What To Pray For Myanmar

Isa 58:6
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke? "

The following from The Straits Times Friday REVIEW:

Condemn Myanmar junta
Sept 28, 2007

"SOONER or later Myanmar will become a democracy. Sooner or later its military rulers will have to give way to an elected government. The current regime, led by Senior General Than Shwe, cannot point to anything positive that can justify its continued iron grip on power. Myanmar lags behind just about every Asean country on almost every indicator of socio-economic development. The junta has starved the people politically as well as materially. There is absolutely nothing it can do now to redeem its long and dismal record other than manage - with as much decency and dispatch as it can muster - its own demise.

Tragically, the junta does not seem capable of even that. Instead of launching a dialogue with the opposition, it has decided on a brutal crackdown. Instead of heeding the call of the international community to abjure violence, it has used truncheons, tear gas and bullets against peaceful demonstrators. This is a regime that is prepared to destroy the country in order to save itself - and it is time for the entire international community, including Asean, to recognise that fact. No one is sure how well organised and determined the opposition to the regime is; how long the current round of demonstrations will continue; how ruthless the junta will be in suppressing the people of Myanmar; or how long it will take before Gen Than Shwe and his associates are forced to step down. But one senses Myanmar's day of deliverance cannot be far off, for repression cannot keep down forever a thoroughly disillusioned population.

Asean as well as China and India - the two countries with the greatest influence in Myanmar - must do all they can to dissuade the junta from resorting to even greater violence. The governments of Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines have issued strong statements, and one hopes Asean as a whole will do the same. What happens in Myanmar is of concern to all in Asean, for the grouping's credibility is at stake. Immediately, Asean should support strongly the mission of United Nations envoy Ibrahim Gambari and help pressure Myanmar to receive him. China and India also can do more - both publicly and privately - to persuade the junta to stop beating and killing peaceful demonstrators and take concrete steps towards political reform. The argument that the international community has no grounds to condemn the junta or circumscribe its ability to harm its people, for that would constitute interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, can no longer be accepted by anyone - least of all Asians."

I cannot agree more!

How Do We Pray For Myanmar?

1. Pray for the safety of the people - the Myanmar people; the foreigners; the missionaries; the Singaporeans
2. Pray for China and India to persuade the junta to stop beating and killing peaceful demonstrators
3. Pray that the deliverance of Myanmar will no longer be delayed; now is the time!
   
4. Pray for the church in Myanmar to rise up in this hour to be well positioned for as God's change agent in the nation
5. Pray for Ibrahim Gambari's visit to Myanmar this weekend to be fruitful.

_____________________________________________________

From The Straits Times, Saturday Special Report:

Sep 29, 2007

5 Reasons why people have hit the streets

1. SOARING COSTS OF FUEL AND FOOD:

ON AUG 15, the military government doubled fuel prices overnight.

That caused the cost of almost everything, from food to bus fares, to rise, deepening the woes of the common man in the deeply impoverished country.

Anger over the resulting hardship triggered a rare 500-strong protest march through Yangon on Aug 19.

---

2. 45 YEARS OF REPRESSIVE MILITARY RULE:

MYANMAR has been under repressive military rule since 1962.

According to Mr David Mathieson, a Myanmar consultant for Human Rights Watch, junta chief Than Shwe's overriding goal is maintaining total military control of the country.

'Probably a large part of the officer corps that travels around the country understands what is happening, but is afraid to tell the old man,' he says.

Repression and mismanagement by the junta have been widely blamed for turning what was once a jewel of South-east Asia into one of its most miserable places.

The United Nations ranks Myanmar among the world's 20 poorest countries. The World Food Programme said in a report last year that food security was a year-round problem, with one-third of the nation's children malnourished.

---

3. RAMPANT CORRUPTION:

MYANMAR has consistently ranked among the world's most corrupt countries.

The military regime came in at the bottom of Berlin-based Transparency International's 180-country Corruption Perceptions Index released on Wednesday, sharing the 179th position with Somalia as the countries with the worst public-sector corruption.

It has also been at or very near the bottom of the index for the last four years.

A rare glimpse into the lavish lifestyles enjoyed by the generals was provided last year by a leaked video of the wedding of General Than Shwe's daughter.

The video, versions of which are circulating on YouTube, shows the bride dressed in designer clothes and draped in diamonds and other expensive jewels as she receives wedding gifts said to be worth US$50 million (S$74 million).

---

4. MONKS TAKE THE LEAD:

MYANMAR'S monks have historically been at the forefront of protests - first against British colonialism and later against military dictatorship. They also played a prominent role in the failed 1988 pro-democracy rebellion.

On Aug 28, they protested for the first time since the government raised fuel prices, joining a rally in the port town of Sittwe.

A second peaceful protest on Sept 6 in the town of Pakokku ended when troops fired warning shots and marchers were manhandled. In response, young monks briefly took officials hostage, torched their vehicles and smashed a shop and a house belonging to junta supporters.

Last Tuesday, in another show of defiance, more than 300 monks took to the streets of Yangon, drawing hundreds of civilians.

The rally was significant because the monks took an oath to refuse alms from senior military officers - a powerful sign of dissent in the devoutly Buddhist country.

