Today many of my own siblings had a simple lunch at my parent's home. My sister, Chye Hong and her pre-believing husband were in Singapore for the past few days. This is the sister that had rededicated herself to the Lord after marrying an unbeliever some 30 years ago. But by the grace of God, her faith in the Lord is now so strong and full of faith because of the strong-Bible believing Church that has nurtured and discipled her in KL. In fact, much of our encouragement came from her as she stood with us by praying in faith with us. Very often, she would send her sms-es and pray child-like prayers of faith for my healing. My family and I had been very lifted by her renewed faith.
Before she left this morning, we prayed for their safe journey back to KL. It was really wonderful to hear my mum and my dad pray for them. My parents have also grown much and it was really heart warming to see them utter such sincere prayers for my sister and brother-in-law. I believe that such prayers of blessings will bring the kingdom of God nearer to my unsaved bro-in-law and cause him to be delivered from the clutches of the evil one very soon.
I live each day with new excitement to see members of my family and extended families come to know the God who has sustained and given me every new breadth of life.
By faith, I believe a new wind of His Spirit will come in 2008. A new spirit where many new favors will come from the Lord and a greater faith to believe and see God move powerfully will happen in every area of our lives......especially the salvation of our loved ones and friends.
May you usher into the new year with this new wind of His Spirit and let Him blow you to new heights of love, joy, peace, hope and even faith in our faithful God!
Have a blessed new year!
David, Whee Ling and Joshua Ong.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Another Christmas!
Life is unpredictable. I received a piece of bad news two days before Christmas. It was about a sudden passing on of a sister of a friend who left without bidding farewell to her loved ones.
I am reminded of how I felt during the past 3 years of my illness since September 2004. I remembered wondering if I would be able to see and celebrate Christmas that year. By God's grace, this is the 3rd Christmas that I've celebrated.
Whee Ling, Josh and I celebrated the past two Christmases on our own. Though they were very private, we enjoyed every bit of it.
This time, we had a well-packed Christmas. On 23rd Dec, two of my best friends came to spend Christmas with us. Then we had some of my previous guys and their spouses join us on the Christmas eve. It was really a very meaningful time, catching up and fellowshipping with each other as each shared about the goodness of the Lord in our own lives. Christmas day itself was filled with gatherings with my in-laws and my very own parents and siblings where we blessed some of our relatives with the book that God has graciously given us the privilege to share about His goodness.
I am deeply thankful to God for every new breadth given, something not to be taken granted. I look forward to many more Christmases. But more importantly, looking forward to live every minute for His glory!
Merry Christmas and have a very Christ-filled New Year!
May the Lord bring a new wind of spirit into your heart as you venture into the new year with His Holy Spirit.
David.
I am reminded of how I felt during the past 3 years of my illness since September 2004. I remembered wondering if I would be able to see and celebrate Christmas that year. By God's grace, this is the 3rd Christmas that I've celebrated.
Whee Ling, Josh and I celebrated the past two Christmases on our own. Though they were very private, we enjoyed every bit of it.
This time, we had a well-packed Christmas. On 23rd Dec, two of my best friends came to spend Christmas with us. Then we had some of my previous guys and their spouses join us on the Christmas eve. It was really a very meaningful time, catching up and fellowshipping with each other as each shared about the goodness of the Lord in our own lives. Christmas day itself was filled with gatherings with my in-laws and my very own parents and siblings where we blessed some of our relatives with the book that God has graciously given us the privilege to share about His goodness.
I am deeply thankful to God for every new breadth given, something not to be taken granted. I look forward to many more Christmases. But more importantly, looking forward to live every minute for His glory!
Merry Christmas and have a very Christ-filled New Year!
May the Lord bring a new wind of spirit into your heart as you venture into the new year with His Holy Spirit.
David.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
5 loaves of bread and 2 fish
Having crossed over Jordon, a great sense of inadequacy came upon me. I had been thinking about how Moses felt and said when God appointed him to deliver the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. It was the same feeling I had before I went on staff in FCBC in 1990. But God is always a God who is there for us. Through John 6:1-15, He reminded me that He can do with the little that I have, even if it was just like the little boy who didn't have much but just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He gave Jesus all he had. Little can become much when yielded to the touch of the master's hand. I was reminded not to think or believe like Philip and Andrew.
