To see if it still works

Just as the Title says it.

Psalms 119: 97 to 112

97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.
102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
n Nun 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your word.
108 Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end

This Sunday Morning service was good.How I love the joy of worshiping God together with other fellow believers worshiping him =)

Over the past few weeks in CG, we have been going through a bible Study about discipleship and currently we are in the topic of loving the Word of God. Its importance, what does it to us, how do we read it, the basics. Its good that we are reminded over and over again about this basics as sometimes we tend to forget the truth of the Word and treat it so routinely, making it no diffferent from the pharisees described by Jesus in the bible.

One thing which brother William Lim shared about during sermon, is a good illustration of a time table chart of how much time we have allocated our time to read the Bible. It was a hillarious slide short but so how true we have to admit this. Often easily it ccan be observed half of us in the congregation might spend more time with facebook than with reading the Word in a day.

As it says in the following verses

102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

How beautiful this scripture this is, even as I meditate the whole chapter as a whole, verse 102 brings that "wow" factor in me. "I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me."

Thank You Jesus for it is really not on my own that I'm discipline in your Word but it is you who taught me through my friends, through the holy spirit, leaders, teachers and your Word itself. Truely, your Word is like honey to me.

I wish I could write more about this beautiful truth in psalms 119 : 97 to 112 but I shall want to meditate on it more and allow it to grow deep within my Heart. Lord I surrender my all to you.

Thank You for this beautiful Sunday which I so look forward to everyweek.

Psalm 34

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

1 [a] I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the

earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Today is a Saturday, even as I sit here and look at the responsiblities which I have in the work place I have a little fear in me. I fear that I might not keep up with this responsibility given to me.

My collegue have just resigned yesterday, though he gave two months notice before yesterday, I still find it hard that he has chose to resigned. 80% of his responsibility has been added on me and I find it hard to cope with it all. The Courts are speedying their cases , which restricts me from having more time in producing a better getting up.

Though with such "little" fear in me.It makes me all the more I want to seek His face.

" 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. "

As an old song says:

In his presence, In his presence, there is peace

In his presence, In his presence, there is joy

I will linger I will stay in His presence day by day

Till' His likeness will be seen in me.

Thank You for this 'little' fear I'm facing now Lord for it makes me seeks your face more and more. I shall Turst and keep the fear of the Lord.

A tough adjustment in work is going to take place, I pray that I will be able to cope with this tough adjustment. Two lawyers have resigned in the spam of two years with no new lawyers being part of the team and with so much work coming in too. Sometimes I wonder why are these things happening.

The Lord has delivered and overcome every obstacle I have faced. Surely He will do it again =)

I shall trust in you Lord and fear only you.

Amen.

Pastor's Son - A Great Story

My mum emailed me this Story yesterday.Thought of sharing this to everybody who reads this blog.



Pastor's son - A Great Story

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town> and hand out Gospel Tracts.



This particular Sunday afternoon,> as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold> outside, as well as pouring rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I'm ready.'

His Pastor dad asked, 'Ready for what?'

'Dad, it's time we gather our> tracts together and go out.'



Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold> outside and it's pouring rain.'

The boy gives his dad a surprised> look, asking, 'But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?'



Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'

Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad,> can I go? Please?'

His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go.

Here are the tracts, be careful son..'

'Thanks Dad!'



And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract .



After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell,but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.



Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him.Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!



He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?' With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that * JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU * and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE.'

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave.

She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son! And God Bless You!'



Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, 'Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?' Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet.



As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, 'No one in this church knows me. I've never been here> before.You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world.



Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.



Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'



I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly... I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.



When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you!



The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU .



Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand..As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.



You see-- -I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell..'



There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honour to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building,Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated.... He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.



Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love> & honour for his son.... Except for One.

Pulau Perhentian Holiday in 2009

Pulau Perhentian was aget away which I have long to go since Jason Lim have blogged about it. I remeber when he blogged about Pulau Perhentian, I was still at Leeds reading it with great envy.

This Pulau Perhentian trip was planned way early in January 2009. Early practising Lawyers don't get much holidays. that's why if I do have one, I'm gonna make sure it would be the best one and the following year will have to top it off.

The first started off really tiring cos of travelling from Penang to Kl to Terengganu. The van ride to Kuala Besut was scary, the whole route was a one way street but treated like a double lane street.The journey there was hot hot hot. Sun scorhing like no one's business. The scenery around was away from civilization. Kids running around with Kerbaus at the padi fields. Fisherman with broken teeth smoking.

At least our we have reached to Kuala Busut Port. there we met our tour guide, Din. Hardcore muscle (not the buffy kind) malay dude smoking away and drinking a can of beer on Hari Raya month.

From the Port, we took a boat to Pulau Perhentian, the whole journey was all just blue sea. So much different from the sea water whenever I'm on the ferry from penang to Butterworth. I heard that sometimes we can spot dolphins during the journey. But we didnt get to see any this trip. Just lotsa fish jumping around from time to time.

