A word from heaven.

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Moving On

Thanks peeps for faithfully visiting my blog even though i haven

't had the time to update for quite sometime. It has been a crazy few weeks for me. Many should have known by now that i have moved on from the NS ministry and left to pioneer the SMU ministry. I do have many thoughts and i want to share some of them here.

First of all, let's start with the NS ministry. Pardon me for not

naming and thanking those who have blessed me over the past 4 years one by one. its just too many and not the purpose of this post. I am privileged that God had allowed me to be part of what He did in the NS ministry in the past 4 years. I am deeply humbled that he used someone like me to do His work.

Looking back, there are some important lessons i learnt over the years in the NS ministry that i hope to share here.

1) Never let the heady situation of ministry success get into your head. There was a period in which i fell hard, yes it was painful, ironically at the peak of my ministry. God had to bring me back to ground after i allowed my own pride and ego to come into the picture. I didn't handle the pat on the backs well and i really thank God for growing me in that area. Looking back, i really ask God, "hey father, you sure you used that arrogant young punk to do your work?" Yes yes yes and yes. God is a patient God, that's the beauty of God using imperfect people to do His perfect work. Thank you God for persevering in this servant of yours.

2) I learnt to slow down. By nature, i'm more rash by nature. "AAAHHHH... Chiong ahhh!!" haha.. its quite funny. but i guess i learnt to use my brain a little more. I don't think i lost the edge in taking risks or going for the adrenaline pumping faith acts, i don't think so. But i guess the more i learnt about God and His Character, the more i realise that composure was a key thing Jesus had. Even when he went around turing tables, he knew what and why he was doing it. With that, i learnt to pace myself as well as pace the ministry. Not everything that happens in the group needs to be within my control. I'm not the saviour

. God is, and being in control is His job, not mine.

3) I learnt that people are humans not robots. This is one of my biggest lessons. We're in a people work here. Its always a tricky thing to handle.

4) The NS ministry is so important. I said it before and i'll say it again that the NS ministry is like a form of bottle neck where guys from all walks of life,different ministries, different schools will converge at. If we want to build a strong church in the Singapore context, the NS ministry will play a vey important role. We need to build man for the kingdom of God.

5) Never lose hope. there are many times when the future seem bleak for the ministry. Things just seem to be in a freefall. But God constantly reminded myself that He is a faithful God.

I finally received my certificate of service!! hahaa

Moving on to the SMU ministry has not been a one week affair. The transition actually took months for myself. I got to know about it in Feburary. In 36 hours, i told wenjiang yes. But the yes was in the form of , yes, i am willing to see what God has installed for me. I am willing to explore the possibility of going to the SMU ministry. It took me 36 hours to lay aside my personal plans and agenda and be willing to lay down my life b4 God and say, God, what's next?

As i took a step of faith and obeyed God, God responded and He showed me more. He opened doors for me to speak to people, drop people in my life to help me, put me in situations where i would get to know more about what was installed for me for the next few years. All these only happened after i took the step of faith and tell God, i'm willing to give it a chance.

By march, we were praying, planning and strategizing for the ministry. And on the 3rd of April, we had our very first SMU CG. It has been a privilege to be in the position to be able to see how God, because of His love for the people in SMU bring everyone together to do His work here.

Our 1st Cg: Not in pic, Sher li, Jet and Huifen

The ministry is still in its infancy. We're not doing anything fancy or extravagant, yet. Most importantly, we want to build God's church strong such that not only this generation will be blessed by the planting of this ministry but many future generations will be blessed by it as well. Do pray together with myself and the people to intercede for this land that God so loved that He gave His one and only son.

Personally, i am excited for what God is going to do in SMU. My lifestyle have had to change due to the demands of the minsitry but i'm ok. We are called to build our lives aroud God and His work.

For the SMU ministry, as God leads the charge into the school we want to believe that He will bring about revival in the school soon and very soon.

Regards,

Jie Hui

The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

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Sunday, April 12, 2009

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Knowing God More

We always hang on our lips that we want to know God more but how exactly do we do that? Is it by just going through life as "Christians"? Well that is what i call by generic growth where we experience more of the same side of god but different manifestations each day. It does not reflect much on our desire.

Well, there are 2 ways to know God more.

