Unearthing Rich Treasures

We spend our whole life unearthing treasures.  Treasures not linked to fame and fortune but rich treasures of Christ. 

Our hearts pined for the Lord, we long for things that are eternal. 

Earthly treasures can be destroyed by a fire, a flood or a natural calamity but when we accumulate heavenly treasures in the Lord, it will last through all eternity. 

This treasure is like a priceless and precious pearl.  It is the most costly gem this world has ever known.  

Down the corridors of time, great men and women gave up their lives in pursuit of the treasures of God. 

Each moment that we share with the Lord draws us deeper in this pursuit.  Fame and fortune has lured many hearts but what keeps the children of God thriving are things that money cannot buy.  

We need more of You, Lord.  More of Your presence, more of Your word, more of Your voice, more of everything that draws us closer to You. 

Lord, lead and guide us this day into Your awesome presence.  We behold You in Your splendour and glory forevermore.  

We continue to unearth Your rich treasures as we cling on to You daily in love and intimacy.  

Let our life be consumed by the earnest desire to seek You without reservation. We are drawn by treasures that last for all eternity.  All glory and honour be unto You, O Lord!

Sing Unto the Lord

In my time alone with the Lord today, I was singing Psalm 42. God has given us the amazing ability to make melodies to worship Him. 

Psalm 42

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
‘Where is your God?’
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Saviour and my God.
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon – from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me –
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?’
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
‘Where is your God?’
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Saviour and my God.

Come, Holy Spirit

The Spirit of God comes upon us. He comes like a mighty wind. He comes like a powerful force. He comes like a strong gushing water. He comes as a consuming fire.  

At other times, the Holy Spirit comes like a gentle breeze. Comforting and strengthening us.

We experience the gentle nudge of the Spirit daily. The healing presence of God surrounds us in our darkest moments. He woos us into His holy presence. He beckons us to follow Him to the ends of the earth.

The Holy Spirit carries us on the wings of love. 

He is with us every moment of our life. He is with us in every seaso  of our lives. 

  

We worship the Lord  with every breath we take.

We are a walking miracle because the breath of God keeps us alive.  

He is with us in our ups and downs, thick and thin, good and difficult times. Even during seasons when our hearts are heavy leaden, He is with us. Loving us. Waiting patiently.  

The Holy Spirit empowers us. The strength of God’s Spirit spurs us on to do great exploits for the Lord.

Come, Holy Spirit, we need You.  We cry out to You to restore and revive us.  

Lord, create in us a pure heart so that we will see You in Your glory and Your grace.

We Bow in Humble Adoration

Our hearts cannot contain Your greatness

Your glory

Your strength

Your might 

You are great 

And greatly to be praised

Worshipped and adored.

The stars radiate with Your glory

The moon shines brilliantly

The sun displays Your brightness

You have created all things

Your beauty and splendour burst 

Within our hearts

Within our minds

Within our spirit

Great and awesome 

Is the Lord, our God

We bow in humble adoration

To You our supreme and magnificent God

Renew Us, Lord

Lord, You are full of compassion

Full of kindness

Gentleness

Faithfulness

Tenderness

We worship and adore You

Shower Your mercy and grace on us

Restore and renew us in Your love

Comfort and strengthen us

Grant us wholeness and health

Life and undying hope 

Lead us this day

To Your throne room

To seek Your face

And know Your grace

Come Holy Spirit

Come in Your power

Come like a mighty river

Wash over us 

Refresh and renew us

We pray

Turn Our Hearts, O Lord

Turn our hearts, O Lord

Like rivers of water

Let it flow where it should

Let our lives be a pleasing sacrifice

Learning to hearken unto Your voice

Learning to hear Your heart beat

Learning to follow hard after You

Lead us where we belong

To the centre of Your will

To the destiny and purpose

You have planned

Turn our hearts

Like rivers of water

Entering into Your love

Basking in Your abiding presence

Knowing that all that truly matters

Is to know and love You 

From the depths of our hearts

Resonance

Last evening, Monte and I spent a lovely evening at the Botanic Garden. We were delighted to attend a concert by Resonance. Resonance is a group of semi-professional sheng players. Though there was a slight drizzle, it was heartening that many stayed on soaking in the music under their umbrellas.

