Come Before Winter

The City of Franklin of Indiana was where I first had a close encounter of the white stuff from heaven. Though the winter was cold, the feeling was all the more cozy and warm - like holding a cup of hot apple cider in your hands under the nose. God's love has been keeping my heart warm. He left His Heart in me, just as I left mine in Franklin. One of these days, I'll return to this little town of priceless memory. God was good.

A Taste for Peace on Dec 22

Feeling special - leaving no one alone

Feeling hopeful - receiving a sincere blessing

Feeling plentiful - enjoying a sumptuous dinner

Feeling peaceful - sensing Jesus in the room

This Peace Unto You - What more can we ask for?

2008 New Year Resolution

May the Holy Spirit rekindle the smoldering fire from within our heart during 2008.

Make it count.

Make it happen.

Amen.

Words of Peace

Law (Ps. 119:165) - 愛 你 律 法 的 人 有 大 平 安 ， 甚 麼 都 不 能 使 他 們 絆 腳 。

Security (Ps. 4:8) - 我 必 安 然 躺 下 睡 覺 ， 因 為 獨 有 你 ─ 耶 和 華 使 我 安 然 居 住 。

Contentment (Is. 26:3) - 堅 心 倚 賴 你 的 ， 你 必 保 守 他 十 分 平 安 ， 因 為 他 倚 靠 你 。

Prosperity (Ps. 122:6-7) - 你 們 要 為 耶 路 撒 冷 求 平 安 ！ 耶 路 撒 冷 啊 ， 愛 你 的 人 必 然 興 旺 ！ 願 你 城 中 平 安 ！ 願 你 宮 內 興 旺 ！

Civility (1 Sam. 7:14) - 非 利 士 人 所 取 以 色 列 人 的 城 邑 ， 從 以 革 倫 直 到 迦 特 ， 都 歸 以 色 列 人 了 。 屬 這 些 城 的 四 境 ， 以 色 列 人 也 從 非 利 士 人 手 下 收 回 。 那 時 以 色 列 人 與 亞 摩 利 人 和 好 。

Messiah (Is. 9:6-7) - 因 有 一 嬰 孩 為 我 們 而 生 ； 有 一 子 賜 給 我 們 。 政 權 必 擔 在 他 的 肩 頭 上 ； 他 名 稱 為 奇 妙 策 士 、 全 能 的 神 、 永 在 的 父 、 和 平 的 君 。 他 的 政 權 與 平 安 必 加 增 無 窮 。 他 必 在 大 衛 的 寶 座 上 治 理 他 的 國 ， 以 公 平 公 義 使 國 堅 定 穩 固 ， 從 今 直 到 永 遠 。 萬 軍 之 耶 和 華 的 熱 心 必 成 就 這 事 。

Blessing (Luke 2:14) - 在 至 高 之 處 榮 耀 歸 與 神 ！ 在 地 上 平 安 歸 與 他 所 喜 悅 的 人 。

Beattitude (Matt. 5:9) - 使 人 和 睦 的 人 有 福 了 ！ 因 為 他 們 必 稱 為 神 的 兒 子 。

Assurance (John 14:27) - 我 留 下 平 安 給 你 們 ； 我 將 我 的 平 安 賜 給 你 們 。 我 所 賜 的 ， 不 像 世 人 所 賜 的 。 你 們 心 裡 不 要 憂 愁 ， 也 不 要 膽 怯 。

Faith (Rom 5:1) - 我 們 既 因 信 稱 義 ， 就 藉 著 我 們 的 主 耶 穌 基 督 得 與 神 相 和 。

Peace Defined in the Bible

Peace is a word with different meanings in the bible.

In the Old Testament, peace means completeness, soundness, and well-being of the total person. This peace was considered God-given, obtained by following the Law (Ps. 119:165). Sometimes, peace had a physical meaning, suggesting security (Ps. 4:8), contentment (Is. 26:3), prosperity (Ps. 122:6-7) and the absence of war (1 Sam. 7:14). The traditional Jewish greeting, shalom, was a wish for peace.

In the New Testament, peace often refers to the inner tranquility and poise of the Christian whose trust is in God through Christ. This understanding was originally expressed in the Old Testament writings about the coming MESSIAH (Is. 9:6-7). The peace that Jesus Christ spoke of was a combination of hope, trust, and quiet in the mind and soul, brought about by a reconciliation with God. Such peace was proclaimed by the host of angels at Christ's birth (Luke 2:14), and by Christ Himself in His SERMON ON THE MOUNT (Matt. 5:9) and during His ministry. He also taught about this kind of peace at the Lord's Supper, shortly before His death (John 14:27).

The apostle Paul later wrote that such peace and spiritual blessedness was a direct result of faith in Christ (Rom 5:1).

(Source: Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publishers, New York, P. 813)

Answer Time on Peace

[1] What in your mind defines peace?
Ans - Blessed assurance and the absence of conflicts.

[2] What aspect in your life would you need peace the most?
Ans - While things like personal relationship, work pressure, financial decisions could no doubt steal my joy and peace, I learned that God will eventually work things out for me. I simply trust and obey, and I shall do my best in the meantime.

