Hanging Out With Jit

Who Stole my Implants??!!

2009-04-01T11:52:00.007+08:00

I came across the article and I laughed so loud. At first I thought it was just a joke, but as I read the article ... THIS IS A TRUE STORY!!!! Be prepared to be blown away to another galaxy. With this, I think the human race has totally sunk into a new low.

CNN linked this story from KTLA News: Woman Sought for Stealing Breast Implants.

This story writes itself.

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Police are searching for a 30-year-old woman accused of stealing someone's identity and a pair of new breast implants.

Yvonne Pampellonne is accused of using a fake id to pay for liposuction and new breast implants valued at more than $12,000. According to Huntington Beach police, Pampellonne opened a line of credit in someone else's name in September 2008.

Huntington Beach police detective Larry Pitcher said Pampellone lied to her doctor and the staff at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery about her name and other personal identification. She used the credit to have the procedures done and never showed up for any follow-up appointments, Pitcher said.

I am really curious to know what are they going to do now that the police have caught her? Does she need to "return" the implants? What about evidence? Are they going to photograph her "boobs" for evidence? I mean, can the real owner identify her "implants" through a photo line-up? Ha ha ha ha. This is really funny ...sorry if I offended anyone but you must agree this is really funny :P

More importantly, what will she be charged under - "1st Degree, Breast Implant Theft?"

The Proper Foundation

2009-03-31T10:18:00.003+08:00

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its labor in vain." Psalm 127:1a

Imagine spending years building an expensive home with the finest material and craftsmanship. It is a work of art, and the project is almost complete. As the day arrives to move in, a building inspector arrives and hands you a notice that condemns your beautiful home because it doesn't meet the building code. Imagine how you would feel at that moment with the notice in your hand and your eyes staring at your beautiful home?

Many Christians - business people, ministers, teachers, parents etc... - who invest years in their various fields of dreams will one day stand before the Lord and realize they were building their own house, NOT the Lord. God is very picky when it comes to our motives behind the actions. Before we act, we must ask why? Why are we doing what we are doing? Has God called us to this task? Are our motives based purely on financial gain, control, prestige, or pride?

It has been a struggle for me the last couple of months - struggle not in my faith, but with what I am doing. I have been praying that there must be more than this here in Kluang. The struggles, the loneliness and the discouragements has taken a toll on me early this year and I just wanted to quit and just be a "regular" guy, father and and husband. I thought to myself that I have given my best and I done what I believe is a "fairly good" work and now its time to move on. I just could not go on like this anymore. My prayer was, "Lord, why am I here and what am I suppose to do?"

Of course the Lord has His own humor and he made me wait as He knows that it is the one thing i cannot stand. It seems to me that I struggle with this same question every 5 years or so and in all of this, He has made me wait upon Him. And WAITING before Him is what i did.

Lately, Psalm 127 has been playing in my head. questions like, "Who is my master?", "whom am I serving?", "to whom am I giving to?", "whose house am I building?", "in whose strength am I laboring for?" and "what is my mission?" - in all these questions, I know the Lord is saying something to me and revealing my heart and His heart as well.

"If any man builds on his own foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work." 1 Cor. 3:12-13

I knew exactly what the Lord is saying and has me to do. I am being refined - with all the trials and struggles that I am going through, He is refining my character, pushing me towards His throne and teaching me to TRUST in His wisdom and strength. I am also reminded that my labor is not in vain!!! Sometimes while building a house, we can loose sight of the entire house we are building - and that is what happened to me - I loose sight of the big picture because I was so focused on what I am doing. I began to wept and repented before the Lord for I have been so myopic in vision and selfish in my serving. i have forgotten that I am building a cathedral and not a house.

I also realized what God has called me to do here in this small town - to raise a young generation from this small town that will transform this nation and to be agents of change for this community and beyond. As I looked back over the years, the Lord has been good in placing so many young men and women in my life - young men and women with the potential to usher God's presence into this nation. I must add that I am the luckiest youth worker to be surrounded by so many young and hungry hearts that are ready to give, serve and lead.

King David learned this principle by the end of his life. Throughout his life he had learned that God always tested him to find out what was in his hert, and what his motive was in his actions. David intructed his son to "...acknowledge the God your father, and serve Him wholehearted devotion and with a willing ind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind th thoughts" 1 Chron. 28:9

Placing Trust In Our Strength

2009-03-24T09:31:00.004+08:00

"So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead." 1Chronicles 21:14

When was the last time your overconfidence cost the lives of 70,000 men? That is exactly what happen to David. David made what might appear to be an innocent request of his general, Joab. But the minute Joab heard the request, he cringed. He knew David was in big trouble for this one.

You see, to number the troop was a great sin in Israel because it was against the law. Why you might as? Because it demonstrated that you were placing more trust in the numbers than in the living God. David displayed enough pride to cost the lives of 70,000 fighting men. God gave him three choices of punishment for his sin. A plague was the one he chose, and it resulted in the death and loss of 70,000 men!!!

Throughout Israel's history, God set the stage for battles to be won, miracles to take place, and people to exercise faith. The stage was also set so that men could not take credit for what God did. Consider Gideon who was only allowed 300 me to fight an army of 100,000. Consider Jehoshaphat, who had to lead his army with his singers. God defeated the enemy. Consider Joshua, who was told simply walk around Jericho seven times, and they would get the victory. God did things in some very unconventional ways!!! How does this relate to you and me as normal students, teachers, pastors, businessman, mothers, fathers and so on? Well, the minute you and I place more trust in our abilities than in God, we are guilty of numbering the troops. Hoe does He punish us? Sometimes it's through letting a deal go sour? Sometimes it is through problems in our relationship with our spouses, client, class mates, colleague, our children or parents. Sometimes situations just blow up in our face. Other times, He lets us go on for a long time doing our own thing, but eventually, He will deal with it and us.

All I am saying and learning right now is to learn to have complete dependence on God - everyday 24/7!!! We all have to learn to use our gifts and talents that God has blessed us with and put it to work through the help of the Holy Spirit. God's way sometimes do not make sense and I have i learn in my life time, God's ways has never lined up with conventional wisdom. So I learn not to "make sense" of everything because His ways will always be HIGHER than my way. When we begin depending on our abilities only, God has a responsibility to make known to us who is the REAL giver of the blessings.

Becoming a Mighty Man

2009-03-03T09:39:00.011+08:00

"All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him." 1 Samuel 22:2

Have you ever felt that you could accomplish a whole lot more if you had more talented people around you? Perhaps you are in an office and think that some of your fellow worker's don't quite measure up.

Imagine what David must have thought in the years following his anointing by the prophet Samuel as the next king of Israel. He spent the next many years running from King Saul. Now God was beginning to bring men to support David.

But what kind of men? The down and out. God gave David not the elite nor the sophisticated; He gave him those who were in debt and discontented with life. David turned those men into the best fighting men of their day.

In fact, David never lost a battle during his entire reign as king of Israel - quite a feat for a bunch of no-name, lowlifes!!! Some of those men became an elite group known as David's Mighty Men. These were the elite of elite, the Navy Seals, the Few Good Men, the British Special Forces, the Green Berets. Whatever you call them, they were exceptional warriors.

Jesus took a few men who weren't exactly the cream of the crop either. He built His life into those men, which resulted in 12 men who turned the world upside down. Are you one of God's mighty men or women? David and Jesus set the example of what can be done when we invest in others. God does extraordinary things through men who have an extraordinary God. Ask God to use your life to be a mighty man or woman for a cause greater than yourself. He delights in such prayer!!!

Overcoming Our Past

2009-02-24T10:24:00.005+08:00

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah." Judges 11:29a

We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal accident, childhood disease - all difficult circumstances to overcome. Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God's sight. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute.

Gilead's wife bore more sons, decide to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are a son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.

The experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country - so much so when the Ammonites made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years. "Didn't you hate me and drive me out from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggles that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.

The Lord prepares each of us in the similar way. Some of our childhoods see to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows ou struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we follow him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.

My Little Baby Is Growing Up Fast!!!

2009-02-17T11:58:00.007+08:00

Having a kid is really fun, especially when it is your own. I have such a great time watching how my little "baby" Caysha growing up into a fine toddler. She says the darnest things these days. Every time I have to leave for work, it really breaks my heart to see her cry at the gate. Its even harder when I have to be outstation. But I look forward to hearing her call "papa" over the phone and her flying kisses for me. I could not imagine life without life without her .... her smiles, her laughter, her hugs and kisses, her chuckles, etc... Now we are all looking forward to another "baby" .... looking forward to start the process all over again.

For those who still is in the dark, Li Poh and I are expecting a boy the next time around. We are both looking forward to have a different experience in raising a boy. Caysha has brought so much fun and pleasure, that we are looking forward for more fun and laughter from this next child.

As for my PRINCESS, she will continue to be my source of inspiration and laughter. When days are bad, all I have to do is just look at her and everything else seems to fade away. I often find myself rushing for home because I just want to feel the little arms and hands wrap around me and telling me that everything is alright. I find much comfort from a tiny hug of my little princess - reminding me constantly, what is truly important.

Blessed to be a Blessing!

2009-02-11T11:16:00.005+08:00

After a wonderful week of just resting, much has been on my mind, especially the economy downturn that the world is going through. We live in a very uncertain time. We hear and read about people loosing their jobs, their security, their home and even divorces due to the financial hard times. So how do we respond as Christians?

One thing for sure, we need to keep giving. We need to continue to be blessings to others. This is not the time to hold back. My family have been on the receiving end of a beautiful blessing. I struggled at first in receiving it, but I got really convicted on learning how to receive a blessing and allowing the person that is blessing me the opportunity to blessed and serve through giving.

Throughout the holidays, I see God's hand of provision for my family through the people He has placed in my life. I am truly humbled by it all.

When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. 2 Chronicles 29:29

We are blessed to be a blessing! When we give offerings to the Lord we do it to thank him, to obey him, to acknowledge that all good things come from him, and everything we have is his, for the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. It is a celebration of the Lord’s provision. He has given us his Son, His Word, our breath, our families, our jobs, our home, clothes, cars, our health, our church family, this beautiful country. He is worthy to be praised!!!

King Hezekiah repaired the temple doors, his predecessors were unfaithful to the Lord, and he was going to get it right! (Thankfully, my predecessor did such an awesome job!) He lead the people back to a heart of worship, he consecrated everything unto the Lord. He commanded the people not to be negligent, but to stand before the Lord and serve Him and minister to Him.

