LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART

Medical study shows laughter may help prevent heart disease, the study found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

Thankful Hearts

The world has taught us "public relation" through the schools and work places - we give to receive. Or even, we give to even out the favour we received. The concept of pride is deep rooted in us.

Colossians 3 is a good reading material to remind ourselves that God's grace is beyond our comprehension.

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.. clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The act of thanksgiving allows us to humble before the mighty one, and grow into the image of Christ.



Perhaps many are in pain due to the current financial crisis. Thank God for the roof over our head, caring spouse/friends/family, our good health, creative minds, etc. May this video encourage ourselves that there are many important challenges ahead of us in enjoying life.

Hope of the Christmas, When You Believe

Many nights we've prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopefull song
We barely understood

Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

In this time of fear
When prayers so often prove(s) in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away

Yet now I'm standing here
My heart's so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

Fw: Fun ways to de-stress!

 

Spritual Diet

As we prepare to wind down this year and embark upon Yr 2010, can I invite you to

join me in a spiritual journey and my weekly diet will be among others :

1.  Encounter God's miracle being chronicled, albeit with a Jewish flavour

      www.sidroth.org   a 20 min video

 

2.  Resource materials to understand spirituality from a Hebraic perspective, going back to

     the roots, weeding out the unintended distraction that may have sidetracked our intimacy with God

     www.restorationministries.org   video, audio and articles

 

3.  Nuggets of Truth from a most respected scholar and teacher, often referred to as Pastor to the Pastors

     www.jackhayford.org    short messages

 

4.  Solid teaching [Pentecostal], contemporary and really stretching the envelope

      www.ibethel.tv   Bill Johnson and others, be prepared for 50min sessions

 

5.  Peter Scazzero, however still getting used to him

     newlifefellowship.org  

 

Shalom

Shan Chi

 

DAILY PRAYER

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. Something good will happen to you today!

GOD OUR FATHER,

WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES AND ILLNESSES; AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY.

IN JESUS' NAME.. AMEN

MANGOSTEEN FIGHTS CANCER

EATING FRUITS SAVE LIVES

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! * FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil....

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining — every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc — actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene — the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can u believe this?? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE': (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!) Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.

DO YOU OWN YOUR OWN SICKNESS?

Excerpt from Pastor Rusty Russell Weekly newsletter.

The key to healing is in the area of one's ownership of sickness and pain.

I find God to be One to honor one's ownership. So if a person says, "My cancer, My stomach pain, MY deaf ear, and so on," then what will God do? Bless your sickness with more sickness? Or more cancer?

"NO! LORD! I don't want more, I want to be free of it!" If you agree with that statement then you need to tell the Lord Jesus, I remove my ownership of this sickness, I give it up, I lay it down at the foot of the Cross of Jesus, and from Jesus I receive the stripes which he bore for me on the cross, I accept the finished work of the Cross to free me from sickness, pain and suffering. Thank you Jesus!

Understand Your Liver

Amazing Dog Show

Ward Off Dementia

To help ward off dementia, train your brain..

Timing is everything, comedians say.

It's also important when it comes to taking care of your brain. Yet most of us start worrying about dementia after retirement - and that may be too little, too late.

Experts say that if you really want to ward off dementia, you need to start taking care of your brain in your 30s and or even earlier.

"More and more research is suggesting that lifestyle is very important to your brain's health," says Dr Paul Nussbaum, a neuropsychologist and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine "If you want to live a long, healthy life, then many of us need to start as early as we can."

So what can you do to beef up your brain - and possibly ward off dementia? Nussbaum, who recently gave a speech on the topic for the Winter Park (Fla.) Health Foundation, offers 20 tips that may help.

1. Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers. If you start volunteering now, you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire.

2 Develop a hobby or two. Hobbies help you develop a robust brain because you're trying something new and complex.

3 Practice writing with your non-dominant hand several minutes every day. This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons.

4 Take dance lessons. In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76% less incidence of dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all.

5 Need a hobby? Start gardening. Researchers in New Zealand found that, of 1,000 people, those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from dementia. Not only does gardening reduce stress, but gardeners use their brains to plan the garden, they use visual and spatial reasoning to lay out a garden.

6 Buy a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day. Walking daily can reduce the risk of dementia because cardiovascular health is important to maintain blood flow to the brain.

7 Read and write daily. Reading stimulates a wide variety of brain areas that process and store information. Likewise, writing (not copying) stimulates many areas of the brain as well.

8 Start knitting. Using both hands works both sides of your brain. And it's a stress reducer.

9 Learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or sign language, you are working your brain by making it go back and forth between one language and the other. A researcher in England found that being bilingual seemed to delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease for four years. (And some research suggests that the earlier a child learns sign language, the higher his IQ - and people with high IQs are less likely to have dementia. So start them early.)

10 Play board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly. Not only are you taxing your brain, you're socializing too. (Playing solo games, such as solitaire or on-line computer brain games can be helpful, but Nussbaum prefers games that encourage you to socialize too.)

11 Take classes throughout your lifetime. Learning produces structural and chemical changes in the brain, and education appears to help people live longer. Brain researchers have found that people with advanced degrees live longer - and if they do have Alzheimer's, it often becomes apparent only in the very later stages of the disease.

12 Listen to classical music. A growing volume of research suggests that music may hard wire the brain, building links between the two hemispheres.. Any kind of music may work, but there's some research that shows positive effects for classical music, though researchers don't understand why.

13 Learn a musical instrument. It may be harder than it was when you were a kid, but you'll be developing a dormant part of your brain.

14 Travel. When you travel (whether it's to a distant vacation spot or on a different route across town), you're forcing your brain to navigate a new and complex environment. A study of London taxi drivers found experienced drivers had larger brains because they have to store lots of information about locations and how to navigate there.

15 Pray. Daily prayer appears to help your immune system. And people who attend a formal worship service regularly live longer and report happier, healthier lives.

16 Learn to meditate. It's important for your brain that you learn to shut out the stresses of everyday life.

17 Get enough sleep. Studies have shown a link between interrupted sleep and dementia.

18 Eat more foods containing omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, sardines, tuna, ocean trout, mackerel or herring, plus walnuts (which are higher in omega 3s than salmon) and flaxseed.. Flaxseed oil, cod liver oil and walnut oil are good sources too.