“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.”   Maya Angelou

The Lovely Botanic Garden

Last Saturday evening, Monte and I were praying at the Botanic Garden. The view was awesome and it felt good because it was not humid. God's creation is beautiful. His splendour and glory radiate through the water, ferns, trees, leaves, flowers, grass and the great lush greenery.

Over the years, we see God's faithfulness and goodness. When we pray, we rely on the supreme God who is in total control of our life. We pray and intercede and see God come through for us. We have experienced miracles and seen the hand of God. When we seek the Lord, He will be found. He turns the broken pieces of our life and make something beautiful; something amazing. Lord, draw us by Your Spirit and sanctify us today.

God of All Seasons

You have been with us through all the seasons

Seasons of abundance

Seasons of lack

Seasons of joy

Seasons of sorrow

Seasons of optimism

Seasons of pessimism

Seasons of opportunities

Seasons of closed doors

Seasons of hope

Seasons of bleakness

Seasons of faith

Seasons of faithlessness

Through it all

You are with us

Immanuel 

God with us

Draw us closer to You

For You are the God of all seasons

Your faithfulness reaches to the sky

Faithful

True

Devoted

Trustworthy 

Through You

We thrive 

In perilous places

In dry arid deserts

In unimaginable terrains 

You see us through it all

You lead us on to higher ground

And we put our trust in You

You are all we ever needed

Faithful God

Last night, Monte and I were out to see the fireworks at Marina Bay area.  It was breathtaking and awesome.  The only way to enjoy the fireworks is to take it all in, the sight, sound and smell.  We have caught many fireworks in the past but we never get tired of it.  

The first of day of 2014 is refreshing.  Seeing what God has done in the past year and anticipating what God will do this year makes my heart leap with joy and hope.  We certainly face tremendous challenges, we continue to soldier on by God's grace.  There is absolutely nothing the Lord cannot do.  When God opens our spirit eyes to see and unstop our ears to hear, faith builds up within us and we begin to explode within us.  We see the endless opportunities, we see hope and possibilities, optimism and faith filled expectations.  God is faithful and true.  He unfolds His purposes and plans to us and walk us through every step of the way.  Faith pleases God.  When faith arises, we begin to experience open heaven, open doors and other openings that God allows.

We continue to offer ourselves to love and serve the Lord in whatever capacity He desires. God is supreme.  God is sovereign.  We are His conduit, His extension and the couriers and carriers of His presence.  Lord, let Your fire burn stronger in us.  Let it burn brighter.  We fixed our eyes on You and call upon Your name. The name above all names; glorious, beautiful and majestic.

The Potter's Touch

You made us

You see the finished work

Your heart is filled with joy

From the pile of clay

You bring beauty 

Out of Your love

You give us new life

You are the potter 

We are the clay

Fill us with Your life and light

Flood us with Your presence 

We yield to You

Come in Your love

Come in Your power

Bring wholeness and fullness

Speak life into our mortal being

Bring hope in our darkest hour

Do a deep and a lasting work in us

Touch our hearts

Transform us

By the power of Your Spirit

We are Only Passing Through

We have set on heart on pilgrimage
With unwavering commitment
We offer our life to You
Our dreams
Our hopes
Our aspirations
Our desires
We give them all to You
Lord, do a deep and a lasting work in us
Help us to see Your purposes
Help us to know Your will
Help us to hear Your voice
We lay our life at Your altar
We run after You
To seek Your face
To see Your hand of love
To touch the hem of Your garment
To hear Your heart
Lord, we are on pilgrimage
This world is not our home
We are only passing through

Steamboat with Our Family

Last evening, my family came over to our home for steamboat. Monte prepared dinner. This afternoon, I had to bring my mother for a medical appointment and Monte spent hours to prepare for the dinner. He cooked up a storm. We had chicken, pork, carrots, tomatoes, button mushroom, eggs, fish balls, Bak Choy and cabbage. We had steamboat with fragrant Thai rice. The dinner was so scrumptious. Cooking for people is a labour of love. God has blessed me with a wonderful and loving husband. 