---

5. SUPPORT FROM OVERSEAS DISSIDENT GROUPS:

AS A deeply angry and emboldened public continues to rally against the junta, exiled dissidents are keeping up the fight overseas.

They have been organising protests around the world, lending support to their countrymen back home and pressuring the regime for change.

Exiled news hounds in Thailand, India and Norway have been constantly feeding their websites with news about the current crisis.

______________________________________________________

Keep Those Dreams Alive

Scripture

Jesus looked at them and said,
"With man, this is impossible, but not with God;
all things are possible with God.Mark 10:27

Observation

We loved to dream when we were children. Whether it was watching a soccer match and then wishing to be the next soccer star or being the first to do something extra-ordinarily special, we had no limits to our dreams as little children.

Sadly, though, somewhere along the road of life, we've stopped dreaming. We have traded the imaginations of our childhood for the fears of adulthood. We're afraid that if our dreams are too big or too grand that they won't come true. We become afraid of the pain of disappointment. But that is because we rely on ourselves to accomplish those dreams.

Application

If we take a closer look at today's Scripture, we see that Jesus encourages us to leave the shallow waters of fear and enter into the deep waters of faith-the deep waters of big dreams. We cannot rely on any human, including ourselves, to accomplish our dreams.

The last three days, the staff have been spending about seven hours a day in pre-planning for 2008 and beyond. While we are all awed at what the Lord has been doing in Agape, when we dreamt together about God's possible future for our church, our youths, our children, our seekers, our new believers, our community, our leaders, and those who are yet to be a part of the Agape family, we were so stirred with faith and excitement. Our God takes what is not and makes them a reality. There is no impossibility when it comes to the will of God.

While other people and situations may be vehicles through which our dreams come true, it is ultimately up to God to do the impossible. God is bigger than anything you can ever dream. Step out on faith and allow God to show you what he can accomplish in your life!

Prayer

Lord, thank you for making the impossible possible in my life. Help me to step out on faith and trust that you are bigger than my dreams. I don't want to settle for the repetition of daily life; I want to live in the adventure that you have planned for my life. Help me to dream those big dreams. In Jesus' name, Amen.

My 100th Post!

I have so thoroughly enjoyed this journey of blogging. I am a writer at heart. I love words and I love to craft sentences to display thoughts and emotions and blogging gives me the excellent opportunity to put my thoughts down succinctly.

I also love the Bible. I love to study the Word just because it is the Word of God. I love to look at scriptures and find treasures. Such simple discoveries excite me. They keep me coming back to the Word. They keep me hungry for more of God and His Word.

And I love to inspire others and turn their hearts God-ward. I am blessed to know that there are people out there who read these posts and are blessed. It motivates me to continue in this refreshing exercise of putting thoughts into words in the knowledge that people are turning those words into action.

So here on my hundredth post, I celebrate the grace the Lord has given me to keep at this, given the many things that demand my attention on a day to day basis. It has become more of a personal 'hobby' and more for my own development and growth than anything else and I want to thank those of you who have journeyed with me in this brief blogging experience. Thank you for being an encouragement.

Psalms 119:36 reads "Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to gain." We live in a world where things people do is for their own gain more than anything else but the psalmist teaches us here to pray - Lord, incline my heart to Your testimonies, instead. The greatest gain we can make in this life is Kingdom gain, not personal gain.

I hope the posts in this blog will earn for the Lord testimonies. Lord, incline my ears to Your testimonies, Your glory, Your Kingdom gain. Amen!

May the posts on this blog bring testimonies to the glory of the King, our Maker.

A Carnival of Harvest!

"Say you not, There are yet four months, and then comes harvest?
Behold, I say unto you,
Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."

John 4:35

When Jesus spoke these words, He was just outside the city of Sychar in Samaria. His disciples had gone to the city to find food, and Jesus had just met the woman at the well.

Jesus' encounter with this woman was life-transforming. He spent a significant amount of time talking to her about her personal life, answering her spiritual questions, and treating her with a level of dignity that had rarely been afforded to her. It was the first seed Jesus ever sowed into the heart of a Samaritan. The woman was so moved by His compassion that when she returned to her village, she told the people, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? (John 4:29).

Over the years Agape has sought to find people like her in the community, talking to them about their personal life, answering their spiritual questions and treating them with dignity and love. By so doing we have been sowing seeds into Pek Kio.

The Samaritan woman so enthusiastically shared her testimony of Jesus that the entire village of Sychar went out of the city to find Him. Thus, from the moment Jesus first sowed His seed into the heart of this Samaritan woman to the time He reaped His first major harvest among the Samaritans would only be a matter of hours.

Last Saturday we saw a record six hundred over residents flooding the Lantern Carnival in the church grounds. About 53 people came to be prayed over at the healing booth and 16 people received Christ!.It all happened in a matter of two hours. That was the grand highlight. But there were other highlights as well:

(1) the absence of strife in the Agapians
(2) the presence of joy in all we did
(3) the sense of God's favour on the Carnival
(4) the strong sense of family among Agapians
(5) the long queues at the games booth
(6) the responsiveness of the people to healing prayer
(7) the attentiveness of the crowd to the healing testimonies on stage

Surely, the Lord has been in our midst and the harvest is indeed NOW!

