my flesh wants as so with many of us. But the thing about freewill is that it has it's repercussions.

John 15 talks about Jesus being the Vine and us as the branches.

"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 15: 4

"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love,
just as have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love."
John 15: 10

Through the Word, it's clear that when we choose to glorify ourselves instead of Christ, we go nowhere. Our growth in the Spirit gets stunted. If we're honest with ourselves, a lot of times we know the commandments, we know what He is asking us to do and we can feel Him nudging us but still, we choose to disobey the commandments, we choose to procrastinate what He is asking us to do and we choose to ignore the nudges that He sends... We simply choose to walk down our own selfish path.

I leave you with this thought.

Just as we were given the gift of freewill and choice, God too had a choice. And He made a choice to love us first. In fact, He made a choice to call us His friends even though He knew from the beginning we wouldn't be the best of friend.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.

John 15: 16

He chose you and I.

Now, it's your choice.

What would you choose?

No easy way

2010-07-26T09:36:00.000+08:00

Walking on water

2010-07-23T08:49:00.006+08:00

I want to be walking on water.

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said.
Matt 14: 28-29

Mighty

2010-07-22T09:11:00.000+08:00

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3: 17

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save."

The Faith Confidence

2010-07-19T22:22:00.014+08:00

As a student growing up in a primary school up to secondary school, I have had many incidences whereby I was told by teachers and friends that I was not good enough in this and in that. I could give you a list of examples but that's not the point. I guess for many of us, we all have our fair share of such soul-depressing-confidence-breaking moments. The effects, for some, remain permanent. Thankfully, through the grace of God, I'm beginning to see His empowerment in my life, taking me out of such experiences into a position of a 'mighty warrior'.

There is power in confidence. Confidence allows one to do what most dare only to dream about. However, confidence has its limit. At the end of the day, human confidence can be broken. But when confidence merges with the power of Faith, it becomes a divine chain of immeasurable power.

This is what I call "Faith Confidence".

Human confidence can only take us so far. When the odds hit us with a certain number beyond our human comprehension, our confidence gets shaken. When the unknown becomes too overwhelming for our human mind, our confidence goes haywire. When we're given a task above our known abilities, our confidence paralyses to a halt. But when faith steps in, it changes the way we see things entirely. Reality goes through a paradigm shift. The odds become minute to the spiritual eyes. The unknown becomes a calling that resounds within our hearts. Unlike confidence, "Faith Confidence" is limitless because it is not birth out of the flesh but of the spirit. It is a stream of living water flowing within our inner man. It is a power that comes only from God.

"I lack confidence" is a phrase I often use, which I'm trying to cut down. I'm sure many of us can relate to that phrase. In truth, when we say "I lack confidence", we're actually saying "I don't think my human abilities allow me to do this or that. Therefore, I don't think I'll do it". But when faith comes to play, our thinking will change and instead of saying that, we will say "I don't think my human abilities allow me to do this or that but because I have faith in Him who empowers me, I will strive to do it as best as I can and allow Him to work through me as I do so".

Faith Confidence pushes us beyond our human capacity.
Faith Confidence shifts our mindset of relying on our human strength to that of exercising our divine authority and power in and through Him.
Faith Confidence shatters physical evidence but breeds spiritual evidence.

The next time you're about to say "I lack confidence", think for a moment.

Have a little faith...

Because a drop of faith is all you need for God
to cause a ripple of change.

Don't.

2010-07-18T00:30:00.000+08:00

Don't give up your passion.

Don't give up your conviction.

Don't give em' up.

What do you see?

2010-07-15T14:33:00.001+08:00

I see not hurdles.

I see not the impossible.

I see not failure.

I see not fear.

I see elevation.

I see possibilities beyond words.

I see victory.

I see determination.

What do you see?

Hawks

2010-07-14T13:13:00.006+08:00

I remember playing in my first Penang League a couple years back for Minden UnderDawgs, that was our team name then. I recall how nervous I was. I couldn't even hold the stick right. I was sweating even before the game started. After four years, I still feel the same. But of course, in a more positive spirit. Tomorrow will be the start of my fourth outing in the Penang League.

Minden UniHawks is my birthplace as a floorballer. In fact, I'm convinced that UniHawks plays a significant role in my decision to stay back in Penang in the first place. Minden has been an essential piece of jigsaw that has its role in completing a bigger picture in regards to my life. So yes, Minden UniHawks is my birthplace, my team, my family.

Over the years, we've been commonly regarded as the underdog. Yet it is through being the underdog that I believe the club has formed a certain credo, a certain code of conduct. Many priceless values, lessons and principles were born forth from the struggles of rising out from being the underdog. Tomorrow will be our opening match. Again, the odds are against us. Minden UniHawks is still being known synonymously to that of an underdog.

Regardless, I'm excited for the match against Innebandy tomorrow night, a very good team both tactically and technically. It will definitely be challenging but at the same time, I trust that it will also be very fulfilling! Personally, I'm more excited for the new players in our club. They've shown great interest and commitment for the team and that's the first step to success! These days is very hard to get players to be committed. I'm glad that we have new family members playing alongside us in the league this year around. They'll probably be feeling how I felt 4 years back and hence, I'm glad I went through those terrifying nerve wrecking moments because when I see them tomorrow, I'd know what to say to them :)

Yes, the odds are against us. But ought we turn away from it? Nay, we shan't. Instead, we shall put on our game and make it even.

My fourth Penang League and who am I playing for?

I'm playing for Minden UniHawks.
Proud to be a Hawk.... or an underdog as some might say :P

A New Song

2010-07-13T10:23:00.006+08:00

To me, music is one of the greatest wonders of the world. It possesses the power to reverberate the many emotions, experiences and thoughts of a person through the resonance of its infinite tunes. It soothes, it brings tears, it excites, it relaxes, it inspires. Music is a medium of communication and expression like no other because it connects not just the human race but also between us and God.

Allow me to share a little on what God has been challenging me to do of late. As I walk through this season of my life, God has asserted me to dwell in His presence not just through His word but also in time of praise and worship at a deeper level. But a few nights back I reluctantly picked up the guitar and trudged heavily into worship. Mixed feelings, worries, concerns all wrapped into one curled up inside me, disengaging me from truly seeking His face. But then in the soft random tune that my fingers made as I plucked the strings of my guitar, I heard Him say ever so gently, "Son, everyday there's a new song to be sung".

Everyday there really is a new song to be sung to Him.

Yes, there will be mornings where we'd wake up at the wrong side of our bed. Afternoons where we'd be stuck in a heavy traffic jam under the torrid heat of Penang. Evenings where we'd still be in the office doing over time. Nights where we'd be sobbing in tears in the corner of our room for whatever worries that's hovering over our heads. Yes, truth is... Reality bites.

But whatever it may be... good or bad, happy or sad... and no matter how broken our lives seem to be at the present...

There's still a new song to be sung.

(Photo by Julian Loh)

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.

Show my the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul."
Psalms 143: 8-10

The Road

2010-07-12T23:28:00.002+08:00

Trudging the long hard road.

Knee problem.

2010-07-09T10:43:00.001+08:00

Blind Faith

2010-07-06T15:30:00.015+08:00

The term "blind faith" is defined as "belief without truly understanding". Interestingly enough, there's a story in the Bible about a man who was blind since birth but because of his 'blind faith' in a mysterious man whom he didn't really know, he took heed in what that mysterious man asked him to do and consequently the blind man was healed. Talk about irony.

Before I go on, I must say that Jesus is a masterclass in literature. His choice for metaphorical acts of miracles is simply beautiful. John 9 is no different. Two things stood out to be like a sore thumb as I read this text.

"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
John 9: 1-3

A lot of times, when we face a particular struggle in our lives, be it emotional, physical, mental or even spiritual, we respond similarly to that of the disciples. We begin to ask ourselves if we had done anything wrong to deserve such calamities. Our circumstance seems more like a 'punishment' more than anything else and as we delve into that mentality, what happens is that we begin to condemn ourselves. But here I was reminded once again that struggles, painful circumstances and difficult patches in life are there not to condemn us, but more so "that the work of God might be displayed" in our life.

The blind man was blind SINCE BIRTH. That's a long time. In reality, there are some struggles in life that we have been facing for many years now and yet we still can't seem to find the 'antidote'. Are we condemning ourselves because we are still in that struggle? Are we blaming God for all the calamities? God is not condemning us and therefore, we should not be condemning ourselves. Truth is, God wants to do something beautiful in us. He wants to glorify Himself through our circumstances. That's the fact.

However...

On our part, God requires us to RESPOND to Him.

"Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes."
John 9: 6

~~I can't help but to think it disgusting that Jesus used his spit to heal the blind man. Eeyer. But then hor, it's Jesus's spit wor! :P.~~ I find this particular section of the scripture really interesting. The fact that he used mud and his spit to heal this man. Mud and spit?? Why?? As aforementioned, I believe Jesus has got a doctorate in literature simply for his profound use of metaphorical acts of miracles.

I did some research and there are numerous theories and explanations to it. But I'll just share what spoke to me. The fact that Jesus placed the mud on the blind man's eyes simply reflected the image of Christ being the potter and we, the clay. It's as if God was telling the blind man, "I want to reshape you like a potter reshapes a contorted clay. I want to take you out of your predicament and elevate you to a new level in me". Even in our darkest state or struggle, God is still our potter and we are still the clay.

God WANTS to give us DIVINE SIGHT.

As for the saliva, apparently it was customary back then for ancient holy men to use spit for curing diseases. But I believe it was also a symbol of God anointing the physical as well as the spiritual eyes of the blind man. When God anoints and gives us divine sight, He gives us new life. If you read further on in the John 9, once the man received sight, He was transformed in spirit as well.

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked,
"Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?"
Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him."
But he himself insisted, "I am the man."
John 9: 8-9

People couldn't recognized him because he was transformed not just in the physical but also in the spiritual! When God brings us out from a struggle or from our old-self, He does not just stop at just bringing us out. He also brings us IN... He brings us in into new life.

But we need to respond to Him.

"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."
John 9: 7

The heart of this passage I believe is in this portion of scripture. God wants to give us divine sight. That is so very true and we got to want it to claim it. But for that to happen, God also requires us to take the step of faith... and sometimes, He even challenges us to take the step of, dare I say, "blind faith". This blind man was obviously... Blind. Yet, Jesus instructed him to go to the Pool of Siloam. Bear in mind that the blind man only heard about Jesus but never actually knew Jesus in an intimate way. I'd imagine it would have been a struggle for the blind man to find his way to the pool. He must have bumped into different people who may have pushed him out of the way but yet, because of his 'blind faith' in Christ, he went anyhow and was healed immediately after he washed away the mud on his eyes. Because of the little faith that he had, God was glorified through him.

Do you realized that one of Jesus's favourite question is "Do you believe?"?. But why? Because faith is active. It demands a response. When Jesus healed the official's son in John 4, He instructed the official, "You may go, Your son will live". The official needed to respond to that in faith and go home to his son - Faith demands a response. John 5 talks about the man who was healed from his paralysis but before Jesus healed him, he asked the man "Do you want to get well?" - Faith demands a response.

Faith is active and it demands a response.

Know that God puts us in and through circumstances for a purpose - to manifest and to glorify Himself through us. Know also that God will never forsake us, in fact, He wants to heal, anoint and shape us more into His image. Lastly, know also that it is a choice that we need to make just like the blind man did on that very fateful day. Let not circumstance blinds us from receiving the divine sight in which He wants to give. Sometimes, it is through blind faith that God gives us new pair of anointed eyes.

The blind man decided to go to the Pool of Siloam. What about you?

The Adventure of 2 Malaysian Cars

2010-06-30T09:28:00.009+08:00

I drove to Balik Pulau last night to watch the Contact vs. Innebandy match. After the match, as usual, we'd all head for supper. It was after a good supper that the adventure of the two Malaysian cars begun... Thanks to Khor Kuan Yang (KY).

While paying the bills, KY came up to me.

"Eh.. Crap wei... My car battery die lah... Help me jump start".

I had the thought of ditching him there but since his leg also takleh pakai due to injury, there was no way he could walk back home also. Aih. So, after much thought I decided to help him out lah.

Drove my oh-so-very-cool Proton Saga 1.5 first-generation car and parked it side by side with his tarak-battery Myvi. KY got jump-start cable, as expected.. KY ma.

"Okay.. Positive to.. positive... Negative to negative.... Eh, won't explode right?"

KY asked me, I almost died.

"Vrrrrooooooooommmm..."

Okay. Our jump-start attempt succeeded with no problems. I turned off my car engine and then KY unplugged the cable from my car. Closed the hood and we were ready to balik rumah. Got in to my car and tried to start my car.... Cannot start! The best part, KY's car died again!

I figured, must be the wiring on the battery cause my battery still quite new. Got out of my car and checked the wiring on the battery. Fuh. I'm a genius, I was right. When KY unplugged the cable, he accidentally unplugged the battery wiring as well. Feeling like a genius, I told KY...

"Nah, see I told you d.. Not my battery problem lah.. You lah, go unplugged my battery punya wiring..."

As I said that, I proceeded to attach the wire back and then my whole car alarm went off into reset mode. Amid the alarm siren, I heard a "CLICK" sound from my car door. Oh crap! The alarm reset the central locking and now my car door's locked with my car keys in the car!!!! ARGGGHHHH!!!

So much for being a genius now. I bet KY was laughing at me. Wait, he did laughed at me. Cis.

Now my car keys are locked in the car and KY's car cannot start. Double whammy.

KY terpaksa call reinforcement. He go berhokkien-hokkien with the restaurant workers there and then this young dude, I think still schooling, possibly form 4-5 came with a screwdriver-type tool to my car. I was thinking to myself, "Ceh, you think so easy to pick lock my car meh...".

"Click".

Sweat. Less than 10 seconds he managed to unlock my car door wei. Malaysian car memang best.

First thing I did, quickly go take out my car key. Now smarter d.

Then KY and I did the whole cycle of jump-starting the car again. Positive to positive and negative to negative....

"Vroooooooommm!"

Ok, everything good. I didn't locked my car keys in again just so you know.

All these happened in the span of 10 minutes. Yep, Malaysian cars are the best lah (see how I put the blame on the car and not the car owner :P).

P.S.: KY, just so you know, no it wouldn't explode. Haha.

A Season of Newness

2010-06-28T08:52:00.003+08:00

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new."

So, help me, Lord, to live in that newness that You've given me.
Let me not dwell in the old but celebrate in praise and worship
for the birth of a new season because in You
there is new life.

Renewing, Reshaping, Reconstructing

2010-06-23T10:07:00.004+08:00

Romans 12: 2 posts perhaps one of the greatest challenges to all believers of the Christian faith. To be more specific, I'm talking about the process of 'renewing of the mind'.

Let's face it, humans are habitual creatures. As such, we function by memories of the past and by what we've been trained or taught. That's the way we were made and rightly so. I find it interesting that the scripture was written like this,

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

and not the other way round, in the passive form... which could have sounded something like...

"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you will not conform any longer to the pattern of this world."

I believe the scripture was written in the former to simply remind us that to follow Christ, it will cost us. There's an emphasis here, a command even, if you dig a little deeper.

Whenever a sentence starts with "Do not...", it speaks of an imperative form, sort of like a command mixed with a tinge of warning. And when an imperative form is used, there is clarity in that particular statement; it's very clear as to what should be done and what should not be done. For instance, when God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, He also used an imperative form which made it very clear as to what should be eaten and what should not be eaten. Likewise, God is telling us something that is very clear here.

When the scripture says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world", God is basically saying, "If you wanna follow me, then forsake your old being, the being that is of the world, forsake your old thinking and precepts and forsake even the cravings that you have in this world". If we are unwilling to do that, then what we're actually doing is that we are not giving Him the access to transform us as He sees fit. We lock our doors and keep Him out. But you know what, here's the twist. We're the one who's locking ourselves out when God is the one who has always been in the house inviting us in. In John 15: 19, it says that "If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own...". Simply put, if we choose to conform to the pattern of this world, the world will bit by bit consume our whole being.

Good news is this...

If we do decide to follow him and forsake the things of the world, we are stepping into His house of newness. We are allowing and inviting the Holy Spirit to work in us. We are allowing God to transform us from the inside out. And when the Holy Spirit works in us, there WILL be a transformation. Do not doubt. It's an ongoing process of renewing, re-constructing and re-shaping of the mind, spirit and the heart. But remember, it always begins with a choice.

Transformation does not happen overnight. Of course, God has the prerogative to do so if He wants to but more often than not, it doesn't work that way. He wants us to walk through the long way. But thing is this, whether it's the shorter or longer way, it will still cost us, that's for sure. In fact, Jesus even advised us to count the cost first before proceeding any further because He knows that it will cost us a lot.

When we truly understand who this great God is and what He wants to do in our lives, the cost that we have to pay will worth every single cent. When we are convicted of what God is doing and when we step into that conviction, it will birth forth a divine transformation because we no longer conform to the things of the world. The world becomes meaningless to us. His Word becomes our world instead.

Godly conviction brings about divine transformation.

I know there are still many 'old memories' that I need to put off and put on 'new memories'. So far, it hasn't been an easy ride. But what keeps me going for as long as it takes is the conviction that He has placed in my heart. God wants to build us to be champions, to be His armies of warriors, to be a Benaiah for His supreme glory and purposes. God, the Creator, wants to reshape each of us and I for one, wouldn't want to miss that for the world. Literally speaking :P

Will you also allow Him to reshape you?

