Hello
As much as possible, I'll try to share an inspirational video every Wednesday and this week, I would like to share a testimony of a man who went from being a satanist to a Christian. Here's the video link...
From satanist to Christian
One of the impactful quotes from this video was when He was asking God why does He permit the attacks from the devil , the trials, and the tribulations. God simply answered Him by saying, "I want to know how much you love and trust Me"
Sometimes we may not understand what is going on in our lives, and as Pastor Bernard said before, this is when our "FAITH" is tested. What is the main thing the devil wants to steal from us. That is our faith.. The moment we lose faith, we lose our connection with God. The devil is known as the great deceiver and sometimes he will deceive us with things that may seem good for us, like in the instance of this testimony.
Similarly, when Jesus was in the wilderness, He went 40 days without food. At his most vulnerable point, that is when the devil came and tempted Him by promising all the things He could have if He just worshiped him.
And how did the devil start, he started by attacking his basic needs. Jesus was hungry, and the devil said, in contemporary language, "just turn these stones to bread, you know you can as you are the son of God"
But Jesus didn't, He replied, in Matt 4:4 "Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God"
What does this speak of? it speaks of selflessness. As young Christians we ask God for many things and yes God will provide but God is not just a wish-granter. He is more interested in your character! Ultimately, God is our loving father and just like an earthly father, He wants to see us grow, build character and be a person of value to the household. That is why sometimes He wants to test our faith in Him!
Sometimes this process involves hardships and difficult choices that we don't want to make as it doesn't satisfy our immediate needs. We just don't want to wait and hence we go looking elsewhere, which is exactly where the devil wants to lead us to.
However, as soon as we go there, we'll be trapped in bondage and the moment we stop, we'll be attacked again. Since the devil is the one who attacks us in the first place, he can definitely make it stop. Yes you may notice your needs being fulfilled, but at what price? will you have to constantly ask for protection?
However, if we choose to let go and let God and trust only Him, then we can be assured that no matter what, God will always have our backs and through this process, God will show his loving character to us and when the time comes, our faith will reap rewards and we can grow to be a person of character! Prayers will change from "God please bless my business, my health" to "God I surrender all and I know you have the best for me. I pray my business will prosper but even if it doesn't, let your perfect will be done and give me strength to overcome anything by your power! I confess the promises of God that you will come through for me no matter what" As you grow connected with God, your needs become aligned with His needs for your life in order that you may fulfill your purpose and live out your destiny, becoming the strong and successful person God has intended for your to become.
And just like Jesus, who trusted totally in the word of God rather than giving in to his hunger, God elevated Him to a person of substance. One that is able to face rejection as well as physical and emotional pain and still come out victorious all so that we, who have Christ in us because of His sacrifice, may have that same victory no matter what happens in our lives! God is not just our Lord whom we worship so that bad things will not happen, but He is our loving Father who cares about every single detail in our lives and desires to see us build character and faith to come out victorious over any circumstance! That's why He sent us a model example, Jesus to follow!
Be blessed!
Daniel
A Faith Blog for Everyday Living
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Connecting with God
Last week's cell group message by Andy Teoh was one that I've been truly blessed by, with the main crux of the message on connecting with God. Here are some of the key points that I decided to expand on and I believe will be a blessing to you.
1. Science proves the existence of God
Andy gave us two very clear examples of his research that He found astounding. The first is that based on the theory of relativity, 1 year spent running at the speed of light is equal to many years of our friends and family who did not run. This coincides with the Bible, as Jesus says He is the light and as it says in Psalms 84:10,
"A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! "
The 2nd example he used was about similarity of patterns. If you look at the smallest thing in this universe, it is the atom, and as learnt in primary school, each atom has an electron that is circling it. The same can be said of the biggest thing in this universe which is our solar system. We have the sun, and the planets circling around it. Therefore, it must be of no coincidence that the aspects of the smallest and largest things in the universe follow relatively the same design. It had to be done by none other than a chief designer, God.
2. God intended design of creation was meant to give us true freedom.
As with the planets and atoms, there is a reason why they are placed where they are. If the earth was anywhere nearer the sun, we would be burnt, if its anywhere further, we would freeze. The scientific and physical laws are in place to ensure the earth is right where it is, just as the right temperature for life to blossom.
Although the earth is confined by the physical laws, it does have the freedom to maneuver around it's circular path, which is similar to the atom.
Why is this important?
Because God's laws and his grace are intended in a way for us to have true freedom.
Picture going to jog in the evening, you won't think twice about your safety at all. This is as our nation has laws that act as a deterrent for people who may think about committing a crime towards you. Similarly, God's moral laws and His guidance is there so that we may have true freedom to live out the way our lives were meant to be lived!
Compare this to a documentary I watched a few weeks back about the US surrender in the Vietnam War, for those last few moments before the US left, there was anarchy everywhere. People were afraid to go out and there was looting everywhere. People were free from the law and in turn this created fear among the people rather than freedom.
Fear and anxiety, wars, suicide, pessimism or any other negative circumstances were never in God's plan for creation. These emotions and circumstances exist because of a disconnection from our creator God. These are the things that cause us to take many steps back from living the fullness of life and achieving the success that we were intended to live as originally designed by God. Disconnecting from God is similar to the earth drifting on its own away from its circular path and thus being too hot or cold for creation. It was never God's intended purpose!
"But it's easier said that done!" "Temptations are everywhere", "everyone else is doing it" you may ask.."you don't understand..."
Yes I may not understand your circumstance but I do understand that the Bible says. in Matt 19:26 that...
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
How can we have the strength to overcome temptations and negativity, simply by connecting back with God again. Why? , because through Jesus, God has given us GRACE to overcome and grace to once again be worthy to come back to God for His strength to overcome.This is why cell group, church and quiet time is so important. I believe God cant help you if you don't first choose to want to be helped and receive this grace and strength to live your life to its full potential.
Romans 12:1-2
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
And how can you let God connect back to you for your mind to be renewed? by simply wanting to connect back to him!
Matt 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Thus, our personal quiet time is important but let's not be rigid to just follow guidelines or our quiet time will seem dry, which will lead to the lost of motivation. Instead of rigidity, the key to a refreshed quiet time is to freely express ourselves to God in creative ways. The most important thing is to have the right attitude of the heart.
And if you do find that you're quiet time feels dry and you cant seem to connect with God's presence, then the next thing to do is to find a cell group, service or prayer meeting. The Bible says "when 2 or 3 are gathered", God is in our midst and hence the best way to get a fresh touch from heaven is through these meetings!
Let's move from fear and anxiety to a life of faith and connection with God that "all things work together for the good of those who believe" Romans 8:28. Let's move from insecurity and the constant asking of prayers of protection (although there's nothing wrong with it) to being a person who prays for powerful faith and connection with God.
Connect with God, and He will guide your life to success and through every trial and temptation so that you can live a life with a destiny as God has intended!, just as Earth is orbiting under the protection of God where its free to be a vessel for life to blossom !
I would like to end of with a supporting verse for this whole devotion, in Psalms 37:23-24. If we connect back with God, success will come naturally and we will lead a life of destiny as God intended.
Psalm 37:23-24 – “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
And if you're under temptation, always remember 1 Cor 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. wGod is faithful, and xhe will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Be blessed and remember that confession of faith comes with the right attitude of the heart!
Sincerely
Daniel
1. Science proves the existence of God
Andy gave us two very clear examples of his research that He found astounding. The first is that based on the theory of relativity, 1 year spent running at the speed of light is equal to many years of our friends and family who did not run. This coincides with the Bible, as Jesus says He is the light and as it says in Psalms 84:10,
"A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! "
The 2nd example he used was about similarity of patterns. If you look at the smallest thing in this universe, it is the atom, and as learnt in primary school, each atom has an electron that is circling it. The same can be said of the biggest thing in this universe which is our solar system. We have the sun, and the planets circling around it. Therefore, it must be of no coincidence that the aspects of the smallest and largest things in the universe follow relatively the same design. It had to be done by none other than a chief designer, God.