Some churches all over the world have turned their backs on God and become worldly, or lukewarm or just like a club. We are called to relationship with our Lord, and the integral part of that relationship is to worship him in spirit and in truth. To worship Him with our bodies, our time, our money, our whole life is a lifestyle of worship to him.

Lord, I love you and want to serve you wholeheartedly. Revive me. Fill me and Pour Afresh on me. Teach me DAILY the importance of GIVING and TRUSTING in YOU!! Let not my circumstances dictate how much I should give but rather n FAITH in You. Amen.

Family Vacation

2009-02-10T14:27:00.007+08:00

It has been a wonderful week for me and my family. Finally, we could just get away from our jobs and have fun as a family. I realized how much I miss my family - its not that I do not spend time with them, but just having them hanging around me 24/7 is so much fun. We laughed, we ate, we slept (A LOT), we shopped, walked, tickled each other and just holding on to each other - I really missed it all. I know, many of you think I am getting emotional, growing old or just plain, "there is something wrong with Jit."

Truth to be told, I miss those times. We had such a good time in Kuching. My family is indeed very blessed to have this trip all paid for by a REALLY sweet friend. We thought that was it - the extent our blessings, until we arrived in Kuching. We were very well cared for by our hosts Tening and Stella. They drove us all around the city. They put us up in the finest rooms. They gave us the best food Kuching has to offer. They even stayed up late for us!!!

As for my daughter Caysha, she had the best of time. Besides having a dog to play with, she also was blessed to have Clarissa, Alex and Natalie to hang out with. She definitely loves the company of kids. But more importantly, she got to have daddy all for her own and that definitely has been the highlight for me and Caysha. She got daddy all for her own.

Thank you so much to both of you. We felt so loved by you and your family. My family and I really had a wonderful time. We are well rested and energized.

I AM BACK!!!!!

2009-02-03T22:10:00.003+08:00

I AM BACK!!!! Yes you will be seeing a whole lot of me from now on. No more jokes about me about blogging anymore.

The latest news is this ... my wife and I will be expecting our first BOY come this June. WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!! Hallelujah. God is indeed good. We got to see the boy and boy oh boy, he is one good looking boy ... just like me!!!

Pure Power

2008-02-15T11:24:00.003+08:00

"Any person with a serious skin disease must...cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as anyone has the sores, that one continues to be ritually unclean. That person must live alone; he or she must live outside the camp." Leviticus 13:45-46

"Anyone who touches these things becomes unclean and must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he remains unclean until evening." Leviticus 15:27

Have you ever met someone who was really filthy - who obviously hadn't had a shower in ages, whose appearance and body odour was repulsive to you? And then they come to shake your hand or, even worse, give you a hug!? I must confess that I try not to get too close to such people. Or, if someone has a contagious flu or disease, we tend to avoid them like the plague, don't we? We just don't want their disease or 'uncleanness' to rub off on us.

These somewhat strange chapters in Leviticus deal with such problems, outlining 'quarantine' and cleansing rules for uncleanness due to skin diseases and other physical problems. People were not to touch other 'unclean' people or objects lest they became unclean themselves. What a remarkable thing, then, when we look at the life of Jesus and discover that Jesus was not at all afraid to touch or be with 'unclean', sinful people. In fact this was one of the problems that the religious people of his day (the Pharisees) had with Jesus - while they ran away and hid from an 'unclean' world, Jesus embraced it with his love and purity.

We see this numerous times in the life of Jesus, with him touching the lepers, the woman with the discharge of blood, the woman caught in adultery. Jesus wasn't afraid of being made 'unclean' by such encounters with sinful people. Instead, he imparted his cleanness and purity to them. He brought healing and purity to their uncleanness.

God calls us, as His followers, to do the same - not to be corrupted by the world, but instead to be a purifying and sanctifying influence on those around us; to impart His life, wholeness and purity to those we come in contact with every day. Now that's 'pure' power!

Lord, please use me to touch others with your love and power - to bring your healing and wholeness to a broken and unclean world. May my life radiate your purity and transform the lives of those around me, I pray.

The Death Of Religion

2008-02-06T09:37:00.000+08:00

"But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.

At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. What's more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many." Matthew 27:50-53

That one moment split time in half, from BC to AD. From the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. From the Law of Sin and death to the Law of the Spirit of Life. From the need for animal sacrifices to atone for Sin, to the ultimate sacrifice.

No more 6 inch thick curtain in the temple between the people and God. We can now come boldly to the Throne of Grace with Direct access through Christ. It wasn't a man ripping the curtain from bottom to top, but God ripping it from top to bottom. I've heard grace described as "God stooping down to us." God stooped down and rent the curtain in two, the final nail in the coffin to religion.

The man who spoke vehemently against the Pharisees and the Sadducee s and the religious scholars who could quote the scriptures chapter and verse, but there hearts were far away from God. The man who called the temple courts a den of thieves and made a scene tearing down the tables of the money-changers.

Jesus died to break the curse of that shallow religion and usher in a new way of coming to God. Worshiping him in Spirit and truth. Having the Law written on our hearts and not on tablets of stone. And he didn't leave us alone to try in our own strength to work it all out. He gave us his precious Holy Spirit, The Wonderful Counselor, who guides us into all truth.

I hope and pray that we don't ever get bound up again by the man made rules of religion. But that we can walk with the Lord, guided by His Holy Spirit in all we do.

Thank you Lord for your sacrifice you made. You laid down your life for me, I lay down my life for you Lord. Amen.

Heart Check - Who’s good am I working for?

2008-02-01T10:54:00.000+08:00

Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

Esther 10:3

This is a new year, but it sure feels like the old. I am not one that read into things but of late, I have been feeling really frustrated. Frustrated to see how things has been handles.

New year, same old habits and attitudes and the same results ... more hurts and more disappointments and more frustration. How come we cannot resolve things in a Christ like manner? How come we are not able to adopt the Christ likeness before we go on ranting and pulling people down? How come we rather see, hold on and remember people's past when Christ have said that ALL IS FORGIVEN???!!!

It leaves such a bitter taste in my mouth. I really thought that this year ... will be a new year ...a new beginning, a new hope, a new faith .... but really, its so frustrating and discouraging to see how things have turned out!!! All I can ask is this, "Lord, what are you saying and teaching me through the things I am seeing?" I want to speak out. I want to just give my peace of mind to the people who are so cruel and judgmental.

Who doesn’t want to be held in high esteem? Every person has a desire to be honored. It’s heart check time! When I read this passage in Esther, I immediately asked myself - “Who’s good or welfare am I working for?” Do I speak up to be noticed? Do I work hard to be applauded and affirmed? Bummers - the answer is yes!

Great leaders - Growing people will ask questions like these of themselves and those who are honest to the core, can serve God with high esteem and favor.

I think people can smell the odors of self serving leadership - whether I serve and work hard for my well being or the people’s. Whether I speak up on behalf of others or to be noticed and affirmed. If I can “smell the odor” on others - I know others can “smell it” on me.

Family Vacation

2008-01-16T10:24:00.001+08:00

Smiling kid

Daddy & Caysha

Hi there everyone. Sorry for the long absence. Its been quite a month so far. So here are so update on my kid. We took our first family vacation at the beginning of the year and boy, did we all had a blast, especially for Caysha. Do not think I have seen her siled so much in the three days that we were in Melaka. Anyway, enjoy the photos. Will post more next time around!!!

Jesus In The Margins

2007-12-14T09:57:00.000+08:00

"Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, "Oh, thank you, God!" I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other believers. And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it. Friend, you have no idea how good your love makes me feel, doubly so when I see your hospitality to fellow believers." Philemon 1:4-7

Here Paul is writing to Philemon and to the church that meets in his home. Paul is in prison when he writes this, and it's great to see that even though his circumstances are bleak, chained up for the Gospel, he obviously is still filled with a joy that can only come from God.

Wouldn't you want to be like the people Paul is writing about here. Whenever someone prays for you they say, "Oh thank you God!" And where you are bearing so much fruit in your ministry that word is getting around that that the Love and faith you have for Jesus is brimming over to other believers.

I also love to see here that Paul has been so blessed by their Love and their Hospitality to other believers. That's the kind of reputation you want. Proverbs says that "a good reputation is better than stored up riches." I was thinking the other day, that all of my years in church life, I have really looked up to my leaders and tried to bless them.

I have always had a healthy respect for Pastors and the responsibility they have on their shoulders, and I have tried to be a help rather than a hindrance. I hope that anyone who has pastored me in the past can speak of me like Paul spoke of Philemon and his church.

I heard of a book recently called "Jesus in the margins." It talks about how there are lots of people in the margins of our lives who we are called to minister to but we overlook them in our busyness. Here at Agape and at Youth Ablaze, I hope we are always being a blessing to people, in and outside of the margins, whether people can see us blessing them or not. We need to keep showing hospitality, and serving with all of our hearts.

Sadly, you come across people in churches who always have a problem with something. Phillip Yancey calls them "grace growers." We need to handle them well. And if we look at it the right way it can be an opportunity for us to develop our character.

Lord, Help me make each day count for you. Anoint me with your Holy Spirit to reach out to whoever you call me to, in and outside of the margins. Amen.

SCARY FLIGHT!!!

2007-11-28T10:55:00.000+08:00

I came across this from a reading and thought all of you might enjoy it. For those who are going to fly this coming holidays, sorry-lah!!!

[Pre-takeoff Announcement on a China Southern Airlines Flight]

This is a true account of what was heard on a recent flight from Shenzhen to Qingtao by China Southern Airlines:

"Good afternoon, Ladies and the German. This is your cheap purser Wang Lui speaking. On behalf of China Sudden Airlines, I would like to welcome you on board our Bowling 737 from Shenzhen to Qingtao. Members of my crew speak Chinese and other languages that you do not know. It is a great pressure serving you to-die. Should you need any resistance during the fright, peace do pest the call button. I and my gals are available to make you feel comfortable. Meanwhile, the airkwaft is going to fry. Peace sit upright and keep you belt tightly fastened until dinner is served at five dirty p.m. Hope you would enjoy your fright with us. Funk kill."

Caysha Update

2007-11-13T15:09:00.000+08:00

Here is another update on my beautiful daughter. She has reached another milestone in her life - she hits 3 month old. She is sure growing so fast and is already outgrowing most of her clothes.

Can never get enough of her these days as she is smiling a whole lot more - she is even learning to chuckle too!!! Also she is more observant, as well as very responsive. Finally, I found someone who will never get bored of me or my constant talking ... Ha ha ha.

