Connexions

The Choice to Forgive and Accept

2007-12-06T15:40:00.000+08:00

I received this article from a friend and would like to share it with you ( http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2007/004/1.22.html ) . It’s a little long but I assure you, it’s worth the read. I know the author is writing this specifically to married couples but personally I believe there is a relevance to everyone because we are still relational to each other be it in CG, in church, in our families or among friends and colleagues. Therefore I took the liberty of expounding it a little further, particularly in the context of forgiveness and relational love J So here’s one of my occasional rare ramblings and I hope that it offers some food for thought.

For those who are single, may this provide a realistic and honest insight into what a marriage covenant entails, and prepare you for the right person that God will bring in His perfect timing. For those who are struggling with the issue of forgiveness or acceptance, be it with our spouse, our family members or our friends, perhaps even with ourselves, may we read this with an open and receptive heart to allow the Holy Spirit to move.

The author mentions that forgiving is a process. It definitely is. It’s a process that requires a choice. Our choice. We can either choose to forgive or we can choose to allow that little thorn of offence, assumption or misunderstanding take root in our hearts and germinate into a twisted mangrove of bitterness and resentment. “Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? As many as up to seven times? Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!” Matthew 18:21-22. The process of forgiving involves a choice to respond and act upon it, not just merely offering lip service. It requires time and a conscious effort. It involves making a choice to act in godly obedience and not to respond by the dictation of our own carnal feelings and emotions. Just as it is written in the bible, “He who covers and forgives an offence seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.” – Proverbs 17:9.

We are not spared from the challenges (or even heartaches) of trying to understand and accept one another unconditionally, whether it’s our spouse, family or friends. After all, each of us is shaped with a distinctive unique character, personality and we come from very different backgrounds, culture and upbringing. Some of us perhaps, carry the baggage of the past that might still be affecting the present. It’s not easy to comprehend each other’s responses or actions sometimes (maybe even most of the time for some others). But that shouldn’t stop us from learning to embrace and accept one another as we are, choosing to exercise grace as we bear with each other’s shortcomings, just as God forbears ours. Let’s not forget that we too were forgiven for our transgressions by an Abba Father who loves us unconditionally. “Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. – Colossians 3:13”

Likewise, I believe we also need to be constantly reminded to guard our hearts and our minds against building our own false assumptions or personal conclusions over people or situations. This is a temptation that is very real and I’ve had my fair share of battling personal prejudices over the years. "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. Don't use your mouth to tell lies; don't ever say things that are not true. Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good. Be careful what you do, and always do what is right. Don't turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths." Proverbs 4:23-2. In the face of challenging relationships (and I mean relationships in ALL context), how do we respond? Do we allow God to intervene or do we allow our own emotions and minds to take defensive precedence first? Let’s pause a moment and consider this, if we learn to look at people or circumstances through Jesus’ eyes, listen through His ears, and comprehend with His heart instead of our own, would that then cast a different light and perspective to the matter? What we allow to dwell in our minds will work its way out in our lives. What we think will eventually determine how we act. It opens the door for the deceiver to come and plant more deceptions and pollute our minds and hearts further. However, pollution of the mind can only happen with our permission. So again, it’s a choice that we can choose to take. And certainly a reminder that I have to carry with me daily.

If you’re wondering why I’m emphasizing so much on forgiveness and acceptance, it’s because I feel very much impressed, perhaps even burdened to share these thoughts. Choosing forgiveness may not be easy. It will involve our pride. It calls for meekness, and it will be a humbling experience. We will struggle with it. I have my fair share of that, and probably will continue to battle it until God’s work is completed in me. But the lifting of the weight that comes out from the ability to forgive is indeed liberating. It is freedom that is worth battling for. And the process gets easier the more we exercise it. Choosing to accept people unconditionally too, is often a challenge for many of us because of our fallen nature. But when we will our hearts, the Holy Spirit brings the conviction and empowers us to exercise God’s love. And when it happens, we know that that love is an act of will that is not merely governed by our feelings or emotions about the person.

My prayer and hope for all of us as a family of Christ is that we will continue to work at establishing a Christ-centered relationship especially with those whom God places into our lives, so that our lives will truly reflect the glory of His love. For those who are struggling, let’s not struggle alone. May we journey through life together as a Christ-centered community, upholding each other in our weaknesses and building on each other’s strengths.

The choice is ours to make.

In His grace,
Pat

Are You a Laodicean?

2007-07-30T15:12:00.000+08:00

I finally finally finally got around watching Transformers...at a ludicrous price. However, it is an IMAX cinema, so I suppose it is not too bad. And this will be the first and only time I will ever go to the cinema alone.

And speaking about alone, I kinda enjoy this weekend alone in Hong Kong. With the exception of Transformers, it is a quiet and serene weekend for me amidst bustling Hong Kong. It's a 2 full days of quiet time for me. Don't really know how to describe this serenity, so I hijack the expression of a dear sister - it is like having a stroll with God in the park.

Here's a piece for this week. Enjoy :
So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out from my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)

Abraham Lincoln once said that if you want to test a man's character, give him power. I believe even as the Lord blesses us with a good life, along with it He seeks to test our character. For a lot of us, we are fortunate enough to be living in places that we are free to worship our God. We are blessed sufficiently that "give us our daily bread" appears to be a pious line in the Lord's prayer.
In our little comfort zone, we grow busy spinning the wheels of our world - career, family, entertainment, etc. We reduce God to a genie-in-a-bottle. We reduce church and fellowshipping with His people to just an optional extra curricular activity. We blissfully skate through life with spiritual amnesia, with disregard for what God had done for us once-upon-a-time-not-too-long-ago when we receive Him into our lives. We take the matters of the Lord for granted. Our prayers are shallow and self-serving. We become complacent and indifference sets in.

In this generation fueled by consumerism, many of us want to share Christ' glory, but not His suffering. Funnily but true enough, the pews will only be filled during prayer meetings when there is an economic downturn. It is time that we cease all shallow talks, crass nonchalance and distasteful lukewarm responses that we are guilty against the body of Christ. God is, has always, and will always, beckon us to a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him. Stop being a Laodicean. Be a genuine Christ-ian. For the willing soul, He constantly stirs up our hearts, challenging us to greater heights in our walk.

Blessed week ahead. By the way, will anyone happen to be in Hong Kong over the next 3 months? Give me a buzz.

Penned for His Glory, Mel-Vern
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com

For the Glory of Your Name

2007-07-19T11:11:00.000+08:00

This song struck a very personal chord in me during my search for worship songs, and I feel compelled to share how this has moved me. God is amazing. He speaks to us in the most amazing ways sometimes, if only we learn to listen. I must say that learning to listen to the voice of the Shepherd still remains one of my bigger challenges in my spiritual walk amidst the ‘noise’ of our busyness. Yet, He is the calm in the storm, the gentle whisper in the gale. Following the impression of this song in my heart, God spoke again through His Word, in a devotional, merely moments after the song struck, leaving an even deeper resonance through my soul. I know no other way to put it except to say that this song is a reflection and expression of my journey with Him in this particular season of life. Perhaps I can sum it up as a gentle tug at the heartstrings; reminding me of Who He is to me, of what He has done (and is still doing) in my life, learning to see how God is moulding and using me, and to continue trusting Him as I gaze upon the joy of eternal hope (and eternal life) in following Him come what may.

Extracted from the Daily Bread:
Often we’re satisfied with our limited view of life. But Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, “‘I know the thoughts that I think toward you,’ says the Lord, ‘thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.’” With God’s omniscient, panoramic view, He sees the people He wants us to help, the things He wants us to accomplish, the character traits He wants to develop in us.

Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Our view of life is restricted by our humanness, but we can trust ourselves to the One who has an unlimited view! —Cindy Hess Kasper

There’s so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight’s far too dim,
But come what may,
I’ll simply trustAnd leave it all to Him. — Overton

We see in part; God sees the whole. May we continue to live for the glory of His Name.

For The Glory Of Your Name - Michelle Tumes (Heaven & Earth)
God You keep us without failing
As You watch us from above
In our comings and our goings
Sheltered by Your precious love
In the pouring rain of mercy
Comes the grace by which we're saved
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name

You have touched our lives forever
Can we be the same again
May our hearts be ever faithful
Ever faithful as a friend
Let us live that we may serve You
Overflowing with Your praise
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name

We behold the man of sorrows
Hanging there upon a cross
Where we wounded One so holy
Yet these wounds are life to us
For the blood You shed was perfect
And Your finished work remains
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name

Now we lift our eyes to heaven
See You seated on the throne
Still rejoicing in Your promise
This is where our hope is found
For we know that You are coming
Every tongue will sing Your fame
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name

~ pat

Uncompromisingly Yours, Oh Lord!

2007-07-19T11:08:00.000+08:00

I was in Manila last week facilitating a week-long workshop. I am beginning to like my Filipino colleagues. Cheerful bunch of laughasauruses (not a cute name for a dinosaur, just my vocabulary to describe people who laughs easily). They are open and eager to learn.

But it is very hard to reconcile that with the general ambience in Manila. I was advised by colleagues not to flag down a taxi, but use the hired car provided by the hotel. Even the welcome note in the hotel room advised so. My laptop bags were checked at the entrace of the hotel every time I return after work. I was advised not to go out into the city without a local guide. A "No Guns Allowed" sign was outside a restaurant where we were dining during a team dinner. Apparently, a few years ago, someone threw a hand grenade into Shell House. One of our colleagues was "mis-assasinated" 2 years ago. Hmmm....pray, pray.

The word compromise has been sonorous within me for the past few days. Here's some thoughts about it:

When Sarah got impatient, Ishmael became a household problem. Conspiring with Rebekah to steal Esau's birthright, Jacob found himself to be a runaway man. In both cases, Abraham and Jacob had astounding promises from God. But because both compromised in some shape or form, they had to deal with undesirable consequences. Interestingly, compromise has snowball effects. Jacob got cheated in return, married (or mis-married) a woman he didn't love, on a runaway again and had a dysfunctional family. Ishmael has been a problem to mankind every since - just watch CNN.

In our Christian walk, whether or not we compromised God is reflected by the choices we make - that little overchange by the cashier, that shot of whisky, that unequally yoked relationship. Compromise stems from our yielding to temptation, impatience or fear. Pathetically enough, some Christians seek to justify compromises using scripture as a pre-text for their justifications. If we look hard enough at the issue and cannot say "because God says so" with a straight-face, we simply have got it all wrong. The choices we make is an outward indication of an inward spirituality.

There are good reasons why God does not tolerate compromises against His Words. Firstly, the psychology of compromise undermines faith. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). Secondly, as God commands to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 19:2), compromise implies a sub-standard spiritual stance. Thirdly, it taints our declaration of our love for God, because only those who truly love Him will do as He says (John 14:23-24).

One of the things I miss most while I'm travelling is prayer meeting. Corporate prayer is so important on 2 counts : it edifies one another when we pray for each other's needs and corporate prayer gives a bigger leverage to make things happen in our family, community and nation. So, for those YA who are around Klang Valley on Wednesday nights, I strongly encourage you to go for prayer meetings. Afterall, it is our spiritual responsibility, and ultimately for the best of our interest. ;)

Blessed week ahead. God bless you all.

For His Glory,
Mel-Vern
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com

Yes Lord!

2007-05-07T11:57:00.000+08:00

I’ve got fantastic news. After a long while praying for my grandma’s salvation, she finally accepted Christ about 3 weeks ago and got baptized last Saturday! Overjoy is an understatement of how I feel. I’m naturally very thrilled that one more family member in my household is saved. What strikes me even more is that she said that she have always wanted to be baptized after witnessing my own baptism just a little over 4 years ago. In some ways, I felt a little undeserving because my prayers for her and the family fizzled out at times. But what struck me the most is this - God is more faithful that I am. And He has always been.

I came across the following poem I’ve found in the book “Man of Valor” written by Richard Exley. This poem resonate exactly my sentiments towards God when I first became a Christian.

I am afraid of saying ‘Yes’, Lord.
Where will You take me?
I am afraid of drawing the long straw,
I am afraid of signing my name to an unread agreement,
I am afraid of the ‘yes’ that entails other ‘yeses.’
O Lord, I am afraid of Your demands, but who can resist You?
That Your Kingdom may come and not mine,
That Your will may be done and not mine,
Help me to say ‘Yes.’

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Blessed week to everyone.

Only for His glory,
Mel-Vern
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com

Psalm 23 for the workplace

2007-02-22T19:46:00.000+08:00

Psalm 23 (For the Work Place)

The Lord is my real Boss,
and I shall not want.
He gives me peace,
when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray,
before I speak.
And to do all things without murmuring
and complaining.
He reminds me that He is my Source,
and not my job.
He restores my sanity every day
and guides my decisions,
that I might honor Him
in everything I do.
Even though I face
absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutback, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors,
and an aging body
that doesn’t cooperate every morning,
I will not stop – for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, and His power
will see me through.
He raises me up,
even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.
His faithfulness and love
are better than any bonus check.
His retirement plan beats every EPF plan there is!
When it’s all said and done, I’ll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I bless His Name.

L-I-G-H-T

2007-02-09T17:20:00.000+08:00

Recently a word have been playing in my thoughts. The word is light. And a few thoughts come to my mind. I do not know how to relate all of them in a flowing essay, so I just share in point form:

How to cope with change?
If positive light is the light that we know, then “negative light” is the opposite of light, which is darkness. View changes that is going through your life in a positive light, for God is light! If you look at it in a “negative light”, then you will be joining the devil's camp where it is darkness ... in our normal terms it is called depression.

Did God create darkness?
I am not absolutely sure of the answer but I found something in Genesis Chapter 1:16-18 that says “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

The reason we are not in darkness even during night is because God had created the moon and the stars to “separate light from darkness”. If you read from the beginning of Genesis, it was mentioned that God created heaven and earth and the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep.

So I come to conclusion that in the beginning God created earth with darkness. A few days later he created the two great lights and stars to separate light from darkness. Then God saw that it was good.

