Blessed to be a Blessing!

New Blogspot Will Be Launched on July 25, 2011

2011-07-23T22:44:00.006+08:00

It is now official.
The replacement blogspot will happen on July 25, 2011 and this blog will cease to be updated and may even disappear in due course after I have terminated the email account.
I have held that email account for more than twenty years and I have to move on and terminate the account for economic and practical reasons.
And so you can view the new blogspot at this URL

http://andrew-lap-wai-lee.blogspot.com

New Blogspot To Be Launched Soon

2011-07-22T08:50:00.001+08:00

To all the followers of my blogspot, thanks for the support and encouragement.
In fact, because of your encouragement, I am going to start a new site shortly and plan to shut this down soon as I will be terminating the email account with which I had used to create this blogspot.
You can reach me at the new URL - andrew-lap-wai-lee@blogspot.com
Once again, thanks for the support.

Israel-Lebanon tensions rise over natural gas rights - Israel Today

2011-07-12T10:33:00.006+08:00

Israel and Lebanon have become embroiled in a legal and diplomatic battle over rights to undersea natural gas fields that could potentially turn violent.

Dispute over natural resources has long been a catalyst for war, and few would be surprised if Lebanon's dominant Hizballah terrorist militia used this latest quarrel as justification for a fresh attack on the Jewish state. "Lebanon has warned that it insists on protecting its borders and resources," a spokesman for Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Bloomberg. Berri and the Lebanese government were responding to an Israeli cabinet vote that defined the nation's maritime borders. Israel was keen to take that step after Lebanon began laying claim to offshore territories that encompass huge natural gas reserves discovered by Israel in recent years.

Last year, Lebanon submitted maps demarcating new maritime borders to the UN. But the lines differ greatly from those decided upon by Israel, and even from those Lebanon itself agreed to years ago. "The line that Lebanon submitted to the UN is significantly south of the Israeli line," said Netanyahu. "It contradicts the line Israel has agreed upon with Cyprus, and what is more significant to me is that it contradicts the line that Lebanon itself concluded with Cyprus in 2007." Israel will submit its own maps to the UN later this week.

The natural gas reserves discovered in the eastern Mediterranean in recent years are estimated to be the largest in the world, and could drastically alter Israel's economic and energy situation. But the new maritime border insisted upon by Lebanon would mean a loss of billion of dollars worth of gas rights to Israel.

Israeli firms working the Tamar and Leviathan undersea gas fields announced last year that in addition to the enormous amount of natural gas, there may also be rich oil reserves in the area. Hizballah, which effectively controls Lebanon's government, responded by accusing Israel of "stealing" Lebanon's natural resources, and threatening war. Hizballah has attacked and started war with Israel for less in the past.

66th UN General Assembly Meeting in September 2011

2011-07-02T21:34:00.001+08:00

The next UN General Assembly (which is their 66th assembly) will open on September 13, 2011 with the debates taking place between 21-23 and 26-30. What should be of great significance is the question of statehood for the Palestinian people.

So far President Obama had tried to push the US stand of Israeli withdrawal from all land captured by the IDF in the 6-day war in 1967 but Israel had maintained that the borders prior to the 6-day war is not defensible. So far, President Obama had kept silent whether he would pursue the discussion line and support President Mahmoud Abbas in his resolution to the UN.

A Palestinian State would have to support the existence of Israel as a separate nation and this is going to be interesting, if not difficult, as the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and all Arabic states try not to recognize Israel as a nation and their intention has always been to drive Israel into the Sea (Mediterranean Sea).

Israel is willing to let the Palestinians have their own land but only where they are currently living (Gaza and Samaria (or West Bank)) but Jerusalem is not negotiable. Unfortunately the Arabs also want Jerusalem for themselves and that is where the entire debate will come to a grid-lock. As at this moment, Israel calls Jerusalem its capital city but the world only recognize Tel-Aviv as the capital and not Jerusalem and so, to reinforce Israel's position, it would help when all nations begin to move their embassies from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem and in so doing, the sovereignty of Israel will be strengthened.

So, what would happen at this coming UN General Assembly debate will be an interesting watch and the future of Israel will be unfolded albeit through divine intervention.

Watch and Pray

2011-06-23T11:37:00.003+08:00

So many things have happened over the past year two that makes one perk up and recognize that the time is REALLY, REALLY SHORT! and that the Lord's return for His Bride is at hand. The Rapture can take place any time now and I would not be surprised if this comes as early as this year itself.
I know I have put forward some hypothesis in the past as to the date and I know I was wrong on those. However, that does not mean that the trend is incorrect. Indeed, it is still on track; weird things are taking place:

vast areas where rain had hardly fallen (in the dry plains in Pakistan) were flooded last year
the massive unprecedented flooding of the Mississippi River in USA in May 2011
vast areas in Russia experienced drought
huge areas in China suffered drought while neighboring regions were flooded (unheard of before)
the moon rotated 138 degrees between December 2010 and March 2011
severe sun activities that could fry the communications systems (satellites included) of planet Earth
massive earthquakes and tsunamis
massive volcanic activities

I have attached a link to this post for you to watch a discussion between Dr Gary Stearman of "Prophecy In The News" and L.A. Marzulli on some of these phenomenon. http://vimeo.com/25405743
The video is about 28 minutes and so watch it right through and share with us your thoughts by posting comments to this post.

Israelis slam Obama's dangerous peace policies

2011-05-23T21:02:00.008+08:00

This article appeared in Israel Today dated May 23, 2011

Quote

Israeli officials on Sunday had harsh criticism for US President Barack Obama a day after he sided with Arab "peace" demands and strongly suggested that Israel is the obstacle to peace in the region.

In a televised foreign policy speech last Thursday, Obama stated that "the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines," and insisted that "the Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves and reach their full potential."

A day later, Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. During their joint press conference following the meeting, Netanyahu flat-out rejected Obama's premise that peace must be based on the 1967 borders.

"While Israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace, it cannot go back to the 1967 lines because these lines are indefensible [and] because they don’t take into account certain changes that have taken place on the ground," explained Netanyahu.

Netanyahu went on to note that "before 1967, Israel was all of nine miles wide. ...And these were not the boundaries of peace; they were the boundaries of repeated wars, because the attack on Israel was so attractive." The Israeli leader warned that basing a future peace deal on the 1967 borders, as the Arabs insist, will result in "a peace based on illusions [that] will eventually crash on the rocks of Middle Eastern reality."

Writing for the leftist Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, top political analyst Ari Shavit said that Obama's speech was good for Israel in that it opposed Palestinian efforts to unilaterally secure independence, slammed Mahmoud Abbas' unity deal with Hamas, and recognized Israel as the Jewish state, and called on the Palestinians to do the same.

But, Shavit said, Obama erred critically in his insistence on the 1967 borders. "Instead of presenting the 1967 borders as the end of the process, Obama made them its start. Instead of tying them to the end of demands and the end of the conflict, they were tied to greater demands and continued conflict," wrote Shavit.

He continued: "Without intending any harm, Obama presented Israel with a suicidal proposition: an interim agreement based on the 1967 borders. It's a proposal that runs along the same lines as the Hamas offer of a hudna - a long-term cease-fire."

Shavit warned that by setting the 1967 borders as the starting point for final status negotiations, Obama had allowed the Palestinians to make the "right" of millions of so-called "Palestinian refugees" to flood Israel the focal point of continued negotiations.

Israelis from across the political spectrum reject the Palestinian effort to demographically destroy the Jewish state by bringing in those millions of foreign-born Arabs. If the Palestinian "right of return" becomes the primary topic of discussion, there is little to no hope of concluding a peace deal.

Right-wing Israeli lawmaker Yaakov Katz (National Union) was less forgiving, cautioning in a letter to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC): "Don't fall for Obama's magical oratory. He put a gun to Israel's head and asked it to commit suicide."

According to some reports, Netanyahu recognized the danger of Obama's words, and the two leaders had a tense discussion during their White House meeting. Netanyahu dismissed reports of increased tension between himself and Obama, insisting that their disagreements on certain details of the peace process are "differences of opinion...among friends."

But many believe the writing is on the wall, and Obama will soon push Israel into a dangerous peace deal. His clear suggestion that Israel's repeated stalling, rather than Palestinian peace infractions, is the main reason for a lack of peace today is telling.

"The international community is tired of an endless process that never produces an outcome," said Obama in his Thursday foreign policy speech. "The dream of a Jewish and democratic state cannot be fulfilled with permanent occupation."

In his remarks following the White House summit, Obama said the current political changes across the Arab world offers an opportunity for his vision of peace to be realized. "There is a moment of opportunity that can be seized as a consequence of the Arab Spring," said Obama.

In an interview last month with Israel Today, Israeli political analyst Yoram Ettinger said the opposite is in fact true. The reality, said Ettiger, is that the "Arab Spring" demonstrates just how fragile the Arab world is, and how foolish it would be to trust Israel's security to a Palestinian regime that could be swept aside in a moment.

Obama's reiteration that without a state the Palestinians cannot reach their true potential and must live in humiliation also ignored realities on the ground.

In the upcoming issue of Israel Today, average Palestinians told us that they don't want an independent state ruled by Abbas and his thugs, and that they already live in peace and prosperity with the Jews around them.

Unquote

I cannot help but relate what is happening in USA over the weekend with this negotiation between PM Netanyahu and President Obama. A total of 46 tornados hit seven states in midwestern USA and close to 90 people had died as a result. Is this a coincidence? No, I don't think so; you touch the Apple of God's eye and you incur His wrath.

Here is a quick report on the level of devastation left behind by one tornado in Joplin, Missouri.

Quote

(Reuters) - Search teams bathed in the harsh glow of floodlights early on Monday picked through rubble of neighborhoods and commercial districts demolished by a tornado that killed at least 30 people in the southwestern Missouri town of Joplin.

"We are recovering the dead," Joplin police Sergeant Bob Higginbotham said hours after the powerful twister struck Sunday afternoon, leaving much of the town of 50,000 residents in ruins and plunging the city into darkness once night fell.
Higginbotham was busy collecting the names of people reported missing. "(It's) devastating loss of life, horrible, and it goes on for miles," he said.
Newton County Coroner Mark Bridges put Joplin's death toll at 30 or more, on par with the loss of life from a twister that struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama, last month. More than 30 died in that storm.
"We know we are up into the 30 range," Bridges told Reuters, adding that 11 bodies were recovered from one location alone and that the known casualty count would likely climb. "People are just telling us where they have seen bodies and adding them up in their heads."

Unquote

Iceland's Most Active Volcano Erupts

2011-05-22T12:28:00.008+08:00

Iceland's most active volcano has started erupting while experts say it is unlikely to disturb European air traffic. The Grimsvotn volcano, located under the uninhabited Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland's southeast, began erupting with a series of small earthquakes on Saturday, sending as much as 15 kilometres of white smoke into the air, Iceland's Meteorological Office said.

"It can be a big eruption, but it is unlikely to be like last year," Hjorleifur Sveinbjornsson, a geologist at the Meteorological Office, told Reuters news agency, referring to the April 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
Last year's Eyjafjallajokul eruption kept some 10 million air travelers in limbo worldwide for five days, after winds pushed the volcanic ash cloud toward some of the world's busiest airspace and led most northern European countries to ground all planes.

The Grimsvotn's previous eruptions have lasted between a day and several weeks, it's last being in 2004. Scientists have been expecting a new eruption and have said that this volcano's eruption will likely be small and should not lead to air travel chaos. But whether widespread disruption occurs again will depend on how long the eruption lasts, how high the ash plume rises and which way the wind blows.

Isavia, the company that operates and develops all airport facilities and air navigation services in Iceland, enforced a no-fly zone for 120 nautical miles (220 kilometres) in all directions from the eruption. An Isavia spokeswoman described this as standard procedure around eruptions. "The plume of smoke has reached jet flying altitude and plans have been made for planes flying through Icelandic air control space to fly southwardly tonight,'' Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, the spokeswoman, said.

A plane from the Icelandic Coast Guard carrying experts from the University of Iceland will fly over the volcano and evaluate the situation.

Now the timing for this volcanic eruption is significant especially as USA and the EU are now trying to pressure Israel to give up land to the Palestinians and revert to the pre-1967 war borders which the Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu had flatly rejected. Will the EU continue with its pressures and if so, I believe the eruptions will intensify but if they relent and ease off, I believe we may see the activities simmer off.

Certainly we need to remember what the Lord had promised Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3: (English Standard Version)

v1 Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.

v2 And I will make of you a great nation. and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

v3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Sometimes I wonder why the world leaders never read those three verses and think through their actions before they start to come against Israel. As a friend once said, "you touch the apple of God's eye, you will pay the price for your actions." So, lets watch the world stage and see the hand of God at work in our midst.

Is Israel's Water Crisis Over?

2011-05-20T08:00:00.007+08:00

This article was taken from 'Israel Today' of Thursday May 19, 2011 by Ryan Jones.

Quote

The former head of Israel's Water Authority surprised many of his countrymen on Wednesday when he said in a Channel 2 News interview that Israel's water crisis is over.

Before leaving the Water Authority to become a professor at Hebrew University four months ago, Dr. Uri Shani had been warning Israelis that the six previous years of drought had created such a severe shortage of water that harsh measures would likely be required this summer.

Changing course in his Channel 2 appearance, Shani stated, "I can say with caution that the water crisis has ended."

Israel experienced a large increase in rainfall this spring, but Shani said the main reason Israel's crisis has ended is accelerated work on numerous desalination plants along the Mediterranean Coast.

"The main reason is not the rain of course, it is the desalinization facilities that Israel is building at perhaps the greatest speed in the world," said Shani. "Also, the recent water conservation practices of Israel."

But figures released by the Water Authority showed that Shani's optimism may be premature.

While Israel did experience a fairly average winter in terms of rainfall, after six years of serious drought, the country still has a deficit of about one billion cubic meters of water.

And Israel's annual water needs far outpace even a good winter's rainfall.

The new desalination plants are expected to turn the tide in the struggle for water, but they are not yet operational. And if the coming year is particularly dry, the new desalination plants will be working overtime just to help Israel play catch-up.

In the meantime, Water Authority spokesman Uri Schor told The Jerusalem Post that Israel's main water reservoirs - the Sea of Galilee and the mountain aquifers - remain critically depleted. "We will be under the red line this summer in all three main reserves," said Schor. Despite seeing what he believes is light at the end of the tunnel, Shani warned Israelis that water prices will remain high for the foreseeable future.

"Water is expensive," he noted, remdinding Israelis that "we live in the desert."

Unquote

So my friends, lets continue to pray for rain for Israel; rain to nourish the land and the latter rain to nourish their souls as the message of redemption love comes into their midst. Shalom Israel.

Israel's 63rd Independence Day

2011-05-16T07:35:00.007+08:00

An AFP report on Sunday May 15, 2011

Israel gunfire kills two Syrians on Golan: medic

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - Israeli gunfire killed two protesters and wounded dozens more as civilians crossed from Syria onto the annexed Golan Heights on Sunday, sparking a war of worlds between Damascus and Jewish state.

Two people were killed and four critically hurt by Israeli gunfire after protesters from a Syrian-held part of the Golan entered the annexed territory, a Druze doctor who treated casualties told AFP.
Troops fired live rounds and tear gas at the protesters who suddenly burst through to Israeli-held territory rather than demonstrating alongside the border fence as they have in past years on the anniversary of Israel's 1948 creation.
The unrest came as Palestinians in the occupied territories, inside Israel and across the region marked the anniversary of the Jewish state's 1948 creation, known in Arabic as the "nakba" or "catastrophe."
"Syrian civilians breached the Israel-Syria border near the Israeli village of Majdal Shams," the Israeli military said. "Forces opened fire in order to prevent the violent rioters from illegally infiltrating Israeli territory. "From initial reports, there are dozens of injured," it said in a statement.
Media reported at least one dead and several wounded, but there was no immediate confirmation of the toll, in one of the worst incidents for decades along a ceasefire line that has been quiet since a 1974 truce accord.
Israeli medical officials said "between 10 and 20" of the protesters were wounded, with one feared dead, while three Israelis were said to have been lightly injured.
The army accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime of "organising" the violence as a means to divert international attention from pro-democracy protests sweeping his country. "Syrian authorities organised this violent incident in order to divert world opinion away from what is happening in their cities," army spokeswoman Avital Leibovitz told AFP.
Syria's foreign ministry, meanwhile, condemned Israel for opening fire on protesters on the Golan, in south Lebanon and Gaza, warning that the Jewish state would bear full responsibility.
"We firmly denounce the criminal Israeli actions against our people in the Golan Heights, Palestine and southern Lebanon that left several people dead and wounded," the foreign ministry said. "Israel will have to bear full responsibility for its actions."
But another Israeli official also pointed the finger at Assad's regime, which has been rocked by two months of pro-reform protests inspired by Arab revolts which have ousted strongmen in Tunisia and Egypt.
"This appears to be a cynical yet transparent act by the Syrian regime to create a crisis on the border in order to distract attention from the very real problems that regime faces at home," he said, on condition of anonymity. "Syria is a police state," the official added. "Demonstrators do not randomly approach the border without the prior approval of the central government."
Channel 1 television said its correspondent in Majdal Shams, a Druze town on the Golan, said he had come across 30-40 infiltrators in its main square, some of whom said they were Palestinians from Yarmuk refugee camp in Damascus. The army sealed off the town and its immediate surroundings and carried out house-to-house searches for infiltrators, defence sources said.

Jews, Muslims and Christians on Significance of Mideast Turmoil

2011-04-28T14:44:00.015+08:00

Israel Today speaks to Jews, Muslim and Messianic believers in Israel regarding current Middle East turmoil; all agree that it is as much spiritual as physical, and that Messiah is coming soon. This is not only the opinion of Israel’s Orthodox rabbis, but also of Messianic Jews here in the Land and Christians abroad. Even Muslims are interpreting current events in the Middle East as “a sign from heaven.”
For Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, the uproar in the Arab world is not just a political issue; it is a spiritual one.

Indeed, our Lord Jesus, before He went to the cross, prophesied that there will be turmoil in the gospel of Matthew 24: 3-14

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many.

6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Indeed, all that Jesus had prophesied have come to pass. With the global connectivity through the internet, the gospel has been preached to the entire world. Millions are watching webcasts of Christian messages on their cable channels in the comfort of their homes as well as getting the messages downloaded onto their computers and watching these programs and millions are being saved daily. The tide had started and is sweeping across all nations around the global and this includes those countries where Christianity is not welcomed.