[3] How would you live peacefully and sleep well?
Ans - I sleep well most of the time, as I learn to trust in Jesus, knowing that my life is always under God's perfect control. For instance, immediately after I survived a life-threatening auto-accident 15 years ago, I truly felt the tranquility and assurance in God's protection. I sensed that my life is not done yet on this earth. And God will take care of me with my best interest.

Thank You Lord

So I thank you Lord ...

I thank you Lord for Your GREAT LOVE !!!

The Unspeakable Gift of Peace

Some people give gifts because they don't need the items anymore, we call those gifts: unwanted gifts.

Some people give gifts to people they loved, we call those gifts: ordinary gift.

Some people give special gifts that require a lot of sacrifices, we call those gifts: extraordinary gifts.

But God has given man, a very special gift, the "unspeakable" gift of Peace, too wonderful to be phrased in words.

On Christmas, Baby Jesus was given to us, and He has brought us Peace with God - a reconciled life in eternity.

My Alma Mater, Franklin College

The front lawn of old Main Building is where I spent my first English 101 class at Franklin College of Indiana, my alma mater. Seems like yesterday, the smell of newly mowed grass and the warmth of beaming sun in early autumn are still fresh in my mind. I won't forget the dedicated effort of my English professor, Mrs. Kathy Carlson, who had tutored my broken English after class at her house. Miraculously, I improved my grade from D to A- by the end of my first semester. Without a doubt, I know God was behind all these good things. Thank you Lord!

Peace Exchange

Ever wonder if it is possible to package your peace in a bag? Wait no more this season. Let your imagination run wild to envelop a dose of peace in a gift wrap ... directly from the heart. Peace on Earth! Emmanuel!

Every Outreach Encounter is a New Project

Every time an outreach team encounters a new visitor, a new project is started. It takes warming hearts and steadfast attitudes to grow relationships. The secret ingredient is prayer. And God promised that He will be there wherever we gather in His name.

The Oracles of Prophet Isaiah

Prophet Isaiah was inspired with many oracles (literally means burden in Hebrew). How he prophesied and acted on them had indeed made history, unveiled through God's perfect plan.

Isaiah's oracles shout out centuries ago about God's
(1) Warnings - that none may listen despite his willing to be sent.
(2) Judgments - that nations near Judah cannot escape God's wrath.
(3) Promises - that the Messiah will bring salvation to all nations.

Thank God! These oracles were realized in His Son, Jesus. What a marvelous blessing to all mankind!

Be a Dreamer Who Thrives

Empty dreams just make noise.
Sound dreams live on and thrive.

The best ones are inspired by God.

Take time to dream, plan, and build with passion.

Recipe for a thriving life:
(1) Define your dream
(2) Develop your plan
(3) Track your progress
(4) Repeat

Be a Pioneer Who Tries

My tombstone shall read: "He Tried". Now go out and make it happen. May God show me what it is, should be, can be, will be, ...

Be a Leader Who Drives

Leaders take side and point to the direction towards the right thing. Never give up easily! When you quit a moment too soon, God will make a way.

Be a Teacher Who Guides

Discover your gifts by selfless giving. Whatever leaving your willing hands is indeed the hidden jewel lying deep in your heart for quite a while. Gifts are meant to be given.

Be a Christian Who Shines

Shine Jesus Shine ...

Bee-Inspired

BEE-losophy:

(1) Be a Dreamer who Thrives

(2) Be a Pioneer who Tries

(3) Be a Leader who Drives

(4) Be a Teacher who Guides

(5) Be a Christian who Shines

Fought a Good Fight

I thank the Lord that over 110 people (30 unbelievers) signed up to come to our Aug 18, 2007 BBQ and Movie Night, sponsored by CSAF. It was a hot summer day, but we were grateful for the cool air-conditioning inside the MPB gymnasium. The OJ Tea Station (OJTS) continued to operate at its usual spot, but this time under 90 degree outdoor heat. The sweaty faces of OJTS staff and helpers (Philip, Stanley, Pearl, Chris, Covinna, etc.) were visible. Bless their hearts! We whole-heartedly appreciated their cool and refreshing herbal tea very very much.

Though 8 unbelievers dropped out at the last minute due to car problems, personal travel, unforeseen obligation, etc., the workers prayed fervently in hope of a decent turnout that night. My heart sank a little, but was immediately lifted up by a sister's prayer who reminded us once again that we were doing this in God's name. God has His own timing and working.

CSAFers collaborated the best we can (along with some badminton friends, even unbelievers): setting up MPB, cranking up the BBQ grills, chopping food in the kitchen, battling with the audio-visual technology, warming up the initial icy atmosphere with songs and games, etc. We pressed on but quietly prayed that not too many needed to leave the premise early. God indeed answered our prayer. Except for a few who left midway during the movie, most guests decided to stay.

The C.S. Lewis movie, The Chronicle of Narnia, laid the groundwork for a spiritual discussion, while Minister Joshua did a fine presentation of the gospel, distinguishing the good from the evil. Though there were no visible fruits during the altar call, we are confident that some mustard seeds were planted firmly in the hearts of good soil.