By the way, I am glad that God created stars so that we are not in darkness. He did not create stars so that we can start telling fortunes and futures out of it. The fact that the stars are arranged in such random patterns goes to says that our God is a creative God, just as He created you different from me.

Can you imagine living under a sky with stars that are arranged in a 1 billion x 1 billon matrix? Yeah... I don't even want to imagine.

The Greatest Light
Jesus is the greatest light. John 1: 5 - 8
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

What is the "lesser lights" (i.e. us) suppose to do in preparation for the 2nd coming of the Greatest light?
If we claim that we are Christians, we carry the Cross and we strive to be Christlike, then we should follow the instructions in Matt 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
We are to help others to come out of darkness. We are to guide them to Jesus.

Sorry, if the whole thing doesn't flow. I admit that I am not a writer. But I just want to share some of my thoughts with you :)

Have blessed days ahead!

Regards,
Irene
p/s: If you notice the "To" e-mail, yes, I work in a company that sell lights

And 2 Shall Become 1

2006-11-27T18:40:00.000+08:00

November 4 was made all the more special with your presence with us. Thank you for sharing this significant moment of our lives with us. Here are some of the photos taken.

Snippets of Thoughts : Love

2006-06-21T18:14:00.000+08:00

One of the worst feelings in the world is having an active mind trapped in a tired body, and not being able to fall asleep. Today, I woke up unusually late at 10 am, but feeling very lethargic. Throughout the whole day, I was feeling a little feverish. I tried to sleep in the afternoon, but thought after thought just ran through my head. Couple with the afternoon heat, sleep was impossible.

The project I'm working on is "going live" this 1-Jul. As a result, there were many weekends recently spent on work and....work. It is quite a mixed feeling, really. On one hand, I'm nervous about some of the task which lies on the project's critical path. The ever changing environment in the business is giving me nightmarish vibes as I have to constantly readapt and re-engage my stakeholders at the same time ensure proper transition of the new system's integration into the business. On the other hand, I'm very excited about the future prospects of this project beyond this pilot in Malaysia.

While I was driving back to KL yesterday evening, and Lionel Ritchie's Dancing on the Ceiling was on air. On the rustique trunk road from Lukut to Sepang, for some strange reason I was looking how much God and done in my life. My heart was filled with gratitude, at the same time excited about the future of embarking this life with Him. I had an image in my head that I was a small boy learning to play baseball (of all games?!) and there is a father figure by me. I bonded well with this person. I know that this will last forever, because this person is God the Father.

Here is a snippet of thought from me about love :

If you were to strip out everything else in the Bible, the heart of God is love. God created the world and all that is in it out of love. When man sin and fall short from the glory of God, He still love us so much that He sent His Son to die for our trespasses. But love must be reciprocated. Here, the greatest commandment of all takes a new wholesome meaning : to love God with all of your strength, and all of your soul and all of your mind. It strips away empty traditions and meaningless legalism of religion, as we move into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. We worship, because we love Him, and more importantly because He love us first. Love is the hallmark of creed. Grace is the demonstrative manifestation of love. That is why Christianity has the greatest gift to this fallen world.

Blessed week ahead. Who wants to accompany me for a tiramisu sometime this week?

Penned in Christ,
Mel

Grace

2006-06-21T18:07:00.000+08:00

Thanks for those who suggested some places for good tiramisu. I have not had the opportunity to go yet, mainly because of time, but I shall make a point to visit each and every place suggested. And let me know if any of you wants to come along. Hey, I have a thought.....Who can make tiramisu? I'll glad be your food critique. I'll be generous in compliments, promise. :)

I realised I didn't write anything last week. Sorry about that. I've just completed Phillip Yancey's What is So Amazing About Grace. There is one paragraph in the last chapter which catches my attention, and it is a very good caption of what grace is all about. Here it is :

We creatures, we jolly beggars, give glory to God by our dependance. Out wounds and defects are the very fissures through which grace might pass. It is out human destiny on earth to be imperfect, incomplete, weak and mortal, and only by accepting that destiny can we escape the force of gravity and receive grace. Only then can we grow close to God.

As another writer puts it, Phil is the writer's writer. I thoroughly enjoy his insights, his words impeccable, his vivid articulation leaves deep impression within. It is the kind of book that I could read and reread. If you could get hold of a copy, I high recommend that you get one. A lot of books that was recommended lately in church are generally "how-to" books (which is absolutely fine), but this book is written in a very different approach, personal and straight from the heart.

Right, enough of free publicity for Phil. Have a blessed week ahead. Come to Wednesday night prayer meeting, and remember there is a combined CG this Friday night with Pastor Mike Constantine.

Pencil of Christ,
Mel
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com

The Great Maestro

2006-05-04T22:09:00.000+08:00

I stumbled on this story in The Edge week of May 1-7. The title of the article was "Choosing a Successor" and the first 2 paragraphs began with the below :

It was during one of Paderewski the Great's performances in America that the world-famous pianist displayed his true greatness. Among those present at the concert were a woman and her young son, who the mother hoped would be inspired by watching Paderewski's performance and would thereafter be motivated to practise the piano diligently. The two had arrived early and soon the boy begain to squirm in his seat. While his mother was chatting with some friends, the boy quietly left his seat and made his way to the grand piano at the centre of the huge stage. He innocently sat down, placed his small hands on the keys of the piano and gave his rendition of Chopsticks.

The crowded concert hall fell silent. Hundreds of stunned and embarrassed faces turned in the little boy's direction. It didn't take long before some people began to shout and angrily demand that the boy be removed. Backstage, Paderewskiheard the uproar and rushed to the stage as soon as he realised the cause of it. Without a word or even a bow to the audience, he walked up behind the boy and placed his hands on the keys at either side. Paderewski began to improvise a countermelody to the boy's simple tune. As the two made music together, the pianist kept whispering in the boy's ear not to stop playing. And the concert hall was filled with wonderful music.

Although the article went on about managing succession to family businesses, but I was more reminded on the analogy of the first 2 paragraphs to how God the Great Maestro can craft something beautiful out of our lives.

Be blessed throughout this week.

Cheers,
Mel

Sermon by Pastor Mike Constantine : How Can I Forgive?

2006-05-03T13:50:00.000+08:00

I would very much want to go for the Connexions retreat in Genting Highlands. But one of the issues with project work is ungraceful timelines, made worse by waiting upon other people to complete their part of work so that you can continue with yours. But it's OK, cause I have set my own expectations from 2 weeks ago, and have already written-off my weekend. And for those who prayed for my, thank you very much.

Despite the work over holidays, I actually felt quite peaceful. Despite work, I feel isolated from noise and buzz. Probably it's the fact that colleagues are not around and the phone doesn't ring off the hook. During the times of the day when I am not working, it's catching up with reading materials, golf and exercise. I know that God is with me. These 2 days certainly felt like a Daddy-son away day.

It's just that...it's incredibly difficult to find someone for a meal on Sunday evening! One friend is in Tampin, the other in Raub, another in Johor, my former church pastor went up to Genting....finally, I just have to call a colleague out. Don't know whether to laugh or to cry. hahaha....

I wanted to write something about moving into the presence of God, but I think I shall postpone that to next week. Over the past 1 year, I struggled with lessons of grace, forgiveness and surrender. I would argue that God could have administered the lesson to me gentler, but He obviously has other plans. He seems to be beckoning me to do things that makes me go "WHAT?!". How do you forgive, when you are rejected? How do you demonstrate grace, where there is bitterness? How do you love, in such spite?

God has very odd ways to teach principles. At least that's what I think...I make no apologies...not yet. Mostly perhaps I can be quite a difficult student at times. And He is timely with lesson closures (hopefully) with Pastor Mike Constantine's sermon today on forgiveness at the 2nd service. Sharing from his sermon :

Eph 4:31-32
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Forgiveness Facts

Forgiveness is never based on a feeling, always on a decision
You can forgive, even though you still remember
We forgive wrongs. God forgives sins
If you are constantly offended, you may be overly-sensitive
Revenge is never the best choice, because revenge does not help.
We must forgive ourselves as we receive God 's forgiveness
We may think we need to forgive God, but we don't.

Forgiveness Does Not Mean:

We have to like the person
We have to trust the person.
We must reconcile with the person.
We automatically restore all privelages

He goes on to elaborate each and every point. But what ministered to me the most was the first 2 bullet points of Forgiveness Facts. If we were to be driven by how we feel, we may never ever want to forgive a person who has deeply hurt us. It should stem from the decision for us to forgive the person, whether we like it or not. Why? Because Christ forgave us first. Ultimately, it has very little to do between you and the person who hurts you, it has more to do with making that decision before God. That decision is an explicit demonstration of obedience before the Father. It states in the Bible that if you do not forgive, God will not forgive you.

The second bullet point hit me like a golf ball nailed on the sweet spot of Tiger's Nike driver. Many of us could relate to an incident when we forgive someone who hurt us deeply. And when the nagging feeling comes back, it throws us into doubts of whether we have actually forgiven the person. Pastor Mike shared about his childhood experience of falling off a slide from 6 ft high in which he broke his arm quite badly and leaves a scare that remains. Over the years, he felt pain at times, but the intensity lessens with time. He said, "The scar is there to remind you that healing has taken place." I have never ever thought about it in that way, I felt that my mind was like a sock turned inside out. I don't pretend to understand it now, but I am trying to (understand, not pretend). It's a valuable piece of idea I walked away with.

Bullet point 4 and 7 made me laugh, especially 4. It's hilarious.

I think Pastor Mike was very down to earth when he shared what forgiveness does not mean. But he did concur that forgiveness opens He way to liking, trusting, reconciling and restoring. Just as God forgives our sins through Christ, it opens up the path for us to come into His grace again.

If you're spiritually weighed down, chances are you are holding excess baggages of resentment and unforgiveness. So if you want to be spiritually light and nimble, forgiveness is the ultimate Marie France Bodyline (or is it Spiritline?) treatment.

Pencil of Christ,
Mel
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com

Mid-week Musings

2006-05-03T13:48:00.000+08:00

The most exciting thing in life on earth, ever, is walking with God and being in resonance to His Spirit. It's so good when you know that Jesus says to you "Hey, you and me, let do this together!" I reckon it's better than any team sport. I love the Father so much that I would sometimes feel my heart skipped a beat, I gasped and eyes almost teary. I have been blessed with the presence of God from the day I effectively accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour. In hindsight, my journey has been very exciting for some 4 years now, and I know it's just going to get better.

God gives a measure of faith in everyone's life. I know for sure I started off with little. God has been very patient in placing those tiny blocks of faith together. I thank God for those many many intimate daddy-son moments that I was tottering along like a little child learning to walk. It may seem slow and least progressive in the beginning, but there will come a time where it simply snowballs. In the words of Floyd McClung (author of The Father Heart of God), faith has not begun until we believe God for the impossible.

Blessed be thy week, and may God be with thee.

Pencil of Christ,
Mel

Of sermons, preachings and testimonies...

2006-04-17T10:31:00.000+08:00

Connexions and Friends,
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ must be given equal emphasis. We serve a risen Lord. There are too much media that depicts the death of Jesus, so much so that I cannot imagine in my head how the resurrected Lord would be like. I know He is risen, but I can't imagine it. How will he look like? The Bible describes it vividly in Revelation 1:13-15, yet I struggle to form it in my mind. The reason why is because I had no associative cognition before (either from any media or caught-up-in-paradise experience). When I watch Ian's testimony on DVD, I said, hey.....this could be it...just extrapolate it infinitely and voila.....I have some form of idea how Jesus looks like in all His heavenly glory.

I love hearing testimonies (and teachings/preachings as well), especially powerful ones like Ian's. You could read the Bible forwards and backwards, inside out, and committed all verses to memory. Nothing beats aving someone to testify gives a refreshing perspective to the word of God. I have a re-juvenated idea about the Lord's Prayer, forgiveness, love, grace and Revelations 1:13-15. It's a whole new perspective.....it's absolutely amazing.

For this reason, I have refrained from underestimating any speaker of God who takes the pulpit from the first day I attended church regularly. For those who know me closer, I used to be an arrogant, cynical and difficult person when it comes to intellectual arguments. (I still like to argue nowadays, and being pseudo-difficult.....but more for the fun of it and for more learning from others). My addiction to hearing God speak thru His started in Kajang AOG when I was searching for answers to life's despair. When the pastor spoke on a certain topic (gosh...I can't remember what it was), I felt I was spoken to directly. Amazed, but cynical, I dismissed as a coincidence and give it another shot the following week. In the following week, the message spoke directly to me again. And I thought....nah, it cannot make it to a hatrick. But God did. And since then, I could count with my 10 fingers the number of times I didn't attend church (mostly because of unforeseen circumstances). That was back in late 2001.

More often than not, God choses to speak through other people into our lives. Very early in my Christian walk, God personally educated me with the myriad preachings of his servants.....different styles, different ministries, different slangs etc. They are all so colourful. I see the value of the cultivating a humble, listening and keen spirit. Often, people only want to hear what they want to hear. Church sermons are not there to re-inforce what you want to hear so that you could walk away with a feel-good feeling. So if you come to a meeting expecting to be blessed by the speaker, you will sometimes be disappointed. But when you come to a meeting in anticipation for the Lord of Host to minister, you will always gain regardless. So know where to place your cards, and place them well.

From Friday to Sunday, 3 times I hear Ian testify the same thing (by Sunday, I was able to almost predict the next word he is about to say). Same testimony - but 3 times God impressed different things upon me. Personally, I really like his style of preaching. He has comical twist where appropriate. But WHERE appropriate, did you noticed that Ian speaks half-sentence, gasps, closes his mouth and eyes blinking with tears? Some may not grammatically understand what he is trying to say, but I deeply share his sentiments and emotions. I gasp too whenever I am touched by God and try to speak (actually, I simply can't speak). 26 years on, he speaks as though his experience in paradise was just yesterday. I thought, such is the power of God to leave such a lasting impression upon his soul.