2. God intended design of creation was meant to give us true freedom.
As with the planets and atoms, there is a reason why they are placed where they are. If the earth was anywhere nearer the sun, we would be burnt, if its anywhere further, we would freeze. The scientific and physical laws are in place to ensure the earth is right where it is, just as the right temperature for life to blossom.
Although the earth is confined by the physical laws, it does have the freedom to maneuver around it's circular path, which is similar to the atom.
Why is this important?
Because God's laws and his grace are intended in a way for us to have true freedom.
Picture going to jog in the evening, you won't think twice about your safety at all. This is as our nation has laws that act as a deterrent for people who may think about committing a crime towards you. Similarly, God's moral laws and His guidance is there so that we may have true freedom to live out the way our lives were meant to be lived!
Compare this to a documentary I watched a few weeks back about the US surrender in the Vietnam War, for those last few moments before the US left, there was anarchy everywhere. People were afraid to go out and there was looting everywhere. People were free from the law and in turn this created fear among the people rather than freedom.
Fear and anxiety, wars, suicide, pessimism or any other negative circumstances were never in God's plan for creation. These emotions and circumstances exist because of a disconnection from our creator God. These are the things that cause us to take many steps back from living the fullness of life and achieving the success that we were intended to live as originally designed by God. Disconnecting from God is similar to the earth drifting on its own away from its circular path and thus being too hot or cold for creation. It was never God's intended purpose!
"But it's easier said that done!" "Temptations are everywhere", "everyone else is doing it" you may ask.."you don't understand..."
Yes I may not understand your circumstance but I do understand that the Bible says. in Matt 19:26 that...
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
How can we have the strength to overcome temptations and negativity, simply by connecting back with God again. Why? , because through Jesus, God has given us GRACE to overcome and grace to once again be worthy to come back to God for His strength to overcome.This is why cell group, church and quiet time is so important. I believe God cant help you if you don't first choose to want to be helped and receive this grace and strength to live your life to its full potential.
Romans 12:1-2
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
And how can you let God connect back to you for your mind to be renewed? by simply wanting to connect back to him!
Matt 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Thus, our personal quiet time is important but let's not be rigid to just follow guidelines or our quiet time will seem dry, which will lead to the lost of motivation. Instead of rigidity, the key to a refreshed quiet time is to freely express ourselves to God in creative ways. The most important thing is to have the right attitude of the heart.
And if you do find that you're quiet time feels dry and you cant seem to connect with God's presence, then the next thing to do is to find a cell group, service or prayer meeting. The Bible says "when 2 or 3 are gathered", God is in our midst and hence the best way to get a fresh touch from heaven is through these meetings!
Let's move from fear and anxiety to a life of faith and connection with God that "all things work together for the good of those who believe" Romans 8:28. Let's move from insecurity and the constant asking of prayers of protection (although there's nothing wrong with it) to being a person who prays for powerful faith and connection with God.
Connect with God, and He will guide your life to success and through every trial and temptation so that you can live a life with a destiny as God has intended!, just as Earth is orbiting under the protection of God where its free to be a vessel for life to blossom !
I would like to end of with a supporting verse for this whole devotion, in Psalms 37:23-24. If we connect back with God, success will come naturally and we will lead a life of destiny as God intended.
Psalm 37:23-24 – “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
And if you're under temptation, always remember 1 Cor 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. wGod is faithful, and xhe will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Be blessed and remember that confession of faith comes with the right attitude of the heart!
Sincerely
Daniel
Thursday, June 13, 2013
The MOE Story : God's goodness personified!
This is the story of God's never ending goodness
This is the story of how God's timing is always the best timing and a story of how He always has a "hope and a future" for us. As you know, I've finally been accepted to MOE. It has been a long wait though, 10 months in total!
However, throughout this 10 months, many miracles happened and as I look back, I can really see the hand of God in my life.
Let me take you on a journey to when left my first job. I spent a total of 8 months there and though I made some very good friends (my colleagues) , I was often muddleheaded and with no experience, I made mistake after mistake after mistake. I started to question God on why I couldn't get things as fast as others and why despite checking through many times, I still managed to make some glaring errors at work.
This made both my superior as well as the volunteers under my committee frustrated. As the months past, it got worst. I started to question myself and since I was a fresh graduate, I thought that maybe this was not my calling. Hence, thoughts of quitting came many times. I even brought this up to my superiors many times.
Soon enough, I really left the job. This disappointed my parents a lot but I assured them that I will find another job asap. I did think about teaching and tried applying for MOE. However, I messed up the interview and hence the chance was gone.
Finally, I managed to get an interview to teach English in China. I jumped at the chance! By God's grace, I managed to do well for the interview and mock class session. I was delighted!
However, they needed candidates to have TESOL diploma qualification which I didn't have. Thank God, however, that my parents were willing to 'loan' me the money first and let me pay them back later. I thank God for such wonderful parents!
Soonafter, the company wanted me to lead an English camp for the China students who were coming to Singapore as a pre-empt before I go to teach in China. This, was a disastrous experience. Not only was I unable to communicate with the agent and vice-principal in Chinese, the kids often got the better of me.
Then, my worst fears came true. When I was about to make my visa to go to China, I was called back and told by the HR that they felt I wasn't ready. I was devastated. They then told me that I could first teach in their school in Singapore to gain some experience. As I was quite desperate at the time, I agreed, in hope that things will turn out for the better.
However, things didn't turn out well! my classroom management was not up to mark and hence, the students didn't show signs of improving. However, I did have some hardworking students who were willing to study with me and one even commented "teacher, please tell me where you will teach next and I will apply to that school!" Another one , on hearing news that I was going to teach another class, was quite sad and became moody soon after...
Generally, however, it was tough as most of these students were from overseas, here on guardianship. It was difficult and again, I questioned myself if this was what I was meant to do at all. Here I was, 26 years old at that time and still clueless about what I wanted to do.
Then I thought, WHY NOT I STOP THIS CYCLE. Why not I first go to SOT and rediscover myself, my gifts, and my talents. Why not I take a step back and first commit myself to God and let Him lead me to where I am suppose to go. I did apply to SOT for 2 years straight but somehow wasn't accepted due to various reasons.
Finally, I got accepted! It was going to be a sacrifice for me but nonetheless I was so clueless about my life that I thought this was the BEST option. Even though I was broke and wondering how was I going to pay the school fees and living expenses, I just went forward with it.
And here I was, 27 years old at that time. Some of my University peers have already been working for 2 years and have become quite capable and financially independent. Me however, was still not stable and struggling financially, and still finding my calling....
And so I was in SOT. This was a decision I never regretted at all! I got to experience God in many ways and He did many many MANY miracles for me! the biggest of which, was financially. By His grace, I was able to get many tuition assignments even though I had no experience in teaching tuition. Still, at this point I was a person who didn't like struggles and stopped some assignments the moment it became difficult. HOWEVER, the replacement assignments just kept coming! eventually I gained alot of experience handling students and was able to sustain myself throughout SOT! (with some help from my wonderful parents of course)
And so, during one of the SOT prophecy sessions, my best friend, Winson , prophesied to me that he saw me graduating in a course related to education. I was bewildered and excited at the same time and questioned him. In return, he said he just felt it.
This prophecy stuck with me. Was I meant to teach? I did think about it before but when I reflected on my past experience teaching, I thought, how could I???
Then came the preaching test sessions when teaching as a career became clearer to me. We had about 4 sessions in total. The first session, I tried too hard to be funny and different but ended up performing badly. It was one of the worst feelings. I decided to change it up abit and go for the safe route on the 2nd round. This time it was ok but not outstanding. Then, Winson said something to me during lunch which changed me. He told me that he really appreciated my creativity and told me it was a gift from God that I should cherish. Even though I did badly on my first round, I preached as who I am. This, is your unique personality that you shouldn't put aside just to be 'safe'. Instead of holding back who you are 'to be safe', why not learn from the comments and adapt your style to be both creative and outstanding?