Anyway, enjoy the photos ... I know my wife and I cherished these photos so much.

A Vow Is A VOW

2007-11-01T11:17:00.000+08:00

"Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken." Acts 18:18

Paul amazes me. He was in such opposition to Christians, he used to slaughter them, now he is so passionate about persuading others of the resurrection of Christ. He doesn't do things in half measures. You don't often here much of vows in the contemporary church of today.

In scripture I think of Samson and his nazirite vow not to shave his head. John the Baptist did the same. These guys were so full-on for God that they were willing to have there outward appearance change because of a vow they had made.

It makes me realise the level of commitment these guys had. They truly were history makers, they rose up among their contemporaries and obey the call of God on their lives. Even though shaving your head or not cutting your hair as a vow to God seems like a minor detail. I don't know many Christians today who would be willing to do it as an act of obedience to God.

Many christians today are flat out paying a tithe or an offering, or serving on a team, or are willing to set aside time each week to be a part of a ministry group, or to even fast some food.

The key is not to do it for religions sake, but because you are so close to the Lord, you hear his voice and he calls you to do it and you obey. I'm sure Paul took that vow because he wanted to honour a commitment he made to his best friend, Jesus.

I know a few single friends who have taken a vow of celibacy for 20 years! Now that is commitment! I know a youth pastor who has shaved his head because God told him too. I know people in ministry who tithe 90% of their earnings to honour a vow.

We need to be willing to sacrifice whatever pleases the Lord. Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily.

Lord, whatever it takes to honour you Lord. Let me hear your voice. I don't want to be in the crowd of the uncommitted, I want to be among the chorus of the obedient. Amen.

Shadow Mission

2007-10-24T11:46:00.000+08:00

"Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." Acts 3:4-5

With great revival comes great holiness. In the book of Acts there is awesome revival! Thousands saved, healed, delivered, people giving money to the Lord, lots of awesome things happening, and God is not letting anyone get away with their lies. Ananias both fell dead on the spot for lying to God about their giving.

We read in Malachi 3:9 how God's people are under a curse because they are robbing him in tithes and offerings. God requires much of us. When he moves powerfully, there is a price to pay. He wants us to be fully devoted, mind body, soul, spirit, time, house, car, wallet. If you take a look at someone's bank statements, you can see who they worship, by the places where they put their money. Some of us need to get born-again in our wallet or purse too!

John Ortberg preached at the Willow Creek Summit about how we need to confess and turn from our shadow mission, so we can get on with God's mission for our lives. He confessed that his shadow mission is "Man's approval" Once he had dealt with that and confessed it to his fellow leaders he could overcome it and move on with God! Here Ananias and Sapphira had a shadow mission of greed, and financial gain. God dealt with it severely, he demands holiness from us. The Bible says, "be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect." It's a high standard, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, "All things are possible for him who believes."

Lord, I lay any shadow mission down at your feet, and ask you to empower me to overcome it, and walk in holiness before you. In Jesus name, Amen.

I LOVE CHILDREN!!!

2007-10-19T15:27:00.000+08:00

I was so inspired when I read Joy's last blog about children response are when it comes to the definition of love. So here is my contribution on what children think when it comes to science.

Subject: science exam answers.

Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour? (brilliant, love this!)
A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A: Premature death.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.g., abdomen)
A: The body is consisted into three parts -- the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels A, E, I, O, and U.

Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie.

Q: What does "varicose" mean? (I do love this one...)
A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarian Section."
A: The Caesarian Section is a district in Rome .

A Story Of Love and Forgivness

2007-10-18T10:00:00.000+08:00

Just wanted to share this story with all of you. Its someone dear and special to me. When I was in Hawai'i, I always looked forward to Sunday Service. Every Sunday morning without fail, I will see this sweet lady smiling at the entrance of the hall. When you see her, you can tell she is really "REAL" and really sweet. She would greet me and welcome - but the one thing I remember most is this .... she has the sweetest and most loving hugs!!!!! I love it and miss it. Her hug always tells me and reminds me that everything is ok .... that God loves me. SO when I came across her story, I now know why she hugs so well. Happy Reading!!!

A Servant's Heart Florence Chang's Story

If you have attended the 7 am Sunday service at Farrington High School, you probably have seen Alfred and Florence Chang before. They have served as greeters for the 8 years, and just recently celebrated their 60th anniversary on August 30th. What you may not know is that they both graduated from Farrington High School in 1943, though they did not know each other then. Another thing you may not have known was Florence’s tremendously difficult upbringing.

Before Florence was even born, she had earned the animosity of her mother. While pregnant with Florence, the family lost a toddler-aged daughter. Chinese traditions forbade expectant mothers from attending funerals, as it is said to harm the unborn child. As a result, Florence’s mother held a grudge against her even before she was born.

That grudge grew into unabated hatred over the years, and it showed through Ma’s treatment of Florence. Florence was physically and verbally abused on a daily basis, she was thrown in the garbage, threatened to be flushed down the toilet, even thrown in the oven in a fit of rage. She was told that she was stupid and good for nothing, and was even told “I wish you were dead.” All this before Florence entered third grade.

One year, Florence was enrolled at Sacred Hearts Academy. She didn’t do well there because of the advanced workload, and years of discouragement placed upon her, but there was one thing that Florence particularly enjoyed about Sacred Hearts: chapel. At chapel, she would sing the hymns at the top of her lungs, it gave her a strong sense of peace, which she now knows was God’s first touch on her life.

Thoughts of suicide crept into Florence’s head when she was a teenager. Her hardships at home and at school began to pile up, and there were times where it just felt like too much to handle. However, she worried what would happen if she didn’t actually die in the attempt. She would have been severely hurt or handicapped and only her Ma to care for her. She decided that was a fate worse than death and decided not to go through with her thoughts, hoping that whatever the future held would be better. “Looking back, God held me in His hands at that time,” said Florence. “However, there was yet more to face, and it was not easy.”

Her time at Farrington High School was very hectic. During World War II, the campus was also used as a hospital, so half of the students would attend school in the morning, and the other half would go in the afternoon. Florence didn’t ever meet her future husband, Alfred while at Farrington, although they graduated in 1943 together.

When Florence graduated, her father and one of her sisters watched the ceremony, but her mother stayed home. “I went to school every morning by myself and didn’t expect any kind of celebration, even at home.” She didn’t get to enjoy graduation at all, so the very next day she began work at the Hawaiian Ordinance as a messenger.

A few years after beginning work at Hawaiian Ordinance, Alfred Chang came into Florence’s life. Ma tried to discourage Alfred from dating Florence by giving her countless chores before she was able to leave. Many times, they ended up not going out, and Florence even told him to stop coming by. But Alfred persisted. One day, he asked Florence’s father for her hand in marriage, and received Pa’s blessings. When Alfred presented Florence with the ring, she happily accepted. Ma sat with Alfred and Florence and for the first time, Florence heard how good she was and many other beautiful things about herself from her mother. She was glad to get rid of Florence.

They were married on August 30, 1947, and began a new hectic life together. After a year of marriage, they were blessed with their first of four children, a son. As their children grew, Florence and Alfred decided that they would begin attending church. When she told them about their decision, Florence’s parents openly showed their animosity, but Florence and her family continued to go to church anyway. Alfred didn’t want to go to a “big church,” so they went to small churches where they felt the Spirit leading.

When most of her children had grown and moved out on their own, Florence had a vision where she saw her father walking with a man and a woman. She recognized the man as her older brother who had died during World War II and her sister that died as a toddler. Later that morning, she received a call that her father had passed away.

By that time, her Ma was old and needed help once in a while. Florence’s younger sister asked if she would be able to come once a week and take care of Ma. “I didn’t hesitate or say ‘I’ll think about it,’” she agreed to help right away. Even after all those years of physical and psychological abuse, Florence knew that she had to take care of her mom. “The very one who rejected me ended up needing me,” she said.

As she took care of her mom, by walking the dog and seeing that her Ma ate lunch, Florence would often talk about Jesus to her. She taught her how to pray, and taught her about what the Cross meant. One day as Ma was getting ready for her afternoon nap, she asked Florence if she was going to go to heaven. So Florence led her to say the sinner’s prayer and accept Christ into her heart. When Ma laid down to rest, she looked very strange. What happened was Ma had suffered a slight stroke at the time, and she was sent to the hospital. She passed away late in the evening past visiting hours, so the family was unable be there and she died alone. But Florence believes that Jesus was there with her as she passed.

Throughout the years, Florence and Alfred still attended church. On a whim, Florence decided to attend New Hope and found a home there. But Alfred was still averse to attending big churches, so he went to New Hope reluctantly. However, Pastor Wayne spoke to Alfred’s heart as if they were speaking one on one, and he too found a home at New Hope. They joined the Greeters Ministry just one year after they began attending where they still serve faithfully to this day.

SMILE!!!

2007-10-02T15:01:00.000+08:00

My daughter is beginning to smile more and when she does, daddy's heart just melts away. Now I know how it feels like to have a rough day and coming home to see your daughter smiling at you - ahhhh... just takes my breath away and I remember nothing about the bad day, or the stressful day I had earlier on. Its really amazing how much a smile can do to someone.

It got me thinking, why don't people smile more? I mean really. Everyday I see people, both young and old having long and depressing looks. I tell myself maybe they just had a bad day, or they are sad because of circumstances. I think it we can smile more, we can actually make a difference. Yes, just a SMILE can go a long way. A smile tells people that ...

1) You are happy
2) You are contented
3) You got joy in your life
4) You are nuts
5) It gives them a reason to smile back

So people, let just do that. Lets declare this whole month as SMILING MONTH. I am so inspired when I see my daughter smile. Maybe, we all can do the same!!!

The Visitation

2007-09-22T11:34:00.000+08:00

"Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth." Luke 1:11-15

I can picture Zechariah, in the temple of the Lord, burning the incense, praying to God. Then he saw the angel Gabriel, and got that feeling. That feeling you get when you wake up in the night and hear a noise, and think there's an intruder in the house, that feeling when you are in a high rise building and you look down and you feel like you're sick in the guts. He saw something supernatural, and he was startled and gripped with fear.

This is why they put a leg rope around the priests ankle when he went into the temple, so that if he died in the presence of God, they could drag him out.

I love it how most times when angels appeared to someone in scripture, they said, "Do not be afraid!" They must be pretty awesome beings to warrant such a response. Recently my and I saw Evan Almighty, there is a great scene where God appears to a senator in his first senate sitting, when they are saying the Pledge of allegiance. It's so funny because he faints straight after the bit where he says, "One nation under God" and God is next to Him saying, "One nation under me", then he turns and sees God and faints.