To every single Agapian who put his /her to the plough, including the precious children who performed on stage and Chan Kok Meng's early morning exercise group - thank you guys for serving the Lord with such a wonderful spirit of love and joy. Each one of you is a wonderful blessing!

Let's Go On!

Scripture

"Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, . . . And God permitting, we will do so." Hebrews 6:1, 3

Observation
The will of God is the best place for every one of us. When you are in the will of God, you are in for success and fulfillment; satisfaction and victory! Where God is must be the place of desire. Any motion toward God is a forward motion. Even repentance is not a retreat toward the past but a decided march into a more glorious future. Restitution is not a return to yesterday but a step into a blessed tomorrow.

There is such a thing as going backward in the spiritual life. There is such a thing as a retreat from a spiritual position once held by us as individual Christians. And there is such a thing as the church making a wholesale withdrawal from ground once won at tremendous cost.

Application
Today, we will bring our mooncakes to the community and run another Lantern Carnival tomorrow. Over the years we have gained much ground with the solid endorsement of the community. This year we forge ahead still and this time with the passion to raise the visibility of the church as a house of healing.

This week, the Police, who have graciously given us permits for the Lantern Parade over the past five years, told us that they are no longer in the position to do so because the ruling has changed recently. We must now seek endorsement directly from the MP.

Because the call of God is for us to forge ahead and not retreat, I wrote to the MP on Wednesday morning and yesterday evening, we got news that he has given us his endorsement to hold the Lantern Parade! God is still in control and his will is that we continue to gain more and more ground in the community. Let's just go on!

In our Christian walk, if we find that we have gone back, then we should immediately reverse the direction and again go forward. Let there be no wasting of time in a futile mooning over the past. Rather let us arise and go! Let us go forward to a new and better place in God. The land lies before us. Let us go in and take it.

Prayer

From Your Word, Lord, from the lives of Your people in the Bible, I know there are bridges to cross and mountains to climb that take me deeper into You. I want to go on by Your Spirit! Amen.

The Twin Pillars of My Life

Isa 46:9-10
"For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me, ....
Saying,'My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,' "

One of the great joys of pastoring in one church for seventeen years is that you get to see people pass through the darkest seasons of the church and life, leaning on the sovereign goodness of God, and come out on the other side with unshakable faith and joy.

The sovereignty of God is a most precious doctrine. All my personal battles in life have found their anchor in this one doctrine. In 1990, it was the birth of a seriously pre-mature baby. In 2001, it was the crisis in the church. In early 2006, it was the future of my daughter. In every one of these battles, I discovered the doctrine of the sovereignty of God the strong wood of the tree that kept our lives from being blown away by the wind. It was the rock that rose for us out of the flood of uncertainty and confusion. When all around my soul was giving away, it was the hope in a sovereign God that held my stay!

The word "sovereign" like the word 'trinity" does not occur in the Bible. But it is a word that refers to this one truth: God is in ultimate control of the world, from the largest international conference of statesmen to the smallest bird-fall in the forest.

Here is how the Bible puts it:

Dan 4:35
All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: "What have you done?"

Matt 10:29-30
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from the will of your Father.

Job 23:13-14
But he is unchangeable and who can turn him?
What he desires, that he does.
For he will complete what he appoints for me;

Ps 115:3
Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.

Rom 9:15
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

God's sovereignty means that his design for us cannot be frustrated. Nothing, absolutely nothing, befalls those who love God and are called according to his purpose, except what is for our deepest and highest good (Romans 8:28; Ps 84:11)

Therefore the goodness and sovereignty of God are the twin pillars of my life. They are the hope of my future, the energy of my service, the centre of my theology, the bond of my marriage; the authority in my parenting; the anchor of my ministry, the best medicine in my sickness, the remedy of all my discouragements. And when I come to die, these two truths will stand by my bed and, with infinitely strong and infinitely tender hands, lift me up to God, my Maker.

Living Today Fully

Scripture

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Observation
Don't you sometimes wish that you can turn back the clock? Maybe you are suffering the consequences of past mistakes, things you wish you had not done and if only you could go back in time and set it right. But we cannot turn the clock back. We cannot bring back better days. And it is actually not necessary that we should.

If by means of some fantastic "time machine" we were permitted to go backward and visit some favourite period of the past, we would probably find the experience extremely disappointing. Why? Because you are longer the same person you were then. You have changed. Yesterday is no longer the same after you have experienced today. That is why the scripture tells us to rejoice in today and not yesterday!

Application
To each one it is given to occupy his own spot in history. He must, like David, do the will of God by serving his own generation. It is in his own day that he must meet God in satisfying encounter. It is in his today, not in some pensive yesterday, that he must explore the riches of divine grace, do his allotted work and win his crown.

Psychologists attribute certain abnormal mental conditions to an unconscious desire to escape the responsibilities of adult life by returning to the quiet and security of the prenatal state. Our habit of trying to recapture the past glow of some better time by going backward creates a suspicion that we have lost the will to fight for the future by living fully today.

