Choose

Choice consists of the mental process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them. [Wikipedia]

Choice is always a good thing.  And what's even greater than choice is clarity of choice - Annoymous

We have choice over our thoughts, emotions and behavior, and our choice may also affect the destiny of our descendants.

MAKE AN EXCELLENT CHOICE AND WATCH THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF BLESSING.

2 Corinthians 4:18  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

A good attitude and the right focus help us to handle life joyfully, even though it doesn't change our circumstances.

Deuteronomy 30:15  See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.

v17-20   But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.  You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.  This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. 

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15

H.E.A.R.T.

We need to have a  H E A R T  of Christ in the kingdom of God.

H umility

E ncouragement

A ppreciation

R espect

T rust

Humility or humbleness is a quality of being courteously respectful of others. It is the opposite of aggressiveness, arrogance, boastfulness and vanity. It is a major theme of both Old and New Testaments. It dissipates anger and heals old wounds, and distinguishes the wise leader from the arrogant power-seeker.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10

Encouragement  ^- God will comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.Psalm 46:1-3

Appreciation  is an expression of gratitude.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.    And whatever you do,whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossions 3:15, 17

Respect - Christian respect is uniquely Christian.  Teaching respect as a Christian character trait requires that we craft a definition based on God’s Word.

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.  1 Peter 2:18

Trust  is the reliance on another person, to have or place confidence in, depend on, and have assurance.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods  Psalm 40:4

Seong Teh Eh Kia (Child of God)

If you are a Christian, you are not a stranger to God. You are not an orphan, even though you may sometimes feel alone. Our heavenly Father loves you and sees you as one of His children : "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:18 (KJV)

The Bible in the book of Romans and Galatians also promises that - ^"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." - Romans 8:15 (KJV)

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." - Galatians 4:6 (KJV)

So no matter how old or young you may be, it's comforting to know that you are a child of God. You belong to a loving and protecting Father. God is everywhere, watching over you and ever ready to listen when you want to talk to Him.

上帝的孩子 [a song by Pas. Lim Gee Tiong]

Sheong Teh eh kia

Child of God

因为耶稣爱我 我就知道

In ui Ya So ai gua gua jiu zai iah

Jesus loves me, this I know

我是真正真正特别的人

Gua si chin chia chin chia tet piet eh lang

I am a very, very special person

因为耶稣救我 我就知道

In ui Ya So kiu gua gua jiu zai iah

Because Jesus saves me, this I know

我是真正真正宝贝的人

Gua si chin chia chin chia po puey eh lang

I am a very, very precious person

为着我他甘愿牺牲他的生命

Ui tio gua Ee gam guan hee seng Ee eh seh mia

Because of me, He is willing to sacrifice His life

不怕苦 不怕痛 因为爱我

Boh kia koh boh kia thia in ui ai gua

Because He loves me, He is not afraid of hardship or pain

叫我怎样能够不每日来感谢

Kio gua an cua eh tang mai ta jit lai kam sia

How can I not thank Him everyday

叫我怎样能够不讲给人听

Kio gua an cua eh tang mai kong hor lang thia

How can I not share His goodness to everyone

耶稣他爱我 救我

Ya So Ee ai gua kiu gua

Jesus loves me and saves me

给我知道

Hor gua zai ia

Let me know

我的名叫做 上帝的孩子

Gua eh mia kio cho Sheong Teh eh kia

My name is called Child of God

Anniversary

Today, I humbly announce that with my wife, we've crossed our 26 years together.  We've gone through not only narrow and winding roads, but mountains and valleys together.  No doubt the paths we've ridden were not always rosy nor sunny but the trials and tribulations have served to deepen the bond for each others and towards God.

If we accept that we're all human beings, and that all human beings are born imperfect, then we have to nurture self-acceptance and forgiveness.  No holding grudges, no hurt feelings, no looking back, but just keep moving forward.

The important key to our marriage is love for God and love for one another.

Love for God - the marriage must be God-centered

1 John 4:8  "But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

God is the Source of true love so all couples are pointed back to the Creator and Maintainer of marriage.

Love for one another - 

John 13:34   “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

The secret recipe of our marriage is a truckload of commitment, trust, respect and compromise.   All good relationships are based on trust and loyalty - both rare commodities. Just like our heart, the strength of a marriage can be determined by a stress test; this starts off slowly, then it gets faster and faster over time.  And depending on your level of endurance, some will make it to a higher level, while some will give up mid-way.