And so, came my 3rd round of preaching which I decided to be myself and at the same time, adapt with the comments I received. To my surprise, it was outstanding!!!! The ZS who evaluated us even tweeted my points! mid-way through the test, I even got applause from my team! It was a moment I'll never forget and it inspired me that maybe, maybe I was cut out for this, to teach, to present, to educate! maybe, I could actually do it! despite all the past failures that tells me I cant.
With this new found confidence in my abilities, I went on a mission trip to India and preached in one of the cell groups. Again, by God's grace, it was an awesome experience and I truly enjoyed it! As I was preaching too long, I looked at the CGL who signaled me to go on! All of them , in fact, looked really interested in what I was saying. More than that, my message was about serving God and when I told them to write the ways they can serve God based on what I preached, I got the most cutest answers, even from the children!
Maybe, this was the call of God to be a teacher. Hmmm but I'm soft spoken, could I really be a teacher?
I graduated from SOT and eventually applied for MOE. I got the interview in October but as I had reservist, I couldn't go and hence asked to postpone it.
Little did I know that it was going to be postponed all the way to december! Maybe this was a test from God to test my perseverance if I really wanted to be a teacher, as it was going to be no easy task.
And I did feel like going for other jobs. However, somewhere inside of me, I knew this was for me and yes, all other doors were closed for me in the form of failed interviews (haha)
While I was waiting for the interview, I needed provision and miraculously , God opened the door for me to go back to my first company to join as a temp staff. Even though I was just a temp, I learnt alot about how schools operated as this division did planning for social studies programmes in schools!
As I looked back, this was surely all planned by God as during the MOE interview, I looked excited to tell them about my current temp work and how we were planning things for schools! I do think this somehow impressed them. Also, my boss was a professor in History (how coincidental is that) and he did teach me things on having the right working attitude which I used in the teaching presentation for the interview! Also, my TESOL certification and referral letters that I got while teaching was very useful as well!
The interview was rather successful and I was excited! LITTLE DID I KNOW, however, that their reply was going to take some time.....
Hope you've enjoyed this part of my MOE story : God's goodness personified! I hope you've been blessed and do check back soon for part 2 !
Thanks and regards,
Daniel Foo
Friday, April 19, 2013
Be true to yourself!
I had quite a memorable dream yesterday.
Basically I imagined I was giving a wedding speech for my friend Cathy. During the speech , I praised her that she was indeed a woman of God who was so willing to walk in His guidance, with absolute obedience.
And then I said,
"Why do we do the things we do? Why do we reach out, why do we crossover, or help the less fortunate?
Why do we need to hold on to our values? why do we genuinely care for people?
Isn't it better or easier to live a life just for ourselves, since we are such busy creatures. Why don't we just make time for our friends or family only when it's convenient or when we stand to benefit from it.
Well, we do what we do, because He did what He did for us! I'll always remember Pastor Kong saying, "Jesus got the glory, but we got the benefits!"
All that He did, was purely with the intention of love for us. Never did He expect anything in return. Not gifts, not praises or compliments, not acceptance, not for progression, but sincerely for love. In fact, more often then not, He received criticism and rejection more than praise.
Why could He do this? it was because of His faith. His faith in our loving Father. And that's all that matters! With God , all things are possible. With God , even if the whole world condemns you, you know that you know that there is a God who can turn things around, a God that will always love you no matter what!
Romans 8:38-39 is a beautiful verse
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Always remember that you were bought at a price. You don't have to feel condemned or at a loss whenever people around you make you feel unappreciated or downcast. You don't have to feel your losing out when you don't go along with the wrong values. Just remember, we have a loving Father! and "all things will work together for the good of those who believe!" - Romans 8:28
We must understand that His unique relationship is not conditional of any law or good works but a gift, a mere choice to believe!
And when we do understand this and let it absorb into our being, that is when we can love people around us and have the right mindset as how Jesus did, living free of sin consciousness or failure or not living up to expectation.
Mark 8:36
"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"
Live free of the need and pressures to be counted 'successful' by others by "gaining the whole world". Ultimately when the praises stop, we will start to feel empty again.
Rather, understand that God already loves us and live instead, as a person true to yourself! be free to live with a soul of abundance and grace, by how we impact the people around us. That is how we can leave a legacy of love behind, because of how He first loved us!
That is when we are truly free to be ourselves! Without the pressures to live a life deemed by society as 'successful' or you will be looked down upon. The motive, should be instead, in your own dreams and passion, which will in turn, be an inspiration to others and in turn, make a difference in this world!
2 Cor 3:17
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. "
Gal 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Hope you have been blessed!
Basically I imagined I was giving a wedding speech for my friend Cathy. During the speech , I praised her that she was indeed a woman of God who was so willing to walk in His guidance, with absolute obedience.
And then I said,
"Why do we do the things we do? Why do we reach out, why do we crossover, or help the less fortunate?
Why do we need to hold on to our values? why do we genuinely care for people?
Isn't it better or easier to live a life just for ourselves, since we are such busy creatures. Why don't we just make time for our friends or family only when it's convenient or when we stand to benefit from it.
Well, we do what we do, because He did what He did for us! I'll always remember Pastor Kong saying, "Jesus got the glory, but we got the benefits!"
All that He did, was purely with the intention of love for us. Never did He expect anything in return. Not gifts, not praises or compliments, not acceptance, not for progression, but sincerely for love. In fact, more often then not, He received criticism and rejection more than praise.
Why could He do this? it was because of His faith. His faith in our loving Father. And that's all that matters! With God , all things are possible. With God , even if the whole world condemns you, you know that you know that there is a God who can turn things around, a God that will always love you no matter what!
Romans 8:38-39 is a beautiful verse
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Always remember that you were bought at a price. You don't have to feel condemned or at a loss whenever people around you make you feel unappreciated or downcast. You don't have to feel your losing out when you don't go along with the wrong values. Just remember, we have a loving Father! and "all things will work together for the good of those who believe!" - Romans 8:28
We must understand that His unique relationship is not conditional of any law or good works but a gift, a mere choice to believe!
And when we do understand this and let it absorb into our being, that is when we can love people around us and have the right mindset as how Jesus did, living free of sin consciousness or failure or not living up to expectation.
Mark 8:36
"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"
Live free of the need and pressures to be counted 'successful' by others by "gaining the whole world". Ultimately when the praises stop, we will start to feel empty again.
Rather, understand that God already loves us and live instead, as a person true to yourself! be free to live with a soul of abundance and grace, by how we impact the people around us. That is how we can leave a legacy of love behind, because of how He first loved us!
That is when we are truly free to be ourselves! Without the pressures to live a life deemed by society as 'successful' or you will be looked down upon. The motive, should be instead, in your own dreams and passion, which will in turn, be an inspiration to others and in turn, make a difference in this world!
2 Cor 3:17
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. "
Gal 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Hope you have been blessed!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
For Such A Time As This
Attended a very power-packed combined leaders meeting on Tuesday,
Dr Chan talked about the story of Esther. Esther was picked by God to become from a humble country side girl to a queen so that one day , she can speak up for her own people, the Jews, against a plot to destroy them by one of the King's advisers
The key is that Queen Esther had two choices, and two consequences for her actions.
1) She could choose not to speak up to the King about the evil plot. This would safeguard not only her queenship, but her servants and workers lives as well. Suspicion of the queen could lead to suspicion of her fellow servants as well. Esther would also be risking her comfortable life as a queen in a fortified castle.
The downside is that if she did nothing, her people, the Jews, would be prosecuted
2) She could choose to speak up for her people and expose the plot by the King's adviser. If successful, she would be able to save her people from being persecuted.
It was only after her meeting with Mordecai did she made up her mind
Esther 4:14
"If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?"
Mordecai told Esther, why is it that our of all the country side girls, God has raised you up to become queen. It is simply for this reason!
And because she made the right choice, her people were saved and till today, the Purim festival is still celebrated as a commemoration of Queen Esther!
For such a time as this..... Dr Chan mentioned that Asia has 60% of the world's population. In terms of Christians, there are only a small percentage of 7%. Most, if not all of the rest of the world already have a significant % of Christians. There is only 1 last hurdle remaining in the great commission, and that is Asia!
