Fire proves His Love!

Gosh!

Saw the weekly POINTCAST from my church back home, and came across them inviting people to come watch this movie called "Fireproof"

It is about a marriage restoration, and in that journey, the guy gave His life to Jesus!

I am in awe at how amazingly God works through people's lives...

This quote caught my attention:-

"Don’t follow your heart, because your heart can be deceived. Lead your heart!"

It's 3.35am now, so will talk more about this movie next time :-)

Winning the invinsible war!

I was just recapturing the thoughts that Chuen shared with me the other night with one of my urban life member…

We initially planned to have a girls’ outing – playing basketball, among our Urban Life girls last Sunday. However, due to some challenges, it was cancelled! My friend asked me, “Why whenever we plan something for the girls, it always didn’t turn out…”

Here’s the thing…

The work of enemy, the world & our flesh are constantly battling against us – churches are prosecuted & mocked, believers that are ridiculed or insulted, ministry constantly facing challenges & obstacles… the list goes on. But if all these don’t happen, it shows that the church is unknown or unheard. Our ministry is not sound. The enemy doesn’t think it’s worth his time trying to put away or bring down what God is trying to do in this world. The enemy sees that the church is weak enough, hence he doesn’t need to do anything but just sit back & watch as the church fades away from the eye of the world.

But if the enemy is making every effort to bring down, to stop, to oppress the work of God that churches & believers try to do – trying to bring the message of reconciliation in Jesus Christ, it shows that we are doing the right thing! We are heading the right decision! We are fighting the right fight! We are claiming whatever that is rightfully ours (given by God)!

We can’t just give up, or feel discourage we just face a few strikes from the enemy; we gotta keep defending & attacking back until we claim everything that belongs to God & ours! & we are not doing it alone, but God is with us & for us til the very end! So, DON’T GIVE UP! Kick off the thoughts of negativities, the thoughts that says “Someone’s can do a better job” “I am so lousy” “I’m hindering others’ growth” but put on the helmet that Jesus has given us – helmet of salvation.

Phil4:8 (Msg) Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

Zeal & Passion for God!

Rom12:11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Joh2:17… “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”

“What is your passion?”

“Is your passion God?

“Is God’s passion your passion?”

“Is your passion serving God?”

“Is your passion hot?”

What is the condition of your heart when comes to God & His Kingdom? Is it still burning fervently or is the fire fading away?

Hand & Feet for Jesus!

It has been a fortnight since 2008 Hillsong Conference. It certainly has been a blessing moment for me. God really shaped my character & core being as a whole – enlarging it to prepare the way for His people.

I began this conference, fasting and knowing that God wanna realign my vision… Not knowing most of the speakers that were coming this year, there weren’t any expectations. As the conference begins, God constantly reminded about “JUSTICE” “POVERTY” “COMPASSION”… I know my heartbeat is to reach out to the young people, so the poor & needy never cross my mind. Not that I don’t feel for them, but this issue never compelled me to move “the other side of the road”. I told God, “Yes, I know about these people, tell me more. Enough telling me about them!” I sorta avoid/run away from these 3 words God constantly placed in my heart.

I remembered this pastor mentioning this verse:-

Mat25: 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

“God’s heart is always with the poor. If you wanna serve God & not involve these people that He cares, You are not serving God!”

That statement spoke to me deeply. God cares for these people so much, and if I wanna serve Him & please Him but not think/care/remember/consider/do something for those who are in needs & living in poverty, I am not serving God. If I sing “break my heart for what break Yours” and not doing so, then God’s heartbeat is not my heartbeat.

Felt that, for now I should just “do” it… If it pleases God, I’ll do so, and I know as I continue to serve Him in this area, I believe He will cultivate this heartbeat in me. He will break my heart & make me fall in love with these people.

Gal2: 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This conference speaks to me about “Loving God & Loving His people!” Never less than that. Felt that it is much more impactful than the previous conference, and the conviction really shaped my heart to be more like Him. I thank God for the good start & I am excited to be a hand & feet to extend His kingdom.

Victorious, I will be!

Psa144:1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.

2 He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.

A friend sent me this verse yesterday! Find it so stirring. Trusting God that He has equipped my hands for the past 4 1/2 years for this exams, & He is gonna bring me through the MCQ & patients victoriously! Will draw His strength & immerse in His power as I go through this week!!!

Activate it!

Was replying an email today, and remembered on the famous bible passage about Peter stepping out of the boat!

A lot of times we said “We’re waiting for our destiny, our calling!” “Still asking God what He wants me to do.” “I don’t wanna do the things unless God speaks to me about it.”

Sounds familiar?

But if we continue to remain in the “boat” (at a position that we’re waiting, not stepping out) we will never know or experience what God has in store for us. Likewise, for Peter to fully experience God’s miracle, He has to STEP OUT! Even for the disciples, before Jesus die on the cross, do you think they know what their callings were? I’m sure all they had in mind at that time is to follow Jesus! Follow what He is doing, apply what He is teaching & imitate Him as He imitates God! God’s work only happens if we make the first move. Always been that way! He will reveal to you what your callings/purpose are, but you must first step out & start searching. That’s when faith comes in. We need our faith to be activated to receive our calling.

Mat17:20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

The word little in Hebrew is not less/small or anything. In Hebrew, it is actually “no”!

Look, Jesus said you just need faith as small as mustard seed! Do you need a lot? No! But I believe at that time He is saying “apply your faith into your life!” “IT’S PRACTICAL TIME! YOU’VE HEARD THE THEORY!”

The fire within us!