This morning, God led my thoughts to Paul's pastoral letter to Timothy. Paul reminded Timothy of not only his sincere faith that had come through his family tree, but also to 'fan into flame the spiritual gift of God.' Paul was exhorting the young pastor not to be timid for God did not give us a spirit of timidity/fear but of love and of self-discipline. I felt so strengthened by these inspired words of God. (2 Tim1:7)
Josh and I had been reading the book of James for our devotions together during the school holidays.
Last night, before he went to bed, he told me God gave him wisdom to salvage a favourite toy car that was smeared with oil paint that was used for touching up my car. He cried so badly, so much so that he said it was the saddest day of his life. In desperation, he called upon God. After he prayed, he said God answered his prayer by giving him wisdom to know what to do. God gave him a solution to the problem. He was so happy because the smeared car had its stains removed by almost 90%. He did it by soaking his toy car in a highly concentrated cleaner. Praise God for teaching Josh to pray and call upon His name in such practical ways by applying James 1:5. I pray he will continue to be filled of His presence even when he faces the real challenges of the world as grows up. By the way, Josh has started on a project with me to write a little, 30-day devotional book entitled, "What God says to me", where he compiles 30 of his recorded words from the Lord. I believe hearing God is one of the most important things in this life and therefore, one of my main goals in parenting is to teach Josh how to hear God for himself. Joshua's saddest day yesterday turned to be one where he leaned on God for wisdom through prayer. It really warmed my heart! In fact, few weeks ago, he shared with Whee Ling and I that he had selected a life verse. I pray that it will encourage your heart to seek God for one if you do not yet have one for your owm life.
Interestingly, he chose Deut 20:4 which says, "For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."
To be frank, we did not take him seriously as he is still so young. But Josh shared that the Lord gave him this verse because it has to do with his chinese name. His Chinese is Sheng Hua, meaning victory in Jehovah. So, the verse in its context also talks about absolute victory as the presence of the Lord will go with him to overcome all his enemies. What a joy it is for us to see him maturing in the Lord.
Finally, "Talking the walk" will be out this Friday. It is another blessed journey and declaration of God's goodness. I feel very privileged to be used of God to share about His goodness that others may see and taste of it through the book.
Thank you each and all for walking so far with us,
david.
This morning, God led my thoughts to Paul's pastoral letter to Timothy. Paul reminded Timothy of not only his sincere faith that had come through his family tree, but also to 'fan into flame the spiritual gift of God.' Paul was exhorting the young pastor not to be timid for God did not give us a spirit of timidity/fear but of love and of self-discipline. I felt so strengthened by these inspired words of God. (2 Tim1:7)
Josh and I had been reading the book of James for our devotions together during the school holidays.
Last night, before he went to bed, he told me God gave him wisdom to salvage a favourite toy car that was smeared with oil paint that was used for touching up my car. He cried so badly, so much so that he said it was the saddest day of his life. In desperation, he called upon God. After he prayed, he said God answered his prayer by giving him wisdom to know what to do. God gave him a solution to the problem. He was so happy because the smeared car had its stains removed by almost 90%. He did it by soaking his toy car in a highly concentrated cleaner. Praise God for teaching Josh to pray and call upon His name in such practical ways by applying James 1:5. I pray he will continue to be filled of His presence even when he faces the real challenges of the world as grows up. By the way, Josh has started on a project with me to write a little, 30-day devotional book entitled, "What God says to me", where he compiles 30 of his recorded words from the Lord. I believe hearing God is one of the most important things in this life and therefore, one of my main goals in parenting is to teach Josh how to hear God for himself. Joshua's saddest day yesterday turned to be one where he leaned on God for wisdom through prayer. It really warmed my heart! In fact, few weeks ago, he shared with Whee Ling and I that he had selected a life verse. I pray that it will encourage your heart to seek God for one if you do not yet have one for your owm life.