Today is an opportunity to know God and to serve Him. We no longer have yesterday and may have left no tomorrows. But today is uniquely God-given. Live today to the full for this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Prayer

My tendency, Lord, is to look back or forward. In doing so, I often miss the strategic value of today. Thank You for this day. Empower me to live it fully for Your glory!

Everything Is For Learning.

Scripture
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness. Psalm 29:2

Observation
King David was a God-possessed man and so he could be God-taught. It is not quite possible to know what kind of educational advantage David had, - whether he went to the premium schools of the day but we may safely assume that he had not much of what we now call formal education. Yet he has taught millions and after the passing of centuries he still keeps school and teaches divine poetry, deep theology and the art of pure worship to all who have ears to hear.

True, David may have been watching sheep when he should have been in the classroom. However, he was a student all his days, and neither the care of his sheep when he was a shepherd nor the burden of the nations when he became a king kept him from the purest and noblest of all studies - the study of God. He sent his heart to school to the Most High God, and therefore he knew Him so that he could instruct others in the ways of God.

Application
Am I a serious student of God? Am I a life-long learner of the ways of God? Am I taking everything that is happening in my life and turning those situations into a classroom of lessons where the Spirit of God can tutor my soul to know God? If that is true, then there can be no circumstance in my life that is there for nothing because everything God allows in my life will be there for my learning.

Prayer
Teach me something of the splendour of Your holiness, O God.

Seven Earthquakes In 48 Hours!

Scripture

The earth reels like a drunkard,

it sways like a hut in the wind;

(and) it falls — never to rise again.

Isa 24:20

Observation
While we were recovering from the effects of one tremour on Wednesday evening, there was yet another on Thursday morning and to date, seven earthquakes have been registered in the Sumatran region in two days!

But is it true that the intensity and frequency of earthquakes have increased over the years to indicate to us that the end is near? According to experts in the field of earthquakes, there is no such scientific evidence. The United States Geological Survey, Branch of Earthquake and Geomagnetic Information, Denver Federal Center states that “although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, quakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years.” [http://mceer-nt4.mceer.buffalo.edu]

In the Bible the most memorable earthquake that took place in New Testament times happened at the crucifixion of Jesus (Matt27:54). An earthquake at Phillip shook the prison in which Paul and Silas were present.

What is God telling us when He sends the earth shaking?

Application
First, all such natural disasters remind us again that life is so frail, so unpredictable. What looks secure and stable one day, can be shaken on another day. God alone remains our security and our Rock of stability.

Second, such natural disasters should arouse our compassion for suffering humanity. Overnight, people become homeless; children become orphans; wives become widows; able people become crippled and strong people become weak. It takes months, if not years to rebuild lives and reconstruct communities.

It should stir us up to pray and to give and to do the little we can to help. In the face of such tragedy, we should be shaken out of our complacency to respond; to reach out; to become fully human.

Finally, we should learn to hold loosely to all that God has blessed us with because He can give and He can take away. If the Lord chooses to bring a shaking into our lives and all is stripped away, will there still be any iron in our soul to hold us up? Would we still praise Him? Is is really true that God is more than enough in our lives?

Prayer
Father God, help me respond instead of react to these series of earthquakes. And search the depths of my soul Lord and strip away all complacency. I want You to be my all in all.

Complaining - A Disease of the Soul

Scripture

Korah son of Izhar, the sons of Kohath, . . . and certain Reubenites . . . became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. Numbers 16:1-2

Observation
Those who are complainers are often embarrassed by the moral company in which they find themselves. They are in spiritual affinity with some pretty shady characters in the Bible: Cain, Korah, the sulky elder brother in the story of the prodigal, the petulant Jews of the Book of Malachi who answered every fatherly admonition of God with an ill-humoured "Where got? Who says so? How can you say that of us? " These are but a few faces that stand out in the picture of the grumbling followers of old.

Lastly, the believer who complains against the difficulties and inconveniences of life shows that he has never quite felt or known the sorrows which broke over the head of Christ when He walked the earth. After one look at Gethsemane or Calvary, the Christian can never again believe that his own path is a hard one. We dare not compare our trifling pains with the deep passion endured by Jesus for our salvation. Just watch the blood-bath scenes from The Passion again and again. And the Scriptures tell us that he went to the Cross without one word of complain, like a lamb led to the slaughter.

Application
After saying all this I am sure that no one can be reasoned out of the habit of complaining. I complain. And when I pause to catch the breath of my own complains, I am shocked at how petty and shallow I am. It's embarrassing.

But that habit is more than a habit--it is a disease of the soul, and as such, it will never yield to mere logic. The only cure is cleansing in the blood of the Lamb. And to be cleansed, we must admit that complaining is a sin and come to him in repentance.

Prayer

Lord, I find it far easier to grumble and complain than to graciously accept the the circumstances in which You place me. Forgive me Lord and cleanse me by the blood of the Lamb.

A Complaining Soul Corrupts Itself

Scripture

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation.
— Philippians 2:14-15

Observation
Among those sins that most definitely harms the soul and destroy the testimony, is the sin of complaining. Yet the habit is so widespread that we hardly notice it among us. We are not even shocked or disturbed by each others complains.