So, the end is indeed very very near and will soon be upon us. Are you ready when Jesus comes back? In fact there will be a first warning - all the Christians disappear (we get raptured and taken back to Heaven) in the twinkling of an eye (atomic second) and all those who have yet to receive Jesus into their hearts as Lord and Savior will remain and trust me, the conditions of life will be worse than what it is now. So you have been forewarned.

Poll: Egyptians Don't Want Peace With Israel

2011-04-27T11:19:00.004+08:00

The results of a public opinion poll conducted in Egypt following the fall of dictator Hosni Mubarak show that the majority of Egyptians want to annul their nation's peace treaty with neighboring Israel.

Conducted by the Pew Research Center, the survey revealed that 54 percent of Egyptians don't want peace with Israel, and will support a candidate who advocates annulling the Camp David Accords.

That percentage was the same among both secular Egyptians and those affiliated with Islamic organizations.

The poll also found that Egyptians don't think too highly of America or US President Barack Obama. Eighty percent of respondents said they have an unfavorable view of the US in general, and 60 percent said they don't trust Obama. Only 22 percent of Egyptians said America has made a positive impact on recent political changes in their country.

The survey further showed that the Obama White House has been wrong about the direction in which Egypt is heading. Obama and his staff previously insisted that the participation of Islamic radicals like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt's revolution was a fringe phenomenon that would have no bearing on the nation's future.

But the Pew poll shows that today the Muslim Brotherhood enjoys a 75 percent approval rating among all Egyptians, giving the group a very good chance of claiming control of the parliament in upcoming elections.
This article was taken from Israel Today - April 26, 2011

Christians Leaving Egypt

2011-04-13T23:26:00.006+08:00

A growing number of Egypt’s 8-10 million Coptic Christians are looking for a way to get out as Islamists increasingly take advantage of the nationalist revolution that toppled long-standing dictator Hosni Mubarak in February.

Egypt Daily News reported on Tuesday that “lawyers who specialize in working with Coptic Egyptians…say that in the past few weeks they have received hundreds of calls from Copts wanting to leave Egypt.”

“They are insisting on leaving Egypt because the risks of staying here are too great,” Naguib Gabriel, a Coptic human rights lawyer, told Egypt Daily News. “Many Christians are afraid of the future because of the fanatics in the mosques.”

At least 20 Christians have been killed in sectarian violence with Muslims since Mubarak’s ouster. And groups like the Muslim Brotherhood have been taking an increasingly visible role in forming Egypt’s next government.

Coptic leaders have complained that they are being left out of the decision-making process, raising fears that the Egypt of tomorrow will be far less free and democratic than even the Egypt of Mubarak.

Hemmed In On All Sides

2011-04-09T12:01:00.001+08:00

Israel is facing challenging times ahead. On its southern flanks, its long-time ally Egypt (through ex-President Hosni Mubarak) no longer respects its peace treaty signed in 1979; on its east, King Abdullah of Jordan faces protests from its citizens over a corrupt and inapt government; on its north, Lebanon is now controlled by Hesbollah (which is very closely linked to Iran) and Syria on its north-east has its own internal demonstrations. The Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has been pounding south Israel and the city of Ashdod and even Tel Aviv with rockets thus provoking the Israel Defense Force to retaliate.

Faced with opposition on all sides, what can Israel do? Praise the Lord for His preparations long before all these troubles began. Noble Oil discovered a large reserve of natural gas and crude oil in the Eastern Mediterranean off the port city of Haifa in late 2009 and with this find, Israel is now self sufficient in terms of energy needs and looks set to even export some of the surplus to Europe to fund itself - remember Israel has its own nuclear-powered plants in the Negev for a long time now.

Our Lord has not abandoned His chosen people, Israel. He remembers His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and will come to her rescue every time she is in trouble and this is one of those moments whether her neighbors realized it or not. So now, all eyes will once again be on Israel - watch and see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ for He will deliver.

Weird Fish Catch Raises Tsunami Fears!

2011-04-01T21:37:00.006+08:00

http://news.insing.com/feature/weird-fish-catch-raises-tsunami-fears/id-23483300

Indeed, we live in strange and dangerous times. As we are living literally in the End Times as what the Bible describes it, there will be more of such phenomenon taking places around us. Of course the question at the top of many minds would be - should be be intimidated by all these bad news? No, my friend, absolutely not. In fact, if we are watchful there are many warning signs ahead of the events and these could serve as warnings which we should not take likely.

If one were to panic and live life on the edge, then I am sorry the devil has won the battle - your fear and anxiety has just created high blood pressure which, when intense, can lead to heart failure. Looking at the signs and preparing for the crisis is a sure ticket out of the troubles that the devil intends for us if we are unprepared.

So, what would I do with THIS particular sign? Do I stop eating fish? No, I will continue to consume fish from Sumatra area. As a precaution, I would avoid going to Sumatra and avoid beach holidays in Phuket, Penang, Langkawi, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Perth-Freemantle, Broome in Western Australia, etc - anyway that is potentially in the path of a possible tsunami like the one that happened on Dec 26th, 2004.

Three Earthquakes Along The Pacific Ring-of-Fire

2011-03-19T22:56:00.001+08:00

It is amazing that three earthquakes have taken place in just over one year and geologists are now guessing that a fourth will occur and this time it might be along the west coast of USA.

A quick look at the three quakes that had occurred and one would notice that they happened in a clockwise direction: -

Concepcion in Chile on Feb 27, 2010 at magnitude 8.8
Christchurch in New Zealand on Feb 22, 2011 at magnitude 6.3
off Miyagi Prefecture in Japan on Mar 11, 2011 at magnitude 9.0

Geologists also believe that the gravitational pull of the Super-Moon phenomenon on March 19, 2011 might contribute to the occurrence. Certainly past natural oddities do point to some activity in the earth's crust - a large school of whales had beached themselves along the long California coastline as well as a huge school of fishes found floating off the Mexican west coast due to the changes in the electro-magnetic fields.

So, the obvious question now on many minds is whether the fourth significant quake will happen? when? and where? Certainly, the signs all add up to the shortening of time left for this Earth before our Lord returns for His own - the Rapture.

Are you ready when He comes?

Two Turbulent Months in 2011

2011-03-02T12:44:00.003+08:00

I was just counting the number of incidents (calamities and disasters) since January 01, 2011 and I am amazed that the total number had surpassed the combined total of 2007, 2008 and 2009 and in a few more months, the total would even surpass 2010 thrown in.
When will these end? you might ask. The Bible tells us that these are just the beginning signs of the END. In fact the scripture goes further and said that the situation will get even worse and then the END will be here. Interesting that scientists have calculated that the total resources in this earth can only last until 2050 and that's the reason why NASA and the Russians are so keen to discover human-friendly planets for the future of mankind.
I believe we do not have until 2050; in fact I personally do not the earth will even continue after 2020 at the rate disasters and calamities take place. And here I would like to draw our attention back to the Bible where the answers can be found. Ever wondered why there are only 150 psalms and no more? Since the Book of Psalms appear as the nineteenth book in the Table of Contents, all events taking place in any year after 1901 can be correlated to the number of the psalm - eg. the year 1948 corresponds to Psalm 48, 1991 to Psalm 91, etc - and for the year 2000 onwards, we just have to look at Psalm 100 onwards.
So it is very exciting to monitor the world situation and keep looking at the relevant psalm and see what the Lord said about that year. In that light, I just want to draw our attention to Psalm 114:7 where it says, "Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob (ESV). So something spectacular is going to take place in 2014 and it will cause the entire earth to tremble; what is it? We just have to see.
Meanwhile, what are you going to do in the interim while we approach 2014? Will you be ready when Jesus Christ our Lord comes back to take His own back with Him in what the Church terms "The Rapture"?

Being At The Right Place At The Right Time

2011-02-11T17:54:00.004+08:00

When Abraham's servant was sent to the land of Abraham's forefathers to his own extended family to look for a bride for Isaac his son, the servant prayed a very interesting prayer, (Genesis 24:12-14),
v12 "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
v13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
v14 May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'--let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."
The Bible records that no sooner had he finished praying that Rebecca, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor who was Abraham's brother, came to the well to draw water for her sheep and all the things that the servant prayed for were answered directly and the servant knew in an instant that Rebecca was the chosen bride for Isaac.
This is the first mention in the Bible of a "hap" in the "happening" - being at the right place at the right time - and it gives us a good model to follow.
Over the past few days (since February 01), I had the occasion to be in the right place to bless three persons - two friends are on the threshold of looking for career moves and I came to know about them and, lo and behold, I was chatting with the general manager of a company and this company is looking to hire trusted persons for its job openings and so all I did was to arrange for the separate parties to meet to introduce them and see the commonalities and the matchings (2 separate meetings will be held back to back in a week).
The other case involves a friend's family where the children could not come to terms with their father's sudden passing more than five years ago. The bitterness in the son has become almost unbearable for the mother and over the Lunar New Year visitation, they came to our home and poured out their situation. Well, the boy seems to be missing a fatherly figure and so I will come in and befriend the boy and allow the Holy Spirit to heal the wound and set him free.
Certainly these three cases demonstrate how the Lord works in ways we do not understand at that moment but when everything falls into place we can reflect and say, 'all glory to our Lord Jesus Christ Who has given us the grace to bless others with the gifts (blessings) He first gives us'.

Being Obedient To The Prompting Of The Holy Spirit

2011-02-02T12:04:00.004+08:00

Last evening, I attended a funeral memorial wake service of a dear brother in the Lord who went home to be with the Lord in the early hours of Tuesday (Monday night) after suffering a heart failure. He was 88 years old and he left exactly one year after his beloved wife went home to the Lord (Jan 30, 2010) leaving behind three children and 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
Now what was amazing was that on Saturday evening, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to approach the ushers after the second service to take five sets of holy communion elements and visit mr friend's father in the hospital after lunch on Sunday and to administer the holy communion (five sets - the brother, his two daughters, my wife and myself). And the prompting was very strong as I was reminded again on Sunday morning over breakfast and I even asked my wife to collect the elements should I missed the opportunity.

I was surprised when my wife told me that the ushers had kept everything after the service and that they could not give me the communion elements. And so, undeterred I approached the ushers myself and spoke to the team leader about reopening the boxes to hand me the required sets for my hospital visit and, praise the Lord, one of the ushers apparently had already taken the initiative and handed me the required number.

After lunch, we proceeded to the hospital and we had a good time of fellowship over the Lord's supper. The Lord is so good in that He arranged for all the family members to be present at the hospital and so there were eight of us there. After communion, I took the anointing oil and anointed the brother and spoke over his situation and so when our friend texted me in the morning I knew the significance of the hospital visit and the communion.

But what thrilled my heart most was when this dear sister (our friend) shared with me after the service that she and her sister discussed on Saturday evening and were believing the Lord that the father would have an opportunity to take communion in the hospital and also to be anointed with oil. They approached the pastor of their church and were told that it was not possible because of timings. Unbeknown to them the Lord had already planted that assignment on my heart and so, when I announced to the two sisters that I was going to share communion, they were amazed at the answer to their prayer and were further thrilled when I opened the bottle of oil and started to anoint their father.

And so, from this experience, I am now more sensitive to what the Holy Spirit puts in my heart. I believe this is just the beginning and there will be more miracles taking place after this.

To Jesus be the glory and honor. AMEN

Stethoscope - Listen To Your Heart!

2011-01-24T21:56:00.012+08:00

In today's hectic world where we are constantly being bombarded with thousands of requests and demands, it is very easy to lose track of what are the most important things in life. Can I recommend that each of us take a brief moment and take stock by listening to what our heart says....

Will Psalm 111 Be Fulfilled in Year 2011?

2011-01-22T21:03:00.006+08:00

Recently I came across this TV broadcast where Gary Stearman and JR Church were discussing the significance of Psalm 111 and whether this particular psalm would be fulfilled this year 2011.

To watch the program, please click on the URL here

http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/jrandgaryset2.png

Please pay particular attention to what JR Church shares about the construction of this psalm and also the way the Holy Spirit uses Psalms 111 through 117 to send us a picture...

British Actors Poking at Technologies

2011-01-21T13:11:00.003+08:00

If you are a techie fan, you might want to watch this video. This is really hilarious...!

Farewell to our dear Scot...

2011-01-17T17:55:00.015+08:00

Today, I had to officially sign the euthanasia form to put our pet beagle of 15.5 years to sleep. It is indeed a sad moment but in the condition he was in, we felt this was the best solution. He had cataract in his right eye, sore feet from boils, liverproblem (vet suspects cancer), skin problem, skin cancer on his scrotum plus he started vomiting this morning (which was not the case prior) and his appetite was affected.

Over the past 14 odd years he had been with the family, (he came home on Dec 22, 1996 as a 15-month old puppy) he had seen many changes in the family as well as to the house he grew up in. There were two rounds of renovations through which he survived the dust.
When he was about four, he had a very severe attack of tick fever and when we brought him to the vet, he was practically a bag of bones but praise the Lord, he was healed and he actually grew bigger.
Here you can see he has his own comforts of life - his very own towel blanket as the floor could be rather cold at night.

His favorites were to be scratched
1. on his forehead
2. under his chin
3. under his chest.
Another favorite was when we use a brush to bathe and scrub his back especially during his shampooed weekly bath.
When he was younger, each time there was a thunderstorm and at each clap of thunder he will be very uneasy. He actually ran away from home five times and we had to hunt the neighborhood for him.
It was such sheer delight for him to sneak into the house that when he was actually caught sleeping inside that my wife and daughter decided to make him wear a worn-out old male t-shirt that had been discarded.

And it was like ecstasy when he finally discovered he was allowed into the house and sleep in the kitchen. Previously by training he was not allowed to enter the house.

Indeed, Scot gave the family so much happy times that we felt such an attachment towards him; my apologies to some of my friends who may be reading this when there were times I had to rush off so that I could feed him his dinner. Our times together were precious and we were enriched by his presence with us. There were also many occasions that the Lord taught me many object lessons by simply examining his life and learning from him.
He was such a good natured dog that even when we placed him in the car for his journey to the vet, he would sit or lie down quietly and 'enjoy' the journey. He was always in the pink of life and you can see that in his tongue.
However, as the days go by we noticed that he became weaker and weaker and he could not stay awake for extended periods of time. Here we can see he was really tired while waiting for us during the recent house-move on Dec 10, 2010. He actually fell asleep on the grass in the backyard.

Certainly we will miss him. Good-bye Scot...

Likely Scenario In Your Office?

2011-01-06T11:32:00.002+08:00

Ever wondered whether this could happen to your office one day?
Don't laugh it off so quickly because I have seen this type of pool before and now, come to think of it, this could really happen......

Jesus Came Specifically For A Purpose - To Die For Us!

2010-12-28T11:38:00.012+08:00

As we celebrate this Christmas season, let us be reminded of the real reason why Christmas is to be celebrated as what it really is - it is not just about giving of presents but is all about reconciliation of relationships with our Heavenly Father.
On the night that Jesus was born, angels announced His birth to shepherds out in the fields, ¹² "This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)
Now a 'sign' points to something and this is precisely the message the angels wanted the shepherds to have - that the baby can be found snugly tugged and lying (placed) in a manger. How many newborns are placed in mangers? I submit to you that baby Jesus was the only one to have that unique experience and it is for a reason as well.
Mangers in Israel are actually carved out of stone and not what we have been so used to seeing in nativity scenes of a wooden box with crossed legs. No, mangers are actually feeding troughs for domesticated animals - cattle, sheep, goats. Hay is usually placed in the manger and the animals are led there to feed. (see picture on left)
Now the shepherds, once they saw the baby lying in the manger, knew the significance of the scene - that the baby is meant to be fed on. Now I am not saying that the shepherds were to be turned into cannibals and start feeding on the helpless baby lying in the manger - far from it. What the Lord wanted to tell the shepherds was that the baby would grow up and one day would be placed in a tomb embalmed just as they saw the baby that evening.
Now we witnessed that prophecy fulfilled on Good Friday when Jesus was crucified and laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (see picture on right). Because Jesus was a much taller man than Joseph, they had to cut a niche so as to place his corpse flat.

So, as we celebrate Christmas at this time, remember the purpose why Jesus was born and why He was given to us - as a Gift of Salvation and of Righteousness through faith - as we feed on Him and His finished work at the cross.

Where Is The Line To See Jesus?

2010-11-27T11:02:00.009+08:00

Here’s the story behind the song:

While at the mall a couple of years ago, my then four year old nephew, Spencer, saw kids lined up to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, he asked his mom, "where's the line to see Jesus"?

My sister mentioned this to my dad, who immediately became inspired and jotted words down to a song in just a few minutes. After putting music to the words, and doing a quick recording at home, he received a great response from friends. He sent the song off to Nashville without much response, except for a Christian song writer who suggested adding a bridge at the end of the first chorus.

My dad then asked if I wanted to record the song to see what we could do with it. I listened to the song, made a few changes to the words to make it flow better, and we headed to Shock City Studios. It was at the studio where Chris, owner and producer, rewrote the 2nd verse and part of the chorus... with goosebumps and emotions high, we were all hopeful and felt like we had something special. The demo was recorded in just under 2 hours and sent off again to Nashville... still no response.

Then 2 weeks before Christmas last year, my cousins Greg and Robbie decided to do a video to see what we could accomplish on YouTube. The first day we had 3000 hits and it soared from there. We received e-mails, phone calls, Facebook messages from people all over asking for the music, CD's, iTunes, anything... we had nothin'.

After a couple of meetings with Chris following the amazing response, we got serious. We headed back into the studio this past spring... this time with guitars, drums, bass, pianos, choirs... the real deal.... and here we are today. Getting iTunes set up, a website put together, and loving that thousands upon thousands of Christians have come together... remembering the true meaning of Christmas. Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults can not understand. Hopefully Spencer's observation will cause people all over to reflect on the love of Jesus, and that one day we will all stand in line to see Him.

We are most thankful to our Heavenly Father to have this chance to share our music with you.

Blessed Christmas everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=pPViKJRHyZo&vq=medium

Home Moving Experience

2010-11-24T17:47:00.015+08:00

The last time we moved was back in 1994 August from a 5-room HDB apartment to a 3-storey intermediate terrace house. The attraction was more space for each person and we were also rewarded with a garden in the front and back portion of the house. Our current home is also near a MRT station - Simei - and that made travel much easier whenever I do not feel like driving or paying expensive carpark charges.