19 Eat more fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables mop up some of the damage caused by free radicals, one of the leading killers of brain cells.

20 Eat at least one meal a day with family and friends. You'll slow down, socialize; and research shows you'll eat healthier food than if you eat alone.

God's Career Guide

A very interesting site with great articles.

The Pitfall of Being Entrepreneurial

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Sunday, September 20 2009

"When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark..." 1 Chronicles 13:9-10

There are good things we can do, but only God-things we should do. Those activities not born out of the Spirit will result in wood, hay, and stubble. What seems good in our eyes may be an abomination in God's eyes. For instance, if you decide to build an orphanage but God has never directed you to do so, then God will not see that work as good; it was born out of your own strength, even though it was a "good work."

The most difficult challenge a Christian workplace believer will ever have is to know what things to be involved in and what things not to be involved in. Many workplace believers have a great ability to see opportunity. What appears to be a "slam dunk" may come back to haunt us if God never ordains us to enter that arena. There are many good things we can be involved with. However, there are God-things we are supposed to be involved with. Uzzah was a good man in David's sight. It was a time of celebration, and David and the people were transporting the ark of God. However, the ark hit a bump, and Uzzah reached for the ark to hold it steady. He touched the ark, and he immediately died. David became very upset with God about this situation; he questioned whether he could serve God.

God's ways are not our ways. The most important quality God desires to develop in us is our dependence on Him and Him alone. When we begin to make decisions based on reason and analysis instead of the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit, we get into trouble with God. David later learned the importance of this principle in his own life. This encounter was one of the stepping-stones in his pilgrimage. David was an extraordinary entrepreneur. He ran the nation very successfully, but he, like each of us, had to learn the difference between "good things" and "God-things."

Are you involved in anything in which God has not directed you to be involved? Do you seek God about every decision, every action before you take it? This is where God wants you and me to be. Ask Him to show you how to walk with Him in this way.

Israel's Influence

Very interesting info on the influence of the Israel to the world..

THE MIRACLE TORNADO

Watch this and God surely spoke loud and clear.

On August 19 the Lutheran Church in America voted to allow same sex marriage and clergy. This video shows a tornado that hit Minneapolis on August 19 around 2 pm at the time they voted. It sheered the cross off the Lutheran church next to the conference center where they were meeting.

A SONY PRESENTATION TO BMG EXECUTIVES - Did You Know?

Like the theme at the recent Singapore National Day Parade: "What Do You See?"

Fw: Don't sleep too late- liver damage

Good rest and sound sleep is very
Important... if u don't sleep well, the toxic in your body will accumulate.. Affecting your health and your mood...

The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'

Because:

Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (de-toxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will h ave a negative impact on her health.

Evening at 11pm - 1am : The de-toxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : de-toxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 3 - 5am : de-toxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the de-toxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : de-toxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.

Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.

Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.

God's Amazing Pharmacy

Amazing properties in vege & fruits that God created before us, and for us..

Follow this link.

The Preacher Said ...

'If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the
river.' The congregation cried, 'Amen!'

'And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and throw it in the
river.' And the congregation cried, 'Amen!'

'And if I had all the whiskey and rum in the world, I'd take it all and
throw it in the river. 'Again the congregation cried, 'Amen!'

The Preacher sat down.

The deacon then stood up & said: 'For our closing hymn, let's turn to page
126 of our hymn books and sing:

'We shall drink from that River. 'The congregation screamed 'HALLELUYAAAAAA'.

Fw: Be Thankful Always

PEACE OF MIND

If you were to ask your neighbor, "What would give you peace of mind?" he might tell you, "A vacation in Bermuda!" or "An extra hundred grand would give me peace!", or "A new Ferrari would make me content!"

But going to places - and getting stuff - is usually a temporary solution ...

Peace of mind rarely comes from getting more stuff. Getting more stuff usually leads to wanting even more stuff! Peace of mind starts with being grateful for what we have right now.

GRATITUDE is POWER

When we are thankful for what we have - for the friends we have, and for the things we've got, we attract more good people and good things!

People who always complain about what they DON'T HAVE, stay stuck. Complainers attract more things to complain about!

It is a law of life. It's hard to explain, but you can observe it around you.

We get more of what we dwell upon. That's why all the spiritual masters have taught the same lesson:

"Start by being thankful. Be happy with what you have now, and more will come your way." It's a practical advice: Every time you say a silent "thank you" become more peaceful

HEAVEN is when you have:
AMERICAN salary,
ENGLISH car,
CHINESE food, and
INDONESIAN wife.

HELL is when you have:
AMERICAN wife,
ENGLISH food,
CHINESE car, and
INDONESIAN salary.

The Last Battle - the 3rd World War

world war 3 - Bible, Israel, Russia and Iran


Latest News: British fear US commander is beating the drum for Iran strikes

Is the time line of the prophecy unfolding itself before our eyes?

THE FIRE STILL BURNS

BY *AHMAD MUSTAPHA

*The writer is a nephew of Dr Mahathir..

Singapore's Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, who was Singapore 's founding father, has always been very direct in his comments. This was the man who outsmarted the communists in Singapore (with the innocent help of Malaya then and the willing help of the British) and who later outwitted the British and outpaced Malaysia in all spheres.

Singapore practices corrupt-free meritocracy and Malaysia affirmative action. The former attracted all the best brains and the latter chased out all the brains. The Singapore cabinet consists of dedicated and intelligent technocrats whereas Malaysia has one of the most unwieldy cabinets. Not only that, brain wise it was below par not even good for the kampong.

With that kind of composition, one that is very brainy, naturally Singapore, with no natural resources could outstrip Malaysia in every aspect of development. Malaysia , on the other hand, was too much preoccupied with its Malayness and the illusory 'Ketuanan Melayu' and was also more interested in useless mega iconic development rather than real social and economic development.

Whenever Kuan Yew utters anything that deemed to be a slight on Malaysia, voices were raised admonishing him. Malaysia would never dare to face reality. That Singapore had shown that it could survive was a slap on those who believed that Singapore would fold up once it left Malaysia. Therefore it was natural that these doomsayers would try to rationalise their utterances to be in their favour to combat on whatever Kuan Yew commented. Its political jealousy.