The complaining heart never lacks for occasion. The object of complain may be almost anything: the weather, the church, the inconveniences along the way, other people or even God Himself. The complaining soul can always find reason enough to be unhappy.

And an unhappy soul does not support a healthy body! No wonder this year's National Healthy Lifestyle campaign tagline is Be Happy. A complaining person does not carry a happy soul.


Application
Why is complaining a sin? Because, the complaining Christian fails to see God and include Him in the equation of his life. Nothing happens in my life or your life that God does not permit. He has a purpose in everything. The complaining person fails to acknowledge that. Secondly, he can quit any time he desires. No Christian wears a chain on his leg. Yet he still continues on, grumbling as he goes, and for such a conduct, he corrupts his soul.

Before the words of complain leave your lips, search your soul and seek out what God is up to. See His purpose and instead of complaining, you may be praising God instead and enjoy divine happiness (which promotes health!) Happy people are healthy people.

Prayer

Deliver me from complaining, Lord. Rather, teach me to praise You and thank You for the opportunities to grow.

The Litmus Test - Word or Deed?

Scripture

"Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him." (1 John 3:18-19)

Observation

Herein lies the "litmus test" to our Christian walk:

• "It's not what we say, but what we do that reveals the true intent of our hearts."

Like the litmus tests we used in science class to test the acidity of a solution, the credibility and sincerity of our Christian walk is tested in the things we do, by our actions, not just in what we say.

Jesus was a great teacher, but in many ways His actions spoke louder than His words. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, so is a single act of kindness like a powerful message being preached in living color. There is much truth to the premise that the world isn't looking for any more flowery speeches, but is watching for Christians who are authentic in their actions and in their lifestyles. It has been said that "the eye, and not the ear, is the convincing organ in today's society." People are looking, not just listening, for the gospel to be preached and each day we must be willing to apply the "litmus test" to our Christian walk.

Application

On Sunday evening, the Church Council brought together all the church staff and our families for a time of fellowship and fun. They treated us to a sumptuous dinner and then organized some intentional indoor games that brought the house down. Then they affirmed us and prayed over us. It was a time of rich blessing for every one of us on staff. It was the Council's way of loving us beyond word and tongue. It was a statement of our unity together.

Words and phrases can be compromised. We can justify any action with our words. But in the end, the question will always remain: "do our actions reflect our true love for our Lord and Savior." Talk is cheap and words can flow freely, but if it isn't consistent with our actions, we fail the Litmus Test.

It's a simple test that I must apply daily to my relationship with my wife, to my relationship with my two children, to my staff, to my finances, to the decisions I make in leadership and in ministry. Are my actions a true reflection of my heart. If the Lord was to dip His litmus strip into my heart today, what would it reveal?

Prayer

Father, may my actions each day be tested against my heart. In all that I do, may it reflect my true love for You.

Following His Leading, A Step At A Time

Scripture

John 21:3
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."

Observation

Peter wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. The past couple of weeks had been indescribably intense. Jesus had been betrayed by Judas and tried at midnight for blasphemy. The swift verdict was crucifixion. By noon Jesus was hanging by nails and Judas by a noose. The memory of his own denial of Jesus felt like an open wound. That Friday and Saturday had been worse than a nightmare. And Sunday had simply been surreal. It began with Jesus’ missing body and ended with his sudden appearance among the disciples in their locked room. Eight days later Jesus did the same thing.

Now Peter was sitting with Thomas, Nathanial, James, John, and two others. They were just waiting. Jesus hadn’t told them what to do next. Peter used to know just what to do: prepare the nets and boat, go fishing, take what he caught and sell it in the market. Fishing was hard and sometimes dangerous work. But Peter knew what to do. The memory of the familiar was comforting.

So as long as he didn’t know what to do, he figured he might as well do something productive. “I’m going fishing,” he announced. The others replied, “We will go with you.” Peter wasn’t the only restless one.

All night they fished. Cast and pull. Nothing. Cast and pull. Nothing. Try the other side of the boat. Nothing. Move the boat. Nothing. Try again. Nothing. Where are the fish? Nothing. Move again; a little deeper, a little shallower. Nothing. Whose idea was this? I imagine there was a sharp word or two.

Just as day was breaking, Peter heard a voice from the shore. “Children, do you have any fish?” James’ exasperated response was, “No!” “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”

Ordinarily this would have been irritating. But these instructions were familiar. This had happened before. Peter and John glanced at one another and then tossed the net. The sudden weight almost pulled them overboard. It couldn’t be! It was! Fish! And they were huge! They couldn’t even get the net into the boat.

John’s eyes were as big as the fish when he looked at Peter and said, “It is the Lord!” Peter handed the net to Nathaniel, threw on his outer garment and dove into the sea, leaving the others to row in dragging the bulging net.

When they all got to shore, they found Jesus preparing breakfast for them. Very graciously, and maybe with a twinkle in eye, he said, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” Then Jesus served them breakfast. And then he gave them the next instructions.

