From The Pastor's Heart

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween

2010-11-09T16:28:00.003+08:00

Halloween

Background

“The celebration of Halloween, also known as the witches' new year, is rooted in the ancient pagan calendar which divided the year into Summer and Winter by two fire festivals. Before the birth of Christ, the day we know as Halloween was part of the Celtic Feast of Samhain (sah-ween). This feast was a celebration of Druid priests from Britain and France and commemorated the beginning of Winter.

It was a night on which the veil between the present world and the world beyond was pierced. The festivals were marked by animal sacrifices, offerings to the dead, and bonfires in recognition of departed souls. It was believed that on this night demons, witches, hobgoblins, and elves were released en masse to harass and to oppress the living. For self-preservation many Druids would dress up as witches, devils, and ghouls, and would even involve themselves in demonic activities and thus make themselves immune from attack.” - Hank Hanegraaff

Activities they do on Halloween

Dress up like demons, witches, skeletons and monsters…

Attend parties in such demonic costumes.

Tell ghost stories or watch ghost movies.

Visit haunted or spooky places

Children – trick or treat – going from house to house asking for candy, guising

Carve and light up potatoes and pumpkins, place it in front of the house to ward off evil spirits.

Should Christians be involved in Halloween and Halloween parties?

What Christians should not do.

1. The Chinese celebrate the ghost festival – would you dress up like a ghost or demon and organize parties during that festival? I guess not. We should respond the same to the Western version of the ghost festival.

2. The power of darkness is glorified. There are those who invoke spirits and offer sacrifices to the dead and spirits, celebrating Halloween is a channel to invoke the powers of evil– Do not participate in it. Christians should exalt the Lord and worship him only.

3. Christians should dress up to reflect the beauty and light of God and not disguise themselves as evil beings. Avoid every appearance of evil.

What Christians can do?

1. Engage those who celebrate Halloween and tell them the background and spiritual significance of this practice. An opportunity to declare the truth.

2. Do not be afraid of the powers of darkness and know that they are defeated by the resurrected Christ who lives in us. We do not disguise ourselves to look like evil to escape evil but live in the light to defeat evil. Declare the power of the Lord to those who fear.

3. A time to remember our departed loved ones and the departed saints for all the good that they have done and give thanks to the Lord for the impact they have made.

Rev. Aris Siew

The Missing Youths

2009-06-04T00:01:00.003+08:00

In my recent trip to the UK in the month of April/May which is the beginnning of spring, one of the obvious things I noticed was that many of the churches have congregations made up of predominantly elderly members. The UK church has lost its impact on the youth. The youths consider the church as irrelevant to their lives and their world. Church leaders are now working hard to win this generation back to the Lord and to the path of righteousness.

In Malaysia, the task of reaching the youths is increasingly challenging. To avoid losing the Malaysian youths, the church needs to....
1. Attempt new ways to communicate with and to the youth. Remove 'white elephant' programs.
2. Put a priority on the youth ministry. Release top leaders to minister to them and the necessary funds to have creative programs.
3. Build the youth ministry on the strong foundation of the Word of God and of prayer. The methods and stlyes of communication needs to be contemporary but the message is non-negotiable.
4. Teach them how to live out/ apply the principles of God to lead successful and influential lives for God. Blessings and godliness can dwell together.
5. Provide them with encounters with God so that they can experience Him personally. Faith must be personally experience.
6. Challenge them to biblical, radical discipleship. Equip and release them for works of service and ministry. If they are simply sitting in church, they will end leaving the church to join any organization that calls them to sacrifice for a cause[noble and sadly the ignoble too].

The youths face many challenges in their lives. May we come alongside and mentor them. Its time for us to raise up the Joshua's, David's, Timothy's of our generation. Neglect the youth and the future of the church will simply be reduced to a weak and uninspiring instituition which the world gladly ignores.

More than Charisma and Conquest

2009-01-24T11:24:00.006+08:00

Today's culture celebrates charisma and conquest. By 'conquest', I mean high achievements.
The personality cult is exalted to dizzying heights.
People are crazy over those with good looks, electrifying presence and the intelligent smooth communicator, amazing talent and of course the winners. These key indicators are todays success factors. Those who have them are hailed as today's heroes. They are considered super-sapiens, the elite of humanity.

People focus their energies running after these things and are rudely awakened by life that success is not equivalent to fulfilment and contentment. Success does not necessarily receive God's approval even though it receives tons of human praise. The truth is - Charisma and Conquest without CHARACTER makes an empty soul. It reveals an empty soul.

Character makes a person human.
Character makes a person useful.
Character makes a person truly great.

The making of character is a long and hidden journey that many chose to neglect to their misery and the misery of others. Few will chose this path but for those who do, they are the real heroes.
Work on the exterior but dont shut down the interior work. In fact, most people need to slow down or even shut down the exterior work for a while and lock in on inner development. That includes me.

GREATER!

2009-01-15T16:21:00.005+08:00

Our God is the God of the Greater.
He promised Solomon a throne greater than his father David. (1 Ki.1:37)
The glory of the latter temple shall be greater than the glory of the former. (Haggai 2:9)
He told Nathaniel that he will see greater things. (John 1:50)
Jesus shall bring us greater revelations (John5:20)
Jesus promised that those who have faith in Him shall do the works He is doing and even greater works than that. (John14:12)

It excites my heart that God wants to lead us to greater things. 2009 and beyond shall be greater years ahead than all that we have experienced. He is not the God of the diminishing order but of the increasing order. The greatest days of the church lies ahead of us, not behind us.
Technology has progressed forward, and so have medical science, communications, education and every field of life. The spiritual aspect is no different. We are wired for greater things and wired to the God of the Greater.

2008 is now history. Today is what all we have got and every step takes us forward into a future that is brigther. So pray great prayers, dream great dreams and think great thoughts. Reach up and forward for a life of greater purpose and influence.