Help me, O Lord, to allow you to
reshape me as You see fit.

Under Construction

2010-06-22T23:18:00.005+08:00

Christopher Koh is under construction.

NOTE: A lifetime project funded by Jesus Christ.

Bowling 101

2010-06-18T09:59:00.011+08:00

The last time I had a game of bowling was probably about 8-9 years ago (yes, I’m old, so what?) . I remember I didn’t like it then and I still don’t like it now :P The idea of throwing a ball to hit several bottle-shape stuff seems more like an activity of releasing stress than playing a sport.

Anyway, I broke the 8-9 years drought on Wednesday when I joined my church’s Sports Connect Group (Sports CG) for a game of bowling. Whoa, not bad. At least I know I improved since 9 years ago but I still don't really like it. It was for pure fun and I'm glad we all had a good laugh at all the funny incidences that happened. How I dropped the bowling ball just before releasing it lah, how Nic the 'Goh-scorer' pose before the strike actually happened (which didn't strike btw :P), how for some people the ball always masuk longkang lah... It was great!

Getting ready to bowl!

Nic, the 'Goh-scorer' and all his poses!
:P

Although I don't like bowling perse, I do however love sports as a whole. I don't mind trying out different sports. The great thing about sports is that there's always "gems" which we can take home; values, lessons and characters that we can apply in other areas of our lives, not just in the area of sports.

Calvin, the 'hidden talent'... wait... More like he bluffed us...
Konon, don't know how to play! :P

Everyone had a try at bowling even though it was new to many.

After our bowling session, we headed for dinner and it was then we took time to share some of the lessons, values and characters that we have learn through the game of bowling. I'm very much encouraged by everyone's sharing. After all, Sports CG is a place for us to share with one another, learn from one another and ultimately, to learn from Him. Some said they've learn to just have fun with the people around them even though they were losing in the game, others said that they've learn to step out of their comfort zone and try bowling even though they didn't really like it, some also said that they've learn to cheer their team mates on even... All these are precious 'gems' that we need to take back and apply into other parts of our lives.

Sports CG!
Time for dinner and also sharing of lives! :)

As for me, I definitely collected a few gems through the bowling experience. This is my personal bowling 101 crash course :P

Lesson 1: It's more important to look at the direction on the lane than at the bowling pins
We had the privilege of having some very good bowlers amongst us the other day... President of Bowling club wei... Hehe. Just before we left for dinner, I asked this Pro-Bowler, "Eh, what's the most important thing about bowling ar?". She then enlightened me, saying that the dots on the bowling alley, which indicates where you stand and position yourself, and the direction on the lane is the most important thing to take note of in bowling, not the bowling pins. As I thought about it, God reminded me that bowling is like facing the different challenges in life.

A lot of times, when we come face to face with an obstacle or challenge in life, we tend to feel extremely small because we focus on the challenge ahead, the bowling pins, so much so that we've forgotten to look at the dots and the direction on the lane. I believe in every challenge that we are placed in, God ALWAYS gives us those dots and direction. In fact, if you think about it, He IS the bowling lane... He is the only way for us to overcome those challenges.

A good picture to illustrate this lesson is the story of David versus Goliath. When David came face to face with Goliath, it was as if he was facing 10 bowling pins. But you know what, his focus wasn't on the pin but instead, on the dots and the direction that God has showed him. He used the 'bowling ball' he had, just one smooth pebble, and hit Goliath's forehead! Strike! Don't fear the challenge, let the challenge fear you because God is on your side.

It's more important to look at the direction on the lane than at the pins.

Lesson 2: We all have a bowling ball in our hands and to release it well, we need to move forward to the lane.
Just as God always gives us direction when we face a challenge, He too will always provide us with a weapon when we face a challenge. God will never leave us in an arena of challenge without any weapon. For David, he only needed one smooth pebble... Yes, just one smooth pebble that's all he needed.

But what happens to most of us is that, we don't use the bowling ball which God has given us. Why? Because we're afraid. We're afraid to (1.) face the challenge and (2.) to step out of our comfort zone. So what will happen is that, we will end up just standing where we are with the bowling ball in our hand and do nothing with it. For us to really utilize the bowling ball, we need to look at the direction on the lane and then "move forward", move out of our comfort zone, and then release the ball. Many times, fear cripples us from moving forward. Don't let that happen because God has already given us the weapon. In fact, He has given us the best weapon that is able to take down any sort of challenges... He has given us Himself! :)

We have a bowling ball in our hands and to release it well, we need to move forward to the lane.

Lesson 3: Our bowling skills will improve as we keep trying
When we played, there were a few of us who were 'professionals' while they were others who were the 'pencuci longkang'. I'm grouped in the latter :P We were all at different levels. Bowling requires one to understand the mechanics of its technical skills. What set some of us apart from the 'professionals' was the fact that they knew the technicalities of bowling more than we did.

Our personal strengths and weaknesses are similar to that of understanding the technicalities of how to bowl. As we keep bowling, our technical skills will develop as we go along just as we will develop ourselves as we face each obstacle. We're all made differently with different gifts but we are all heading toward one common goal and that is to keep moving a level higher in wherever we may be. Persevere and your character will develop (Romans 5: 3-4).

Our bowling skill will improve as we keep trying.

**********************

In hindsight, I guess I wouldn't mind bowling again :P I picked up a few good lessons, well worth the embarrassment of 'cleaning the drain'. Hahaha.

So, the next time you face a challenge in life, go play a game of bowling ;)

One Smooth Stone

2010-06-10T14:39:00.004+08:00

I'm a rough edged stone, flawed in so many ways.
Yet, a unique one in His eyes.

God wants to make turn us from a rough edged stone into one smooth stone.
Will you let Him or will you resist?

Title: One Smooth Stone (David & Goliath)
One smooth stone is all I need
To fly straight and true, and not lose speed
If the edges are rough it'll go it's own way
I need one smooth stone today

The task is great, the odds are small
But the righteous aren't always the big and the tall
With God on my side, I am never alone
All I need is one smooth stone

We all have our wills, and we all have our plans
But God gives us more than we understand
If we're willing to go through the storms he commands
And be one smooth stone in his hands

One smooth stone will be plenty today
But at times the wind changes and stones go astray
But God prepares many and calls just a few
So I'll find more than one stone, too.

One smooth stone is what I'll be
So the Lord can do what He wants with me
I'll prepare myself to be worthy to stand
And be one smooth stone in His hands

I'll prepare myself to be worthy to stand
And be one smooth stone in His hands

(From "David & Goliath")

What Would I Give?

2010-06-10T14:17:00.007+08:00

A clip from Esther & the King

Title: What Would I Give?
I would walk across the desert
I would swim across the sea
I would fight a thousand armies
If that's what God asked of me
I would climb the highest mountain
With my life, I'd gladly pay
But am I willing just to live from day to day?

What would I give to live?
What would I say to save my people?
What would I lose to choose
The good over the evil?
What would I do to prove
That with God, I'm not afraid?
Am I willing to simply fast and pray?
Would I give my food and water for a day?
To ask God that his people here might live-
What would I give?

Just to know that God will hear me
Could such a little thing endear me to him
I would give so much, but I just need to let him touch my life

What would I give to live?
What would I say to save my people?
What would I lose to choose
The good over the evil?
What would I do to prove
That with God, I'm not afraid?
Am I willing to simply fast and pray?
Would I give my food and water for a day?
To ask God that his children here might live-
What would I give?

Summit

2010-06-10T01:51:00.012+08:00

After hours of strenuous hike, Jack finally stood tall at the summit of the mountain. He heaved a sigh of relief.

"I made it", he thought to himself.

As he stood tall at the summit, he can't help but to admire the scenic view of nature around him. Nothing but beauty surrounded him from where he was.

Just hours before reaching the summit, he was somewhere down below the mountain, fighting against the rocky terrain, struggling to survive every bit of the journey. There was a point in the hike where Jack thought to himself, "What in the world am I doing here anyway? All the way up just to view the scenery? Sheeesh...".

As he hiked, different obstacles came into his path. Even though he trained hard for the hike, there were some unforeseen challenges that caught him off guard along the way. When it came down to that, he knew he had to make a decision to either go ahead with the journey or turn around the other way. Jack made the decision to face the mountain albeit he knew it was going to be one long torturous hike.

Now standing at the peak of the mountain, he felt like a conqueror. Just at that moment, a sudden thought came to mind again, "Why am I here?". Jack was shaken a little. He thought for a moment and just then, the misty air of the mountain began to engulf him. He knew then why he was there.