You could read the Bible forwards and backwards, inside out. You could attend all seminars listed in the directory-of-christian-living. You could have Billy Graham preach to you everyday. You could have all the above and yet still miss the point to learn about the Kingdom of God. Without keen learning and humble spirit, we are reduced to educated fools. I would rather be a fool before God, than to be wise in the world.

ps -
1) sorry no practical Christian living writes this week. But then again, regardless, it is something to reflect upon, you reckon? *wink*.

2) To my dear friends who are not in FGA, you must be wondering who Ian McCormack is. He is the man who was clinically dead for 15 mins and God brought it back to life. During that 15 mins, he had an encounter with God and a glimpse of heaven and hell. Very powerful testimony.

Have a blessed week ahead. Please pray for me and my work (very intense now) and my family and my walk with God.

Pencil of Christ,
Mel

Reminiscing the Cross

2006-04-11T10:33:00.000+08:00

year ago on Good Friday, certain circumstances renders a dear friend to his knees. Circumstances which stir up mix of emotions so great that it almost felt like a Jackyl-and-Hyde brewing within. How do you forgive, when you are rejected? How do you demonstrate grace, where there is bitterness? How do you love, in such spite?

The passion of Christ who gave his life on the cross can be best described in 3 words : Forgiveness, Grace and Love.

In the cross, there is forgiveness. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, and that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. God offers forgiveness for our sins through the shedding of the blood of Christ. Jesus Christ died once and for all for the sins of the world so that all may come to the Father.

In the cross, there is grace. To die for a loved one is grace. To die for an enemy redefines grace. We all fall short from the glory of God, and there is nothing we can do to re-earn that. While we were sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). Grace is a gift given to us while we are not eligible. That is why it is call a gift.

In the cross, there is love. We sometimes do incomprehensible (sometimes silly) things when it comes to love. God does the incomprehensible when He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross because He loves both you and I. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Without love, forgiveness and grace reduce to mere charity. We love because God first loved us (1Jn 4:19)

At Calvary Jesus Christ gives the word Forgiveness, Grace and Love a splendorous re-definition. We may not, or ever will, fully comprehend breath of His forgiveness, the height of His grace and the depth of His love. Not all things require comprehension. In all things from God, it requires faith.

Penned in Christ,
Mel
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com/

Reflective Evangelism

2006-03-27T22:43:00.000+08:00

I was asked what I thought about evangelism. As with many people, I used to have this stereotype picture in my head of a priest giving out Bibles and proclaiming "Jesus loves you" in the neighbourhood. During my searching years, I have told time and again about Jesus Christ by many people. But what I fail to see is the impact of Christ as it was all talk but no action. It took me quite a while before I finally came to Christ. It began with a compelling story by a relative on how Jesus transformed him and miraculously saved his life. It wasn't long after that I met a friend who is grace personified. By the time when we became very good friends, I started to experience more of Christ. Thus, I must say that my thoughts of evangelism have transformed over the years.

So here's my personal thought about evangelism for the everyday Christian :

The human race is no doubt getting more sophisticated. With information technology breaking new grounds each month, it pushes the borders of communication into an almost infinite dimensions like never before. Marketing brilliance pushes new concepts and ideas to the people at break-neck speeds. People are more well-informed and have myriad of choices at an unprecendented levels like never before. What this also means is that people have moved from the "tell-me" to the "show-me" mentality. Shareholders are no longer satisfied with blueprints, but are more interested in implementation plans that translates into shareholder value. Consumers want to be demonstrated the value and sustainable benefits of whatever they are buying into. Citizens want tangible results from the government that they elect into power.

Likewise, the "show-me" mentality applies to spiritual sphere. Rattling off Bible verses and vocally proclaiming in the streets that "Jesus loves you" is no longer cutting edge. Dangerously enough, the surging of new age teachings with demonstrative results to boast have appealing effects. What are we doing in response for the sake of Christ? You may argue that most of us are no Billy Grahams and the thought of evangelism is quite daunting. But Jesus has called all of us to proclaim the gospel. So, the responsibility does not only lie on full-time workers to be front-runners of the gospel. As everyday Christians, we need to realise that the evangelical powerhouse lies within our own Christians livelihood : 1) lifestyle that you lead and 2) the life message that you bring.

Your livelihood hinges heavily on the fact that you love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and that you love others as you love yourself. When these basics are right in place, it radiates through your lifestyle. Your mannerisms, habits, blessings, financial stewardship, relational skills, and the choices that you make reflect how well you uphold these commandments. Your lifestyle speaks volume louder than mere words. Your lifestyle compels people.

Every borned-again Christian has a story to tell. Some may not be the nicest to tell. Most would agree that life in itself is sometimes not the most pleasant thing to endure. We stumble and make mistakes. But there is always the element of Jesus in each of these stories that gives the aura of difference which compels. That makes up the life message that you bring. People need to know that it is alright to stumble. People need to know there is forgiveness and reconciliation. People need to know there is something worthwhile to look forward to. You live message gives hope to people.

The MSG translation of 1Th 1:18 goes like this : Your lives are echoing the Master's Word...The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even have to say anything anymore - you're the message! By striving righteous livelihood, we are rendering ourselves as a polished mirror that reflects the glory of Christ. It is a foolproof method of evangelism that defeats the "no-action-talk-only" hypocrisy. It is reflective evangelism.

Penned in Christ,
Mel
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com/

The Simple Things in Life

2006-03-20T11:40:00.000+08:00

Yo ... ho ho, back with some writings, nothing grand or heavy biblical stuff, just some sharing from the heart - lots of lurve!

God bless
Carmen

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Two simple events I observed lately warm my heart. No, they are not scenes from the latest glammed-up star-studded oscar-winning Hollywood tearjerker. They are real happenings around us, often go unnoticed.

-A full-time pastor decides to treat his lovely wife with a (rather pricey) ticket to an upcoming broadway musical in KL. And ... he's not going, even though he has utter passion for everything music (I watch American Idol at their house & talk endlessly about who we like & dislike!). He's also planning to drive her to the venue & roam around while she watches the show :)

-Picking up some buns on a busy rushed lunch, I saw this tired-looking labourer walk into an old corner bakery. He chose the smallest, least expensive cake, for his daughter's birthday.

What melts our hearts? To quote a friend at a supper conversation, "Though we were poor, my parents never made us feel poor".

I remember my primary school days, when we used to play skipping rod & 5 stones (then I entered Standard 4 and it was upgraded to 7 stones :) Got my first Barbie doll at 10. Quietly bought it from CNY angpows on an evening when my parents went out for a wedding dinner. My brother & I sneaked out to BB Plaza (he wanted to get some ghastly looking toys called Zoids). Reaching home, we hid them behind some old newspapers. Of course, we were found out.

Those days, the most coveted Barbie costed RM28 (a model called Peaches & Cream :). These days, most mothers can fork out RM28 x 2 to quickly pick a Barbie from Toys R Us. And what do kids play these days - gameboy, playstation etc and most go for several extra activities : piano / ballet / diving etc classes. How much times have changed!

Those days, when we balik kampung, all cousins squeezed into a Datsun 120Y (cos not all our dads could afford cars; these days, every KL family seems to have 2 cars at least). And we slept together on extended / combined mattresses in our relatives' house. We got our roster for taking baths. Nowadays, I hear of friends who when balik kampung, decide to do hotel stay for comfort. Oh, how much times have changed!

My parents favourite past-time & conversation topic must be reciting how poor they were when young. And how much poorer their parents in turn were. Travelling months on sardine-packed vessels all the way from mainland China. Making ends meet by working the earth. Surviving the inhumane days of war. Sometimes, I hear these stories so often that I go "Oh mom, puh-leeaaze". But in my heart, of couse, I realise, how much God has blessed us. For "Lord, you have been our dwelling place through all generations" ~ Ps 90:1

Looking back, I know I do need to count my blessings & thank God. For one, I furthered my studies, have a decent job now, can afford the little luxuries in life. In fact, graduates are everywhere nowadays. In our parents' days, any graduate was aka the hero creme de la creme of the pekan. My mom (yeah - her favourite past-time recital again) says my youngest uncle brought his own blanket all the way to study in UK (cheaper that way).

I pray that with the advent of modernisation & sophistication, I will not get drown in the limbo. The influence is always there. A lady GM in my company used to shop at labels like MNG & Sonny San. When she found out many other young girls shop there too, she upgraded herself to Zara & Prada. I could only grin *

The simple things in life are always the loveliest. To be in the covering & embrace of a happy family, to be in the company of great buddies, to have the security, assurance & faith in our even loving Father . To know the values & virtues of life. The beauty of a sincere & modest heart. Even without all the expensive things of the world. "...Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" ~ 1 Sam 16:5

Our lives' anology to Joseph

2006-03-20T11:39:00.000+08:00

Greetings to all,
I apologize for not writing for the past 2 weeks. The first week, I had to be on-call for work, which is something quite expected at this stage of the project. The second week.....well I had an audience with God. Just felt like not doing anything at all but to read His Word and pray. And golf in the evening. It was worth it, I needed breakthroughs for some nagging issues that was clinging (and reclinging) to me.

Anyway, all is good, and I hope that all is well with you too. Some weeks ago during our Wednesday night YAF prayer meeting, I shared about the life of Joseph and how we could draw similiarities to our own.

There are 4 main theme in Joseph's life :

1) Immaturity
In Genesis 37, Joseph clearly demonstrated that he had a gift of interpretation by God. However, he was foolish about relating his dreams to his siblings and parents and much to his disadvantage, was plotted against by his brothers to get rid of him.

I believe each of us has a unique gift from God. But that doesn't automatically mean that we are immediately wise. At some point in our lives, we too stumbled with our own foolishness. We may have gifts of articulacy, but wrong application results in a venomous sarcasm that destroys the soul. Some have high degree of intelligence, but render ourselves foolish by not seeking God's wisdom.

It's important to note that we are never too far from the glory of God. Joseph didn't lose his gift of interpretation. Likewise, when we respond to God, He will use the gifts He imparted within us mightily for His purpose.

2) Working in a bottomline world
Genesis 39 continues to describe how Joseph goes around in the bottomline world. If you put yourself in a-day-in-a-life of Joseph, you could probably appreciate the something quite familiar and relevant to ours. He has to run his boss' household. Could you imagine the pressure and stress he experience whenever Potiphar wishes to throw a party where all the high profile personalities of Egypt is invited? In our lives, if you are a plant manager, you need to make sure that we run the plant with maximum efficiency, meeting production plans and keep tab on safety records. If you're in finance or accouting, monthly, quarterly and yearly closings are madhouse rush. Those in sales would know what it means to meet volume and margin targets.

Joseph seeks to glorify God. And the Lord bless him, and Potiphar's household because of him. It was mentioned 3 times in verses 2, 21 and 23 that the Lord was with him. Truly, the Lord is always with us too. Like Joseph, when we seek to glorify God, He will bless the works of our hands and it will become blessings to people around us.

However, there are trying times when we are being challenged to our core belief in Christ. Joseph was tempted multiple times, but notice his response in verse 9. He made a decision to walk away. Sometimes we need to do just that if the situation warrants us to do so.

3) Baptism of fire
The time in prison was a time of preparation by God to hone Joseph into the man he will one day become . It was evident that he matured compared to Genesis 37, judging from his response in Gen 40:8, where he says "Do not interpretations belong to God?". Like diamonds, God knows the exact temperature and pressure and time to exert upon on us in order that we mature in Him and become more and more like Him. Proverb 3:11-12 says : My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves. Time is also of the essence. Joseph spent an additional 2 years because the cupbearer forgotten about him.

4) Growing from glory to glory
In Genesis 41, the Bible describes how Joseph rose to power as the Number 2 man of Egypt when he was just 30 years old. By our current standard, 30 is a very young age to be in a position of prominent. Thus Joseph was very successful by that comparison. More importantly, Joseph has significance in his role before God, that is to prepare Egypt for the influx of the Hebrew people into the fertile land of Egypt.

At this point, it is important to remember that when we are successful in our lives, we need to move into the realm of significance where God beckons us. Many of people are successful by material standards, but that doesn't mean anything. What good is a man if he gains the world but loses his soul? Hence, it is inherent that we always seek the Lord's perspective and move according to the pulse of His Spirit.

All of us have experienced the 4 themes above to a certain degree. I am sure you can associate yourself with it. And there is always Christ in you the hope of glory, and know that God is always able to make the best out of the good, the bad and the ugly of our lives. In all things, God works for good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).

I do hope you have had a wonderful weekend. I have a few of you who have came up to me and tell me how my writings have been a blessing to you, and I give all glory to God for that. So please do put your comments in my blog, and I certainly know that your comments would equally radiate God's glory too for other readers. And please do pray that I could continually be channel for God's inspiration every week, and that I will, by some form of grace, always have time to write.

Pencil of Christ,
Mel
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com/

What would God's letter to woman would be like...

2006-03-03T22:10:00.000+08:00

When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being.
When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils.
But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man, because your nostrils are too delicate.

I allowed a deep sleep to come over him
so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.
Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity.
From one bone, I fashioned you.
I chose the bone that protects man's life.
I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him,
as you are meant to do.

Around this one bone, I shaped you....... I modeled you.
I created you perfectly and beautifully.
Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile.
You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart.
His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life.
The ribcage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Support man as the rib cage supports the body.

You were not taken from his feet, to be under him,
nor were you taken from his head, to be above him.
You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side.

You are my perfect angel.....You are my beautiful little girl.
You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence,
and my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart.
Your eyes...don't change them.
Your lips, how lovely when they part in prayer.
Your nose, so perfect in form.
Your hands so gentle to touch. I've caressed your face in your deepest sleep.
I've held your heart close to mine.
Of all that lives and breathes, you are most like me.

Adam walked with me in the cool of the day, yet he was lonely.
He could not See me or touch me. He could only feel me.
So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you; my Holiness, my Strength, my Purity, my Love, my Protection and Support.

You are special because you are an extension of me.
Man represents my image, woman my emotions.
Together, you represent the totality of God.

So man......treat woman well.

Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt me.

What you do to her, you do to me.
In crushing her, you only damage your own heart;
the heart of your Father, and the heart of her Father.
Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion
I have given you.

In gentle quietness, show your strength.
In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.

