So many many things in my mind lately. Cluttered and too many things running around. Let’s catch some of them and place them in words.

1) Weirdly, NUS says that my application is still in “Application Processing” mode even though almost all of my friends already know of their admission decision into NUS. Maybe they are rejecting me because I told them that I am retracting the NUS Double Degree application (Business & Engin. combined). NTU gave me a spot in the NTU-Georgia Tech program even though I told them that I am retracting my application after they asked me to submit more supporting documents. I got lazy, told them I am withdrawing NTU application, and got accepted. The irony.

The thing is, going to Berkeley ain’t cheap. Half a million ringgit of cash splashed, and I might not even get a high paying job upon graduation, especially if I fail to secure a job in the US and have to come back home to Malaysia. The cost does not justify potential earnings.  I am entertaining the thought of just going to Singapore and get that dumb piece of paper called a degree. On the other hand, job aside, Berkeley might expose one to lots of new stuff and give a wholely different experience that might come useful, in some way, maybe in starting a tech venture. So yeah. A gamble indeed.

2) YEAH this pisses me off a lot. Drivers who fail to signal when switching lanes or cutting into your lane. I might be driving a small car, but please signal la when cutting in. At least when you signal, I know and will most of the time let you through as a reward for your courtesy to signal. DON’T BARGE IN LIKE THAT. (Volvo, BMW tai sai ar) Or I’ll HONK =)

Malaysian drivers.

OH yeah there was this joke my colleague related to me. So one day a listener called Mix FM and told the DJ, “Penang drivers are really terrible la.” Another called in and said (obviously a Penang lang) “Where got, in KL the drivers are also like that what. Bad driving.”

Killer statement by yet another caller, “You know why KL got bad drivers or not. They all come from Penang and drive in KL.”

3) Hmmm in my job, I have been going to a lot of places, including the abodes of wealthier people to do some maintainance. I don’t know, but it feels weird. Big houses, big and nice cars, luxuries that I see, makes me wonder whether this is really what I want to own. If I had a lot of cash, would I self-gratify, indulge in all these nothings and be arrogant and think that I’ve got it all? It’s very easy to do that if you are rich. So dangerous to be trapped like that. Live like a king and all, think that one is so big and awesome. Yeah when I drive in my Kancil I will go “ooooo, wahhh, niceeee” at the Toyotas and Hondas and BMWs etc etc., thinking of when I can have enough cash to get a Toyota etc., but is this really the objective of it all? Materials and all. Many of us would like that.  But if a man were really to be judged by the abundance of his possessions, then there can be only one winner in this world, i.e. Warren Buffet at the current moment. Judging by this, the rest might as well be losers. Of course, this cannot be the case.

Being a Christian complicates matters. On one hand, it is OK to be rich, but be generous givers. On the other hand, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Note: Hard, but not impossible. More discussion on Bible verses about wealth and riches in a later post.) My say is that it is perfectly fine to be wealthy, though many Christians today advocate self-denial and living “poorly” since they say that the Bible says things like “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” But the world screams money and wealth, and if Christiany means that one has to beg in the streets, who would want to become a Christian? The truth is, Jesus’s disciples were very wealthy people. I’ll elaborate in another post.

Even in church, sometimes people give testimonies announcing that God has blessed them financially (yes that’s good and praise the Lord for that) but I don’t really agree with the part that they go on saying that they have recently bought a Mercedes [fill in latest model here] (this is the part that feels wrong to me) as proof that they have been financially blessed. Big deal ah saying you got a Mercedes? A car is a car. What is a Mercedes for if not to flaunt and show off? Sigh. I don’t know. It’s not that I am against people with big cars, but then again who am I to judge anyway? I am not God. But all I want to say in this paragraph is that when someone drives a big car, says he drives a big car etc., my perception of that person, justified or not, points toward arrogance and self-importance. This is the perception I get, to be brutally frank.

This is my stand on riches and wealth: 1) Being rich is not wrong. God needs money for His works too.  2) Tithes and offerings are obligatory and mandatory. God commands us to render to God the things that are God’s. 3) Be a generous giver. One must give in order to receive! But give not to receive but to serve others and shower love on others, especially the needy. 4) Don’t love money, and don’t let money be your God. Now who can say, “I wish to be poor”? The fact is that we all wish that we can have financial freedom, be rich, and not be in lack financially. But how will you live your life once you have all these things? I think how you live your life when you are rich it is more important than having the riches itself. After all, this fact remains: we enter the world with nothing, and we depart with nothing.

The question I challenge all readers to ponder: How will you live your life when you are wealthy? Never forget that it is God who gave the power to get wealth. Give more to those in need? Flaunt it all to fulfill one’s material desires? It’s your choice.