Let's continue praying for a measurable harvest during our future follow-up opportunities to bless His heart the best we can. Amen!

Happiness is Bearing Fruits

Life is purpose-driven by bearing fruits for the glory of God. The more fruits you bear, the happier you will be. What a simple formula!

Paster Ken Yee asked today in his sermon: "Is your tree of life bearing no fruit, some fruits, or much fruits?" I'd like to add on one more aspect: Is your fruit inspiring to those who may have no fruit or some fruits?"

How I pray that the Badminton and OJ Tea Station will bear much fruits. Lord, for your name's sake, would you please somehow attract 40 non-believers to come to the Aug 18 BBQ? In Jesus Name, Amen!

Have Christ, Be Happy

1-Free heart ... LET GO.

2-Byebye worries ... THINK HOPE.

3-Live simply ... TOSS STUFF.

4-Give more ... TELL NOBODY.

5-Expect less ... SMILE ANYWAY.

6-Treat nicely ... BUY FLOWER.

7-Sleep well ... DREAM DREAMS.

Prayer and Castle in the Clouds

In Henri Nouwen's classic prayer handbook "With Open Hands", he trained his sharp 'life-microscope' onto five critical aspects of prayer: Silence, Acceptance, Hope, Compassion, and Revolution.

My eyes just could not leave the chapter on "Prayer and Hope" when Nouwen insightfully described the importance of the Hope element within our prayers, whether they are for Thanksgiving, Praise, or Petition to God All Mighty.

Without hope in God's eternal kingdom, everything we experience now here on earth by faith will be just castle in the clouds. Thank God for the beauty of clouds. He definitely had a hand behind the castle in the sky.

Mom, Remembered

Dear Mom,
The hardest word for me to say is goodbye.
Tears of sadness bathe our face as your children survey your silent face.

We stood by your final resting place where Dad lies.
Clouds hovered over us as rain mixed with our tears.
The farewell never seems to ease, nor does our churning heart subside.

This is our final goodbye, though we hate to let you go.
Some days we will meet again. But this I am sure you already knew.

Your Little Son,
Tak

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Mending Wall - by Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Listen Online: http://robertfrostoutloud.com/MendingWall.html

(For better living: Ask the Holy Spirit to heal our wall.)

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,

And spills the upper boulders in the sun,

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

The work of hunters is another thing:

I have come after them and made repair

Where they have left not one stone on a stone,

But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,

To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,

No one has seen them made or heard them made,

But at spring mending-time we find them there.

I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;

And on a day we meet to walk the line

And set the wall between us once again.

We keep the wall between us as we go.

To each the boulders that have fallen to each.

And some are loaves and some so nearly balls

We have to use a spell to make them balance:

'Stay where you are until our backs are turned!'

We wear our fingers rough with handling them.

Oh, just another kind of out-door game,

One on a side. It comes to little more:

There where it is we do not need the wall:

He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across

And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbors'.

Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder

If I could put a notion in his head:

'Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it

Where there are cows?

But here there are no cows.

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offense.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That wants it down. ' I could say '. Elves' to him,

But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather

He said it for himself. I see him there

Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top

In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.

He moves in darkness as it seems to me

Not of woods only and the shade of trees.

He will not go behind his father's saying,

And he likes having thought of it so well

He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors."

Greyhound and Rabbit

What might make you stop and think about what it is you should be doing with the days and years ahead, what it is that is worth all your heart, all your might and all your soul? The following story may make you think.

Once upon a time there was a man who was involved in adopting retired greyhounds. As each new greyhound came to his shelter he would ask the same questions, curious about why the elegant and swift dog stopped racing. The man inquired of the greyhound,

“Why are you not running any more? Are you not as fast as you used to be?’

“No,” the greyhound responded, “that is not the reason. I am just as fast now as I always was. I continue to win all my races.”

“Well, then, were you not making enough money for your owner?’

“No, actually with each race the money I brought in for my owner increased. He became very wealthy because of me.”

“Did you stop racing then because you were not getting enough press?”

“No, that was not the problem. I was quite famous. I was getting plenty of press. When I raced I was on the front page of every sports section.”

“I don’t understand,” the man responded. “Why did you stop running?’

“Because I discovered that the rabbit I was chasing wasn’t real.”

Everyday we need to make lots of decisions about what is worth pursuing- perhaps it will be a career, a relationship, perhaps we will chase health or wealth, or all of the above. What will truly merit our time? What is lasting? What’s real? How do we decide?

Perhaps we can stop chasing the rabbit that isn’t real, and discover the passion within us.

Everyone of us holds a part of someone else’s story, just as someone will hold a part of ours. Each of us carries a piece of the puzzle of life’s meaning. You will recognize this piece that belongs to you and you alone, if you do not let what doesn’t really matter distract you, if you discover what is your passion, what makes your heart leap. You must hold on to that part of the puzzle with all your soul, as though your life depends on it, because it does.