Path to Greatness

2008-12-11T15:58:00.005+08:00

Power is potentially destructive!
Just look around you - you can see it in the office, school, government, community and even in the home. Those who have power easily fall into the trap of using and lording over people. This is the system of the world. Me-First. Win at all cost. And when you have won, dont let the world ever forget it.

' NOT SO WITH YOU...' were the words of Jesus to his disciples.
He is speaking on the system of the His Kingdom.
It is opposite of the world.
It is from above and not below.
It is selfless and it is serving.

To be great, be the servant.
To be first, be the willing slave.
It is unorthodox, unbelievable and some may even say unrealistic! But it is the way of His kingdom and the way of God.

Strange teaching but Jesus lived it. He came to serve and not to be served and he gave up His own life doing it. He had all power and all authority, yet he used it to serve all people.

'Worthy of worship, this Jesus' you may say.
But wait...do you hear something...He is inviting you to join Him in this path to greatness.
Hello...are you still there?

Courage

2008-09-14T21:57:00.004+08:00

It takes courage to speak up against wrong.
It takes courage to lead others forward with real risks of failure.
It takes courage to carry on in the face of opposition.
It takes courage to do what is right even when it makes you unpopular.
It takes courage to face your problems and not run from them.
It takes courage to admit wrong than to fix the blame on someone else.
It takes courage to advance when the team wants to retreat.

Some talk about courage.
Others pray for courage.
A few feel courage.
But true courage is more than words, prayer and feelings.
How can you tell if you have courage?
True courage ACTS!!!

What is God focusing on?

2008-07-23T13:03:00.012+08:00

Non professional shutter bugs like me, find the compact cameras so versatile and easy to use. Wide screen view finders, pocket size dimensions, anti-shake and a wide range of professional features at the turn of a dial, makes photography so much fun. One of those features that ensure a sharp image every time is the auto focus button. A simple convenience that ensures no more blurry photos. The camera automatically measures the distance of the object, light intensity and tunes the lens to catch the image clearly.

Wont it be good, if our lives had an inbuilt auto-focus on things that matter the most at every moment in time. Sadly, we dont have it in-built. This accounts for how easily we misplace our priorities, get distracted to other minor things, derailed by problems and leave important things undone. Great aspirations easily get crowded out by urgent but unimportant matters. The sweet sounds of pleasure lure us to stay longer to indulge our appetites for yet another day.

We desperately need to learn how to keep our lives in focus. Discipline the mind and the body. The book of Hebrews tell s us to 'fix our eyes on Jesus.' Philippians 3:13,14 says ' Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.'

4 areas to deal with...
# Deal with the Past.
# Deal with what is Pretty. It may be pretty but it is not the prize.
# Deal with what is Pushing you. It may be circumstances, it may be people, it may be your own desires pushing you along. You have to set your own sails. You have to set the course and not others. Move in the direction of accomplishing the greatest good. Don't drift along.
# Deal with Pleasure. Pleasure in itself is not wrong. The problem with it is that it easily interferes with strong action and the sacrifices required to do great things.

One area that you and I need to focus and turn on the spotlights is EVANGELISM - bringing people to experience the love of Jesus. Sharpen the Evangelism focus. Work while it is day. Hopelessness and anxiety is sweeping across communities and nations. It requires us to channel our energies, time, resources and talents to reach out to people. This is the period of the open door and window for the wonderful people in Malaysia. They are searching for answers. We have the key that unlocks the answers - Jesus.

Focus on God and God will help you focus on people that needs to know Him.

Petrol Price Hike

2008-06-08T19:31:00.003+08:00

78 cents more per litre for petrol and a ringgit more for diesel. The announcement of the petrol price hike took effect on 4th June. Sighs and complains are the common expressions when you bring out the topic of the petrol price hike. The radio airwaves are jammed with such negative frequencies. Its true that the increase is significant and it will be burden to many people. Further food prices and utilities increase will follow suit. The financial outlook is bleak. The lower and middle income groups and business will face enormous challenges.

Yet, I believe as Christians we need to take the high road of praise. In everything give thanks. Learn to praise the Lord in good and bad times. Don't let difficulties dry up the praises from our lips and hearts. This positive action will lead to positive results. Though the problems exists yet your praises to God will lift the weights and heaviness over your hearts. You will be freed up on the inside cause praise brings the peace of God. Let your faith in God shine, and praise is one of the first and most obvious expressions. Your confessions positions you for defeat or victories. Dont let fear reign in you, but rather let faith rule.

Secondly, take positive steps to adjust your lifestlyle. Reduce unnecessary spendings. Car pool. Accomplish multiple tasks for every trip you make to a single destination. Plan your travel routes well. Increase your vehicle tyre pressure so that there will be less rubber-road drag. Downsize to a lower engine cc vehicle if necessary. Control impulsive buying. Cook more...............
There are many things that can be done and reduced and yet you can have a fulfilling life. Less can be more.

Thirdly, lay hold of the blessings and promises of God by faithful tithing and giving. Tithing does not reduce your finances but opens up the storehouses of God. Your tithing gives God the reasons to multiply your finances. It is God's nature to keep His word to you by opening the windows of blessings over your life. Give and it will be given back to you. It sounds strange but strangely it works. Why? because its a promise of God.

Fourthly, this is a time of ministry. God wants to bless you so much that you can be a channel to help those who do not know God, who are facing times of economic crunch. What an opportunity and privilege to be God's servants in this time of want. Be a spiritual Joseph to this generation.

Lift up your heads and raise your voice to praise the Lord. He will take good care of you and your family. Remember, He is your heavenly father and a very faithful one too. Let Him use you to take care of others and share the goodness and blessings of God with them.

If the above suggestions seems too simplistic, you can choose to ignore it. But hey, it works for me. So before you click away, think again. Life was not meant to be complicated. Walk with God, do it His way and life will turn out brilliantly.