Singapore achieved its development status without any fanfare. But here in Malaysia , a development that was deceptive was proclaimed as having achieved development status. It was trumpeted as an achievement that befits first world status. This was self delusion. Malaysians are led to believe into a make believe world, a dream world. The leaders who themselves tend to believe in their own fabricated world did not realise the people were not taken in by this kind of illusion.

Lee Kuan Yew believed in calling a spade a spade. I was there in Singapore when the People's Action Party won the elections in 1959. He was forthright in his briefing to party members as to what was expected of them and what Singapore would face in the future. Ideologically, I did not agree with him. We in the University of Malaya Socialist Club had a different interpretation of socialist reconstruction. But he was a pragmatist and wanted to bring development and welfare to the Singaporeans. Well! He succeeded.

Malaysia was so much embroiled in racial politics and due to the fear of losing political power, all actions taken by the main party in power was never targeted towards bringing wealth to all. Wealth was distributed to the chosen few only. They were the cronies and the backers of the party leadership to perpetuate their own selfish ends.

Seeing the efficiency and the progress achieved by Singapore caused the Malaysian leadership to suffer from an inferiority complex.. That Malaysia should suffer from this complex was of its own making.

In a recent interview, Kuan Yew said that Malaysia could have done better if only it treated its minority Chinese and Indian population fairly. Instead they were completely marginalised and many of the best brains left the country in drove. He added that Singapore was a standing indictment to what Malaysia could have done differently. He just hit the nail right there on the head.

Malaysia recently celebrated its 50th year of independence with a bagful of uncertainties. The racial divide has become more acute. The number of Malay graduates unemployed is on the increase. And this aspect can be very explosive.. But sad to see that no positive actions have been taken to address these social ills.

Various excuses were given by Malaysian leaders why Singapore had far outstripped Malaysia in all aspects of social and economic advancement. Singapore was small, they rationalised and therefore easy to manage. Singapore was not a state but merely an island.

There was one other aspect that Malaysia practises and that is to politicise all aspects of life. All government organs and machinery were 'UMNO-ised'. This was to ensure that the party will remain in power. Thus there was this misconception by the instruments of government as to what national interest is and what UMNO vested interest is.

UMNO vested interest only benefited a few and not the whole nation. But due to the UMNO-isation of the various instruments of government, the country under the present administration had equated UMNO vested interest as being that of national interest. Thus development became an avenue of making money and not for the benefit of the people. The fight against corruption took a back seat. Transparency was put on hold. And the instruments of government took it to be of national interest to cater to the vested interest of UMNO. Enforcement of various enactments and laws was selective... Thus a 'palace' in Kelang, APs cronies and close-one-eye umno MPs could exist without proper procedure. Corruption infested all govt departments, the worse is the police and lately even in the judiciary.

Singapore did not politicise its instruments of government. If ever politicisation took place, it is guided by national interest. To be efficient and to be the best in the region was of paramount importance. Thus all the elements like corruption, lackadaisical attitude towards work and other black elements, which would retard such an aim, were eliminated. Singapore naturally had placed the right priority in it's pursuit to achieve what is best for its people. This is the major difference between these two independent countries.

Malaysia in its various attempts to cover up its failures embarked on several diversions. It wanted its citizens to be proud that the country had the tallest twin-tower in the world, although the structure was designed and built by foreigners. Its now a white-elephant wasting away. It achieved in sending a man into space at an exorbitant price. For what purpose? These are what the Malays of old would say "menang sorak" (hollow victories).

It should be realised that administering a country can be likened to managing a corporate entity. If the management is efficient and dedicated and know what they are doing, the company will prosper.. The reverse will be if the management is poor and bad. The company will go bust.

There are five countries around this region. There is Malaysia , and then Indonesia . To the east there is the Philippines and then there is that small enclave called the Sultanate of Brunei . All these four countries have abundance of natural resources but none can lay claim to have used all these resources to benefit the people. Poverty was rampant and independence had not brought in any significant benefits to the people.

But tiny Singapore without any resources at all managed to bring development to its citizens. It had one of the best public MRT transport systems and airlines in the world and it is a very clean city state. Their universities, health care, ports are among the best in the world.

It is impossible to compare what Singapore has achieved to what all these four countries had so far achieved. It was actually poor management and corruption, and nothing more. Everything is done for the vested interest of the few.

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines and the Sultanate of Brunei need good management teams. They would not be able to do this on their own steam. I would advise that they call on Kuan Yew to show them what good governance is. Why look East to Japan when it is just next door across the causeway.

Money Has No Memory

Money has no memory. Experience has. You will never know what the total cost of your education was, but for a lifetime you will recall and relive the memories of schools and colleges. Few years from now, you will forget the amount you paid to settle the hospitalization bill, but will ever cherish having saved your mother's life or the life you get to live with the just born. You won't remember the cost of your honeymoon, but to the last breath remember the experiences of the bliss of togetherness. Money has no memory. Experience has.

Good times and bad times, times of prosperity and times of poverty, times when the future looked so secure and times when you didn't know from where the tomorrow will come... life has been in one way or the other a roller-coaster ride for everyone. Beyond all that abundance and beyond all that deprivation, what remains is the memory of experiences. Sometimes the wallet was full... sometimes even the pocket was empty. There was enough and you still had reasons to frown. There wasn't enough and you still had reasons to smile. Today, you can look back with tears of gratitude for all the times you had laughed together, and also look back with a smile at all the times you cried alone. All in all, life filled you with experiences to create a history of your own self, and you alone can remember them all.

The first time you balanced yourself on your cycle without support... The first time she said 'yes' and it was two years since you proposed... The first cry... the first steps... the first word... the first kiss... all of your child... The first gift you bought for your parents and the first gift your daughter gave you... The first award... the first public appreciation... the first stage performance... And the list is endless... Experiences, with timeless memory... No denying that anything that's material cost money, but the fact remains the cost of the experience will be forgotten, but the experience never.

So, what if it's economic recession? Let it be, but let there not be a recession to the quality of your life. You can still take your parents, if not on a pilgrimage, at least to the local church, temple... You can still play with your children, if not on an international holiday, at least in the local park. It doesn't cost money to lie down or to take a loved one onto your lap. Nice time to train the employees, create leadership availability and be ready for the wonderful times when they arrive. Hey! Aspects like your health, knowledge development and spiritual growth are not economy dependent.