In each of our lives, there is at least one missing piece and the only way to find it is in others. Our goal is to seek those others as if our life depends on it, because it does. We can’t solve complex math problems without the help of a calculator.

Remember that all things in our lives that we spend so much of our time and energy creating are built on sand. It is only our relationships to others that endure.

Sooner or later, a wave will come and knock down what we have worked so hard to build up. It will just vanish. When that happens, when life knocks us down, when we don’t get what we think we deserve, only those of us who have somebody else’s hand to hold will be able to stand up again.

Sometimes the harshness of life, its disappointments, its pain, it unfairness leave us speechless. Sometimes personal circumstances turn us into despair. But if we know what is our passion, what makes our heart leap; it will carry us through those inevitable times of disappointment and uncertainty.

Don’t pursue success and happiness as ends in themselves; like the greyhound chasing the rabbit, we will inevitably be disappointed. It may fill our time and our pockets, but it won’t fill our soul. We will be busy, but we won’t be fulfilled.

True success and happiness are by-products of doing what it is God loves, what moves us in the very depths of our soul.

Be part of, and contribute to outreaching to someone who needs God. Remember what matters; what lasts; remember what is real. I invite you to join me in pouring our heart and soul into the Badminton Outreach Ministry. Its mission is: "Have Life Abundantly (John 10:10)". I have no doubt that its fruitful harvest will be both real and lasting. Through life, we all need God.

The Amazing Tree of Life

Thankfully
Refreshing
Endless
Eternity

= TREE

Faith and Hope

Faith insists that the victory is now.

Hope assures that victory will come.

Often time, we are too shallow to lose faith, and too narrow to dim hope.

May God find us faithful and hopeful until Christ returns.

A Place to Be

At the edge of the endless sea, your heart pumps slower. . . your eyes see farther. . . your ears hear deeper. . . your mouth smiles wider. . . and your nose hmms lighter.

I'd rather wake up over there. Seriously.

Fruit of the Spirit

There are 3 clusters of fruit from the Spirit: (1) Love, Joy, Peace, (2) Patience, Kindness, Goodness, (3) Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control. The first cluster is God-ward or upward, the second Heart-ward or inward, and the third Man-ward or outward. These clusters are all from God the Spirit, and not from human being whosoever. That is, no one can possibly manufacture any fruit of the Spirit. Where do they come from? The secret lies with the filling of the Holy Spirit. Being Spirit-filled means being totally controlled by the Holy Spirit in both our words and deeds. The more we ask God for the filling of the Spirit, the more likely we will harvest the fruit of the Spirit. Thank God, He won't give us rocks if we persist in our asking. The fruit will ripe into Christ-like characters which enrich our lives inside out. Yes, there is a sweet sweet Spirit in this place, only if you ask for His filling.

Tabernacle - M:i:3 - May 19 (Sat)

Mi3 will be a field trip to Getty Museum. We will do a treasure-hunt for every artifacts we learnt about God's ancient worship center in the Old Testament time. We will divide into small hunting groups to look for paintings, sculptures, crafts, etc. that are related to what were found in the Tabernacle revealed to Moses - altar, lampstick, seruphim, the ark of covenants, etc.

To reward ourselves for our hard-work, we plan to have lunch at Getty Cafe. So, take time to study the Tabernacle before the field trip.

Coordinator: Pearl & Covinna.

Tabernacle - M:i-2 - April 27 (Fri)

Mi2 will focus on our own personal Tabernacle - the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit - in every believer's heart. We will discuss some practical ways to manifest the Spirit for the common good in our daily life. We will discover how we can, optimistically, walk by the Holy Spirit, and pessimistically, try not to grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. Without a doubt, we all need the Holy Spirit's power to fan up our inner passion to live a God-pleasing life.

Fruit of Your Labor

The fruit of your labor is ONENESS among the whole congregation during the FCBC 55th Anniversary. Thanks to our badminton friend, Kathleen Chai, who captured this lively moment that afternoon, we can witness how EVERYONE was praising God together during CSAF’s performance.

Encore! May God be glorified!

Jesus - the Ultimate Eternal High Priest

In the Old Testament time, the Israelites depended on the Levitical High Priest to shoulder their sins (both transgressions and trespasses; intentional and unintentional) as he entered into the Holy of Holies to perform the ritual of sprinkling the blood of sacrifice onto the Mercy Seat, on the Day of Atonement year after year.

When Jesus finally came and died on the Cross, His precious and incorruptible blood was shed once and for all, not just to cover all sins of man, but to take away sins of the past, present, and future. Unlike the temporal atonement nature of animal blood, Jesus' blood has permanent reconciling impact. Unlike the blood from the imperfect world, Jesus' blood-line is divine --He was conceived by the Holy Spirit with 100% deity, yet he lived and breathed on the planet earth as 100% human for 33 years. He was sinless -- Although He could have sinned during Satan's temptation in the wilderness, Jesus, the Second Adam, passed His test with flying colors.