Did you not know that WOMAN is special in God's eyes?

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.

2006-02-22T10:53:00.000+08:00

Bon jour,
One of the finer things in life is to be able to sit back on a plush comfortable arm chair and read a good book. Hence it is my every intention to find a plush comfortable arm chair to pamper my back and get my hands on an excellent book to read. I have completed most of my reading materials already. Any suggestions (books and arm chairs)?

"Enterprise First" was the corporate tagline coined by Jeroen Van der Veer when his team took over management of Royal Dutch Shell Group in response to the eroding shareholders' confidence when Shell declared that her reserves are overstated by 20% a couple of years ago. Enterprise First is to drive the future culture of Shell group of companies to ensure that all management staffs are driven by a common goal contributing to the greater good of the company, above individual departments and agenda.

In his sharing "Making Space for God", I was intrigued how Pastor Rennie Tan likened our "contract" with God : Our deal is to keep His house in order, and it is His deal to bless our lives. Also drawing the anology from Shell's Enterprise First behaviour, it gives a refreshing perspective on how we ought to live our lives as born-again Christians - that is to seek first His Kingdom Enterprise.

Consider Matthew 6:32-34 - For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows you need them. But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Sometimes, we are too smart for our own good. This is evident when we find ourselves striking a negotiation with God on how we want to run our lives. Many times, we use God as a means to our ends. The "I will serve you, if you bless me" syndrome is all too common and there is a fundamental flaw in that. It is a flaw because the "if you bless me" part effectively relegates God to No.2. Sometimes, we are too smart for our own good, effectively rendering us foolish. Which is why there is Proverbs 3:5-7 as a reminder. What we need is a childlike obedience and humility (Matt 18:3).

Seeking first the Kingdom of God doesn't readily means that we should all quit our day jobs and dive into full-time ministry. As Pastor Rennie Tan rightly points out, it is minding about God's business is the outmost priority. How we run our lives hinges heavily of how we truly understand the meaning of how to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and how to love your neighbour as yourself. When we truly understand that, we no longer work to serve our lust to prosper materially, but to honour and glorify God is whatever vocation that we are pursuing. We set apart quality time to understand His word and to discern His voice. We are concern with the affairs of the church and care for the welfare of His people.

We all have our desires in life. As finite human beings, we may not know or comprehend that some of these desires may have a detrimental effects to us. Our Father in Heaven knows the beginning from the end. He has the hair on your head numbered. He knows you before you were born. He knows that we have needs in our lives. Hence, He knows what is beneficial for us. Knowing this, the golden key to unlock a life of abundance is to commit every desire, every thought and every emotion into His hands.

We are all employed into His Kingdom Enterprise now on earth. The portfolio (i.e. our live) which we are entrusted to needs to be streamlined to meet the objectives of the Enterprise. No more wayward "pet projects" that takes precedence over the Enterprise. Only when we have a mindset of "God First", only when we say "Thy will be done", then it will be revealed to us the riches of His Kingdom.

Penned in Christ,
Mel

Untaxable Wealth

2006-02-21T22:44:00.001+08:00

Christ in you, the hope of glory

2006-02-14T11:34:00.000+08:00

Hello semua,

It's quick how January has passed. After the lengthy Chinese New Year holidays, you should by now feel the heat, hot on your feet. I know little of us wants to be reminded of this, and I agree this is less than a typically comforting greeting. My apologies. hahah.

Somewhat fortunately for me, it was more of a gradient change in busyness rather than a step change. However, I am bracing myself for tough weeks ahead.

It was timely, by divine appointment, that Fabian shared about knowing our identity in Christ last Wednesday's prayer meeting through Romans 5:17 - For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reighed through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision og grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Thanks bro. And thanks Pat for letting me have your envelope to scribble on.

We are in constant need to be reminded our identity in Christ, no matter how young or (old??) Christians we are. As young adults who are embarking on this exciting journey of adulthood (I know some of us are quite senior, and thanks for being there as a senior figure for the rest of us), which constitute largely career, church (I certainly do hope so), family, social life and for some of us, starting to build a family of our own. As we journey through life spinning our wheels, each of these elements have demands that can exert significant pressure on us. As finite human beings, we sometimes can't help feeling lost, helpless or even pushes us to the edge of bitterness and resentment. Sometimes, we also question our own salvation.

This reminds me of the event where Jesus calms the storm in Matthew 8:23-27. Drawing the anology of the storm as challenges (or problems, whatever you may want to call it) in life, I do not at all blame the disciples for panicking. And notice how Jesus replies : You of little faith, why are you so afraid? I thought it was harsh rebuke...I mean who could possible stay calm when you're in a boat that is on the verge of capsizing. But His rebuke was valid. Here He is the Son of God amongst them, and they are striken paralyzed by fear due to the circumstances around them. Of course He would be displeased, because without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). But God never gave up on them. Even up to the point of His cruxifiction, the disciples were a disappointment. Peter even denied Jesus. But eventually, they were the frontrunners of the Great Commission in proclaiming gospel.

Consider Paul's statement in Ephesians 1:11-14
In him we were also chose, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.

Nothing is too far out of reach from the grace of God. Even your life is miserably stained with scarlet sin, it will be as white as snow by the grace of God (Isaiah 1:18). Very often, life's disappointments are God's appointments. Knowing that we have a heavenly Father we can always turn to, the change of mindset will trigger us to gradually move from being victims of circumstances to capitalizing on challenges to eventually emerge as a victor in life. From the moment we believe, we have an eternal identity in Christ. That is the hope of glory.

btw - In case you wonder why some of you are in the "To" list and some are in the "cc" list, it was done deliberately. By no means that those in the cc list are less important or FYI statues only. When I started writing, I was impressed upon to write directly to Connexions CG. However, I certainly do not want to miss sharing with my other friends and families. So it is just "logistically" convenient, email-wise, for me to do so. Cheers to you all in the cc list whom I hold very dear to, and whom, by the grace of God, I have formed very meaningful friendships with.

God bless you all.

Penned in Christ,
Mel
http://whiterflame.blogspot.com

ps -
1) hey, I haven't had any comments from you guys on my blog! I would very much love you hear what you think of it. And be bluntly honest about it. I always love a good "argument", just for the sake of it, nothing personal. *laughs*

C.O.N.N.E.X.I.O.N.S - Tribute & Toast to Our CG

2006-02-03T15:43:00.000+08:00

Hi ya!

As next week is CNY holiday and I won't get to write, so this week I'm writing 2 articles for our CG :) Hope you'll enjoy reading, more than I enjoy writing!

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“So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” – Romans 12:5

As I recollect, it’s been 4 years since I first stepped foot in FGA and YAF. But the 4 years seem longer. Perhaps these 4 years have been a significant part of my life. Church and CG have groomed me into a wholesome young woman. Where would I be had I not chosen this path? Well, I could still be partying away. But now, church is the coolest place in town for Saturday nights. Or well, I could be jet-setting 24 hours around the world working for some large investment banks.

But now, I’ve learnt to set my priorities better, and to surrender my purpose unto God’s will. Without God, I would still be living each day in garish, girlish attitude, riding on roller coaster emotions. To that extent, I really want to thank God for YAF and especially for our CG – CONNEXIONS. For the past decade, YAF has gone through transition after transition, and has stood strong. And for year 2006, surely God has much more exciting things in store for us.

Over dinner last weekend, someone asked me what I felt about our CG. Hrmm, thought-provoking. Firstly, we all have much to thank the leaders for the commitment to serve and the tireless spirit in shepherding, juggling amongst various responsibilities and fighting for time. Our CG, through my litt le dark brown eyes, is indeed diversified, with people from all sorts of different background. Yet, in diversity, there is unity that holds us together.

What truly astounds me is that many of us are 1st generation Christians. Our cross-bearing journey is likened to a maiden voyage. We sail through stormy weathers, sometimes travessing unknown territories, many times standing at crossroads of choices, totally dependent on the still small voice of God to guide us. But surely, this signifies the breaking of generational sin, as we break free from past generation idolatry and inherit a new legacy from Christ.

To reflect how I really feel about our CG, may I quote lyrics from 2 songs :

(1) “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Now it look as though they’re here to stay …” - Lennon / McCartney

Yup, adulthood brings with it so much changes, added responsibilities and bitter-sweet experiences. As Christian sojourners, let’s encourage and support one another, that we not fall away, but persevere on in our walk. CG is a place for us to share our good, bad & ugly, in openness, honesty, transparency, trust, gentleness and love. It’s more than a social club, not a motown stop, not a masquerade. We make our CG :
· A cell of prayer & worship
· A citadel of faith & works
· A haven of peace & fellowship
· A field of play & study
· A hub of sharing & laughter
· A rendezvous of food & memories
· A well of tears & healing
· A stable of mentoring & growth
· A bastion of truth, forgiveness & reconciliation

(2) “Somewhere out there, someone’s saying a prayer
That we’ll find one another in that big somewhere out there …
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star …” – An American Tail

In that big “somewhere out there” enveloped by God’s heavens, He has chosen to place not anyone else, but you and I, together in our CG. In paths that cross, “yet who knows whether you have been born for such a time as this” – Esther 4:14. Surely there’s a purpose, not by chance, not by coincident. So everyone, brothers & sist ers, let’s embrace together, big BIGGG group hug!!

*HaPpY LuNaR NeW YeAr*

With luv
à@ carmen

Prosperity Message?

2006-02-03T15:07:00.000+08:00

Hello semua,

I certainly do hope that you have a wondrous new year celebrations. It's heartwarming to see relatives commune together, not forgetting the glorious food that we feast on. And hey, while "eligible", collect all the angpows that you can! For those who are "more eligible", thanks for handing 'em out. *hint*.

Chinese New Year is rather quiet for me this year. My grandma is here with me in Port Dickson, hence we decided not to make out annual pilgrimage back to Kuala Terengganu this year. And it's a long long holiday, and I am rejuvenated. It's quite a feat that for the past 3 days, I have not switched on my laptop. And neither have I touched my golf clubs. I have been catching up on things which I didn't have time while I was working....reading, watching strings of DVDs, polishing my car myself, going to the cinema (there's a new shopping centre in Seremban 2) and exercising. Since I came back from London, I have known no spare time. And given that I am in a project stage where I can't take any leaves up to August, I better enjoy myself.

Chinese New Year auspicion is often splashed with prosperity messages all over. Apart from all other well wishes towards health, relationship etc, material prosperity seem to have the weighted emphasis. The measure of success in life is directly proportional to the money one makes. Materialism is the order of the day. People go to obsessive length to "secure" their prosperity. It is intriguing that people actually place their trust in the art of odd furniture arrangement of porcelain and plasticwares to reflect moonrays, thanks to advice of some "prosperous" lady on TV (I am referring to the physical attribute of course).

On the other hand, there are people amongst us who denounce prosperity messages. It is as though money-making is some form of a disease. Many are quick to pour cold water when another friend he/she expresses their desire to reach a certain sosio-economic status. To denouce it quickly to the extend that it boast self-righteousness is just as bad.

Both the views above are sub-biblical. Perhaps, consider the 3 myths about money that is sub-biblibcal pointed out by Dr. Tan Khian Seng in his book "Keys to Financial Breakthroughs" :

It is important that we obtain a biblical view of money and seek the wisdom for secular application. While the world judges us by the amount of money we have, God judges us by the quality of our stewardship. There is a 3-structure framework in God's system of financial stewardship :

1) God is our Provider

* ...and your heavenly Father knows that you need them (Matthew 6:32)
* ...put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1Tim 6:17)

2) God bless us, in turn, we can bless others

* Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. (Malachi 3:10)
* You will be made rich in every way, so that you can be generous on every occasion. (2Corinthians 9:11)

3) God to be glorified

* So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1Corinthians 10:31)
* The Lord loves a cheerful giver (2Corinthians 9:7)

Financial bondage manifest itself as get-rich-quick scheme, keeping up with the Jones and indebtness. When 25-Dec-2005 approaches, half the Londoners were still paying their 2004 Christmas bills. National credit card debts is pilling up faster than you can finish reading 2 John. Easy credit means that people have more access to the many things than entices them, be it fancy cars, lifestyle penthouse, exquisite dining and travel packages. This gives rise to a new generation of people who, subconciously, subscribe to the idea on pseudo-prosperity. How sad.....

You are the CFO of YourLife Enterprise. And if Jesus, the CEO, walks into your office today asking for a quick account of your financial management, your readiness level speaks volume of your stewardship. And if you're not ready, not too worry. He won't fire you. If your financial report lacks lustre, re-evaluate all the financial elements. Cut unneccessary OPEX (operational expenditure). V-Power doesn't make significant difference in city driving than Regular Super. If debts exceeds 30% (or whatever is comfortable with you) of net income, downsize/divest your problematic assets. If it requires you to trade in your BMW for a cheaper Proton, or your penthouse for an apartment, to free up cash and improve cashflow, do it. Use credit cards like a debit card, pay all statement balances within the interest-free period. Pay your dues on time. Invest wisely. Write cheques to the orphanages. Give away money for Chrismas productions. Sponsor part of someone's education. When God choses to materially prosper us, He does so not primarily to raise our standards of living, but our standards of giving.

Of course, there is no guilt that God imposes on us if we wish to earn more money. So go ahead. Work hard and aim for that red Ferrari and a golf-holiday at St. Andrew's. God delights in that. But be very certain of whom you are serving, because God does tolerate any of His subjects shifting their worship to mammon. Christian living is a radical lifestyle. Hence certain elements in financial stewardship has to be radical as well. We need to move from just merely existing and earning a living to serving a purpose, and sky-rocket from success to significance.

Penned in Christ,
Mel

Christian Korean Site

2006-01-19T23:51:00.000+08:00

Footprints in the sand ... as told by donhaeng.net
If you have speakers on the PC, turn it on. There is background music playing.
Wait 3 minutes (with broadband connection) for the movie to load. :)

Check out more short clips @ http://www.donghaeng.net/english/with_him.htm

Conquering 2006 for Christ

2006-01-12T12:06:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

Time surely whizzes by and 1.5 weeks of the 52 weeks of 2006 has already being consumed. Almost half of January is gone. That's almost 3% of 2006. And I'm getting nowhere with maths and chronology.