Time will pass... economy will revive... currency will soon be in current... and in all this; I don't want you to look back and realize you did nothing but stayed in gloom. Recession can make you lose out on money. Let it not make you lose out on experiences... If you are not happy with what you have, no matter how much more you have, you will still not be happy.

Make a statement with the way you live your life: How I feel has nothing to do with how much I have.

Healing the Land

2 King 2:19-22

The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive." "Bring me a new bowl," he said, "and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.' " 22 And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

In the verses, I see our flesh is the unproductive land, the water is our spirit and the salt is God's words.

Without the ACTION of feeding our spirit with God's words, we continue to live an unproductive life without the transformation.

Fellowship Meeting Update - 12/May 2009

Pastor Pierre Wuytack visited our cell last night, and shared with us a worship DVD and the progress report of God’s work in Madagascar despite the political chaos. The fellowship ended with a powerful prayer session and the strong anointing touched all of us.

I returned home with joy and peace knowing:

• God is in control of EVERYTHING despite men’s best effort - The president of Madagascar was removed from power and the young president just accepted Christ. The healing VCD is full of miracles and testimonies.


• There will be seasons of barrenness in life, so we can get real close to Jesus and develop discipline to heed His words.


• The Lord is the banker and is interested in our projects. “Tell me your plan and how I can bless your abundant living?” Ps Pierre prophesied the land and an orphanage was built a year later as he took each confident step before the Banker. Again he prophesied 16 churches/schools in 2009 and they are taking shape today! El Shaddai we thank you.

The fight inside us between the secular business and the kingdom work is non-stop. Frequent travellers know the Sun shines brightly above the dark cloud, let not the dark cloud darken our eyes but let our spirit rejoice knowing Jesus is right behind the dark cloud!! He is the mighty El Roi – The God who sees me.

We Are Made To Praise

Ecc 3:18-22: "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?" So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot.

Are we really no different than the animals? What set us apart to experience life?

We are made to Love.
We are made to Embrace.
We are made to Communicate.
We are made to Laugh.
We are made to Taste.
We are made to Dance.
We are made to Appreciate.
We are made to Praise & worship.

How many more do you need to enjoy your work today?

FW: FGB Excellence Seminar on 21 May 2009

FYI
------ Forwarded Message

From: "carolpor (Singapore)" <carol.por@sg.pico.com>
Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 18:23:57 +0800
To: "carolpor (Singapore)" <carol.por@sg.pico.com>
Subject: FGB Excellence Seminar on 21 May 2009

 
建立高绩效企业的蓝图
Blueprint for Creating High Corporate Performance
Part 2 企业战略的设计Design of Strategies

Date：21 May 2009 (Thursday)                         日期：5月21日（星期四）
Time:  6.30 pm. to 9.30 pm                                 时间：6.30pm. - 9.30 pm
Venue 地点 : 5th Floor Auditorium, 20 Kallang Avenue, Pico Creative Centre


概要Abstract  :
企业要如何发展？如何保住持续的成长？讲员整合了现今数位顶尖商业管理大师实践的理论与教导而成的一个企业绩效管理蓝图。在上回的第一讲，讨论企业的使命，愿景，价值和SWOT 的方法。这第二讲的主题是如何设计企业的战略。讨论项目有Geoffrey Moore 的市场发展周期，金伟灿（W. Chan Kim）的蓝海策略，Clay Christensen 的突破性创新和发掘你的核心能力。从中可以设计一套战略来建立企业的竞争优势，确保企业的绩效和成长。

How can we grow the corporation? How to sustain the corporate performance & growth? A unified Corporate Performance Management(CPM) framework is presented. It unifies the present state of arts of proven management thinking and methodologies. In the previous session (Part 1) Mission, Vision, Value and SWOT were covered. This session, Part 2, covers the design of corporate strategies. Learning from the Market Development Life Cycle of Geoffrey Moore, Blue Ocean Strategy of Chan Kim, Disruptive Innovation of Clay Christensen and discovery your own core competence, you can know how to develop strategies that create a competitive advantage for sustained performance and growth.

讲员：林烈   Speaker: Lim Liat
商业与创新管理的顾问. 滨海磐石教会荣誉长老。
1974新大工程学士及金奖 1976 加拿大University of Alberta 工程硕士
得新加坡优越奖学金及英联邦奖学金。
是新加坡电脑系统公司(Singapore Computer Systems) 的先驱之一。呈任副执行总裁。他是新加坡2002经济改组通讯和资讯科技组的会员。呈当任 政府部门，国立公司，跨国公司，新创公司，风险资本公司，国大与南洋理工大学等学院的顾问。他与同事共拥有五项美国注册的专利。两次得新科公司最高的创新奖(Chew Set Chai Awards).。1986－1998 为灯塔布道教会的长老。1998 创立滨海磐石教会。Website: www.bvotech.com <http://www.bvotech.com/>   Blog: www.limliat.blogspot.com <http://www.limliat.blogspot.com/>  
 

Kindly RSVP your attendance through Carol Por at (DID) 62905676 or carol.por@sg.pico.com
请至电62905676 预约

This message and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the addressees. If you receive this message in error, please delete it and immediately notify the sender. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized use, copying or dissemination is prohibited. E-mails are susceptible to alteration. Neither The Company nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates shall be liable for the message if altered, changed or falsified.

------ End of Forwarded Message

Names Of God

Fear of The Lord

I search the Bible, the subject shows up 130 times!

We often ignore the importance of the reverence in our spiritual attitude. I did defy my dad during my teen-age days, and however I experienced about my father's frustration with my teen age son.

Our rebellion is a big sin in our life, and Jesus took care of the sin part. But have we purged our rebellious attitude?

Solomon said in Proverb 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge". In my view, we receive little wisdom if spirit of rebellion/pride still within us.

Daily devotion is the light to darkness in our hearts. Praise God!

Commitment vs Surrender - Edmund Chan

Commitment or Surrender? What's the difference
The committed life emphasises what we must do for Christ; the surrendered life embraces what Christ has done for us.
Christianity is not essentially DO but DONE. It is not TRY but TRUST.