More often than not, amidst the many unforeseen circumstances and challenges in our lives, whether or not in our work place, ministry, family or even relationships, we find ourselves asking the question "What am I doing here?" or "Why am I in such a predicament?". For most, in times of such difficulties, we find ourselves staring blankly at the question with no voice of answer in return.

Know this;

Difficult patches are NOT the summit but
difficult patches are necessary to lead us on to the summit.

Don't stop when you find yourself faced with an unforeseen circumstance. It's even harder when you think you've trained hard for it and yet still can't seem to get through it. There are just some things in life where even the best trainings cannot prepare you to what's to come. The challenge is to stand your ground, to look circumstance straight in the eye and say to it valiantly, "I will slay you and anything else that stands between me and the summit. I will slay you down". Slaying requires effort and effort don't come by easy. But when you do, you move up a level higher.

When you've reached the pinnacle of the mountain gasping for air, the mist begins to engulf you as if embracing you for your accomplishment. In that very moment, you are reassured of the answer you had it in you all along.

God brought you here.

Sarawak Getaway!

2010-06-08T13:46:00.004+08:00

Hey peeps,

For those who have not been to East Malaysia, Sarawak in specific, here's a good package that you may want to consider taking! :) It's the latest package from Beds and Escapade Borneo (you won't find it in any other travel & tour agency! Serious! :P).

Beds and Escapade Borneo!
(Click photo to website!)

4 Days 3 Nights Kuching Borneo Getaway

Day 1 - Free & Easy

Airport Pickup and transfer to guesthouse

Day 2 - Trek to Waterfall

07:30: Pickup from guesthouse and proceed to Selakau Village (100KM from Kuching City)
09:30: Arrive at village - proceed to trek to the waterfall
11:00: Arrive at waterfall
12:00: BBQ Lunch
15:30: Trek back to the village and back to Kuching City
19:00: Trip Ends

Day 3 - Rainforest Kayaking

08:30: Pickup from guesthouse and proceed to Selakau Village (100KM from Kuching City)
10:30: Arrive at Begoh Village - proceed to kayak downstream (duration 4-5 hours)
15:00: Trip end and transfer back to guesthouse

Day 4 - Free and easy

Transfer to Airport

Rates: RM680.00 (minimum 4 person)
Package inclusive of: airport transfer, 3 nights accommodation at guesthouse, waterfall trip, kayaking, breakfast, BBQ lunch, pack lunch and 2 dinner.

...

2010-06-08T02:22:00.003+08:00

Enough said.

Goal

2010-06-03T13:42:00.005+08:00

With the World Cup just right around the corner,
here's something for you to chew on while waiting for the kick-off...

What is the goal of your life?

C.H.A.N.G.E.

2010-05-31T18:03:00.005+08:00

Even vehicles can change...

What more human beings.

I C.H.A.N.G.E.

I C.H.A.N.G.E.

2010-05-30T23:28:00.007+08:00

Change is a choice.
I'm gonna C.H.A.N.G.E...

I'm going to
Choose
Hard
Advancement
N
Get
Elevated.

I miss.

2010-05-30T03:12:00.003+08:00

I miss character work.
I miss blocking.
I miss digging into different expressions.
I miss interpreting lines and scenes.
I miss recalling and forgetting lines.
I miss putting on different tone of voice.
I miss movement.
I miss improvisation.
I miss being part of a cast.
I miss getting into different costumes and props.
I miss full dress rehearsals.
I miss being backstage getting all nervous.
I miss being on stage.
I miss the process.
I miss the product of the process.
I miss acting.

Running for Him

2010-05-22T23:56:00.031+08:00

And so, after months of preparation, planning and much anticipation, the Big Guy upstairs pulled us through the final phase of Run for the Nation 2010, Penang. I'd like to share my personal experience being part of the organizing team for RunNat 2010, Penang.

Execution: 22nd May 2010, Running with Purpose!
I woke up about 3.45am and realized that the weather outside was breezier than usual. Took some time to pray for good weather. And just before I headed off for the first checkpoint to meet the first team, it started to rain :( Gah. It got me a little worried. Thought to myself, what if it rains for the rest of the day?... Stop all these negative thoughts, Christopher Koh... I quickly got my stuff and headed to my first checkpoint - Penang International Airport.

In total, the committee came up with 4 main routes, each charting a 44km distance. For each main route, 11 teams are assigned to run a distance of 4km respectively and as they run from their checkpoint to the next they are to pray as they run, handling over the prayer card, which also worked as a baton, to the following team until the entire route is completed. The whole idea is to cover Penang island with prayer. To saturate the city with God's blessings.

Route A starts from Balik Pulau Sports Complex and ends at RECSAM.

Route B, the route I was in charge of, starts from Penang International Airport and ends back at the airport.

Route C, begins from Clock tower in town and ends at Reservoir Garden Baptist Church (RGBC).

Route D, starts from Hard Rock Cafe, Feringghi and ends at RGBC as well.

Put everything together and this is how much we covered Penang island!
Over 180km in total!

The rain gradually slowed down. Thank God! The first team to the third team, however, could not really embark on a real prayer run. Instead, they got into the car and go for a 'prayer drive' :) In any case, all the participants were still excited in spite of the downpour. My initial reservations eventually subsided. It rained but that didn't stop us from blessing and praying for the nation! It was really encouraging to see how passionate everyone was to run and pray in spite of the rain and in spite the need to wake up 4.30 in the morning! :)

The semangat people who woke up 4.30 in the morning and go through the prayer run even though it rained!

One of the main concerns that I had was the safety of the participants. Although running a 4km trail may be short, the external factors such as inadequate pathways, running through narrow streets and uphill/downhill route seemed fairly dangerous to a certain extent. Hence, this year we made it a point to have a briefing especially for all Team Managers emphasizing on the issue of safety. Thank God, everyone had a blessed experience. Also, thank God that the traffic in Penang wasn't too bad on that particular Saturday. God is good! :)

Praying together before embarking on the prayer run!

Running for Christ!

Warming up and getting ready to paint the streets with blessings!

Peeps from Gateway City Church!

Standing together as one!

The first team started running at 5am and the last team ended at 10.30am. After which, everyone gathered back at Reservoir Baptist Garden Church (RGBC) for a corporate closing prayer. There were 8 specific prayer points that we prayed for; Church, Government, Religion, Family, Media, Commerce, Education and Social. It was good to see different pastors from different churches leading the prayer session coinciding with one of the main agendas for RunNat. One of the key objectives of RunNat is not just to pray for the nation but also to rally the churches together as one. We wanted to unite the churches together as one body of Christ so that we can stand within the gap for Him. It was a pretty big task but a worth while one to plough through.

Different pastors from different churches rallying the people to pray together as one!

Interceding for the nation!

Coming before Him on bended knees!

United in Christ!

Looking at how God piece everything together during the actual event on the 22nd May 2010 was as if looking at a genius at work. There were some points in the midst of preparation where I felt at lost but as always, His grace is sufficient for me.

Preparation: Stretch before you run!
In any running event or sports for that matter, it's crucial that you do proper warm-ups and stretching before you actually run. Similarly, as I went through the preparation and planning period prior to the actual RunNat event itself, God, likened to that of a coach, really stretched my spiritual, mental and physical muscle in every way.

Firstly, taking lead for RunNat 2010 in itself was already a huge task by my standard but knowing that it was something that He has challenged me to do, I took it up with 'fear and trembling'. Consequently, there were numerous responsibilities that I had to learn to juggle and to execute. Getting a committee running with experienced people and pastors was a nerve-wrecking task but a good one nonetheless. It forced me to be on my toes and to learn from them. I'm also grateful that through the planning, I had the privilege of contacting and meeting many new people from the Christian community in Penang.

Secondly, being overwhelmed with a handful of administrative work through the course of RunNat, there were times where I found myself loosing the actual intent of the event. It became more of 'doing' than 'worshipping'. There were days where I just spent the entire day mapping out the routes, getting the registration done, contacting the participants and so on that it seemed like I'm running an event management company more than anything else. There came a point where I felt completely inadequate, totally zapped out physically and that was when God woke me up from the physicality of doing to the spiritually of worshipping in the midst organizing an event.

In regards to preparation, I guess the two most challenging task I had to face were (1.) to rally churches and people to be part of RunNat and (2.) to map out the respective routes for the event. I just realize that coordinating and getting people to move is actually quite a task! I also realized that Penang island is actually really REALLY small! :P The experience of this year will definitely equip me to face next year!

Reflection: When the race is over!
After any sports event, be it an individual or team sports, it's crucial to debrief, analyze and reflect upon the result of your performance in that particular event so that you grow from it. Likewise, as I've experienced being part of RunNat 2010, Penang, it's time to see what God has taught me through it. I'd like to share two things I've picked up from this journey.