There were a few things which God has impressed upon me for the past 2 weeks or so. Although we're already 0.5 way thru January and consumed 3% of 2006, I think the new year is still relatively fresh for many and cheers to 2006 :

Urshering a new year has been a significant event in many areas of our lives. Far from just wee hours partying, much preparation goes on in all walks of life preparing for a new year. Managers have their TnR (targets and results) planning for their sales, budget and cost reduction goals, teachers have their classes to prepare, finance executives scramble for year-end closing and many many others.

I sense very strongly the similar occurance in church life. Along this Gregorian calender timeline, the period around the new year is a good milestone for us to pause and reflect on our walk with Christ in 2005. I am greatly encouraged by some of your sharings about the many blessings and favour that the Lord has poured out in your lives. For some of us, 2005 could be a year you may want to forget. Nevertheless, no matter whether 2005 turned out good or bad, it is important that we further developed our characters on whatever learnings we may acquire. For God is ultimately interested in our characters, not our circumstances.

While I strongly advocate a constant healthcheck on our personal walk with God, the new year is a convenient time-measuring milestone for us to do just that. Whatever our blessings that we have were in 2005, thank God and build upon it so that we may radiate those blessings to those around us as well. For the not-so-nice-things of 2005, if we are a victim of circumstances, be comforted because the Lord is our Comforter and it is unwaster opportunity the Master Craftsman uses to shape our character. Having said that, any bitterness should be surrendered to God at the alter and never to be taken home again. If we have sinned, confess and seek forgiveness from the Lord, for He is faithful in forgiving our trespasses.

All in all, make it an personal commitment with Christ in 2006 to grow more deeply rooted in the Word, for He has clearly stated : If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7). Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your sould and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). Love Him so much like a little child clinging to His Father oh so tightly, never letting Him go. Love Him so much that it almost ache within you. Be transformed by the renewing of your minds (Romans 12:2). Be spirit-filled and resonate to the pulse of the Holy Spirit. Burn within thy spirit a whiter flame, almost fervently pyretic.

One famous preacher (sorry I forgot his name) once quoted the irony of Christians are the ones who shoot their own soldiers within their camp. It is very possible that salvation in Christ can give rise to an arrogant and "holier that thou" behaviour. We begin to start judging people with reference to our our spiritual standards and righteousness. On the other hand, bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with any form of malice (Ephesians 4:31) is a sure formula for disunity among the members of Christ. Floyd McClung, in his book The Father Heart of God, rightfully points this out when he says that disunity never takes place because of a disagreement. It is because we go beyond disagreement to criticism and judgement. Jesus warned about judging others (Matthew 7:1-6). All we is need is grace. All we need is compassion, kindness and forgiveness. Because Christ forgave us first (Ephesians 4:32). As John Lennon brilliantly wrote the song "All we need is love", it is also in God's interest that after the greatest commandment, the Lord has commanded us to love others as we love ourselves.

There is a power synergy between our personal walk with God and the livelihood His people that should radiate brilliantly outwards to others, regardless of whether they are our unsaved family members, friends or even the market place. When we are called to God's Great Commission, He is looking at the outward mobility model in our livelihood to gain grounds for His Kingdom. As civilization evolves, bringing people to Christ is an obsolete model that no longer works (unless you're a feudal lord who imposes Christianity in your territory). Being relevant in today's society is the name of the game to bring glory to Christ. It's now about bringing Christ to the people. There are many needs to be met out there where if we responsively tap into them with the badge of Christ, quick and effective wins are within grasp. For the larger force that we battle against, we need to seek wisdom so that we can be as shrewd as serpents but remain as innocent as doves. What we need is to be arming ourselves with the belt of truth buckled, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, competently and accurately handling the Word of God.

2006 is really nothing but another insignificant strip of chronology in your lifetime. 3 years is about the timeline we can spend for a degree. 3 years is a long time to mend a heartbreak. 3 years is the average time from one promotion to another. But 3 years of Jesus' live changes history forever. Given this one year, how will you choose to signify 2006 for Christ?

I have a new blog site where I archive all my previous writings. It's semi-finished in terms of estaticity, but all the contents are there. Check it out anyway at http://www.whiterflame.blogspot.com. As I am blessed by God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write, I do hope most the blessing will be channelled to you all.

Penned in Christ,
Mel

Relationship with God

2006-01-10T20:30:00.000+08:00

Hi all,
It's been over a week since I returned from London. One of the few things which I searched for after touched down was chilli sauce. No chilli sauce in London. Makes the food taste so much better. Nevertheless, it was a good 1-month trip to Shell Centre. Plenty of learning and resolved a lot of project issues. Some of the things I will miss London for are the tiramisu (it is so good, so pardon me if I say it is bloody good) in the cafe outside my office, the Phantom of the Opera and the beer selection at Belgo's in Leicester Square.

On one of the Sundays in London, I attended Christ Church in Aldgate East. Michael Ross-Watson was the speaker, and spoke on Zechariah 7. What captures me the most was his message about relationship with God in Zechariah 7:4-7 :

4Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me : 5"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? 7Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Kerusale and its surrounding towns were at rest and properous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settle?' "

Christianity is not just another religion. It is not hollow rituals and traditions, neither is it a charismatic speaker behind the pulpit with powerful influencing skills. Pastor Michael shared with us an episode of one of his earlier days preaching. He was at a church one cold winter evening. He was waiting outside a closed church door after waiting for 20 minutes pass the original service start time. As he was about ready to leave, he thought he might just knock on the door just for a final sanity check. To his surprise there were 2 elderly people in this church who enquired whether he was the preacher. The church inside was of magnificent architecture (as with many other old churches in England). Since there were only 3 of them, Michael suggested that they have a fellowship instead. However, they insisted that they must have a service. Quite oddly, they followed the each and every ritual step for singing hyms, collecting offering, taking the communion etc, even though there were just the 3 of them!

Of course it is laughable to many of us when he shared the story. But the underlying truth remains that in many areas of church life, hollow yet pompous rituals and traditions are being pursued. Also alternately, the opposite end of the spectrum also holds true. In the more charismatic setting, upbeat music and preachers with rich verbal charisma are another form of danger that is taking centre-strage, thus eroding the focus on Christ.

Matt Redman spoke about a beautiful story of restoration of his relationship with Christ when he wrote The Heart of Worship :

I'll bring you more than a song,
For a song in itself it's not what You have required
You search much deeper within,
Though the way things appear,
You're looking into my heart,
I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
It's all about You Jesus,
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it,
When it's all about You Jesus.

Christianity is not just another religion. It is about God's love for us when He sent His only Son to save us. It is about savouring the father heart of God. It is acknowledging His sacrifice for us. It is about worshipping Him from the depths of our heart. It is about loving His people around us. It is about being in His loving Presence forever and ever. That is the essence of Christianity.

Penned in Christ,
Mel

Merry Christmas everyone.

2005-12-23T11:08:00.000+08:00

One extraordinary gift started it all.
May all Jesus is, and all He gives, be your true celebration this Christmas and always! The earth is full of His unfailing love. Psalms 33:5 NIV

Dear Connexions ....
Its the end of the year again ... so here's my annual speech ... heh heh ... time flies. Seems like it was just yesterday when I took up CG leadership. I just want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for giving me the privilege of sharing your spiritual journey with you. Thank you for allowing me to walk with you. Thank you for the times we spent together, and for all your wonderful contribution in many ways, big and small.

Your friendship has added much flavour to my life in many ways, and I thank God for this extended family of christ in whom I can find courage, inspiration and support. Many strong friendships have been forged and I look forward to opportunities to get to know the newer ones better. If I have in any ways accidentally trodden on any toes along the way, I humby apologize and seek your forgiveness.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, may we remember the true essence of this celebration. My prayer for all of us as we journey into 2006 is that we will remain united in His love and obedient to His ways. May Connexions continue to grow and multiply as we strive to look beyond ourselves and embrace an outward vision towards reaching our generation.

Here's wishing everyone a lovely meaningful Christmas as we share the gift of Christ with family and friends.

Merry Christmas & Blessed New Year! With love ... Pat :)

(Extracted from DaySpring)

The message of Christmas is not about the proclamation of a holiday or the declaration of a season. It is about the proclamation of a Person and the declaration of Salvation. The birth of the child in the manger was an event that prophets had written about, the people of Israel had spoken about, the patriarchs of old had wondered about, and the angels of God shouted about on that glorious night when Christ was born. Turn back the clock 2000 years and you will hear no man or angel saying, “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.” What you will hear are the things that spoke of the wonders of His name, the glory of His presence, and the meaning of His birth. You will hear the voice of the angel of the Lord proclaiming to a small band of shepherds the following good news, * “Have I got something to say to you! It’s news that is too good not to be true. It’s news that will flood you with joy from your head to your toes. God has done it! He has sent the One that He has promised to send, the Jewish Messiah, from David’s very seed. Yes, it is Yeshua, God’s Salvation, who has come to save you from your sins.” The news was so exciting that a huge number of angels could no longer contain themselves. In one thunderous voice they shouted out, * “Glory, glory to God in heaven’s highest place. He has sent to earth’s lowly place His gift of perfect peace, and it is now available for all who will believe.”

Why did the angels have such excitement and celebration? We only need to know the names that belong to Him to understand.

Jesus • the One who saves you from your sins and who brings you forgiveness from the past.

Christ • the One sent by God for you; the Messiah, the fulfillment of every promise God has made to you in His word; the only One anointed by God to redeem you.

Immanuel • the One who came from heaven to earth to bring you from earth to heaven; God living in the midst of your life, being with you, and abiding in you.

The Word • the One who formed you in your mother’s womb, brought you into existence, and created you for His eternal purpose.

Dayspring • the One who brought light to your darkness—bringing you the hope of a new day, a new beginning, and a new life.

Wonderful • the One who does wondrous things for you, good things to you, and beautiful things within you.

Prince of Peace • the One who quiets your heart, calms your spirit, and brings rest to your soul.

Counselor • the One who guides your footsteps, leads you in the paths of righteousness, and speaks the love of the Father to your heart.

May all Jesus is, and all He gives, be your true celebration this Christmas and always!

Roy Lessin,
Co-Founder DaySpring Cards

Thoughts on a rainy Sunday afternoon ...

2005-12-08T14:48:00.000+08:00

Hi kawan-kawan,

It's a rainy Sunday morning, so got to stay indoors. With nothing much on tv to watch, here I am hooked on the internet . I just feel very convicted and impressed in my heart to share some jottings.

During these few years when I started going to church and mingle around with Christian brothers & sisters, it has really dawned on me, that many of us, do face lots of struggles :

- a lot of us face insurmountable pressures at work
- a lot of us feel lost in the limbo of modernisation & hustle bustle, sometimes we feel small compared to our peers and we feel the "need" to compete and be on part with others
- many of us NEVER grew up in families filled with affection that affirmed us, unlike what we see on The Cosby Show or Growing Pains
- many of us, as young adults, now face the transition of dealing with our parents and families; for the girls we may identify with what we read in The Joy Luck Club; for the guys (dunno lah - The Fight Club?)
- many of us have had hurtful past relationships
- many of us, had in past, resorted to some not-too-pleasant stuff as we went through the pangs of growing up
- some of us, due to some unfortunate past incidents in our lives, are now facing some handicap / shortcomings that render us slower than our peers
- ALL of us, no matter how joyful, or invincible we appear, have our vulnerabilities and tender moments
- a lot of us are still going through the process of healing and reconciliation, the ups & downs emotions
- a lot of us feel shy to share a lot of these burdens because we're afraid we will not be accepted anymore, and we feel embarassed to be always calling up our friends to "disturb" them
- a lot of us, are seeking so earnestly for wisdom & direction from God, at times when we feel that we're standing at the crossroads
- a lot of us are actually unaware of the motions which others in our midst may be experiencing, that they're crying out for help
- in EVERYONE of us, there is the child in us that longs so much to be someone of worth, loved and appreciated

With so many bitter sweet realities of life, do we not really, really, really need God, a lot, a lot, and a lot ...... ? And, do we not really, really, really need one another in Christ to encourage & edify us, so much, so much, so much ... ?

Yet, there could have been times when we, myself included, had let the insecurities in us, the selfishness, the pride get the better of us, and have said / done things that bring down others. And we're always the last person to know and acknowledge we have a problem with insecurity and pride.

If amidst the body of Christ we could not build up one another, who else will? That the "clawing" and "pawing" could really tear others down, more than what we ever imagine. What difference will it make from any other social clubs, if the sweet fragrance of God isn't filling the fellowship?

Instead of that, let's fill our hearts with graciousness & gracefulness, in all our actions, words & deeds. Let us move beyond surface relationships, and grow deeper in friendships of genuine love, care & concern, and to nurture the heart of grace and forgiveness for one another.

Romans 15:5-7 "May the God who gives endurance & encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God"

I'm very sorry if anything I've mentioned here could have touched your sensitivities, but I'm sincerely sharing this from the bottom of my heart.
"Father Lord, I'm so sorry for all those things I've said and done which stem from my own impulse, anger, and self-centredness. I'm so sorry Lord, for all the hurts I've caused my sisters & brothers. May You lead me and guide me each day, in spirit and in truth. May You grant us everyday, the reaffirmation and reassurance that comes from Your peace that surpasses all understanding. That we may know You have plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future"

Boy, this is getting so corny & mushy God bless lovingly,
Carmen

Colours of Sudan

2005-12-06T12:37:00.000+08:00

Pictures of Sudan. Sent in by our
brother, Chee Kuan who is currently
posted there to work.

How to Defeat Temptation - sermon by Nicky Gumbel

2005-12-06T11:37:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

Greetings from London! Firstly, I must apologize that I couldn't write last week. Weekdays are extremely packed with work stuff, while weekends I will want to utilize my time painting London red, catching up with friends here and attend churches here. My usual weekly writings take about 3-4 hours worth of comtemplation to be properly penned down for your readings.