The committed life relies on one's ability to perform; the surrendered life realises that we can do nothing apart from God.
In conventional terms, committed life centres on our Doing while the surrendered life centres on our Being.

The committed life exalts our competence; the surrendered life examines our character.
The committed life emphasises the outward; the surrendered life emphasises the inward.

More significantly, the committed life centres on operations; the surrendered life centres on obedience.
So the committed life issues out of good intentions while the surrendered life issues out of God's intention.

A man may be outwardly committed to the work of Christ but may not have been inwardly consecrated and surrendered to the will of Christ.

Are you walking in commitment or surrender?

Financial Crisis

For an understanding of the financial crisis

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04032009/watch.html

Integrity is so biblical!

Saving is sin, and spending is virtue...

Interesting article written by an Indian Economist

Japanese save a lot. They do not spend much. Also Japan exports far more than it imports. Has an annual trade surplus of over 100 billions. Yet Japanese economy is considered weak, even collapsing.

Americans spend, save little. Also US imports more than it exports.. Has an annual trade deficit of over $400 billion. Yet, the American economy is considered strong and trusted to get stronger.

But where from do Americans get money to spend? They borrow from Japan, China and even India. Virtually others save for the US to spend. Global savings are mostly invested in US, in dollars.

India itself keeps its foreign currency assets of over $50 billions in US securities. China has sunk over $160 billion in US securities. Japan's stakes in US securities is in trillions.

Result:

The US has taken over $5 trillion from the world. So, as the world saves for the US, Americans spend freely. Today, to keep the US consumption going, that is for the US economy to work, other countries have to remit $180 billion every quarter, which is $2 billion a day, to the US!

A Chinese economist asked a neat question. Who has invested more, US in China, or China in US? The US has invested in China less than half of what China has invested in US.

The same is the case with India. We have invested in US over $50 billion. But the US has invested less than $20 billion in India.

Why the world is after US?

The secret lies in the American spending, that they hardly save. In fact they use their credit cards to spend their future income. That the US spends is what makes it attractive to export to the US. So US imports more than what it exports year after year.

The result:

The world is dependent on US consumption for its growth. By its deepening culture of consumption, the US has habituated the world to feed on US consumption. But as the US needs money to finance its consumption, the world provides the money.

It's like a shopkeeper providing the money to a customer so that the customer keeps buying from the shop. If the customer will not buy, the shop won't have business, unless the shopkeeper funds him. The US is like the lucky customer. And the world is like the helpless shopkeeper financier.

Who is America's biggest shopkeeper financier? Japan of course. Yet it's Japan which is regarded as weak. Modern economists complain that Japanese do not spend, so they do not grow. To force the Japanese to spend, the Japanese government exerted itself, reduced the savings rates, even charged the savers. Even then the Japanese did not spend (habits don't change, even with taxes, do they?). Their traditional postal savings alone is over $1.2 trillions, about three times the Indian GDP. Thus, savings, far from being the strength of Japan, has become its pain.

Hence, what is the lesson?

That is, a nation cannot grow unless the people spend, not save. Not just spend, but borrow and spend. Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati, the famous Indian-born economist in the US, told Manmohan Singh that Indians wastefully save. Ask them to spend, on imported cars and, seriously, even on cosmetics! This will put India on a growth curve. This is one of the reason for MNC's coming down to India, seeing the consumer spending.

'Saving is sin, and spending is virtue.'

But before you follow this neo economics, get some fools to save so that you can borrow from them and spend!!!

The Four Blessed Looks

THE FOUR BLESSED LOOKS

Look back and 'Thank' God.
Look forward and 'Trust' God.
Look around and 'Serve' God!.
Look within and 'Find' God!

I asked God, 'How do I get the best out of life?' God said, 'Face your past without regrets. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear!'

Without God, our week is:
Mournday,
Tearsday,
Wasteday,
Thirstday,
Fightday,
Shatterday and
Sinday.

So, allow Him to be with you every day!'

Life is short, so forgive quickly. Believe slowly.. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. Never regret anything that makes you happy. And have a wonderful journey!!

97 YEARS OLD DOCTOR & THIS IS WHAT HE HAS TO SAY .......

At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. Hinohara's magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing. After World War II, he envisioned a world-class hospital and college springing from the ruins of Tokyo; thanks to his pioneering spirit and business savvy, the doctor turned these institutions into the nation's top medical facility and nursing school. Today he serves as chairman of the board of trustees at both organizations.

Always willing to try new things, he has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one "Living Long, Living Good" that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself. Doctor Shigeaki Hinohara JUDIT KAWAGUCHIPHOTO

Energy omes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.


All people who live long regardless of nationality, race or gender share one thing in common: None are overweight. For breakfast I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy. Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat. I never get hungry because I focus on my work. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat.

Always plan ahead. My schedule book is already full until 2014, with lectures and my usual hospital work. In 2016 I'll have some fun, though: I plan to attend the Tokyo Olympics!

There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65. The current retirement age was set at 65 half a century ago, when the average life-expectancy in Japan was 68 years and only 125 Japanese were over 100 years old. Today, Japanese women live to be around 86 and men 80, and we have 36,000 centenarians in our country. In 20 years we will have about 50,000 people over the age of 100.

Share what you know. I give 150 lectures a year, some for 100 elementary-school children, others for 4,500 business people. I usually speak for 60 to 90 minutes, standing, to stay strong.

When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure. Contrary to popular belief, doctors can't cure everyone. So why cause unnecessary pain with surgery I think music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine.

To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff. I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving.

My inspiration is Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler." My father used to read it to me. It encourages us to make big art, not small scribbles. It says to try to draw a circle so huge that there is no way we can finish it while we are alive. All we see is an arch; the rest is beyond our vision but it is there in the distance.

Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it. If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients: We all want to have fun. At St. Luke's we have music and animal therapies, and art classes.

Don't be crazy about amassing material things. Remember: You don't know when your number is up, and you can't take it with you to the next place.

Hospitals must be designed and prepared for major disasters, and they must accept every patient who appears at their doors. We designed St.... Luke's so we can operate anywhere: in the basement, in the corridors, in the chapel. Most people thought I was crazy to prepare for a catastrophe, but on March 20, 1995, I was unfortunately proven right when members of the Aum Shinrikyu religious cult launched a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway. We accepted 740 victims and in two hours figured out that it was sarin gas that had hit them. Sadly we lost one person, but we saved 739 lives.