I truly believe that Asia is the final hurdle before the coming of Christ.
The Bible says in Matthew 24:14
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come"
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against other religions, but rather, I just hope that more people can hear the good news of the love , joy and peace that comes with believing in Jesus Christ! My life has truly been blessed , transformed and impacted, and I have found my destiny on this earth. This is why I am an advocate of the message of the cross for your freewill choice. I'm fully and totally respectful if you do not wish to believe.
This got me pondering on how co-incidental, or God-cidental my Church exists for a time like this.
I will elaborate more soon! Stay tuned!
Dr Chan talked about the story of Esther. Esther was picked by God to become from a humble country side girl to a queen so that one day , she can speak up for her own people, the Jews, against a plot to destroy them by one of the King's advisers
The key is that Queen Esther had two choices, and two consequences for her actions.
1) She could choose not to speak up to the King about the evil plot. This would safeguard not only her queenship, but her servants and workers lives as well. Suspicion of the queen could lead to suspicion of her fellow servants as well. Esther would also be risking her comfortable life as a queen in a fortified castle.
The downside is that if she did nothing, her people, the Jews, would be prosecuted
2) She could choose to speak up for her people and expose the plot by the King's adviser. If successful, she would be able to save her people from being persecuted.
It was only after her meeting with Mordecai did she made up her mind
Esther 4:14
"If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?"
Mordecai told Esther, why is it that our of all the country side girls, God has raised you up to become queen. It is simply for this reason!
And because she made the right choice, her people were saved and till today, the Purim festival is still celebrated as a commemoration of Queen Esther!
For such a time as this..... Dr Chan mentioned that Asia has 60% of the world's population. In terms of Christians, there are only a small percentage of 7%. Most, if not all of the rest of the world already have a significant % of Christians. There is only 1 last hurdle remaining in the great commission, and that is Asia!
I truly believe that Asia is the final hurdle before the coming of Christ.
The Bible says in Matthew 24:14
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come"
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against other religions, but rather, I just hope that more people can hear the good news of the love , joy and peace that comes with believing in Jesus Christ! My life has truly been blessed , transformed and impacted, and I have found my destiny on this earth. This is why I am an advocate of the message of the cross for your freewill choice. I'm fully and totally respectful if you do not wish to believe.
This got me pondering on how co-incidental, or God-cidental my Church exists for a time like this.
I will elaborate more soon! Stay tuned!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Prayer And Faith
Hey all
Would like to do a quick summary of what Pastor Kong shared at tuesday's OM and MM meeting.about faith!
In Luke 22:31 , it says
"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:"
In other translations, "hath desired" is changed with "ask" and if you look at the ancient translations, this means to be subpoenaed for trial or called for trial
satan will definitely attack believers who are strong in the faith because it will destroy and upset the balance of the kingdom of darkness. However, we can rest assure that Jesus has all power and authority and He is in heaven praying for us!
The following verse says
"But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
Friends, God is not just our refuge for protection where we just hide in a cave and accept the status quo. No, He is also a fortress where we can rise up in faith and preach faith! I like how Pastor Kong told us on what Pastor Phil said.
"Faith and prayer got Daniel in the lion's den, and it was faith and prayer that got him out!'
This phrase particularly impacted me as I am named after this prophet. Yes, when you pray, trials and tribulations will come but if you continue to pray, you will be able to overcome anything the devil throws at you because God is ultimately your fortress! In the end, you're going to see lives changed and breakthroughs come. Daniel's victory through prayer impacted the King so greatly that he made a decree that
people everywhere should honor and fear the God that Daniel serves so faithfully.
Another key verse that stuck with me is that of Mark 11:23
"Truly[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them."
In essence, if you take the first part of the verse, and the last part, you will get
"Whoever SAYS will have whatever he SAYS"
In your period of trial, these are 3 things to always have faith in .....
1. Have faith in God's promises!
Smith Wrigglesworth said
Even if you have sinned, always remember that love covers a multitude of sin.
Pastor shared about how when the case first broke out, he was really wondering why and what wrong he had done. Surely there must be something that offended people to leave church. He told God to please search his heart for any wrong doing, change him from the inside out, and that he was willing to take responsibility for any offense to the members
To me, this is the heart of a leader. Serving not for ego but for the people! Being a leader is not about status. It's about wanting to make the lives of others better!
Anyway, to continue, the message is that we should not be bordered with sin consciousness. Repent, ask God to change you, and move on. Sin consciousness of feeling guilty will only hinder you with accusations that you're not good enough. These are all lies from the devil. In reality , God has already forgiven you and cleansed your sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus, Move on!
2. Have faith in our righteousness in Christ
1 Tim 6:12 says
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
Confess confess confess and keep confessing the promises of God!!! In the end, you will come out victorious because God has the victory!
Heb 13:5-6 says
For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”[a] 6 So we may boldly say:
 |
| Faith |
Would like to do a quick summary of what Pastor Kong shared at tuesday's OM and MM meeting.about faith!
In Luke 22:31 , it says
"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:"
In other translations, "hath desired" is changed with "ask" and if you look at the ancient translations, this means to be subpoenaed for trial or called for trial
satan will definitely attack believers who are strong in the faith because it will destroy and upset the balance of the kingdom of darkness. However, we can rest assure that Jesus has all power and authority and He is in heaven praying for us!
The following verse says
"But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
 |
| God is our fortress |
Friends, God is not just our refuge for protection where we just hide in a cave and accept the status quo. No, He is also a fortress where we can rise up in faith and preach faith! I like how Pastor Kong told us on what Pastor Phil said.
 |
| Daniel in the Lion's den |
"Faith and prayer got Daniel in the lion's den, and it was faith and prayer that got him out!'
This phrase particularly impacted me as I am named after this prophet. Yes, when you pray, trials and tribulations will come but if you continue to pray, you will be able to overcome anything the devil throws at you because God is ultimately your fortress! In the end, you're going to see lives changed and breakthroughs come. Daniel's victory through prayer impacted the King so greatly that he made a decree that
people everywhere should honor and fear the God that Daniel serves so faithfully.
Another key verse that stuck with me is that of Mark 11:23
"Truly[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them."
In essence, if you take the first part of the verse, and the last part, you will get
"Whoever SAYS will have whatever he SAYS"
In your period of trial, these are 3 things to always have faith in .....
1. Have faith in God's promises!
Smith Wrigglesworth said
“I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am only moved by what I believe.”
Even if you have sinned, always remember that love covers a multitude of sin.
Pastor shared about how when the case first broke out, he was really wondering why and what wrong he had done. Surely there must be something that offended people to leave church. He told God to please search his heart for any wrong doing, change him from the inside out, and that he was willing to take responsibility for any offense to the members
To me, this is the heart of a leader. Serving not for ego but for the people! Being a leader is not about status. It's about wanting to make the lives of others better!
Anyway, to continue, the message is that we should not be bordered with sin consciousness. Repent, ask God to change you, and move on. Sin consciousness of feeling guilty will only hinder you with accusations that you're not good enough. These are all lies from the devil. In reality , God has already forgiven you and cleansed your sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus, Move on!
2. Have faith in our righteousness in Christ
1 Tim 6:12 says
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
 |
| Fight the good fight of faith |
Confess confess confess and keep confessing the promises of God!!! In the end, you will come out victorious because God has the victory!
Heb 13:5-6 says
For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”[a] 6 So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
What can man do to us if we are partakers in the divine nature of God. Stand boldly, have no fear! Confess, believe! In Christ, we have the righteousness of God
1 John 1 : 9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
3. Have faith in who we are in Christ
Whenever we are under any spiritual attacks, remember James 4:7
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
 |
| Resist the devil |
We have the power of God in us. Resist and confess and based on biblical truth, he will flee from us because of who we are in Christ!
Romans 8:11 says
"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in
you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."
Remember who we are in Christ! Because we are God's children, we can have the victory!