More importantly, Jesus is the Ultimate Eternal High Priest. On the Cross, He finished His 'impossible' mission and take away man's sins once and for all. And He is victorious, and is now interceding for all Christians at the right-hand side of God the Father every night and day. His salvation is free for everyone. But the power of His precious blood is only effective for everyone who accepts and believes in Him.

April's Group Meeting Topic: Our first Tabernacle study on March 23 provided a quick walkthrough of the Tabernacle building structure and its furniture. In April's group meeting, Part 2 will focus on our life-style applications of Tabernacle. We will discuss some practical ways to make God's Presence come alive in our daily life. Given that the Holy Spirit has already been dwelling within every Christian's heart in the New Testament church, how can we, either as a group or an individual, effectively magnify the Presence of God? May we all fan up our inner passion to live a God-pleasing life. Amen!

The Oracle of Pi

Pi a simple concept, the relationship between a circle's circumference and diameter: Multiply the diameter by pi — 3.14159 — and you get the circumference.

Supercomputers have computed pi to more than a trillion decimal places, looking always for a pattern to unlock its mystery. And for centuries the number has fascinated mathematicians.

And so is the secret locked in the Tabernacle, which was patterned after the one long existed in heaven. The striking difference is that God revealed the secret of Tabernacle Himself in minute details through the Scripture. And the details revealed in the chapters of Exodus are much more manageable than exerting our crude human brain power to memorize the infinite digits of pi.

In God, all thing is possible. In man, all thing is futile, unless spiritually discerned.

(Incidentally, today is March 14, the Day of Pi. The world record belongs to Chao Lu, a Chinese chemistry student, who rattled off 67,890 digits over 24 hours in 2005. It took 26 video tapes to submit to Guinness.)

Tabernacle : Decoding Mission Impossible

The Tabernacle (model shown) was architected by God Himself. When Moses ascended to Mount Sinai immediately after leading his people out of Egypt, he received two important sets of instructions directly from God: (1) the Law (i.e. the Ten Commandments), and (2) the Tabernacle (i.e. the Tent of Congregation).

After receiving the Law, the Israelites naively thought they could keep the law, out of their own strength. But in the book of Exodus, right between the chapters about the Law and those chapters discussing the Tabernacle design, the Israelites departed from God by worshipping their own man-made idol, the golden ox. Little did they know that it was an impossible mission in keeping the Law by their own strength.

Fortunately, God provided Jesus as the better way to deal with our sins. The Tabernacle is an object lesson for Israelites on God's salvation; it is a picture, type, and shadow of God's plan of salvation in Christ Himself.

Through studying the Tabernacle, we hope to see God's salvation plan with better clarity. As a personal application, let us reflect on how much we really desire God's presence every day. Dig deeper on this : If God departs from you one day, can you really tell?

Keeping the Unity of the Spirit

As I ponder upon my experience in keeping the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:3), I see the picture of a multitude of Christians intertwining and forming the fabric of our lives. Everyone is striving towards a common goal - reconciliation with the Lord.

My related experience occurred during the critical vote for separating CSAF into two different fellowships - CSAF and CSYAF. Through this process, there were numerous town-hall meetings, heated debates and arguments, active group petitioning, etc. All in all, they reflected CSAFers' genuine concerns about the future of their fellowship.

Thank God, the vote that approved the separation was exactly 2/3 of the total memberships. No more and no less. God was indeed faithful. We peacefully evolved into two healthy and growing entities. It's all because of the unity inside the heart of every CSAFers - the Holy Spirit.

My Former College Roommate

At the 2007 CSAF Chinese New Year Celebration night, there was a new face half-way through the program. He was looking for the English-speaking fellowship group but failed to find any. So someone invited him to join our Chinese-speaking group. I didn't even recognize him at my first sight - he was my former college roommate at USC, who led me to Christ in our shared apartment. I was aesthetic to see him again. His voice remains pretty much the same tone and slow speed. He asked me directly, "Just what actually prompted you to accept Christ that night?" I replied, "I was all along ready to believe in Jesus ever since my high-school years. In His time, God sent you to come along to close the "deal" that evening. It's that simple." God is good. We will definitely have some reunion gatherings to catch up with one another's life. And I'm eager to exchange our spiritual growth stories since the day we departed after graduation. I pray that we can be edifying to one another. Amen!

Speaking the Truth in Love

Eph 4:15-16 says, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, ..., grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Recently, I tried to speak the truth in love, thinking that my words could build one another up. My words appeared to have back-fired; I was portrayed as needlessly spreading negativity. Nevertheless, I have peace in my heart. I also learned the proper principles for "speaking the truth in love": (1) the Contents must be True, (2) the Motivation must be Good, and (3) the Attitude must be Beautiful. What an unfathomable art in speaking the truth in love.

"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." - Proverbs 25:11 (NIV)

CSAF Hand Motion Team at FCBC 55th Anniversary

The FCBC "Praise Celebration 55" on March 25 was a great success. Word is not enough for me to express my gratitudes for God's grace upon FCBC, and in particularly CSAF, as we celebrated His wonderful goodness over the past 55 years.

