Category His & My Story

Spirtual insights and my daily reflections with God in my life. My life is now a shared journey with God. My story is His story.

Embracing More of My Life In Christ

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The tattoo mark near my forehead has been with me for the past 15 years. It was done during my delinquency days and was supposed to identify one as a fighter.

In Hokkien there is a saying that’s used to describe people who have this tattoo, “Tou Ghan Zi Tiam… Pah Lang Bo Zeng Tiam.”

In literal translation it means, “Those head put one dot… beat people don’t know how to stop (without restraint).” Ha ha…

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

But in a couple of weeks more, this tattoo mark will be gone forever as I am undergoing laser treatment to permanently remove it.

The Life of Joseph: Dreams Fulfilled

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Recently, I read about the life story of Joseph through the pages of Genesis. His story is one that is truly inspiring.

This time reading it again brought fresh insights and revelation from God.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Romans 15:4

Interestingly, my observation about Joseph’s life has enabled me have more clarity in what He might be doing in my life and how I too should respond in any given circumstances.

The man of dreams

Joseph was described as a man of dreams or the dreamer as it was recorded that he had two dreams which illustrated how his father and his brothers knelt before him.

This revelation about his future was given unto him when he was just a young lad. And I can imagine how Joseph must had been feeling so excited about it.

Cos if he wasn’t, he would not have gone around sharing it to his brothers who were incensed with jealousy.

Later on, we read that his brothers plotted against him and sold him to be a slave. Joseph was eventually brought to Egypt where he served Potiphar’s household.

The Author of dreams

When reading the plight of Joseph, it would be natural to pity with him in how he was betrayed by his own flesh and blood.

From being a young master with a comfortable, secure and good life, Joseph was now a slave leading a dirty, tough and poor life.

But as I read on, I’ve come to realise how the Hand of God was writing the chapters of Joseph’s life towards fulfilling his dreams when he was made the Prime Minister of Egypt.

If Joseph had not been not sold and remained with his family in the land of Canaan, then his dreams would have never been fulfilled. All the chain of events from the betrayal of his brothers to his imprisonment was orchestrated by God to bring Joseph closer to his dreams.

Likewise, things (whether good or bad) happen to us for His reason and purpose. we must not lose the plot and react negatively. Hence, we must fix our eyes on Him and trust in His love and promises.

Dreams fulfilled

In chapter 45 of Genesis, we read that Joseph cried uncontrollably when he saw his brothers kneeling before him. In the past, I used to think that it was because he felt guilty towards his brothers that he cried. Or that it was because he missed them so much that he cried.

Now, I realised that it was none of what I had thought before. Rather it was because he saw his dreams coming to pass before his eyes when his brothers knelt before him.

And upon seeing his dreams fulfilled, he finally understood why God had put him through all the years of suffering as a slave in Egypt. Joseph could now put the pieces of his life together and truly see how awesome God was.

I believe we can also experience this (our dreams fulfilled) if we remain steadfast in our faith in God by constantly growing in His grace and knowledge of His word. And that’s what I pray and look forward to in my own life.

Being All That I Can Be For Him

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Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever.

I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view.

I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

1 Corinthians 9:19-24 (The Message)

Just some “tagged” questions…

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1. What’s your ideal partner like?

Someone who’s not only God-fearing, but loves people with a lifestyle of service. She must also be a lady that is respectful to others. And towards me, she has to be exceptionally supportive and patient since I am work-in-progress. Ha ha…

2. If your partner betrayed you, what will your reaction be?

Devastated. I think I will certainly hide in my “cave” for 1-2 weeks before I can come out and feel normal again to talk to her.

3. What will your dream wedding be like?

In a garden or anywhere outdoors with beautiful flowers and greenery as our backdrop for a touch of simplicity and nature.

4. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

To be truly blessed, we need to love and be loved. Having one lesser than the other is not exactly blessed.

5. Would you rather be single & rich or married but poor?

Why cannot be married and rich?! Ha ha… But if I only have these two choices then I would choose being married but poor. That’s because I believe life is about the relationships we build around us and not mainly about material possessions we accumulate.

6. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?

Being a travelling minister or a global “tent-maker” for the Lord.

7. How do you see yourself in ten years time?

In another country as a “tent-maker” with a business to fund my ministry.

8. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?

Status quo; mediocrity; ineffective leadership limited by lack of vision, wisdom and love.

Defeating Darkness with Light

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Shining His light brightly as His star God calls His people who are called by His Name to be the Light of the world; and to shine as His Light is not exactly optional.

However in reality, many of us may have allowed Darkness- the worldly influences and corrupted state of our environment- to overwhelm us to either the point of conformity or to the point of indifference/status quo.

Therefore, Edmund Burke’s statement that “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” does hold alot of truth and explains why the Church is weak (my general opinion).

Light versus darkness

In one of my recent private moments with God, I was gently reminded of the power that light had against darkness. And that darkness is only the result of the absence of light.

When there is total darkness, even the faintest of light will breakthrough and be seen instantenously. Light disperses darkness.

The same cannot be said for darkness. Whether there is a dim or brightest of light, no matter how much more darkness there is surrounding it. Darkness can NEVER disperse light. 

Though darkness looks over-powering and hideous, it actually has no direct affect on light. But it can only overshadow light when light fizzles or fades away.

Being the Light of the world

Likewise as Christians, our “dark” or adverse situation can only defeat us or overwhelm us if we choose to fizzle off or fade away to the background. That’s how we hand over victory or the authority to our enemy.

