Weeks 45 & 46 (07) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

I was in the Netherlands last weekend, ministering in Hope Utrecht. It was a joy to see Bro. Albert fervently building God's church while working full-time and raising up 2 young children with his wife Sis. Claire. God blesses them with 2 lovely kids, Samuel and Salome who will be respectively 3 & 1 year old on the same birthday of 14 Dec.!

I witnessed firsthand the challenges they face on a daily basis - 2 very demanding kids, a full-time job and church work. I am humbled by their persevering spirit and fighting attitude . Besides building the church in Utrecht, Albert & Claire are also blessing Hope Europe by respectively leading the IT & Intercessory Departments. God's love must have touched them in a very deep and special way, causing them to love God with all their might and to suffer for Him joyfully!

I salute men & women like them, trying their utmost to build God's church under very trying circumstances, esp. in a tough ground like Europe. I am thankful to be a part of the Hope family where we see countless examples serving God with the same dedication. God must be so real in their lives!

When God is real in our lives, we cannot help but to praise Him. "Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above......Praise the LORD from the earth.......kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.......Praise the LORD." [Ps 148:1-14 NIV] Let every man and woman praise Him.

When God is real in our lives, we should take His word seriously. To me, the 10 commandments are both timeless & universal. They are so simple, yet so profound. "I am the LORD your God.....You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything........You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.........Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy......Honor your father and your mother.......You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet.....anything that belongs to your neighbor." [Exod 20:2-17 NIV] Let every man and woman obey Him.

Apostle Paul has lived a life of obedience in Christ. Towards the end of his earthly life, he reminded his disciples how he has laboured for God's church, as an example for all of us who are church leaders. ".....You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you.......I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." [Acts 20:18-35 NIV] No wonder Paul challenged us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, because the Lord has paid for it with His own blood!

Let us be a fool for Jesus, but not a fool of the world because "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul." [Prov 18:2,6-7 NIV]

Amen.

Weeks 42 - 44 (07) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

Sometime ago, I made a pledge to train for the London Marathon in May 2009, after I turned 60. You may wonder about my progress. It is about 6 months since I started "running" (at jogging pace) again. My training is done on a 4 km route near our house. The first time I had to walk home. Then I did it within 30 minutes. Now I train every morning, and my best time was 27.5 minutes (quite slow by most standards - but speed to me is not important). My goal is to do the Marathon in under 5 hours. This works out to be just under 28 minutes every 4 km. It is easy for 4 km :o). It is something else for 42.18 km :o(.

The training gives me great insight into our human nature. When I attended the Apostolic Fellowship International in Italy at the end of September, I stopped training for a few days. After I came back to London, my first "run" was a real struggle. It took me a few days to get back to normal.

I once shared that our walk with God is like a salmon swimming upstream against the current. We need to keep moving forward. Stopping results in backsliding. My marathon training proved it. Moving forward requires determined and conscientious efforts!

I know not everyone is mad like me, trying to run a marathon. But I do encourage everyone to have a sustainable walk with God. God's word in [Rom. 5(3-4)] "......rejoice in our sufferings, because.....suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" come to mind. God has a purpose in everything, including suffering!

Hence it is good to praise the Lord. ".....How good it is to sing praises to our God......He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit......The LORD sustains the humble.........." [Ps 147:1-6 NIV]

God truly sustains the humble. When "The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."........As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up-- one on one side, one on the other-- so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.......Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner." [Exod 17:8-15 NIV]

The Lord is our Banner and He gives us victory. We see many examples of the Lord giving the apostles victory over the enemy in the Book of Acts. The worst enemy is death. The story goes that "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha.......who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying.......Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up." [Acts 9:36-42 NIV] Peter's faith gives me hope to persevere. If the Lord can raise the dead, He can help me to "run" 42.18 km in under 5 hours. :o)

God says ".......listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise......Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD......." [Prov 8:23,27,30-36 NIV]

Amen!

Weeks 40 & 41 (07) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

We celebrated our 9th Church Anniversary last Saturday in a very nice hotel. The theme was Go for Gold. It was a glittering affair as the people turned up in fancy dress or formal attire. You are welcome to view the pictures online http://picasaweb.google.com/hopelondonchurch/13October2007HopeLondon9thAnniversary

It is amazing that we have been building this church for nine years. It seems like a long time, yet at the same time, I can remember the early meetings in our small flat in North London. So much memory......so many people have passed through the church.....now back in their home countries....Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Africa, Canada, USA, Australia.....all have left their mark in the history of Hope London and in my heart!

Building God's church is both hugely difficult and rewarding at the same time. The joy of seeing people coming to the Lord and being transformed by Him far outweigh the challenges. No wonder the Lord went all the way on the cross for our sake because He saw the value of each individual soul! Indeed, quoting the theme of the Women Conference that our dear Jo is organising for all the girls ...."Because You Are Worth It". :o)

I am excited in my spirit to believe that the Lord will move in a big way in Europe in the not too distant future. We will use the next year to prepare the church for harvest. I shared with my leaders that the keys are personal holiness, discipleship and ownership. I have already chosen the theme for our 10th Anniversary as "Enter The Land". I believe in a time of fightings and victories in the years to come for God's people. God's Kingdom will advance forcefully in Europe when His people are ready!!!