Join the Issachar tribe

2008-05-05T22:37:00.004+08:00

Why join the tribe of Issachar?
Is it like the Toyota tribe or some indigenious tribal group?
Let's look at who is Issachar was? At least now, you know that he is a person.
The Bible records 5 major things about him.

1. Gen.30:18 Issachar which means 'reward from God' was born as the 5th son to Leah, the wife of Jacob.
Lesson - we need to look for the reward that comes from God . Set your eyes to accomplish the goals God has for you. He has wonderful rewards for you far more precious than anything that the world and man can offer.

2. Gen.48:14-15 Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.
Lesson - He is strong and stubborn (in the good sense). When he sees how good his reward will be, Issachar was willing to bear the burden and stand the heat of things. He paid the price because it was worth it. Be willing to labor to achieve God's goals and bring glory to His name.

3. 1 Chro.12:32 ..men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.
Lesson - the Issachar tribe were a wise and action oriented people. They could see things from God's perspective and knew what the Lord wanted them to do. We need to understand what God is doing in our city and nation at this time and know what He wants us to do. The NOW word, I believe God is speaking to His church is to let his love break out of the church walls to bless the community in practical ways. There are seasons in God's time and He opens doors to wide spread revivals. Do you see it? Will you do it?

4. Judges 5:15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley.
Lesson - The Canaanites were the oppressors of the Israelites at that time. God raised up a judge, Deborah. She gave a call to rally the people to break the stronghold of the Canaanites. Some tribes neglected the call, but Issachar worked with the leadership and they zealously ran to the battle. They understood the times and they knew what they were to do and they did it.

5. 1 Chro.7:5 The relatives who were fighting men belonging to the clans of Issachar...were 87,000.
Lesson - Issachar had the largest number of fighting men out of the 12 tribes. They were consripted into the army and they were ready to engage the enemy. They were strong as a tribe.
We need to work in groups and with groups. I pray that the whole church will offer themselves willingly as spiritual soldiers to defeat the powers of darkness by being the light of God's love in the nation.

The nation is waiting for the Issachars of this generation to rise up. This is the time of God's favor and this is the year of Jubilee for the church in Malaysia. Don't settle for something less. Reach for the reward that comes from God and be a blessing to many others.

Prayer Dancing

2008-04-15T14:30:00.006+08:00

The team of dancers left Kuala Lumpur last saturday afternoon and made their way to Malacca. 5 cars and the church van brought a total of 28 adults and 5 children. A larger team was supposed to travel but a number of them could not make it because of college exams.

Upon arrival they went for a quick bite, saving their stomachs for a special Portugese feast after the service. They ran two rounds of practice and then proceeded to get ready with their special attire, make up and prayer.

The time of the performance came and they moved with grace and energy. The dance was beautifully performed except for the slight hitch of one of the banners getting caught on a nail in the ceiling. They added a new feature of actually praying fervently during the music interlude where the dry bones rose up to do battle 'kung fu' stlye. I could feel the message getting through to the audience. The prohetic message was loud and clear calling the church to arise from their sleep and to pray again and again and again........

This is the 5th time that I have personally seen the dance but it has moved my heart each time. Yes, the Lord is breathing life into dry bones and joining them together. He is raising a strong army of prayer warriors. O, how the church needs to intercede especially in this season of change in Malaysia that is affecting all her citizens. Malaysia needs praying Christians today more than ever.

Sure enough, after the service was over, the whole team went to the Portugese settlement to enjoy the spicy servings of sea food. By 1.00am, the team started their way back to KL. And 'wah lah', most of them, if not all, were there in the worship service in KL on Sunday at 10 am.

The team took a total of 5 hours in travelling time to perform a 10 minute dance. Had a number of rehearsals prior to this trip and paid the cost of the trip themselves including the Portugese dinner or should I say supper. They had a lot of fun doing it and laughter was everywhere.

Thanks guys for going to bless our outreach church in Malacca. The folks in Malacca were touched by your dance ministry and more so by your commitment to be with them.

O by the way, the name of the dance is choreographed to the 'Song of Ezekiel'. This song is taken from Ezekiel 37. Go read it and who knows, you may want to dance too; but better still, you may want to pray more.

Be Tough!

2008-04-12T11:11:00.007+08:00

Life is tough and the fittest will survive.
When turbulence hit, don't run and hide, hoping that it will soon be over. Be bold and face the wind. You are a child of God. Step out with God's authority. Know in your deepest inside that when God is for you, nothing can be against you.

When God is with us and for us - We are Undefeatable! Yes Undefeatable! We may fall now and then but in the end, we will wear the victor's crown. Stand up and pray up. That's God's plan and purpose for you and I.

So, the next time you and others face a hard obstacle, you will see that many will turn back and accept the limitations but not you. The competition has been drastically reduced but you are still in the game. You will then surge forward, smash the barrier and seize the treasure that God has reserved on the other side for His strong but tender children. Tough Time/s is Reward Time.

The Defeat of Defeat

2008-03-26T21:54:00.003+08:00

Defeats can turn to victories even as Jesus conquered death and arose alive. We learnt it firsthand this Easter as a church. Easter has always been an exciting time for the church. Anticipating a larger attendance than previous years, we rented a public hall to hold this year's Easter service. This proved to be the right decision as the hall was packed up. The excited performers were waiting to give a polished presentation. However when the service started, almost everything that could go wrong, went wrong. The sound system was squealing with feedback, the musicians could not hear themselves, the singers missed the starting cue, dancers were out of rhthym ...and the list goes on. It was a disaster, so we thought.

Yet the Lord moved in a marvelous way. Many received His healing touch and their pain and infirmities was removed. Hearts were being stirred and we had one of our largest response to the message of God's of life and hope in Jesus. Inspite of our blunders, God showed up in the meeting and lives were changed.

Jesus gave up His life on the cross to give us life eternal.
He conquered death so that we can triumph over it.
Defeat was defeated, when Jesus resurrected from the grave!
Hallelujah!