Lastly, we must remember to pray. God cannot bless us if we never ask anything by faith. Prayer opens the door for the Holy Spirit to pour down on our lives.
 |
| Prayer unlocks the kingdom of heaven |
Let's start to have a spirit of prayer within us. Let's fight the good fight of faith!
2 Chronicles 7:14 says
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Let's have faith that God can do all things. Let's keep praying to unlock the promises. Let's "hold fast the confession of our faith without waivering, for He who promised is faithful!" (Heb 10:23)
To end, Pastor shared about how, during the trial there will be the characters of the prosecutors, lawyers, judge, accused, media, haters and lastly. The bloggers! He then mentioned that there will be the critical bloggers as well as the good bloggers!
 |
| Bloggers will have a big say in the trial. Let's be the good bloggers! |
I'm willing to be one of those good bloggers! I'm standing by my Church, I'm standing by the leadership, I'm praying, I'm posting because I believe in the message of the Cross and I believe in the good works and impact the Church has played over my life and the lives of others.
Lives have indeed been transformed. People have been blessed. Most importantly, the powerful move of God has been felt in Church!
Fighting! because I love my Church! and the Church loves people!
Fighting! because I love my Church! and the Church loves people!
 |
| I Love My Church |
Be Blessed!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Message of the Cross
 |
| The message of the Cross |
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God"
1 Corinthians 1:18
If you look at different religions into perspectives, you will find that most ( not all ) religions of the world are philosophical in nature.
However, there's something different about Christianity. In Christianity we see a religion, or rather, a relationship whereby we see God actively wanting to participate and be a part of our lives. We see a love of God that surpasses all other forms of love on this earth. We see a sacrificial love of God that is not willing to just accept the status quo of the fallen nature of men but instead, a love that provides a way of redemption and understanding of the ability to harness God's power through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
 |
| The Perfect Love of God |
I think that that is the message of the cross. A message that God loves us and wants to bestow upon us His power so that we can live a meaningful , purposely and powerful life filled with success and compassion!
 |
| The Love of God is poured out for us! |
The CG I attended last night talked about fear vs faith. And thus it gave me the revelation that the primary reason for worshiping, tithing, serving and praying shouldn't be born out of fear for what might happen if we don't do it. Maybe God won't protect us, maybe I won't get my 100 fold blessings, maybe I will fail my exam, won't get promotion, won't be healed, and the worst of which, maybe God will forget me and my promised salvation!
 |
| The fear of failure is very real |
No friends, the Bible says in Ephesians 2:8
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--"
If you look at this verse from God's word translation, it presents a clearer picture!
"God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God."
Indeed, 'You had nothing to do with it' it's a gift! I'm sure Jesus meant it when He said in Matthew 6:26
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
Rest assured, 'Only Believe' by 'FAITH' and God will take care of you no matter what. That is the most basic level of faith. Do the birds actually do anything productive for God? do they praise, worship, tithe , serve ministry? No of course not! But God still takes care of them. How much more we, who are active builders of the Church!
Another illustration would be would a father leave a child struggling in the water and not save him because he's been naughty? Of course not!
 |
| A loving father will always protect his child no matter what! |
This is what sets us apart from other religions. We don't have to come before God in fear of what might happen if we stop worshiping. Rather, we worship BECAUSE deep inside each of us, we love God and we can't thank him enough for his mercies and grace!
But like any human being, even though we know our father will protect us, surely we don't want to be a child forever, that's why God gives us dreams and visions to make this world a better place to live in. He gave us the desire to live fruitfully, to be a blessing, to show love to others.
And in order to fulfill those dreams and go towards the destination set before us, we pray, we fast, we worship so as to know the will of God for our lives!
Sun said it perfectly when she said by praying each and everyday, we lose ourselves and we will begin to walk more and more in the will of God. His perfect and pleasing will! (Romans 12:2) Our sincere earthly desires actually become in line with God's desires and that's when God's power will come and you can rest assured your life will be extremely blessed and anointed!
We want to pursue the purpose of God in our generation. We follow the will of God because we want to and because we have a love for God because He first loved us. That is first and foremost.
Let's not live in fear, let's live in FAITH!!!!!!!!
I'll end by sharing a powerful meme by Gershon with my favorite animation, Naruto,
Thanks ! Do like my FB page '9 layered blessings' for more updates and inspiring pictures!
God Bless
Daniel Foo
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Admiring God's Beautiful Creations
My friend Cathy, to whom I attended her wedding recently, posted the compilation video of her wedding recently.
When I looked back at the video, I suddenly took notice of all the individual little elements coming together to make the wedding look extremely blissful and romantic. All these little elements accumulated together for the purpose of bringing joy to the wedding couple and her friends and family.
This got me thinking of how God is really such an amazing creative designer, and He didn't just design things for fun. He did it because it could make our lives such a brighter and livelier place to live in. He did it so He could see the smiles on our faces.
So what are some of the things He designed at the wedding. I would like to just touch on one for this post and talk about the symbolism and how I see it....
1) Flowers
It amazes me how many species of flowers there are, and how they seem to captivate most of our senses with an alluring soothing feeling. I'm pretty sure all girls are delighted whenever they receive flowers.It has become a human culture that flowers symbolizes love, adoration, thankfulness, joy and peace among others. Even the number of roses have gotten to have specific meanings.
Also, there's something about decorating pathways with rose petals that you cant get from any other decoration.It just adds an element of romance and dreaminess. Especially for couples, it can turn an atmosphere that much sweeter!
To me, firstly, you could say that flowers speak of fruitfulness. The main function of a flower in nature is to be attractive in order to attract animals and insects to carry their seeds which will in turn produce fruits..In a way you could say whenever we give flowers to loved ones, it symbolizes that they mean alot to us and it speaks of wanting the relationship to blossom to something fruitful and lasting. It also speaks of seeds of trust that you're willing to plant in your loved one's life.
Flowers also speak of sacrifice. As you know, giving fresh flowers to someone means that it will eventually die out and wither away. The fact that a guy is willing to spend so much for something that can make a girl happy for only about a week speaks of sacrifice and a selfless giving attitude. A second thought is that although it will wither away, it was a beautiful memory that lasts. There's something beautiful about things that only last for the moment. It will definitely be treasured more.
It also gives us an opportunity to give new flowers at other occasions which speaks of a continual sacrifice and a renewal of love that you can give to your partner. I'm sure many of us know that in order for a relationship to last, there needs to be a constant renewal of love, affection, appreciation and sacrifice. There's nothing more surprising and joyful than receiving new things! Especially when they are as beautiful as fresh flowers.
Therefore, to all girls out there, I hope that after you read this, there will be much more appreciation when guys give you flowers!
A thought that may be true is that when we go to heaven, we will see a beautiful garden of all the flowers given to us on earth! This time it will be everlasting!
Will continue this post on the next item!
If you would like more updates, you could like my facebook page '9 layered blessings'
Many thanks!
When I looked back at the video, I suddenly took notice of all the individual little elements coming together to make the wedding look extremely blissful and romantic. All these little elements accumulated together for the purpose of bringing joy to the wedding couple and her friends and family.
This got me thinking of how God is really such an amazing creative designer, and He didn't just design things for fun. He did it because it could make our lives such a brighter and livelier place to live in. He did it so He could see the smiles on our faces.
So what are some of the things He designed at the wedding. I would like to just touch on one for this post and talk about the symbolism and how I see it....
1) Flowers
It amazes me how many species of flowers there are, and how they seem to captivate most of our senses with an alluring soothing feeling. I'm pretty sure all girls are delighted whenever they receive flowers.It has become a human culture that flowers symbolizes love, adoration, thankfulness, joy and peace among others. Even the number of roses have gotten to have specific meanings.
Also, there's something about decorating pathways with rose petals that you cant get from any other decoration.It just adds an element of romance and dreaminess. Especially for couples, it can turn an atmosphere that much sweeter!