Interestingly, he chose Deut 20:4 which says, "For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."
To be frank, we did not take him seriously as he is still so young. But Josh shared that the Lord gave him this verse because it has to do with his chinese name. His Chinese is Sheng Hua, meaning victory in Jehovah. So, the verse in its context also talks about absolute victory as the presence of the Lord will go with him to overcome all his enemies. What a joy it is for us to see him maturing in the Lord.
Finally, "Talking the walk" will be out this Friday. It is another blessed journey and declaration of God's goodness. I feel very privileged to be used of God to share about His goodness that others may see and taste of it through the book.
Thank you each and all for walking so far with us,
david.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Time to Enter the Promise Land - Shepherd's Point
Thanks to many of you for your emails to encourage me regarding where God is leading me. And for many of your affirmation in regard to God's call and destiny for my life in regard to my pastoral ministry. I feel deeply touched by all love and warmth apart from the strong endorsement.
At the end of last year, on New Year's eve to be specific, God spoke to me about entering the promise land as the Senior Pastor of BBTC spoke on the book of Joshua. For many months, I pondered upon the meaning of those words and thought God wanted me to stay put in the church. But as time passed, it dawned upon me that the Lord was leading me out as He directed me eyes and thoughts to 2 key things in Joshua 1. In short, God told me to GET READY and at the same time, He will GIVE ME all the RESOURCES needed.
With that word, I remembered the words He gave me in regard to the ministry in April 2006 when I was in SGH - That I will be a pastor that will point others to the Lord. Every man has a key anointing and call from the Lord for his ministry. The Lord said my main calling in my ministry is to be a shepherd that will care, guide and lead others to the cross of Jesus.
I have been seeking the Lord for almost a year now. Several weeks ago, the Lord through a message online spoke to me, "Have you crossed Jordon?" Then He said, "that it was time to cross Jordon".
2 weeks ago, the Lord spoke to Whee Ling through a message by Bishop Moses Tay in BBTC. She finally obeyed the word of the Lord to her to follow where the Lord is leading me and will support me in the ministry. That was a answer to my prayer as I had been praying for the Lord to confirm and show my spouse where He is leading me as I lead my family. How can I lead a church if I cannot lead my own family as Paul said. I struggled a lot in this as I had always believed this is one of the real tests of a true leader. I have seen too many great leaders who succeed in the ministry but failed to manage and lead their very own families. That's why the Sovereign Lord told me during one of my walks with him by the beach 2 years ago to spend these few years to disciple my very own son. One may win the whole world for Christ, but may lose his own son. I don't think that's sacrifice. To me, that's mere stupidity without the wisdom of God. I rather pour my all into my son and let God bring him to where He wants him to be to win the world for Jesus.
Today is the 9th of Dec. The anointing and presence of the Lord was very strong upon me. The Lord spoke to me during the time of worship in church that "it is time to march into the promised land by faith and not by what we see".
Through the reading of the scriptures in Psalm 100, the Holy Spirit said, "Know that the Lord is good" and through a very new and beautiful song entitled "In Christ Alone", He strengthened my heart to "Fear no more".
I stood in awe as I heard the still small voice of the Lord holding my heart with these tender words. And when finally the song "Jesus shall take the highest honour" was sung, it led me to turn my heart to the author of my life again in surrender and obedience as I bowed my heart to Him, giving Him all the glory and strength within me for once again, I remember my life is not my own.
The church is focusing on the 'goodness of God' this whole month. Today, Prof Freddy Boey started the ball rolling by sharing on Romans 8:28, a verse God gave us right from the beginning of our journey - that everything works for good to those 1. who love Him, 2. walk according to His will and not our own. In short, He reminded us that He is a good and Soveriegn God.
Indeed, He is. Many of you will get to read more of it in our book, "Talking the Walk" very soon as it is been sent for printing. Whee Ling, Josh and I would like to bless those of you who have been praying and standing with us. If you have an ailing friend or close one with cancer in particular, we would like to bless him/her with a copy to share God's goodness and bring His comfort through this book. Just email us at talkingthewalk@gmail.com
Finally, my family and I will leave BBTC where we've been parking since March 2006. It is time to move on to build a point where Jesus is calling us to be shepherds of those still in the wilderness and in the world - the unchurched and the unsaved, where we need to point them to the cross, to the mountain top where every lost sheep needs to be lead to find the chief shepherd.