It's the beginning of winter now. Temperature averages about 5 degrees Celcius. I am not so much affected by the cold weather, but goodness it's so dry here. My nose bleed regularly and I developed rashes. No amount of moisturizing lotion seem to help. Gosh, this is when I wish I'm back in KL. Nevertheless, I fell in love with the scenery here. River Thames and the parks are so scenic. And I particularly love old architectures. So places like Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey and Tower of London are a must for me to visit. I'm simply awed by the elaborate stone carvings and magnificent structures, given that there were no such thing as reinforced concrete and cranes during those times. I didn't make it out of UK to Paris, Rome or Greece as I planned earlier. Flight was expensive. LIke AirAsia, you've gotta book months in advance to get the really cheap ones. Given I only have 2 days weekend, it's not really worth the money. Rather spend the money on musicals and plays. Watched the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy David Jr.) at the Savoy, and yes, The Phantom of the Opera. London is enough to keep me happy.

I do attend church here on Sundays. I've been to Hillsongs at Tottenham Court Road's Dominion Theatre, Christ Church in East London and Holy Trinity Brompton at Knightsbridge. Holy Trinity Brompton is the church that brings to you the Alpha course. I had the wonderful pleasure of befriending Pastor Michael Ross Watson and his wife Esther, who have been to our church quite a few times. He's a wonderful godly English gentlemen.

I must apologize again for not writing. What I'll do is to share sermons from the churches during my stay here in London, and inject my thoughts into some of the key points of the sermons. Below is a sermon by Nicky Gumbel of Holy Trinity Brompton on how to defeat temptation, expounding heavily on Ephesians 6:10-17 :

Ephesians 2:1-3 says that temptation comes from the world, the flesh and the devil. It is described as a triple alliance force that exist around us, within us and above us. As Christians, till the day of the Lord, we are inevitably exposed to temptations. Nicky Gumbel made a cute comment that if someone says that he/she does not struggle with temptations, it's either he/she is not a Chrisitian, or not human! Temptation creeps in very subtly, and if left unaddressed, then sin will eventually rear its ugly head. It starts subtly with a foothold, and develeps into a stronghold. "...do not give the devil a foothold..."(Ephesians 4:27). To win the battle of temptation, we as children of God need to take responsiblity ("...be strong..." v.10) and take action ("...put on...take your stand...stand your ground...stand firm..."(v. 10-13)).

Nicky proceeds to share with us the 6 good habits from verses14-17 :
1) Focus on Jesus "...with the belt of truth buckled round your waist..." (v.14)

Do not focus on the devil
It's amazing how we as Christians unconciously do that. I've heard of people who can blame traffic jams as the attack of the devil. It's absolutely ludicrous. Doesn't it ever occur that it's just simply bad traffic for the day? That has undoubtly shift the focus to the devil, conciously or not. One solution that I could think of is to blast Shout to the Lord on your car stereo and enjoy. That way, Jesus is glorified.

Do not focus on yourself
Needless to say, to many extend we are self-centred creatures. At one end of the scale, we are easily inflated by self-pride and self-righteousness through our successes, and the other end, we are vulnerable to self-pity through our failures. Both ways, we are focusing on ourselves. So, moving towards a Chris-centred life, render thanks and praise unto God for all our successes; surrender and have faith in the midst of our failures. All in all, worship God with our lives.

2) Keep short accounts "...with the breastplate of righteousness in place..." (v.14)
Make your peace with God, and others. Personally, I believe that the quality of your life is the quality of your vertical relationship with God and your horizontal relationship with others. That is what the Cross is all about.

3) Get actively involved "...with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." (v.15)
Nicky shared on how churches should be more reaching more outwardly to the world. Too often, many churches are too caught up with internally either with redtapes, office politics or traditions that it prevents effective outreaching to the harvest field.

Personally, I have another thought when Nicky shared this point with me. Thoughts of my last writing "What good is a spark if nothing catches fire" comes ringing back. Too often people who appear to be fervent by their style of worshipping shrivel into a lame "I'll pray about it" excuse when approached to contribute to the body of Christ. I agree completely with Pastor Dennis Balan's during the prayer meeting ahead of the launch of Saturday evening service, that there is no such thing as "I'll pray about it". It's a responsibility for every Christian to be part of the body of Christ.

4) Trust God in difficult situations "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (v.16)

Nicky pointed out that we are most vulnerable when we are hungry, angry, lonely and tired. How true it is.

5) Win the battle in the mind "Take the helment of savation..." (v.17)
At times, we may struggle with our own salvation. Bishop B.F Wescott, Regius Proferssor of Divinity at Cambridge offers the 3 tenses of salvation that might help us come to grips with our salvation with Christ :

We have been set free from the penalty of sin through the blood of the Lamb
We are being set free from the power of sin through our daily walk with God
We will be set free from the presence of sin when Jesus returns.

6) Soak yourself with the Word of God "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." (v.17)
Read it, mark it, learn it, inwardly digest it. 4 simple, yet effective phrases offered by Nicky. I personally recommend the book "Unlocking the Bible Omnibus" by David Pawson. It is an excellent Bible commentary with very comprehensive insights.

I must thank you all for your prayers, especially my darling brothers and sisters of Connexions. Even though I am away only for 4 weeks, I longed to be back amongst you and miss you all dearly. While I was walking alone on one cold winter morning, I can also feel the chill of loneliness in a big city like London. In that brief moment of a few seconds, God has gave me a glimpse of life without Him and His people. And it warms my heart to know that I have people back in KL who pray for me, and befriend wonderful godly people like Pastor Michael and Esther. Bless your hearts, and I look forward to seeing all of you again in 2 weeks' time.

Penned in Christ,
Mel

Steve's testimony

2005-11-30T15:30:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

I found this testimony written by Steve while I was spring cleaning my PC. Thought of sharing this with the rest of you.

"Steve writes..."

I don't know how to start. But if telling others a bit of myself helps encourage others to seek Jesus then why not.. all praises unto Him

I think I have to bring you back like maybe 12 years when I was 17 doing my
SPM. I accepted Jesus as my personal saviour and was baptised. Then nothing
happened. I just went back to life, normal life just as I was before. Until many years later when I was in college, someone asked me to go to church which I accepted. That's how I come to know FGA. Mixed around with a bunch of Christian college goers but still, I was very empty. I backslided and went on with life.

Then I graduated and started working. My first job was horrendous, got fired a few months later. It was a glamorous job as an application consultant in a big software house. Jobless, I then seek God. He was really nice and forgiving. I just came back to Him. Found a job, doing sales in IT stuff. Resigned 9 months later. I was lost and do not know what I want.

I applied for a job in another company (my current employer) as a sales exec and was very 'lucky' to be offered to join as an application specialist. God is good. He knows what I want and what is best for me.

Thinking back I would have thought that I have failed in my career and there it goes down the drain. Study not so bright, like to lepak.. mixed with bad boys. I've worked as a despatch before, photostater (if there is such a position) and other funny jobs. After taking up all these jobs (without much thought at that time) where can I go and how far can I go. No where, right? However I did land somewhere.. at least now settled down in a job. Not highly paid but at least I get to go out to customers and they respect me as a consultant.

I'm not praising myself but I praised Jesus for all He has given me. Who am I? Almost near to thrash and He picked me from this thrash and put me somewhere clean and comfortable.

by Steve Chow.

Star Wars Episode 7

2005-11-29T10:08:00.000+08:00

After over 2 decades, the last installment of Star Wars is here,
completing the franchise. In Revenge of the Sith, we saw how Anakin
Skywalker turned to the dark side of the force. The lightsabre
duels were swash buckling. As always, Yoda is wise, respectable and
sooo adorable. R2D2 is sooo cute, sure to captivate the kids'
hearts with its gusto.

Reflecting upon Anakin's fall, I can't help but draw certain
analogies to our walk in faith. Anakin had dreams of his beloved
wife, Padme, dying in labour, and fear crept in. Deceived that the
dark force could prevent the coming pass of his premonitions, he
succumbed. In a twist of fate, his fear came true; Padme lost the
will to live when Anakin turned evil and did die in labour!
Ironically, it's his own fear that sparked all events leading to
Anakin's eventual fall, coupled by his lust for power and a
confused/unrest spirit.

How true, that fear is indeed the stronghold for the devil. In
varying degrees, we all have our own little doubts, insecurities and
fear. Whatever the cause or source. We could have lost our loved
ones whilst young. We could have experienced traumatic experiences
growing up. We could be feeling lost being the sole Christian in
the workplace. Sometimes we feel exhausted from the weekly
routine. Sometimes we stand at the crossroads making choices, not
knowing where each path leads.

Tim LaHaye in his book on the 4 temperament quadrants (sanguine,
choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic) describes fear as false
expectations appearing real. I am so thankful for a camp I attended
recently which touched on the topic of security/fear. And God so
melts my heart with this verse; that perfect love casts out fear.
For God's love to us is perfect. Whenever we doubt, to remember
that He is faithful to His promise. To trust in Him with all our
might and lean not on our own understanding. To know that He never
tests us beyond what He knows we can handle.

When our security is deeply rooted in Christ's love, our spirit is
at rest. We nurture a gentle and quiet spirit that brings so much
joy, peace and inner strength to our being, our family, our ministry and our
church. For we know, no matter what transpires, God is there for
us, and who can be against us? Perfect love enables us to take
beatings and endure pain. Every season of our life has its
purpose. When I go through the motions, I will remember that God is
still shaping me into the woman He wants me to be. That I may
finish the race and heed the higher calling He has for me.

"I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well" … Psalm
139:14

Share with us your thoughts!

Love,
Carmen

A Poem by Nellan

2005-11-28T14:55:00.000+08:00

Will surely pray that God will soften the brother's heart, God has done many great miracles throughout the years and I believe God will do it again in this brother's life.

Wanna thank God for His grace,
Putting me in this race,
Without Him I am out of place,
Thank you God for Your amazing grace
-Nellanz

Sharing thoughts ... Brendan

2005-11-22T17:14:00.000+08:00

Hi Derick, just want to express how wonderful the experience was for me to go with you to pay a visit to Derek. Indeed, he has a very > interesting personality ... although he was frustrated with his
condition, yet he recovered fast, focusing on what remains positive in his life :) ... I really hope that our visit will bring back cheers in his life ... somehow or rather ... I know, only God can have the power to do that ...

Bro, I was impressed upon to share with you this after yesterday's visitation. This ministry that you have initiated is a big milestone for all of us, I am not sure about others ... especially for Connexions, if you find that we are going to oftenly have this visitation, at least once a month or twice a month or whatever, or you are impressed upon by the Holy Spirit to initiate something, I just want to let you know that you will have my support in whatever way I can ... and we can talk and chat about it too if you have any ideas.

Thanks bro for introducing us to Derek and organizing this ... I was pleasantly surprised by a strong presence of God as we reach out to the needy ... By the way, brother, I am just wondering ... would you be interested to pen a few things and deposit a short account of our visitation in our newly launched blog? I am sure all of our members will be blessed by this encounter of the brothers, led by our beloved brother Derick :)

God bless you and family, brother.
Brendan Tan

Sharing thoughts ... Derick

2005-11-22T17:12:00.000+08:00

Hi Brendan,: )
Thanks for the compliment. I think it just too great for me to bear. From my point of view:- I equally felt encouraged and joy at same time after we visited Derek. Little did I know that there are plenty of
avid sport fans among us in brother's bonding from WWF to EPL as well.Wow!

It would be false if the visitation creates no impact at all to Derek. It did makes an impact in one way or another, don't you agree with me, bro? What I did was only initiated the visit and what good is a plan
if nobody participates at all? So give credit to the rest and you as well whom willing to avail some of your own personal time for the visitation to bless the needy.

I always put on a reminder as a gesture to guard my weary ego swaying away; and that is what I/(we) did is not any rocket science project or any great inventions that worth to be put down into any Record Book or
whatever similar....but instead what I/(we) had done was so simple that even virtually anyone also can do.

Anytime is a good time to bless, right? Connexionsblog? I guess I'm more of the doer than being a writer??:) Perhaps next time we can "grab" Mel-vern along the visitations for some quality articles in our Blog??
maybe? Thank you so much!! for voicing in advance of your full support in future visitations. I truly appreciate your precious support. Most of the time God can use even the weakest to pour out blessings to others;
If you are weak, don't put off the possibility as the potential candidate that God may use you too oneday.....and last Sunday's visitation might just be the one that HE gave to you and us.
To be frank, I more or less experienced before what Derek is going thru right now. However, no matter how motivated or positive the outlook appearance as we can see from the person; the loneliness
inside the heart is only God knows. Last time I going thru that painful experience where the desire to long for just a friend to visit me. Week after week as I waited, is it too much to ask for just that 1
friend?? Sometimes I did have some friends came but the gap was too big between each visit until I wonder is God too folish to know that I'm lonely right there?Sorry, bro, I think its just too emotional
here.

Is this similar to Sunday's sermon (Ps Khoo K. Hup) where he shared about "serving God with Painful experience that we had experience"? I hope more of us will join in future visitations such like these. Let
the needy to have the opportunity to know us, it could mean a lot to them knewing another new friends that care for them. However, let's not this passion loose its spark. Let the zeal keeps on
burning. May we (brothers in BB??) have the opportunity (If God allowed) to bless and reach out to the needy in future. Keep up the fire & passion, bro!

regards,
derick

Reminisce of Bali Kairos

2005-11-22T10:48:00.000+08:00

Dear Connexions,

May I share this piece of jottings with you - it's very meaningful to me as it is the very first Christian related article I ever wrote. Well, it's a bit outdated, cos I penned it last year, and I ransacked it out of my folder :) It's on some East Asia Young Adults Conference held in Bali last July. Will write something more fresh after this bz reporting week at work
*************************************************************************************

Bali, nestled at the rendezvous of the mythical Jawa Sea and the vast Indian Ocean, is an enchanting getaway from the hustle and bustle of daily monotony. Silhouettes of quaint temples against burnt orange sunsets and the yellow oriental moon border the island. Lulled by the sounds of waves caressing the towering cliffs, I felt so close to God, and at once witnessed the manifestation of Him being the creator of all things, great and small.