On this day

2007-12-20T15:48:00.000+08:00

This morning I rededicated my life to God thanking Him for His grace and His call upon my life.
This morning I prayed the scripture Galatians 6:14 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.'
This morning I had a wonderful breakfast with the people I love - my wife, dad and family at Gombak area and then to Mont Kiara for coffee and cakes.
This morning I received numerous sms from members in KL and the outreach churches.
Later this day I will be amongst my brothers and sisters in Christ for dinner and supper. I am surrounded by the love of God, family and believers.
.....for on this day I was born.......God has given me a good life and promised me a greater future ahead. Acts 17:28 'For in God we live and move and have our being'.
Looking for a better life - Try JESUS.

6 Days of 13 Hours In Conference A Day

2007-08-02T11:35:00.000+08:00

We landed in Phnom Penh, unsure of the hotel we were to head to. At the check point, we were both tense when the immigration officer asked us where we were staying and we answered Lucky Star Hotel and he wrote it down calmly. Immediate relief came, cause the officer's reaction tells us that there is such a hotel and we now are pretty sure what to say to the taxi driver. You see , we were told to go to the hotel ourselves. The first mention of the hotel was received when I was driving and subsequently when I asked for details from the organiser, I did not get any confirmations at all prior to our flight.

When we arrived at the hotel, we met the conference participants as they were heading out for their dinner. We learned from them that they had a full day of meeting starting from 7 am and after dinner, it will carry on till 10.30pm. Wow, talk about a full day. You can never plan a meeting of that length each day over 6 days in Malaysia.

On Saturday, the last day of the conference as I started teaching, I wondered how I would fare in trying to hold the attention of the group for such long hours. The other days, they had 4 speakers daily but I will be the only speaker for that entire day, though it was shortened due to intervention from the authorities. I finally completed eight sessions on that day and they were asking for more. Not that I was outstanding in my delivery, but rather it was the hunger in their hearts to learn and be better equipped that drew the best out of me. In fact, the time went by so fast, and I was surprised I still had energy after the sessions. The day earlier, I thought that I would collapse after completing the day.

Attending the conference were about 130 pastors and leaders. Their intense desire to be equipped for impact challenged me. A number of them had been jailed for their faith. Some were senior ministers but they all listened with such intent that it engages the speaker to pour into their hearts. I was so blessed and pray that such a passion to learn will burn in my heart and in the heart of my church.

Sadly, too often, our ears grow dull and our minds wander to a thousand places during a conference or even in a single service. Our know it all attitude kicks in and we tend to judge, criticize and rip to pieces the message or teaching delivered. There is a place for discernment and evaluation, but there is a more important need for us to have open hearts and minds to learn from the speaker and hear the still small voice of God.

Talent and Skill are not Enough

2007-06-13T10:56:00.001+08:00

The speaker thundered and delivered the message passionately. At 75 years old, having served God full time for 52 years, Dr. George Westlake is still going strong. The fire had not dimmed but is burning fiercely. He has handed the leadership of the church of 5,000 people to the next generation, but he is still very active in ministry. He and his wife still runs a weekly live TV program answering questions from callers to the station. He travels widely speaking, teaching and training. He is a pastor to pastors and he is writing a Commentary on the book of Romans. He has previously completed textbooks for the Global University on Daniel and Revelation. On top of that, he does 200 crunches everyday. (I am doing 20 and that is not even everyday)

As I sat there listening to him at the AG Ministers Retreat, I was inspired by a man who has given his best and is still giving his best to serve God. He is learned, kind, experienced and most of all I admire his resilience in dedication. Life and ministry has its ups and downs but he has sailed the calm and rough seas masterfully. Resilience, perseverance and dogged determination – a critical link to success and impact is clearly missing in many lives today.

Talent and skill are not enough. Potential is overrated. Many highly talented people never reach success. They remain mediocre even though they have loads of abilities. They have aptitude but lack attitude. Highly defined skills does not naturally translate into effective lives. One major reason is the lack of staying power. They give up too easily. Problems stop them. They get knocked down and they stay down. Weak minds and weak hearts are not the kind of stuff that champions are made of.

Sadly, these talented people, offer countless excuses on how they have been victimized by life and people. They feel robbed of their glory. Life has been unfair to them. Someone cut in on them. Lady luck ran out. They blame everyone and everything except themselves. They trip over themselves while getting up.

There are no short cuts to success. We need stamina and strength for the long haul. Go the distance. Turn problems into possibilities. Finish what you started. Stick to your call. Let nothing stop you from doing what is right.

Quitters never win, Winners never quit! My prayer is to finish strong inspite of anything and everything. I need the virtue of stickability – ‘elephant glue to fasten my heart and hands to the plow’. Giving up is not an option. I am called to be an overcomer!

Rev.2:26 ‘To him who overcomes and does My will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.’ If you want to be a champion, act, think and behave like one. Get up. Move forward. Never give up.

O What A Night!

2007-05-13T16:51:00.000+08:00

The Africans came and they sang, they danced and they won our hearts. The beat was rhythmic, the movements were spontaneous and graceful as they worshiped and praise God with passion and sincerity. The 4 hours of the African Praise Night flew by so quickly, with many asking for more. O what a night!

They started planning for the night about two months ago. Everything from the ushers, program, MC, specials, refreshments and even the preaching of the Word were handled by the African students. It started well and ended up a huge success. Bravo!

I see in them initiative and a boldness in their actions for the Lord. From the children to the students, they displayed strong confidence on stage. The audience clapped, sang and on the second praise session, the stage front and every aisle was filled with the Africans and even Malaysians dancing unto the Lord for about half an hour.

The preaching was assigned to a quiet, unassuming student with a baby face look. I was uncertain if he was up to the task when his name was first suggested, but I accepted their proposal as it was their night. When the service was turned over to him, he took the mic and he spoke fluently, convincingly and expounded the Word accurately. I was so so blessed and I praise God that the Church in Africa has taught well its members the precepts of God's Word.