I also love the bit in this passage where it says that John will be great in the sight of the Lord. That's my desire, not to be great in the sight of man, but to bring pleasure to my father. For him to be proud of me. To obey him in what he's asked me to do.

Lord, I want to be filled with your Spirit, like John. Would you hear my prayers, like you heard Zechariah's. May this day be a joy and a delight to you! Amen

Caysha Update

2007-09-21T09:02:00.000+08:00

Well this is the long awaited update on my daughter. Everyone has been bugging me for more pictures and finally, I downloaded all the pictures from my camera. Its been a wonderful journey for both my wife and I. I must admit that it is much tougher work then I thought and I am just the father. My wife is the one that is in the front line feeding her. Breast feeding is tough ... just looking at how my wife do it everyday seems to make my job looks so easy.

Caysha is putting on some major weight. She is a little heavier, and she smiles a whole lot more now too. She is a VERY active kid and if you don't believe, as our very first baby sitter, Ly. She can be so active that she wears me down. Youth ministry looks so easy now ... ha ha ha ha. If there is one thing to describe my daughter is this - SHE HAS HUGE APPETITE!!! Really! She drinks like a bottomless pit. At the rate she is going, I am going to be broke.

Anyway, she is our darling. We are just so in love with her everyday. One of the thing I look forward to everyday is rushing home to see her, and wife too, of course. Being a parent now really changes everything, including priorities. I suppose you can say that I am beginning to grow up ... hee hee.

2007-09-12T10:32:00.000+08:00

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Mat.24:6-8

This is the passage that cames to mind as I watched the many documentaries of September 11 the last 2 days. To see the many lives that was taken away, broken families, the physical destruction, the tedious work of search, rescue and recovery and the change in the landscape following the attacks in New York.

I can still remember clearly the day of the attacks. I was in my apartment, just coming home from a long night of looking for a runaway student. My house mate was already fast asleep by then. I was just about to close my eyes to sleep and about 30 minutes later, i was rudely awaken by my house mate and I can still remember her exacts word to me as she was banging on my door, "Jit, we've been attacked. Someone blew up the Twin Towers. Wake up. We are at WAR!!!"

The first thing that came through my mind was, "Not another Pearl Harbor, please Lord." I ran out of my room and the next 2 hours, our eyes were glued to the little dingy tv set we owned. I watched in horror the plane slamming into the tower and then the horrific picture of the mighty Twin Towers collapsing into rubble. We both stood still in horror and the next thing we heard, the sounding of the civil emergency alarm ringing all across the islands f Hawai'i.

As I watched the events that took place 6 years ago on the tube, I cannot but have teary eyes, just like the first time I watched it. Even though I have been back for close to 5 years, that one day in September has been etched in my memory for the rest of my life. Having to know some people who have lost love one that day, really hits home the massive destruction. I couldn't bear to see certain portion of the documentaries, and I told my wife that it is just too painful because i know people who died in that scene. I do not think there is anything in this world that can make me feel as lousy as I did on that day as well as last night.

I have learned that we live in a very very scary time. A time of volatility. As the passage suggest, there will be wars and rumors of wars. As we looked at the landscape of the world, we see all this happening right before our eyes. We cannot stand back and say that this is has nothing to do with us. As Christians, we need to pray even harder. The evil one is robbing and taking lives away - lives that has yet to know and experience the love of God.

God's plan from the beginning was for man to have eternity in their lives. Eccl.3:11 says, " He has also set eternity in the hearts of men ..." We need to purpose eternity in everything that we do. The words that we speak, our actions, our lives, our thoughts, our ministry, our works must have eternity purposed in it. Unless we do that, then we will be missing out on our mission in this life here on earth. The world needs to see the goodness, the redemption and the love of God. They have sen enough wars and destruction, its time that we Christian rise up and show the world the love of God.

2007-08-17T12:05:00.000+08:00

In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

John 2:14-17

I used to think it was a sin to get angry. In an anger management course I use to took, they talked about how people are either a hedgehog or a rhino when it comes to anger. Some of us bottle things up, some of us explode. We need to understand that we are all unique and we display our emotions differently. However the Bible reminds us, "In your anger, do not sin." There is a line we can cross when we are angry, the Holy Spirit can give us self -control to not cross over that line...

Here Jesus had a righteous anger. Zeal for his Father's house had consumed him. He would not let his Fathers house be turned into a "Den of Thieves" as one version puts it.

We in the church need to constantly examine ourselves, that we are honoring the Lord in His House. He said his house is a house of prayer for all nations, that there should be a word of instruction, a revelation etc. That we speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. That we should not give up the habit of meeting together as some do.

It's interesting too that Jesus cleared out the Jewish temple of worship here, and Paul tells us that our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, we need to keep our bodies clean in the same way that Jesus cleaned out the Temple in this passage.

One of the other things we need to clean up is to be free from idols. One of the reasons why God doesn't like idols is because it only reflects a small part of his character. Example, if we have an idol of Christ on the Cross, it only shows him in death, but he is resurrected. If we only show him as a shepherd, it doesn't show him as a king. And God has so many awesome attributes to him that any idol of him would do him no justice.

Lord, I pray that as a church as well as a youth group, we will honor you in your house. I pray that I will worship you well with my body, I pray that we will get rid of any idols, and worship you only. Come and clean out whatever you need to Lord! Amen

God Made Me Fearless

2007-08-16T11:21:00.000+08:00

"But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD."

"Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

Jeremiah 1:7-10

Battered Fish sang a song called "fearless" Which said, "my God made me fearless, I'm clay nothing but clay, molded my divine hands." Those lyrics really spoke to me in my early years of ministry, I felt too young, not trained enough, too inexperienced to do anything for God.

For our whole lives we can have these excuses, I'm too busy, too tired, too old, too shy, too married, too single too blah blah blah. We need to be fearless in the things we do for God. If we feel he's called us, he will equip us, he will put the words in our mouth, he will anoint us.

Sometimes when I speak at a meeting or in a room full of successful leaders, at a church, or at a camp, I can feel so nervous, vulnerable and inept and useless for the task. But then God reminds me that he's called me to preach, he speaks to me like he did to Jeremiah, and then I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

If we could see with our spiritual eyes the number of angels around fighting for us, if we could see how the Holy Spirit is working on people, if we could grasp how powerful God is and how he can bless a situation with his hand, we would never have any fear again!

Lord I want to be bolder in my sharing of the Gospel, not just at speaking engagements, but one on one with people that I bump in to day to day. I also want to equip others to be raised up to be who they're called to be. I pray that the spirit of fear will be bound up and defeated in Agape by the Blood of Jesus.

Caysha Iwalani Lim Ee Lynn

2007-08-14T10:07:00.000+08:00

Hi Everybody. Sorry for the long absence from my blog. Wow ..so much have change and happened since i last blog and i really do not know where to start. Hmm .. the biggest change would be the birth of my first child, Caysha on August 4th, 2007. I do not think that life can ever prepare oneself for this one moment in time. TO set the record straight, I was with my wife ALL the way to birth of Caysha and NO ... I did not faint at all. She came out screaming at 3:48pm and weighing in at 2.60 kg.

Its been an amazing journey starting out from last year with the news of my wife's pregnancy. I looked back and i look at my child, I am truly amaze what a GREAT GOD we serve. HE knitted everything there is in my child for the last nine months, and she is beautiful. I feel so small and so insignificant as I think of His wondrous love for us.

Needless to say, my life is no longer the same. I cannot even remember what is it like before now that I have my child. I looked forward to everyday just to see a glimpse of her smile. Anyway, here are some photos from a very proud and delighted daddy.

Children at the Revival

2007-07-17T10:00:00.001+08:00

Amazing what a little bit of faith can do to a city.

Caysha Iwalani Lim: Update

2007-07-13T09:48:00.000+08:00

Its been a while now since I last updated on my baby girl. Well my wife is etching nearer and nearer towards her delivery date. I would be lying to you if I said I am not anxious, because I really am. But also excited to see how she would look like.

We are almost ready on terms of the physical arrangement. God has been good in providing us a confinement lady that is not only good, but also within the price range we have been seeking. Joanna just got done with the painting of Caysha's room and it looks like a happy blue ocean wall with lots of life. Thank you Joanna for the beautiful mural. My child is going to love the ocean because of you.

Continue to pray for my wife as she is not getting any lighter. Pray that she will have an easy delivery on that BIG day ... and she will get her shape back as quickly as possible ... heh heh heh. Anyway, here is some of Caysha's update as well as what my wife, Li Poh is going through ...

Your baby is still gaining weight -- about an ounce/ 28 grams a day. She weighs nearly 6 pounds/ 2.7 kilograms and is 19 inches/ 45 centimeters long from head to toe.

You may begin to feel an increased pressure in your lower abdomen and notice that your baby is gradually dropping. This is called lightening or engagement, and your lungs and stomach will finally get a chance to stretch out a little -- breathing and eating should become easier. However, walking may become increasingly uncomfortable -- some women say it feels as if the baby is going to fall out. Also, you may still feel as if you need to go to the loo all the time.

The Micah Challenge

2007-07-12T10:19:00.000+08:00

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

This verse has become well known recently through "The Micah Challenge." A group of ministries including world vision, tear and uniting care etc have partnered to educate the church on how to respond to the needs of the poor around the world. I Believe God is restoring the importance of this back to his church. Firstly, it says, "He has showed you, O man, what is good." Since Adam and Eve, God has shown us what is good. He has showed us how to live, though leaders and prophets and his Word, we all know of the good that we ought to do, sadly many of us don't do the good, that's the problem of sin, where we are disobedient to his promptings to do good.

Secondly, it says, "And what does the LORD require of you?" This is a question we must ask ourselves all day long. How can I serve you best Lord? Who are you sending me too? What do you want me to do with my finances? How can I best spend the next hour? What can I write for you? What do you require of me? Whatever we do, he wants us, "To act justly" as Proverbs says, "the Lord hates dishonest scales," He cares about our heart most of all. He wants us to live with integrity, to promote justice wherever we can. And then to Love mercy. I heard a guy recently share about an experience where he was taken to hell. He said that there was no mercy there. In his agony and pain, no-one had a moment of mercy or caring about him. Jesus showed mercy to many, he should be our example.