Science alone can't cure or help people. Science lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts. To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones.

Life is filled with incidents. On March 31, 1970, when I was 59 years old, I boarded the Yodogo, a flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and as Mount Fuji came into sight, the plane was hijacked by the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction. I spent the next four days handcuffed to my seat in 40-degree heat. As a doctor, I looked at it all as an experiment and was amazed at how the body slowed down in a crisis.

Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do. My father went to the United States in 1900 to study at Duke University in North Carolina. He was a pioneer and one of my heroes. Later I found a few more life guides, and when I am stuck, I ask myself how they would deal with the problem.

It's wonderful to live long. Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one's family and to achieve one's goals. But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it.

My Blessed Life Ahead

Psalm 1:1-3

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

O Lord, You are the promise giver and the promise keeper. I secured the promise of my blessed life in my heart, and proclaim your goodness and faithfulness forever. Thank you for the finest wheat and honey you satisfied me in the midst of trials. I bless your name on high. In Jesus name. Amen.

The Story Behind

The story of Joseph Scriven, 1819-1886 (The writer of "What A Friend We Have In Jesus")

Born: September 10, 1819, Seapatrick, County Down, Ireland.
Died: August 10, 1886, Port Hope, Ontario, Canada.
Buried: Pengally Cemetery, near Port Hope, Ontario, Canada.

A true friend loves and accepts us just as we are -- stays close to us in good or in bad times, and is always ready to help in time of need. Because the author of this hymn text found just such a friend in his Lord Jesus, he decided to spend his entire life showing real friendship to others.

Joseph Scriven had wealth, education, a devoted family, and a pleasant life in his native Ireland. Then unexpected tragedy entered his life. On the night before Scriven's wedding, his fiancee drowned. He moved to Canada in 1846. There he taught in Woodstock and Brantford, Ontario, and was a tutor for the Pengelly family near Bewdley. It was there he met and became engaged to Eliza Roche, a relative of the Pengellys. In what seems too amazing to be coincidence, Eliza died shortly before their wedding.

In his deep sorrow, Joseph Scriven realized that he could find the solace and support needed only in his dearest friend, the Lord Jesus. Soon after this tragedy, Scriven dramatically changed his lifestyle. He determined to devote all of his extra time in being a friend and helper to others. He often gave away his clothing and possessions to those in need, and he worked, without pay for anyone who needed him. Scriven became known as "the Good Samaritan of Port Hope."

When Scriven's mother became ill in Ireland, he wrote a comforting letter to her, enclosing the words of his newly written poem with the prayer that these brief lines would remind her of a neverfailing Heavenly Friend. Sometime later, when he himself was ill, a friend who came to call on him happened to see a copy of these words scribbled on scratch paper near his bed. The friend read the lines with interest and asked, "Who wrote those beautiful words?" "The Lord and I did it between us," was Scriven's humble reply.

What a friend we have in Jesus

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.

What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

Prayer of Encouragement Peter Scazzero

I asked God for strength that I might achieve,

I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

 

I asked for health that I might do great things;

I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

 

I asked for riches that I might be happy,

I was given poverty that I might be wise.

 

I asked for power when I was young that I might have the praise of men;

I was given weakness that I might feel the need for God.

 

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;

I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

 

I got nothing that I asked for,

But everything I had hoped for.

 

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered,

I am, among all people, most richly blessed.

 

 

Daily Devotion (Deuteronomy 28)

Instructions and Execution

Any organisation will not achieve its goal if instructions from the top management not carefully executed. We understood the principle very well throughout our working years.

God knows us so well that he reminded Israelites in verse 13: "..If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be.."

After thousands of years, we have not changed! As we are getting busier with our work and overloaded with information, we miss the mark by paying attention to other idols - work, stock index, etc. Later we approached Jesus for miracles to take place in our lives.

We don't pay true attention to God's commands and execute well. Thus, we don't receive the promises He said He will do.

Dear Lord, forgive my ignorance upon your commands and thank you for your love and revelation of your truth today. Grant me the insight of your commands so I remember well to follow them, your truth is the living water in my heart and no one is able to rob away my inheritance and joy. Touch my lips for greater purpose today. Amen.

Daily Devotion (1 Thessalonians 4)

Live To Be Successful

Verses 11-12
"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

Definition of Ambition is "a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work".

Definition of Respect is "a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements".

Paul's instruction on the character of Christians is revolving around:
1. Determine to serve
2. Financial independence through labour of hands
3. Strive for excellence
4. Keep low profile

The earthly measure of success is based on wealth, and its teaching is about instant results - often cause the Christians to fumble in our ministry or service against the four characters Paul mentioned:
a. Being called by the leader to serve
b. Mark attendance in our spiritual report card
c. Shy to approach or even smile
d. Holding senior management position at work and unsuitable to serve

Abba Father, many time we wear the secular robe and behave like the Pharisees and yet to think we are a great worshipers before your throne. Teach us to live our lives under your eyes, not the lives under other eyes. Remind our gifting and talents and refresh us with new ones, so that we do not seem to be useful in office and useless when retrenched. Open our eyes and direct us to our destiny and not trapped in the secular activities without the true focus in our successful life. Amen.

Daily Devotion (1 Thessalonians 4)

Lusty Temptation

Verses 3-8
"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit."

After the bite of the fruit of knowledge, both Adam and Eve noticed their nakedness. The spirit of lust is the best friend of our flesh, we often fall into the gaps of lust without knowing. Devil is a crafty designer even in fashion, it is highly advisable for men to take a quick look of beautiful women and do not stay focus of her body parts more than 3 seconds. Fix your eye sight above her neck to keep our spirit of lust at bay.

Only through the constant renewal in God's words and Holy Spirit, we are able to learn to subdue the temptation around us daily. Call upon the name of Jesus if your eyes cannot stay focus at the face.

Dear Lord, forgive our craving for lusty things of the world. As we partake your daily bread, we strengthen ourselves in your truth. Reveal to us the wisdom to raise our spiritual dimension beyond the fleshy desires, and equip us through the teaching of my dear adviser against the enemy - holy spirit. Amen.

Daily Devotion (1 Thessalonians 3)

Stand Firm in Trials

Verses 7-9
"..in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God.."