With the moving away from home of our two children, there is now a need to down-size and be practical. It is becoming a challenge to clean three floors when in reality we only use 2 (we have to make effort to use the third floor occasionally). Our new home will be a second floor walk-up apartment in a very secluded environment.

Our balcony will face the fence of a huge military camp and with all the lush vegetation lining the fence, we practically have all the privacy we need. In addition we have a generous balcony area where we can place a number of our nice pots of orchids, aloe vera plants and ferns and still have space to dry our clothes.
Having coffee on our balcony will be a very relaxing experience for us and my wife and I are so looking forward to that.
On the other side of the house, our kitchen and the back-room will face the carpark and the service road linking all the carparks. there is a wide expanse of land separating the blocks of apartment unlike the pigeon-hole spaces in most new apartment projects including condominiums.

And when I explained to a dear friend that our apartment measures 1520 sqft, her reaction was that it is a mansion compared to her bird-nest sized apartment of only 700 sqft near the city.

So, bottom line, where is our new apartment? you might ask. It is in Loyang Valley in the east and very near Changi Village. So for a generously sized apartment, at an extreme affordable price and in an excellent locale, we feel extremely blessed by ABBA God and indeed a neat way to round off an indeed restful year for us.
All glory to Jesus who had done it all for us.

The Emmaus Experience - Part 2

2010-11-09T16:56:00.001+08:00

As you can see, this is a continuation of the previous post. My apologies for the extended gap of time between this and the previous post.

The two disciples were kept from seeing Jesus in the flesh because the Lord wanted them to see Him in all the fullness of scriptures and so their eyes were only opened when they partook of the communion - an act that Jesus Himself encouraged us all to do as often as we can; we need not wait until Sunday or when we are in church to partake of the communion but we can do so as often as we wished.

Pastor Prince of New Creation Church shared an amazing truth a few Sundays ago when he preached on the Emmaus Experience. At the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and immediately their eyes were opened and they saw their nakedness and went to cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7) as they heard the Lord approaching. Actually the Lord was there all the time but they did not realized it. Sin came in after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the very tree that the Lord had told them not to eat of and this resulted in their physical separation from God and eventual demise at age 930 (the Lord had told them that they will die the day they ate of the fruit - a day to the Lord could be taken as 1000 years).

But when Cleopas and his wife partook of the holy communion that evening, something miraculous happened. Their eyes too were opened but instead of seeing themselves condemned, they saw the Lord and what He had accomplished for them (and us) and they believed. Because they saw Jesus in all His loveliness and the perfection of His work for us on the cross, now they began to enjoy a renewal of their bodies. And they decided to go back to Jerusalem (which is about 11 KM away from Emmaus where they stayed) to tell the rest of the disciples of the good news that He had appeared to them even though it was already getting late. I believe that they received supernatural strength as they ate of the bread and drank of the cup. Of course, even as the eyes of Cleopas and his wife were opened, Jesus disappeared from before them and immediately He appeared before His 10 apostles, who were so scared that they bolted the door, to encourage them.

Incidentally, Emmaus in Hebrew means Healing Baths (the Romans of the day actually built bath houses (hot-springs) in that area) and this was exactly what Mr & Mrs Cleopas experienced that day and what a bath it must have been for their lives were radically changed. What an experience they had and I am glad to inform you that this same bath can be yours when you so desire in your hearts. I do believe Jesus wants each and everyone of us to experience that warm bath ourselves at first hand rather than through reading the accounts in the bible.

The Emmaus Experience - Part 1

2010-10-20T09:42:00.006+08:00

The Lord, after His resurrection, appeared to two disciples (Mr and Mrs Cleopas) as they were walking home from Jerusalem on Sunday late afternoon. When He joined them in their walk, their conversation piece centered on the events of the day - the reported resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ - and they were excited and yet puzzled as they could not fully understand the implications of the finished work of Christ on the Cross. (read passage attached below). And so, when Jesus asked them what they were discussing, they found it odd that this traveller had not heard the hottest news in Jerusalem over the past three days.

And when they told Him what happened, Jesus began to expound from the Old Testament (starting from Genesis to Malachi) how the entire Old Testament was actually pointing to the coming Messiah and found its complete fulfillment in Him. It was interesting that Jesus rather used the Old Testament to remove the scales from before the eyes of the disciples rather than show them His hands and His side (the very marks left on His body as a result of the crucifixion) because He wanted them to understand how the entire word of God tie in.

Now, that gives us hope; had He just shown them His marks, then you and I will be handicapped because we will not have access to these now as He had ascended into heaven and the only time we will really get to see Him is when He returns for us at the Rapture. But our Lord decided otherwise and clearly showed His disciples (and us) how He can be found in all scriptures when we search them.

Luke 24:13-3613 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.
16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
17 And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?"
18Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?"
19 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.
21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.
22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us.
23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.
24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see."
25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?"
27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther.
29 But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them.
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"
33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,
34 saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!"
35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."

Signs From God?

2010-10-07T10:56:00.003+08:00

For some time now I have been sharing that time is running out for the world to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and be counted into His family. For the Lord's Return IS IMMINENT. It was, is and will not be 'if' He returns; it is a simple 'when' He returns and recent signs are certainly now pointing to the quickening of pace.
Recently, FOX News of USA produced a program called "Signs From God" in which they filmed a sceptic journalist who travelled to Bolivia to film the phenomenon called 'stigmata'. Here is the URL. Please watch it and decide for yourself and listen to the message.
http://youshallbelieve.com/?page_id=70
After watching all three videos, each of us will form our own opinions. I have and you will too and if you are not already a believer of Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then may I urge you to make the choice and put your trust in Jesus. It is as simple as it gets and to help you to make the decision, I had already planted the New Believer's Prayer at the bottom of my blog here. Be blessed.

ISRAEL - An Inspiration To The World

2010-10-04T22:44:00.006+08:00

If the truth had been known, I believe the world would not been misled so negatively towards the nation of Israel. Sure, nations do make mistake but, hey, don't forget they are still a people chosen by God to be called His people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmASijiIVzg&feature=player_embedded
Tell me, after watching the video clip, that you have changed your mind about that nation and is now more appreciative of what they have contributed to the world at large.

We Are What Our Thoughts Make Us Out To Be

2010-10-01T18:08:00.002+08:00

Recently I was in the mountain town of Shimla, India and I spotted this sign-board above one of the shops in the Mall. Shimla used to be the British colonial seat of government in India and was where Lord Mountbatten spent his summers whenever he was in India. The town also hosts the Viceregal House (which is now a heritage site with invited students and researchers occupying its many halls of learning) where the declaration of independence for India was discussed as well as the partitioning of India and Pakistan.

So I could not help but to ponder on the words on the signage, "What we think, we become". Isn't it true that everything in life is first hatched in the minds of people and then they bring it into fruition by taking action on their thoughts?

No wonder our Lord Jesus Christ kept reminding His disciples to "take no thoughts about tomorrow", "let not your hearts be troubled", "fear not", etc. In fact if you really care to count all the related words spoken by Jesus, you will notice that there are 366 places in the Gospels where the word appear - once for each day of the year (including the leap year - how thoughtful our Lord is, just in case someone entertain the thought the He could not count correctly.
So if one entertains fearful thoughts, he or she will reap the fruits of fear - ulcers, gastritis, high-blood pressure, stress, insomnia, etc (the list goes on).

So my friend, entertain good thoughts and avoid evil ones and you will stay out of trouble.

Primed For Blessings

2010-09-18T18:15:00.005+08:00

It is really awesome to realize that our Lord exceeds our expectations each time we believe on Him to supply all our needs and wants. In my last sharing of September 02, I mentioned that New Creation Church dedicated August 22 as the Miracle Seed Sunday and we were encouraged to sow bountifully believing the Lord for a great harvest.

My wife and I decided to sow a specific amount after we sold our house and have the available funds. Because the sale was legally completed only in the afternoon of Friday August 20 and the proceeds of the sale deposited into our account on Tuesday August 24 at the earliest, we decided to sow only on Sunday August 29 for technical reasons.

Praise Jesus for even before we could physically sow, I already had new enquiries for my business and some of these were very positive (we shall experience the harvest very shortly). You see, the Lord sees our hearts and considers it as done even before the physical act could take place.

Consider James 2:20-26: -
20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
There was a good 25 years gap between Abraham believing God for his miracle son Isaac and the offering of Isaac on Mt Moriah; likewise Rahab first believed the Lord when she heard the reports of how the Lord had delivered the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt and more than 30 years later her action of hiding the spies in her house in Jericho.

The Lord sees the heart and considers it as done and He calls our faith righteousness because the penalty price for all our misdeeds had been crucified with Christ on the cross and what is now left is for Him to lavish us with His love and His superabounding blessings - financial prosperity and health. All glory to Jesus. AMEN.

Sowing For A Miracle

2010-09-02T11:38:00.000+08:00

Recently New Creation Church in Singapore carried out its third Miracle Seed Sunday on August 22, 2010 and raised a total of over S$21.1 million in just 24 hours. There were two more such Miracle Seed Sundays prior and these were on February 15, 2009 (S$18.83 million raised) and on April 20, 2008 (S$18.0 million raised).

The congregation was encouraged to sow into the church building project at the Cultural and Civic Hub at One North in Bouna Vista, Singapore. The entire cost of the building (New Creation Church's share of the cost) is just under S$500.0 million and the project is expected to be completed by June 2012 and the congregation will be moving into the new premises in Q3 2012. With the latest collection, the total amount raised would have been about S$260 million - just past the 50 percent mark.

Also interesting observation is that the congregation size is at its highest at that point in time on all three Miracle Seed Sundays and people simply came to sow believing the Lord of the Harvest for their miracle harvest regardless of the external economic situations in the country and the world at large. Another interesting observation is that all the cheques received were not larger than S$1.0 million even though there are many millionaires and multi-millionaires in our midst; every single congregation member sowed and did it in style.

Of course there were detractors who criticized that the members sowed expecting the Lord for a blessing. I think these people are grossly misled because no farmer sows his seeds without expecting a harvest in return. Even the Israelites sowed into the Tabernacle in the Wilderness (Exodus 35) expecting the Lord to bless them on their journey out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Sure, they gave in corporate worship when they brought their tithes and offerings but they also expect the Lord's blessings in return.

Programmed For Blessings

2010-08-24T09:17:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was the 14th day of the Chinese Lunar 7th month and I remember as a young boy how my mother would remind me to be extra careful how I behaved and where I would walk at night particularly on that evening. 14th day of the seventh month is what the Taoists and Buddhists would believe is the day when the spirits which had been granted a one-month reprieve to roam the world would be the most active - that night i like their feast day and therefore most active day.

As I was reflecting on this, the Holy Spirit reminded me how much the fallen nature of Man gone gone. Of all the things in this world we can recall from memory quickly, have you noticed that it is these negative thoughts that are uppermost on our minds. The Lord has been generous in His blessings toward us and has been reminding us time and again how good He is and yet so quickly we forget His grace and mercy toward us and we choose to dwell on the negatives.

Oh, how we have been so ingrained to remember what we learnt as children that when we encounter the goodness of the Lord, we doubt Him and miss the treasure by more than a mile. We allow all the negativities to crowd us and block out the blessings that is ours to take but we don't.

Therefore, as Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Battling the SPAM Challenge

2010-08-06T07:59:00.001+08:00

Recently I have been receiving a number of unsolicited SPAM mails from all kinds of senders including many in Chinese which unfortunately (maybe it is fortunate that I don't read Chinese) I had to delete. Is this a sign of the times? creating disruptions wherever possible? Or is it coincidental that I became a victim because some of my friend's outdated email accounts were corrupted by computer viruses and this resulted in the proliferation of virus-inspired SPAM mails.

Whatever it is, one thing this entire episode has taught me - I need to be more vigilant and not be too flustered with all these minor challenges and continue on with living life the way our Lord wants it done - in a restful mode and not letting my heart become troubled and burdened but believing that He had DONE everything that is needed to be accomplished and to stand on victory ground because what had been achieved by Him needs to resonate in our spirit-man and then this will work itself out in our natural-man and come alive.

Thanks For The Time

2010-08-02T12:43:00.005+08:00

A friend sent this to me over the weekend and I found it very touching and I want to share it with you my 'followers' and readers. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ONCE YOU READ THIS YOU WILL UNDERSTAND!

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. "Jack, did you hear me?" 
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said. "Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him. 
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said. 
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said. "He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important... Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said. 
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture... .Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.  "The box is gone," he said.
"What box?" Mom asked. "There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said. 
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. 
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:  "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser." 
"The thing he valued most was...my time" 
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days.  "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked. 
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,"

Lessons I Learnt From Observing Our Pet Dog - Part 6

2010-07-28T12:36:00.006+08:00

My latest lesson actually came from my wife and it is on perseverance.
Our pet Scot had been trying to get into the house for many years now and each time he stepped into the living room, he would be chased out as he was never allowed to enter the house; his roaming area would be the car porch and garden area in the front of the intermediate terrace and this had been 'ingrained' in him since his obedience training. Recently because of his many sicknesses and also because there were no one in the house for extended periods of time, we decided to bend the rules and allow him to rest in the backyard. Also his many adventures of running away from home contributed to the change of our hearts. You might say that his perseverance in trying to come into the house had finally paid off and he is at liberty to walk through the front door and go right to the backyard and we would not shout at him and he knows it well too.

And so the Lord reminded me how when we persevere, after much changing of our character traits through many trials and training, we too would be able to enjoy our benefits. Our benefits have always been there but we may not be ready to receive them and so through much training, our characters change and we are now better equipped to enjoy the goodness of our Lord.

Lessons I Learnt From Observing Our Pet Dog - Part 5

2010-06-25T12:35:00.001+08:00

When Scot was younger and every time there is a heavy thunderstorm, with loud thunders, he would get nervous and would want to run into the house and hide under the table or under the sink in the bathroom or anywhere else where there is an 'overhead' shelter for him.

But over the years on a few of these storms when we were not at home, and we had forgotten to lease him up on the front yard, he would contort his body and slip under the narrow gap of the main gate or in between the bars in the garden fence, reason being that there is no overhead shelter for him in the front yard and plants do not count. I recalled we had great difficulties locating him as the entire neighborhood is very widespread. However, inevitably he would be found and kept by neighbors and strangers alike and they would call us to inform us to collect him home.

Initially we could not understand his strange behavior but over close to seven experiences we introduced new measure to overcome similar situations. What is also amazing is that he could squeeze between the vertical bars of the garden fence which the gap is only about four inches. How could he manage to squeeze his head (which is about 4 inched wide) and his torso (which is slightly more than four inches at his girth) through such a narrow gap?

And does he do that in every thunderstorm? No. Whenever we are home and he knows it, the winds can howl and the sky covered in flashes of thunderbolts, he would be most peaceful and fast asleep as he could have selective hearing. And we have also learnt that his refuge is under the toilet sink and so we would place him there and shut the door and go about our errands and not have to worry about his antics again.

It is very amazing what fear can do to a person. Out of fear, Scot would force his way out of 'danger' to seek 'refuge'. I see a parallel here - humans too have a great propensity to do impossible things out of self-preservation and fear but remove that fear and we will be most calm and collected. Jesus IS our good Shepherd and with Him around we do not need to have fear (Psalm 23 & John 10:14-16).

Lessons I Learnt From Observing Our Pet Dog - Part 4

2010-06-08T17:33:00.002+08:00

Recently we brought Scot to the veterinarian for some sores on his legs which had started to bleed and while we were waiting for the helper to fetch his medication, we chanced upon a chart which lists all the possible ailments that dogs would be susceptible to. The list was a fairly long one and as we read each type of sickness and how it would impact dogs in general, we could not help but noticed that Scot practically had all the symptoms described there.

Now, according to the list, some of the sicknesses are pretty potent and yet, when we look at Scot, his tongue is as healthy as can be - all pinkish and red with good blood circulation. Then the Lord reminded me that Scot is a blessed dog because he belongs to a blessed family and because of his blessedness, he will live a long life.

And so I was immediately arrested to the fact that we, as blessed sons and daughters of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, will live up to a good age and we are filled up on health; sometimes symptoms appear on our bodies but the truth of the matter is, we are the Lord's and as His own, divine health is our portion. The moment we realize that and start to declare that over our lives, viruses will have to leave our bodies for where the Temple of the Holy Spirit is, there will be LIFE and health.

And so I learnt from observing Scot that "as my days, so shall my strength be" Deuteronomy 33:25.

Lessons I Learnt From Observing Our Pet Dog - Part 3

2010-05-20T16:09:00.008+08:00

Jesus told His disciples that His sheep hears His voice and listens to Him (John 10:14-16).
¹⁴"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
It is interesting that our dog can actually differentiate each of our voices and his responses differ based on his opinion of us. To me, he responses as one who would bring him out of the house for his nature calls and he is usually quick afraid of me as I am usually his disciplinarian. To my wife, he endears her as he views her as a 'big cookie' because she spoils him with biscuits, cookies and dog-treats. To our daughter he attributes her as one who would groom him and to our son, he usually bullies him as he knows our son is the master and he is good-natured towards him.
And so, from this I learnt that my response to our Lord will depend on my perception of Him; if I view our Lord as one who punishes me when I do wrong, then I would cower in fear whenever I approach Him (if at all).
Praise the Lord that He is not one who is always looking out to discipline us; in fact He loves us so much that He gave up His life for us and will not hesitate to bless us in more ways than we can ask or even imagine.

Lessons I Learnt From Observing Our Pet Dog - Part 2

2010-05-13T22:51:00.002+08:00

To continue this series, in this post I would like to share a strange habit that Scot (and for that matter, all beagles) had when he was younger. Whenever we took up his dish to fill with his pet-food, he would be twirling with joy (just like how Charles Schultz would draw Snoopy dancing for joy in his Snoopy cartoon strip) and he would not stop until we place his dish right in front of him.

One day, as I was preparing his dinner and I saw his dance of joy, the Lord quizzed me on my attitude towards feeding on His Word. Although Scot received the same food every dinner, he was never tired of eating the pet formula he had since he came home to us and he was ever so cheerful when he would hear us pouring his daily portion into the dish.

I felt a gentle loving reminder from the Lord that I should learn from Scot how I receive His Word daily into my heart:
1. that I should be joyful that I can sit at His feet and draw from Him;
2. that I should not become familiar with His Word but should appreciate Him with thankfulness.