Stretching is essential for any athletes for Christ!

If you want to run well in a race, then stretching is not an option! You need to stretch and be stretched to be able to run the distance and to run it well.

Being stretched in more ways than one, I've learnt to cope with mistakes, failures even, and in the midst of all that, to learn to trust that God will pull me through thick and thin and nothing, I say it again, NOTHING can stand between me and the grace that comes from Him. Admittedly though, I disliked being stretched :P Then again, who does!

The intent is more important than the event!

I'm sure it's not uncommon for ministers and churches to fall into the trap of putting a certain event above the intent. There's always that lurking danger. God reminded me that I must always, ALWAYS put Him above all else. And through the course of RunNat 2010, other events came into play as well that reminded me to re-time the rhythm of my heartbeat according to the intent of His heartbeat. Whether or not He demands us to organize an event or to take up certain responsibilities or even to let go of certain things in our lives, what will keep us in check and enable us to do these things is when we are in tune with His heartbeat.

..................

Funny how it seemed as if it was only yesterday when my church decided to take up the task of running RunNat 2010, Penang, and now it's all been done! :) Scary to think how time flies so quickly. Ah, another decent reminder that time is of the essence... Let's make Him famous while we can and in the process, build champions as well!

A big thank you to all who participated in RunNat 2010, Penang.
You are a blessing!

Looking forward to RunNat 2011, Penang!

Run, Pray, Believe

2010-05-22T04:13:00.003+08:00

The day has come.
Rise and shine, Penang!

Will update my experience soon :)
For now, join me and believers around Malaysia as we pray for our nation.

Pillar of Cloud

2010-05-11T14:31:00.007+08:00

Be my pillar of cloud in the midst of discouragement, O Lord.
Show me thy blueprint because that is all that matters.
Grant me the strength and the perseverance to continue running
and let not my feet be weary.
Teach me to rely on You alone and not on men.

I wanna date Lea.

2010-05-10T16:22:00.008+08:00

LEA SALONGA WILL BE PERFORMING IN MALAYSIA!!!!

The last time I really wanted to catch her performance was in Singapore, but it was too pricey then. Now, she's coming to Malaysia!!!!

Sigh. But I still can't go.... :( :( :( Triple sigh.

This multi-award winning musical artist is possibly my favourite stage performer... Her voice is simply captivating. In case you didn't know, she was the singing voice for Jasmine in Aladdin's "A Whole New World". She came into the limelight for her stunning performances in Miss Saigon and Les Miserable. If you haven't heard any of her stuff, go Youtube them. Trust me, it'll worth your time waiting for it to stream.

Sigh.

I really wanna date Lea.

:(

Fall.

2010-05-08T01:11:00.006+08:00

Ethical Leadership: With Great Influence, Comes Great Impact

2010-04-30T01:11:00.019+08:00

If there’s a physical line drawn out to differentiate between what’s good and what’s bad, or what’s pure and what’s evil, God must have been the person who drew that line. Without question, God stands as our moral guideline. He is the artist of moral absolutes. As believers, we function around God’s standards of morality.

Now, what about ethics?

Most people would say that ethics birth forth from the philosophical study of moral values and rules. In other words, the principles of what is right and what is wrong are man-made. Whether you call it ethics, morality or value-systems, in any angle you see them, it still boils down to the very fact that God is the linchpin of moral absolutes. Well, at least for us Christians, we hold on to that belief.

When it comes to one’s personal ethics, essentially it does not only affect how that particular person functions but more than that, their ethics directly affects the people around him as well. More so if that person is in a leadership position, which leads me to my main subject matter – ethical leadership.

What exactly is ethical leadership?

Ethical leadership is defined as “knowing your core values and having the courage to live them in all parts of your life in service of the common good.” (Extracted from Center of Ethical Leadership). If we dissect it into smaller components, we will see that it involves 3 key elements:

(1.) "knowing your core values" which relates to the mind
(2.) "living them out in ALL parts of your life" which relates to action and
(3.) "for the good of everyone around you" which relates to impacting others.

Point 1 involves the anatomy of the mind. The leader needs to know from what, where or who did he get his source of principles, ethics and morality. Factors such as family upbringing, groups of friends and temperaments all play its part to one’s ethics but ultimately, as believers, God must still serve as the integral part of them all. Look at Hitler for instance, his guideline to morality and ethics obviously strayed away from God’s, yet he believed it to be true to the point of killing millions. Why? Simply because he permitted his mind to form its own sets of ethics/morality. Point 2 is the consequence of point 1 – from ‘knowing’, it flows down to the ‘doing’. Hitler had his own principles, now, what did he do about it? He initiated the great holocaust. That was his action plan. If point 2 is the consequence of point 1, then point 3 is the direct consequence of point 1 and 2 altogether, which is the point I’m most concern for – affecting and impacting others. Hitler had his own principles, he caused the great holocaust. Now, how exactly did that affect others? It’s a rhetorical question.

Why am I bringing this up?

Before I go on, let me just say that I’m really no expert in leadership nor am I the arbiter of ethics. However, I trust that I have learnt a few key essentials of a leader overtime.

Leaders are seated in an influential position. Now I'm sure you've heard that saying which rings something like, "With great power comes great responsibility". Well, I think that's just a part of it. The second part should sound something like, "With great influence, comes great impact". In recent times, I’m greatly troubled by how certain leaders react to certain situations with rather unethical approaches and I believe that unethical approaches are usually stirred up by selfish agendas.

When leaders have personal agendas going on under their sleeve, their sense of ethics will inevitably reflect those self-serving agendas. As much as these leaders may try to hide their selfish schemes, their characters will eventually be revealed by their own doing. Their unethical approaches will be seen by others and people will begin to question their authority, maturity and sincerity. Look at Hitler for instance. People saw what he did and they wanted him out.

If you consider yourself a leader in your own right, would you allow me to challenge you to pause for a moment and deliberate on these questions:

What are some of the values in life that you hold on to dearly?
Who or where is the source of those values derived from?
Do you apply those values in every area of your life?
Do those values affect the people around you in a positive or negative manner?
Are there certain approaches that you've taken that may have been unethical in some ways? If so, what are you going to do about it?

"Leaders who are ethical are people-oriented, and also aware of how their decisions impact others, and use their social power to serve the greater good instead of self-serving interests. In ethical leadership it is important for the leader to consider how his or her decisions impact others."
(Values: The Key to Effective Ethical Leadership By Sylvester and Jasmine Renner)

As leaders, I believe one of the main challenges that we constantly face is our very self. It's not easy keeping up with ourselves when we are doing so many things at a time. Sometimes, we even get lost in what we're doing. But what's worst is that we stop evaluating ourselves and instead, evaluate others as if we're flawless. I urge you to pause for a bit, just as I did, and do a quick reality check. This is crucial because "it is important for the leader to consider how his or her decisions impact others". This is undergirded by a statement that goes to say that "a leader must take special responsibility for what is going on inside his or her own self, inside his or her consciousness, lest the act of leadership create more harm than good (Palmer, 1996)".

Whether we are leaders or followers, we must realize that what we say, do or even write will affect the people around us. There's a causal relationship between our actions and the people we come into contact with. Whether in a good or bad way, it is dependent on our ethical values.

With great influence, comes great impact.

Dictators.

2010-04-24T23:43:00.008+08:00

I felt compelled to put this down after Traiblazers' match on Saturday.

Everybody hates losing. Worst still, losing it big time. Looking at the scoreline at the end of the game, I knew it was going to be a bitter pill for the team to swallow down. Their courage was literally put under fire. As the final whistle was blown, I looked at my players and I could tell that they were beaten down, heads down and spirit broken. I saw dejection. But as they walked towards the secretariat bench to honour their opponents, I saw something else. I saw not individuals but a team coming together in spite of a deafening defeat. And I must say, I'm proud of them all.

Great teams don't emerge as victors on their first chase for championships. They toil through hardships and face heart-breaking defeats only to meliorate together as one. They are persistent because they do not allow defeats to slow down their advancement.

Great teams are dictators.
They dictate their progress even in times of regress.

To Traiblazers, remember...

Keep smiling as you progress forward :)

Faith.

2010-04-23T19:11:00.002+08:00

Faith is active.

It demands a response.

It's All Good.

2010-04-22T01:04:00.001+08:00

.......... Having said that, I still want my brand new guitar.

Heart.

2010-04-21T01:36:00.006+08:00

There are some friends in life who would cross paths with us and then move on when the time is right. Then there are those rare few who would walk along with us throughout our journey in life...

Friends whom you know you'd grow old with.