The conference is aptly themed "Transforming Lives, Workplace & Society", relevant to us young working adults and is a larger extension to the marketplace theology much spoken about in churches & ministries today. Charles Ringma opened the Bible exposition with a bang, reminding us that just as Jesus is The Word incarnate, so are we the incarnational evidence of God's Word and love. His sermons centred around holistic and integral missions and ministries. In that, our occupation is our vocation and our workplace our calling. Mr Ringma made a catchy phrase, "the church is both gathered and scattered".

As Christians we are the bridge between the world and God's kingdom. Of late management buzzwords hyped on issues of transparency, governance, responsibility etc in professions. Intellectualism is moving from mere IQ to EQ and towards spiritual quotient. No matter how successful anyone is, people in the corporate world always hunger to meet someone they simply trust. For most are absorbed into the rat race, the maddening crowd.

This is where as Christians we can make a deep impact in others' lives. Ringma touched on 4 aspects pertaining to our job :
- God locates us not the sake of our career alone but for the sake of the gospel
- We are always learning and dependent on God ie stability and protection being prerequisites for growth
- Being hospitable and opening up to others, not sticking to Christian cliques
- Willing to remain in a job even though it affects our advancement, in order to carry out His work

Instead of dreading the sound of the alarm, I learn to pray each morning to dwell the day in godliness. For to many along our paths, we may be the only version of the gospel they will ever see or hear, be it strangers, acquaintances or loved ones. And, learning to lay aside our selfish ambitions, willing to God, making ethical choices, living out integrity, going the extra mile to help those in need. A continuum of our spiritual maturity lies in joyfully existing for others, liberated from pure self-obsession in personal piousness.

Ringma also spoke on 5 distortions which historically churches have suffered from :
- reign of God reduced to ecclesiology
- reign of God reduced to inner piety
- reign of God relegated wholly to future
- reign of God confused with world' best ideologies and projects
- influence of Western Evangelicalism preaching of gospel of personal salvation rather than gospel of the kingdom of God. Ringma is deeply theological, at this juncture, I must admit that I dozed off oredi zzz...
But indeed, a gentle reminder to us that in our own Christian walk too we can easily slip into such similar closeted perspectives.

I was very awakened when Ringma stressed that as Christians our focus isn't in evangelism alone but also in making a difference in areas of social concern. To non-believers, preaching may appear as good as blank, when not substantiated by our living testimonies and without our involvement in transformation of the many social, economic and political challenges facing our society. In my personal humble opinion, the latter appears a road less travelled. Nevertheless, social transformation can take decades to bear fruit, for our God is not an efficient God but a God of perfect timing.

All in all, I enjoyed the conference so much and met lots of brothers and sisters from other countries. It's great isn't it, the work of our Father throughout all the nations? And I had great fun touring Bali with the rest of the "partners-in-crime", discovering their hilarious and cute antics :) Luv ya all * !
*************************************************************************************

God bless lurvingly,
-->carmen

How badly do you want the Lord?

2005-11-21T17:34:00.000+08:00

Hi all, (penned on 20 Nov)

As I am writing to you now, I'm flying over the Caspian Sea at an altitude of 38000 ft. Interestingly, to the left of the plan is where Tehran is. I got to know from someone that Iran is a place where Christians can be heavily prosecuted. We've seen all the horrors of the Middle East in the television. Each time I fly over this area, it just send chills down my spine. This is the closest as I can get to a warzone, albeit at 38000 ft. To be honest, I do wonder whether there are missles flying around at this altitude. Alright, I'm freaking myself out, let's not get there. Nevertheless, about 2 hours earlier when flying past Lahore, the view of the mountain range, with the snow-capped peaks, is simply breath-taking.

I have begin receiving some feedbacks about my writing. Some commented that I like to analyze things in 3 parts, some said that I had a business-style writing, some has been a blessing (praise God, and all glory be to Him), some said I should be a preacher (yeah? you think so?), some mentioned that I should blog my writings (which I am working on currently...need to squeeze time) etc. etc. etc. In my previous writing "Resonating With The Holy Spirit", I briefly mentioned that I could testify the period of dryness God brought me through. So, this week, I thought I would write at a more "personal" level by sharing that account of testimony.

My church, Full Gospel Assembly, ran a 40-day programme between mid-June to end-July. The programme was titled "Purpose Driven Life", and it is heavily based on the book written by Rick Warren. I thought it was an excellent programme for Christians to rediscover the exhiliration of walking with God. Personally, I finished the book even before the programme started.

As I read thru the book, a word from one chapter did catch my attention strongly enough leave quite a lingering impression upon me for quite some time : dryness. Prior to programme, I was riding on a "spiritual" high where God has abundantly blessed me with an fantastic pay rise and a excellent new project assignment within based in KL that came along with the opportunity to travel to London quite a fair bit. I get to see the breakthrough in spiritiual progress of my family. Also, I was comforted so lovingly in His arms when I was heartbroken and that was good enough for me.

About a quarter way through the programme, I started to feel a little dry. Expounding on that, I could describe as a "rojak" feelings of confusion, fear, inadequecy and futility. I felt confused because I struggle to hear God's voice and the silence was was deafening. I felt fear because I thought I must have grieved the Holy Spirit, and can't imagine walking through life without God. I felt inadequate because I no longer feel God as strongly (or so I thought). I felt futile because that all the abundant blessings suddenly meant little to me.

Prayer became quite a chore, because it evolved to be a one way communication : me rambling on, and God's chilling silence. Interestingly in the same frame of time, temptations seemed to be stronger than usual. And I started to worry a lot, particularly about work. Will I deliver the desired results? Where should I go after the project? What if the project fails?

Somehow, there was still a small faction of me that holds deep conviction that the Lord will never forsake me. The lesser I felt, the harder I prayed. Reading through a Gideon bible in a hotel in Singapore on the night of 26-Jul, God impressed upon me the following verses, in the exact order :

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

James 1:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

23:1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalm 23

10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10

5 [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Hebrews 13:5-6

15:1 (A Psalm of David.) LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3 [He that] backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. [He that] sweareth to [his own] hurt, and changeth not.

5 [He that] putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these [things] shall never be moved.

Psalm 15

3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. 11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.

Proverbs 3:1-12

With a lot of answers pouring in, Matthew 7:7 became very real to me. The beckoning of the Holy Spirit is very sensable. It was a breakthrough experience, and I can ascertain that my walk with Christ today has mature tremendously compared to just 6 months ago. In hindsight, I conclude that it came down to a very fundamental question between you and God : How badly do you want Him? For me, badly enough to repeatly keep on asking, seeking and knocking.

Mr. Leong can't wait to kiss Mrs. Leong

2005-11-18T19:05:00.000+08:00

Resonating with the Holy Spirit

2005-11-18T18:25:00.000+08:00

Hi all, (penned - Oct 23)

I hope all of you had a blessed weekend. After dinner on Saturday night, while I was walking back up to the apartment, the word "resonate" impressed upon me. Sharing how my thoughts took-off from there :

For those of you who remembered conducting a science experiment on resonance, you could probably recall how a plastic ruler offset at the edge of the table can violently oscilate up and down when being tapped/vibrated at certain frequency. That certain frequency is called the resonance frequency.

Our walk with God can certainly draw a very synonymous analogy to that simple science experiment. The Holy Spirit moves in a certain pulse that is perfect to the will of God. To resonate with the Holy Spirit is to tap into the harmonic motion of the Holy Spirit. It requires us to, first, be sensitive to the movement of the Spirit, next, to flow accordingly. When our own spirit resonates in synchrony with the Holy Spirit, you can be assured that the unleashing power is able to manifest a Christian life in its full abundance. God has promised that in John 15:7 ...If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Despite a powerful promise from God, yet sometimes we fail to tap into resonance. One of the most obvious reasons is disobedience towards God. I could probably write numerous more articles about the elements of disobedience. But for the simplicity of this article, being disobedient towards God encompass all things that are "not nice" in God's vocabulary i.e. sin, faithlessness, unrepentence etc. God has a warning about being out of sync with the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

However, despite the obedience on our part, sometimes we do feel that God has been awfully silent. Some may feel that things and happenings around them seem to be falling apart like a broken jigsaw puzzle. Feelings of fear, helplessness and inadequecy lurks from within. It can be an excrutiating experience, especially priorly we were on spiritual "high". When this period of dryness seemingly happens, it is because the Holy Spirit has begun moving at a whole new different level in our lives. Through a prayerful attitude, the beckoning of the Holy Spirit is sensable. By faith, we plunge ourselves into that beckoning. I would likened this to upgrading from springboarding into a pool of water to bungee-jumping into air from a mile high!

Because the Holy Spirit has drawn them to a higher level, and by faith, our elders have stepped out in obedience which resulted in the mighty works of God in FGA. I can personally testify the experience of dryness during the 40 days of Purpose Driven Life Programme, and God has brought me to a new level ever since. Lord Jesus Himself can ascertain that. In the gospels of Matthew, Luke and Mark, the patterns are consistent :

1) He was baptised - we can draw the spiritually "high" analogy here
2) He was tempted - shortly after that, His seeming period of dryness occur.
3) He is, thereafter, a powerful minister - He moves in a powerful newer, higher level that has impressed a resonating message to the world forever.

Catch the pattern? Period of dryness is a interface period during which God is telling us that His Spirit has moved on to another level. It also means that temptation is real. The choices we make will result in whether we resonate with the Holy Spirit at a new level, or simply spiral away from His presence. When the Spirit calls, we need to step out with faith towards His direction. For without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 6:11). Elders Dr. Koh and Bro. Ang had answered the call 26 years ago. Jesus subjected himself to the perfect will of God 2000 years ago. The same spirit still beckons us today to resonate with Him. As evident in many biblical accounts and modern testimonies, the results are simply sensational (it has to be...upgrading from springboarding to bungee-jumping wat). Will you today choose resonate to the pulse of the Holy Spirit?

I've written something about changing mindsets last week, and I understand not all got that article. If you have not got it, here it is :

While I have not (yet) met any Christians who experience the reborning experience without pain, most of us come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through a life experience that almost drives us to the point of fracture.

In the book titled Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, he mentioned that out of the most tormenting experiences will birth the most powerful ministries. Cause God causes all things to work for good for those who love him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). Having said Romans 8:28, so why do we sometimes fail to capitalize on our experiences for God's glory? The environment that sometime causes people to just seemingly react waywardly, is an overpowering sense of helplessness in the face of life's adversities. It can induce a 2-prong outcome, one resulting in a behaviour which constantly lashes out at opportune time (what I call the bitter-bitter syndrome), the other an almost-too-willing-to-retreat response (what I call once-bitten-twice-shy-three-times-sure-die disorder). So, instead of what could seemingly unfold a magical story has pathetically spiralled in a badly written plot, as described by the 2 syndromes above.

We first need to learn how to think, react and pro-act differently. Sounds cliche, but it echoes in many secular self-help seminars in the market. Really, there is no reasons for us born-again Christians to learn how to think, react and pro-act differently. For Christ's sake (unlike pagans, no pun intended, I mean this for real), we have our Lord God with insurmountable and infinite resource of wisdom for us to tap into! (I'm hearing a hallelujah in a cresendo). There are numerous Proverb verses that can be quoted here about wisdom, but I'll leave it as a homework to all of you. By aligning to the pulse of the Holy Spirit, start challenging the mindset and changing the way we do things will result in the unfolding life's richness and abundance in the Lord. ...but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). What could be more powerful than forging the alliance with the Holy Spirit?

Jesus' life is a testimony on how He was truly different in His thoughts and actions :
1) His seemingly comprehension of the word as a boy at the temple (Mark 2:41-50)
2) His reactions towards the devil's temptation in the dessert (Mark 4 :1-13)
3) His messages, ministries and miracles (articulated in all the 4 gospels)
4) His pro-action towards the cross (Matthew 26:39)
Some are in serious delay for a major reality-check overhaul spiritually. A simultaneous combination of reengineering of what's in between the ears and a thorough makeover of the heart is necessary to re-track the obedient walk with God, which unlocks life in its full abundance. God, in all His Glory, is in a business of re-inventing mindsets and rejuvenation of the heart to be more like His Son. But only if you invite Him to be your Senior Partner and CEO of YourLife Inc.

Have a blessed week ahead.

God bless,
Mel

The Pocket of Void that Only God Can Fill

2005-11-18T18:24:00.000+08:00

Hi all, (penned - Nov 6)

It's Sunday evening again and I never felt so refreshed this deeply in many weeks. Feels like being completed overhauled. *haha*. Anyway, I do hope that you have a good long break and feel rejuv)enated.

I've received some feedbacks about my past 2 writings, so I thought this week I approach it in a different manner by sharing my experience. Throughout last week, the theme which constantly resonates in my head was about "The Void". In the book Purpose driven Life written by Rick Warren, he has rightly structured his book to begin with the purpose to worship. In my own words, I would say that worship is a complete surrender of the totality of my life to God, being fully immersed with His Grace and aboundingly thankful for His Salvation. It is a feeling which I would describe as a fierce outpouring sensation from within, a warmth in my heart and a pleasant numbing of my mind.

God has created us with a pocket of void in our lives designed only to only fit Him. In recent weeks, I concluded by experience that no amount of any other pursuits of this world, material or immaterial, even for the cause of good, can ever fulfill that pocket of void except God. The Lord has been a good teacher and although I am not always a fan on how some of the lessons are delivered, He does get the point across well enough :

Through growing with the Lord and much prayer, I have seen His gracious hands at work in my life bringing me from the land of not-enough, to the land of just-enough, and to the land of more-than-enough. Although I am still no Donald Trump today, the setting was right for Him to make the lesson clear. When everything seems to be going all too well for me, He disappears! (For those in FGA, interestingly it co-incided with the PDL programme). The novelty faded away all too rapidly, and I was left feeling so void, lonely, aggitated and even a little depressed. That was intentional by God, giving me a full-blown real-life preview of Solomon's book of Ecclesiates.