The Lord Works Things Out For Those He Loves

2010-05-05T14:25:00.006+08:00

The apostle Paul encouraged the church in Rome as they faced persecutions when he wrote Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Many of his readers were suffering acute persecutions and he urged them to look on the bright side and see the hand of God on their lives and to anticipate deliverance from their sufferings.

On the night of April 16 (early hours of 17th) our son-in-law was scheduled to fly home alone to Birmingham from Singapore via Dubai. However, as we are aware by now, all airports in UK and Europe were closed due to the Icelandic volcano ash clouds hovering about 15 KM above and he had to make alternative arrangements. He spoke with Emirates Airlines and the earliest flight they were able to put him on was for the one that took off last evening (early this morning). And with his flights 'confirmed', he spoke with his superiors at Deloittes PLC to work out his work arrangements and praise the Lord for understanding bosses. He was granted permission to work out of Singapore (clocking in London hours) on his clients' projects and to be prepared to attend teleconference calls should the need arise and so, half of the issues were taken care of.

When my daughter (Adeline) and son-in-law (Joshua) came home from Kuala Lumpur after the wedding dinner, she was scheduled to submit her UK Dependent Visa application to the Visa Consulate at British High Commission in KL via the Singapore office. She submitted her application along with her passport on Tuesday April 13 and according to the norm, the approval process would have taken between 5 to 15 working days and that would have accounted for the reason why my son-in-law could not wait in Singapore but had to leave first to return to work. I know he was very reluctant to fly home alone as he was so longing to go home as a couple. With his original flight schedule, he would have started work in Nottingham for three weeks and during this three weeks, Adeline would have flown into Birmingham but Joshua would not have been able to meet her at the airport and she would have to take a cab from the airport, detour to his office to pick up his house keys from his boss' secretary and go home to an empty house.

The Lord is so gracious and merciful. The visas were approved within 2 working days and she was able to pick up her passport on Friday (the same day as Joshua's original flight day had the ash cloud not surfaced). And so, with the visa in hand, she could then book her flights and praise the Lord, she was able to be on the same flight as Joshua and so they WILL be returning home as a couple as was their desire.

With the new flight schedule, they were able to spend more time in Singapore with us and also with his parents in KL - in the morning they can go shopping or just lazying around and then he starts his work from 4:00 PM and work right through to 01:00 AM the next morning. Also the extended period gave them time to pack everything that they required to bring home to the UK and discard those that they no longer needed. Also, between April 18 and 29, they went home to KL to help out with nursing Joshua's mother who contracted high fever and was confined to bed. Praise the Lord she was tested negative for both dengue and H1N1. And with their return last week, they had an additional round of farewell gatherings over the weekend.

And so I can agreed emphatically with Paul that in all things, God works for the good of those whom He loves and we felt so loved by this incident. The Lord turned what the devil initiated with the volcano eruption into excellent outcomes. In the end, Joshua and Adeline returned home to Birmingham together, had more time with loved ones here in Singapore and KL and pack and ship their belongings. With the extra quality time together, their departure last evening was not so tearsome as we had anticipated. All glory to Jesus for His hand of grace on our situations. AMEN.

Lessons I Learnt From Observing Our Pet Dog - Part 1

2010-04-30T17:56:00.003+08:00

Our pet beagle, Scot, had been with the family for slightly more than 13 years and on reflection, I would say I have learnt many usual lessons on relationships with my Lord and Savior. You will notice from the title of this post that this is only Part 1 and so there will be a continuation as we go along.

As a puppy, Scot was a very playful beagle. As our son Adrian would phrase it, Scot had been redeemed from the cage and having tasted freedom from bondage, he (I use this pronoun as Scot is a male beagle) was pretty wild and for the first three months, managed to 'chew' at least one pair of Alice's (my wife) sandals and was onto her second pair. Not wanting to lose more shoes, we decided to engage the services of a trainer to come and 'discipline' him over ten sessions. This trainer is very experienced as his father used to work for the police dog unit and trained many German shepherds and alsatians.
Indeed, after ten weeks, Scot immediately became better mannered and kind of knew his boundaries.

And this reminded me of how our Lord would allow us His children to be child-trained so as to remove all the bad behaviors and encouraged to pick up good ones. The ten weeks of training reminded me also of the need for a young believer to be discipled (followed up) to ground him/her in the faith of our Lord.
Indeed, the training was at times painful for Scot but the end result speaks for itself - he became a 'domesticated' pet. A believer in Christ, after having been followed up with proper training and guidance would be in a better position to take on the world and prosper.

So the first lesson I learnt was the need for discipleship training for the new believer.

Our Pet Dog - Scot

2010-04-25T22:16:00.003+08:00

Back in Dec 1996 my family bought a beagle as a pet but the story behind his adoption is an episode on its own and here is what happened. Our son had a minor accident on his way home from school. As he was crossing the pedestrian crossing on the slip road next to his school (this was at about 4:30 PM?), a lady driver turning the corner and entering the slip road did not notice him and knocked into him. She stopped to help him up and even brought him to the nearest clinic and from there they took a series of x-rays of him to check for broken bones, etc.
Of course he is protected by the precious Blood of Jesus and nothing happened to him other than him being in a slight state of shock from the incident. My wife and I were not aware of the incident because he did not call us to inform of the incident and we had a shock when we reached home - there was a set of x-ray films on the dining table and a short note to say that he had an accident and that he had gone to church for a meeting. We rushed to church and took him out of the meeting and examined him and were very relieved when we found out that he was completely unharmed.

And so we sat him down the next day to talk with him to find out how we could help him and that was when we discovered he wanted to have a pet (there was no mention nor discussion prior to this incident of any pets). And so, we decided that he should get a dog since he was born in the year of the dog (Chinese calendar). We went shopping for a pet that weekend and here were some criteria - a male and not a large dog as large dogs would shed much fur and the dog cannot be of a fierce breed (like dobermann or alsatian or bull-dog, etc).

We visited one petshop and saw a number of puppies but these were all females and so we rejected all the animals there. When the owner asked what we were looking for, we said we were shopping for a small male puppy. And she gave us an address stating that there was an 'about 6-months old' puppy currently owned by a lady living in Tampines and that she was keen to sell the dog since her children had outgrown the craze over the puppy and that the dog was basically bought as a Christmas present for the children. Now we visited the house in December and so we reckoned that the dog would no longer be a puppy (technically) since it is about 15 months old since puppies are only put up for sale when they are around 3 months old and we would be approaching its second Christmas.
The sorry state of the dog touched our son's heart and his whimper for affection melted our son's heart. It was cooped up in a cage that it had outgrown and there was a start of a hunch in its posture and so we decided to save the dog and bought it from the lady. The purchase date was December 22, 1996 and so up to this day, we still celebrate its 'redemption day' as we felt we had redeemed it from its 'bondage' (the cage) and given it a new lease of life.

Gaining A SON

2010-04-21T12:01:00.017+08:00

Having walked my daughter down the aisle, I was asked during the wedding lunch how I felt and I remembered telling my friends that it was a mixture of three emotions;

1. Relief as the important day had finally come after almost one year of planning;
2. Sadness as she will be emigrating to live in Birmingham, UK where my son-in-grace works and reside (for the time being);
3. Joy as I know she will be in good hands having picked a man whom she loves and who is a Child of Christ.

Of course, as I turned the corner and proceeded down the centre of the Chamber, my thoughts went to what I would be saving to my son-in-grace as I place my daughter's hand into his at the altar.

Nobody knew what I had planned to say to him - not even my wife - as I wanted to give it to him as a surprise and so I had been allowing the 'speech' simmer in my mind the entire week (we had a rehearsal on Monday March 29).

And so when Pastor Mathews asked me whether I had anything to say to Joshua as I handed my daughter's hand over to him in marriage, my greatest moment had arrived.
With moist eyes from a joyous attitude, I turned to Joshua and told him,
"On behalf of Aunty Alice and I, I entrust this treasure in earthen vessel to you.
Take this jewel and love her, cherish and encourage her and together, build your house in the Lord.
Today your parents receives a daughter and we have gained a son".

Now I understand how God the Father must have felt when He became Father of the Bride (the Church) and the Father of the Groom (our Lord Jesus Christ) all at the same time - such joy and love. No wonder our Lord Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding He was invited to and He blessed them over and above all that they could ever imagine.

Satellite Photo Of Icelandic Volcanoes

2010-04-20T13:48:00.000+08:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1266403/Iceland-volcano-space-The-dramatic-ash-plume-engulfing-Britain-seen-above.html
The recent volcanic eruption in South Iceland had given the airline industry a mega headache as it had grounded more than 80,000 flights around the world in just five days and the ash cloud is simply not showing signs that it is dissipating. In fact what is worrisome is that the two craters next to the one that erupted are now showing signs of activity.

What caused this massive eruption? Recent satellite photos taken of the craters have reviewed a very interesting picture. The three dark holes are the three craters and it really looks evil.
Remember what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:6-8 - ⁶You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸All these are the beginning of birth pains.
The devil knows that his time is ending soon and these are just some of the things he is throwing at mankind as a kind of parting shot.
So what should we do? For one thing, we should recognize what is happening and hence quicken the pace of our work in the Lord - Believers, rise up and stand for our Lord and spread the good news that salvation had already been won and is available to all who would take it.

Oil & Gas Found Off Coast Of Israel

2010-04-13T10:29:00.063+08:00

Monday, April 12, 2010 Israel Today Staff.
Israel to become center of new 'oil and gas rush'
A top US energy industry expert believes Israel is going to soon experience an "oil and gas rush" by major Western energy development companies. Speaking to the Israeli financial newspaper Globes, Fred Zeidman said the recent discovery of a massive natural gas field off Israel's Mediterranean coast had drawn the attention of every major Western energy company.
Israeli companies Delek and Isramco have already tapped the natural gas field, together with British energy giant Noble Energy. Zeidman noted that quite often, "as soon as Noble goes to a place, many other companies follow in its wake."
That could mean an enormous economic boom for Israel and its transformation overnight into a major international energy exporter. The natural gas field in the Levant Basin (the western Mediterranean) is estimated to hold 122 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, making it the largest natural gas resource ever found. The area is also believed to contain at least 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil.
Well, God the Father, in these last days, will not abandon His first love - the Children of Israel and He had caused oil and gas to appear in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel and this reminded me of the prophecy that Moses gave to the tribe of Asher in Deuteronomy 33:24-25
v24 And of Asher he said: -- Blessed with sons [is] Asher, Let him be accepted by his brethren, And dipping in oil his foot.
v25 Iron and brass [are] thy shoes, And as thy days -- thy strength.

Great things indeed are happening in the land of Israel and we will soon be witnessing more spectacular event there.God had been faithful to the children of Abraham - both Ishmael and Isaac. The descendants of Ishmael are the people who live in the Middle East while the descendants of Isaac are the Israelis. The Arabs already had their share of the wealth of the land - oil and gas - and I believe the Lord wants to prosper the nation of Israel in these last days to demonstrate to them His grace and mercy and to draw them back to Himself and to Christ.And if we were to examine the maps of ancient Israel and look at how Moses prophetically commanded Joshua to divide the land of Israel into the twelve tribes, we would have no trouble locating where exactly the oil was to be found - off the coast (Moses called it dipping in oil his foot) of Haifa in the region of Mt. Carmel. Notice that the region literally looked like a foot sticking into the sea.

Jesus Gave Us All That He Has

2010-04-08T12:27:00.006+08:00

During the signing of the marriage certificate at my daughter's wedding, I was reminded of the marriage vow I made to my wife when we got married almost 30 years ago. The pastor kept reminding my son-in-law (I would rather coin it as son-in-grace because we are all under grace now) that what was to be his will now be hers (his wife's) and what was hers will remain as hers.

I know this sounds strange but that principle is actually very scriptural. In Revelations 21:2, "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband", we know that the apostle John through the Holy Spirit was talking about the Church as the Bride of Christ and that we are joined with Christ when we invited Him into our hearts.
Jesus came to give us life and in the process emptied Himself of all that He had so that He could purchase us for Himself and we the Church (individually as well as corporately) receive His blessings and this is the interesting part - we only receive and we never have to give up anything. Hence the refrain - He gave us all and we gave Him nothing in return.
And to top it all, three times the pastor asked Joshua whether he had any regrets and that he still has the option to say no until he placed his signature on the marriage certificate. Three times he asked the question and each time Joshua said, 'no regrets', 'I am very sure' and this reminded me of the three occasions at the Garden of Gethsemene when the option of passing the cup of God's wrath was giving to Jesus and each time He rejected the offer and said, 'not as I will, but yours be done' and He went to the cross willingly.

Policies Are Made In The House

2010-04-05T06:45:00.009+08:00

Two days ago, Saturday April 03, 2010, our daughter Adeline was joined in marriage to Joshua Ting at The Chambers of The Arts House, Singapore. The Chambers is the former parliament chambers of the Singapore government and it was a very lovely setting for the wedding ceremony.
As the parliament chambers was the seat of the government, the officiating pastor reminded us the significance the Lord plays in our family as well as individual lives. Ideas and suggestions may be had in our personal lives in various locations but the decisions are made and sealed in the House (of God) and indeed God the Father had indeed cut the Covenant and sealed it in His House and Christ Jesus is the Head of our House.Our Lord is a generous God and because of His great love for mankind, He decided to come down to our level and take on human form so that, being one with us, He could become our Savior when He offered up His life on the Cross for us. And because He died in our place we are no longer under the Law of sin and death but we have entered into life the moment we received Him into our hearts.
And having done that, we have aligned ourselves to receive His blessings as His word confirms it in Hebrews 10:17 and Romans 4:7-8. God is a God of grace and mercy - grace because He has given us everything that we did not deserve to receive and mercy because He chose not to give us what we deserve but took them away from us when His Son died on the cross to save us.
And all these decisions were indeed made in the Chambers of Heaven when God the Father decided to send God His Son as a Substitute for our sin. Hallelujah, all glory to Jesus for His finished work on the cross for all of us.

Jewish Passover and Good Friday

2010-03-27T11:33:00.002+08:00

The Jewish Feast of Passover or Pesach this year will start at sunset on Monday March 29th and stretches over to sunset on Tuesday 30th and during this Feast holiday, the Jewish families will kill a lamb below the age of one-year and roast it in fire and then consume the entire animal in one sitting; nothing is to be left overnight. They would also apply some of the blood of the lamb on the two doorposts and the lentel of the doorway to signify that blood had been shed and a death had occurred.
The Passover lamb signifies to the Jews that someone (in this case the lamb) had died in substitution for the family and because there had been one death in the family, the angel of death would pass over that household and therefore no death of any family member would take place.
God intended the Jewish Feast of Pesach to be a shadow of the real Lamb of God dying for the sins of the entire human race and Jesus is indeed our Passover Lamb. The night that Jesus was captured almost 2000 years ago was exactly the night of the Passover and because the Jews start their day at sunset right through to the next sunset, Jesus WAS crucified on Pesach and it so happened that the day that Jesus died on the cross was a Friday and hence the Christian decided to commemorate that Day as Good Friday - Good because Jesus Who IS God Himself died for us.
However, due to the difference in calendar used, Pesach and Good Friday do not normally coincide on one particular day (the Jews calculate their calendar following the movement of the moon around the Earth while we use the Gregorian calendar which tracks the movement of the Earth around the Sun) and any overlap would therefore be very obscure. And so, it will be very interesting to note that we have both Pesach and Good Friday falling on the same week and so lets believe that the Lord has something great for us and we receive His blessings in faith.
Once again, Pesach is celebrated by the Jews from sunset (6:00 PM Jerusalem time) on March 29th till sunset on March 30th while Good Friday starts at midnight (local time) on April 01 till midnight April 02.

The Chilean Earthquake and Feast of Purim

2010-03-18T13:56:00.020+08:00

When the big earthquake measuring 8.8 hit Chile on February 27, 2010 a friend of mine asked me whether I think the earthquake had anything to do with the Feast of Purim celebrated in Israel and among the Jews on that day. My initial reaction was that the two events have no relationship at all. However, recent research uncovered seems to point to a linkage after all.

The Feast of Purim is celebrated each year on the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar) - Esther 9 and this year the feast day started at sunset on February 27 and ended at sunset on February 28. The feast was in commemoration of how God rescued the entire Jewish race from extermination at the hands of Haman, a wicked descendent of the Philistines who was the prime minister at that time in the Persian. His evil plot was uncovered by Mordecai, the adopted father of Queen Esther (he was actually an older cousin of hers) who then got the Queen to go to the king to negate the royal decree (the full account of how the plot was overturned is in Esther 9). In the end the tables were turned - Haman was hung and the Jews turned and got rid of all the supported of Haman and they scored a major victory. So the Jews to this day would celebrate the Feast by giving gifts that symbolizes life.

Chile hosts the LARGEST community of Palestinians outside of Israel. This community is located between Concepcion (the epicenter of the Chilean earthquake) and the capital of Chile, Santiago, which lies north of Concepcion. According to wikipedia, Concepcion has a "twin city," which usually means a sister city in some way, such as through trade agreements or partnerships. Concepcion has listed as a "twin city," Bethlehem in Israel.

The Chilean earthquake at 8.8 was the 5th strongest on record. THE strongest earthquake ever recorded was in Chile in 1960 and is called the Valdivia earthquake because the epicenter was near Valdivia. Here is an interesting bit of synchronicity: Valdivia was named after its founder, Pedro de Valdivia, and Valdivia also founded Concepcion and Santiago.
And we all know the recent Palestinian riots in the West Bank of Israel arising from the Israeli government declaring the Tomb of Rachel which is in Bethlehem as an Israeli heritage site. Bethlehem is in the West Bank and governed by the Palestinian Authority. And we also know the intent of the Palestinians - to 'wipe out the State of Israel' - as stated by its late leader Yasser Arafat (sounds familiar as similar words were spoken by another leader of Philistine descent).

According to your faith...(Part 2)

2010-03-16T11:05:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I shared about the degree of healing that comes along with our faith and today I want to continue on and share how the Lord provided for me according to my faith. About six months ago I met up with one of my principal business partners who started having doubts about my loyalty with what I was doing even when I kept reassuring him that my commitment to what we were doing had not waned or diminished and that he had my full support all the way.

Anyway, in spite of all my assurances, he still went ahead and recruited additional people into the business and so I did not feel comfortable with the situation and I sent him an email releasing him of his commitment in my case and also assuring him categorically that my Lord Jesus Christ WILL supply all my needs and WILL send me other business opportunities.