To me, firstly, you could say that flowers speak of fruitfulness. The main function of a flower in nature is to be attractive in order to attract animals and insects to carry their seeds which will in turn produce fruits..In a way you could say whenever we give flowers to loved ones, it symbolizes that they mean alot to us and it speaks of wanting the relationship to blossom to something fruitful and lasting. It also speaks of seeds of trust that you're willing to plant in your loved one's life.
Flowers also speak of sacrifice. As you know, giving fresh flowers to someone means that it will eventually die out and wither away. The fact that a guy is willing to spend so much for something that can make a girl happy for only about a week speaks of sacrifice and a selfless giving attitude. A second thought is that although it will wither away, it was a beautiful memory that lasts. There's something beautiful about things that only last for the moment. It will definitely be treasured more.
It also gives us an opportunity to give new flowers at other occasions which speaks of a continual sacrifice and a renewal of love that you can give to your partner. I'm sure many of us know that in order for a relationship to last, there needs to be a constant renewal of love, affection, appreciation and sacrifice. There's nothing more surprising and joyful than receiving new things! Especially when they are as beautiful as fresh flowers.
Therefore, to all girls out there, I hope that after you read this, there will be much more appreciation when guys give you flowers!
A thought that may be true is that when we go to heaven, we will see a beautiful garden of all the flowers given to us on earth! This time it will be everlasting!
Will continue this post on the next item!
If you would like more updates, you could like my facebook page '9 layered blessings'
Many thanks!
Monday, March 4, 2013
The Right Mentality
Hi
Would like to share with you all a quote from Dr Edwin Louis Cole..
Hope you have been inspired!
Would like to share with you all a quote from Dr Edwin Louis Cole..
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Marriage
Love is in the air.....
Attended a beautiful wedding of one my good friend from SOT mission trip, Cathay.
It was initially suppose to be a beach wedding but due to the weather, the location changed to the lobby of the hotel, still, it was really elegantly decorated with flower petals on the floor, lots of flowers, bubbles and of course the charming couple.
I don't know about you but to me , marriage is a beautiful and meaningful occasion. A celebration of a meaningful courtship that has blossomed to a point where a couple is ready to make that bold step of commitment and decide to spend the rest of their lives together, through the hardships and good times.
The journey is never going to be easy, but if a couple can pull through it and constantly remember their first love, it is possible.
Mei Fung commented to me that recently, shes seen many old couples still holding hands while walking. To me, that's really a sign of true love. Having known each other inside out, flaws and strengths, and be willing to sacrifice and work out differences is a mark of a true mature relationship. It's never about what the other person can do for me or the desire to receive the perks of being in a relationship (such as celebrating valentines day, holding hands, being treated to dinner and meaningful days being celebrated )
These perks are not going to make you satisfied in the long run. Ultimately, the reason why you enter a relationship should be about wanting to give your life to that person. Looks may play a part initially but beauty can't last forever and that is when true love goes beyond just physical appearance to something more deeper. A spirit to spirit connection, when truly, the two have become one and there is a great sense of satisfaction and happiness just from the person being next to you, knowing that you've gone through much and have many beautiful memories as a couple. You start to appreciate her for choosing you and indeed, she has become a part of your life and has made you a complete person.
This is my intepretation of Mark 10:7-8 that "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one."
1 body. Completeness. When you need to walk, your legs naturally spring into action. When you need to listen, your ears are there. In the same way, each of you are now of one body and function to be there for each others needs almost naturally! to comfort, to hold , to appreciate , and to share this life working together on the awesome future ahead ! In the Christian context, fulfilling the will of God together as a couple where there is added strength and unity as the bible says "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20
Pastor Yock Kiang said it beautifully at the wedding sermon when he quotes Matthew Henry.
Attended a beautiful wedding of one my good friend from SOT mission trip, Cathay.
It was initially suppose to be a beach wedding but due to the weather, the location changed to the lobby of the hotel, still, it was really elegantly decorated with flower petals on the floor, lots of flowers, bubbles and of course the charming couple.
I don't know about you but to me , marriage is a beautiful and meaningful occasion. A celebration of a meaningful courtship that has blossomed to a point where a couple is ready to make that bold step of commitment and decide to spend the rest of their lives together, through the hardships and good times.
The journey is never going to be easy, but if a couple can pull through it and constantly remember their first love, it is possible.
Mei Fung commented to me that recently, shes seen many old couples still holding hands while walking. To me, that's really a sign of true love. Having known each other inside out, flaws and strengths, and be willing to sacrifice and work out differences is a mark of a true mature relationship. It's never about what the other person can do for me or the desire to receive the perks of being in a relationship (such as celebrating valentines day, holding hands, being treated to dinner and meaningful days being celebrated )
These perks are not going to make you satisfied in the long run. Ultimately, the reason why you enter a relationship should be about wanting to give your life to that person. Looks may play a part initially but beauty can't last forever and that is when true love goes beyond just physical appearance to something more deeper. A spirit to spirit connection, when truly, the two have become one and there is a great sense of satisfaction and happiness just from the person being next to you, knowing that you've gone through much and have many beautiful memories as a couple. You start to appreciate her for choosing you and indeed, she has become a part of your life and has made you a complete person.
This is my intepretation of Mark 10:7-8 that "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one."
1 body. Completeness. When you need to walk, your legs naturally spring into action. When you need to listen, your ears are there. In the same way, each of you are now of one body and function to be there for each others needs almost naturally! to comfort, to hold , to appreciate , and to share this life working together on the awesome future ahead ! In the Christian context, fulfilling the will of God together as a couple where there is added strength and unity as the bible says "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20
In a marriage perspective. 2 could mean a couple, and 3, the couple with their child! Praying together, serving God, and making history! Don't underestimate the power that comes when a family constantly prays together, it's double the anointing and presence of God!
As For Me And My House We Will Serve the Lord
Joshua 24:15
Joshua created history when he served God together with his household!
Lastly, don't ever take your spouse for granted. Always remember the sacrifice she's made.
“The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”
Women deserve to be loved. No matter how difficult it was for you to court that women, you must remember that the moment she accepts you, it's because she trusts you and can see that you are someone who can provide her with happiness! Never break that trust after marriage or take it for granted. It took alot for that girl to give you her fragile heart. She deserves to be romanced, she deserves to be complimented, she deserves the little acts of service.
Always work hard to give her the best. Although the vow says "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health" it doesn't mean that you can thus not work hard, have dreams, or take care of your health knowing your wife will always love you. No, rather, it means you can hold strong and be comforted that no matter the difficulty you may be facing, your spouse is always willing to stick by her trust in you no matter what and that should give you the impetus to work hard and get out of the negative circumstances in order to give her the best life possible, to thank and appreciate her for the sacrifice and support during your down time. Working hard for each other to pull through anything together makes a relationship beautiful and long lasting! ( a case study would be that of Ang Lee ; you can read it here http://whatshihsaid.com/2013/02/26/ang-lee-a-never-ending-dream/ )
When she married you, she married a King to support her, a knight to protect her, a jester to make her laugh, a bishop to spiritually strengthen her, a peasant to provide for her, and a castle to have a house built on a firm foundation (Christ) based on purity and love! Always work hard to give her the best and cherish your loved ones!
Hope you enjoyed this post, just sharing my thoughts about marriage!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Ah Boys to Men
Just watched Ah Boys to Men part 2 yesterday and I have to give my utmost compliments to Jack Neo for directing such an inspiring movie. I thought the movie achieved its objectives of portraying a theme to bring across to the audiences. This is something I admire in Jack Neo's films. He doesn't just make films for entertainment, he makes them to spark thoughts and reflections of themes.
Before I give my two cents worth, one thing I have to say is, you got to respect Jack Neo's determination. The success of the 2 movies already reveal a man who did not give up when things got rough. I remember a few years ago he was in the news for all the wrong reasons. People around me even said they were going to boycott his movies and what a let down he was. Many people criticized him on social media.
But we all make mistakes in life. What's more important is learning from these mistakes and indeed I believe he came out a stronger person and one that I dare say is filled with a new sense of purpose and value of the things around him. You can really tell the difference between this movie and his previous works. This movie really had alot of heart and soul in it. It was like he had a point to prove that he believed he could win back the hearts of Singaporeans with a groundbreaking film. It was a risk, and one that paid off.
