Month May 2007

Leaders versus Followers

andrewong2024 5 Comments

When leaders make a mistake, they say, “I was wrong.”
When followers make mistakes, they say, “It wasn’t my fault.”

A leader works harder than a follower and has more time;
a follower is always “too busy” to do what is necessary.

A leader goes through a problem;
a follower goes around it and never gets past it.

A leader makes and keeps commitments;
a follower makes and forgets promises.

A leader says, “I’m good, but not as good as I ought to be;”
a follower says, “I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.”

Leaders listen;
followers just wait until it’s their turn to talk.

Leaders respect those who are superior to them and tries to learn something from them;
followers resent those who are superior to them and try to find chinks in their armor.

Leaders feel responsibile for more than their job;
followers say, “I only work here.”

A leader says, “There ought to be a better way to do this;”
followers say, “That’s the way it’s always been done here.”

 

Taken from www.Inspirationalarchive.com

Family prayer time

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

Quite amazing what is unfolding within my family after the prayer for my family during the GDOP.

Yesterday I learnt that my sister-in-law, Jeslyn was hospitalised. She was warded after she had passed out. It was only then she was suspected to have a prolonged serious illness when she had lost much feeling over her limbs.

Personally I think this is a serious case.

But remarkably, my mum who was there actually rallied my brother and me to pray over her. And prayed we did.

It was my first time hearing my mum prayed or praying with her. Not bad leh…

I cannot doubt that God has been working much in her life over these passed 2 years. Especially lately, I have even noticed how she has calmed down alot with her hot tempered-ness. She’s now more patient with me and my brothers =p 

Back to my sis-in-law, at least last night we managed to get her connected with God. That’s a good start. 

Please pray with me that she will not only miraculously recover but encounter our living and loving God too.

Global Day of Prayer

andrewong2024 5 Comments

I heard about this Global Day of Prayer meet some weeks ago, but it was never my intention to participate in it.

Call me a sceptic but I am not one who do things for the sake of doing when there is no real purpose. And in my opinion, I reckoned that the Global Day of Prayer event would be of any good or use at all.

So what if Christians go there to gather and pray? What happens after the event? Will there be real change in their lives with the situation remaining the same?

And the purpose of those attending? Is it just to be in the buzz and glam of a big event? If so, what’s the point of being part of it?

God had His answer. This was how our conversation went….

God: Go to GDOP 

Me: Huh?? Really must go? Why?

God: Do your little part in unite-ing the body of Christ.

Me: Orh… ok lor… *sheepishly*

And so I went. I laid me (my rights) down for His sake.

Well… I did enjoyed the time with God there. But more importantly, I’m glad I obeyed Him and did my part in building the spiritual walls of His Church for His glory.

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”

1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV)

Funny signages

andrewong2024 2 Comments

1.       BENG Auto Accessories

Trust BENG to take good care of your car!

Here we have hard-working Ah Bengs to do the job and we offer a whole range of stolen car accessories.

And we only accept payment by cash only OR ELSE….

2.       EDEN Spring Mattresses

Just the mattress to spring up productivity for Singapore’s baby boom… Hee hee… 

And what better name- Eden, where it all started!  =P

I love His word

andrewong2024 4 Comments

When I was still taking my part-time studies, I was craving to be in Hope Sem where I could study His word. Finally, I am able to enrol in Hope Seminary (or Hope Sem for short) and my first class started early this week.

I really love His word. There are just so much wonderful and amazing truths and principles awaiting to be uncovered in the bible. And everytime a truth is uncovered, I understand something new about God!

I never was a book-worm or studious kind of person. My past record speaks for itself as a school drop-out. But after experiencing the transforming power of His word, I can’t get enough of studying the Bible. If it were not for His word, I would not have started studying again. 

In 2001 I enrolled in Hope’s Institute of Leadership Development (ILD) which is now known as Hope Sem. It was there, that God trained and disciplined me as a student. And following that year, I took my private ‘O’ levels with God’s leading.

When the results were out, all my subjects did farely average except for Religious Studies where I received an A2 grade. God was glorified. Ha ha… CMI… =p

Now, I am glad that I am back in Hope Sem where I can deepen my hunger for His word and sustain my spirit of learning.