One more thing. This morning in the Sunday service, the African students presented a gift to the church for accepting them and supporting the African Praise Night. The church was overwhelmed by their generous and thoughtful gesture. And what's the gift - a five string bass guitar. Wow!

To all our African brothers and sisters, thank you for inspiring and blessing us. Since you came this January 2007 , you have added a fresh and colorful dimension to our worship and response to God. Hallelujah!

Mind Change, Life Change

2007-04-30T20:02:00.000+08:00

Before the guest speaker, Pastor Cornelio communicated the message, he invited his wife, Deborah to greet the congregation. She proceeded to quote the entire chapter of Isaiah 53. Pastor Cornelio then preached a powerful stirring message and the congregation responded for a touch of God. I was personally blessed by the preaching and especially impressed by the quotation of Isa 53 from memory. During the prayer time, I asked God to enhance my knowledge and memory of God's Word.

Three weeks later, this scripture stood out. It had a fresh new meaning. Isa.55:8,9 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.' I have always understood it as God's thoughts and ways are different, higher, wiser and better than mine (It does not take a wise guy to see that) . This time, I was asking myself, 'What can I do to narrow that gap?' How can I think more like God and therefore act in ways similar to His?

I came to the conclusion that the gap can be narrowed and one means is to have His Word fill my mind. I have been pastoring and preaching the Word for 27 years now. However, there is still so much room for the Word. I need the Word to dwell in me. The Word must live in me, be so alive in me affecting my thoughts, actions, motives, feelings and character at every conscious moment of my day.

I have to commit more of the Word to memory and repeat it throughout the day as often as possible. It is more than an intellectual exercise. I must come to a point that God's Word must saturate my mind, drench my soul and flood my spirit till my every action and reaction be as near as possible to how God would think and act. It is a lifelong quest that I know can never be perfected in this life and even the next. The important thing is I have received a new fire and focus to realign myself to pursue the mind and heart of God through His precious written Word for His Word reveals HIM. My prayer is that with a mind change, there will be a life change - one that resembles more of the life of Jesus.

The Truths and Dangers of the Resurrection of Jesus

2007-04-17T15:52:00.001+08:00

Many of us are familiar with the TV show 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not'. It features a whole range of extraordinary human feats to the most bizarre around the world. Some of the acts are simply amazing, and if it not seen with your own eyes, it is un-believable. It is very entertaining. The program host always ends the show by saying 'believe it or not.'

When it comes to the Ripley show, to believe it or not to believe will not drastically change your life or mine. The show exposes us to many strange things but we can go on with life as usual without any dire consequences on how we respond to it.

However, when it comes to whether we believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ or not, the stakes are sky high. It is as drastic as heaven and hell (and that's no exaggeration). Jesus died and arose from the dead and is alive forevermore . The Bible and Christians claim that this is true. Do you believe it or not? Is it true or just fiction? There are at least 6 ways it will affect you.

1. Truth: If we believe that the resurrection is true, then you can be certain that your sins are forgiven. Jesus claimed that he came to die for the sins of the world. And if He rose from the dead, it means that His sacrifice for sins was accepted by God who raised Jesus up from the grave.
Danger: If we don't believe in the Resurrection, then we have rejected the only means of forgiveness and thus even now stand condemned for our sins. The wages of sin is death..Rom.6:23

2. Truth: If we believe the resurrection is true, then we can have a secure bright hope for the future. The barrier to entrance into heaven is sin. When sin is forgiven and removed, then our eternal destiny is brightly lit.
Danger: If we don't believe, then we are lost and the future is bleak and dark. We do not have the answer to "What lies after death, where am I going, how are my sins forgiven and how to have the assurance of forgiveness?"

3. Truth: If we believe the resurrection is true, we can be sure that Jesus is indeed the promised Savior. The Bible states that the true Savior will conquer death. Jesus defeated death and gives this same victory to his followers.
Danger: If we don't believe, then we reject the Answer sent by God, and earnest faith in any other persons other than Jesus is simply futile and fatal.

4. Truth: If we believe in the resurrection that Jesus is alive, then a meaningful and personal relationship with Him is possible. It assures us that prayer is more, much much more than religious activity. We pray to a real God and one who can hear and chooses to hear our heart's cry. The living God loves to speak to His children.
Danger: If we don't believe, we have lost the opportunity to establish the greatest and most rewarding relationship with Jesus. We have ignored the access into the holy awesome presence of the One True God and ventured onto a dark slippery path headed to disappointments and sadness.

5. Truth: If we believe in the resurrection, we can live in confidence that this living God who conquered death is there to help us overcome our big and insurmountable difficulties. Nothing is impossible with God !
Danger: If we don't, we are left to lean on self and the weak arm of human flesh. Man will fail us and we will fail ourselves and we potentially slide down into damaging emotions that robs us of inner peace.

6. Truth: If we believe, then we will be greatly inspired to live a godly life for the pleasure of the Living God who will one day reward us.
Danger: If we don't believe the resurrection of Jesus, we gravitate towards careless living and low morals which will bring God's judgement on us.

So do you believe in the Resurrection of Jesus? If you believe the resurrection is real, you will experience the truths and power of His resurrection in normal daily living. If it is real and you don't believe, then you live dangerously on the edge of certain catastrophe.

You may argue that the resurrection of Jesus is a hoax. If it really is a hoax, then you don't have to be bothered at all. But are you sure? Have you done thorough research to make this solid conclusion. The evidences supporting the resurrection of Jesus is undeniable and can stand any cross examination of any court of law. Because if you are wrong, the consequences are most severe lasting for......forever!

A Sick Church Cannot Transform the World

2007-03-26T23:42:00.000+08:00

We want a better world.
We pray for a better society.
We discuss it passionately.
But we take no action and assume no responsibility for its condition.
We can only only influence to make it better when we obey the Lord to be the salt of the earth and light of the world.