And I must give it to him. On a national level, it really brought out a sense of patriotism towards our nation. The scene where they were marching across the highway with the narrator commenting 'As I walk here tonight, I feel a new sense of pride' was a particularly meaningful line. With all the negative news, MRT breakdowns and debate about the white paper that's going on, Singaporeans' feelings of belonging may be at quite a low point. Some of my friends have even commented that if given the chance, they would migrate immediately.
However, I will stay. The movie was very good at bringing across the point that this is our homeland. Politics and policies aside, we must not forget that this a nation that is built brick by brick by the hard work of our forefathers. From the NS soldiers to the construction worker to the executives to the home care givers, each of us as individuals make up this great nation and this is the reason why we can celebrate national day year after year after year.(as quoted in the movie). Would it be right to just leave at the slightest hint of trial?
A second point it that this is home. Where I belong, where my memories are, where my family is. As cliche as it sounds, it's true. The reason we serve NS, work hard, or even discuss politics and policies should be because we want to safeguard this land which has become an integral part of our lives. We shouldn't be commenting because we want to feel self-righteous about our correct beliefs and our way of doing things versus that of the government. I dare say some of the comments on social media seem like they are opposing every single fault of the government because they just want to oppose and make a big stir of everything. It should always be about serving the nation in the best way we can and not serving our ego.
A few years ago the only thought I had after graduation was going overseas. After my exchange programme, I couldn't see myself staying in Singapore. My whole mind was fixated on being a missionary , or teaching English overseas. I even got my TESOL certification.
But somehow, I'm still in Singapore and I have learnt that this is the place where really, there are many opportunities to grow to improve yourself if you really want to. We have a good public and private education system to grow in knowledge, we have freedom of religion and quite established religious institutions to grow spiritually. We even have a well set up civil service and private sector with lots of opportunities for experiential growth. It all depends on how badly you want it and how motivated are you to in turn use your success to inspire and help others who are less fortunate. Don't just point arrows at the government!
This is my home. I found my family, my friends, my Church, my career in this nation. Let's do our best to preserve what our forefathers have worked and sacrifice so much for, so it due season , we can continue to reap the harvest!
Regards,
Daniel Foo
Before I give my two cents worth, one thing I have to say is, you got to respect Jack Neo's determination. The success of the 2 movies already reveal a man who did not give up when things got rough. I remember a few years ago he was in the news for all the wrong reasons. People around me even said they were going to boycott his movies and what a let down he was. Many people criticized him on social media.
But we all make mistakes in life. What's more important is learning from these mistakes and indeed I believe he came out a stronger person and one that I dare say is filled with a new sense of purpose and value of the things around him. You can really tell the difference between this movie and his previous works. This movie really had alot of heart and soul in it. It was like he had a point to prove that he believed he could win back the hearts of Singaporeans with a groundbreaking film. It was a risk, and one that paid off.
And I must give it to him. On a national level, it really brought out a sense of patriotism towards our nation. The scene where they were marching across the highway with the narrator commenting 'As I walk here tonight, I feel a new sense of pride' was a particularly meaningful line. With all the negative news, MRT breakdowns and debate about the white paper that's going on, Singaporeans' feelings of belonging may be at quite a low point. Some of my friends have even commented that if given the chance, they would migrate immediately.
However, I will stay. The movie was very good at bringing across the point that this is our homeland. Politics and policies aside, we must not forget that this a nation that is built brick by brick by the hard work of our forefathers. From the NS soldiers to the construction worker to the executives to the home care givers, each of us as individuals make up this great nation and this is the reason why we can celebrate national day year after year after year.(as quoted in the movie). Would it be right to just leave at the slightest hint of trial?
A second point it that this is home. Where I belong, where my memories are, where my family is. As cliche as it sounds, it's true. The reason we serve NS, work hard, or even discuss politics and policies should be because we want to safeguard this land which has become an integral part of our lives. We shouldn't be commenting because we want to feel self-righteous about our correct beliefs and our way of doing things versus that of the government. I dare say some of the comments on social media seem like they are opposing every single fault of the government because they just want to oppose and make a big stir of everything. It should always be about serving the nation in the best way we can and not serving our ego.
A few years ago the only thought I had after graduation was going overseas. After my exchange programme, I couldn't see myself staying in Singapore. My whole mind was fixated on being a missionary , or teaching English overseas. I even got my TESOL certification.
But somehow, I'm still in Singapore and I have learnt that this is the place where really, there are many opportunities to grow to improve yourself if you really want to. We have a good public and private education system to grow in knowledge, we have freedom of religion and quite established religious institutions to grow spiritually. We even have a well set up civil service and private sector with lots of opportunities for experiential growth. It all depends on how badly you want it and how motivated are you to in turn use your success to inspire and help others who are less fortunate. Don't just point arrows at the government!
This is my home. I found my family, my friends, my Church, my career in this nation. Let's do our best to preserve what our forefathers have worked and sacrifice so much for, so it due season , we can continue to reap the harvest!
Regards,
Daniel Foo
Monday, February 18, 2013
Preparing for Success!
This was the advertisement shown during service last week, as Pastor Aries was preaching. Personally, it struck a chord with me. The phrase written below states "I don't expect success, I prepare for it!'
As I reflect on the message, it got me motivated. I used to think that all we need to do is confess the word. I thought that just by saying God will provide is enough because after all He is Jehovah Jireh , our provider, isn't He not?
However, the Bible also says that we are co-creators with Christ, and the biggest aim in life is to be more and more Christ-like. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1
" Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ "
Colossians 1:6 says,
"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him"
Lastly in 2 Corinthians 3:18 it says
" And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
Have you wondered why God would want to give us His anointing, or why He would want us have the same authority and power as Jesus did?
From one perspective, let's say we buy a pet, most of us buy pets because it's cute and we provide for it without it giving back as it serves a purpose to make us happy with it's adorable characteristics.
 |
| We buy pets because it's cute! |
But that's it. We certainly don't want the pet to become super smart and start having the ability to talk and become co-owners of the house we live in right? The same goes for computers, they were created for a purpose, and not to overwrite us and take over the world like in the matrix!
However, when you look from the basis of family, which the Bible often does, it is often noted that parents always want the best for their children. Parents are proud when their children are groomed , disciplined and become successful in life. Parents are willing to sacrifice all for their children. I think the reason God ordained and created the notion of a family is to give us a picture of what Christ's love for us is.
 |
| The family! Built by sacrificial love for one another, just as Christ loved the Church! |
My point is this. God didn't create us to be pets or computers. We are not some invention of God that He created. No, He created us as unique individuals, with a spirit, a soul and a body. In that sense we are more than just living beings for a singular purpose. We are who we are! We have thoughts, feelings, emotions and we have the ability to make decisions. In a sense we are 'little Christs' and we were meant to 'rule and reign with Christ!'
Romans 8:17 says
"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
Life is not a game like Sim City or the SIMS. I'm sure many of us played these games before and often we would just build or give whatever we wanted to these intellectual computer avatars without much thought of who they are as individuals. After all, they're not real!
Yes , God will take care of us, but in the long run, unlike PETS, who just laze around and get free food, God values us as SONS and DAUGHTERS, He wants us to grow and be mature Christians. Christians who are not afraid to prepare for their future, to work towards their dreams. He wants us to live our lives with the full potential as unique individuals who have the freedom of choice and decisions! Christians who have made a choice to follow Jesus, because as we follow His will, we will discover our unique individuality and our identity in Christ! Even if it may be difficult, we know that He will be there to guide us and will never 'leave nor forsake us' on this journey. But, we first need to take the step and prepare!
And to help us through this life, through the difficulties and trials, He gave us, wait for it................
THE BIBLE and a community called THE CHURCH
The Bible opens the window for us to live a life that maxes the potential that God sets out for us! It also opens us up to spiritual truths and faith building confessions that we can boldly proclaim. And when we do, we can have 'assurance of faith' that our preparations and hard work will come to fruition, not 'assurance of faith' that God will magically grow money from trees.