No sooner had I sent the email than the Lord actually sent me a number of email introductions for which I did follow up and believing the Lord that these will turn out to be actual ongoing projects. Also the Lord is gracious in that a potential client whom I met in August 2009 and whom I had sort of placed on the back-burner did call me up for a meeting in late January 2010 and after two meetings, have signed my engagement contract and I will be starting work this week. All glory to the Lord.

What I have learnt over the past few months is that the Lord did give me spiritual insights (some people label this as 'sixth sense') to know the outcome way before the actual results are made known. Over the past few months I noticed that there were a number of potential projects for which I did not have a good 'feel' at the initial meetings and these never went past the first meetings. On the other hand there were a few instances where I had very strong feelings of the business coming into fruition and I kept believing and indeed these materialized into actual contracts.

Likewise I had similar experiences even in my equity investments - there were a number of stock counters where I felt a lot of peace to invest in and these turned out profitable - the Lord even gave me levels to liquidate to lock in profits and trust me, the levels given to me were rather interesting levels which even my remisier initially thought were impossible levels but by now she had learnt not to doubt.

Indeed, I am now running with this commission from the Lord, "according to your faith, be it done unto you"!

According to your faith...(Part 1)

2010-03-15T20:09:00.001+08:00

My daily devotion this morning brought me to Matthew chapter 9 and I was especially drawn to the healing miracles of Jesus. In chapter 8, we read that everyone who came to Jesus were healed - from minor sicknesses all the way to major ones like raising the dead and cleansing from leprosy.

But what amazes me was Matthew 9:29 where the Holy Spirit recorded for us the miracle of healing of sight for two blind men. You see they came to Jesus and asked Him to healed them; when Jesus asked them whether they believed that He is able to heal them and they said in the affirmative, He gave them their sight "according to their faith". Probably the two blind men only had healing in their hearts and minds and nothing else and so they kept their faith simple.

In Luke 17:11-19 we read that ten lepers came to Jesus and asked for healing; Jesus pronounced them healed and instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest that their leprous condition had been cured. On the way to the priest, one of them, a non-Jew, realizing what had happened turned back to thank Jesus and worship the Healer and Jesus did something more for him - Jesus made him WHOLE. I believe that meant that the stubs on his hands where his fingers used to be began to grow back into fingers and likewise his toes were re-created in an instant.

Today Jesus invites us to come to Him and to draw from Him. What level of faith do we have? According to our faith whatever we are believing Him for, we will receive - if a miracle is what we need, a miracle we will get. Which leads me to an interesting observation. More than twenty years ago I had a very severe attack of spondylitis of the 4th and 5th lumbar. I recalled asking the Lord for a miracle of healing but deep down I kind of was not willing to be completely healed for a simple reason - that condition gave me a passport to the army medical board and 'guarantees' me a downgrading of medical fitness for the balance of my reservist liability. I cherished the thought that finally I could have my NS liability reduced or even have a prematured termination. Even when it became painful, I endured it and found ways to alleviate the pain and this went on for a while (honestly I could not remember when the pain stopped when they finally did) until I received my official medical downgrade to PES C2 which meant no more strenuous exercises or even field deployments.

So what am I saying? that I could have enjoyed my complete healing on the first day itself but because of my level of faith, there was no instant healing in my case. Having learnt from that incident, I will now believe upon Jesus that His finished work gave me divine health and that is what I have been enjoying for some time now. My last major sickness (besides an irritating cough and cold) was more than 10 years ago and I have not even gone for any medical examinations since 1998 when I went for a pre-employment medical checkup. In fact I would say that Deutsche Bank actually saved a lot of money from me not having gone to the doctors throughout my 8-1/2 years there.

According to your faith... what is your level of faith for your healing?

The Sign Of The Cross In The Heavens?

2010-02-20T19:15:00.002+08:00

A few weeks ago NASA's Hubble Space Telescope picked up a very interesting phenomenon in the heavens 90 million miles from Earth. Apparently one interpretation was that two asteroids collided and the impact produced a trail of space dust with a cross formed as the head.

Is this a sign from Daddy God that His return for the Church (the Rapture) is fast approaching?

"And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."(Mark 13:25-26)

Please read this article and you draw your own conclusions

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=125439

Rest In Our Work

2010-02-20T12:03:00.001+08:00

Indeed the title does sound like an oxymoron - work and yet rest; how can that be? Certainly it sounded difficult, if not impossible, at the beginning of the year for me but I was glad that the Lord prepared us for it through the messages preached for five Sundays by Pastor Prince.

The Lord reminded us that Abraham was not perfect when the Lord called him and He blessed him and since the Bible exhorts us that we who are of faith in Jesus are being called sons of Abraham (Gal 3:7) and daughters of Sarah (1Peter 3:6), we too can enjoy His blessings on our lives as well. It is not about what we do but it has all to do with what He had DONE for us on the cross. As so since Jesus had already done all that needed to be done to secure our position of righteousness with God in Him, there is not even one more iota to be added.

And since Jesus had accomplished ALL, we need to simply rest on the knowledge that His completed work on the cross was all that was required and henceforth our positions in Him are secure. And so, because of this established fact, we can now step out in faith to face 2010 with gusto and not be overwhelmed with whatever the devil tries to throw across our paths.

He Who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. That, in itself, gives me great comfort!

Lunar New Year Falling on Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-14T20:35:00.005+08:00

What a day it has been today. It is Valentine's Day and it coincided with the first day of the Lunar New Year celebrated by Chinese all over the world. Our day started with a Sunday service at New Creation Church at 11:30 AM and what a powerful message from one of the pastors, Pastor Lim Lian Neo, who is also the pastor in charge of the Children's Church at New Creation. She challenged each of us on taking hold on our current situations and to see Jesus glorified in our circumstances like Ruth, prophets Daniel and Elijah. All three of them chose not to regret the past and stopped worrying about the future but seize the opportunities as they present themselves and placed their hope in the Lord and great results came forth for them all.

With such a powerful message, that is meat sufficient for the week. But the Lord did not want us to just go away with one blessing - He wanted more for us. And so at the end of the second service, as Pastor Lian was about to pronounce the blessings on the church, the Lord sent Pastor Prince (who sat through the entire service as part of the congregation) to give the blessing for the week and what a blessing the Lord gave us.

According to the Chinese calendar, this year (which started today) marks the beginning of the Year of the Golden Tiger and while listening to the message, the Lord gave Pastor Prince a word for us. Just as the Lord is typified by the Lion (of Judah) and the Lamb (of God), He also wanted us to know that He can also be represented by the Tiger. The lion and the tiger are aggressive animals and the Lord gave three messages on the Tiger: -

The tiger is noted for the stripes on its back and so this year will be a year of aggressive healings - the stripes on Jesus' back healed us all from all forms of sicknesses and diseases;
It is no coincidence that the first day of Lunar New Year falls on Sunday and since Sunday is a day of rest, this year we will also experience aggressive peace and rest in all areas of our lives;
The Lord also wants us to know that this year we will also experience aggressive love (as interpreted with Valentines Day).

So nothing is by chance or coincidence for the Lord planned everything for us and since the tiger is very Asian, the Lord will do that in Asia. The year had already started 45 days ago but for the Chinese, it has just started today and it is therefore most appropriate to have the word on the day itself. What a glorious start for us today and praise the Lord for HIs word for us. Thank you Lord Jesus for your faithfulness to us. AMEN.

Prophetic Word For The Year - 2010

2010-02-03T23:08:00.003+08:00

With an expectant heart many of us at New Creation Church attended the services on Sunday January 3rd believing that the Lord indeed has a word of prophecy for us for this year and surely He did not fail to deliver us the word. Through Pastor Joseph Prince, the Lord declared that this year 2010 will be a "Year of Restful Increase".

We will see our increase (especially for those who had not experienced theirs in 2009) but we are to adopt a restful stance as we see our respective increase unfold before our very eyes. We are not to struggle for it or to worry and become agitated over it for surely the Lord WILL provide as He had always done so.

Now, does that mean we are not to do any work? just rest and the results will pop up before us? No, that is not what the Lord meant. For those who want to believe the word given, we are to continue to work at whatever we are doing but ours is not to strive hard for it. We are to adopt the stance that Jesus so often in the gospels had admonished us to do, "let not your hearts be trouble".

So we are not to worry about the outcome when we put in our efforts for the Lord will surely give the increase. Just as the farmer goes out there to till the land and sow the seeds in the ground and God will take care of the growth, likewise He will do the same for our situations for surely we are worth more than the sparrows in the air.

Indeed one month of 2010 had just gone by us and we need to constantly remind ourselves of WHOSE we are; we are children of the MOST HIGH GOD (El Shaddai and El Elyon) and nothing is too small for Him to overlook nor too big for Him to overcome for He is our Creator God and if He cared to give us the Greatest Possession He Had - His Beloved Darling Son to die for us on the cross - how will He withhold from us our requests?

Prophetic Word For The Year - 2008

2010-01-25T12:18:00.003+08:00

Back in October 2007, I had a very interesting call from a business acquaintance asking me whether I would like to be part of his business plan from January 2008 onwards and without hesitation, I agreed to take up the offer to be the principal trainer for a professional certification body that wanted to open a license in Singapore. And so, at the end of January 2008, I had the first class with 11 participants and the class attained a perfect score of passes during the qualifying examinations. Subsequent to that, there were many more classes offered through the year (seven to be exact).

Indeed the word from the Lord for 2008 - "Year of Manifested Blessings" - did come true for me. Business transactions began to fall into place and I was kept busy with not just training classes (professional certification plus corporate courses) but consultancy projects started to open up for me. I recalled anointing my home office and praying over my business and almost immediately I saw the manifestation of the Lord. It was through one of the participants of one corporate training classes that the Lord provided inroads to a major consultancy project.

Prophetic Word For The Year - 2007

2010-01-15T11:52:00.003+08:00

With the company registered in July 2006 and lying dormant, my plans swung into action in September 2006 with plans for eventual exit from the corporate world to step out in faith and run my own consultancy business. And so it was with a pleasant surprise that on Sunday Dec 31, 2006 my senior pastor announced to the church that the prophetic word for New Creation Church for 2007 was "A Year or New Beginnings". Immediately on hearing the word, I turned to my wife and we nodded at each other that God had confirmed our plans for me to leave Deutsche Bank at end March 2007 and be my own boss from April.
Indeed, things were slow moving initially as I needed to find my own footing and establish myself. There were much running around to introduce myself to business associates and to explain what had happened and all these times, I began to draw my strength from the Lord.

Even though business volumes were very low, I praise the Lord that He sustained me in more ways than one

when I needed finance, He sent projects along my way and with the fees, I could maintain my business as an ongoing concern
when I needed ideas and business linkages, He came and gave me business partners that not only encouraged me but also helped me build my circle of business contacts
when I needed a long-term business partnership, He sent someone whom I had never met before but have heard of to discuss an instructor position that would eventually tie me over for two years from 2008.

Indeed, in the Year of New Beginnings, I saw myself reaching new heights in my professional career and also in my spiritual life and I praise Jesus for the experiences. Amen.

Prophetic Word For The Year - 2006

2010-01-04T11:33:00.013+08:00

Towards end July 2005, a small group of friends met over coffee one afternoon and the topic of discussion was our plans when we reached 'retirement' and in January 2006 and it was at this meeting that the idea of setting up a consultancy company was mooted.

At the first Sunday service for 2006, January 01, Pastor Prince delivered God's word for the church for 2006 and the word for those who wanted to appropriate it was, "Year of Acceleration". We embraced the word and in July 2006, I registered my company DRBCM Associates Pte Ltd with the ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) Singapore and began the quiet setting up of a dormant company to prepare for my eventual 'retirement'.

Also in July our son graduated from LSE and came home to start his career with the Singapore government. In September my regional boss at the bank decided to leave his post and launch into his long-term plan with emigration for his family and his start-up business from Perth. In fact he beat me to the finishing line by six months as I had already decided by then that I will leave the bank as well but at the end of March 2007. With my departure date fixed in my mind, I embarked on my plan for my colleagues, whom I will leave behind, to prepare them to become independent and able to excel in their respective roles wherever they may be. The wheels of change had been set in motion.

Prophetic Word For The Year - 2005

2010-01-01T14:13:00.001+08:00

"2005 - A Year Full Of The Favors Of The Lord" - the word was given on the final Sunday in 2004 and as we heard the word, some were skeptical but others received it with gladness.
Our son had started his university education in London in September 2003 and in September 2004 our daughter enrolled in Warwick for hers. With two children undergoing tertiary education, finding the financial support became a challenge. So when Pastor Prince proclaimed the word over us, my wife and I appropriated the word over our situation and trusted the Lord for His provisions.
In mid February 2005, the bank usually pays out its variable bonuses for the previous year's performance and I must admit I had an exceptionally good payout and then in June I was able to liquidate some of my equity holdings with substantial profits. Therefore, when it was time for me to buy the bank draft for each of our children's education and living allowances for the entire 2006, there was more than enough with leftovers for us to even visit them in the UK.
Also in May 2005 I was in London for a project meeting and I had a meeting with my global head and it was during the session I was able to share with him some things which he wanted to learn and I was the only one who had the experience to share with him. Indeed the Lord placed me in a position of favor with my superiors and I am blessed with that.

Prophetic Word For The Year - New Creation Church, Singapore

2010-01-01T12:45:00.001+08:00

For a few years now, Pastor Joseph Prince, Senior Pastor of New Creation Church in Singapore, had been receiving a prophetic word for the church and I have been tracking these words since 2005. Usually the word for the coming year would be shared with the congregation either on the last Sunday or during the services on the first Sunday of the following year.
Since I have started tracking the prophetic word I have seen how the word received and appropriated in our lives had turned out to indeed be true for my and other families in the church. So, over the next few weeks, I will endeavor to share what the word was for the year and also how the fulfillment had come to fruition in our situations.

A Year Full Of The Unmerited Favors Of Abba God - 2009

2009-12-22T08:46:00.006+08:00

To some the year 2009 is one they would very quickly prefer to get away from because of the troubles they had encountered - the credit crisis at the end of last year and first half of this year, the H1N1 scare, the natural disasters and now the cold winter in North America and Europe and north Asia. Given a choice, some would rather that they had completely missed out on those events and chugged along.

But life is simply not like that. In fact everyone of us face the same challenges but how one handles it makes the difference and I prefer to lean hard on my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for my blessings in the midst of the storm. Yes, 2009 has been an exciting year for my family and I. We started the year with a word from the Lord through our Senior Pastor Joseph Prince on the last Sunday of 2008. The Lord promised that 2009 would be "a year where the unmerited favors of our Lord would flow bounteously" and it is for whosoever would believe and seize on it.

So my family and I took that word from the Lord and we ran with it the entire year believing the Lord will indeed fulfill His promises. And indeed He has (still doing now as I write and hence the present tense)! The year started quietly in January but began to gather momentum as the months set in and where others in my industry experienced difficulties in clinching deals, deals were hunting me down. I had requests for meetings from quarters that I have never met before and by the grace of the Lord, He gave me wisdom to handle these requests and going into 2010, would sprout into new businesses.

On the family front, my children are experiencing new opportunities in their individual lives. My wife is getting amazing results in her part-time undergraduate studies and we are all growing stronger in our faith in the Lord.

And all these happened to us not with our own efforts but truly by the grace of Abba God. If He did not spare His most precious Son and gave Him up for us on the cross, how will He not grant us all the desires of our hearts. I am so blessed.

Handling Arguments

2009-11-25T13:25:00.021+08:00

In the wisdom reading of today, Proverbs 25:8-10 stands out
   v8 - do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?
   v9 - If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man's confidence,
   v10 - or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation.

I am being reminded of what a very close friend of mine said when I was growing up -
   "never engage in an argument, because..."
  - when you lose an argument, you have just lost face but
  - when you win an argument, you have just lost a friend.

How true! Over the years I have endeavored to avoid entering into arguments and whenever I do get into some serious discussions and circumstances point me to a potential argument brewing, I have learnt quickly to back off and walk away.

It is always better to walk away and hence never get into the argumentative mood than to regret later for staying too long. Trust me, I had been there before - multiple occasions and have saved both my reputation and my friends.

Relationships in Marriage

2009-11-07T21:49:00.042+08:00

When a person believes in Jesus as his Lord and Savior and receives Him into his heart, the Holy Spirit comes and indwells him and with the Lord's presence, he becomes a blessings magnet. Now, imagine what it is like when two believers come together in a marriage and form a family unit - that relationship is doubly blessed since Christ is now not only present in each believer's life but, being united, He become the third cord in that family unit and soon that relationship will begin to flourish.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken".
So a marriage that is centered around Christ (the third person in the marriage) will be strong (see picture - Three-strand Cord) as each strand twines around the other two and hence strengthens each other. However, looking at the picture on the right (Four-strand Cord), one can easily observe that alternate strands will not touch each other (the two black strands do not touch each other; similarly, the two brown strands never get to meet each other).

When a party outside of the marriage relationship enters into the fray, one of the two will become intertwined and 'break away' from the family unit and soon the entire marriage will be weakened.

The same can be shown in the second set of pictures - the picture on the left shows a three-strand cord and because of the way it is being pleated together, it is the strongest rope available. However, when we add the fourth strand into the rope, unless one is very careful in pleating, the cord do become weakened whenever a cross-over is missed.

When a new person is added into the family nucleus, the marriage relationship has to be worked on with double vigor else the distraction will impact the tenacity of the marriage. More strands do not automatically mean a stronger cord; unless conscious effort is put in to avoid crowding, the entire rope will be weakened and the cord will have to be discarded or rewoven. This conscious relationship building applies also to members of the family - children can occupy the place once held so lovingly by the spouse and if nothing is done to correct this, precious marriages can start to crumble and disintegrate.

Are We Using Wealth Or Are We Being Used By Wealth?

2009-10-23T10:10:00.040+08:00

Very interesting that the wisdom verses for me today talks about our attitude for wealth. Are we using wealth or are we being used by wealth?

Proverbs 23:4-5
v4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
v5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

And my daily devotion (Ecclesiastes 2 & 3) talks about the futility of our daily struggles to amass wealth and fame with our own strengths. King Solomon (who wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and a couple of psalms) found in the later part of his life that whatever he had achieved will no longer remain his after his demise, nor will they belong to his children or grandchildren if they do not obey the Lord.