You da' bomb! :)

The Dream of a Simple Life

2010-04-21T01:07:00.014+08:00

When I was a kid, I remember thinking to myself that if I were to be the boss of my very own sundry shop, I would then be able to live a simple life, naively thinking that just by selling what I had in the shop it could earn me big bucks (it never occurred to me that I had to firstly buy the stuff before I could sell em'! Like I said, I was a kid then :P). So yea, that was my thought. Sell stuff, earn money, live a simple life.

If we're honest with ourselves, we all have that sort of thinking before. The thinking that if we are at the top, then life would be much simpler. Yes, we all want to have that 'simple life'. Study well, earn good grades, get a good job, earn reasonably good money, get a good partner in life, get married, have children, blah blah blah... Ah, what a life that is.

But does it work that way?

I'm currently reading Lynn Anderson's "Finding the Heart to Go on", a book depicting the life of David, that simple shepherd boy who rose to fame and power, becoming arguably the most prominent king in the old testament. If there's one person I could be in the Bible, David has got to be it.

Here is a man who epitomizes the term 'from zero to hero'. A simple shepherd boy who lived in the wilderness for most of his teenage life only to be brought into the limelight when he single-handedly brought down that enormous giant, Goliath with a mere swing of his slingshot. His escapade to kingship is known throughout the world; a handsome, courageous man who became the greatest king Israel has ever known. Oh, and may I add on to say that he is a man who also appreciates literature and music too! Hah! Every girl wants to be with him and every guy wants to BE him :P

Most would think that David must have lived a simple life after that extraordinary feat against Goliath. Rising up to the rank of a king, who wouldn't??

Well, David did not. Wait... let me rephrase that sentence.
KING David did not.

"So David rose to his days of human glory.
Power. Wealth. Freedom. Popularity.
All had become his - but life at the top was still no bowl of cherries for David.
The expansion of his wealth, popularity and power only brought more problems.
Pressure continued to mount."

His life as a king wasn't a bed of roses. It was filled with great trials, temptations and along the way, triumphs as well. Life did not get any easier for David after he became a king. In fact, it got a whole lot harder.

"How complicated life had become for this once simple shepherd boy.
Finances. Construction, Administration. Transportation. Military manoeuvres.
Political subtleties. Many wives. Many children. More subjects. More men.
More wars. More construction projects. More alliances to maintain.
What happened to "the simple life at the top"?

As I read through this particular chapter of this book, I dug deep into my current state. And boy, it sure look anything but simple. I am nowhere near any sort of career success. Peers have gone way ahead of me, becoming 'kings' in their own rights, while here I am, still stuck in the 'wilderness'.

I believe the simple life that we all want in this world is merely an illusion created by assumptions. We get whirled into thinking that by gaining certain status and success in this world will grant you that sort of life. Why? Because that's exactly what the world is telling us. The world is telling us to love the immense success that it has to offer us. "Success is the way, take it!".

But is it?

I'm not saying that success is not important. We all should strive to be successful. No doubt about that. What I'm saying is that success should not be the most important thing.

"So, what's really important then?", a teacher once asked a man.

The man looked at the teacher. In his calm and confident voice, he answered the man,

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and
with all your soul and with all your mind".

The "Mean Machine".

2010-04-20T18:06:00.004+08:00

Here's a short rap to inspire all Spearhead members after their body-aching push-ups in our last training session. Push-ups good! :P

This is the "Mean Machine",
It's gonna make you lean,
Doin' the push-ups till' your pass is clean!
If you hear me now, then put your sticks on the ground,
cause' it will take all nite, until you get it right!

SPEARHEAD!

SMILE

2010-04-18T01:16:00.008+08:00

Note to self: I really ought to learn to smile a whole lot more :(
Oops. I mean :)

What do we do with borrowed time?

2010-04-16T04:04:00.014+08:00

"Our lives are not our own business.

The very essence of life is a treasure from God,
intended for the use of influencing the world toward God.
Thus with squandered days and misdirected objectives, not only have we failed, but we have actually cast our forces on the side of the enemy.
We have become part of the problem rather than part of the solution."
("Finding the Heart to Go on", Lynn Anderson)

How many times have we fell into the pits of pride and snub God of His position in our lives? I'm not sure about you but I for one am guilty of it on more than one occasion. I once read that as mere human beings, we are all living on borrowed time. It simply means that whatever time/life that we have in this world is 'borrowed' from God.

The thing about borrowing something from someone is that there must be a purpose behind the borrowing of it; there must be a solid reason as to why we borrow something from someone. For instance, if I were to borrow a pen from a friend, the obvious reason is so that I could use it to write something down. I wouldn't borrow a pen just for the heck of it - it makes no utter sense. Therefore, if we are living on borrowed time - borrowing life from God (hypothetically speaking of course) - then my question is, what exactly are we using this "borrowed life" for in this world that we're living in?

"The very essence of life is a treasure from God,
intended for the use of influencing the world toward God."
("Finding the Heart to Go on", Lynn Anderson)

When we borrow something from someone, we borrow it for a reason. On the other hand, when somebody lends us something, the 'lender' would expect us to take good care of the thing being 'lent' to us. It's common sense. But fact is, God don't lend us life, He freely gives it to us. On His end, He expects us to 'take good care' of the life that He has breathed into us. He has a purpose for 'lending' us life and the intended purpose for each of us is way bigger than we think.

Yet, what do we do?

We snub God of His position in our lives. We disregard the "lender", nay, we disregard the 'Giver' of life causing us to have, as the author puts it, 'squandered days and misdirected objectives'. We wind up living our lives without any purpose and without and direction. When that happens, we are actually being captured slowly but surely by the enemy.

Many of us live our lives as if there's no tomorrow. We go by doing what we do every other day. Nothing wrong with that of course. But is there a deeper drive that's keeping you going from day to day than just earning big bucks, climbing up the career ladder, finding the right partner in life and so on?

Now, let's pause for a bit.

If you're standing at the brink of life, standing just a step away from eternity, look back and ask yourself if you have lived a life as how God has intended you to live. If you answered yes with confidence, well then, by all means, step forward and receive a pat on the back as God says to you "Well done, good and faithful servant!". BUT...

If your answer is no, then may I advice you to turn back, get your act together and start living the life that God wants you to live! Remember, the intended purpose for each of us is way bigger than we think.

God wants us to live Big simply because He is a Big God.

Angels

2010-04-15T23:23:00.008+08:00

It's funny how different people comes into your life at different intervals but somehow at exactly the right time just when you need them. Hmmm... A mystery only He can solve. Nonetheless, I'm thankful for such people.

Thank you :)

Whirlwind and Storm

2010-04-14T11:57:00.008+08:00

"His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,

and clouds are the dust of his feet."
(Nahum 1: 3)

Our lives are filled with God-appointed storms.
As much as I hate to admit it, we all need em', don't we?

Time to 'brace yourself like a man' and walk through the storm.

Do Big Things, Think Big God

2010-04-13T01:09:00.005+08:00

We all want to do big things in life, don't we? It's somehow embedded in all of us, this bizarre desire.

But let's pause and think for a moment.

What exactly do we mean by doing 'big' things? How and by what do we define 'doing big' anyway? Is getting your name on the front page of the newspaper for contributing a huge sum of donation considered as doing a 'big' thing? What about the guy who contributed RM1 to the beggar along the street? Most of us, if not all would define doing big things based on human standards and perception. Consequently, the act of comparison is inevitable because that is the measurement by which we use when we based it on human standards.

More often than not, we have the right intention, which is to make an impact in this world, but not necessarily the right reason or purpose for doing so. Our reason, whatever it may be, is the one thing that will drive us to go the distance to do great things in life. Therefore, if our reason is not one that holds weight, it will not take us through to the end.

I was talking to a friend sometime last week and as we talked, he shared his passion to do big things in life. Yet, somewhere in the midst of that conversation, I could also sense a certain bitterness caused by many hurts, disappointments and dissatisfaction. I believe most of us are like that. As much as we desire to do great things in our life time, we also come face to face with great trials and tests. If we don't know how to handle these tests, we will end up with constant headaches that will eventually snowball into a deep sense of resentment.

The secret about doing big things in life is this - we must first be able to pick ourselves up and walk to the altar where we acknowledge that we are small but He is big, only then can we proceed on. That is the basic step that we need to take. If we can't come to that point of humility and surrendering, we open ourselves up to the darts of bitterness, dissatisfaction and disappointments.

Why people choose him to lead but not me? Why am I still in this position after years of loyal service? Why am I not promoted? Why should I help others when others don't help me? What is the point of doing good when all I receive is nothing? I don't feel appreciated, what's the use of going on anyway?

The root or the source of these questions, I believe, stems from the aforementioned earlier - our reason and purpose. If our reason for doing big is to get something in return, for instance the praise and acknowledgement of men, then we will eventually come to the point where we will say and ask ourselves "I don't feel appreciated, what's the use of going on anyway?"... and if our reason for doing big things in life is to get constant promotion, then we may end up asking ourselves "Why people choose him to lead but not me? Why am I still in this position after years of loyal service? Am I not qualified enough?".