Heb 10:22 says
"Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water."
And when we trust Him and lean on Him for direction, God promises that our hard work will produce a hope and a future!
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Notice that God didn't say I have a hope and a future for you, No no no, He said ' I have plans to give you hope and a future'
A plan, according to the dictionary is "a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance"
Notice the continuous tenses here, 'acting, doing, proceeding, making' God will lead us to the plan, but we need continuous ACTION and PREPARATION on our part for the EXECUTION of that plan to FRUITION. The amazing thing is this, if we follow Christ, He has the perfect plan for us and we can be assured, because He promised, that the hard work and preparation that we put into His plan will result in ' Prosperity, a Hope and a Future!' The verse uses the absolute verb WILL.
In 2013, let's work hard, let's strive on and not give up. At the same time, let's seek the Lord more for his guidance and let's prepare ourselves for the MIRACLE of 'Prosperity, a Hope and a Future!' in accordance with HIS PERFECT WILL!
2 Tim 2:12
" If we endure, we will also reign with Him.....".
Romans 12:2
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will"
Hope you've been blessed!
Regards,
Daniel Foo
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Valentine's Day
Hello! And a very happy Valentine's Day to all !
What is valentine's day to me... basically it's a season where we love, cherish and appreciate those dear to us! It may not just be limited to romance but it could also be among friends whom you treasure ! Most of all, it's to celebrate the gift of love, a trait created by God and sent so beautifully to us so we can experience the magic of it all.
I would like to share with you the story of a very nice surprise I planned for my best friend's birthday which could be considered a vday celebration as well and at the end there'll be a photo story of one of the happiest days of my life so far.... !
It so happened that she was coming back from a flight from Bangkok the night before her birthday. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to plan a surprise birthday party, something that I've never done before in my life!
These are the two videos that were my inspiration!
I really like the last part where he rewrote the lyrics to 'All about you' and so that's exactly what I did ! If you haven't seen this video then please don't hesitate to watch it !
For the decorations, it was a certain Claire Ng who shared this video on her facebook which sparked the idea of helium balloons! The girl liked pink thou so I got heart shaped pink balloons instead.
As it turned out, more and more ideas started coming to my mind for the decorations. Flowers was a must, followed by flower petals, lots of balloons, a helium foil balloon, birthday ribbons and bubbles!
Of course, the necessities were also important, such as cake, her favourite sushi, champagne, her gift! (which I saw from her blog) and a card! I must say, it was quite a big investment but my friend Augustine said it beautifully when he told me 'It's worth it! this is a lifetime investment!'
I had some funny moments as well such as carrying the helium balloons on the train, to which there was a little girl who came in and started smiling while pointing at the balloons and telling her mom ' Look! Heart Balloons! '
O yes, before I forget, I would really like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my friends who were so willing to help me! Firstly it's Mei Fung's friends who helped me a great deal to coordinate the surprise and without whom I wouldn't have succesfully executed the plan! Next is Augustine, my bestest secondary school friend who didn't hesitate to help! (really needed transport home haha) Following which, is my dearest cell members who did most of the work on site and were willing to drop by even when there wasn't transport home! I'm really very touched to Guo Wei and Yu xin. Lastly thanks Aston for the beautiful photos!
Lastly, I would like to thank God for my best friend and for the miracle ! I managed to find all that I needed to find with a good price, and I managed to have good support from friends!
And then there was the big miracle! I agreed to serve as a guitarist for Andy Chia's cell group prayer meeting on the very same day and it got extended to 10pm when I needed to reach the airport after a trip home by 1045pm. But when you serve God, He will make sure your plans run more than smoothly! The first miracle was that her flight got delayed by 20 mins so that gave me some time. Next, my Dad was somehow willingly agreeable to pick me up from home and send me to the airport! After we did the decorations, the security asked us to vacate the place as they were closing the aviation gallery! (which I totally had no idea) Panic mode started to sip in and I kept asking for 5 more mins. She was very close to arriving and I was contemplating if I should shift the decorations, which might spoil the whole surprise.
Thankfully, I think the guard talked to her superior and managed to get leeway for us! She arrived on time, even with the blindfold when I wanted to skip it due to time constrains. Everything was in order, and she was able to smile and walk beautifully down the isle of flower petals and balloons!
I thought of singing outside the area as well in order to pack quickly but again, I managed to sing at the romantic spot as well and the guard was nowhere to be seen! Sooo... I would really like to thank God for I believe it was his intervention that allowed everything to go so smoothly!
Psalm 20:4
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Ok this is kinda a long post so here's the picture story!
As a bonus, here's a video I found of Wongfu Productions who did almost the same thing for their skit...
Hope you guys have a good valentine's day!
Regards,
Daniel Foo
What is valentine's day to me... basically it's a season where we love, cherish and appreciate those dear to us! It may not just be limited to romance but it could also be among friends whom you treasure ! Most of all, it's to celebrate the gift of love, a trait created by God and sent so beautifully to us so we can experience the magic of it all.
I would like to share with you the story of a very nice surprise I planned for my best friend's birthday which could be considered a vday celebration as well and at the end there'll be a photo story of one of the happiest days of my life so far.... !
It so happened that she was coming back from a flight from Bangkok the night before her birthday. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to plan a surprise birthday party, something that I've never done before in my life!
These are the two videos that were my inspiration!
For the decorations, it was a certain Claire Ng who shared this video on her facebook which sparked the idea of helium balloons! The girl liked pink thou so I got heart shaped pink balloons instead.
As it turned out, more and more ideas started coming to my mind for the decorations. Flowers was a must, followed by flower petals, lots of balloons, a helium foil balloon, birthday ribbons and bubbles!
Of course, the necessities were also important, such as cake, her favourite sushi, champagne, her gift! (which I saw from her blog) and a card! I must say, it was quite a big investment but my friend Augustine said it beautifully when he told me 'It's worth it! this is a lifetime investment!'
I had some funny moments as well such as carrying the helium balloons on the train, to which there was a little girl who came in and started smiling while pointing at the balloons and telling her mom ' Look! Heart Balloons! '
O yes, before I forget, I would really like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my friends who were so willing to help me! Firstly it's Mei Fung's friends who helped me a great deal to coordinate the surprise and without whom I wouldn't have succesfully executed the plan! Next is Augustine, my bestest secondary school friend who didn't hesitate to help! (really needed transport home haha) Following which, is my dearest cell members who did most of the work on site and were willing to drop by even when there wasn't transport home! I'm really very touched to Guo Wei and Yu xin. Lastly thanks Aston for the beautiful photos!
Lastly, I would like to thank God for my best friend and for the miracle ! I managed to find all that I needed to find with a good price, and I managed to have good support from friends!
And then there was the big miracle! I agreed to serve as a guitarist for Andy Chia's cell group prayer meeting on the very same day and it got extended to 10pm when I needed to reach the airport after a trip home by 1045pm. But when you serve God, He will make sure your plans run more than smoothly! The first miracle was that her flight got delayed by 20 mins so that gave me some time. Next, my Dad was somehow willingly agreeable to pick me up from home and send me to the airport! After we did the decorations, the security asked us to vacate the place as they were closing the aviation gallery! (which I totally had no idea) Panic mode started to sip in and I kept asking for 5 more mins. She was very close to arriving and I was contemplating if I should shift the decorations, which might spoil the whole surprise.
Thankfully, I think the guard talked to her superior and managed to get leeway for us! She arrived on time, even with the blindfold when I wanted to skip it due to time constrains. Everything was in order, and she was able to smile and walk beautifully down the isle of flower petals and balloons!
I thought of singing outside the area as well in order to pack quickly but again, I managed to sing at the romantic spot as well and the guard was nowhere to be seen! Sooo... I would really like to thank God for I believe it was his intervention that allowed everything to go so smoothly!
Psalm 20:4
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Ok this is kinda a long post so here's the picture story!
Regards,
Daniel Foo
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