The dinner was one of the ways to tell my family that we appreciate them. On their end, I saw that my family deeply appreciated the dinner invitation. God is good.

http://www.goodfood.sg/steamboat

Scaling New Heights

You have given us feet of deer

To scale new heights

To climb new mountains

You lead us in victory

From faith to faith

From glory to glory

At the summit

All we see is Your glory

Your strength

Your might

Your dominion

Enable us to take one baby step at a time

Trusting You in full faith

Trusting You wholeheartedly 

Though we do not see

We believe

Though the odds are against us

We persevere

For You are ever faithful

To bring us to our destination

We see Your face

We feel Your hand of love

We see the sign of Your goodness

We behold You in Your glory and beauty

God Speaks to Us Through the Waves

Last evening, as Monte and I sat on the beach, we enjoyed every moment of that precious time. We love to hear the sound of waves.  It is calming, soothing and wonderful.  

God speaks to us in different ways.  Very often, He comes through to us through His creation. 

 

Everything He created draw us to Him; to the gentle nudge of His love, to His loving embrace, to His mercy and grace.  God works in wonderful ways. 

As we offer our self to Him, He will never short-change us.  He lavishes His love on all who purpose in their heart to seek and love Him.

(Blog posting made on 26 December 2013 at Jee Fong's Corner.)

In a Morning Like this

In a morning like this

We come humbly before You

King of kings

And Lord of lords

We see the smallness of our strength

We feel the feebleness of our knees

We are vulnerable

We lean on the arms of Jesus

We cry out to You our maker

We declare our everlasting love for You

Touch us 

Mould us

And make us more like You

We love You

Lovely Evening at the Beach

Yesterday evening, Monte and I were at the East Coast Park. We have barbecue chicken, button mushrooms, pita bread, baked beans and cherry tomatoes for dinner. Simple pleasure in life. The simple things are the most precious things in life.

After dinner, we laid on the beach and enjoyed the awesome view and the sound of the waves as they hit the shoreline.

Count Our Blessings

We count our blessings

Your abiding presence

The body of Christ

Family

Friends

Ministry

Career

Home

Health

The list goes on

Teach us to be mindful of You

To count our abundant blessings

That flow from above

Every good gift 
You have blessed us 

Is treasured in our heart

Every blessing 
You have poured into our life

Is Your sovereign 
And divine providence

We Give You Our All

This Christmas morning

We come bearing gifts to You

Our gratitude

Our heartfelt appreciation

Our worship

We give You our all

We offer our live anew and afresh 

To our only God and Father

Our helper

Our refuge

Our stronghold

Our fortress

Our hope

The eternal God who reigns 

Through all eternity

This Christmas morning

We declare our everlasting love for You

Our maker

Our redeemer

Our lover

Lord, we pour our heart out to You

We sing the song of the redeemed

We dance with all our might

With sounds of rejoicing

We cannot contain our joy

We worship You with all of our heart

Soften Our Heart

Soften our heart, Lord
We long to hear Your voice
We long to see Your glory 
We long to taste Your goodness

Soften our heart, Lord
Melt us with Your love
Embrace us in Your bosom
Touch us, today
So that we will hear Your heart cry
We will see Your purpose and will
Grant us sensitivity to Your Spirit
Draw us by Your Spirit
Conquer us relentlessly by Your love

Soften our heart 
We enthrone You 
We give You the preeminence
We give You everything
Fill our heart with Your abiding presence