We covet your prayers as we take this transition by faith in obedience to the call of God upon our lives. The Lord has given this new ministry to us and it is called Shepherd's Point.
Seeking your blessings,
david
At the end of last year, on New Year's eve to be specific, God spoke to me about entering the promise land as the Senior Pastor of BBTC spoke on the book of Joshua. For many months, I pondered upon the meaning of those words and thought God wanted me to stay put in the church. But as time passed, it dawned upon me that the Lord was leading me out as He directed me eyes and thoughts to 2 key things in Joshua 1. In short, God told me to GET READY and at the same time, He will GIVE ME all the RESOURCES needed.
With that word, I remembered the words He gave me in regard to the ministry in April 2006 when I was in SGH - That I will be a pastor that will point others to the Lord. Every man has a key anointing and call from the Lord for his ministry. The Lord said my main calling in my ministry is to be a shepherd that will care, guide and lead others to the cross of Jesus.
I have been seeking the Lord for almost a year now. Several weeks ago, the Lord through a message online spoke to me, "Have you crossed Jordon?" Then He said, "that it was time to cross Jordon".
2 weeks ago, the Lord spoke to Whee Ling through a message by Bishop Moses Tay in BBTC. She finally obeyed the word of the Lord to her to follow where the Lord is leading me and will support me in the ministry. That was a answer to my prayer as I had been praying for the Lord to confirm and show my spouse where He is leading me as I lead my family. How can I lead a church if I cannot lead my own family as Paul said. I struggled a lot in this as I had always believed this is one of the real tests of a true leader. I have seen too many great leaders who succeed in the ministry but failed to manage and lead their very own families. That's why the Sovereign Lord told me during one of my walks with him by the beach 2 years ago to spend these few years to disciple my very own son. One may win the whole world for Christ, but may lose his own son. I don't think that's sacrifice. To me, that's mere stupidity without the wisdom of God. I rather pour my all into my son and let God bring him to where He wants him to be to win the world for Jesus.
Today is the 9th of Dec. The anointing and presence of the Lord was very strong upon me. The Lord spoke to me during the time of worship in church that "it is time to march into the promised land by faith and not by what we see".
Through the reading of the scriptures in Psalm 100, the Holy Spirit said, "Know that the Lord is good" and through a very new and beautiful song entitled "In Christ Alone", He strengthened my heart to "Fear no more".
I stood in awe as I heard the still small voice of the Lord holding my heart with these tender words. And when finally the song "Jesus shall take the highest honour" was sung, it led me to turn my heart to the author of my life again in surrender and obedience as I bowed my heart to Him, giving Him all the glory and strength within me for once again, I remember my life is not my own.
The church is focusing on the 'goodness of God' this whole month. Today, Prof Freddy Boey started the ball rolling by sharing on Romans 8:28, a verse God gave us right from the beginning of our journey - that everything works for good to those 1. who love Him, 2. walk according to His will and not our own. In short, He reminded us that He is a good and Soveriegn God.
Indeed, He is. Many of you will get to read more of it in our book, "Talking the Walk" very soon as it is been sent for printing. Whee Ling, Josh and I would like to bless those of you who have been praying and standing with us. If you have an ailing friend or close one with cancer in particular, we would like to bless him/her with a copy to share God's goodness and bring His comfort through this book. Just email us at talkingthewalk@gmail.com
Finally, my family and I will leave BBTC where we've been parking since March 2006. It is time to move on to build a point where Jesus is calling us to be shepherds of those still in the wilderness and in the world - the unchurched and the unsaved, where we need to point them to the cross, to the mountain top where every lost sheep needs to be lead to find the chief shepherd.
We covet your prayers as we take this transition by faith in obedience to the call of God upon our lives. The Lord has given this new ministry to us and it is called Shepherd's Point.
Seeking your blessings,
david
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