We need to follow Jesus and then call the world to follow Him.
We need to be disciples and then disciple the nations.
We need to bow to God in order to bring the world to its knees.
Easy shallow Christianity cannot change the world. It demands every believer to simply live and do what Jesus commands us to . This is not radical Christianity but biblical Christianity.

We are not Christians on sundays only. We are Christians everyday. We need to behave Christ-like in the supermarket, parking lot, highways, home, offices, schools, restaurants....
Let Christians first be healed spiritually from hypocrisy and worldliness before we try to treat a sick world.

Surprised by God

2007-02-14T15:33:00.000+08:00

The Lord spoke to us prophetically on Jan 21, 2007 during the Sunday message entitled 'The Battle Ax' that what the church is doing is 'too small' and that our chuch will be too small for the people that God is bringing in(Isa.49:6,19,20). We have had such prophecies of increase before and so we did not actually pay much attention to this recent word. It was inspiring and encouraging though but we did not expect anything to happen.

It started the sunday after. We had 15 visitors. Then the next sunday, we had 35. Three weeks after the prophecy, the church saw a sudden increase of 80 new people. Our regular English service attendance is about 200. That's a 40% increase in 21 days. More chairs were set up and the church was busy ministering to the new comers. The fervor in worship has risen and the response to the Lord and His word has been wonderful. When God shows up, things happen and people's lives change.

We know that this move of God is from the Lord himself. It is not the brilliance of our strategies nor our mastery of the ministry. Rather it is the Lord fulfiling the word he promised. Faith has now risen to a new high and expectancy for God is intensifying.

During Elisha's ministry, Samaria was under siege by Ben Hadad the king of Aram. The famine was so bad that the people were eating human flesh for survival. Then Elisha gave a word that there will abundance for the Israelites 24 hours from the time he spoke. Nobody believed him BUT it happened according the word of the Lord through him. Yes God spoke and in His time He acted and acted swiftly and effectively. Truly the glory belongs to God alone. (2 Kings 6:24-7:20)

This is just the beginning of what God wants to do in the church for the community we are serving. Our hearts are faith filled yet humble in posture and our lives are furthered yielded to Him to advance His cause to bring Him maximum glory.

God surprised us. He will surprise you too. So don't abandon the dreams that God gave you and the promises He made to you. Faithfully cling on to them even when slapped by unbelief. When the time comes for God to act, He really acts in a big way that will take you by surprise.

The Pain of Slowness

2007-02-08T17:24:00.000+08:00

The turn off road leading to the church has been under construction to widen it for more than 9 months now. Traffic has been re-directed ever so often - closing the left side and then the right and then opens again and then it begins again and again. The construction gets started, stalls, starts again and stalls and ....When the road seems ready, tractors will come and new digging begins. (Sigh). The intention of widening the road is good but it has taken too long for a simple task that would just require a month or the most two.

This is all too true when it comes to changing our lives for the better. We know our weaknesses and what needs to be changed. We make the right decision to change and invite God to aid us. We start well but often slip back into our comfort zone and neglect steps in. The help of God is available and He brings the need to our attention. Yet our lack of focus and yieldedness to Him stalls the regeration process time and again.

Though spirtual growth and character change is a never ending process, yet the degree of change has been painfully slow. We need to give priority to inner change. We choose broadband over dial up access, we want same or next day courier services, fund transfer at the click of the mouse. Isn't it time to speed up on inner change. Imagine how happy your family would be when you deal with your anger ably after having put up with you for so long. Imagine what your office environment would be when you start responding cooperatively and cheerfully. Or how your sports team will benefit when you decide to deal with your indiscipline and lack of commitment. We all need to change. Let the changes be visible and let it take less time. It would save ourselves and others a lot of pain. Get on it today and be a better you.

Making a Difference

2007-01-21T15:16:00.000+08:00

I was invited to a dinner with my wife Pas Sheila at the Equestrian Club in Bukit Kiara. More accurately, Pas Sheila was the invited guest and I was just the driver. The occasion was a cheque presentation ceremony by a Kiwanis Club to three social homes of which Rainbow Home was one of the recipients. We arrived 20 minutes early and was led to a room at the restaurant. I was surprised that they were having a committee meeting there before the ceremony. The actual surprise was actually that the Committee consisted of all ladies only. I was told that the membership of this particular club admitted only ladies. Immediately I felt a little awkward being there. But I consoled myself that I was just being a good husband fetching my wife there. One of the members later jokingly admitted that it was not always easy for the ladies to work together but they have survived. Bravo ladies, men are not indispensable.

As we waited for the ceremony to begin, their meeting conversation could be heard from where I were sitting. I was not particularly listening in to their discussion but I got an overall sense that it was very well conducted and good leadership was provided in the coming projects they were planning for. And they were enthusiastic with what they were doing. O yes, enthusiasm is so vital in anything we do. It turns tasks into a mission, and drudgery into dream making.

As the ceremony got underway, their President introduced the clubs mission. Their focus was on children and one of their former projects was called FireFlies - to motivate and encourage underprivileged children who are weak in their studies. Most groups would offer scholarships to outstanding achieving students but this Kiwanis group felt the need to assist those who have little interest in studies. In fact it was that project that they came into contact with Rainbow Home because one of our kids was in the school where the project was launched. I felt that their approach was fresh and their hearts were pure. They simply wanted to make a difference.

Here is a group of ladies who used their time, talent and finances and may I say their differences, to be a blessing. They looked beyond their own concerns and comforts. These ladies are from different backgrounds, faith and nationalities but their mission brought them together and their passion gets the work done. Yes they wanted to make a difference and they are.

This 'Making a Difference factor' I believe is inherent in all of us. We need to peel off the layers of self-centredness and insecurities to serve others. You know, only people with a healthy self esteem and confidence can put their ego's aside and help someone else in need. We dont have to take centre stage all the time.