Upon arrival of Pulau Perhentian, we check into the chalet. Very nice chalet on stilts,And its air conditioning. Thank God. I also brought mosquito coil the electric one cos I heard there's lotsa mozzies at night.

After checking in, Din took us to a water fall in Pulau Perhentian. I was a very long hike there. Din trail through the jungle on bear foot and one can of beer in his hand. While the rest of us were in sport shoes and trying hard to keep up with his pace. When we reached the waterfall sport. waa, it was the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen (thus far).We swam below the waterfall, it was kinda creepy at first cause we do not what we would be under the water. The water was call and damn refreshing. the best part was standing directly the fall of the waterfall and allow it to give you free massages on your back. The waterfall was really really high.

The Waterfall

After the fun time at the waterfall, we just rest and relax the whole day till evening.


The restaraunts there are your typical malay restaraunts but the setting is great cause they set up tables on the beach and the food is good. I love their kampung style fried rice. Had fried rice for most of the four days in Pulau Perhentian. Oh the restaraunt owners are all super friendly. Really feel like we are a part of their family. They invite us to their homes, ask their kids to come out play, tell us stories of pirates that sometimes come to Pulau Perhentian and they will loath whatever they can find in the island. So to protect themselves the villages just cooperate by giving those pirates some exotic stuff like "biawak"/"monitor lizards"and free beer.

One day first day of Hari Raya there on Pulau Perhentian, the villages invited us to their homes and we have so many meals that morning. I have first ever Terrengganu Laksa, its non asam. It so-so only. what I like most is their rendangs.

They let us sit right in the middle of their living room area while they celebrate Hari Raya. It was a beautiful experience for me. It reminds me that we should love one another regardless of what race we are. That experience was a little spiritual awakening for me.God has thought me how to love and be loved by malays.

A picture of one of the malay homes on the Island

Besides eating lots during the first two days of hari raya, Din was really nice to sacrifice and take us snorkeling. the whole day. We snorkeled from like 10am to 3-4pm everyday.thats a lot of swiming when i think of it. We went to so many snorkelling spots.

Din and his friends amaze us with their skill of catching fish with just a small piece of bread and their bare hands in the water. The fish is damn colorful wei. Its even more colorful when they show it to us under sunlight. At first we were already super amazed of their skill in catching fish with their bare hands.

They later use those fish which caught (still alive) to lure the sea eels out of their hiding place in the water. It was super scary dude to see them face to face. They are huge.

We went to Pulau Redang for a short trip and tze wei found this vehicle to help carry her shopping bags.

Din also took us to the turtle sanctuary. well can't say its a sanctuary cos what they have there is a pale of water and no facilities. But there are people there that make sure that the turle eggs are hatched well and release well in the sea before any birds eat them from the sky.

When night falls, there's fireworks everynight. Its the Hari Raya holidays what to expect. the completely pitch black sky at night makes the fireworks look much more visible than how we usually sea them back in Penang.

A picture of one of the restaraunt during night

I really love this kind of holidays. The peace, the sand, the sound of the waves bashing the shores.Ahh... Pulau Perhentian. Lawyer in profession, beach boy at heart.

We got an underwater camera.It was really worth it. I didnt get to practise it much though, no time or even place to so in back in Penang. As result of that we got many crappy pictures of the underwater. Some are nice.

Thats a starfish I'm holding when doesn't open up.

There star Fish!

Many pictures taken under the sea.

This is by far my most favourite picture, the sea turtle. Never before in my life I get to be upclose and personally with a live sea turtle in its natural habitat swiming with it.

Sea Urchins are scary stuff dude. There was time, I was swimming around when suddenly I saw so many sea urchins under me. Super scary man. i didnt dare stand at all and kept swimming.

Nemos

We met a lot of sharks under water. I wasted many shots trying my best to take a picture of them. But they swim just too fast.

The island is really beautiful, so peaceful and quiet. Did my devotion at the early morning there. It was surreal.

As you can tell, I'm getting lazy in writting, I shall leave the pictures to tell more of the experience. I shall blog about this beautiful holiday again

As i reahc the port on my last day, I can't help but think of when will I go there again. What a wonderful holiday God has blessed me with.

The Lord had laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Good Morning,

Just thought of sharing this short wonderful story of a person's dream (whether fictional or not, I'm not sure) which I receive this morning's quiet time.

"The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah liii.

Let me tell a dream which was given by night to one of my dearest friends. He beheld a stupendous range of glorious sun-lit mountains, with their lower slopes enfolded in white mist. "Lord," he cried, "I pray that I may dwell upon those heights!" "Thou must first descend into the vale," a voice replied.

Into the vale he went. And down there he found himself surrounded with all manner of fierce, ugly, loathsome things. As he looked upon them he saw that they were the incarnations of his own sins! There they were, sins long ago committed, showing their threatening teeth before him!

Then he heard some One approaching, and instinctively he knew it was the Lord! And he felt so ashamed that he drew a cloak over his face, and stood in silence. And the Presence came nearer and nearer, until He, too, stood silent. After a while my friend mastered sufficient courage to lift the corner of his cloak and look out upon the Presence: and lo! All the loathsome things were on Him!