There are also areas where I don't to have much joy handling it. I do struggle with feelings of anger, bitterness, sorrow and even revengeful vendetas. There were endless prayer hours petitioning for God's answer. When it was about to be seemingly answered, it was snatched violently away from me. I make no reservations saying that I had a hard time getting hold of God's comfort, even though I know He does that in 2Cor 1:4. Nevertheless, there were also a few items which God has impressed upon me to do which demands obedience. By faith, I started to heed His callings, and what follows can be described as the most abounding joy I have ever experienced. I don't pretend that I no longer struggle, because I still do. The difference now is that as I grow more abidingly in Him, His Spirit abides in me more, I am fulfilled no matter how inadequate I am. Simply fantastic.

Out of the 2 very contrasting experience, no matter how well or how bad the situation may be, there will definitely be voids in our lives because we as humans are hardwired by God into our DNA to seek Him. Hence, the void can only be filled by Him. Without Him, we will continue to loop around infinitely, which can render our life unstable.

I leave you with 2 points to ponder :

Principally, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. Hence, if we proclaim that, no matter what the situation, better or lesser, we should first seek His Kingdom and all His Righteousness (Matt 6:33). I am not even attempting to finish the verse, cause we are all too often enticed by it, thus losing sight of God.
Practically, do a spiritual health check and gauge how you stand before God. Start by surrendering your all to God and live out in obedience to His Word. Tip of the day - Be grounded in the bible. Bonus tip - Start serving.

Tomorrow it's kickin' back to business. I do hope that you have a good week ahead, and the Lord will go with you.

In Christ,
Mel

How's this for our logo?

2005-11-18T16:40:00.000+08:00

A sweet birthday poem for two lovely maidens ...

2005-11-16T15:53:00.000+08:00

Hi,

This week, 2 tall lovely ladies in our cg celebrating their birthdays!

*****************************************************
Wonderful friend, dearest wise Julie
What blessing to us, in sorority
The Lord made you, special & well
Let not anyone, say anything else!

*****************************************************
She's a gutsy, going, gift-of-the gab
The livewire, of every gathering
Tall & talkative, babe you're fab,
May this birthday be, the sweetest thing!

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

You all can guess who they are ...

God bless lots
~carmen

2005-11-16T14:11:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday Phoebe and Carmen!

2005-11-16T14:09:00.000+08:00

Ah, even the birds in the park will be smiling with us :)

Reconciliation from the Eyes of Philemon

2005-11-15T18:33:00.000+08:00

Just to share some reflections on the book of Philemon from what I've read and discerned. This is a lesser quoted book, but no less in the message it brings forth. Aha, do you know where about in the Bible the book of Philemon is? Old Testament, or New? Which book is before it, and after? (some of you may be flipping the Bible now :). In fact, Philemon is really a short and sweet book with 25 verses only.

As a background, Philemon was a leader in the church of Colosse and a wealthy man. His servant, Onesimus, stole his money and ran away to Rome. Got caught and thrown into prison. There he met Paul who shared the message of Christ's love to Onesimus and the latter was saved. Upon Onesimus' release, Paul wrote to Philemon requesting Philemon to accept Onesimus not as a runaway slave but as a brother in Christ.

And the crux of the message? RECONCILIATION. What do we understand from this word? Many would say forgiving, letting go and forgetting, bringing back to an original state etc etc. *Ding* - You've got your hammer on the nail. But beyond this, reconciliation encompasses acceptance as kinship clear of reservations and hindrances whatsoever. It is spontaneous, arising from a willing heart, not forced and not grudging.

A brief examination of the book of Philemon reveals how important Paul viewed reconciliation. His self-reference was "prisoner of Christ" wherein other books, Paul used either "apostle of Christ" or "servant of Christ". He humbled himself and commended Philemon for all his good works in Christ. Paul emphasized how much he loved Onesimus yet he sent him back to Philemon, and pleaded for Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother (ex-slave on par as master!). And
Paul was prepared to bear all charges of Onesimus' previous
wrongdoings.

Above all, the highest form of reconciliation is between man and
God. Men sinned, fell and separated from God. God manifested the epitome of His Love by the precious blood of His Son overflowing at Calvary. Men are redeemed, saved and reconciled to God. And the consequence of non-reconciliation rudimentarily is an eternal life bound to damnation.

Through Jesus Christ's sacrifice we are born again and given a fresh lease of life. With this, we are reconciled to ourselves. Behind every joyful countenance at the dinner fellowship table, there's a Tolkien storyteller in each of us. Some have a difficult childhood, an unpleasant upbringing, a rough teen. Some of us wish we could turn back time and re-live the years wasted. Some don't have a past. Others have too much past. Remember, all our guilt and shame have been paid the price at the cross and we carry this burden no more. No more missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle of our lives.

And, reconciliation evolves all around us, our family, relatives,
friends, loved ones, brothers and sisters in Christ. Most of us are just average kids living out the pulses of the throbbing city. We grow up, learning to fly amidst peoples of a world generally pre-occupied with self-preservation and ambition. We may have been wronged, hurt, abandoned, broken. We may have been trampled, accused, abused, ill-treated. We may have been sidelined, marginalized, victimized, ostracized. And to some of life's most pounding questions we may never know the exact answers at this mortal end of the heavenly realm.

But that's life. We trip, we cry, we get up, we move on. We trip,
we cry, we get up, we move on. Life isn't a bed of fragrant roses, rather a box a bitter sweet mocha chocolates (Forrest Gump?). With each step, we grow in faith and in strength. The people along our path and the experiences we encounter sometimes stir doubts of uncertainties in us. Which is why we must be so sure of our identity, and in that our identity vests in Christ. To this, we hold on dearly with every breath.

Reconciliation is never easy, to some it may take an entire lifetime or never at all. Definitely not as simple as Beckham shaving his head to signify new start. It is delicate, emotional, powerful, gripping and if not dealt properly, crippling. It is through our transformation in Christ and our journey in this walk that we learn to truly let go of all anger and resentment holding us back. If our heart is filled so much with bitterness and hatred, we simply have no room left for God's pouring of grace, blessings, joy and peace. For to err is human, to forgive divine. And that, my friend, is love.

God bless lovingly

Carmen

What good is a spark if nothing catches fire?

2005-11-15T18:31:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone,
Couldn't believe that the weekend is ending. I hardly had time to catch a breath after a perilous week at work, and it's Monday again. Nevertheless, it was a good weekend per se, as I had time to service my car, go for CG, attend church and a Sunday out with the family. One thing I wanted to do was to catch up with some work over the weekend....then again....perhaps that turned out to be a good thing? I don't know, but Monday will tell....hahahah.

Anyway, below are is a writing putting together some discussions I had with some of the Connexion brothers, church sermons and bible verses :

Last Sunday, Pastor Andrew gave an excellent sermon giving the insights on the meaning of being a borned again Christian. Expounding John 3 where Jesus was lined up against Nicodemus, Pastor Andrew presented 4 key items :

1) Spirit-controlled life
2) Shift of focus from the temporal to the eternal
3) Christ-centred desires
4) God-influence lifestyle.

All of us had the pleasure of encountering the Lord Jesus Christ in a powerful manner, and many can associate with the estatic spiritual "high" that you experience as a newly borned again Christian. God has been incredibly generous in answering our prayers. We love the worship and fellowship. Life is bliss. We have the spark for Christ.

In the secular business world, if you have not included in an action plan with tangible targets to support your flashy marketing presentations, I could imagine that your bosses will sit back, arms folded, blanked-face, and out of his mouth comes one word which is enough to cause stomach turmoils : "So?"

There will always be a point in our lives where the Boss will ask us that. James, in his letter to the twelve tribes, crudely mentioned that faith without actions is dead (James 2:17). Remembering that salvation is available to anyone who response to the Lord, neverthesless, that does not give us the license to be laid back. Paul has explicitly warned the church in Thessalonica about the dangers of being idle (2 Thessalonians 3:16-15).

As Christ continues the good work within us, we need to response accordingly by climbing the maturity ladder, with deep conviction that we are saved for good works. Christian lifestyle has to move beyond just the feelings of spiritual highness, singing/dancing during worshipping or the fellowshipping sessions at the dinner table. It needs to reach greater spiritual heights, grounded deeply in the Word of God to further substantiate our walk with Jesus. There are numerous needs to be met out there in our world today, and I believe each of us is equiped with unique talents that is able to meet each of those needs.

God urges us to take serious accountability of our lives when walking with Him. When we are in Christ, we are expected to exercise our gifts and talents for the glory of His Kingdom. Jesus has taught us that through the parable of the talents. And when we finally arrived at His throne of grace, we can then present ourselves as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who handles accurately the word of truth (2Timothy 2 :15). Jesus also did describe very vividly the consequences of failure to response accordingly in John 15. What good is a spark if nothing catches fire?

Penned in Christ,
Mel

Food for thought

2005-11-15T18:28:00.000+08:00

Dear All,

I totally agree with Pat "Christians are like coals of fire-together, they glow; apart, they grow cold." As time goes by, I can see that the bonding of Connextion grow. Not only in number, but in quality ie. spiritual walk with GOD and each another through thin and thick. One thing I am very glad to see is there is no grouping among us, we can talk to anyone, anytime.

I noticed if there is new comer, our sisters and brothers will automatically welcome them by initiating the conversation and make them feel comfortable. 2 yrs back, hospitality team have to be set up for welcoming new comer. But now, I don't think There is a need.

Thanks to Pat and Kien and to Katherine too, a big applause to three of you. Hebrew12:17: Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be JOY, NOT a BURDEN, for that would be no advantage to you.

Off course to all others frequent supporters that behind the scene who faithfully follow-up and build friendship, worship, organising actv, add hoc projects. As end time is coming, many issues happening in the world, let us continue to uphold and encourage each other through GOD's words. Let's not lose heart doing goods by building our foundation on GOD's words as Math 7:24-27.

Math 7:24-25: ....yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock(God's words).

Math 7:26-27: But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, stream rose, wind blew and beat against that house, and it fell with great crash.

As we fellowship, there bound 2b a lots of frictions because we all have different character, behavior, family background, different views. But let Christ be our only focus and objective, so that we can stand as ONE. Let us be united for HIS glory, together we stand strong.

John 17:21 That all of them may be one, Father just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22: I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. 23: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the wrold know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

As we continue to practice grace and forgiveness, the fruit of the Holy Spirit will be seen.

Let us always checked ourselves, I admit I am not perfected yet.This is my daily checklist Galatian 5:19-21 --> The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: Idolatry(can even be things we place more impt than GOD) and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissesions, fractions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatian 5:22 But the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience NIV(or NKJ long suffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. I am still very far behind this, work in progress. It is day by day improvement, forgive me if I make mistake.

Enjoy chewing bible verses for some are the words that strike me when I read Bible. Sometime I woke up in the middle of the night, can not sleep, open up my Bible, and always there are so much to absorb when the night is quiet. Hahaha.......but off course if have choice, I rather sleep cause very tired. I am not that spiritual after all, I am still a saved sinners.

In +, Jacqueline

Be still, My child

2005-11-15T17:20:00.000+08:00

Over the past 1 week, I had an issue. As any Christian would do, I brought it up with God. I have previously brought up this issue with God a few months ago and He had said something to me. As months have passed, I started to have doubts about what He said as nothing have come to pass. So, I queried Him again. This time, He didn't "speak" to me as He did earlier on. (What I meant by "speak"? He had my heart convicted of the answer). Therefore, I felt very frustated about it. As I shared with my leaders and friends, I remember telling them "But God is not saying anything to me!"

I have this habit of reading a few pages of daily devotions in a night. I know daily devotions are meant to be read one-a-day. I just have this habit of wanting to read a few at one go. I would take back issues of Our Daily Bread (published by RBC Ministries) and read them. In one of my readings in the last 1 week, I came across this few lines that caught my attention. Since reading those lines, I would occasionaly flip back to the page and re-read it again and again. It goes like this:

Be still, My child, and know that I am God!
Wait thou patiently - I know the path you trod.
So falter not, nor fear, nor think to run and hide,
For I, thy hope and strength, am waiting by thy side - Hein

I find that the use of King James English here sounds beautiful. I normally wouldn't like King James English. These few lines, I could re-read it 100 times and would still find it comforting to me.

This moment, it struck to me then that God is speaking to me. OK, Lord! I take the hint: stop complaining about You not speaking to me. Forgive this silly childy of Yours.

Lesson learnt: Always be sensitive as you would never know how God would speak to you

Regards,
Irene

p/s: I am currently reading Max Lucado's 'In the eye of the storm'. His writing style is easy to understand.

A few ways to grow in spiritual maturity (in my own experience)

2005-11-15T17:10:00.000+08:00

"As Christ continues the good work within us, we need to response accordingly by climbing the maturity ladder, with deep conviction that we are saved for good works. Christian lifestyle has to move beyond just the feelings of spiritual highness, singing/dancing during worshipping or the fellowshipping sessions at the dinner table"

A few ways to grow in spiritual maturity (in my own experience)

1. Follow the bible study in CG

2. Read Chrisitan books. Don't know where to start? Go into the FGA libraby, browse the books under "Christian Living".

3. Attend Sunday Bible Class (spirtual growth 1, 2, 3, Jeremiah, etc)

4. Attend RPBC Classes

Reasons I used to give myself for not doing the above and what I have come to realised:

1. Read books

My reasons: "Ai-yah, very difficult to understand the books".

What I have come to realise: Not all Christian books are difficult to read and only meant for theological students. There are loads of very easy to read books out there. We are blessed that we know our ABCs.

2. Attend Sunday Bible Class

My reasons: "I don't need people to tell me how to grow. If God wants me to grow, He would make it happen".

What I have come to realise: God gave us brains to think, hands and feet to walk, a car to drive, teachers to teach. I must not expect God to just do an overnight "transformation" on me.

My reasons: "I already know what they are teaching"

What I have come to realise: Re-evaluate my humility.

3. Attend RPBC Classes

My reasons: "Too tired from work, I have other things to do after work".

What I have come to realise: Draw strength from God. Re-evaluate what are my priorities ... TV, Internet, do nothing or God?

Regards,
Irene