Be on constant alert

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
       they will never be silent day or night.
       You who call on the LORD,
       give yourselves no rest,

and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
       and makes her the praise of the earth.”

Isaiah 62:6-7 (NIV)

My the other family

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

I was blessed with my visit to Melaka as I attended the Hope Melaka service on Sunday. I think it is amazing that as a Hope member, we are well-connected in almost every corner on the face of this earth.

What connects us deeply all over the world is the vision to fulfill God’s mandate in carrying out the Great Commission (c.f. Matthew 28:18-20).  Our Hope churches bleed, sweat, eat and breathe on it.

And it was great to witness the Great Commission in action with this visit.

 

Since my first visit 6 years ago, I have observed the growth of this sister church. Now they have grown in quantity, quality and diversity.

Really must affirm the serving leaders of this Hope Melaka in pouring their lives out to grow this church family.

From top we have Aaron who is Ah Long’s (from WAM) elder brother. New addition is David from Nigeria who is studying in Melaka in a Multimedia University. Through him, many of his fellow Africans are with us.

The last from the right is Brother David who is the churchplanter from Johore. May God use Hope International to spread His love and truth all over the world, covering every soul that is alive.  

My family roots

andrewong2024 2 Comments

The weekend over at Melaka was fruitful though tiring from the travelling up and down.

Another reason going back besides taking a break was to spend time with my family; visiting my roots.

I remember my childhood days where visits to Melaka were frequent for my family to spend time with my grandma and other relatives. But most of my relatives have already made Singapore their home.

Re-living my childhood memories is easy since most of the things in Melaka remains almost unchanged like the home my grandma lives. Even my aunties and uncles do not seem to age over the years.

This visit was primarily to celebrate my grandma’s 85th birthday. She has 9 sons and 1 daughter, so a grand total of 10 children. Grandchildren got aleast 13 and great grandchildren 5 and more on the way… Ha ha…

They say visiting your roots is good and I totally agree. When you study the past, you can understand the present and thus, be better prepared for the future.

For instance, most of my uncles love to drink. It made me realised why I picked the drinking bottle so easily in the past, cos I see them do it commonly when I was growing up. Indirectly, I modelled after them so that I could be part of them in order to be accepted as family.  

But of cos, family influence is just one factor. Ultimately, it’s the choices that we make in life as we assume responsiblity for our own lives.

In retrospect, now I see why God had commanded me to quit drinking; to free me and to change the curses to blessings on my family in the generations to come.

The future generations: My cousins, Jacintha and Aaron with grandma

In my own future family, I pray that I will be able to set an example of loving and serving God and His Church so that the generations of the next can model after and carry this lifestyle into their own families. Amen.

Off to Melaka

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

Taking off to Melaka over this weekend for my grandma’s birthday. Really looking forward to catching up with my cousins and catching up with God too.

This trip is a good personal retreat to sort some of my thoughts out and to regain His power in me. Need a re-charge. Please pray for me, I need a still heart. Thx! 

EPCglobal/RFID Singapore Forum 2007

andrewong2024 1 Comment

I did my first real emcee-ing for the passed two days- yesterday and today!

This was an annual 2-day conference with speakers from around the globe attracting delegates who wanted to keep updated on the progress of Radio Frequencey Identification (RFID) technology in other parts of the world.

 

This to me was my first huge corporate event that I ever emcee-ed. My past gigs were for parties, weddings and work or church events. So I can thank God for all the training he had provided me with the opportunities when I had served others =)

The most embarassing part was attempting to roll out this Thai presenter’s name- Mr Panitarn Pavarolavidya.

You try it… Ha ha

Actually this EPCglobal which champions RFID global standards within world trade and industry is a very interesting and controversial topic. Using RFID you can know exact whereabouts (real-time) of your goods and information can be stored in the chip such as expiry date, source, manufactured date and etc…

For example: Wal-mart uses it with great effect to its global supply chain. 

With globalisation, this will definitely be very much part of our lives and thus fulfilling what many Christians have pointed as a prophesy in the book of Revelation. Whether this is true or not, this is another story.

But here’s one such claim to read>>>