The first way is to know God in a wider sense. You see, God is not a one dimensional being. Many of us major on God, the faithful, or God, the saviour. If you want to experience God more, you can look at the different faces of God and no doubt, it'll get exciting. There is the face of God, the judge, God, the grace provider, God the leader, God, the comfort etc. It never ends!

The Second way to know God better is to know Him deeper. So out of the areas which we are already familiar with Him, we want to experience that area to a whole new level. It may be through experiences, through prayer, through worship, through making sense of God's plan for us.

Let us experience God afresh wider and deeper today.

Regards,

jie hui

The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

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Thursday, February 26, 2009

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What else do you want from me?

The voice audio is a little soft, so do play it at a louder range.

Enlarge

Regards,

Jie Hui

The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

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Thursday, February 12, 2009

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Appetite

When we dine at Chinese restaurants, they will normally serve some finger food before the main course is served. Most of them come as peanuts and maybe some crackers. Because they are normally presented to us when we're hungry and waiting for the 1st dish, many people just can't stop eating them. Sometimes, we eat so much of it that we become pretty full by the time the main course is served. We can't expand our appetite. Whether we feed ourselves with junk food or with proper food, we become full after eating something. It is a fact that no one can change.

This is the same for our spiritual lives as well. There are many things in my life that i once was hungry for. I was once hungry for dota. I was once hungry to get into a relationship. I was once hungry for success. I was once hungry for people to think well of me. I was once hungry for people's approval. On the outside, they may seem to be harmless. I can't really call dota a sin right? But question is, is that what we really want to feed our hungry souls with? Remember that for every junk food that you eat, you have less appetite for the things of God. And mind you, these junk food may seem perfectly "harmless"

For every emotional and mental energy i spend on being hungry for dota, i have will have less hunger for the things of God. If i am purely hungry for success for the sake of self actualization, than i am not leaving much space for the main course of God. We are all finite beings at all.

Don't get me wrong, i have nothing against dota. I'm also not asking everyone to be a priest but we can be in the world but not of the world yeah? but I am just stating the fact that we need to be very choosy what we want to cloud and concern our heart with there are 1001 things that may be crying out for your attention but maybe only 10 will be really relevant to the kingdom of God. Don't just eat and be concerned about whatever rubbish the world feeds you.

What are you feeding yourself with today?

Regards,

jie hui

The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

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Thursday, February 12, 2009

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The Right Size

When we become bigger than who God really is in our lives,
We are prideful.

When we remain smaller than who God really is in our lives,
We are insecure.

When we are as big as who God is in our lives,
We are empowered.

Regards,

jie hui

The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

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Friday, January 23, 2009

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Doing big things for God

When i was abit younger, i always wanted to do big things for God. I always wanted to win the world. Anything less than that, it was distasteful. I think while that is not wrong, i had to check my motives for "wanting to do big things THROUGH ME for Jesus" or "wanting to do big things through me FOR JESUS." Same sentence, but very different spirit.

I would often not find a lack of people who wants to do big things for God. If i ask the Hope Congregation right now who want to do big things for God, many will raise their hands. I see no lack in this area. But wanting to do big things for God as an end to itself does not mean much actually.

It does not sound too bad to be a CL right? It does your ego no harm to be called "RIGHTEOUS" yeah? It is not too much a failure to bring 20 people to know Christ right? It is actually quite appealing to do big things for God. We can so easily mix self seeking motives of self actualization, of not being a failure, of being a "leader" up there with the more spiritual aspect of advancing God's kingdom.

The problem arises when many want to do big things for God but not many are willing to allow God to be big in their lives.

It is difficult to find and disciple someone who would allow God to be big in their lives and would therefore go on and do big things for God. Many people want to reach the end product of doing big things for God but not many people are willing to go through the process of God growing bigger in their lives because that would mean a painful process of pruning, of us giving up our pride, our sinful nature, of searching ourselves deep within, of constantly humbling ourselves with God's mercy and grace, of submitting under the authority that God has instituted or even submitting yourself to the scrutiny of your inner being by your overseers.

We miss the point altogether when we desire to do big things for God and end up using that to cover up for our weaknesses and sins.

Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
~ 1 Peter 2:16 ~

Having said that, i have nothing against doing big things for God, in fact, as we're ready internally and if God chooses to use us, Praise God! Let's continue to grow in our inner being, character and core values and i believe how God will use us according to the level of our faith. Leaders, as we look to do big things for God, do not forget that this desire has to stem from God being that big in our lives in the first place.