So often people of the world struggle to build their fortunes and acquire fame but they fail to realize that what they did achieve will in the end be lost when the Lord is absent in their lives. We need to realize that the most important component of our life is to be at peace in the Lord. When we are completely at peace with our Lord Jesus, health and wealth will hunt us down - the Righteousness of Christ will envelope us and attract the blessings of God into our lives.

Jesus himself taught His disciples that they (and we are also included as His audience) "cannot serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matthew 6:24). When man serve Money (or wealth) he will be so consumed with that passion that he will forgo all else in order to get what he set out to receive even to the extent of his physical well-being. How sad to find people who spend the first forty years of their lives to get wealth but had to give back this wealth later to retrieve their health in the second half of their lives.

So which category would you rather be in? Love the Lord or to serve Money? As for me and my house, we would rather love and serve the Lord.

The Devil Will Have To Restore What He Tried To Steal From My Family

2009-10-01T19:59:00.005+08:00

Two things happened to my family and I today and my wife and I had declared to the Lord that the devil tried to steal from us and now he has to restore and do that BIG time.

Incident #1

This morning when we woke up, my son discovered that our kitchen was flooded with almost 0.5 cm of water and that the water continued to flow unceasingly. Of course, that woke the entire family up and after we had washed up, I had to shut the main tap off to prevent more wastage.
Tried to call the contractor who renovated our home at around 07:30 AM but he was not answering his call and so after sending him an urgent text message to his mobile phone, I called him again and managed to talk with him at around 08:30.
He came to look at the kitchen and tried to diagnose the problem and after about 30 minutes he discovered where the fault area was. What baffled him was that the pipe that was supposed to have burst led to nowhere and also there were no welding or any form of stopper in the first instance and how after all these years (15 years to be precise) the problem surfaced surprised him as well. Finally he brought in his welding tank and after 30 minutes, managed to seal the leakage area.

Incident #2

This evening as I was about to enter the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) through a slip road near my home, a long string of cars stopped to allow some pedestrians to cross the road at the zebra crossing. Of course I also stopped and waited. Just as my car came to a complete halt, a brand new Merc came from behind and, not paying attention to t he long line of cars, collided into the back of my Honda Jazz and damaged my rear door (hatchback) as well as the rear bumper. Now my car moves with a loud rattle as the loose bumper vibrates with the engine and I have to send the car in for replacement of parts which may take up to one week.

So, am I annoyed? you bet I am and I also know who the real culprit is - the one who came to steal, kill and destroy - but he will never be able to get away because my Daddy God will deal with him and make sure he restores to us, not one for one but a hundred-fold.

The Devil Knows His Time Is Running Short

2009-09-30T21:47:00.010+08:00

Two days ago, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) was celebrated in Israel and around the world among the Jews and in 2 days the Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated. Usually around this time of the Hebrew calendar, interesting things do take place.

The WTC twin-tower attack on September 11, 2001 also took place around this time based on the Hebrew calendar and to have two big earthquakes and one monster typhoon all happening within one week is just uncanny. Typhoon Ketsana left a trail of devastation in Manila and now Vietnam and even Cambodia were lashed by this same monster. Imagine one month's equivalent of rain fell on Manila in just under 20 hours and caused floods affecting more than 2 million people.

Next came the 8.0 magnitude earthquake around Samoa this morning and because the epicentre was not that deep, a tsunami with waves of around 5 metres swept over the islands in the region. And just three hours ago a 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook Padang in Sumatra island and we could feel the tremor here in Singapore.

So what conclusions can we draw from these incidents? that the devil is angry because his time is really running out literally as the Lord Jesus Christ will come back very shortly for His Bride the Church.

Hebrews 12:26-29 states -

v26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."
v27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
v28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
v29 for our "God is a consuming fire."

Was God responsible for these incidents? Definitely not for it is very clear that the devil is responsible. Is God doing anything to prevent or stop these? I do believe that God is in control and He will definitely not allow His children to be touched by the devil. But a friendly word for those who have yet to put their faith in Jesus - even the devil knows when his end is coming so how about you?

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns, there will be a reckoning for eternity - those who have place their faith in Christ will be taken up to spend eternity with the Father while those who do not believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be eternally separated from the Source of Life. So what would you choose?

Speaking Words Of Wisdom

2009-09-23T14:24:00.001+08:00

Recently there was a revival of the songs written and sung by the Beattles and I was constantly bombarded by this particular song, "Let It Be" with the word 'speaking words of wisdom', over the Singapore radio channels in the morning, afternoon and evening over my car radio.

And as I listened to the words of the song, I am again reminded of the words of Wisdom that are found in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 1:24 states, "but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." You see, many of us so often forget (and therefore need reminders) that Jesus Himself is the Wisdom of God personified and the entire Bible was written by and for Him and so when we read His Word, we are actually reading and hearing from Wisdom Himself.

And so, with the timely reminder in the sermon last Sunday, I want to be guided each day by none other than the Word Himself and know what actions I should be adopting as I face the daily challenges of life.

The Doctors DO NOT Have The Last Word BUT JESUS DOES!!

2009-08-30T10:29:00.007+08:00

On Monday August 24, 2009 a good friend of mine collapse at home due to the bursting of a major artery in his brain and this happened in the very early hours of the morning. Unfortunately his wife was in Kuala Lumpur and only his 19 year-old daughter was at home.

He was immediately warded in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Changi General Hospital and put on life-support. As the doctors there presumed he was by then brain-dead, they wanted to harvest all his organs to save other lives. This has now been enacted by the HOTA (Human Organ Transplant Act) passed in the Singapore Parliament and unless one opts out of this, his/her organs are now eligible to be transplanted out of his/her body without the need for consent.

Of course his wife and family members were completely taken aback and protested that he is still alive and so two specialist surgeons were assigned to conduct a series of six tests on his body. Four tests return positive results of no brain activities but two turned out negative results. By the grace of God, in one of the tests, his fingers started to twitched and that put a temporary halt to the doctors' ambitions. However, they still maintained that twitching of fingers are non conclusive of brain activity and that they are still sticking to the theory that his organs can and will be harvested - it is just a matter of time.

Having witnessed the ridiculous nature of the behavior from the doctors (their eagerness to enforce HOTA on my poor friend's body), my family has now decided to opt out of the HOTA Scheme as we believe that the doctors do not hold the last word on our lives. The question of brain-death is not even a viable consideration as far as we are concerned. Have they not heard of cases where a patient, after an extended period of comatose, wakes up and start functioning normal lives? I do not wish to have the doctors playing 'god' over my life. Only Jesus has the final say over how and when my life should end - be it physical death (or sleeping as described in the bible) when Jesus tarries or physical rapture when Jesus comes back. Immediately I will have a brand new body that will last me for eternity; one where there will be no trace of any disease or sickness but perfection.

The Mystery Of The Long Silence

2009-08-12T15:52:00.000+08:00

In case you are wondering what happened and the long period of silence on my end for the past two months, I have been so richly blessed that I feel I must share here. You see, after I came back from my holidays in June, I had been tied up trying to complete one of my ongoing projects and get ready for three more that are expected to have started end July but due to last minute changes will only start week after next.

Meanwhile, the Lord's blessings are so tremendous; two of my certification classes achieved perfect scores with a third scoring more than 86 percent (six candidates out of seven passed the certification examinations) and I know that the Lord was using those results to encourage me that more great things will be coming across my path. Also I went to see two clients and both indicated keen interest in pursuing client relationships with my company and one even went to the extent of giving me assurances that my package will be shortlisted immediately and viewed very closely and favorably.

Also the Lord caused certain rather influential people to come across my path and they have indicated keen interest in exploring business transactions. So now you know! What else can I say - when the Lord blesses, He does not understand how to stop. He will only stop when we mortals limit Him and take so little. In fact the Lord, during the feeding of the five thousand men, gave the crowd so much to eat that there were leftovers and I know that there were only twelve empty baskets available for the leftovers; had there been more baskets, I am convinced that He will fill them all too.

In Luke 24:13-27, Jesus chided His two disciples for being foolish and slow of understanding - how many times the Lord have reminded me of His goodness in my life!

And so now I have decided to be a glutton for the Lord's blessings on my life and if He is blessing you and you feel you don't need them, please remember to send them my way and thanks for the thought.

Abba Father Prospers Even Our Mistakes!

2009-06-17T21:45:00.012+08:00

My wife and I have just returned from a wonderful eight restful days at the Hakone area in Japan. From here, we can visit Mt Fuji (the highest mountain in Japan) and explore the lakes around the mountain ranges. Throughout our stay we had nice cool (and at times cold - yes, in the midst of summer) weather and a couple of days of showers and these were very welcome for us coming from a dry and hot Singapore and for me it was even more dramatic as I had just returned a few days prior to our departure to Japan from hot Muscat in Oman where daytime temperatures actually hit a high of 54 Celsius and night temperatures drop to only 35 Celsius.

So we were thoroughly thrilled when the thermometer readings dropped to 15 Celsius in the day and nights of 10 Celsius. And we decided to venture a trip from where we were staying (at Nakagora town) to Stage Five on Mt Fuji on Thursday June 11, 2009. The morning started with rains and we decided to stick to our plan and venture forth armed with transparent brollies (umbrellas) at 8:30 AM. Twenty minutes later we were at the bus-stop where we were to make our next connection and so we stood there in the light drizzle with our brollies and waited and waited not understanding that there would not be any buses for the next 90 minutes or more as the timetables posted on the pole at the bus-stop were all in Japanese and we could not understand the language.

Well, having stood there for almost forty minutes we finally realized that we could be standing there in vain and so we decided to flag a taxi to bring us to the next train station/ bus terminal to connect to Kawaguchiko town and from there to catch the 'mountain-climbing' bus to Stage Five of Mt Fuji.
Mistake #1 came when the taxi-driver took us on a slightly longer route to the station and the fare came up to 4,650 yen or close to US$50 (about S$70).
Mistake #2 was when we bought the ticket to the wrong station (two major stops too early)
Mistake #3 was when we decided to alight along the way way ahead of the 'wrong' station and we ended up back-tracking and trying to seek directions in English in a mainly Japanese speaking area.

But that was probably where the misery ended and our blessings started.
1. Where we ended up to ask for directions was also one of the most friendly places - the Japanese lady was so sweet; she went out of her way to connect us to the nearest tourist information desk at the station where we were supposed to have stopped to make our transfer.
2. This lady not only gave us instructions in English but also worked out for us the various steps we had to take to end up to where she was and she actually came out of her office at the station to meet us and hurry us on to our next destination.
3. When we arrived at Kawaguchiko to catch our bus to go up to Mt Fuji, not only had the rain stopped but the sky was so clear that we could actually see the mountain from the train station.
4. The weather continued to hold for us and we were pleasantly greeted at Stage Five with one of the clearest days for visitors. It had been observed that one can only see Mt Fuji in all its splendour on thirty days in the entire year and we were so blessed to be given that opportunity to view His majestic splendour. Thank you Jesus for Your blessings.

Well, the blessings did not end there. We continued to be able to see Mt Fuji again the next day as we decided to take the ropeway to the top of another mountain to visit Lake Ashi. In fact we saw Mt Fuji from various spots that second day - every time the bus turned round a corner and where the vegetation permitted, there was Mt Fuji. - we were simply awed by the Father's blessings.

Indeed He had turned our mistakes into His blessings and we were able to not just have our rest but enjoyed the splendour of His creation. Praise Jesus!

The Heavens Declare His Glory

2009-05-07T21:56:00.016+08:00

The apostle Paul, in Romans Chapter 1 spoke of how the preaching of the gospel is foolishness to the wise. The wise among men would be brought down to size as they get to see the wonders of our Lord and suddenly realize that their so called wisdom is no match compared to the awesome truth of our Lord's salvation plan.
Recently the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory managed to capture something awesome as they trained their giant telescopes into outer space and capture one of the most fantastic pictures I have ever laid eyes on. Out there in the galaxies in the area of PSR B1509-58, we can see the heavenly bodies come together and wonderfully form a nail-pierced hand and holding onto a beautiful circular golden crown! (note that the picture is a photo negative image of the actual image). And we all know Whose hand it is that is pierced and now rules majestically in Heaven with the Father. Yes, Jesus our Lord was crucified almost 2000 years ago and for light to travel that distance so that we can capture the image, that must have been created millions of years ago.

How can that be, one may ask? I submit to you that when Jesus died, He actually died outside of time so that God's salvation plan spans right across all eternity such that Adam (the first man created) right through to the last man standing before the End of the Earth takes place may be included in His marvelous salvation plan.

So you, who would want to see proofs before you decide to believe in His matchless love, stop and see His great plan and be convince that there is a higher order - our Creator Father - in control of the heavens and the Earth. And for those of us who have believed, take comfort for the Lord is coming back soon for His Bride (the Church). I do believe that He is offering His crown to us at the Wedding Feast after the Rapture which I am convinced will take place very shortly (we might literally be counting the days now).
Maranatha Lord Jesus, come quickly!

Pls look at this website for more images NASA has caught:
http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4WZPA_en___US280&q=the%20NASA%20Chandra%20X-Ray%20Observatory%20photographed%20a%20gigantic%20glowing%20blue%20hand%20in%20space%20in%20the%20area%20of%20PSR%20B1509-58.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

Start Of A New Family Journey

2009-04-12T22:22:00.008+08:00

Over the past three weeks our family had been rather busy. A hive of activities as our daughter became engaged to be married to someone she met while studying at the same university in the United Kingdom. They have known each other for about four years now and because of the physical distance separating them, they decided to settle down next April 2010.

Officially they were engaged to be married on March 28 Saturday when both sets of parents met over lunch and we discussed what we felt best for our children and agree with them that they will be married on April 03, 2010 Saturday. So now that the date has been set, a series of activities will have to be initiated over the next couple of months.

After the wedding, our daughter will be emigrating to leave in Birmingham, UK, as our future son-in-grace is working with Deloitte's PPL and waiting to secure his UK PR (he is a Malaysian Chinese with Sarawakan blood) and so will have to start planning her packing in addition to getting things organized for the wedding. In fact there will be three sets of celebrations - wedding lunch in Singapore followed by a family dinner over at Sibu in Sarawak and culminating in a wedding dinner over at Kuala Lumpur - spread over 8 days and can get pretty hectic.

And how did the family take the news? well, there were smiles all round as both sides were very supportive of the pending union. In fact the troop i snow working on the logistics for the Event next year. And I dare say that the wedding will draw everyone tighter together as it will become the focal point and we do need this event to do just that. So come Saturday April 03 the families will come together to celebrate the union with a church wedding in the morning followed by a wedding luncheon at Pan Pacific Hotel and then those family members who were supposed to travel to Kuala Lumpur the following Saturday for the wedding dinner will do so.

So we are looking forward to celebrate the blessed union between Mr Joshua Ting and Ms Adeline Li come April 2010. Congratulations beloveds.

What's In A Memorial?

2009-04-07T08:54:00.004+08:00

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the passing of my earthly father back to the Lord and even as we enter into the Holy Week, I am being reminded of what the Lord instructed the children of Israel to do - to build memorials as a testimony of the goodness of our Lord.

In the Old Testament, memorials are in visible forms - stones raised one on top of another to form a column or markers placed at strategic locations to mark boundaries or festivals to remind them of the goodness of the Lord. And in the New Covenant, we have one very prominent memorial - the Cross of Jesus Christ. Each year, the Church celebrates the sacrifice of our Lord on the Cross and worships Him for His atoning death and in three days, we will be doing just that on Good Friday.

Good Friday is meant to be a time of remembrance of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and it is for joy and thanksgiving that we are to observe them. I do not, for once, believe that the Lord meant for us to be so solemn that we cannot even share moments of joy by having a meal together or perhaps even celebrating a wedding. I believe each day we are to live our lives in celebration of the finished work of Christ on the Cross - that we are wondrously saved by that one atoning death and there is nothing more to be added.

Our lives are meant to be a reflection of that grace we have in Him - so live life to its fullest in the divine health that His precious Blood had redeemed us for and stop accepting the lies that the devil throws in our direction that we suffer because of our ancestors. Indeed, when the Lord died on the Cross, He did not die for specifics but His death avails for everything and it spans across the time continuum because God lives outside of time.

Basking In The Love Of Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ

2009-03-26T16:52:00.002+08:00

Recently I had been rather busy being caught up in work - definitely a blessing from the Lord at such a time as this when people around me were trying to look for things to do and keep them occupied.

Indeed, I have two consulting projects going concurrently and another regular monthly training project. And the Lord, for good measure, landed two very quick training projects onto my plate this month. And so, I was just sharing with my beloved wife that I have work almost every day and that the Lord had added joy to my situation (last year around this time I was struggling to find work to occupy my time) and how blessed and loved by the Lord I felt.

And all these times I consciously kept my focus on believing the Lord for His abundance of grace on my situation. Every time I encountered a challenge, I chose to believe that the Lord will grant me the break-through and indeed, He had been faithful to bless. And as long as I stayed focused on Him, I noticed that the burden became lighter and soon the blessings came as in a flood gushing down the channel.

So, what am I trying to say here? that I just sit back and do nothing but believe that He will come through for me? No, I am saying that the Lord looks upon our hearts and sees our faith in Him. Faith is the only currency in Heaven and when we have that currency, we will be abundantly supplied. So I would encourage you to look away from your situation and look towards the Lord and see Him in His love for you. If He chose to set aside everything and give you His VERY BEST (His darling beloved SON), how much more will He be willing to grant us His blessings.

What's With A Name?

2009-03-07T13:27:00.002+08:00

A few days ago, a friend of mine brain-stormed with me some possible names for his new business and that started me thinking how important it is to have the right name, not just a good name. I went through this situation three years ago when I started my own company. Granted that two friends gave me suggestions but ultimately I had to make that decision for myself.

Abraham had a name change when he was 99 years old (Genesis 17:5) because the Lord wanted to cause a radical change in his life. The Lord promised him an heir but the son Ishmael whom Hagar bore him was not supposed to be the one and one can imagine how he felt. With the name change, Abram was now to be called Abraham which means 'father of multitude' - a radical change seeing that he did not even have a son or for that matter any children. And I can imagine his wife Sarah calling him, "father of multitude" every time and in the physical he had no children to go by as acknowledgment. It must have been very trying for both of them.