Jesus loves and accepts us inspite of our past and wrong doings. We are made whole in His divine love. He said we should love one another. He truly dwells in us when we love and serve. So forget about self and focus on others and love people as Jesus did. Let's make a difference with what we have. Anyone can do it and most certainly you. We just need the heart for it, for the heart will find a way! Especially a heart that is full of God and His love.

Closer to the Second Coming

2007-01-04T11:42:00.000+08:00

The signs pointing to His soon return are todays common newspapers headlines - Wars, Nuclear Threats, Earthquakes, Diseases,Pestilences, Global warming, Tornadoes, Hurricanes and the Increase of violence and wickedness. 2007 brings us closer to the Second Coming of Jesus. The only hope this world has is faith in the Living God.

In preparing the church for Jesus Return, I spoke this message at the 31st Dec 2006 Watchnite service.
1. Christains need to be Faithful to God and His Word.
Scripture warns of many whose love for God will grow cold and some will abandon the faith to follow deceptive teachings. Hymenaus, Philetus and Alexander have shipwecked their faith (1Tim.1:20; 2Tim.2:17,18), Demas left for the world (2 Tim.4:10), and those who love money have wandered from the faith (1Tim.6:10). Be faithful whether or not your path is smooth or rough, peaceful or painful, successful or unsuccessful. There is only one God and He has a son and His name is called Jesus. This is the unchanging truth. This is the eternal truth.
2. Christians need to be Fervent in God's work. We need to work while it is still day. Fan into the flame the gifts of the Spirit and the faith we have in God. Paul challenges Timothy to preach the word in and out of season as the day of Jesus return approaches. Wake up from slumber. The saints of God must be alert and seize every opportunity to make God known. Trim the lamps, add the oil and burn brighter than before.
3. Christians need to be Fearless in the midst of chaos, confusion, trials and challenges. In the last days there will be an increase of wickedness and rising intolerance of Christianity. We are not to shrink back but stand up for the Lord with boldness and love. Our future is secured and God is with us in every situation. Isa 41:10 says that He will strengthen us and help us and uphold us with His righteous right hand.
4. Christians need to be Free from sin and every emcumbrance that weakens faith. Temptations and seductions are assailing humanity in every front. We need to be blood-washed daily by the Lamb. Repentance has to be a lifestlye of believers. Hate sin and root out every sinful habit of thought, word and deed. Jesus is coming back for a spotless bride.
5.Christians need to be Forgiving always. Keep short accounts. In handling negative emotions - be smart. Dump them from your heart and mind. Fill it instead with God's love. Do it daily. You will be a happier and healthier person.

The Willingness of Desire

2006-12-15T10:38:00.000+08:00

A person of strong desire is a person willing to pay the price to fulfil or achieve the desire. He is driven in his pursuit and faces obstacles with resolve and grit to move ahead. He stops at nothing. He is captured by it. How wonderful it is when man desires for things above. In a parable by Jesus, he is like a man who finds a treasure of great price hidden in a field and joyfully sells all he has to buy up the whole field (Matt.13:44). He finds it, he desires it, he sells all to buy it and he does it willingly and cheerfully. It had a high price tag but it was happily paid for.

At this Christmas season, let us be reminded that the Magi travelled about 1000km on camel back over rugged terrain looking for the promised Messiah after seeing the Star. They recognized the significance of this momentous event and they sacrificed an enormous amount of time to seek till they find. They were thoroughly prepared. They travelled with lavish gifts to worship the Messiah, though it was very dangerous to do so because of the many bandits preying on travellers. But it was unthinkable to them to appear before the King of the Jews without gifts worthy of His greatness. After receiving knowledge from Herod in Jerusalem that the Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem, they hurried there and found Jesus the Christ.

Interesting to note however was that Herod and the religious leaders who informed Herod of the birth place of Jesus and the citizens of Jerusalem did not make any effort to seek for Jesus in Bethlehem which was just merely 10 km away.
Herod rebuilt the temple of Solomon yet sought to kill the One who is to worshipped.
The religious leaders knew the scriptures but it did not set aflame their hearts to pursue the Lord but rather opposed His ministry and later succesfully conspired to kill the Messiah promised in the Holy Scriptures.
For the citizens of Jerusalem, they probably did not want to associate with the Gentile Magi in collective worship or they feared the ruthless cruel King Herod of what he might do to them or perhaps they reckoned they cant derive any benefit yet from a baby. All three groups were so near to the Divine Child but they had no desire and therefore made no effort to seek Him.

As we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ, let us strongly desire to seek Him, worship Him and share Him to others. It requires a Christian to purposefully and diligently pursue God. It requires him to struggle through every distraction and keep focus on Jesus. He will devalue worldly things and revalue spiritual things onto a higher scale. Give Jesus your gift of a committed heart. Be A God Chaser.

Stay Guarded, Stay Pure

2006-11-14T12:28:00.000+08:00

We are in a real spiritual war where our adversary is powerful and cunning. The Scripture describes the devil as a roaring lion waiting to pounce on its prey. One of the devil's very effective tool is lust. The media glorifies it and society has embraced it unashamely. No one is invincible and beyond sinning. We set ourselves to fall when we think we can stand up on our own. The foolishness of pride is a sure step towards stumbling. Some ways to stay guarded and pure in this lust-filled world....
1. Examine your heart regularly and deeply. Stop judging others when we should be our own judge. Know your weaknesses for the devil surely knows you well to set the right traps for you. The priest in the Old Testament had to wash their hands and feet daily at the Bronze Laver before doing any ministry. Jump into God's cleansing blood regularly and wash thoroughly.
2. Walk daily with God in prayer and reading the Word. Almost all casualties to temptation will confess that it started with a neglected devotional life. When we are disconnected from the Vine, we dont even know we are easy targets of sin. Our soul is empty of God's presence and power, the armor has rusted and the spiritual radar is busted. Your guarantee for victory is an up-to-date relationship with the Living Christ dwelling in you.
3. Keep the doors tightly closed towards the sources of temptation. Stay away from any sexual content in the internet, movies, videos, music videos, songs, literature and conversations. You are deceived and dead wrong if you think you can control a little sin. Whoever sins is a slave of sin! Scripture tells us not to stand and fight lust, but to FLEE from it.
4. Wake up from self deception. We think that God does not mind a little sin because we see success in our lives and ministry. A growing ministry where souls are saved,healed, delivered and expanding influence does not mean that God is saying ok to a little sin in our lives. How blind we are. God wants us to be holy for He is Holy. God is looking for Holiness not Successfulness!
5. Maintain limits in all relationships. To all my staff and leaders - Put safety boundaries in your ministry. Do not counsel the opposite gender. Avoid unnecessary physical contact. Be visible to everyone when talking to the opposite gender. Do not dine or travel alone with the opposite gender.
6. Love your spouse and family deeply, Stay faithful to them. This is a mark of a great person in God.
7. Don't be careless. Countless accidents and tragedies has happened because of it. Be sober and alert to the tricks and snares of sin. The Lord Himself taught us to daily pray that we be not led into temptation but be delivered from the Evil One.