Someone once said, " If you don't have a passion worthy dying for, you have nothing worth living for. If you are not willing to suffer for something, you really aren't passionate about anything."

I quote this from the Passion Quest blog. What a powerful statement – this statement stir something within me. It somehow realign my direction as I walk my life journey with God.

Like what the blogger said “If you have one, is it worth living/dying for?” Common, this statement is provoking. It somehow brings me to a point where yah, “Am I sold out to the passion that I have?”

So, what is my passion??? I know I love God a lot. I know that it is my desire to see young people rise up, and start believing God for more and trusting Him to take their natural circumstances to a supernatural intervention! I get excited when I see my friends excited about what God is doing in their lives, and what they believe God is about to do. I get stirred when I see them pumped up to do what God has set for each of them. THIS IS MY PASSION – SEEING EACH OF THEM GROW INTIMATELY & SOLD OUT FOR OUR LIVING GOD!

It is a cause worth living for! I believe even as I am called to be a doctor to serve this community, God’s work will work through my career and my interaction with people!

During this season of my finals, I have so much inadequacy! I need so much miracles & interventions. I dunno how but I need God to work through every bit of my life – in my spiritual journey with Him, in my life as a medical student, in my role as a son, in my Urban Life group, in my personal time with my friends – I need You to take control. The time I have is sufficient, but I need You to make it more effective. Bible says, “The more they are oppressed, they more they grew!” I pray the same prayer will work in my life.

During these 4 weeks of time pressing moments, I’m not gonna let it dilute my passion! My passion is gonna grow even more out of the oppression that it is gonna face/facing! It is gonna be 4 weeks filled with God’s favor & intervention! God, You take Your place and do as You please!

Exercise Part 2

I am in my I-must-keep-in-shape mood now! With strict diet restriction (er, konon la) and consistent exercise, I'm trying to burn off my tummy that seem to have grown to a significant shape, a shape that I won't go on elaborating.

So, like I promised in my previous post, my exercise routine is not gonna be last. So, today I did my 2nd jog on my treadmill, but this time around I was on for 25mins. Wohoo!!! Progressing!!!

Thinking of my 3rd exercise routine now... Probably should do some crunches later. Did 100 last Sunday, and another time yesterday.. 6 packs are emerging! Another WoHoooo!!!!

Starting point!

Mark today's date everyone!

I woke up early -0730 and had a 15 minutes run on my treadmill!!! FINALLY, did my exercise for the first time since I got back to KL!

Some of you must be thinking - 15 mins is too short, and what a waste of time, but I'm trying to build my stamina again... So, watch out for more updates on my exercise routine! This post is definitely first for 2008, but not the last! :-)

Live LOUD!

Was talking to Chuen yesterday and she said “The words of one person can be so powerful. Because of one encounter she had with a doctor when her grandma was critically ill, she was inspired. The doctor might not be the person that walk her entire medical career decision, but she surely had planted the first seed!”

The power of one person’s word! Whether you realize it our not, you are actually making a difference. We are constantly influencing the people around us without us noticing it.

During my junior’s farewell, she shared how this friend left a footprint in her life. She said 2 ½ years ago, when she first met her friend, J, she was actually crying in her room. But she was so thankful of J for being there, comforting her. When she was sharing this with J, J hardly remembered this encounter – maybe, he was there offering her tissue box; but this “one day” was vividly remembered by my friend.

Your action and presence matters! You may not notice it, but you are making a mark!

Why am I so passionately illustrating this? This is because recently, I have a couple of encounters with different people saying that they do not wanna return to Malaysia after graduation. Say lifestyle overseas is much better than the one in KL. Well, I have no problem with that, because, facts remain as one! Undeniably true. What saddens me was when I hear them saying that our country is “beyond repair”- lack of rights, privileges, opportunities; political issues; corruption – thefts, robberies, crime; the list goes on. To a certain degree, well this might be true. “The grass is always greener on the other side”

Speaking of overseas, I mean the developed countries. Yah, it is definitely cleaner, healthier air to breathe in, better pay and lifestyle, maybe less corruption. But don’t forget, the developed countries been thru what developing countries going through before. We don’t know, because we weren’t born in that generation to see/experience it. What about gun shooting? What about sex promiscuity? Parents’ abandonment? Kids’ upbringing? Do any of these developed countries doing any better than our country? I can’t put a “yes” answer. You tell me!

But I believe, if young people start to have this mentality and start to flee from this country and never return, I wonder what our country will turn out to be. Probably worse? I don’t know. But if we start doing/saying something, I believe there will be changes! Because as lives are changed, values and characters will change for the better, and with that, actions change too!

Maybe the person that you share lives with will one day be a leader in a big company. With that, the values of this company might change. The way they handle business, treat their employees, deal with marketing strategies. Or who knows, this person might turn out to be a doctor, saving lives and doing mission works for the poor, or maybe borderless doctor! Or another possibility where this person’s life might be changed thru’ one word of encouragement that comes from you during a cold, dark night where this man is in his lowest moment. God puts many crossroads in our lives, where we meet different people, and speak into each others’ lives at different point of time. We sometimes help shaped another person’s defining moment without us realizing it.

It’s not a matter of becoming a hero, change the world or whatever. But I believe it is about impacting lives. Even preaching the gospel, it’s not just about getting someone to say the sinner’s prayer, but it is about allowing people experience God in every moment of their lives. That’s a change! That’s the difference I wanna make!

Pastor Shawn said in his blog, “Make a calling decision, not merely a career decision. Make a life, don't just make a living.” I second this statement. My life is definitely a calling decision given by God. What about yours? Is your life so small that it can only be all about you?

Pro18:21The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.