I love the last line on this verse, to walk humbly with your God. Everyday wherever we go, we are walking. Around the house, at the office, at the shops, walking. This is our call above all. To walk humbly with God, listening to his Holy Spirit, not walking proudly, not walking like we are God's superstar, or his top gun, but walking humbly with Him, this will bear much fruit.

Lord, Thank you for setting the example for us. I want to please you above all else. Guide my steps today Lord. Amen.

Today in History

2007-06-21T11:16:00.000+08:00

Recently, I managed to get hold of a recent History test paper. To my amazement, it is truly hilarious. Please be reminded, I did not alter any of the answers myself. What you are about to read, actually took place here in the local school. It goes to show what the schools are teaching our young minds or what the young minds are thinking about during History lessons. The following are excerpts from test papers that I found.

CAUTION: May cause you to roll around the floor laughing.

Q: Namakan pengasas agama Buddha?
A: Kawan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w

Q: Nyatakan 2 teras dalam Agama Islam?
A: Perempuan mesti memakai tudung dan Lelaki mesti sunat.

Q:Namaka 3 fungsi utama tuhan dalam agama Hindu?
A: 1) Memberi tuah
2) Melindungi orang-orang hindu
3) Melindungi ayam and itik

Q: Senaraikan 2 warisan candi yang terkenal di Asia Tenggara?
A: 1) People who eat pork
2) People who don't eat pork

Q: Senaraikan 2 karya epik kesusasteraan India yang menyumbang kepada unsul mitos kesusasteraan klasik Asia Tenggara?
A: 1) What wait? What wait?
2) Nokia - COnnecting people

Q:Nyatakan 4 sifat terpuji Nabi Muhammad s.a.w
A: 1) Makan pork baik untuk badan
2) Merokok sangat merbahaya
3) Jangan Menghisap dadah
4) Inertia is the tendency to resist change of motion

Q: Nyatakan tempat Nabi Muhammad s.a.w menerima wahyu pertamanya?
A: Padang Sek. Men. Kebangsaan Sultan Abdul Jalil

Q: Apakah pekerjaan yang pernah dilakukan oleh Nabi Muhammad s.a.w sebelum baginda menjadi rasul?
A: Menjual kereta

Disclaimer: I do not mean to offend or disrespect any other religion with this posting. These are just answers to a school history test and do not reflect my own views and beliefs. IT ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE!!!!!!!

"If We Are The Body"

2007-06-07T09:01:00.000+08:00

"The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. "

1 Cor 12:25-26 Message Version

1 Corinthians 12 is one of the most thumbed through sections of my Bible. I have always been fascinated by Paul’s teaching on Spiritual Gifts, and the lack of correct usage in the Churches. Not just the lack of correct usage, but the lack of usage all together! I think Paul puts this section in the middle of his teaching on spiritual gifts because we need to acknowledge that we are in this thing together! We all function in different gifts at different times, but too many of us don’t use our gifts that the Lord has given us. Spiritual Gifts are for edification. Our edification and of the body. We all need edification, and strengthening. If any of us in the church aren’t functioning in the gifts we are meant to, then the body won’t function as we are meant to.

I love this passage of scripture because it shows how we are a community, a family. Close enough to know that if one of us is struggling, we will know it. Not a bunch of pew sitters who don’t know each other, but friends, brothers and sisters. “If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance”

We need to be a part of the church with our eyes wide open. Being involved in the lives of those around us. Encouraging those who are struggling, spurring one another on towards Love and good deeds. Seeing the gifts in people and fanning the gifts into flame.

Casting Crowns sing,

“If we are the body

Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way”

Lord show me what it is to eagerly desire spiritual gifts. Help me be an encourager to those in the Body of Christ around me. May Youth Ablaze be a healthy Body, that reaches out together in unity to this dark world. Anoint us for that task. Amen.

A LETTER TO YOUTH ABLAZE

2007-06-05T11:00:00.000+08:00

Hi there once again. I must apologize for not updating my blog for so long now. Have been quite a busy couple of weeks for me, as well as my household. Both my wife and I are are trying to put all the final details together before our first born enters into this world. It is a very exciting moment for us and really, we both cannot wait to see how Caysha would look like .... hopefully my sense of humor, and my wife's beauty. I just came back from speaking in a camp and it was held none other than in Bayu Beach, Port Dickson. It was a very close knitted family and youth camp of Segamat Wesley. I had quite a lot of time in my hand and did my best in spending those time in just meditation and reflection.

It dawn upon me that we are almost half way through the year and golly, time sure went by us pretty fast. As i was reflecting over the passing months, i began to have flashes of people in my mind, mostly from youth Ablaze. I began to ask myself, "How they really doing?" I can see some crack in some of them from the pressure of just going through the daily routine, some are broken, some are going through a season of searching and others, rebuilding after a tragic loss. Anyway, to all Youth Ablaze ( as well as others whom I love and care), I would like you to stop for a moment as you ponder on these questions i am about to ask. Many of you are serving and ministering to your family, in your school, in youth as well as in Church throughout the week. Whatever capacity you are serving in, I would like to encourage you…please do not compromise these areas:

1. Be disciplined in your devotional life.
2. Be submissive, with a heart of honor to the overseers, leaders in your life - I’m not talking only about church leaders :) What about parents, teachers, employers, etc.
3. Fulfill your responsibilities in family relationships - work around the house, honor your parents
4. Obey the Lord, in pursuing the goals He’s given you for your life. Do you know them?
5. Pursue spiritual gifts for a fruitful life.
6. Be a witness to your neighbors…card, little gift, birthday, praises, encouragement etc...

Thank you for being so faithful in serving in the last 6 months. Thank you for being so faithful in attending youth, church, cell group and Sunday games. Thank you for taking the time to take care of your "daily simple chores" everyday. Remember this as well, do not forsake your family, school, work, and your neighborhood. Build His KINGDOM by living joyfully in the world and around the people He’s placed in your lives.

Wise Investment

2007-05-10T11:45:00.000+08:00

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" Matthew 25:23

Jesus is sharing a pretty blunt truth here with the disciples. He's just finished sharing about the signs of the end of the age, he's letting them know how important it is that they share the good news with the best of there ability. It's like Alex Ferguson giving a pep talk before a Manchester United game, except in a soccer game, there is only points and pride at stake. Here, lives are at stake. Soon after this, they have the Last Supper, and we know what happens then...

The question it makes me ask myself is: What has God given me to invest? In Jesus time, a talent was worth more than a thousand dollars. But I think Jesus was alluding to more than money. What calling do I have? What gifts has he given me? If I'm called to Preach and evangelize, and raise up leaders and workers for the harvest field. Then am I only investing a little of my life to see those things happen, or am I laying my life on the line? When I'm cut, do I bleed those things? Am I reading books about those things, am I being trained further, am I actually doing those things, or do I just talk the talk? Where is the fruit of those things? I know there is a bit of fruit, but I want my master to say, "Well done, Good and faithful servant!" Not Ok job Jit, or lukewarm performance Jit, or even to have it taken from me and to be thrown outside.

"Lord, Anoint me to honour your call on my life! Here am I send me. Fan in to flame the gifts you have given me, Let there be much fruit, Let the harvest be plentiful! Amen."

Who Is Driving?

2007-05-09T11:15:00.000+08:00

But you walked away from your first love — why? What's going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? A Lucifer fall! Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle. Revelation 2:4-5

If you were accused of being a Christian in a court of law, would there be enough evidence to support the accusation? In a wordly sense you would list all the things you do to prove your case, going to church, serving on a team etc. But God is looking at the shape of our heart more than anything. He says, “Turn back! Recover your dear early love.”

Christian singer Paul Colman shared recently how he keeps on trying to take the wheel off Jesus and steer his own life, and every time he does, he crashes and burns. He had a vision once of himself in the front seat of his car holding a kids steering wheel that Jesus gave him, so he thought he was really driving.

Carrie Underwood, former American Idol winner, released a song called “Jesus take the wheel”. It was played on the radio all over the world and shot to the top of the country music charts. Obviously the message resonated with the hearts of people everywhere. As humans, we try to steer our lives in the right direction, but when we do we lose ourselves. The only true way to find ourselves is to lose our life for Jesus. Give him the wheel.

We get so caught up in a hedonistic lifestyle, with a me-focussed attitude, that we lose the real person we are meant to be. It’s like every materialistic thing that we give ourselves to we are putting on another mask. And to come to Christ is peeling away each mask like peeling an onion. It has lots of layers, with nothing in the end. That’s how we are meant to be. Serving him, letting him guide us and lead us, peeling off each mask until there is no me, and all him.

So often we get distracted by the things of this world, but we need to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind. He loves to be loved. I need to always rekindle that love.

I Love you Lord and I lift my voice, let it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear. Amen.

True Friendships Are Rare!!!

2007-04-25T12:59:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone!!! Sorry for my absence from blogging. Have been pretty busy but its the good kind of busy. I had a gas at away for a day and a half in KL and I really had a great time with the Lord and re-discovering myself again. It was a time of true refreshing, as well as a time of warning to me in certain areas of my life. I realized that God's way of bringing the right people, at the right time, and place and at the point of my need is so amazing. I can only stand back and say ... "Only God can manufacture all this."

I was sitting in my hotel room and I am amazed by how many wonderful and caring people that God has surrounded me with, without me even realizing it. He put these people in my life where He knew I needed them. Just this morning, I met a Pastor from way back then when I was in college and we laugh and joke about those crazy days of mine. He also took me aside and spoke into my life where ONLY God knew what was going on within me. This Pastor invested in me while I was a young man and after 17 years, he still is doing the same.

It got me thinking ... what kind of friends are we to our friends? Are investing in the lives of the people that God has placed in our lives?

"Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.' " 1 Samuel 20:42

I once heard someone say at the end of your life you will be able to count your true friends on one hand. If you think about who would visit you if you were in hospital, who would come to your funeral, who you could go to if your struggling with something, who you could go on holidays with. In this fast paced life, we have lost the art of good friendship. The kind of commitment and friendship like David and Jonathon had. They'd been through a lot together, through thick and thin. David loved Jonathon as he loved himself, they'd wept together, fought alongside each other, they were true friends.

I think if we want good friends, we need to be a good friend to those around us. To move past small talk about work, weather and whether the Manchester United won or not. We need to be involved in one anothers lives, caring for each other, praying for each other, bearing one anothers burdens as the Bible puts it. We can race around and do, do, do so many things and never really be intimate with people.

Bill Hybels says that a church can be sectioned into three areas: Cause/ Corporate and Community. I think at Youth Ablaze we need to work on the community aspect more. To develop strong friendships, to share our lives with one another like they did in the book of Acts, to meet in one another homes for meals and fellowship. To spur one another on towards Love and good deeds.