Application

This account from John 21 is the Lord Jesus, always graciously leading and serving his bewildered disciples. And we, today's disciples are just as easily bewildered. So it’s good for us to remember some helpful principles from this chapter.

First, waiting on Jesus is a common experience for Jesus' disciples. Sometimes we wait for direction or an open door, sometimes we wait to understand his purposes, sometimes we wait for a promise to be fulfilled. Jesus wants his disciples to learn to trust his promises in the face of what appears to be uncertain circumstances. And we learn that while Jesus is completely reliable, he can be unpredictable. His timing and purposes are not always clear to us, though they are always best for us.

Second, when we’re not sure what to do next, do the next thing. I’m sure the disciples had prayed for guidance during those days but no clear instructions had come. Fishing just seemed like a good idea. As it turned out, it was exactly what the Lord wanted them to do. Jesus was leading them, just differently. As they did the next thing Jesus met them and directed them.

Third, Jesus is in complete control. Peter and company were experienced fishermen. They did their best, yet caught nothing. But that morning they discovered (again) that Jesus was sovereign over their decisions, the boat, the sea, the fish, and time. He was completely in charge. And on top of it all, he served them breakfast.

To be Jesus’ disciple is to be served in every conceivable way, from the payment of our sins, to the fish we catch, to our eternal home. And he is serving us all the time, even when we can’t see it.

In following Jesus there are seasons of bewildering intensity and seasons of bewildering waiting. He does not want us to panic during either. Jesus is in control of both. When you don’t understand him, trust in his promises. And when you’re not sure what to do next, do the next thing.

Prayer

Father, many times I don't understand what you are about but I am thankful You have all things in place and all You want me to do is the next thing you direct me to. Teach me to follow Your leading, one step at a time.

Waking , Waiting, Whispering, Waning Thoughts

From Just Like Jesus
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 1998, 2001) Max Lucado:

How do I live in God's presence? How do I detect his unseen hand on my shoulder and his inaudible voice in my ear? A sheep grows familiar with the voice of the shepherd. How can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here are a few ideas:

Give God your waking thoughts. Before you face the day, face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into his presence. I have a friend who makes it a habit to roll out of his bed onto his knees and begin his day in prayer. Personally, I don't get that far. With my head still on the pillow and my eyes still closed, I offer God the first seconds of my day. The prayer is not lengthy and far from formal. Depending on how much sleep I got, it may not even be intelligible. Often it's nothing more than "Thank you for a night's rest. I belong to you today."

Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend time with him in silence. The mature married couple has learned the treasure of shared silence; they don't need to fill the air with constant chatter. Just being together is sufficient. Try being silent with God. "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10 niv). Awareness of God is a fruit of stillness before God.

Give God your whispering thoughts. Through the centuries Christians have learned the value of brief sentence prayers, prayers that can be whispered anywhere, in any setting.

Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as "Thank you, Father," "Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord," "You are my resting place, Jesus" can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn't leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts.

And last, give God your waning thoughts. At the end of the day, let your mind settle on him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to God. Thank him for the good parts. Question him about the hard parts. Seek his mercy. Seek his strength. And as you close your eyes, take assurance in the promise: "He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep" (Ps. 121:4 niv). If you fall asleep as you pray, don't worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father.

What Do You Think About When You Have Nothing To Think About?

Scripture

Prov 23:7
"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."

Observation

What do you think about when you have nothing to think about? What do you think about when you are not thinking about your studies or your work? What really fills your mind? Because what we think about when we don't have anything to think about is what we will become. Its that powerful.

Our voluntary thoughts not only reveal what we are, they predict what we will become. All our conscious behaviour arises out of our thoughts. The will can be a servant of our thoughts. And to a large degree, even our emotions follow our thoughts. That is why we say, "The more I think about it, the madder I become." Our thought make us become. Thinking stirs feelings and feelings trigger action. That is the way we are made and we might as well accept it.

The Psalms and the Prophets contain countless references to the power of right thinking to bring forth right feeling and incite right behaviour:

Ps 119:59 (NKJ)
I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

Ps 39:3 (The Message)
My insides got hotter and hotter.
My thoughts boiled over;
I spilled my guts.

In the New Testament, Jesus equated thought with action:

Matt 5:28 (NIV)
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Paul recited a list of shining virtues and commanded, "Think about these things." (Phil 4:8)

These are but four quotes out of hundreds that can be cited in scripture. Thinking about God and holy things creates a favourable climate for the flourishing of the soul. We cannot by thinking take away our sins or become better people but we can by Spirit-inspired thinking, help to make our minds pure sanctuaries in which God is pleased to dwell.

Application

If you want to know your true spiritual condition, examine your voluntary thoughts over the last few hours or days. What have been your thoughts when you are free to think about whatever you please? If your thought was a bird that was able to fly out of your mind - was it more like a raven that went straight for dead carcasses of lust and bitterness and negativism or was it more like a dove that circled around the ark of God?

Such a test is easy to run, and if we are honest with ourselves, we can discover not only what we are but what we are going to become. We will soon be the sum of our voluntary thoughts.

Prayer

Father God, I offer my mind to You in complete surrender. Holy Spirit, come and take control of it immediately. Help me form the habit of holy thought. especially when I have nothing to think about. Amen.