Hear Our Cry

Lord, You hear our cry for mercy
You bring relief and release
You deliver and rescue us
When our heart is dry
Your living water flood our soul 
When we are hungry
Your manna fill us up
All sufficient one
All powerful
All knowing
Almighty God
We cry out to You
The one who deserves all honour
All glory
All praise
Be exalted, O Lord

He is the Reason for the Season

Jesus is the reason for the season
It's got nothing to do with Santa Claus
Rudolf the red nose
Snow men
Jingle bells
Christmas trees
Mistletoe
Pretty lights
Glittering tinsels
He is the reason for the season
We celebrate Jesus during Christmas
And every moment of the day
We celebrate the birth of Jesus
Because He gives us purpose for living
Our destiny is in Him
He makes our life beautiful
For He is the reason for the season
And the purpose of it all

Flow Through Us

Ministry takes place when we reach out to touch someone's life. God is raising a nameless and faceless people who are not concerned with titles. All we desire is to love and serve the Lord. Ministry is selfless.

Some of Jesus's disciples were Illiterate, insignificant and simple fishermen. He did not just engage the learned and brilliant people. The Lord can use any of us. The insignificant people may not feel that they are up to the job. God's power transcend everything. He uses the foolish things to confound the wise. Everyone is a potential candidate. He brings out the gem in each unpolished stone. 

God empowers us to minister by His grace and anointing. The Bible is full of examples of God raising up simple people to do great exploits for His kingdom. 

The Lord is actively working in of our lives. As we yield to the Potter, He brings out the best in us. God touches our broken lives and make us His chosen vessels.

Lord, flow powerfully through each of us. We abandon ourselves to You in humble submission. Flood our hearts with passion and compassion. We lay on Your altar. We offer our lives without any reservation.

Empower Us

You've poured in the oil and the wine

You picked us up when we were in disdain

You cleansed and made us whole again

You gave us beauty for ashes

The oil of joy for mourning

Lord, may the meditations of our heart

Be acceptable to You

Restore and renew us today

Strengthen and empower us

To live in and through You

Our heart overflow with gratitude

To Your faithfulness and goodness

All the days of our life

Divine Providence

On 16 September Monte was invited to chair a session for the Society of Pentecostal Studies (SPS) Practical Theology Interest Group, at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.  The meeting will be held on 6-8 March, 2014 at Evangel University, Springfield, Missouri, USA. We are very thankful to the Lord for the open door.  We stepped out in faith to believe God for the finances to make the trip.  God is good, some funds came in and last night, Monte settled the registration fee and meals for the conference.  We are continuing to believe God for the funds to buy the air ticket, accommodation and transport expenses.  God is so good.  He miraculously provided for Monte's last two SPS conference in 2012 (Virginia, USA) and 2013 (Seattle, USA).  We are thankful for God's goodness and grace.  We are excited about what God is doing in our life.

http://www.sps-usa.org

https://www.facebook.com/spsusa?fref=ts

Our Stories

We are always  captivated by a story. The Bible is full of stories. The power of narratives, images, imagination, and plots allow us to get into the story as it unfolds. 

Today, God is writing the story of your life and mine. The experiences, the ups and downs, everyday living, our dreams, aspirations and hopes are the fodder that go into the writing of our life stories. No experiences we have gone through is wasted. Even painful experiences enrich our lives.

As our life stories continue to emerge.  God continues to empower us daily. We live in His love and grace. We grow from strength to strength. In His love, we morph from cocoons into beautiful butterflies.  

He brings out the beauty in each of us.  He sees boundless potential and helps us to continue to grow and develop daily.  

We want to be more like Him. For when the light and life of Christ radiates, He ministers in and through our lives.

As we faithfully entrust our life completely to His lordship, God begins to unfold His purposes and plans to us.   

Someone once said that the safest place is to be in the centre of God's will. We do not want to be found in any other place other than to be in His will. We allow God to develop our individual stories. His grace is sufficient. His promises sustain us every moment of the day.

  

Lord, we turn our lives into Your hands. You are our maker and redeemer.  