Life is full of trials and tribulations, Paul discovered the Thessalonian brothers' faith in God during tough times. The world today offers trials and tribulation, are we standing firm? What signs did Timothy discover from the Thessalonian brothers that they are firm in Christ? How about ourselves today?

Paul offers some clues that we need to strive in our spiritual walk and ground our faith securely even in the midst of famine: a) Pray to be useful b) Reach out to encourage someone c) Offer our help d) Follow-up through care acts or events e) Check his/her spiritual pulse regularly f) Thanksgiving.

Dear Lord, the world in your hand has not changed much - even though we think it has. Please help us to make our lives meaningful and not focus upon our own needs/desires. Direct us today to encourage everyone we speak with in person or over the phone, so their lives may be blessed richly through your words of hope. I claim your promise in Numbers 6:24-26: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Thank you for your attention and grace. Amen.

Daily Devition (1 Thessalonians 2)

Verses 7-8:
"We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

Most of us understand and experienced love. Not many of us fully understood the depth of motherly love (or fatherly love) and let alone God's love.

Paul expressed the loving attention we need to exercise upon others beyond our family members. We need to develop the spiritual parenthood attitude to the young Christians who need guidance, and share our lives with them.

Abba Father, anoint me with you wisdom on the subject of love. Open the eyes of my heart and receive your overflowing love every day in a new dimension, causing my well of living water to touch my oikos with love. Help me to develop the right attitude in serving others in humility. Touch my lips so I can bless anyone richly and build relationships in your grace. Amen

Daily Devotion (1 Thessalonians 1)

Effective ministry through Holy Spirit

Verses 3-6:
"Your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."

In brief, the Holy Spirit is the joy factory which prompts the Thessalonians to love others in faith with the hope in Jesus Christ.

Through the years, I have been one of the Christians operating by emotion and own plan. These Verses outlines the success model we ought to learn from - God's conviction through the holy spirit!

Paul also highlighted the sign of the spiritual harvest is the lifestyle change and joy witnessed among the Thessalonians through action - man's own effort do not last!

Dear Lord, thank you for your teaching on successful and effective ministry. Partner with me today and prompt me who I shall approach, and deliver your gospel message with love and power. amen

LIFEBOOK 2009

LIFEBOOK 2009

Health:

1. Drink plenty of water
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured
in plants
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy
5. Make time for prayer
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2008
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day ---- and while you walk, smile

Personality:

11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your
energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do ; keep your limits
14. Don't take yourself so seriously ; no one else does
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the
past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the
curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last
a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:

25. Call your family often
26. Each day give something good to others
27. Forgive everyone for everything
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day
30. What other people think of you is none of your business
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in
touch.

Life:

32. Do the right things
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
34. GOD heals everything
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
37. The best is yet to come
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least :

40. Do forward this to everyone you care about.

 

 

 

Daily Devotion (Exodus 22-24)

Exodus 23:21-32

"I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you. Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you."

The promises stand true today as we are the spiritual seeds of Abraham. The Holy Spirit is the angel that leads and guide us, often we miss the mark and sin against God. Developing the discerning attitude is critical in our lives, applying the truth of equal yoke in business partnerships.

O Lord, my life is precious in your eyes and I often drive myself into dead-end street. The world has changed but you have not changed. I remove my veil today and stop being ignorant about your promises that are my unseen victories. The evil one will continue to invite me into its dark pits and the scheme is exposed today. Jesus Christ is my torch, my guide, my compass, my hope and my victories. Amen.

Daily Devition (1 Thessalonians 5:12-14)

"Respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

Self righteousness is a sin we do not aware in our daily life. It slowly develops an attitude to judge our brothers in serving ministry. I suppose Paul constantly received treatment he did not deserve.

The commands of encouraging and helping others in this season of famine are so important to exercise our faith and love.

Paul has demonstrated God's love for believers in Thessalon and is a role model for all of us. Brother David Ho is such brother among our midst and demonstrated God's love and care. Dear Lord, open my eyes to see the lost souls on the barren land and the depressed brothers who need encouragement today. Amen.

Post Valentine's Day Message to Spouse

Daily Devotion (Gen 38-40)

This is how your slave treated me!

Joseph was sold to Egypt to the potiphar and God promoted Joseph's hands in potiphar's house. Joseph took care of everything in potiphar's household.

Joseph grown with good looks and was chased by the wife of the potiphar. He refused to dishonor his master by sleeping with potiphar's and left his cloak behind. She made up a story to her husband and the response from the potiphar was "This is how your slave treated me." It reminds us Adam's complain to God about Eve.

Spirit of lust and condemnation are always two of the weapons satan use to corrupt our body and relationships. We derail fairly fast without daily doses of God's words in us.

Abba Father, thank you for your reminder today about my potential falls if I do not stay close to your words. Your grace is sufficient for me and your blessing is more than enough for me today. May your power and grace manifest in me outwardly today as I meet or talk with people. Amen.

MONEY NOT ENOUGH - talk by Rev Chia Kew San

Date: 17 Feb 09 Tue
Time: 7:15-9:15pm
Venue: CREST Christian Book Corner #05-58 Far East Plaza, Scotts Road

FREE ADMISSION - Register via e-mail giving us your 1.Name 2.church 3.contact no.

Why do some Christians struggle to earn a living or to make ends meet? Why do some Christians put in an honest, hard day's work and yet have difficulty earning enough money to meet their financial obligations?

What is the real problem? Does this not contradict the Bible's many promises of God's provisions when we struggle financially? Has not God promised in His Word that He would meet all our needs abundantly?

Hear from Rev Chia as he shares Biblical insight on this subject. He has written the book MONEY NOT ENOUGH in 2003 which has blessed many people.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rev Chia Kew San has been in the full time ministry since 1985. He served in two large churches Chapel of the Resurrection and Church of our Saviour before planting Woodlands Christian Centre. He is now the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Christian Church http://www.ecc.sg/ which he planted in 1997.

Kew San completed his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from NUS in 1984 and his Master of Missiology from Fuller Theological Seminar in 1987. Trained by the Navigators in his undergraduate days, he's passionate about discipling and church planting.

He is married to Ann and they have a beautiful daughter, Faith.