I echo the cry of the Psalmist "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.......Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant." [Ps 143:1-2,7-12 NIV]

"......With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.........So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle........By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night." [Exod 13:14-22 NIV] Just like the God of old delivering the Israelites out of slavery in Eygpt, leading them in the wilderness and preparing them for battle in the promised land, He will do the same to God's people of our time. We will experience the same victories if God is with us.

People of God in Joshua's time had tremendous courage and determination in fighting the enemy and conquering territories for God. God's people in the early church had that same boldness and perseverance in facing adveristy. "It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.......After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each......but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." God came to his rescue. "Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up.......the chains fell off Peter's wrists.......Peter followed him out of the prison.......They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city......" [Acts 12:1-11 NIV] Peter was supernaturally helped by God. So take courage, God will do the same to us!

The day of wrath will come before the return of the Lord. And "Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward." [Prov 11:4-6,18 NIV]

Weeks 37 - 39 (07) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

I was in Italy last week attending the Apostolic Fellowship International conference [see pics]. It was a joy and a blessing to meet so many great servants of the Lord. It was particularly encouraging to see God moving mightily in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Great works are also being done in Australia and Europe, and we shall see a greater move of God in this continent soon.

I have learnt many things from the teachings and sharings of the Apostles at the AFI. One thing that stands out is a life of holiness in them that precedes successes in their ministries. It is the single most important pre-requisite for God to anoint and bless their work!

Yesterday, I shared a prophetic vision with church leaders in Europe and I believe that God is encouraging holiness in His Church, esp. so in the next year. I prophesied that when His Church in Europe grows in holiness, we will see revival coming to this continent. We will see a greater move of God in Europe! (If you are interested in the details of the Prophesy, let me know and I will send you a copy).

The Holy Spirit inspired King David to write "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely.......Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." [Ps 139:1-6 NIV] This is the attitude of someone who desires after God and His holiness. Let us aspire to do the same.

The miracles that God performed in Egypt through Moses cause me to think that God can use us to do the impossible for God too. "Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields-- both men and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were." Even a hardened soul like the King of Eygpt had no choice but to repent of his sins. "Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he said to them. "The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong......". [Exod 9:25-35 NIV] I believe God is looking down from heaven for clean vessels whom He can channel His power & His blessings to our communities & nations! Let us get our lives right before God and we shall see great advances in His Kingdom in this land.

The work of the Apostles recorded in The Book of Acts give us great hope and expectation of what God can do in Europe in the 21st Century. "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city." [Acts 8:3-8 NIV] How I long to see this same great joy coming to our cities. :o)

So dear brethrens, "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." [Prov 3:1-10 NIV]

Weeks 35 & 36 (07) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

Having spent the holydays (literally) in two church camps in August, I started work in a new environment in the last two weeks. Although I have worked in our Stevenage Office one year before, I now see a lot of new faces, the result of a fairly large turnover in staff. The office is strangely quiet, with eveyone staring at his or her computer screen, working away as if there is no one else around. The atmosphere is so different from that of the camps!

Although I do not expect the work place and the camp to be the same, and it would be silly of me to exect them to be, I still think that it does not need to be so "cold". I suppose most people are there for the purpose of making a living, and their lives & friends are elsewhere. Without sounding judgemental, if a third of our time is spent in a world of isolation, no wonder life is not as abundant as it should be!

God created us to be relational beings. Problems begin when people live in isolation.......physical, emotional, mental...ones. Hence God encourages us to "live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." [Ps 133:1-3 NIV] A concept and blessing that the world do not understand!

People in the world are slaves, whether we live in a democratic society like the UK or under a dictatorship like North Korea. Slaves all the same. Everyone's purpose in life is to make the most of one's life before one dies, whether one is making billions or simply making ends meet. One's life begin in the womb and ends in the tomb. I was one of them before I know Christ. Christ changed my values and perspective in life. Christ set me free from the misery of "slavery". In the same way, God set the Israelites free from slavery in Egypt.'The LORD...have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And ....promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land......flowing with milk and honey.'[Exod 3:16-22 NIV]

There is a hunger in the world today to make sense of the purpose of living. Life is empty without finding that answer. The answer is the Good News of Jesus Christ. A time will come when many will come to know Christ, just like when Peter shared Jesus in the early church. "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins....... and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." [Acts 2:37-41 NIV] Lets pray for that day to come!

How I wish I know God better. How I wish I can present Him in a way that all people will understand. ".........I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!........" [Prov 30:2-6 NIV]

Now I know in part :o( ........... then I shall know fully :o)

Weeks 33 & 34 (07) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

August was a triple blessing for me, having attended the Hope Euro Convention in Prague and the North America Annual Camp in Seattle. I also combined my NA trip with visiting my relatives in Vancouver.