We echo the words of Mary's hymn of praise to the Lord in the Magnificat. (Luke 1:46-55)

"My soul magnifies the Lord

And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;

Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;

For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;

Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is His name;

And His mercy is from generation to generation

on those who fear Him.

He has shown might with His arm,

He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

and has exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich He has sent away empty.

He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy

Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever"

Purify Us, Lord

The pure in heart shall see Your face

Come with Your refining fire, Lord

Come with Your consuming love

Come in Your power and Your strength

Come, Holy Spirit

We need Your touch today

We long to see You

We long to hear You

We long to bask in Your sweet presence

Let Your fire fall

Let Your fire consume us

To purify and sanctify us

We live to see Your glory

We live to taste Your goodness

We worship You

For You have put eternity in our hearts

We Need You More

Lord,  You sustain the weary with Your precious word. You heal the broken hearted with Your divine love. You raised the downtrodden with Your unending hope.

You speak life into the parched and dry hearts. You speak wholeness to our broken bodies.

We need You more today than yesterday. We need You more this second than the last.

Like fish that need water. Like plants that need sunlight. We need You more.

Only You

 Only You can give us total liberty

Only You can soften our hardened hearts

Only You can quench our dying thirsts

Only You can satisfy our deepest longing

Only You can bring us eternal hope 

Only You can restore our broken lives

You are the reason for our being

You are why our hearts are beating

To breathe

To thrive

To rise up again

In Your love 

In Your hope 

In You

We live and move

And have our being

You hold all things  together

From You

We gladly receive  

You and You alone 

deserve the highest praise

We magnify Your holy name

Oyu and Eliska

My niece, Eliska turned two on 9th November 2013. She is seen here with her cousin, Oyu. They are so sweet.

Fall Afresh on Us, Lord!

Spirit of the living God

Fall afresh on us

Purge and cleanse us 

Sanctify and renew us

We live in You

We thirst for You

Fill us this day, Lord

Till we overflow with You

Brimming over with so much

That others around us

Will be touched by You too

Finishing Strong

We are not racing in a 100 metres sprint. We are running in a marathon. God spurs us on in this arduous race.

He began a good work in us and He will bring it to completion. He ends what He begins. We are overcomers because of the blood of the Lamb.

This race is not marked by personal glory or acclaim, but one that is peppered with God's goodness and mercy. He showers us with His kindness, hope and joy unceasingly.

It is a race marked by triumph and fulfillment in God. In this race, faithful men and women of God persevere and press into the presence of God. We desire to live in the centre of His will. 

No obstacles or challenges can stop us. Nothing will set us on the quitting mode. God is in charge of our destiny. God is in complete control. He is the Waymaker.

We experience undying hope and divine grace daily. Our lives are in the hands of our loving God. 

Deep within us a fire is burning ever brighter and stronger. In the depth of our being, a cry rises up to the Lord. A cry that touches the heart of God. A cry that moved the hand of God.

We press into His presence.  We savour His goodness. We bask in His glorious presence. 

Running the race takes on a new meaning when our sole desire is to follow hard after our Maker. The lover of our soul watches over us. 

We long to see His purposes and plans unfold in our lives. We live each day to see His goodness.

Thank You for showing us Your patient love and mercy. Thank You for doing a deep and a lasting work in us. Teach us Your ways and we will follow You till the very end. Help us to finish the race. We will finish strong by Your unfailing grace and strength. We will finish by the power of Your Spirit.

We Serve a Mighty God

We serve a mighty God

Even the wind and the waves obey Him

Boundless

Matchless

Infinite

Immortal

Changeless

On bended knee we bow

With broken heart and spirit we surrender

We serve a mighty Saviour 

Ever faithful and true

Awaken Us

Awaken us to Your love

Awaken us to Your stirring

Awaken us to Your still small voice

For we long to hear You

We long to see Your face

We need the touch of Your love

In all that we do

In all that we say

In all that happens this day

We give You full control

We submit fully to Your lordship

We revere You

We love You