Well, God is One who will always deliver and to the last iota. One year after his name change, Abraham finally became the father of a son through his own beloved wife and the rest, like they say, is now history - the nation of Israel - literally multitudes.

So what am I implying? That the name we use on ourselves and on others will definitely be important. The name we give to our children will directly or indirectly influence their lives whether we like it or not. I recall the reason I gave myself for choosing a name to call myself after I received the Lord into my heart back when I was a teenager was because I was impacted by the brother of the Apostle Peter. In the bible you will only find three references of Andrew (besides his name appearing in the list of Jesus' disciples): -
1. he was the one who introduced his brother Peter to Jesus (John 1:44)
2. he introduced the boy with the five loaves and two fish to Jesus and He fed five thousand men with the gift. (John 6:8)
3. Philip introduced some Greeks to him and he in return pointed them to Jesus at the Feast (John 12:22)

Andrew resolved to be one who will point others to our Lord Jesus and I decided to be like Andrew and hence the choice and I am still resolved in my heart to continue with that.

2009 - A Dektos Year

2009-02-21T13:08:00.004+08:00

Since my last post on Feb 07, so many good things had taken place.
1. I have been kept busy in my business - running two project concurrently and doing training courses
2. more business opportunities have opened up
3. Great news on the family side of things

At the end of December 2008, Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church, my senior pastor, heard from our Lord Jesus and proclaimed that this year will be the acceptable year of the Lord and he went back to Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 418-19 to check out the original text to find out what exactly was meant by the phrase 'acceptable' and he came across the Hebrew "Ratsah" which simply means 'be pleased with, to be favorable to' (as in Isaiah 61) and in the Greek "Dektos" as in Luke 4.

Now the Greek word is more amazing. In 'dektos' one gets the meaning of "the most blessed time when the salvation and the free favors of the Lord profusely abounds". And so when I heard that, I told the Lord that I want to be in that dektos position to be able to receive His super-abounding profuse blessings for my family and I for this year. And I am already beginning to see this taking shape and form in my life, to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Staying Focused

2009-02-07T17:10:00.002+08:00

In these trying times, the majority of us would be tempted to throw in the towel and admit that the way forward would be tough and be resigned to 'fate' and allow the external circumstances dictate how and what we feel. Certainly the signings out there in the world are very uncertain and looks gloomy.

Three evenings ago, I was at a dinner with some of my former colleagues and we were comparing notes about how each person felt and the general mood was one of deja-vu - let whatever will happen fall on me - and anxiety. Well, throughout that evening I had to keep reminding myself that I am wonderfully created, redeemed and now blessed to live and enjoy all the blessings of my Abba Father.

To doubt Him after what He had achieved for us on the Cross is a big slap on His wrist and reject His grace and mercy to us. Indeed it is precisely that He wants us to be above our situations that He went to the Cross and took our punishment by dying so that He can then appropriate His righteousness on us. Where a righteous person is, there will the blessings be and I choose to believe and claim that promise over my life and to continue to enjoy His shalom peace over my every moment of life.

Sure, the devil will want to steal the word in us that we are the blessed children of our Lord Jesus Christ and when we lose our focus and start to feel and be dejected like the rest of the world who do not know Him, he has just robbed us of our joy and peace. When we are not in the place of rest, we will not be able to enjoy the Father's peace in us and open the door to sicknesses and diseases (dis-ease). No wonder so many live miserable lives and do not go on to enjoy length of days as the Father had promised us.

So, as for me and my household, we will feed on the Lord, enjoy His every blessing and go on to live good days for a very long, long, long time.

Jesus Is Coming Back Very Shortly!

2009-01-25T12:45:00.002+08:00

In the midst of this global economic gloom and political turmoil, there seems to be only one conclusion - that the stage is right for the Lord Jesus Christ to return. For the Orthodox Jews, His return will signify His coming to them since they never believed He had come the first time around; and for the Messianic Jews (and us Christians) this will be His Second Coming.

Here is an interesting extract from Israel Today newspaper

Culture & Jewish Life
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The Messiah Boom - Messianic and Orthodox Jews may not agree on his identity, but both say Messiah is coming soon | Aviel Schneider

THE MESSIAH IS COMING SOON! Orthodox singer Ariel Zilber proclaims the Messiah on a Tel Aviv street corner. Together with his friends on a Tel Aviv street corner, Israeli singer Ariel Zilber cried out, “Wake up! Wake up! The Messiah is coming!”

“We want to awaken the nation so that they will call on their Messiah,” explained Zilber, who turned to Orthodox Judaism a few years ago. “We are longing for the Messiah. Without Him we will not succeed in anything.”

Passersby were unimpressed. Perhaps they were tired after a long day of work, or perhaps they thought these people blowing trumpets and shofars (ram’s horns) on a city street were “crazy” Messianic Jews like Yaakov Damkani, who proclaims Yeshua (Jesus) with trumpets during prayer walks in Tel Aviv.

So, world get ready to receive your God the Creator whether you like it or not. Believe in Jesus and what He had accomplished for you at the Cross and receive His grace and salvation for your life.

The Miracle of US Airways Flight 1549

2009-01-21T17:11:00.004+08:00

When US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River off New York City on January 13, 2009, I thought it was just another aircraft disaster but this time the survivors were blessed because no one on-board died. I did not take much notice of the incident.

And then a friend posted a note on her account with Facebook and shared about the amazement of the number of people on board the aircraft and its significance and that was when I decided to look at that incident again and discovered something very interesting.

On that flight there were a total of 150 passengers and 5 crew members thus giving a total of 155 people. With 5 crew members, it can only mean that there were three flight attendants and two persons in the cockpit - the pilot and his co-pilot.

Now this is the interesting part. With two persons in the cockpit, there are now 153 in the body of the plane and that number rang a bell. After Jesus had risen from the dead, one early morning Jesus appeared on the beach and He enquired of His disciples whether they managed to catch any fish and their response to Him was that they had caught none. Jesus then proceeded to ask them to cast their net on the right side of the boat and they hauled in a large catch.

In John 21:11 we read, "Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three, and although there were so many, the net was not broken."

The aircraft landed on the river and up to today, other than the left engine falling off, it remained intact just like the net which the Apostle Peter used to haul in the fish - there was not a tear in the net.

The pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, is probably a Jew (going by his last name) and for a long time, the name of the co-pilot is not widely known. Now, is that not very uncanny? Jesus was a Jew and His partner, the Holy Spirit, never likes to draw attention to Himself and prefers to give all attention to Jesus. So I was not surprised to find that his name was hardly mentioned. And so to me the two persons in the cockpit spoke volumes to me about Jesus and the Holy Spirit that they were in charge.

Also Capt Sully made an extra effort to walk the aisle of the plane, not once but twice, to ensure that everyone had evacuated the plane before he left to be with his crew. Jesus is always there to ensure that we are safe.

And then the point about the number 153. Do you know that the arithmetic progression of the numbers 1 till 17 is 153? and in the Hebrew, the number 17 represents victory? And this (which I just found out last evening) really floored me. If you take the sum total of all the Hebrew alphabet for this statement, "I am God" it all adds up to 153.

So is the Lord telling us something? Certainly I believe so. The 'crash' taking place at a time so close to the inauguration ceremony of President Barrack Obama leads me to believe that God the Father is telling us that we need Him and with Him at the helm, everything will turn out right. We just have to train our eyes on Him.

The Book of Psalms As A Prophetic Book - Part 3

2009-01-17T15:54:00.005+08:00

So what does Psalm 109 have to say to us about the year 2009 through israel?

The psalm begins with a cry from Israel for help from the Lord. And we have seen from the beginning of 2009 that the whole world is now turning against Israel for what it had done in moving into the Strip to compliment what its air force had achieved. The mopping up operations by the IDF had been with widespread criticism from the whole world.

Psalm 109: 2-3 -v2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. v3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

And the interesting point to note is that Psalm 109 ends on a praise note.

v30 - I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth. Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
v31 - For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him

The Lord has promised that He will defend His own people, the Israelites and they will prevail. All their accusers will be silenced. So I don't know about you but I am looking for a good closure to the Gaza situation.

The Book of Psalms As A Prophetic Book - Part 2

2009-01-15T17:13:00.008+08:00

In my last post i discussed how the early years of Israel found its prophecies in the Book of Psalms and I paused at the year 1973, the year the Yom Kippor War took place. It was an amazing year and Israel took back the whole of the Golan Height which belonged to King Solomon during his reign and was included in the Book of Genesis when God declared that He will give the land to Abraham and his Seed forever.

Psalm 91 -In the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein rained 39 Scud missiles into Israel and miraculously none in the land was killed by any of the missiles. The Lord protected the nation like a mother hen would over her young chicks and we can find the reference in verse 4, "He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings you shall take refuge." Who would have thought that when Israel was asked by the USA not to get involved in the Guilf War that Saddam Hussein would have fired all those 39 missiles and look at the wonder of our Lord protecting His own helpless ones in the land of Israel. The fact that no one was killed was a miracle. Granted there was one death but the cause of death was a heart attack - an old man saw the effects of the missile on his home and his heart gave way.
Psalm 205 -In this psalm we have an account of how our Lord delivered the children of Israel from the land of Egypt and how He had been given them the land as an inheritance (verses 42-45). In September 2005, the IDF was sent into Gaza Strip to remove the Jewish settlers so that the Palestinians could occupy their former homes. In the psalm there was much sorrow from the people but He was there to remind them that He is for them and that He will care for them.
Psalm 208:9 -"Moab is My washpot; Over Edom I will cast My shoe, Over Philistia I will triumph". Who would have thought that President Bush would be greeted by a pair of shoes when he visited Bagdad in November 2008 and who would have expected Israel to attack the Gaza Strip to take out the Hamas terrorists for what they had been doing to Israel - over 8000 shells were fired into Israel from Gaza Strip in the spell of three years. Israel finally said, "enough is enough!" and unilaterally took action to silence the terrorists. Verse 12-13 tells us, "Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly for it is He who shall thread down our enemies." Israel had been left to defend for itself; even its best friend (USA) turned against it and criticize it for what it did.

The Book of Psalms As A Prophetic Book - Part 1

2009-01-08T20:54:00.011+08:00

For a very long time, history has it that the rabbis, in the 1800s, felt something was very special about the Book of Psalms in the Bible. Because it is the 19th book in the Bible, they felt whatever had been written in that psalm could be linked with events that would happen in the year that corresponds with the number of the psalms; e.g. they said that Psalm 1 would correspond with the year 1901, Psalm 18 would correspond with 1918, etc. Based on that alignment, those psalms that are above 100 would speak about events in the 2000s; Psalm 105 would tie in with the year 2005 and Psalm 109 would point us therefore to the year 2009 which is this current year.

And so I did some comparisons, after the fact, and managed to find some associations: -

Psalm 17:12 - "As a lion is eager to tear his prey, and like a young lion lurking in secret places". In November 1917, a young British general by the name of Allenby rode into Jerusalem and freed the land from the Ottoman Turks and made Palestine a territory of the British Empire. Incidentally, the national symbol of Britain is the lion.

Psalm 38:6-8, 11-12, 21-22 - here the Psalmist prophetically seemed to be crying aloud to the Lord for deliverance; believe it or not that was the year that Hitler started to round up the Jews in Poland and Austria and put them in concentration camps.

Psalm 42:11 - In 1942, Hitler started to send the Jews to the gas chambers; initially in small numbers but as you read on from Psalm 43 and Psalm 44, the cry went up louder and more fervently - that was between 1943 and 1945.

Psalm 45:5 - "Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; the peoples fall under You." Notice that the arrows in this verse is in the plural and because the two atomic bombs landed in Nagasaki and Hiroshima like arrows and they struck the heart of the enemies of the Lord and the war ended immediately with the two bombs and Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 while Germany had surrendered earlier on April 29, 1945.

Psalm 48- A lot of praise and worship as the people rejoice when they see the hand of God crafting out a place for Himself. On May 15, 1948 the tiny nation of Israel was birthed almost overnight. Verse 4 talks about the kings assembling and they passed by together. The UN Security Council met and decided to set up the nation after much deliberation. And the psalm went further to talk about the pangs of child-birth and we remember that the young nation was persecuted by her neighbors.

Psalm 67- In this psalm, the first two verses recorded for us a special prayer to God to be merciful to them. Prior to June 1967, three armies gathered in three different directions ready to attack Israel - Egypt was in the south, Jordan was on the east and Syria was poised on the north and Israel was hemmed in and the only place they could turn was the Mediterranean Sea on its west. The Six-Day War was decisive and Israel triumphed and won more land than they started with and so the rest of the psalm recorded the celebration of joy unto the Lord.

Psalm 73:25-26- "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever". Once again Israel was attacked and on the most holy of their feast days - Yom Kippor or Day of Atonement - and they were almost wiped off except by the hand of God on their behalf. Through a miracle the Syrian army was driven back in the north and Israel conquered the Golan Heights.

Now are these coincidences or is the hand of God really at work here? You have to judge them for yourself. I have more to share but that will be on another day.

Situation From Gaza Strip

2008-12-31T11:02:00.003+08:00

So often we get the news from sources that may be lopsided and chose to play up one side of the story and ignore the other. I found this account interesting and I know it will open up our eyes to look for wholesome reporting of events.

From a perspective not seen too much in the "regular" news.
Shalom,
Betty

Shalom from the war zone! Our friend, Avner Boskey, an Israeli Messianic Jew here in Israel has written an accurate account of what is going on in Israel in the Gaza Strip and what led up to the attack. He has given us permission to forward his letter. Lura & Eddie Beckford, Arad, Israel - Dec. 2008

War With Hamas – The First 40 Hours
This is a brief analysis of the war, followed by a report of details of today's fighting, and then specific prayer requests.

The war with Hamas began at 11:30 am Israel time on Shabbat (Saturday) December 27 – the sixth day of Hanukkah (the Feast of Dedication). The Operation was given the military name 'Cast Lead' or Opheret yetzuka in Hebrew, referring to the leaden dreidels (sevivon or spinning tops) played with on Hanukkah. These festive tops were once made of molten lead poured into a metal mold, and a popular Hanukkah children's song refers to a dreidl made of "cast lead". As God would have it, this war will be identified in the annals of Israeli history as the Hanukkah war.
Israelis have a lot of experience with war, and many significant wars are connected with certain Jewish holidays. The Yom Kippur War of October 1973 began on the Day of Atonement. The First Gulf War ended in 1991 on the first day of Purim, the Feast of Esther. The Second Intifada broke out on The Feast of Trumpets in 2000. On the Ninth of Av (Tisha b'Av) in 586 BC and 70 AD, both Jewish Temples were destroyed in Jerusalem. God is still speaking to Israel and the nations by using His prophetic calendar and His feast days (see Leviticus 23:2, 4), and this includes minor feasts like Hanukkah (see Daniel 11:29-35 and Hebrews 11:34-38).

Background to this war
After Israel withdrew or retreated from the Gaza Strip in August 2005, that region was taken over by the Islamist group Hamas ('The Islamic Resistance Movement'; for deeper background see newsletters February 2006, June 2007 at www.davidstent.org). This group is linked with the Muslim Brotherhood, a world jihadi group ideologically connected to Osama Bin Laden.
Hamas refuses to recognize the state of Israel. Hamas calls and plans for Israel's military destruction. Over the past three years it has fired more than 10,000 Qassam or Grad rockets and mortars against civilians only – towns, farms and cities within Israel. And over the past week it fired between 36 and 80 rockets per day into kibbutzim, small villages and large towns. Last Saturday I went to visit some believers on a kibbutz bordering on Gaza, and during my 30-minute visit five rockets fell close by.
The government of Israel has strangely tolerated a buildup of these rocket attacks over the past three years. Though originally then-Prime-Minister Ariel Sharon soothingly promised Israelis that the disengagement from Gaza would bring peace, and if even "one rocket were fired" Israel would reconquer the Gaza Strip, the 10,000 rockets fired starkly contradict the soundness and wisdom of his policies. Part of the recent tolerance is due to the fact that the Kadima party Sharon founded is still in office, and these officials owe their political positions to these failed policies.
Over the past few weeks Israel has repeatedly warned Hamas and surrounding countries that if the rocket attacks continue, it will decisively and powerfully respond. These Israeli warnings have gone unnoticed by the world's media, as have the rocket attacks. No country that is worthy of the name would allow terrorists to rocket their civilian populations for so long without an overwhelming response. For both Israel and Hamas, that day of response has come.

The surprise attack
As Palestinian rocket attacks have increased, Israel has spent the past year culling intelligence in preparation for a decisive counter-attack. Hamas command and control (CC) centers, arms depots, senior residences, training camps, rocket launcher sites and Qassam factories – all were located and charted.
On Saturday at 11:30 am 64 Israeli fighter jets and attack helicopters attacked and destroyed 50 strategic Hamas sites in 3 minutes and 45 seconds. A half hour later, another sortie of 20 plans hit 50 more sites, including underground launchers and bunkers. 95% of the hits were 'alpha', meaning exact strikes with no collateral damage.

Strategic targets
Over 240 strategic sites have been hit in the past 40 hours. One site hit was the Hamas police compound, where 80 gunmen were gathered. At other ammo dumps and command centers at least another 50 terrorists were killed. At other smaller CCs a total of 92 terrorists were killed.
On Sunday Israeli jets struck and destroyed 40 underground tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle in significant amounts of weapons, explosives and anti-tank/anti-aircraft missiles in a 3 minute 20 second sortie. This area is called the Philadelphi Corridor, and was surrendered to Hamas by Israel due to significant U.S. State Department pressure in 2005. Over 700 tunnels have been dug, and most are still operative.
Up to this point Hamas rocket squads have managed to fire more than 70 rockets at Israel, and Israel's Military Intelligence believes that Hamas has the ability and reserves to fire up to 200 rockets daily for quite some time.
On Sunday one Hamas rocket traveled 37 kilometers, hitting Gan Yavne a bedroom community east of Ashdod. This means that other towns including Gedera and Beersheva (where we live) are in possible range of Hamas rockets. The Home Front Command has ordered public bomb shelters to be opened in these twons beginning Monday morning. Pray for the Israeli civilians in rocket range of Hamas mortars and rockets (Qassams and Grad rockets, capable of reaching Ashkelon, Ashdod, Kiryat Gat and Beersheva).