Lord, help me be a good friend to those around me. Give me your heart, your Love and your Spirit. Amen.

Caysha Iwalani Lim: Update

2007-04-18T13:16:00.000+08:00

Hi there everyone. Here is another update of my baby Caysha. Lately, she has been pretty active and its an exciting moment for my wife and I. I must thank my wife for her constant dedication to Caysha. She reads to her daily and talks to her almost every time she has a chance too. I ove putting my hands on my wife's womb to feel Caysha kicking. She got a pretty good kick. Hmm .... maybe she is a runner, or maybe a soccer player, or maybe, she is just a dancer.

Another thing I love doing is to sing to her. Must make it a habit though. Yes I do sing ... in my own private world, of course. And one of Caysha and daddy's favorite song is "Jesus Loves Me This I Know". She almost always kicking when I sing that to her. Hmm ... maybe she is telling me she wants a faster beat. Ha ha ha. Anyway, here is the latest update ...

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. She may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, he looks red now due to blood vessels showing through his transparent skin. Her true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year. Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.

Journal: A worshipers prayer

2007-04-18T10:22:00.000+08:00

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, that I may honor you.

A worshiper:

* Desires God’s ways always and is a student of His desires and will.

* Devoted to living according to God’s truth and rids any compromise conflicting with His Word of Truth.

* Desperate for purity in being…heart, soul, mind and strength!

* Displays honor through reverent speech and actions.

Pray this in your heart, right now…Dear Daddy God: Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, that I may honor you.

Willingness To Improve

2007-04-13T11:00:00.000+08:00

Recently I went through some of my older journal post and see what I have written about myself and experience. I like going through some of my older journal, simple because it tells me where i have been and allows me to see Gods hand in my life. Here is one from earlier this year.

In this season of my life, I’ve never been more motivated to improve. To improve my relationship with God, attitude, role as husband, a father to be, leader and servant. To improve my quality of life, health and gifts. The desire and willingness to improve in life has increased immensely since moving back to Malaysia 4 years ago. I have had the privilege to rub shoulders with some great leaders in Hawaii and some very wise men that has imparted and invested a lot in my life. I owe it to them for who I am today, and to God, for who I will be tomorrow. I think I am trying to live out one of my Core Values…God is worthy of my very best, therefore a spirit of excellence should permeate everything that I do (and everything I am!).

As leaders, our goal is to ultimately please God first, not people. Many of us get trapped by being people pleaser, limiting our forward movement and progress. Some leaders fear change for fear of complaints and unsatisfied people. A willingness to improve will always require change. I’m so glad I’ve upgraded my computer along the way from 10 years ago. If I were unwilling to change or satisfied with what I had, my productivity would be greatly hindered.

See if some of my thoughts below can benefit you to adjust your attitudes and convictions towards helping people through change.

* Believe in people to make necessary changes. Be positive communicating the “why’s” and potential fruitfulness.

* Believe in the “whys” of your direction to change. Especially when the change is direction from your leadership. Be sure to own the heart and the conviction of your leadership during change. This is a must…very critical! Under shepherds or leaders (middle management) can spoil the hearts of others if their hearts aren’t right! I can’t over emphasize this one!! * Be willing to listen to others along the way. Don’t be stubborn about listening to resistance. Others resistance may contribute elements that could sharpen the pathway to change. In other words, be OPEN to CHANGE too.

* Decide not to compromise your convictions to make others happy. Maintaining healthy relationships is essential but not at the expense of compromising your conviction to lead others through change.

* Be consistent to evaluate everything and everyone involved to progress towards God’s very best.

* Upgrade towards improving people, productivity and programs.

* Make it your desire to make God happy by leading people through change that will produce

* Help people to understand the purpose behind the change. They may not always agree but the communication will build healthy relationships.

* I must be willing myself, to step aside for other ideas, people to lead through change - as it is appropriate. Sometimes leaders aren’t willing to lay their lives (ways, thoughts, plans) down to make room for a better plan, idea or direction. That attitude may have a little to do with PRIDE.

Lord…help me to hear Your voice to lead others to grow in their relationship with You, through change. Help me to always be willing to improve through change. Change me O’ Lord!

BEAMING!!!

2007-04-12T11:32:00.000+08:00

Well its been three days since my wife and I found out the gender of our child. Its really exciting as I am now calling her by her name. My wife reminds me now that I now have two "BABES" ... and I could not agree more with her.

As the doctor was taking measurement of the baby in the womb, I cannot help but to think of Psalm 139. I cannot fathom how my God could actually knit this child so intricately in the womb. I always look forward to the doctors' appointment because everytime I look into the computer screen, I can see my child taking form. Its amazing. During the last visit, we could see her lips, her eyes, her hair, her little fingers and toes. We could even see her kidneys and heart. All I can do at that moment was to GIVE THANKS and to marvel at God's handiwork. Trust me, reading Psalm 139 has completely taken a new meaning to me.

Boy, I sound like a proud daddy already. Actually, I am without even realizing it. Our doctor also told us that this child would be a tall one too, just like me. Woo hooo .... hopefully she can be as tall as daddy, or about 6 footer ... heh heh. Will make it really hard for her to look for a boyfriend in the future. Muahahahahahahaha.

We have already selected a name for our child and have now call her by name. Her name is ....

CAYSHA IWALANI LIM

Caysha derived from the root word Acacia tree, the tree selected by God to build the Tebernacle. Iwalani (pronounce with a "V") means Heavenly beauty in Hawaiian. You will have to wait for the chinese name. Not really my department, but will soon come out with it after some "deep" consultation with the Elders of my family. Heh heh.

Living in The Moment

2007-04-11T10:55:00.001+08:00

My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: Show me Oh Lord my life’s end and the number of my days; Let me know how fleeting is my life.

Psalm 39:3-4

David was a man after God’s own heart. He wasn’t looking for approval or a pat on the back, he wanted to know God’s heart. Like I want to know Li Poh's heart, what she is really thinking about things, David hungered for more than that intimacy with our Lord. He meditated, not just reading the law, and writing clever words. I get caught up in just studying the word and reading, but I need to discipline myself to ask the lord to speak to me and meditate on him. He wanted to dance before the Lord with all his might. He was a man of extremes, of passion. His heart grew hot within him, just like Jeremiah, the word of the lord actually burned within him. He must have been so hungry for the word for it to burn in him so much… Then he spoke. I need the word to burn in me before I speak, I speak too much without that fire. Wesley said “get on fire and people will come and watch you burn.”

In the eternal magnificence of the word, he realized how pathetically short his days are on this earth. Like Nicky Gumbel says in the Alpha course how we can sometimes strive to be a CEO or a Millionaire when it can be out of God’s plan, it’s pathetic! The Lord knows the number of our days. Chris Rice sings “You know the number of my days, so come paint your picture on the canvas in my heart, come write your wisdom in my heart, teach me the power of a moment”. Every moment we spend apart from God is wasted. Everything we do that isn’t through him is labouring in vain. “Only one life will soon be past and only what’s done for Christ will last.” Every moment we have we can Go God’s way or our way, we need to start our days in him and let his Spirit flow through us all day!

I always had this feeling that the Lord would come back before I die, that this generation would see the last greatest move of the Holy Spirit on the earth, then the Lord would return. It could be because I heard Matt Fielder and a few preachers say it, or it could be an inkling from the Lord? Either way there is no time to waste, The Lord knows the number of our days, he has a mission and a calling for each of us, let’s saddle up, let the kingdom of God forcefully advance wherever we go. Let’s make every moment count. Like Russell Crowe said in Gladiator, “What we do today, echoes in the halls of eternity.”

Lord, teach us the power of a moment. May our days count for you, every moment. Help me slow down enough to meditate on you, don’t let me forget to dance for you, let your word burn in me, I am hungry for your word! Give us more souls! Come Lord and lead us to victory, in every moment! Amen!!!

GUS' WHAT???!!!!!

2007-04-10T11:38:00.000+08:00

ITS A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7 Fears of A Father-To-Be

2007-04-07T10:32:00.000+08:00

Recently my wife sent me an article about the 7 fears of a father-to-be. Its a pretty good article and it really spoke the unspoken fears in me as a father-to-be. Anyway, here is the article ...

From the moment you learn of your partner's pregnancy, you're thrust into a strange new world and encouraged to participate in the pregnancy and birth process. Yet, you may feel awkward about sharing your fears and insecurities. That's only natural. Here are seven common fears faced by fathers-to-be:

Security fears
The biggest fear men face is the one most deeply hardwired into our culture: Will I be able to protect and provide for my family? In most families when the first child arrives, there's this sudden if temporary shift from two incomes for two people to one income for three. And that's a tough burden to carry in today's world. The father has to be strong in ways he hadn't counted on before. He has to provide support not just financially but also emotionally: His wife will need his help, she'll be undergoing dramatic emotional shifts, and he has to be ready for her to lean on him.

Performance fears
More than 80 percent of the fathers I come across in my practice say they were worried they wouldn't be able to perform when their wife was in labor. They were afraid of passing out, throwing up, or getting queasy in the presence of all those bodily fluids. Such fears may be based on cartoons and sitcoms and our culture's way of making fun of men, but two things became clear: The men all expected it — and it almost never happens. In follow-up interviews, it turned out only one out of 600 men fainted, and that was in August in Fresno ( California ), and the air conditioning had gone out and two of the nurses had to leave the room, too.

If you really can't tolerate blood, step out of the delivery room. Don't ignore your fears — work through them, talk to other fathers who've been there. Typically, the first thing fathers say when they come out of the delivery room is "The baby and my wife are fine; it's a girl." And the second thing they say is "I didn't get queasy — I came through it okay."
Paternity fears
About half the new and expectant dads I interviewed eventually came around to admitting they had fleeting thoughts that they weren't really the baby's father. But if you ask them whether they suspect that their wife had an affair, they're insulted and hurt. On a logical level, it's a disconnect, but on an emotional level something else is going on. He's dwelling on his own inadequacies: "It's too monumental, too godlike, being part of the creation of life. Someone bigger than me must have done it."

One of the fathers I encountered was this interesting guy with bright red hair, freckles, and a crooked smile. His baby had bright red hair, freckles, and a crooked smile. And he said with a straight face, "I wonder if my wife was unfaithful." But he went on: "It just seemed — I don't know — this was too good, too miraculous to happen to me."