God made us uniquely different, each with different gifts. Some with 1 talent, while others may have more than just 1. The question is not so much as to why person A has more talent than person B, but more than that, the question we should be asking ourselves is what are we doing with the talent/s that we have in our hands? God, in the first place, need not have given us any talent but because He is gracious, he gave us anyway. So, let's not point finger at God or other people for that matter but let's take an honest look at ourselves first.

What I'm trying to say is this;

If our reason for doing big things in life is not driven by our BIG God, then we will end up in a big mess instead. Know this - God wants us to do big things, things that can impact the world for His glory. But more often than not, we get too caught up in comparing ourselves with others that we end up, knowingly or unknowingly, being self-centred. As a result, our self-centredness blinds our spiritual eyes. We may not realize it but when we dwell in our self-centredness, we are in fact stealing God of His glory. The challenge then for all of us is to see beyond our self-centredness and to move instead towards the centre of His will.

God made us uniquely different, each with different gifts.

Are we using them for His glory or are we comparing ourselves with
the world for our own personal gain?

His ascendence.

2010-04-10T22:52:00.008+08:00

Job 38-42

The LORD Speaks

¹ Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:

² "Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?

³ Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

⁴ "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.

⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?

⁶ On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-

⁷ while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?

⁸ "Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,

⁹ when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,

¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,

¹¹ when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt'?

¹² "Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,

¹³ that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?

¹⁴ The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.

¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.

¹⁶ "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?

¹⁷ Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

¹⁸ Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.

¹⁹ "What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?

²⁰ Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

²¹ Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!

²² "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,

²³ which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?

²⁴ What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

²⁵ Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,

²⁶ to water a land where no man lives,
a desert with no one in it,

²⁷ to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?

²⁸ Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?

²⁹ From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens

³⁰ when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?

³¹ "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion?

³² Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?

³³ Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?

³⁴ "Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?

³⁵ Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, 'Here we are'?

³⁶ Who endowed the heart with wisdom
or gave understanding to the mind?

³⁷ Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens

³⁸ when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?

³⁹ "Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions

⁴⁰ when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in a thicket?

⁴¹ Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?

Job 39

¹ "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?

² Do you count the months till they bear?
Do you know the time they give birth?

³ They crouch down and bring forth their young;
their labor pains are ended.

⁴ Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
they leave and do not return.

⁵ "Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who untied his ropes?

⁶ I gave him the wasteland as his home,
the salt flats as his habitat.

⁷ He laughs at the commotion in the town;
he does not hear a driver's shout.

⁸ He ranges the hills for his pasture
and searches for any green thing.

⁹ "Will the wild ox consent to serve you?
Will he stay by your manger at night?

¹⁰ Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness?
Will he till the valleys behind you?

¹¹ Will you rely on him for his great strength?
Will you leave your heavy work to him?

¹² Can you trust him to bring in your grain
and gather it to your threshing floor?

¹³ "The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.

¹⁴ She lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand,

¹⁵ unmindful that a foot may crush them,
that some wild animal may trample them.

¹⁶ She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers;
she cares not that her labor was in vain,

¹⁷ for God did not endow her with wisdom
or give her a share of good sense.

¹⁸ Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
she laughs at horse and rider.

¹⁹ "Do you give the horse his strength
or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?

²⁰ Do you make him leap like a locust,
striking terror with his proud snorting?

²¹ He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength,
and charges into the fray.

²² He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;
he does not shy away from the sword.

²³ The quiver rattles against his side,
along with the flashing spear and lance.

²⁴ In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground;
he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.

²⁵ At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, 'Aha!'
He catches the scent of battle from afar,
the shout of commanders and the battle cry.

²⁶ "Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
and spread his wings toward the south?

²⁷ Does the eagle soar at your command
and build his nest on high?

²⁸ He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
a rocky crag is his stronghold.

²⁹ From there he seeks out his food;
his eyes detect it from afar.

³⁰ His young ones feast on blood,
and where the slain are, there is he."

Job 40

¹ The LORD said to Job:

² "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!"

³ Then Job answered the LORD :

⁴ "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.

⁵ I spoke once, but I have no answer—
twice, but I will say no more."

⁶ Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:

⁷ "Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

⁸ "Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

⁹ Do you have an arm like God's,
and can your voice thunder like his?

¹⁰ Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.

¹¹ Unleash the fury of your wrath,
look at every proud man and bring him low,

¹² look at every proud man and humble him,
crush the wicked where they stand.

¹³ Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave.

¹⁴ Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.

¹⁵ "Look at the behemoth,
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.

¹⁶ What strength he has in his loins,
what power in the muscles of his belly!

¹⁷ His tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.

¹⁸ His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like rods of iron.

¹⁹ He ranks first among the works of God,
yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.

²⁰ The hills bring him their produce,
and all the wild animals play nearby.

²¹ Under the lotus plants he lies,
hidden among the reeds in the marsh.

²² The lotuses conceal him in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream surround him.

²³ When the river rages, he is not alarmed;
he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth.

²⁴ Can anyone capture him by the eyes,
or trap him and pierce his nose?

Job 41

¹ "Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook
or tie down his tongue with a rope?

² Can you put a cord through his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?

³ Will he keep begging you for mercy?
Will he speak to you with gentle words?

⁴ Will he make an agreement with you
for you to take him as your slave for life?

⁵ Can you make a pet of him like a bird
or put him on a leash for your girls?

⁶ Will traders barter for him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?

⁷ Can you fill his hide with harpoons
or his head with fishing spears?

⁸ If you lay a hand on him,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!

⁹ Any hope of subduing him is false;
the mere sight of him is overpowering.

¹⁰ No one is fierce enough to rouse him.
Who then is able to stand against me?

¹¹ Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.

¹² "I will not fail to speak of his limbs,
his strength and his graceful form.

¹³ Who can strip off his outer coat?
Who would approach him with a bridle?

¹⁴ Who dares open the doors of his mouth,
ringed about with his fearsome teeth?

¹⁵ His back has rows of shields
tightly sealed together;

¹⁶ each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.

¹⁷ They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.

¹⁸ His snorting throws out flashes of light;
his eyes are like the rays of dawn.

¹⁹ Firebrands stream from his mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.

²⁰ Smoke pours from his nostrils
as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

²¹ His breath sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from his mouth.

²² Strength resides in his neck;
dismay goes before him.

²³ The folds of his flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm and immovable.

²⁴ His chest is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.

²⁵ When he rises up, the mighty are terrified;
they retreat before his thrashing.

²⁶ The sword that reaches him has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.

²⁷ Iron he treats like straw
and bronze like rotten wood.

²⁸ Arrows do not make him flee;
slingstones are like chaff to him.

²⁹ A club seems to him but a piece of straw;
he laughs at the rattling of the lance.

³⁰ His undersides are jagged potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

³¹ He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.

³² Behind him he leaves a glistening wake;
one would think the deep had white hair.

³³ Nothing on earth is his equal—
a creature without fear.

³⁴ He looks down on all that are haughty;
he is king over all that are proud."

Job 42

Job

¹ Then Job replied to the LORD :

² "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.

³ You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

⁴ "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'

⁵ My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.

⁶ Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

What should I do?

2010-04-05T01:29:00.001+08:00

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rain of Grace

2010-03-30T00:57:00.004+08:00

I love it when it rains.

It reminds me of God's grace. In the midst of the many rigorous and torrid weathers of our lives, He pours down cool refreshing rain to soothe us down.

Ah, that's what I call the rain of grace.

His grace is enough.

Empower me

2010-03-28T02:31:00.004+08:00

Verse 1:
Nobody knows how weak I am,
better than You;
Nobody sees all of my needs,
better than You.
And nobody has the power to change me,
from what I was born to be.
Jesus be strong in my weakness,
empower me!

Chorus:
Empower me, like a rushing river flowing to the sea.
Lord, send Your Holy Spirit flowing now through me.
Till I'm living as Your child,
victorious and free,
send the power of Your love,
empower me.

Verse 2:
Nobody's eyes see through my soul,
better than Yours;
Nobody's love can make me whole,
no one but Yours.
And nobody has the power to lift me,
to reach for eternity.
Jesus break through all my defences,
empower me.

Lord, you know...
Empower me I pray.

Touched by Grace, Sent by Him

2010-03-28T00:05:00.005+08:00

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Isaiah 6: 5-8

Gateway City Church, Penang: Second Anniversary!

2010-03-07T23:07:00.002+08:00

In January, we celebrated Gateway City Church's (GCC) second anniversary. Although I wasn't exactly at the very beginning of GCC's birth, I must say that my personal journey there so far has been one that is life changing. Below is a video made by GCC's very own media expert, Saw Poh Sim, showing glimpses of how God has blessed us throughout 2009! Enjoy!