I am thankful for the overall sense of ONENESS, especially when AFers did their very best to sing and dance in response to His wonderful works among us. CSAF's hand-motion and singspiration were marvelous!

Thanks to all AFers who participated, especially:
... Afternoon Praise Celebration Committee - who labored through the planning since day #1,
... Grand Praise Team - who led the whole congregation into joyful praises,
... Powerpoint - which gingerly reminded us that "Wedding" is one of our many AF activities.
... Hand Motion/Vocal Team (incl. CSYAF's Gary & Janice He) - who demonstrated that true unity in the Lord also comes with the full package of wide smiles, heartful laughter, and beautiful choreography. A special thanks to Eva & Elam for helping re-discover AFers' hidden jewels (dancing talents).

I cannot wait to see the event's DVD capturing our presentation. From my vantage point on stage, everyone in the sanctuary was on his/her feet waving hands along with us. And the best of all, I haven't seen such a spirited participation in one accord during worship for a very long time. I'm sure that God is pleased as we offer our very best with gladness.

Below is the music links for the songs presented:

1. 冰天的太陽 - http://audio.xanga.com/Queenie_Nuts/fd8af245092/audio.html

2. 奇妙雙手 - http://www.hkacm.org/music/album/king/king11.ram

Walk By the Spirit

Through the transcript of Minister Chris Tomokyo's sermon at the English worship last Sunday, I learned about 3 practical applications on "Walking by the Spirit" for the Thinker, the Feeler, and the Doer. If you are a Thinker, you should "Walk but Don't Stop", because you may be discouraged when your ideas didn't work the first time. If you are a Feeler, then "Walk but Don't React", because you rely too much on your emotions. If you are a Doer, then "Walk but Don't Run", because you will soon run out of energy.

God the Father will always have the best timing for us to effect great things in our life. God the Spirit will remind us the best way to walk by the Spirit. If we heed His Words often as taught in the Bible, we should be able to appraise all things and see the spiritual values behind them through the eyes of God the Son.

Sing a Prayer With Your Heart

Every Time I Pray ... God Will Make a Way ... Above All ... He ... Who Has Promised ... In His Time.

Now ... Hum Along in Silence

EVERY TIME I PRAY
(Ng Wah Lok & Voon Yuen Woh)

I will come to You in prayer
I will seek Your face
I will stand within the gap
There will I intercede

For every time I pray
I move the hand of God
My prayer does the things
My hands cannot do
For every time I pray
The mountains are removed
The paths are made straight
And nations turn to you.

I am weak and helpless Lord
You, my strength shall be
Guide me with Your gracious hand
There will my victory be.


GOD WILL MAKE A WAY
(Don Moen)

God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way,
He will make a way.

By a roadway in the wilderness,
He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today.

God will make a way,
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way,
He will make a way


ABOVE ALL
(Michael W. Smith)

Above all powers above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth

Crucified laid behind the stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all


HE
(Richard Mullen)

He can turn the tides
And calm the angry sea.
He alone decides
Who writes a symphony.

He lights ev'ry star
That makes our darkness bright.
He keeps watch all through
Each long and lonely night.

He still finds the time
To hear a child's first prayer.
Saint or sinner call
And always find Him there.

Though it makes him sad
To see the way we live,
He'll always say, "I forgive."

He can grant a wish
Or make a dream come true.
He can paint the clouds
And turn the gray to blue.

He alone knows where
To find the rainbow's end.
He alone can see
What lies beyond the bend.

He can touch a tree
And turn the leaves to gold.
He knows every lie
That you and I have told.


誰曾應許
(曲/詞：盧永亨)

誰曾應許，一生不撇下我；
每段窄路，誰陪我去走過？
誰還領我，於青草恬靜處躺臥，
豐足恩惠比海沙更多﹗

誰曾應許，天天看顧著我；
晝夜眷佑，連頭髮也數過﹗
誰還以愛，驅走心裡懼怕怯懦，
那懼路途捲動著旋渦﹗

因你是我主，我避難所， 我盾牌和詩歌﹗
你是我的高臺，我隨時幫助﹗
來吧﹗用信心，讚頌和高歌，
你永在我心窩﹗ 唯你有永生江河，
除你以外不倚靠別個﹗

我究竟算甚麼？神你竟這般顧念我


IN HIS TIME
(Unknown)

In His time,
He makes all things beautiful
In His time,

He makes all things beautiful
Lord, please show me everyday
That You'll do just what You say

In Your time,
in Your time
You make all things beautiful
In Your time,
In Your time

Forgiveness : The Way to Happiness

The virtue of forgiveness ran through my ears three times in a row over the past weekend:
(1) At a Mandarin Fellowship group sharing on Friday, the leader quoted from a U.S. survey that one of the top three ways to gain happiness is to forgive. Another way is to be altruistic, i.e. having unselfish interest in the welfare of others. I don't quite remember the third way. It has something to do with being religious.

(2) At my Team of Love group sharing on Saturday, the air suddenly smelled apologetic. There were public apology for wrong attitudes, followed by hugs of forgiveness. I could literally 'hear' the release of built-up inner pressure through uttering of the three magic words "I am sorry".

