Through the Wilderness

The children of Israel had first hand experience of the harsh wilderness and desert land. A place where water and food are scarce; no vegetation can grow and what met ones eyes was mere desolation and bleakness.

The beauty of it all is that the God who leads us in green pastures is the one who will also lead us in the heart of the cruel desert. It is a time where the rubber meets the road, a litmus test for all who claim to be the followers of Christ. The “wilderness experience” brings out reality of our limitations, our vulnerability, our weakness and dependence on our faithful God. When what we see seem discouraging and gloomy, when the harshness, pain and imperfections of this fleeting world hit us like a thunderbolt.

Yet, it is in times like this that we rise above the occasion. We purpose in our heart to remain faithful till the end; we remain strong in the face of insurmountable challenges. When we emerge from the crisis, we can stand firm on His word that declares that we are victors in Christ. We surge beyond every wave of discouragement, despondency and destruction by the power of His Spirit. We live each day to declare His faithfulness from generation to generation.

His Consuming Love

We measure temperature with a thermometer, humidity with a hygrometer and wind speed with an anemometer but no one can ever measure the love of God. The best equipment that man invents can never fulfill this awesome task. For His love is boundless, limitless, endless and immeasurable. The love of Christ oozes out of us and it compels us to bring hope and a comforting word to one in need. His divine love surges from deep within our heart and spirit and He launches us out to every nook and corner of the earth carrying and saturating His presence and love everywhere. Love that is weaved in every smile, every kind and encouraging act, every word that is seasoned by Him. A love that cannot be counterfeited; it is genuine, pure, rich and true to the core. Love personified, love experienced when the Holy Spirit envelops and embraces us in His comfort and warmth. We cry out daily for the Lord to consume us in His love so that we can love through Him who first loved us.

The Feet of Deer

The Lord pours His grace on us unceasingly. Times when we are so weary and drained, times when our legs are so weight down; we feel as though we are dragging a ton of load. Our knees get all wobbly and weak. Yet, it is during such times that the Lord sustains and empowers us to push on to the finishing line. Just like how God guides the deer on the treacherous and dangerous mountains, He will guide us on our path safely. He makes our feet as surefooted like the deer’s feet. We can never make it on our own on this life threatening and death defying mountain heights, but God has put faith in us to trust Him to lead us to conquer every mountain that He brings us on.

Five Loaves and Two Fishes

Monte and I are thankful for the Lord’s open door to minister at Mount Olives Church of God Power Pack Wednesday last week. Monte delivered the word and I led in a time of praise and worship. The Lord graced the service and blessed us with a good time of ministry.

We treasure every opportunity that God presents to us. We are mindful of our complete reliance on the Spirit of God who empowers us to do the work of the ministry. As we offer our five loaves and two fishes, the Lord has never failed to multiply them to meet the needs of the people. He pours out His grace to nourish and nurture us. He fills our hungry hearts and thirsty souls. We know that we are merely His channel, His vessels totally dependant on His sovereign hand.

Steamy Steamboat

From time to time, we invite friends over to our home for a meal or pastry with coffee. We thank God for the blessing of friends. A couple of days ago, we spent a wonderful afternoon with one of our friends over steamy steamboat. Food and fellowship always go hand in hand.

Splendid Istana

Monte and I spent a wonderful afternoon with a friend at the Istana on 1 May.

“The Istana is the official residence of the President of the Republic of Singapore. It occupies over 40 hectares of land along Orchard Road. It is a precious and important part of Singapore's history and heritage, and has borne witness to Singapore's many historical milestones.

The Istana building was built by the British Colonial government to house its governors. Completed in 1869, it was then known as the Government House. The building was handed over to the Singapore Government when Singapore attained self government in 1959, and renamed Istana (“Palace” in Malay).

The Istana building underwent extensive renovation between 1996 and 1998, to add more space and modern day conveniences. The building today has six function rooms used for ceremonies and to receive guests.”

http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/index.html

Fearful Mickey

Mickey is an amazing dog. He can be fierce at times but he is usually timid. Any unfamiliar sound will set scurrying into his hiding place. When thunder roars, he is paralyzed with unexplainable fear.

A couple of days ago, I visited my parents and it happened to storm. Thunder roared and sure enough, Mickey hid under the massage chair trembling in fear.

A Prayer of Gratitude

In His mercy and love, the Lord picked us up from the miry clay and spoke life into our lifeless beings. He broke through our defenses and reassures us of His undivided love and devotion. Nothing we can do will make Him love us more because He loved us the way we are.

God opens our eyes to see from His perspective. He illumined our hearts to understand the things of the Spirit. Never has there been one more dependable and gracious as our Abba Father. We cry out in gratitude to Him for His wonder working power that is at work in us. We live only by His divine grace and power to see the beauty He makes out of our ruined lives. He offers us peace that passes understanding and a sure and unfading hope.