In Kota Kinabalu - A Feast Everyday

I was in Kota Kinabalu this past week for two reasons. One, to spend time with the leadership of two churches there doing community penetration and two, to come before the Lord for 2008 in personal retreat. And while both objectives were well achieved over the six days that I was in KK, what came as a most pleasant bonus was all the feasting I was blessed with while I was there by the gracious KK folks.

KK is inundated with seafood restaurants. They are everywhere. I was so shocked to see a food court next to the cineplex in the city where every hawker stall caters only to seafood and nothing else! Imagine a whole food court with only seafood orders! And to Singapore standards, the seafood there is so cheap! So hurry!

Here are some of my recommendations for us FOOD enthusiasts:

Ocean Seafood Village

Situated in the city. It has a wide variety of seafood. The interior is very wooden more 'kampung' in ambiance. Try to have what they call it 'Sabah Vege' They really serves lip smacking dishes.

Krishna Curry House

This restaurant is situated at Penampang New Township (Towering Area). They took me there one night. I found the fish head unpalatable. We have far better fish head in Singapore. But what was really good was the Indian-style veges and the honey stir-fried bird dish. Unusual but interestingly appetizing. What more, with a free flow of teh-tarik, this curry place is worth trying.

Salut Seafood Restaurant

But the BEST seafood experience was at SALUT Seafood Restaurant (picture above). You got to drive half an hour from the city to this swamp, located near the Sepanggar Bay and Telipok and you get to the very place where they home- breed prawns, which make the prawns super fresh. The restaurant is build on stilts and from crab to fish to clams to prawns, this is THE ultimate seafood experience in Sabah, confirmed.

Tanjung Aru Beach

Another place worth going to is the Tanjung Aru beach front. The beach is unspoilt and scenic. They serve a local coffee called Tenam coffee. For me, it is just right for black coffee, not too strong. There is also a seafood restaurant there but it is very touristy. However, you should go to the nearby hawkers' centre. Try the fresh young coconut and order satay. Price is reasonable and the food is good.

Agape Sabah Mission Team

This post is dedicated to the mission team that is going to KK next week - while you serve the churches and their communities in KK, do enjoy yourselves. Pray much, serve wholeheartedly, learn a lot and eat well! Surely the Lord's presence and power will fill all of you in all do in His Name!

The rest of us, let's pray much for our team that is going there to bring the Lantern Carnival to a housing area called Sri Kepayang in KK. Pray the church will be made visible to the community and the community will become related to the church.

Are You Beyond Correction?

Scripture

Better a poor and wise youth
Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.
Eccl 4:13

Observation
It is not hard to understand why an old king, especially if he were a foolish one, would feel he is beyond admonition. After he had for years given orders, he probably came to the place in his life where he could not take advise from others anymore. His word has long been the law, and so to him other people's words no longer mattered, especially if they were contrary to his wants and his wishes. So he now thinks there can be no one wise enough or good enough to criticize him; he was above everyone else.

The state of heart that rejected admonition was characterized by Israel at various periods in her history, and these periods were followed by judgment. When Jesus came to the Jews he found them full of arrogance and self-sufficiency; so much so they would not accept correction. "We are the seeds of Abraham," they said to him coldly when he talked to them about their sins. The common people heard him and repented, but the Jewish priests had ruled the temple for too long to be willing to surrender their lofty positions. Like the old king, they had gotten accustomed to be right all the time. To correct them was to insult them. They were already too smart; too high up there. They were beyond correction.

Application

We can fall into the same trap. After a time of success and growth and maturing comes the deadly psychology of self-congratulation. Then success itself becomes the cause of future failure. We become arrogant. We get high-handed. We think our success is proof enough that we are above reproof. Who are you to tell me what to do when I am more successful, and more able than you? I am 'the seed of Abraham.' And who would dare find fault with the elite seed of Abraham?

Sometimes people can get so far over the precipice that whatever you say to them, they just won't listen. There is nothing much we can do for such people except to ask the Lord to deal with their pride and arrogance but we can place some markers along the way for the rest of us so that we don't go over that precipice.

Here are 4 markers:

(1) Don't defend yourself, your ministry or your church against criticism. If the criticism is false, it can do no harm. If it is true, you need to hear it and do something about it.

(2) Don't be caught up with your past success. Be concern instead for future success. Your ability to listen to correction will give to you your preferred future in a far better package!

(3) When corrected, do not be overly disturbed by the source. The substance of the correction is more important than the source. You don't have to evaluate whether the correction comes from a friend or an enemy. Often, a correction from an enemy is better because he is not influenced by sympathy towards you.

(4) Keep your heart open to the correction of the Lord regardless of who holds the whip. The great saints of old all learnt to take a whipping gracefully - and that may be the reason why they were great saints!

Prayer

Dear Lord, whom You love, You discipline. Give me the grace to humbly accept correction so that I will always see Your hand of favour in my future.

Tell-Tale Signs That Bitterness Is Growing in Your Life

Scripture

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. Hebrews 12:15

Observation

When you find yourself constantly saying something derogatory about someone else, pay attention to what's happening! What you're saying about that person is a tell-tale sign that some bad seed is trying to take root in your heart.