(3) During the Sunday sermon, a visiting preacher quoted from Phil 4:19: "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Though the message was mission focused, it dawned on me that as we forgive one another in Christ Jesus, our heavenly Father is glorified AND He will richly meet all our needs, including the healing of our hurt emotion and lifting of low self-esteem.

My take home lesson : there is always healing joy through forgiveness in Christ Jesus.

Vision of Badminton Ministry

I propose this slogan for our upcoming Badminton League as part of our long-term vision to outreach to unbelievers : FAIR, FUN, FRIENDSHIP, and FELLOWSHIP. God will certainly smile if we Christians and unbelievers act and play on the court as a happy FAMILY.

誰曾應許

曲/詞：盧永亨

[ Hear this song on the Web : http://audio.xanga.com/crazycat1101/1a2cb199314/audio.html ]

{括弧內顯示歌詞出自那一聖經章節}
Web Source: http://try.ckefgisc.org/~ccc/W&P/txt/%BD%D6%B4%BF%C0%B3%A8%A5%A4%C8.txt

誰曾應許，一生不撇下我，
（申31:8上 - 耶和華必在你前面行；他必與你同在，必不撇下你，也不丟棄你。）

每段窄路，誰陪我去走過？
（箴4:12 - 你行走，腳步必不致狹窄；你奔跑，也不致跌倒。）

誰還領我於青草恬靜處躺臥，
（詩23:2 - 他使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊。）

豐足恩惠比海沙更多...（詩139:18 - 我若數點，比海沙更多；我睡醒的時候，仍和你同在。）

誰曾應許，天天看顧著我，
（詩33:18 - 耶和華的眼目看顧敬畏他的人和仰望他慈愛的人。）

晝夜眷佑，連頭髮也數過！
（賽27:3 - 我—耶和華是看守葡萄園的；我必時刻澆灌，晝夜看守，免得有人損害。
　太10:30 - 就是你們的頭髮也都被數過了。)

誰還以愛，驅走心裡懼怕怯懦，
（約一4:18上 - 愛裏沒有懼怕；愛既完全，就把懼怕除去。）

哪懼路途捲動著漩渦...
（詩 46:3 - 其中的水雖匉訇翻騰．．．也不害怕。）

因你是我主　我避難所　我盾牌和詩歌
（詩46:1上 - 神是我們的避難所，是我們的力量
　詩28:7上 - 耶和華是我的力量，是我的盾牌；
我心裏倚靠他就得幫助。
　詩118:14 - 耶和華是我的力量，是我的詩歌；
他也成了我的拯救。）

你是我的高臺　我隨時幫助
（詩62:6 - 惟獨他是我的磐石，我的拯救；他是我的高臺，
我必不動搖。
　詩46:1下 - 是我們在患難中隨時的幫助。）
（撒下22:3上 - 我的神，我的磐石，我所投靠的。他是我的盾牌，是拯救我的角，是我的高臺，是我的避難所。）

來吧用信心　讚頌和高歌　你永在我心窩
（詩28:7下 - 所以我心中歡樂，我必用詩歌頌讚他。
詩98:4 - 全地都要向耶和華歡樂；要發起大聲，歡呼歌頌！）

唯你有永生江河　除你以外不倚靠別個
（約4:14下 - 我所賜的水要在他裏頭成為泉源，直湧到永生。
　詩73:25 - 除你以外，在天上我有誰呢？除你以外，
在地上我也沒有所愛慕的。）

我究竟算什麼？神你竟這般顧念我！
（詩8:4 - 便說：人算甚麼，你竟顧念他？
世人算甚麼，你竟眷顧他？）

My First Band Experience

I just got off from my very first band practice of a Praise team - with keyboard, base guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, vocalists, etc. It was an eye-opening experience for me, because I've never played guitar in a band, nor have I jammed music with so many people at the same time.

God created music not only for us to praise Him, but also our own enjoyment and satisfaction. The joy of being able to hear other instruments while playing mine on the guitar is indescribable. You need to be there yourself to feel it. In a word, it is very very 'JEN' (非常'正').

May God be pleased as everyone in the Grand Praise team does his/her best to exalt and praise Him. Amen!

Displaced Person

I remember long time ago I read a novel for my freshman English class titled "Displaced Person". These two words have stuck in my mind for a long time. Recently, I learned from the cover story of "Westways" - AAA magazine - that a person by the name Will Rogers (he was supposedly a famous rich cowboy with an Indian heritage back in the early 1900s) had once said, "I never met a person I didn't like."

These eight words also stuck in my mind as I pondered my new year resolution in 2007. I have been blessed by my CSAF small group this year in that everyone has tried to support one another in love. How I wish that Will Rogers' motto continues to live on among us that no one (whether belivers or unbelievers) will be left displaced or disliked. May we work harder to appreciate one another. In God's eyes, no one is of absolute zero value, and everyone is eternally priceless.

Can Fate Be Changed?