LOL & LWL!

2010-02-28T01:32:00.018+08:00

My involvement in floorball has never been so great a deal until about 3-4 months back. How perfectly He orchestrates the symphony of events that took place is one that baffles my mind. From the birth of GSN to adopting floorball clubs in schools to forming Spearhead Floorball Club and to my personal journey in APAC 2010, the chronology of events that unfolded was the epitome of a Genius at work. He is the master planner and organizer of all things.

Getting myself more involved in floorball meant that meeting and possibly leading people would be inevitable. I've always been passionate about working with people. I find joy in reaffirming, encouraging, listening and possibly counselling people... But I'd never thought myself to be working amongst youth! He has His ways in training us. I must admit that in the initial stage, I was a little uneasy being amidst the group of youth I was working with. It has been a long while since I've been in touch with youth. Naturally, I felt a little 'disconnected'.

But their presence has made my personal race in life so much more meaningful and purposeful. They are a great bunch and it's odd how God teaches you a thing or two by first putting you in a position to teach. While you're at it, He begins to reveal what he has in store for you bit by bit. One of the key things I've learnt is that the word 'ministry' is merely a word used to compartmentalize different areas of focus. Yet at the same time, it's a word which holds each individual accountable as to how they live their lives. Ministry applies at a personal basis as well, knowingly or unknowingly, our lives - the way we communicate, live, speak and what we do - is a ministry in itself (1 Corinthians 10: 31).

Another key thing that I've learnt and something which I still struggle with once in a while is this whole issue of inadequacy. Many times when I look at the task which He has entrusted me with, I wonder to myself, "Why me when there are others who are far more capable??". Obviously, God being God, He didn't reveal to me His answer :P I'm a PhelgMel to begin with and add that up with a little low-self esteem, you'll get a person who constantly struggle with the issue of inadequacy. I've learnt this - If you're on your own, the truth that you'll get is that you will forever be in lacking. But if you're in Him and with Him, then you shall not be in lack (Psalm 23: 1). Ah, sounds theoretically simple, eh? But it isn't. The struggle is real, at least for me it is. Yet the truth remains as it is - If He is our shepherd, then we shall not be in want. Through our inadequacies, He will manifest Himself. This requires simple faith.

Nike puts it simply - Just do it.

Living out loud (LOL) and living without lack (LWL) for Christ is a constant challenge. But in order for it to be a challenge, you must first choose to accept it in the first place. Should you choose not to accept it, then it's not a challenge that you'll need to face altogether. So...

Are you LOL and LWL for Christ?

Mission Emphasis Week

2010-02-23T13:55:00.012+08:00

Last Sunday service, GCC had its Mission Emphasis Week, a service focussing on mission work and how the church as a whole can move towards that direction. When it comes to mission, it always excites me somehow. We had the privilege of having Pastor Richard, a pastor who have been serving for almost 30 years now in the mission field, to speak and to share with us in particularly about the Penan people. Pastor Richard is currently working very closely with the Penan (when I say working closely I mean he actually hikes and lives in the interior with this group of people) in Borneo. He came with a bag loaded with experience, knowledge and passion. I'm always amazed by people like himself - people like Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor and even Eric Liddell - people who are willing to literally live a life of reckless abandon for the sake of the gospel. Simply astonishing.

I first started to develop a heart for mission, cross-cultural mission to be more exact, about 3 years back under FES's S.T.O.M.P. programme where I had my first visit into the interior of Sarawak to be part of the Iban community. Since then, I've been going back to Sarawak. Last year, with His guidance, I had the chance to organize my first mission trip called G-S.T.O.M.P with a group of graduates who too shared a heart for mission and in particularly, the Iban community. I can say with all my heart that every single time I stepped out there, God has never failed to remind me of something old and reveal to me something new. He holds a different agenda for me each time.

Interestingly enough, while last Sunday was on Mission Emphasis, a friend of mine who was part of G-S.T.O.M.P. last year was coincidentally up in Penang for a break. I had the chance to catch up with her, shared about our passion and heart for the Iban community and even traded thoughts as to how we can further develop G-S.T.O.M.P. It's always encouraging to have conversations such as this with people who share the same conviction. Not many people these days, especially people in our current generation, are willing to take time out from their daily routine to do short-term mission trips any longer. I guess the idea of stepping out of our comfort zone - nice bed, clean bathroom, air-conditioned room and good food - isn't too appealing to many.

The thing I'm most attracted to about the Iban community is their life of total simplicity which in turn, enables them to access freely into living a life of simple faith. Simple faith is something that we urban people seem to have long forgotten amidst all the turmoil of our concrete jungle. This group of people are not "contaminated", so to speak, by the pollution of what this modern world has to offer. This people don't have proper electricity running 24hours a day, no phone lines, no running water and no proper toilets for that matter. They live day by day, depending on simple things like nature to provide food, rain and river for water and above all, God for everything. I too am constantly struggling to learn to live simply. I guess coming from a big city, we will constantly wrestle with the idea of stepping out from here and into the interiors. But when we so decide to do that, it's amazing what God can teach us through that journey.

If I could only share one thing that amazes me about going for a cross-cultural mission, it would be the realisation that God's children is from every corner of the world - no matter how different our world and theirs may be - how different our cultures, background, language and lifestyle - it need not matter at all because through One man we have become one family. That's the evident beauty about cross-cultural mission. It's hard to describe how my spirit reacted when I had my first experience worshipping in Bahasa Malaysia, my first experience praying in BM or Iban for that matter, my first experience preaching in BM and my first experience witnessing the Iban people sharing their testimonies. It left me totally in awe of how big our God is and how loving He is.

And here I find myself in a room with full-fledge electricity powering the fan that's blowing right into my face while connecting half way across the world through this ingenious technology called internet as I sip a nice hot cup of Milo away.

Ahhh... sweet isn't it?

.....

....

...

How long shall we stay in our comfort zone?

CNY!

2010-02-23T02:04:00.012+08:00

Chinese New Year is commonly abbreviated simply to CNY. I found a new meaning to CNY...

Crazy N-nergectic Youth!

Last Saturday, GSN held a Chinese New Year Party at my apartment's poolside area for all the students and sports enthusiasts. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Hokkien the term that should be used would be 'lau juak'. Hehe.

Happening indeed.

I ain't gonna blabber much about the event because GSN has already posted up an entry about it.

Please read here for the update!

Feeding from the States?

2010-02-16T18:16:00.008+08:00

I had nothing better to do just now so I strolled down to my blog feed just to saja-saja see... Wah, I didn't know I got so many readers from the States. But I'm thinking to myself, I got so many friends from the States meh?

*Scratch head*

31% from the States... Hahaha... I got more Americans reading my blog than Malaysians... Not too sure if its a good or a bad thing...

Well, to all my American readers, Happy Chinese New Year!

(P.S. Go Chinatown and see some lion dance! :P)

Eternity

2010-02-15T23:48:00.010+08:00

If you pause for a moment and think, you'd realise that we're all actually standing at the edge of life. No one knows how much time they have left ahead of them. I could well be in my room blabbering this post away and possibly found dead the next morning in my room. I don't mean to sound morbid but I'm merely trying to get my point across.

For the living, we often take for granted the days that we have. We don't think and process about what we do anymore, we just... do. The cycle of life just goes on without any true significance. Childhood, youth, adulthood, parenthood, all of these are but phases of lives that will eventually lead to the one inescapable doorway - Eternity.
Question is, what are we doing between now, the temporal phases of life, and then, the lasting and infinite phase of Eternity?

Truth is, every second of our lives counts for something. I hold strong to the belief that every person is made to leave a certain legacy behind. Good or bad, big or small, that's besides the point. All of us have the capacity to carve a legacy in the lives of others.

Sad to say, I'm not exactly at the brink of adulthood any longer. I am already an adult. A quarter century old to be precise. Bleh. Hence, I've been thinking of changing the theme of my blog, something I've been meaning to do. So, I was mulling over what's ahead in my life - what's the next phase? Courtship? Parenthood? Neeehhhhh...

And thennnnn in occurred to me... I'm actually standing...

At the brink of Eternity.

I don't know how much more of life I have left in front of me. Eternity is imminent. Every step that I take ahead of me is one that takes me closer to Him. I don't know if I'd ever be a boyfriend, husband, father, grandfather... I don't know. But what I do know is that Eternity awaits me.

He awaits me.

So, between now and then, as I stand at the edge of Eternity, I pray so earnestly that my journey will be one that will leave trails of legacy. It will be one crazy ride, that's for sure. But heck, that's the beauty of it, ain't it? ;)

(Will post up my new header tomorrow!
YES, I made a new header finally!
Woohooo! :)