Let's not take our eyes off making God bigger in our lives yeah?

Regards,

Jie Hui

The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

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God's Judgment Vs God's Love
~ The Paradox Series (Part 1) ~

To many people, God's Judgment and God's Love just does not seem to come together. How can a loving father also be the judge who will sentence people to eternal life away from Him? How can a loving father be the same being who will set the standards of what constitutes a Christ follower? It just doesn't make sense to many people.

What many people has done is that they compartmentalize God. When they look at God's Judgment, God's love does not come into the picture. When they look at God's love, there is no Judgment. This two faces of God just does not seem to click together. This is especially true when you come from a pretty traditional Asian Family like me where my biological father is the disciplinarian and the word "love" is hardly normally associated with his expression. (But as i grew up, i really appreciate him much more)

The face of God's love and God's Judgment in no way contradict one another. In fact, they are interlinked and does actually flow together really well.

The ultimate act of God's love for us is to send Jesus to the cross to redeem us. God's love is expressed through this act of mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, and Grace is getting what we do not deserve. Here comes the important part:

Love expressed through the Mercy and Grace of God would be irrelevant when we do not take the Judgment face of God into account.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve, and the Judgment face of God determines the magnitude of that.
Grace is getting what we do not deserve. Again the Judgment face of God determines that.

Take away the Judgment face of God and you take away any need for mercy and grace.
Take away the Judgment face of God and you take away the magnitude of God's love for us.

We can only truly understand the extend of God's love when you understand the extend of your sins through God's judgment and his commands.
You can only truly embrace God's grace and mercy when you truly understand God's judgment.

You're truly mistaken if you think having a relationship with God means that you do not have to think about the judgment face of God. That all sins will go unnoticed and you do not have to strive to be salt and light. You're mistaken because you've failed to understand that this relationship you are in is with a lawmaker who is perfectly Holy and hates sin. This lawmaker wrote the commands out of love for us to protect us to guide us.

If we had never loved the law maker, but try our best to reach the law maker by keeping to his commands, we miss the point because we’re all sinners and we’ll never be perfect.

If we love him, but at times when we fail, the mercy of the Saviour is there for us as a gracious act.

If we love him and at times when we manage to keep to his commands, we act as a faithful Child of God whom our Abba Father replies “Good and faithful servant”

Having explained how both are important, i'll seek to explain how the two come together nicely in order.

1) When we do something wrong or commit a sin, the first face that we will have to face is God's Judgment. God hates sin and no sin can go unaccounted for. Whether you like it or not, whether you are a Christian or not, you are being judged for your sins. That's the 1st stage.

2) For people who do not believe, their quest for repentance stops at point one. However, because of the face of God's love, we can seek mercy and grace beyond judgment. This mercy and grace is available to all and would only be given to those who earnest seek Jesus as the way the truth and the life. This is the redeeming power of the cross. Having said that, seeking God's mercy and grace without first understanding the magnitude of our sin through the judgment face of God will not make sense as i have pointed out earlier.

In Luke 18, The pharisee only saw the "blessings" and "grace" in his own life. He skipped the step of looking at his own sins with God's judgment face. However for the tax collector, he went through the both judgment and mercy and was right in God's eyes.

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The same argument can be used to look at Jonah 3. God threatened to bring upon destruction onto the people but there was a "U-turn" decision. The same happened when Moses pleaded to God to spare the Israelite of destruction after they do something wrong.

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

~ Jonah 3:10 ~

God is by no means indecisive. Neither is He torn between His character of love and His job of judgment. When He threatened to wipe the people off for their sins, it was what they deserve. But the people saw God's judgment face and duly went to stage 2 to ask for God's mercy. Throughout the entire episode, God never withdrew His offer for love for them. Neither has He withdrawn His face of judgment when he had compassion on them because doing that will be condoning their acts of sins. God is consistent throughout. With the same heart and being, God loves and He judges. God does not contradict himself nor is He schizophrenic.

In short, the judgment face of God tells us in sober truth how far we have fallen. God does not want us to stay there. That is why He sent His son to die on the cross. With judgment in mind, we receive God's mercy and grace with a thanks giving heart.

Regards,

jie hui

The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

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Sunday, January 18, 2009