On Dec 23 evening, we were blessed by more than a handful of new unbelievers joining us at our CSAF Christmas Outreach Program. There were many laughters, smiles, hugs, and heart-to-heart talks inspired by our speaker, who raised an interesting question: "Can we really change the fate of our life?" And I'd like to share some of my thoughts.

Before I accepted Christ, I inclined to think that if I worked hard, and did my very best to rise above the average crowd, I would be rewarded with a good life. In other word, I thought my future was in my hands.

After I became a Christian, my value system has changed completely. I believe that God is omniscient; He is wise enough to predestinate my future, and absolutely capable of counting every strain of my hair. He knows my every thoughts and deeds, and He certainly knows in advance exactly how my life will play out. From this perspective, my fate seems "fixed" or "pre-destinated".

But thank God for giving us our freedom to choose, which is the key ingredient for true and genuine love. Even though God is a love-sick Father (as evidenced by His 'favoring' the prodigal son and the lost sheep in the Bible), He certainly doesn't want to force us to love Him. He wants us to choose to love Him, and choose to believe in Him.

Can our fate be changed? My answer is both yes and no. I believe our fate cannot be changed in terms of our heritage, identity, race, parents, siblings, and even our upbringing experiences. However, I believe my fate has already been changed right at the moment when I made my decision to trust in Jesus as my personal savior. I am absolutely 100% sure that my fate is now destined for heaven, not hell; and for eternal life, not hopeless perishment.

Climb on the bandwagon before it's too late! The journey to eternity has just begun. "O Lord, I'm amazed at Your love for me. ... What can I say? ... Thank you Lord!"

The Heart of the Ocean vs. the Unfathomable Riches of Christ

The "Titanic" movie featured Kate Winslet as Rose wearing "The Heart of the Ocean" - a huge blue diamond that she SECRETLY kept long after the historic disaster. Towards the end of the movie, you see a glimpse of her life lived out to the fullest, with photos of her flying an airplane, riding a horse, volunteering in community service, etc. That Titanic SECRET propelled her into attempting some "wildest" things she never dreamed of had she not gone through such a life-changing experience. Likewise, the SECRET of the "unfathomable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8), as revealed through Paul the apostle to the Gentiles, is epically important to Christians today.

It was IMPORTANT to PAUL (3:1-5), because God revealed personally to Paul that Jews and Gentiles are now ONE in Christ as members of the Body, sharing God's grace equally with the Jews.

It was IMPORTANT to the GENTILES (3:6-8), because it reconciled Jews and Gentiles to each other and to God, sharing the riches of Christ (e.g. His grace, His goodness, His wisdom, His mercy, His glory, His blessings, His assurance, His Word, His protection, His love, etc.).

It was IMPORTANT to the ANGELS (3:9-10), because they (both good and evil) too learned from the Church "the manifold wisdom of God". God's new creation, the Church, was something new to them. Though Satan knew from the Old Testament Scriptures that the Messiah would come, when He would come, how He would come, and where He would come, no one understood why He would come, as far as redemption is concerned. Nowhere in the Old Testament would Satan find any prophecies concerning the Church, "the mystery" of Jews and Gentiles united in one Body! God hid this great plan "from the beginning of the world", but now He wants "the mystery" to be known by His Church. This SECRET is now in our hands today.

It should be IMPORTANT to CHRISTIANS TODAY (3:11-13), because we would guard these revealed riches and share them (2 Tim. 2:2). When you understand this truth, it gives you great confidence and faith. This is like being given a new map to the endless spiritual treasures. If we understand our wonderful position in Christ, then we should live up to it - and share the blessing with others.

Apostles vs Disciples

During a CSAF Bible Study in October 2006, a question came up regarding the differences between the meaning of Apostles and Disciples. The following summarizes my research findings:

	Apostles	Disciples
Word Meaning	One who is sent with a commission, i.e. a divinely-appointed representative. In general, apostle refers to a small, inner group of Jesus’ followers, such as the women who stood at Jesus’ cross and discovered the empty tomb. [1]	One who is a follower or a learner. The word is rarely used in the Old Testament. Isaiah used the term disciples to refer to those who are taught or instructed (Isa. 8:16). [2]
Purpose	To give witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:15-22), and therefore had to have seen the risen Christ personally (1 Cor. 9:1-2).	To follow Jesus. The word is sometimes used in a more specific way to indicate the twelve apostles of Jesus (Matt. 10:1; 11:1; 20:17; Luke 9:1).
Presence Today	There are no apostles today in the strictest New Testament sense. These men helped to lay the foundation of the Church – the foundation by the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20), and once the foundation was laid, they were no longer needed.	Yes, as follower of Jesus Christ, all Christians are disciples by definition.
Ministry Implication	God authenticated ministry of apostles with special miracles (Heb. 2:1-4), so we should not demand these same miracles today.	In a broad sense, all Christians have an apostolic ministry. “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). But Christians today must not claim to be apostles.
Sources: [1] “Be Rich”, by Warren W. Wiersbe, p. 100-101, Victor Books, SP Publications Inc., 1986, [2] Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 302, Thomas Nelson Publisher, 1986.