The question of casulaties
The casualty rate in Gaza has now reached 300 (most of these terrorists), with over 1,000 wounded.
The IDF takes great pains to avoid civilian casualties, while Hamas deliberately locates its centers and fires its rockets from within civilian centers. Hamas rockets only target civilians, while the IDF tries very hard to only target terrorists. Due to the immediate proximity of civilians to rocket launchers and Hamas headquarters, there have certainly been some civilian casualties.
Israeli army intelligence has warned and even done mass telephoning of Gazan civilians, urging them to stay away from potential target areas. Though civilian casualties are deeply regretted, they are known in military parlance as collateral damage. General William Tecumseh Sherman once remarked (based on his American military experiences) that "war is hell". We agree, even though it is sometimes necessary.
The Palestinian terror groups unfortunately see these casualties in a positive light – as helpful grist in their propaganda mills. They immediately tell the world media that Israel is targeting civilians and causing massacres.
One prime example of this tactic was during Operation Defensive Shield (March 2002), triggered by Hamas terrorists who killed 30 Jews (including Holocaust survivors) and injured 140 at a public Passover meal in Netanya Israel. IDF troops retook control of major West Bank cities which had become suicide bomber havens. The army took great pains to avoid civilian casualties, suffering many fatalities in this process. Nevertheless, the Palestinian media accused Israel of a bloodthirsty massacre of over 500 civilians in Jenin. That number was eventually dropped to approximately 56 terrorists, most in uniform, and 7 or 8 civilians (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Defensive_Shield).
One 58 year old Jewish man was killed this Saturday in his apartment by a Hamas rocket, and 10 Israelis have been wounded. We thank God for the protection He has granted so far to Israelis, and we strongly encourage you to pray for continued safety!

Prayer requests
∅ Pray for the leadership of Israel – that the God of Israel will give them clarity, strategy, courage and discernment (2 Kings 6:8-12)
∅ Pray for Gaza's leadership – that God would frustrate their plans, operations and strategies (Psalm 83:4, 9-15)
∅ Pray for the civilian population of Gaza, many who support the terror – that God in His mercy would reveal Himself to many as their Savior and Prince of peace (Jonah 3:8-9)
∅ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the salvation of the Jewish people (Psalm 122:6; Romans 10:1)
∅ Pray for the struggling tiny community of believers in Gaza, some who have been tortured or martyred by Islamists in recent days
∅ Pray for the Jewish believers in the Negev area bordering on Gaza, some who contend with daily rocket attacks

In Messiah Yeshua,
Avner Boskey

What Will 2009 Bring Us?

2008-12-29T20:35:00.005+08:00

Every year we tend to spend a couple of moments to reflect on what the year that will be ending soon had been like and also give some thought to what we hope to see in the next year. And that is where most people will be making their new year resolutions which they will then struggle like crazy to keep knowing fully well that the resolutions can never be kept since mankind is fallible.

Well, interestingly enough, the Lord does give us declarations on what He wants us to believe Him for. Without fail, He had given New Creation Church the following proclamations which many of us had taken Him for and held on to them and eventually saw the proclamations come to pass. The following were prophesied in the church on the last Sunday of the year or at times on the first Sunday of the new year.

2005 – Year Full of the Favor of the Lord
2006 – Year of Acceleration
2007 – Year of New Beginnings
2008 – Year of Manifested Blessings

And for 2009, the proclamation is that it will be the "Acceptable Year of the Lord – A Year of Special Favor". Believe it or not but i will declare it aloud over my situations every day when I wake up because I saw His hand in the past and without fail, all my blessings were put into my hands as I put my faith in Him.

Which would you rather have? to believe the 'experts' who do not even know what was happening but are now suddenly saying that we are in the Second Depression (bigger scale than that of the 1930s)? or would you prefer to take the Expert Manufacturer at His word and trust that the situation will turn out favorably for you? I definitely choose the latter.

Faith is believing and speaking

2008-12-22T19:00:00.010+08:00

So often we tend to think of hebrews 11:1 whenever we are asked the question of 'what is faith' but that is not the completely correct answer. Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" tells us what faith does for us but not the real meaning.

So one may ask, "What is faith?"
2 Corinthians 4:13 tells us "And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke,"* we also believe and therefore speak." So from this verse we have a clearer picture what faith is - that it is 'I believed and therefore I spoke'.

In fact Mark 11:23-24 gives us what Jesus meant when He talked about faith: -

v23 - For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
v24 - Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

So, if faith is believing in our hearts what we want to see happening and then declaring it aloud, then we really have to watch what we say for in Proverbs 18:21 we also read, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit."

What do you want to see happen to you in 2009? If you have the faith of God that 2009 will be a good year for you, then you need to believe deep down in your heart (without wavering) and then declaring aloud what you want to see - a good year ahead. What you declare is what you will get. Jesus Himself tells us that it is not what goes into a person that defiles him/her but what comes out.

So often we do not receive what we really want deep down because we are so confused. We want to receive our blessings but with our lips we declare with doubtful tones and this confuses the angels who are sent from God with our blessings. I don't blame these angels for being confused. It is like they see our hearts wanting these blessings but with our mouths we cast doubts that maybe we do not get these; they will be at a loss whether it is alright to give you those blessings as the twain do not synchronize.

So for year 2009, believe in your heart and declare your blessings over your life and see the Lord despatching His blessings your way.

The Devil Is Angry That Time Is Running Out For Him

2008-12-19T00:33:00.002+08:00

Ever wondered why things don't seem to be going right in many situations lately? There are now more earthquakes taking place around the world in the past ten years compared to the cumulative total of a whole century in the 1900s. Also there are various diseases breaking out over wide areas of the earth and some of these are so complex that the medical profession is now struggling to understand the causes and to discover cures for them.

One recent observation I had was that there are now more cases of children being born with physical and mental challenges and in Singapore I noticed that there are now more boys born with disturbing symptoms than girls. In fact the ratio is rather alarming; for every one girl affected, there would be close to four boys in the same category.

Certainly the devil is hitting back and inflicting maximum damage to the male species. By disrupting the priestly functions of the household, he wants to turn mankind against the Creator.

The devil knows that the sand in the hour-glass is running out and that his final judgement is drawing to a close soon and this really drives him mad. He is now on an all-out witch-hunt to avenge for himself. So how can one escape from his clutches?

Certainly there is an answer and this is found in the Person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross, He redeemed for the Father everyone who would believe on His finished work at Calvary. And as long as we have Jesus in our hearts, the devil cannot touch us - there is a bloodline drawn around us that the devil cannot cross over to harm us. So have you believed on Jesus as the Savior who paid the price and redeemed you?

Sense of Humor to prove a point

2008-11-23T10:11:00.004+08:00

Ever faced a situation where you are lost with words on how to make a delicate point without putting people off? Well, a friend sent me this short illustration to prove a point...

Israeli Sense of Humour at UN
An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred recently in the United Nations Assembly and made the world community smile.

The representative from Israel began:
'Before beginning my talk I want to tell you something about Moses. When he struck the rock and it brought forth water, he thought, 'What a good opportunity to have a bath!' He removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water. When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Palestinian had stolen them.'

The Palestinian representative to the UN jumped up furiously and shouted, 'What are you talking about? The Palestinians weren't even there then.'

The Israeli representative smiled and said 'And now that we have made that clear, I will begin my speech.'

I am learning..

Keeping Myself Busy

2008-11-17T22:57:00.003+08:00

I just finished a 4-1/2 day certification training workshop for four special students last week and then this week I had just two participants for a banking BCM course. Someone asked me whether I should continue with the classes knowing that I only have two students but my response is that I would. I have to keep myself occupied and also keep my promises that I will deliver the courses.

The last time I taught one class with just three participants was indeed a blessing to me because there were may follow-on classes after that session and these are still keeping me busy. Guess the Lord has His unique way of blessing me.

Well, my next project is in December and then something in January and based on my calculations, this project will allow me to complete earlier than scheduled which is another of the Lord's blessing. Wow! Praise the Lord.

America had chosen

2008-11-05T21:41:00.003+08:00

Yes, it is official now. Come January 20, 2009 Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the USA. He has only slightly more than two months to sort out his team (cabinet) and have them testify before Senate Committees to assess their suitability for their respective roles.

Well, at least we can expect less resistance now that the Democratic National Party has the majority in all the legislative arms of the US Government - the Presidency, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Republican Party is now left with scraps after their scathing defeat at the polls yesterday.

Already I can sense that Obama is being tested. The Russian president has already launched his first salvo and asked USA to review all its policies; the glove had been thrown down and lets see how Obama addresses that. Another hotbed is the Middle East - the Palestinian issue and the Iranian nuclear challenge will keep Obama busy for at least the next six months and this is not even addressing the Iraq and Afghanistan issues.

Well, I don't know about you but I feel that with his election, we are indeed nearer to The Rapture of the Church (refer to my post of October 9th where I shared about the four horses and their modern day significance).

The USA Presidential Elections 2

2008-11-04T12:31:00.003+08:00

You will notice that I have titled this post so as to continue with what I wrote 2 posts ago.

America has been going to the polls over the past week or so and today will be the big day as everyone else who did not participate in the absentee vote will get to do so in person at the booths. So after two years of campaigning, who will emerge the winner?

Ultimately a lot more hangs on to this election compared to what happened in previous elections. After 8 years of the Bush Administration, Americans want a change and for sure they will get what they want because both McCain and Obama had expressly said so; McCain is not George Bush and therefore his policies will definitely be different but are Americans prepared to test him? or are they so set to have an African American as their Commander-in-chief and immediately get thrown into the deep end with an international crisis which I am not sure whether he can handle it well?

Tomorrow will be the day of reckoning and I do believe it will be a rather explosive day - if McCain wins because voters are not prepared to have a black president, there might be emotional turmoil and bloodletting; if Obama wins, the Republicans will be thoroughly dejected and they will have lost a valuable voice in government - already the Democrats control the Senate and the House of Congress - and the next four years will be rather turbulent years not just for USA but the world at large. Terrorism and rogue state actions will rear their ugly heads again.

So what would I be doing in the light of these developments? Life goes on regardless of whoever the new President of USA will be and we will be one day nearer to the Lord's Return for the Church (referred to by Christians as The Rapture). The wheels had already been set to motion and nothing can turn it back. Are you ready for that Day of the Lord? I know I am.

Nuclear Iran

2008-10-31T12:15:00.004+08:00

Last week, Governor Sarah Palin quoted an excerpt of what Sen Joe Biden said will happen if Obama became President of USA that within six months of coming into office, there will be at least one international crisis to test him. Well, do we really need that long?

The situation in the world today is so fluid that situations do develop so very quickly we do not need to wait to see if that prediction would come true. Just yesterday there is this article in Israel Today stating that Iran did some underground nuclear tests over one weekend and the tremor was felt by the USGS monitoring stations and everyone thought it was an earthquake in South Iran.

Thursday, October 30, 2008 Israel Today Staff
Iran says it tested nuclear bomb

An senior Iranian source has told Israel Insider that a weekend earthquake in Iran measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale was actually an underground nuclear bomb test.

The source, who claims he is a scientist aiding Iran's uranium enrichment efforts, also said that the tremor was the second in a series of nuclear tests. He said the first was recorded as a 4.8 earthquake on October 21 with its epicenter just three miles from the center of the more recent seismic event.

He said that China and North Korea have helped Iran accelerate its nuclear program far beyond where Western powers believe it stands. The source went on to reveal that Iran now has two nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles ready for use against Israel, possibly in the coming months.

Well, you interprete for yourselves whether you want to believe the article or not. The truth of the matter is that the world is pushing towards a confrontation and are we prepared for the outcomes?

The USA Presidential Elections

2008-10-22T13:24:00.006+08:00

You might be wondering why I am commenting on the outcome of the USA Presidential Elections when I am a Singapore; what is the connection? This coming elections (happening in 13 days) on November 04, 2008 will be a watershed in more ways than one.

If Obama wins, he will be the first non-white US president and his leanings towards many issues will impact the world economies at large.

If McCain wins, he will be the oldest elected sitting president and with his maverick style, the world will also go through many unprecedented changes - for good or for bad.

So who would I prefer to be in the White House? Without prejudice, I honestly prefer John McCain, not because his policies are better but because I want a man who seeks after the heart of God to lead especially in these turbulent times.

For one, he will be more forthright in his dealings with the Israelis compared with Obama. His experiences as a veteran would be put to better use than one who has seen neither war nor had experience negotiating with another country. After watching rounds 1 & 3 of the presidential debates, I came away with the perception that he will not support Israel the way best for them and I dread to think of the consequences of his actions.

So will I be gluing my ears to the radio or watching the count on CNA on November 5th afternoon to hear the results? You can say that I am interested but not that crazy as to lose sleep over it. Yes, the opinion polls have been totting for Obama and giving him good margins over McCain but then again, one must not forget that the Lord is more Sovereign than one would like to admit. Ultimately the outcome will be determined by the Lord's hand and we can then know where the world will be heading.

Jewish Feast of Tabernacles

2008-10-15T14:37:00.005+08:00

Monday (Oct 13) was the start of the eight important days of the Feast of Tabernacles which starts on Tisri 14 until Tisri 21. During this festival, the Jews were encouraged to build 'booths' or tents and stay in there as a reminder of their forefathers' journey from Egypt into the Promised Land.

The Feast was to remind the Hebrews of the Lord dwelling in their midst as they journeyed through a harsh land before they reached the Promised Land and how appropriate that our Lord Jesus Christ could have been born during this feast and not during Christmas on Dec 25. More research had been done and more and more people are coming to the conclusion that our Lord could not have been born in December during winter as it would have been too cold for the shepherds to be out in the fields looking after their sheep; a more likely time would have been autumn (as is now). Also it would be so like God to fit everything according to what He had already spoken beforehand in the written word of the Bible.

So what would the Jews be doing during this time while living in their tents? Lets look at Deuteronomy 31:9-13

9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
10 Then Moses commanded them: "At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles,
11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing.
12 Assemble the people--men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns--so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.
13 Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

So the whole week of the feast days were to be dedicated to the Lord in the reading of the word of God. And how appropriate that we read in John 7:37-38,

37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Isn't it so like Jesus to pick the exact timings and make the most profound of all statements for the occasion? What is my point? Jesus referred to the streams of living water flowing from within as the Holy Spirit Who indwells all the children of the Lord and He will guide us as we go about our daily lives and He will remind us of our position in Christ - sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father and joint-heirs with Christ in His kingdom.

Now I do not know about you but I am certainly excited knowing my inheritance in the Lord and no amount of turmoil in this world can shake that super-abounding inheritance we have in Christ.

The Current Climate - Doom or Hope?

2008-10-11T15:28:00.004+08:00

Talk about what is happening around us and many would give you that exasperated look and turn away to look at something else. Many are at a loss as to what exactly is happening around them and some think that avoidance is the best answer to the current situations; but is it really?

Burying one's head in the sand like an ostrich does not make the problems blow away. They are still there whether you want to acknowledge it or not. What is my solution? Well, allow me to confess that there is only one solution out of these mess - our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The sooner we all realized that and bring Him into the picture, the faster the answers will come. I don't have the answers by He certainly does.

Remember He multiplied the 5 loaves of bread and the 2 fish when placed in His hands; He raised two dead men back to life - Lazarus who had been dead for four days and the widow's sons in the village of Nain who had been dead for about 24 hours (the funeral party was on its way out to bury the young man). To humans like you and I, these acts were not possible but to our Lord, these miracles are easy stuff and He is more than willing to repeat them for us if only we allowed Him to do so.

So the choice is really yours to make - doom? or hope?
- When you refuse to seek His help and do it alone, hey, that's a ticket to doom as we are all fully aware it is way over our heads to resolve - even the 'experts' are saying they have never seen anything close to what is the current situation to even make headway out of them.
- As for me, I have decided to enlist the Expert on this. Who is better equipped to resolve everything than the Manufacturer Himself.

The Four Horses mentioned in the Book of Revelations

2008-10-09T12:56:00.002+08:00

In Revelations 6:1-8, the Lord gave a description of what will be happening to the Earth before His return. There will be four beasts sitting on four different colored horses and each horse represents different calamities and horrors. And when one compares what is written in Revelations with Jesus' own words in Matthew 24:4-8, one cannot help but realize that we are indeed living in those times.

The white horse of Rev 6:2 warns us of the work of the Deceiver who goes around teaching false doctrines about Christ (he held in his left hand a bow). Some even give him the name of anti-Christ. Jesus called him the false christ (Matthew 24:4-5) since he goes around claiming that he is the one whom the world is waiting for.

The red horse of Rev 6:4 warns us of wars and bloodshed as the beast held in his right hand a drawn sword. Jesus prophesied in Matt 24:6-7 that there will be wars and rumors of wars before His return and indeed there have been more wars in the last century compared to the combined period since modern history records were kept. Every day we will hear of violence some where in the world and it is not letting up.

The beast on the black horse of Rev 6:5 had a pair of scales in his hands and his assigned task was to measure up the grains and the wine and the oil in the world - he represented famine and Jesus warned us in Matt 24:7(a) of the coming famine. I suppose we need not look far to realize that in the world there are many places where acute famine had crept in and with the current political and economic turmoil, this will not be hard to recognize.

The beast on the pale horse was called specifically Death in Rev 6:7-8. Jesus warned us in Matt 24:7(b) that there will be pestilences and earthquakes in many places before His return. Pestilences in this instance also encompassed plagues and diseases. I would also want to point out that there had been more earthquakes occurring over the past ten years than the sum total of all earthquakes taken together since records were kept and it should also be noted that the magnitudes of all the quakes have intensified - no longer are we experiencing the minor quakes of 3 and below on the Richter scale but tremors of 5.0 and above are common day occurrences.

And it should be noted that the order of occurrences of the four beasts had been revealed in that order as recorded for us in the Scriptures. And Jesus ended His prophesy in Matt 24:8 when He said that the signs were there only to signify the beginning of sorrows. So what am I alluding to? that all these signs were to take place to point to the end; it is still not the End yet but these will take place to warn us of His imminent return.

Will we all have to experience the period of sorrows? I believe in the interpretation that this is the period called the Tribulation in the Bible and that Christians will not go through this trying period as the Lord will come and take His Church away to be with Him and then Tribulation will set in. It will only be after the seven years are up will our Lord return as the reigning King of kings over the Earth and He will commence His millennial reign here on a new Jerusalem.

So until our rapture, brothers and sisters in Christ, we will just have to enjoy our time here sharing the love of our Savior with those around us and to point them to the Savior Himself so that they will also join us during the Rapture and not be left behind to endure the Tribulation.