Greetings from Dubai

I am on my way to Nairobi, Kenya to visit Li Chuang and Lisa and some sisters from Thailand. This is going to be my second trip to Kenya in two years. But this time I am travelling alone. Last year I was travelling with four others. I am meeting Charmaine there though. She is flying from Johannesburg. I don't really like to travel alone. But I guess this is a small price to pay in doing God's work.

For my first leg of the trip (Singapore-Dubai) I was allocated a window seat. When I bought the ticket I requested for an aisle seat (I like aisle seat) and I was given a seat number accordingly. However, when I arrived in the airport they changed my seat twice and I ended at a window seat. For some reasons, that particular seat was very cram. That was the down part. The good part was that the person sitting besides me was a nice person. We chatted a little bit asking about each other's trip. She and her husband (in their fifties I think) are from Scotland. They are on the way back to Scotland after a one-month holiday in Australia. I am very happy with myself that I initiated the conversation. I can be a very shy person. To me sitting besides a complete stranger is a completely different ball game as compared to getting to know a new visitor in the service.

Right now I am at Dubai airport for a 10-hour transit. Dubai is really a very busy airport. People are everywhere. Apparently there are quite a number of things we can do here including shopping, eating and going for message. Eugene Phang told me that there is a wireless connection available throughout the airport. He is right. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to write this blog entry.

If you are reading this blog entry I would appreciate your prayers. Pray as the Holy Spirit leads you. I am getting very excited. In my heart I am sensing that something very good is about to happen in Nairobi. Thanks in advance for praying. May the Kingdom advance powerfully in Kenya!

If you want to see the impossible

Last Saturday I was in the Indonesian service when I believe God gave a rhema word. The rhema word is as follow: "If you want to see the impossible you must grow your faith."

On Wednesday, we had a Leaders Huddle session which was opened to any Christ follower in the district who wanted to come as well. We explored the topic of faith deeper that night. The below is the summary of the lesson.

Faith according to Hebrews 11

"If you want to see the impossible you need to grow your faith."

There is something about believing in God, that makes God willing to pass over a million people just to anoint you. I believe God will always turn out to meet you on a special line if you dare to believe Him. (Smith Wigglesworth)

Some facets of faith from some verses in Hebrews 11:

1. Confident of God’s power and promises (v. 1)

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

* Things that we can’t see can be as real and better than the things that we can see. However, as we can’t see it, it requires faith for us to believe its reality and goodness.

* Part of that growth in faith is to believe that we are a supernatural being and that we are to live a supernatural life.

A supernatural life is simply living our life in the realm of faith and not in the realm of sight. A supernatural life is simply living our life with God’s power, wisdom and promises to accomplish His purposes.

2. Perceives the divine design (v. 3)

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

How can we apply this in our life and ministry?

* I believe the word therefore I experience the reality of the word

* We need to be careful not to modify our theology or belief based on our experience or lack of experience.

3. Acts on God’s promises (v. 8-22)

“8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.”

4. Esteem Christ above all (v. 24-26)

"24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward."

5. Overcome tremendous odds (v. 29-38)

“29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. 31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.”

Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials. (Smith Wigglesworth)

Conclusion

"Lord, please grow our faith! Amen!"

Reference

1. Personal Bible Study by Thomas Nelson Publishers

Guarding My Heart

The last several weeks have been quite intense for me. As part of my Bible College program I took an intensive 2-week course in the last week of June and in the first week of July. We started the course with the introduction of the course syllabus and by the end of the second week we needed to hand in an assignment. It was a group assignment thus as a group we faced a challenge of merging 4 different opinions and working styles. The remaining of the assignments are due this week and in the next few weeks.

In the last three weeks Lean Choo and I have also been spending time with my brother, his wife and our second nephew from Australia and on a separate occassion with my cousin from Indonesia who just came to Singapore to study. We had a great time with them. This week some relatives are coming from Indonesia. Next week my sister and her family are coming from Australia. It seems that we are really becoming an international family.

On Saturday afternoon I attended NG12 Male Group Shepherding or rather NG12 Cool Hunks Gathering? Unfortunately, I had to leave half way as I needed to preach in the Indonesian Service. I asked for the guys to pray for me as I struggled with the lack of time to prepare for the sermon. They guys prayed for me readily. That was brotherhood. I struggled a little bit with my sermon delivery but I was surprised by the responsiveness of the people in the service to the preaching. I really believe that God answered their prayers. Thanks a lot, bros. (you know who you are) Next time, it's my turn to pray for you.

When I look at my schedule for the next two and half months I have to take some deep breaths. Besides having to submit my assignments, making a trip to Kenya and doing some other things I noted 2 interesting 3-week stretch. In Aug, I will be preaching for 3 consecutive Saturdays. In Sep, I will have the privilege to solemnise and share the message for three couples for 3 consecutive Saturdays.

In the the midst of this busyness I was recently reminded of this important exhortation from the Word (Prov 4:23 - NIV):

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

When we are tired, stretched and under a lot of pressure we may allow certain character flaws to manifest that we wouldn't allow under normal circumstances.

Through my personal experiences there are some character flaws that we need to guard our hearts against whenever we are in those pressure cooker situations.

*Unkindness

We can be unkind, impatient and rude to others in those times. We feel that we have the right to do these things because of the difficult situation we are in.

* Pride

When we are busy doing many things we can develop a false sense of self importance, "I am doing many things therefore I am important."

* Self Pity

When we are overwhelmed by things we can have a pity party with ourselves, "Why must it be me all the time? Why am I the only one doing these things? Why aren't others sharing my loads?"

The last few weeks have been intense. The next 2 and half months are going to be intense too. It is time that I am more conscious and deliberate in guarding my hearts against those character flaws.

I must guard my heart for it is the wellspring of life.

"Dear God, please help me and I shall be helped. Amen!"

NG12 Band of Brothers

The guys in NG12 sub district have been having their monthly macho gatherings since May this year. It is great to see men coming together to have fun together and to spur one another on to become all that God makes them to be.

Here are some photos from the gatherings.

In case you are wondering, Kam Weng and Ronald were special guests in the gatherings.

The next gathering will be this Saturday, 2-4pm at Marc Ong's house in Queenstown.

The dates of the remaining gatherings for this year are below.

Thurs, 9 Aug

Sat, 8 Sep

Sat, 13 Oct

Sat, 10 Nov

Sat, 8 Dec

NG12 sisters, please don't disturb the guys on those dates, okay? :)

Having said that, do keep NG12 guys in prayers. They are going to be a great blessing to many brothers and SISTERS in many countries of the world.

And the sisters say...