Hebrews 12:15 tells us how to recognize bad seed when it begins to produce destructive fruit in our lives. It says, ...lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you.... The words springing up are from the Greek word phuoo. This word depicts a little plant that is just starting to sprout and grow. It isn't a large plant yet; rather, it's a small seedling that is just breaking through the soil and starting to peek out at the world. However, the very fact that it's peeking through the soil means there is a seed hidden in the soil producing this new life.

This is a very significant picture. It tells us that bitterness doesn't overwhelm us all at once. Instead, it grows a little here and a little there until it finally becomes a huge, ugly growth that defiles our entire lives. Bitterness usually starts peeking up out of the depths of our souls in the form of negative thoughts about another person or a sour, sharp, distrusting, cynical attitude toward someone who has offended us. If the root is not quickly uprooted and removed, that bitterness will eventually become a full-blown tree that produces bitter, wounding, hurtful, and scornful fruit for everyone who eats of it.

Heb 2:15 shouts its warning: If you don't stop these attitudes, they will eventually trouble you. The words trouble you are from the Greek word enochleo, which means to trouble, to harass, or to annoy. It refers to something inside that bothers and upsets you so much, you are constantly pestered by thoughts about it. In fact, your whole life is stalked by these hassling, troubling thoughts. What you allowed to take root and to fester inside your soul has now become a major nuisance to your peace, keeping you upset and emotionally torn up all the time.

Application

• Do you have a grudge against someone that just gnaws away at you all the time?

• Every time you see that person, do you feel something sharp and ugly inside?

• When you hear about that person being blessed, do you wonder how God could possibly bless him when he did such an ugly thing to you?

• Do negative thoughts like these pester and bother you all the time?

If you relate to the questions above, then watch out! It may mean that a root of bitterness is growing inside you and that bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness are starting to hound and stalk you wherever you go!

You really don’t want to take that path. You'll lose your peace, forfeit your joy, and toss aside your victory. It's too painful, too hurtful, and costs you too much in your walk with God.

Prayer

Lord, I ask You to please forgive me for allowing negative thoughts about others to consume me. Even though I don't like what they did to me, I have no right to be bitter and resentful. I realize now that I am acting just as ugly inwardly as they acted outwardly. In Your eyes, my sin is just as bad as theirs. I am truly sorry for allowing these attitudes to grow inside me, Lord. To the best of my ability, I turn right now from the wrong thoughts that have been consuming me, and I choose instead to speak well of those who have offended or hurt me. Holy Spirit, help me uproot those wrong feelings from my heart and replace them with love and forgiveness.

I pray this in Jesus' name

Populating Heaven

Kim Yoon-young is reunited with her family members
on her arrival at a hospital in Seoul.

Scripture

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." (Revelation 7:9)

Observation

John's vision of a multitude of ethnicity before the throne of God must have been colourful. Although, they were all wearing white robes signifying their purity by the blood of Jesus, there must have been a rainbow of colours represented in the people. From every language, worshiping with all their hearts - what a symphony that must have been!

And in that crowd will be the Afghans, the Koreans, the Iraqis, the Pakistanis, the Singaporeans - every nation, every tribe, every languauge. This is God's final plan. And through the ages, he is using every situation and circumstance to populate heaven, so that we will all be with him - forever! That was the purpose of the Cross!

Application

My take home this morning is one of fervent expectation - to be among the multitudes giving God honour! I'm not worried about how crowded it might be or the waving palm branches of others stinging my face. To be among the colourful nationals, created to shout with our native tongues - Glory to God and to know that through it all, no matter what had happened in my life or in my world, God has finally triumphant!

All the 19 South Koreans held hostage by the Taliban have been released.

A story from Time Magazine asks what resolving this crisis really cost South Korea. Will this crisis result in the kidnapping of other South Koreans in an attempt to force South Korea out of Iraq? Did South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's mishandling of the crisis force him into negotiations? Did South Korea pay a ransom (US$20 million?) in addition to pulling out its troops and Christian aid workers from Afghanistan?

Tactically, this is good news for the hostages, for their families, and for South Korea. It is a prayer answered for the hostages. Strategically, this may prove to be a disaster of monumental proportions, endangering South Koreans in Iraq but foreigners of any nationality in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But spiritually, God is still on the throne. And He is still in control. And He isn't finish yet. Surely, He is up to something!

For one thing, the missionary fervour of the South Korean church has not been quenched. Pastor Cho Yonggi said this in his church on Sunday:

Again, my prayer is that something like this doesn’t discourage people all around the world - regardless of their religious views- to pursue a desire to DO GOOD and help fellow humanity. It is my prayer that this doesn’t discourage Christian missionaries around the world to pursue their convictions in both communicating and demonstrating the gospel and grace of Christ.

Why so? Because God is populating heaven and He does it through His Church despite the obstacles and the hindrances.

Prayer

Dear Lord, when I am home in heaven I will understand all that is happening in the world today fully. But right now, thank you Lord for clarifying for me what I must know - that You are doing all things with a purpose of populating heaven. Count me in, Lord!