Daily Devotion (Gen 30-31)

Heaven Blessing Requires Faith, Plan and Action

Jacob was sent to Leban with nothing. He gained wives and accumulated wealth from the seeds of Leban, who was a street smart man with a calculative heart. Leban knew God's presence was with Jacob and tried to keep him to serve his household.

In 14 years, God transformed Jacob from a mummy's boy into a capable cattle breeder. Jacob cheated his brother's birthrights and ended up serving a shrewd father in-law. With a small home-coming plan and dedicated execution, God blessed his hands and sent him back to home.

In real life, we often experience cunning and shrewd customers and bosses. A USA friend always believe "Good guys always lose". Without wisdom and careful observation, good guys indeed will serve for a dream of someone's and get little returns.

Jacob knew Leban's character and proposed a "disadvantaged" proposal to pay for his own wages - after 10 failed wage negotiations from the past. God's favor was with him this time round and Jacob left Leban with great wealth.

In Hebrew 11:6, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." The biggest challenge in our spiritual walk is the "seeking" part. The seeking process involves trials and errors, faith and determination will pay off finding the bull's eye getting the result that God has prepared.

Thank you Lord for your chosen mention today. In many ways we are no different from Jacob's manipulative heart today, teach and guide us today to develop the Christ-like character through our eyes, heart, mouth and hands. So we carry back the spiritual wealth to your kingdom. Amen.

Rick Warren

Rick Warren author ofthe Purpose Driven Life. He said the prayer during the inaugural ceremony of Barack Obama as President of U.S.

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said: "People ask me, What is the purpose of life?" And I respond: "In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense..

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness. This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems: If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain. But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her - it has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

Daily Devotion (Gen 25-26)

God's Plan

"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

God responded to Isaac's wife Rebekah about the jostles within her in her pregnancy. The promise was fulfilled with elements of favoritism, deceits, hatred, guilt, etc. Did God create us for His plays? Surely no, the "evil DNA" was part of our flash at the time Adam and Eve decided to ate the apple.

As God's salvation plan reveals through Jesus, His ultimate plan is to save us from the destruction of the world. Jesus blood renew us, so we no longer need to cheat anyone to receive favors. The question is how do we sit before Jesus feet like Mary, and know His plan for us..

Dear Lord, many times we serve the world in higher priority than listening to you. We need to hear your plan for us, like your reply to Rebekah. Help us to build up the discipline and be like Mary and less Martha. We praise your for the deep work that is beginning in us today. Amen

Daily Devition (Gen 19-21)

Faithfulness

God sent two angels to save Lot and his family. God demonstrated His love for Abraham's family.

Even Lot's daughters were influenced by the culture at the time and in great fear of extinction in a desolate area, God blessed the children delivered by both sisters from the result of incest with their father.

God preserved Abraham and Sarahs' marriage breakup by the king Abimelech. Again, Abraham was blessed by God with silver from the king for his lies.

Hagar was promised by God for the survival of their lives in the desert and Ishmael's powerful kingdom. Simply for her relation to Abraham!

Abraham was blessed so much that the visual impression of God's favors was too obvious, even the king Abimelech feared his future and had to make a treaty with him.

Without a shadow of doubt, God is faithful to His covenant, God is eager to bless us the same way today as we are the spiritual children of Abraham!

Lord Jesus, thank you for the words of wisdom and revelation of God's nature today. We confess the wisdom of the truth will break down the spirits within us that causing us to think we are hopeless and useless. As the spiritual offspring of Abraham, God is blessing my hands as I keeping His laws within my heart. Amen.

Daily Devotion (Gen 16-18)

Character & Commitment

At age 75, Abraham was promised by God about his future and nothing really happen in another 25 years. Gen 16:5 reveals the possible clue why Sarah was angry and pushing the blame to Abraham - regular signs (Abraham) and self-curse (Abraham & Sarah, see Gen 17:17 and 18:12).

The development of the story mirrors Adam and Eve's encounter - the wife suggested a proposal and the husband followed. Relationship builds upon trust and consistency (or discipline). Trust is established among God-Husband-Wife and constant hard work to ensure the foundation is strong.

Why Abraham? Gen 18:19 says "For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." Abraham had demonstrated his righteous character God knew he will not weaver!

Dear Lord, thank you for the wisdom of your truth and instruction on what is important in our lives. Constantly reminds us the relationship building within my family and the importance having a godly character like Abraham. May our lives glorify your kingdom. Amen.

Daily Devotion (Gen 12-15)

Do You Make/Touch Up Stories At Work/Home?

"Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." God promised Abraham in Gen 12:1-3.

There was a severe famine in the land and Abraham went to Egypt for a while. However fearing his life will be taken away, he said to his wife: "I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you." As expected, Pharaoh desired his wife and God intervened the marriage.

Abraham saw his future and yet committed a common mistakes we all frequently make - anticipate the unnecessary and commit sins. Do we anticipate good outcome by making up stories (not 100% lies) to gain favors? Thank God for the wisdom to remind us His grace and covenant are sufficient for any situation!!

Abba Father, Thank you for the wisdom hidden in the historical stories and your love for me today. Remind me constantly that Jesus has paid the price for me and I have been credited victories in advanced. Teach me Lord your wisdom to materialise the victories in my life! Amen.

Daily Devotion (Job 6-10)

Spiritual Resilience

Eliphaze, Bildad and Zophar came to comfort Job in the midst of difficulties and trials. They were shocked the state Job was in, offered no words in the first seven days.

Job was trying hard to figure out the cause of the sufferings while friends were lecturing on the consequences of sins.

The five chapters remind us the importance of our true character before God: Job did not curse God even when he was inflicted with many problems; Instead of encouragement Job's friends were trying to offer their "formula" to admit sin and exit the nightmare as if it always works.

We do not understand God's grand plan and Jesus forewarn us the trials and tribulations ahead of us. Only people with faith and godly character will stand before God. We need strong foundation of truth inside us and able to stand the trails in life, as well to offer the right dose of encouragement to others in sufferings.

Dear Lord, forgive us for the complains we leash out in the face of difficulties as Jesus already taught us the remedy in John 8:31-32 "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Help us to transform your daily manna/your words into our spiritual muscle that withstand the attack of the enemy and encourage the body of Christ when needed. Amen.