It was a good opportunity to visit my Dad in Vancouver, who, by God's grace, is still very active. Together with my family members, we celebrated his 96 year birthday (see attached pic). May be I still have quite a few more years left to serve the Lord, if He did not come back before I went home. :o)

The NAAC was held in a beautiful camp site on the outskirt of Seattle. It was great to meet up with all the pastors from NA & Canada churches, encouraged by their determination and zeal in planting churches in that part of the world. We also had fellowship with the HGI Elders and quite a few international pastors. I also had the opportunity to lead a team of young people, taking part in a very creative Experiential Learning Programme. We had 2 days to work together as a team, coming up with a team name, a team slogan and a team act. On the final day, we also competed against 7 other teams in 4 game stations. I was utterly amazed by the talents and teamwork we had, winning all the games! Herewith a few pics to show the Anointed Warriors (our team name). Judy, Simon, Hai Eng, Orn, Praew, Kang, Alex, Derek, Tom, Rachel, Rebecca, Brian, Sek - you guys are awesome :o).

After the camp, Kim & I shared a car with Ps. James & Christine, driving back to Vancouver. We had the privilege of spending a day of their 1st Anniversary celebration, eating & sight-seeing together in Vancourver. It was good to see two long-time friends genuinelly loving and caring for one another!

I thank the Lord for bringing me into the Hope family 14 years ago. I have since met so many wonderful people committing their lives in following Jesus and doing His will. I think this is probably as close as one gets to carrying His cross!

When we have the heart-felt thanks for what the Lord has done, we can comprehend what the psalmist says. "When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy........The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy......Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him [Ps 126:1-6 NIV]." Keep going brothers and sisters. We may be sowing in tears now, but the big celebration awaits us at the end!

We should have Jacob's mindset of not wanting to be buried in Eygpt. "Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt.......[Gen 47:27-31 NIV]." We may be living in spiritual Eygpt. We may even have earthly riches and property. Our heart should not be in it!

Jesus has warned us that ".......a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.......[John 16:1-4 NIV]." The time is already with us. Be strong & courageous. Put on our seat belt and ride the wave of persecution, which will only get worse towards the end!

All earthly possessions are temporal, "for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations [Prov 27:23-27 NIV]." Lets embrace things that are eternal and pour our all into them!

Weeks 30 - 32 (07) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

At the beginning of 2007, I sensed that it was going to be a crucial year for the Church. I shared that The enemy would work overtime in hindering the work of God's Kingdom. Through sermons & teachings, I kept reminding the people the need to be alert & vigilant. By the middle of the year, a few Hope churches in Europe have suffered setbacks in different degrees, with one, a new starter, closing down completely!

Before the Euro Convention, I felt in my heart that God would give us a breakthrough and the chosen theme of Mission Possible was a fitting one. We prepared for it with a 21-Day Pre-Convention Fast. God indeed showed Himself faithful throughout the whole Convention held in Prague, the Czech Republic .

As a start, the weather was perfect for the whole duration, despite of the not-so-good weather forecasts. Hope Prague did a great job in the opening and closing ceremonies, despite of their limited manpower resources. The praise & worships sessions, led by different Hope Europe Churches, were all very uplighting and empowering. Many lives were also touched by the Word of God and responses to altar calls and mission were enthusiastic. The people were strengthened and encouraged to continue running the race!

We also spent an afternoon doing street evangelism. Different teams were using creative presentations to attract the crowds. Hope Prague and Hope Berlin did break-dancing whilst Hope UK performed a series of Thai dances (see photo). Both attracted huge crowds and our people managed to talk to many of the onlookers. Many contact details were collected, including a few who came to our evening evangelistic service. The enemy did try to stop the presentations by challenging the licenses held by us, but the Lord miraculously intervened and allowed the performances to proceed!

It is worth mentioning that through out the whole Convention, a dedicated team of intercessors were faithfully taking turns to interceed for all the activities. So I would conclude that God was with us and, through the different programmes, I believe He has done a deep work in the hearts of everyone. He alone gets all the honour and glory!

Having been walking with God for over 16 years, I am totally convinced that "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; the LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore [Ps 121:1-8 NIV]."

It is amazing that God sometimes use an unfortunate situation to fulfill His longer term objective. Although Joseph was sold into slavery, it turned out that God used it to preserve a remnant of His people on earth. "Joseph said to his brothers...., "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance [Gen 45:4-7 NIV]." Thats why we should thank God under all circumstances [1 Th. 5:18]; faith and trust are built in difficult times!

We must understand that the devil hates every man & woman created by God. His plan is to deceive them and eventually destroy them. Jesus said "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first......I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. They will treat you this way because of my name....He who hates me hates my Father as well.....[John 15:18-25 NIV]". This is a fact we cannot deny. The good news is that God will one day redeem all that belongs to Him. He calls us to this mission and we will succeed with his help!


"......when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge. In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil.....A wise man attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust [Prov 21:11,20,22 NIV]." Let us seek God's wisdom in pulling down strongholds in our cities and advance God's Kingdom.