4) Makes me think, I’ve applied to 8 scholarships, only one replied so far, i.e. Shell. Never intended to go into Oil and Gas, so ended up not going for the interview, plus the bond would be unbearable for person like me. Guess I shouldn’t complain about not getting scholarship since I am so choosy. But you get the point. Easier to win a lottery today than to get a scholarship, no matter how good you THINK you are.

[see what months of no intense studying and exams can do to one’s brain. my recent blog posts are proof that the gap period before starting intensive further studies makes me think a lot, some might say too much. but it’s good. sets the priorities right.]

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Some things cannot be rushed.

Infatuation or not infatuation? Perhaps I’ll give a few years to tell the difference. But things will be very different then. Oh, how hard it is to embrace the notion of keeping my eyes on God and serving Him wholeheartedly, everything for Him, doing God’s will at the current moment in my life, instead of dwelling in uncertain hopes and desires that plagues the mind. But today was something lifted. This burden. Maybe now I can give God my 100% attention. As long as I don’t entertain those thoughts. My naive mind.

Went to NJC today for College Day to receive a Student Council contribution award. Met up with some pals again, as well as some teachers. Parents came along all the way to Singapore even though the award was no biggie. Of course, I am nonetheless thankful to be even invited for this event. But then again I remembered reading in a book that awards are given to acknowledge that you have been doing things conventionally, the way the world sees success. By getting an award you have proven to be good in the eyes of the world, nothing creative, nothing special, just conventional. Somehow awards don’t really matter to me anymore. I think I would respect the person who has not received any award or praise but has served others whole-heartedly, quietly behind the scenes. I want to be that kind of person. Perhaps the many school awards that I have garnered since primary have made me numb to this fact until now: it is all meaningless in the end. The greatest prize is not an award and I think that we should not be aiming for awards as our goal.

Then it dawned on me also that in NJC today all I uttered were the superficial “Hi Bye” remarks with people whom I have gone to school with for 2 years. Occasionally, I would press in a little and enquire more about their current endeavours, future plans and aspirations, say some lame jokes etc. But it always ends there, and after that the conversation gets tense and then there is the urge to say “Hey, I’ll catch up with you later. Keep in touch OK?” just to part, move on, and bump into another “friend” and repeat the same process.

I mean, one can have so many acquaintances but does it matter? What? Is it supposed to make you feel popular and thus happy? I have 700+ “friends” in Facebook, but does it mean that I am constantly surrounded by friends whom I can care and share everything with? I can tell you honestly that the answer is a flat NO from my life’s reality. I can also tell you for sure that “real friends” account for less than 1% of that figure. I went to look at my “Top Friends” (a Facebook app) list today and realised that I have not really spoken to most of them for weeks if not months. If I were to filter everyone from that list based on the rule of constant and recent communication, I would have a number of “Top Friends” that is lower than the number of fingers on my right hand. (I had since cleared this list. Deciding whether someone is a Top Friend or not really gives me a headache. Sometime in your life someone becomes your “top friend”, and then he or she drifts away as time and distance sets in. Now that I am heading to Berkeley, it would be inevitable that the list would need major amendments again. How sad.)

I remember a friend asking me this in the past: “If you had something bothering you and you would like to share your deepest and toughest problems, who would you go to?” I think I was stumped at that question at that time. I simply could not answer. The truthful answer would be “Me, Myself and I.” I would also be absolutely trumped by the question “Who is your best friend?” I think that until today in all my 19 years of life, I never had a best friend, at least not one that lasted until now.

Can someone define what a true friend is? But if you gave me too honest an answer, i.e. one that is too clear cut and deep, I’m afraid that based on your profound definition I may not have a single true friend. Maybe I was too busy running around building a stupid “empire” of studies and activities and bloody awards but neglected to cultivate close friendships. I end up with countless “Hi Bye” friends.

I don’t want ten thousand “friends”. I just want one or two or maybe three real friends. Wherever I go to in this world, these few friends can be relied on to lend you a shoulder.

It’s high time that I put friendships first. And of course, even if you who are reading this are my fellow “Hi Bye” friend, I love you too and am very grateful to have you as a friend, even though there are many things I do not know about you and vice versa. I would very gladly go out of my way to help you if you just asked. I guess that the reality is not everyone can know everything about myself and be a really close friend, and ironically I think that it is better this way. Thus “Hi Bye” friends are good too. So to the majority out there, Ern Sheong still cares for you as a friend!

And of course, thank God that He sent us a Friend named Jesus Christ to come down to this earth and be true friends with all mankind. But it never hurts to have a true human friend that I can call “best.”

Sorry this post is going to be boring as I am uninspired to write at the moment… but just one piece of news:

ERN SHEONG WILL BE GETTING BAPTIZED TOMORROW!!!!

I remember many years ago seeing people get baptized in church and I wondered whether I would ever come to that stage in my walk with Christ. Fast forward years later and now I am getting baptized tomorrow! It means that I will be dedicating my life to living for Christ.