Mortality fears
When you're a part of the beginning of a life, you can't avoid thinking about the end of life. Thoughts about your own mortality can loom large: You're not the youngest generation anymore, your replacement has arrived, and if everything works out right, you'll die before your child dies. For a lot of young men who go around thinking they're immortal or invincible, that's a big change. One of my clients was a world-class racecar driver, and he gave it up. He told me, "I don't have the right to die anymore."

Fear for your spouse's or child's health
Childbirth is such a nerve-racking experience. Scary things can happen to the person you love most in the whole world. You might lose the baby; you might lose your wife and have to bring the baby up alone. It really wasn't long ago that giving birth was fraught with danger: When my grandparents had children in the early 1920s, the main cause of death in women under 50 was childbirth. Today, if the birth goes well and the baby's fine, you'll still find most parents secretly counting the newborn's fingers and toes.

Relationship fears
Men often fear that their wife will love the baby more than anyone on earth — and exclude them from that intimate relationship. It's a very real fear of being replaced. In so many households, after the birth Mom becomes the gatekeeper, giving her husband access to the baby only when she sees fit.

I remember being at a Fourth of July fireworks show where a mother was carrying a newborn and the dad went over to give the baby a kiss and she slapped his hand and said, "You'll wake him." The dad just crumpled and walked away. What he should have said then was, "I'd like to hold him now, and if he wakes up I'll take care of it." He needs to make it clear that this is his child, too, and they're partners in raising him. He needs to spend time alone with his baby and kick Mom out of the house some days. Otherwise, I can see him spending all his time on the golf course because there's no place for him in the house.

Each parent brings different strengths to the partnership. The child usually relies on the mother for security, comfort, and warmth. The child looks to the father for his sense of freedom and separation and sense of the world. Of course, those qualities can come from either parent, but when all these strengths work hand in hand, it's fabulous.
Fears of "women's medicine"
Men are not used to the ob-gyn establishment. It's foreign, it's cold, it's something we don't understand well. Even as observers, many men feel embarrassed and inhibited around stirrups and gynecological exams. Hospital examining rooms and delivery rooms are not made comfortable for a father. Men are usually fairly ignorant about a woman's reproductive system — it's what happens "down there." And so when men encounter all this for the first time, they get clobbered with it. Being prepared — making decisions together about the kind of care you want for your partner and baby — helps tremendously. Having a birth plan, with a set role for you, also helps to make clear what's ahead in the process.

Continue to pray for me as I prepare myself to be a father. Its a mix feeling for me. I am so excited to have a kid on my own, but yet at the same time, all these fears exist in me. People tell me its called "paternal" instinct. Scary isn't it. Me - FATHER!!!???!!! I know you all are going to get me for this :)

Baby Update!!

2007-04-06T11:00:00.000+08:00

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth. Your baby is really on the move now. Fetal researchers say babies move about 50 times an hour even while sleeping. All that movement helps stimulate your baby's physical and mental development. You may not notice 50 kicks, punches, and twirls during the day, but as you're settling down at night, don't be surprised if your little guy seems ready to dance the night away.

Anyway, we will continue to keep all of you updated on the baby. Just for your information, my wife and I will be seeing the doctor this coming Monday (9th April) and its going to be a very exciting and anxious moment as we are going to find out the sex of the baby. YES!!!!!!!!! So stay tune. We will finally tell you all the news you have been asking us all along. The statistics among you all are quite equally distributed. I am really really excited about it. Cannot explain to you all the joy that it is in my heart now. My vocabulary is limited to how and what I am really feeling inside.

Do pray for us as we make our way to Batu Pahat. Pray also that mother and child would be healthy as well. The baby is really kicking now. Hmmm ... I wonder if it is going to be a soccer player ...maybe Ronaldinho Lim ...ha ha ha!!!! As a father to be, I get really excited when I feel the the kid kicking inside my wive's womb. Argghhhh ..... go and get married and have a child, and you know what I am talking about.

Serving the Right Master

2007-04-06T10:22:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone. First off, sorry for the delay in updating my blog and secondly, thank you for all your messages in the last couple of days. I am grateful for all your encouragement. To those who tried reaching me, sorry i had my phone off as I wanted to spend some quiet time on my own. It was a time of refreshing and a time of repenting for me. In spite of all that has happen, I thank God for the opportunity to reveal things in my life that needed to be straightened out.

If there was one area I am really convicted, was the area of, "Who am I serving?" It is so easy to get up daily and do what I do and yet do not know who I am serving to. Even as a full-time worker, we sometime tend to forget who our REAL BOSS is. Too often people fall into the trap of serving man, placing leaders on pedestals, with intentions to please God. But the trap to become men pleasers, can lay buried and hidden in the motives of our hearts.

How do I detect this trap and search my motives to see if I’m pleasing man or God?

Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

I ask myself:

What reward am I seeking? Is it an earthly or heavenly reward? Recognition or affirmation from people or am I willing to serve behind the curtains without attention?
Do I want to be seen or noticed by men first, or by God?
Can my service be called genuine worship to God?

Serving unto man disappoints. Serving the Lord brings Him pleasure and us eternal rewards. So I am going to refocus my eyes, heart and passion again unto the Lord. It is a very good reminder that i should always Lean On His Understanding when I do my job and when I do that, I find myself having the Grace to Sustain my going. So i will lift my head up to the havens for my help comes from the Lord!!!

If We Are The Body

2007-03-31T11:12:00.000+08:00

"The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. " 1 Cor 12:25-26 Message Version

1 Corinthians 12 is one of the most thumbed through sections of my Bible. I have always been fascinated by Paul’s teaching on Spiritual Gifts, and the lack of correct usage in the Churches. Not just the lack of correct usage, but the lack of usage all together! I think Paul puts this section in the middle of his teaching on spiritual gifts because we need to acknowledge that we are in this thing together! We all function in different gifts at different times, but too many of us don’t use our gifts that the Lord has given us. Spiritual Gifts are for edification. Our edification and of the body. We all need edification, and strengthening. If any of us in the church aren’t functioning in the gifts we are meant to, then the body won’t function as we are meant to. When I did my spiritual gifts survey, it helped me see where my strengths are and to focus in those areas.

I love this passage of scripture because it shows how we are a community, a family. Close enough to know that if one of us is struggling, we will know it. Not a bunch of pew sitters who don’t know each other, but friends, brothers and sisters. “If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance”

We need to be a part of the church with our eyes wide open. Being involved in the lives of those around us. Encouraging those who are struggling, spurring one another on towards Love and good deeds. Seeing the gifts in people and fanning the gifts into flame.

Casting Crowns sing,

“If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way”

Lord show me what it is to eagerly desire spiritual gifts. Help me be an encourager to those in the Body of Christ around me. May Agape Presbyterian and Youth Ablaze be a healthy Body, that reaches out together in unity to this dark world. Anoint us for that task. Amen.

Baby Update

2007-03-22T15:29:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone. My wife has signed up with an online baby center that monitors the development of our baby on a weekly basis. All she did was to put in the expecting date and it will compute the rest of it. it is a very exciting thing for me as they will send an email to you and let you in on what is going on inside of my wife's tummy.

Speaking of tummy, my wife's tummy is beginning to look like mine as the weeks progress. He he he ... finally, I got someone to challenge me in that department. But seriously, according to my wife, the baby is beginning to move around in her tummy. However, I have yet to experience that euphoria of it as I am always late in getting my hands to her tummy. But it is really exciting though for me. I am so excited whenever my wife tells me that she can feel the baby inside her. WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I am going to be a FATHER ...and like what Ryan says, it is really indeed a scary thought!!!

This is what the article is saying about our baby development. Happy reading.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing six million eggs in her ovaries.

This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. While you may think your womb is a quiet place, it's far from it and your baby may be able to hear what's going on now. What's he listening to? The main sounds are blood moving through your vessels, digestive noises from your stomach, and your voice. Some women like to talk directly to their babies, but even if you don't, your baby can still hear you as you talk to others. Research shows that he's learning to distinguish your voice from others and he'll soon show a preference for it. Studies have shown that when a pregnant woman speaks, her baby's heart rate will decrease, indicating relaxation. Let Dad get in on the act too — encourage him to talk to your baby.

Prepare Your Hearts!!!

2007-03-20T10:41:00.000+08:00

As we dawn the gates of Easter, the preparation of our hearts are so important. We know that many more people attend church on Easter weekend. Many come out of duty to ease their conscience or maybe to ease the conscience of their loved ones who invited them. But we know God orchestrates the hearts, lives and destinies of people. He will draw people to Jesus by His Spirit..through you and I. Let’s invite people like crazy.

Read this Scripture prayerfully, opening your heart to His voice. Ask Him right now to speak to your heart..and see what He speaks to you.

Psalm 86:
11 Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, that I may honor you.
12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever,
13 for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death!

The Lord says unto you…My love for you is great. Praise Me, Honor and glorify Me with a pure heart. Live according to My truth. Forsake the ways of your old nature and ways and allow Me to instruct you in My ways. Prioritize your health, your family, your sabbath, your devotion to Me and watch Me increase you! I desire your whole hearted praise. Be wholly devoted to Me with all your heart – not partially - and I will bless the work of your hands. I am the God of increase in your life – as you decrease to live for Me.

Let us all take time to reflect on the Cross once again. Let us all come before God's throne on bended knees. Pray for our loved ones, pray for our friends and relatives that has yet to know the Lord. Pray for our city, our schools and our community that they will experience the love our God through our actions.

Team Decay

2007-03-16T10:22:00.001+08:00

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. Why are we the way we are? Why are we so territorial and why we are so easily offended? I thought that as a family, we are suppose to give each other the benefit of doubt?

If there is something Learn from my days in Hawai'i, it will be O'hana and outrigger canoing. I learn about the importance and the true meaning of what family should be like. I learn the importance of team-work in canoing the outrigger. Each and every paddler is an important component of making the outrigger move towards a certain destination.

We all have a part to play in this family of God. We are all paddling together towards the same destination, and that destination is to see the Glory of God in everything, everywhere and everyone. It does not matter where you are placed in the canoe, we are all equally important in the task of winning souls for Christ. However, a team that does not work together, will find it hard to steer the outrigger. We will spend much time time and energy paddling, but travel very little, or at best, in circles. Its called team decay.

A team that’s decaying consists a group of people who have lost their trust in one another. What’s a quick way to rotting relationships - seed mistrust into the heart of your team. This applies to any relationship whether it be in church, business or at home. The lack of trust burns quickly into lost of trust. Then communication goes sour. Why does communication go sour? There are many reasons aren’t there? But we know that broken communication adds to broken trust, leading to broken relationships, leading to team decay.