"The Lord had laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Thank You Holy Spirit for reminding us the beauty of our Lord Jesus sacrifice this Easter.

Let's remember this Easter, the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus who died for our sins. That "The Lord had laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

A Christmas Message : Destiny

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE : DESTINY

Matthew 2
v.1 After Jesus was born in Bethelhem in Judea during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
v.2 and asked "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him"
v.3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

v.4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

v.5 "In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied "for this is what the prophet has written:

v.6'But you, Bethelhem in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Isreal'

v. 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

v.8 He sent them to Bethelhem and said "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me , so that I too may go and worship him"

v.9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

v.10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

v.11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worship him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

v.12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Luke 2

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord.

12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

24-12-2009

On a Thursday afternoon everyone was in front the christmas tree set up at the entrance of the office, exchanging presents to one another, some of the presents have been sitting under that tree for a month. Smiling faces and memorable response we all experience individually everytime when someone opens a present.

Its a tradition for us to gather around the christmas tree at the office entrance exchanging gifts in regardless of what race or where we come from.

I will always remember moments like this in the office every year and thank God for showing so much love within the four corners of the office walls. A christmas message was shared on that day, with the one theme I shall remember :Destiny.I have been reading the story of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ even on days when it is not christmas season. The facts of the story mention in the two gospels Luke and Matthew is always clear in my mind. But every sharing and/or reading is always fresh/new just like fresh bread baked from the oven.

Based on the two chapters above I have read, apart of noticing that didnt Luke mention of the magi(s) looking for Jesus and Matthew didn't mention about the shepherds looking for Jesus. We notice that there are two groups of people that went to find baby Jesus. The shepherds and the Magi(s) (aka the wiseman).

The Magi(s) from the east were looking for Jesus, heck they even came all the way from the east, geographically I did not do the research to know how far or how long it will take them to arrive Bethlehem but I do know for sure that it is a long time and to come at such a timing requires much studying from the Magi(s) through the written books of the prophets to ensure that they are there at the right time. They probably have know about this birth a long time in their days in school as a scholar as it is written by the prophets long before the birth of Jesus. This Magi(s) must have been real excited because they believe that it is their generation that they will get to see the Messiah, as what the prophets have all talked about. I think generations and generations of Magi have always been on a look out for that 'Star' and/or 'Sign' to know where the Messiah would be born. This Magi(s) want to ensure that they will see the Messiah. They want to make sure that they got all the signs right or even looked for any sign so that they may meet the Messiah. God has destined for them to meet the baby Jesus. It was their destiny! and they worked hard and searched all around looking for that 'star'. The Star was so visible that it could be seen by the Magi(s) in the east! What a wonderful 'sign' God have given them to reach their destination.

The other group of people mention in the book of Luke, where the shepherds. I'm not too sure of the social status of shepherds during those days but I do know that they aren't really great people, probably people who aren't looked highly by the society. This shepherds weren't educated well and I'm quite sure they weren't scholars of the word. Just humble individuals just carrying out their duty that is shepherding the sheeps. But behold, an angel appeared before them! Telling them the Good news of the birth of Jesus and where they could find him. The shepherds, weren't people who were looking for any 'signs' or stars like the Magi(s) did earlier, I was of the opinion also maybe they probably did not know that they would be able to see the Jesus in the manger in their lifetime.

Both of these two groups of people found Jesus in Bethlehem just as the two gospels said. Both groups of people reach their destination, or shall I say fullfilled their destiny of seeing Jesus in Bethelhem. The Magi(s) spent their whole life to finally reached their destiny where else the shepherds had destiny coming to them and they followed. Two different groups of people, the very persistent scholars and the humble shepherds.

All of us have destiny to fullfill in life. Our life is carefully planned by the Almighty so that we may fullfill that destiny we have on earth/ on this world.

Some of us think that we don't have a destiny nor are we even looking for a destiny, maybe we just want to carry on with life with no destiny in thought. Some of us have a destiny and have been trying hard over and over again trying to reach it but have brought just so much dissapointment(s).

This two gospel that spoke of the birth of Jesus Christ have tremendously bless me and gave me so much hope in my soul. It reminds me that I HAVE A DESTINY! whether if I'm looking for it or whether I have been trying so hard in vain to reach that destiny. If I'm persistent I will find it (just like the Magi(s) and even the times when I didn't even think about it, God shall show it to me (just like the shepherds). So often I hear people saying that you have to 'work' for your destiny but after reading this gospel, i realised that sometimes destiny does not come by our works, it comes as it is destined for you through God's mercy and purpose.

Thank You God for your word, for your beautiful Word that speaks so direct to my heart always. Thank You Jesus for coming to this world and showing me my Destiny. May my life's destiny be fullfilled according to your will.

I pray that you (the reader) may reached your destiny. God loves you and has a plan for you in regardless if you are a "shepherd or a magi".