I want to thank many people, especially the City Harvest members in Singapore and KL who have helped me through so far, as well as a few close friends who have helped me get back on track in this Christian walk, and provided me with so much care and guidance to make me feel supported and encouraged. Not to mention my mum who whole-heartedly approved my decision to get baptized.

This is true for me. Maybe it has to do with the lack of sleep and all that staying up at night but this has more to do with my level of positiveness rather than my physical tiredness after waking up in the morning.

Simply put, my energy level is at my peak at night, and I feel most positive later in the day, i.e. from afternoon onwards. Sometimes the energy drive turns on during late mornings. During this later part of the day, I am energized and gung-ho, and the energy cycle climbs until I go to bed thinking yeah, “I can do this! (whatever that seems daunting to me) I am game! I WILL do this!”

On the contrary, during many mornings I go “Here we go again; so tough task; so unachievable; how I wish I could run away from all this responsibilities; how tough life is; going to work is such a chore; it’s dreadful; why am I doing this in the first place; I want to stay in bed” and all those degenerating thoughts. I often find myself having to psyche myself out of these slumps and climb that mountain of energy once again (not always, but happens often enough to cause me to notice it). Like now at night I feel so upbeat, which is opposite to what I always feel after I wake up. My spirit often needs lifting after I wake up. This is not a recent thing. Has been happening since secondary, when I am older to notice I guess, especially with all that Head Prefect responsibilities which used to be going on.

Is this some common thing? I respect people who can be so confident day in and day out. They manage to find a way to unfailingly trek up those downward thought slumps daily or even better, stay up there on the high energy plateau all the time. Maybe it is peculiar to me, or maybe it happens to people who perhaps dream too big but do not have the apparent means to achieve it…

But there are always thoughts like that isn’t it? Maybe the key is to just push them aside. But I realized today that it may not be that hard anymore. I ask God to lift me up. Heard a Christian song in the morning today and instantly those morning blues went away. I mean, instantly. Yeah, instantly. Instantly, really. The thoughts just went away and were replaced with my gung-ho ones. WOW.

I want to thank my friends who were willing to come to my church’s Easter drama this weekend. It was a fantastic drama production, and many people were saved during this Easter weekend. Despite the rain, you guys who came on Saturday braved it and came nevertheless! God bless you all.

Well I recently watched a video (above) depicting a skit about a girl who was initially walking closely with Christ and enjoying His presence (thanks Rachel for sharing this video), but later many things came into her life and separated her from Jesus. I call them demons. First was a relationship with a man against the will of God, then it was money and material longings. Then there was drinking and alcoholism. Later on it was influences from the outside world (images of beauty) that made her feel depressed and insecure. Subsequently suicidal temptations arose from this insecurity. All these demons came between her and God. Perhaps this girl was looking for happiness in many forms in this world. But she only ended up with anything but happiness. Her life was in a mess. The demons would not allow her to get back to Christ on the other side. She struggled and struggled to get back on track. But they resisted violently. She wanted those days walking in joy with Jesus again. She longed for peace from God. As she was about to give up in her attempt to seek Jesus, Jesus steps in and protects her from these demons. Jesus overpowers all these demons; the girl regains her strength and revels in the joy of the Lord.

Now as I look upon the friends around me, I realize that many struggle with all kinds of demons in their lives. I have many friends who smoke and just cannot seem to quit the habit. They smoke a pack a day or maybe even more. Many go clubbing and get themselves drunk sometimes. They indulge in physical pleasures. Even games can sometimes be a demon. Many guys are trapped in the habit of playing online games for hours and hours or even for days and days without control. Some decide that happiness can be found by looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend to touch and have physical contact with, even if the relationship is shallow and meaningless. Well, some might not agree with me but all these things cannot bring lasting happiness and I believe so ever so strongly. As illustrated in the skit above, these things come between us and God, separating us from the One who can really provide the antidote to that void in our souls. No matter how hard you try to be happy, as long as you continue to live such a lifestyle full of dmons, you can never attain it. As my pastor says, “You can be sincere (in your pursuit of happiness), but you can be sincerely wrong.” Happiness is attained through a relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. Break the bondage and free yourself from the chains of those demons. Call upon and cry out to Jesus! He will come and rescue you!

This song “Cry out to Jesus” by Third Day (also thanks again to Rachel for reminding me of this song) really illustrates this well:

To everyone who’s lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there’s nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

Chorus:
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that’s struggling just to hang on
They’ve lost all of their faith in love
And they’ve done all they can to make it right again
Still it’s not enough

For the ones who can’t break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you’re not alone in your shame
And your suffering

Chorus

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

Chorus

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He died on the cross about 2000 years ago for our sins (ever wondered why this year is 2008?) Indeed, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a real historical incident that shook the world at that time. His innocent blood was shed so that you and me, sinners, could be forgiven. He sacrificed Himself so that we, sinners, can approach God and have a relationship with Him. We cannot save ourselves. Only Jesus can.