The Battleship

2006-08-01T12:49:00.000+08:00

I was feeling a bit tired physically after having spent 4 days in Rembia and ending the Sat preaching in PCC, Malacca and then driving back to KL. I got to bed about 2 am on Sun. I sat there in the Baby's room after the pre-service prayer was over on Sun. in KL with 15 min to spare before the main service at 10am which I was due to preach. I needed a few minutes alone to receive fresh strength. A dark, huge object floated in my mind from the right corner of my eye. It was not eerie nor frigthening. As the focus became clearer, I could make out that the vessel was a huge battle ship. It was an awesome, captivating sight. It had cannons, machine guns, a radar and fully loaded missiles. Sailing besides the battleship were other sea vessels. There was a fishing boat, cruise liner, speed boat and a cargo vessel too. The captain on board the battleship shouted to the other boats, 'Where are you going'. All the rest replied, 'We are following you'. The captain gave a commanding order,' Get away and get back. We are going to battle and you are not prepared for warfare at all.'

This vision came to confirm the word He spoke to my heart in my personal prayer retreat in Rembia that is 'Teach My People to Pray'. To advance God's work involves engaging the forces of darkness and winning the spiritual battle. To win it, the church must practice strong effective and persistent praying because the enemy is not flesh and blood but spiritual.

We need to be built tough and fully loaded with God's artillery to dispossess the enemy. The Church needs to exercise more than just intimate prayers with a loving God. To bring God's kingdom on earth, the Lord is raising forceful churches mighty in prayer. Churches that know how to storm the gates of hell and exert the authority of the Most High. We cannot expect to serve using our little and leisurely vessels. We are in a war and the spiritual battle is real and deadly.

Let us be a prayer war machine that will unleash God's immense power to break the domain of darkness. We need to be a battle axe in the hands of God to wield destruction on demonic forces and establish God's kingdom of love and peace. Pray strong, pray hard, pray through!!! Choose to be a prayer weapon in the hands of God.

Man on Fire

2006-07-07T15:56:00.000+08:00

A man stood up to his feet and fire from heaven fell upon him. It was a strong red hot fire. It was the fire of prayer. Then another man on the left side of the church also stood up and he too was on fire. Then another man and another and another stood up, till the whole church was standing with blazing fire on their heads.

This vision was given by the Lord on the 13 June 2006 on the night of the Cheras prayer partners meeting in Praise City Church. The meeting was slow going in the beginning. Participation was lukewarm. I gathered the group of about 70 into a circle and we prayed in tongues. The Spirit of God came upon us and we prayed fervently and passionately over an extended period of time. It was then, that the Lord gave me the above vision of the man on fire and how it began to spread to the rest of the congregation until the whole church is on fire.

The Lord is going to raise up His church to pray. It will be a fire inspired by heaven so that the altar of prayer will keep on burning. It will seem to start slowly as only one man stood up and caught the fire. But the fire in this man will ignite the rest of them one by one. This will happen not just in one church but also in the other churches in Cheras.

In the days ahead, I believe that the Lord Himself will challenge you, inspire you and ignite you to be more fervent in prayer. He will give you a heart to seek Him and to intercede that His will be done in Cheras. Get ready for His touch. You will soon stand as the next person with fire on your head.

Seeking God's Face

2006-06-20T14:27:00.000+08:00

I went to El Sanctuary in Rembia, Malacca for four days to seek the face of God. The Lord had been urging me to do this a few weeks earlier.
I started the journey about 10am on Wednesday 14/6/06. In the car itself I spent the time communing with God ( with eyes opened of course while I am driving). It was a soul cleansing time as I asked God to remove everything unpleasant in my life to God. No music, no praise n worship cd, simply prayers only.
El Sanctuary is tucked away in the forest where Lendu river lazily flows. It was a perfect spot for a personal encounter with the Divine.
Time was spent on just two activities -praying and reading God's Word. I needed a fresh touch from God for myself and the church. I knew the secret for both of this is found only in God's presence.
I conversed with God; sometimes in quietness, at times worshipping God with my guitar and sometimes in loud and bold petitions and intercessions. Praying was done mostly in tongues as I claimed the promises of the Bible.
At the end of this retreat, I was touched and refreshed by God. I can sense is a new mantle upon my life and ministry. I received a new mandate to teach the church on breakthrough praying and see an ignition of prayer passion in the church.
On that weekend in PCC Malacca , there was an unusual anointing during the prayer time. One of the sisters who was recovering from a recent stroke was visibly shaking as hands were laid on her for total healing.
On Sunday in PCC KL, visions and clear inspired words/pictures were given from God to His church and individuals. At the water baptism after the sunday service, where 15 of them were baptized, the Lord led us to pray for them for the Holy Spirit baptism first. Almost all who were not baptized in the Spirit yet were filled and with the evidence of speaking in tongues while those already filled with the Spirit, received a refilling in their spirit.
May we experience more of the presence and power of God in the days to come.