Endurance is the key to remain happily married.  Some say marriage kills romance.  I say it's easy to fall in love, but it's tough to be in love.  Falling in love is just a one-off affair, whilst being in love is present, constant and continuous.  The same applies to "loving" a person or "being in love" with a person.  Two different states of mind.  You've got to work at keeping the flame burning every single day.

When we met, we were serving in the church, in our own ministry, with no fine wrinkles and no knee problems.  Now two children later, we patiently accept the appearance of love handles, platinum hair and the extra pair of eyes. 

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON;

IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

Mother's Day with a Korean Taste

M-O-T-H-E-R

"M" is for the million things she gave me,

    "O" means only that she's growing old,

"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,

"H" is for her heart of purest gold;

"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,

"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"

A word that means the world to me.

- Howard Johnson

M is for magnificent

        O is for one of a kind

T is for truthful

H is for helpful

E is for energetic

R is for really loving

Mother's Day this year were a different. We were treated with a Korean dinner at Daorae Korean BBQ Restaurant in Tanjong Tokong, by Allan Ooi.

Living faith

Faith without action is insincere, worthless and dead. Just like in James 2:15-17 recorded, "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Likewise, true and scriptural faith is always expressed in submission and obedience to God. Faith that continues stubborn and disobedience is dead faith that cannot save us from God's wrath and judgment.
Living faith is expressed outwardly in a continual walk of submission and obedience to God. Each act of obedience faith that we performed will developed and strengthened our faith and prepared us for our next test.

So as Christian, if we profess faith in Christ, we must be willing to identify ourselves actively with Christ's cause and Christ's messengers. We must also be willing to make a definite, open confession of our faith, which marks us out from all the unbelievers around us.

[This excerpt is taken from Foundational Truths For Christian Living by Derek Prince]

What is HAPPINESS....

What is Happiness (幸福)?, you might ask in the first place.

Wikipedia puts it that way: "Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy."

Happiness is to know the Savior,
Living a life within His favor,
Having a change in my behavior,
Happiness is the Lord. - Stanphill


Solomon tells us that God grants happiness to us as a priviledge (Eccl. 3:12, 7:14; 11:9)

And true happiness comes by keeping God's law.
Proverbs 16:20 tells us 'Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.' (NLT)

The foundation for happiness is a proper relationship with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.


HAPPINESS DEPENDS ON HAPPENINGS, BUT JOY DEPENDS ON JESUS.

Watch the door of my lips

I've observed that those who speak most often about God's goodness are usually those with the most trials. They focus on the Lord's mercy and grace rather than on their troubles, and in so doing they taste His goodness.

So let us remember what David did in the book of Psalms and declare with him : I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the LORD; lt the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Psalms 34 :1-10

Matthews 15 : 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Psalms 141 : 3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Dealing with doubt

I have known many believers that went through repeated cycles of joy and gloom. And when they were down, merely quoting Bible verses helped little because they were already aware of them. But they kept living for God and praying, and their faith prevailed.

For the past weeks, we visited a few Christians who pass through the dark tunnel of depression and sickness. They were depressed and down, and tend to focus on their sins and weakness and failures so much that they may even want to die.
Trying to live a Christ honouring life while experiencing hardship can leave us frustrated and discouraged. Yet when we depend on God to help us through our difficulties, we are empowered to keep going even when we can't always see the resolution of our problems.

In Psalms, God promises that : God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalms 46:1-3

Lord, give us grace to trust You when
Life's burdens seem too much to bear;
Dispel the darkness with new hope
And help us rise above despair. - Sper

Khan Gua Eh Chiu

Khan gua eh chiu, gua eh Zhu ah
Chia li mai li khui gua
Chit tiao lor gua koh ai kia

Gua su yau li lai cho phua

Khan gua eh chiu, gua eh Zhu ah

Chia li mai li khui gua
U si gua eh kia
U si mg chai an chua kia
U si ka na thia beh tiow li eh sia

Khan gua eh chiu, gua eh Zhu ah
Chia li ka gua choe phua
Ho gua eh kha po yu un yu tia
Kia kao Li eh bin zheng

Thia tiow li eh sia, ka gua kong, jip lai gua eh kia

[In English translation]

Hold my hand, My Lord.
Please don't leave me.
This path I still have to walk.
I need you to be my companion.
Hold my hand, My Lord.

Please don't leave me.
Sometimes I am afraid.
Sometimes I don't know which way to go.
Sometimes I seem not to hear your voice.

Hold my hand, my Lord.
Please be my companion.
Let my footsteps be strong and firm.
Walk till your front door.

Hear your voice saying to me, "Come in, my child".

[Song written and sung by Pas. GT Lim in Hokkien]

Psalms 37 : 23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. (KJV)