Team Decay happens when:

* You feel like you aren’t being heard and you take offense. Hurt feelings lead to hurt relationships if not addressed.

* Someone has talked about you behind your back, you find out and you harbor ill feelings.

* You talk about a team member behind their back. When you say things to others about a person that you don’t have the courage to speak to them face to face. Ouch!

* You are silent about a discussion or decision when you should have at least shared your t thoughts or feelings. Now you respond with a silent, cold heart.

* When we undermine authority. Being a grumbler, discontent with your role, responsibility, lack of compensation (whether in pay or affirmation - we all like to be compensated with affirmation or a reward of some kind), when we don’t get our way, our idea was not considered or used, etc.

* When teams develop “cliques” among themselves. Internal competition arouses pride. Pride feeds self centeredness and opposes team unity.

* When co leaders or second or third tier leaders want to vie their way into “position” and can tend to develop different camps or cliques among the team.

* When territorial attitudes develop.

Justifying Sin; a blurred conscience

2007-03-14T11:17:00.000+08:00

This week has been one of the toughest week I have experienced. I do not know how I can put it all down to words and I do not think i have enough vocabularies in my dictionary to describe it all.

But what I can say is this, it has been a very challenging 48 hours. I questioned so much about my calling, my wanting to come back and serve here, my worth and disappointments. I have never felt so "insulted" and hurt in my lifetime as a full-time worker. I came face to face with the worst nightmare any full-time workers feared most - their worth!!!

However, after licking my wounds and spending time alone with God, I realized that this is just the beginning of things to come this year. This is the year of the Lord. I kept praying, why all this at this point of time. "I do not understand, Lord?" Then He gently reveal things to me about the heart of man. We all can be Christians but it is the dark corners of the heart which has not been surrendered to God will test our true character. We all desire and know that we want to be more like Christ, but so few of us understands what it truly means. We talk as if its a one time deal and nothing to work for after our conversion.

It is those secret sins, those hurts, bitterness, forgiveness and anger that will prevent us from experiencing true freedom and the true love from God. We become so enveloped in our own wants, hurt and dismay, that we do not allow others to see, not even God. We become one track mind

A one track mind; when thoughts and reasoning's are unopened for other suggestions. It is when no other idea or suggestion can open the door of a closed mind. There’s only enough room for one track thinking.

That’s the case with a wife who is justifying leaving her husband because he is not meeting her emotional needs. There’s no Biblical reason for divorce, but the justifications are riding on a one track mind and the door is locked for anyone to offer alternative solutions.

I’m glad Jesus did’t justify His position and bail out!
Mark 14:32They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34″My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36″Abba,Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Jesus, unlike our self centered processes, did not blur the line between His humanity and "yielded-ness" to His Father. There are times where my justification of reasoning blurs my conscience. It is then the devil seeks to blind my blurred spiritual senses. The result: I justify wrong thinking and actions. I know I’m wrong, but I seem to bail out on Godly convictions.

ACTION STEPS:
1. Even Jesus was deeply distressed and confessed His overwhelming state of mind to others. So must I.
2. Jesus asked for help from His disciples, to watch and pray. He sought His Father, in desperation. So must I.
3. Jesus acknowledged His Father’s omnipotence and yielded to His Fathers will. So must I.

While You Were Sleeping

2007-03-10T09:04:00.000+08:00

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch."

"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'
Mark 13:32-37

Jesus is coming back soon. For some reason, he chose us to be living in these exciting last days, he chose us to run anchor in the relay race. The anchor is the one with the most responsibility to bring it home, to make sure we finish well.

Most Christians don’t even think about the return of Christ. This whole chapter in Mark warns us to be awake, to be prepared, and to be ready ourselves for the end of days.
Everyday, there are people we come in contact with who need love, people who need someone to pray with, lost people who need to be saved, sick people who need to be healed. Sadly, many of us are sleeping.

While I sleep at night, there are possums all over our yard, bugs, and nocturnal animals crawling all over the place. People driving past our house, shift workers getting home, newspapers being printed, etc. But I don’t ever notice all this, I’m sleeping. I’m oblivious to this whole other world, while I’m sleeping.

Jesus commands us to watch, to be on our guard, to be alert, not to be deceived. I don’t want to be found sleeping. I want to be found wide awake; doing everything I can for the return of our king. To say I’ve run the race, I’ve finished well.

"Lord, revive me, anoint me to be awake and alert for you. Show me each day, how I can serve you better. Give me the right words to say. Amen."

Characteristics Of The God Fearing

2007-03-09T10:47:00.000+08:00

My list is not all inclusive but these are characteristics I desire to emulate in my life.

Driven by their love for God
Loves the Word of God
Team player
Not egotistical
Doesn’t need attention or recognition
Loves working
Enjoys sharing ideas
Has a great smile
Energetic
Passionate
Disciplined
Well mannered and polite
Well liked by others
Submissive heart
Speaks with grace
Is honest
Is truthful
Doesn’t make excuses when something goes wrong
Takes initiative
Is proactive and deliberate
Thinks through processes
Servant hearted
Thankful heart
Gracious, considerate and kind
Doesn’t need to talk about themselves
Takes care of their health
Has good hygiene
Stewards time and money well
Gives
Worships
Is repentant
Is not impulsive
Is confident in who they are in Christ
Doesn’t have to prove themselves
Loves God and people
Is willing to make sacrifices to benefit others

Is there any qualities you want to add?

Journal Entry: Playing With Fire

2007-03-08T10:08:00.000+08:00

Lev 10:1-2 “ Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.”

What can we learn from this? Don’t play with fire. They were playing with fire and got burned. Nadab and Abihu were priests in Aaron’s household, and yet they offered strange fire before the Lord, that He had not commanded. We are used to thinking of God as a loving God, but He is also a demanding God, and His expectations have consequences if we ignore them.

What else do we know about Nadab and Abihu? In Ex 6:23 we see that they were born while Moses and Aaron were in Egypt. So they saw the miracles of the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, the goodness of God and how he delivered them from slavery. In Ex 24:9-11 they went up with Moses and Aaron and saw God and lived. “Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.” Ex 28:1-5 shows they had favor with God and priestly garments were made for them. We see Aaron had authority.

When we look at Youth Ablaze, the statistics, for example we have seen quite a good jump of new comers and new believers over the last 3 years, we’ve also seen God and what He’s done. We can forget God is in control and is the authority. When we’ve done something often and well, we can offer the attitude of “I’ve got it, I’ll do it this way” and have a tendency to not wait for God’s authority and His command. Don’t lose the heart behind all our successes, or you’ll be playing with fire. Don’t offer strange fire to God.

Examples of playing with fire:

Attending services without worshiping
Serving without spirit, or a wrong spirit- when something is not right in your heart
Teaching without studying
Praying without practicing- not living and believing what you pray

Don’t play with fire. You must have the right motive every moment. Remind yourself what is important, why we are here. Stay strong in your devotions and relationships.

What I am Learning This Week

2007-03-07T10:44:00.000+08:00

We often know each other according to our weaknesses and as a result, grumble against one another. When we first meet a person, we think they have so many positive points and are full of potential. But after working with them, we draw up a list of their weaknesses. Every time we see them or speak of them, we bring that list to memory.

Instead of seeing them in terms of what they are good at, we think of them in terms of what they are not good at. The result is not only can they not become what God has designed them to be, but the whole ministry itself is crippled because we have kept a person from fully developing through our discouragement.

Instead, know people according to their strengths and not the weaknesses. Look for one another's strength and then build a relationship on that strength and not their weaknesses.

Of Coffee and Maternity Shopping

2007-03-06T10:47:00.000+08:00

SHALOM!!! Well I am so glad that I am back here in my good ol' town of Kluang. I was away with my lovely wife over the weekend in KL. My wife was so relieved to be back in her hometown and so was I. I was dying for a cup of Starbucks Java ... its been like 3 months since I had my last cup. I know it is very sad.

By the way, the picture on the right is what my baby looks like on the 16th week. Everyday is an exciting day for my wife and I.

Anyway, it was a very interesting trip for me in KL. For the first time in my life, I went shopping for maternity clothes for my wife. It was really interesting that we no longer going to shop for ourselves, at least not for me. All we did was going into various "baby" shops looking at the kind of stuffs that we might need in the NEAR future. Man, there are stuffs I never seen before. Anyway, that is not what I want to blog about. I want to talk about maternity clothes.

It is so interesting that there are so many types of maternity clothing. We went to several shops, but ended in a shop called Modern Mom. Its the most hip shop (in my opinion) in the whole mall. Here are some of my observations

1) Maternity clothes are NOT cheap.
2) I have never heard of a pants with a kangaroo pouch.
3) Maternity clothes have a way to make people look really pregnant.
4) My pregnant wife looks really "sexy" in her maternity clothes!!!!!
5) While in the shop, it dawn upon me that people that come to this shop are pregnant (duhhhhh!!) and there is a sort of "bond" between us the father-to-be. We all look blurr, happy to be shopping for our wives, grinning, and most important, we have a look like, "how we ever got ourselves into this" look on our faces.

Anyway, all in all it was a great experience for me. I am noticing women that are pregnant as well ... interesting. I would not have imagine something like this would ever happen to me a year ago. My wife rocks!!!!! And I am so glad that we are in these together.

Please continue to pray for us as a couple that we will continue to grow and love each other more with the love of Christ, that Li Poh will be be able to enjoy her pregnancy from here onwards and somehow she will be spared from nausea, and lastly, that we will be prepared as a couple for this child.

Stay tune for more ...

WHY?!

2007-03-02T10:34:00.000+08:00

WHY Jit??? This is the most common response i get when i tell people that i now am blogging as well. Even my wife question me and thinks that I am doing this because I feel pressured to do so. Well, in some way I am pressured, but mostly because I want to share more of my life with all of you guys and gals out there.

Through this blog, you will get to know the more cynical side of me as well as well as my intellectual side .... yeah right!! I will share with you all the happenings of my life. Will share with you all WHAT I AM SEEING, WHAT I AM JOURNALING, and WHAT I AM LEARNING.

So stay tune as I will reveal to you more and more of whats happening in the House of Jit.

Be Afraid!!!!!!!

2007-03-01T15:41:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone .... Jit is in the house. Yes I am here now in the world of blog. Stay tune as the world is going to find out how crazy I am from now onwards. Be afraid ..be very afraid ... muahahahahahaha