“… Become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…”

Philippians 2:14-16

With understanding of the power light has against darkness, this gives us the confidence that we can only emerge victorious IF we believe in His word and keeping shining by stand our ground.

As Christians, we can take heart that despite being the minority in the world; in our marketplace; in our community or family; our light will stand out even more and shine even brighter.

Positionally, we are fighting a sure-win battle, but we need to have faith and claim our victory.

I Want to Be God-Made, not Self-Made

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He's Potter, I am the clayI think it is not uncommon to hear stories of self-made men and women; in how they climbed from “rags to riches” or how they overcame the adverse odds to experience success.

Not sure about you, but I do enjoy reading or listening to such life stories as they never fail to inspire me with their deep sense of purpose and determination to achieve the seemingly impossible.

In fact, I also think that each one of us have that similar potential, but the only difference that distinguishes us from these men and women is having that clear and distinct sense of purpose in life.

Knowing our true purpose

It is safe to say that many of us go through life with no real sense of purpose. We are merely “chasing the wind”.

We chase from one event to another; one life-station to another; one trend to another; one product or gadget to another.

However, in my humble opinion (undergirded by my understanding of scriptures and God), our ultimate life purpose is to make God be known with and through our lives as His workmanship or masterpiece.

Which means whatever little or big successes that we strive to achieve and experience, we do it as an act of worship unto God who gives us the ability and the opportunity to do so.

Being God-made, not self-made

I recalled this tortise on a lamp-post story. When we see a tortise up on a lamp-post, we know someone had placed it there. Cos how can a tortise climb up a lamp-post rite?

It has been 8 years since I have committed and surrendered my life to Him. And I can testify that not I, but He who has been re-building my life from the mess I gave to Him. Like that tortise, I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for God and I am still “work in progress”.

Besides salvation, I am certain He wants to give me more and work in me even more than I can ever imagine. And I am looking forward to what He is instore ahead.

I pray that in all the successes that come my way, they will speak of me as a God-made man, and not a self-made man. Amen.

God’s Masterpiece Part 2

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Taking the step of faithContinuing where I had left off…

In late 2000, my eyes was drawn to a recruitment ad which was looking for restaurant servers. I felt led and so I called, to which an interview was arranged.

To my utter surprise, I landed the job with Morton’s of Chicago after the interview. I knew that besides having prior experience in the service industry during my school days, God was orchestrating all these possibilities.

Deciding to take the step of faith and now actually taking those steps was scary, yet amazingly thrilling.

It was good to be walking in God’s plan and will.

Adapting to my new job

Shortly, the reality of my new job sunk in, especially when peers asked me what I was doing.

Telling them where and what I was working was challenging as in a worldy viewpoint, I seemed to have down-graded in my profession. However, from God’s viewpoint I knew that He was upgrading me.

Though I didn’t know fully then why God led me to that new job, but I enjoyed it. As a server, I had to embrace humilty and consequently I found my passion in serving people.

Through this phase, my security and identity in Him was truly instilled.

God knows best

Subsequently after a few months in my new job, God led in my decision to study full-time in a Bible Seminary ran by Hope Singapore Church. That was when I realised how much more of the job was part of God’s plan.

Miraculously, Morton’s allowed me to convert from full-time to a part-time. This not only allowed me to have sustainable income, but enabled me in coping with the demands of my 9-month stint as a seminary student.

God knows best and through Him, I completed the seminary course and awaited for His next step for me.

(To be cont’d…)

Mixing Christianity with Politics

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Last week, Barrack Obama finally emerged as the Democratic Presidential Nominee against Hillary Clinton after a gruelling campaign since the beginning of this year.

Barack Obama for PresidentThe final battle now sees Obama squaring off with his Republican counterpart, John McCain for the “hot seat” in being the next US President.

Personally, I am rooting Obama for the next US President as he comes across as a leader who is refreshingly different and truly inspires hope and change that is desperately needed in our arena of politics.

Politics, a “dirty” business

In the past, I used to think that Christianity and Politics do not and should not mix.

That old school of thought was due to the misconception that politics was a “dirty” business that was only for the greedy and power-hungry people.

But now with a better understanding of His truth, I acknowledge that what I initially thought was not completely correct. And as it is precisely a “dirty” business that the more Christ is needed to penetrate the arena of politics and to clean it up.

Christ in Politics

Christianity does not exist in isolation. Jesus sent us into the world to permeate our society and its culture with His love and truth.

In fact, Christianity affects every part of our lives and it isn’t just something we keep for Sundays. We cannot and should not limit God and what He can do through us.

The Church needs to engage our world by speaking up and be heard on issues about everything from economics to education, from defence to healthcare, and I believe a Christian perspective needs to be voiced out on all of these things.

As His Church, let’s get out of the ghetto, and take part and influence in what’s goes on in our world!

A Miracle of God’s Love

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Thomas and meLast Saturday, a miracle happened before my eyes. My friend, Thomas received Jesus as His Lord and Saviour.

Thomas used to be my “big brother” during our days in da gang. So you can imagine my mix feelings of unbelief (in a surreal manner) and joy when he said the sinner’s prayer! Ha ha….

His salvation is indeed a testimony of God’s unwavering love for each one of us especially those who are considered a lost cause by people’s standard.

Thankfully God’s standard is always higher than us, man’s. And did I mention that I had been waiting for this day for the past 8 years?!

Wow… Am I bowled over by the love of God!

Thank God for being merciful in saving him from a world of darkness into His marvelous light!

Hallelujah!