If you feel drawn to the message in this post, make no mistake about it. God is speaking to you. He wants to know you and He wants to fellowship with you. Say this prayer: “Lord, please forgive me of my sins and I repent of all my past sins. I accept you as the Lord of my life from now onwards. Renew me and transform me into the person that you want me to be. I want to follow Jesus and accept Him as my Saviour. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me. From this point onwards, I am saved! Amen.”

Wham! Just with a short prayer like that, and you are already saved. It is just that simple. No rituals, no idols, no proceedings. Just talk to God aloud. He is a LIVING GOD. He created you and me in a very special way. He loves you very much.

Jesus was crucified, descended into Hell, and on the third day He rose again. Jesus Christ defeated Death.

Blessed Easter everyone!

(If you said the prayer, do keep in contact with me so that I can help you in your walk with Christ and integrate you into a church. The walk with Christ is a very exciting journey.)

An Easter Production proudly brought to you by City Harvest Church Kuala Lumpur.

Come and watch the story of Jesus!

22-23 March 2008
Saturday 5.30 & 7.30 pm
Sunday 9.30 & 11.30 am

Location: City Harvest Church, Subang Jaya (very near Monash University and Sunway College)

Tell me if you are coming! Transportation can be arranged.

Click on the thumbnail below to view the e-flyer:

Friday, March 7th was the day the Singapore A-Level results were released. I came down to Singapore to collect the results, and stayed overnight at my aunt’s place. Saturday, I went to City Harvest Church Singapore @ Jurong West for the 3.30 pm service to meet up with my previous cell group friends (and also to visit CHC Singapore).

As usual, the presence of God was strong there and the worship was electrifying. But this is not why I blogged today.

Somehow, during that very service, by coincidence or by God’s divine plan for me, CHC was publicizing the City Harvest Bible Training Center School of Theology (CHBTC SOT) Advanced Certificate of Theology course, and they even made a video explaining the significance of going to Bible School and the importance of being equipped for God’s ministry. At first, I did not think much of it. (My earlier desire to go to Bible School was met with fierce opposition from my mum, thus I gave in) But as the service proceeded, I felt a very strong (and unmistakable) conviction in my heart that God wanted me to attend SOT. The video shown seemed to speak to me and it increased my desire to attend SOT this year.

I saw the dates on the flyer: 4th April until 24th August 2008 (5 months). The timing was so good. No clashes with any studies (if I were to go to the US to pursue further studies), and going to SOT was anytime better than my 6-7 day a week job manning a booth at Giant Kelana Jaya working 9 hours a day selling some stupid wireless broadband. I also have enough savings from my previous paychecks to pay for the fees needed to attend the course (SGD 1250) on my own.

Most of all, I wanted to be equipped for God’s marketplace ministry before I leave for university. Not that I would become a Pastor (although if God calls who am I to say no), but I am more geared to be a businessman or entrepreneur who is also preaching the gospel and spreading God’s word around in the realm of business.

Pastor Kong called to the stage two former Bible School graduates and asked them how they were doing. They were actually not in full-time ministry but they were impacting the realm of business in their own way having been equipped by SOT in their earlier years. I believe that I can also serve God in the realm of business or to serve God better in church, but now I do not have any idea of how I can do such a thing without the proper training. Hence I have no doubt that going to SOT will give me a set of tools that I can work with to build God’s kingdom here on earth, while also pursuing my dreams of setting up a business in the future.

At the end of the service, Pastor Kong asked all who felt the calling of God to go to Bible School someday (he didn’t say this year) and to serve Him in ministry, be it full-time or marketplace, to stand up. I don’t know. I just had the urge to stand up. And so I stood with many others. Pastor Kong then asked those who were sitting to stretch out their hands to us and pray for us.

When I reached home from Singapore, I told my parents about it. But the first word that came out from my mum’s mouth was a resounding NO. She cited accommodation problems, and also said that there were many things to be done in Malaysia. What things, mum? What is so good about working until 11 pm daily at Giant KJ? What is left to learn by staying here for the next few more months while waiting for university? You just don’t want me to leave home again right? (I am her only child)

“Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18: 29-30)

Come on, mum. Please allow your son to discover his destiny and to be prepared for God’s work. I want to embark on an unforgettable adventure of serving God better. And I would love you no less too. I was called. This is not my own personal desire. It is God’s. Please say YES. The deadline is this Friday.

Update: Perhaps the timing is not right. The NO is as strong as ever. I give up trying to convince my parents. Yes, the call was unmistakable, but the timing might not be right now. I will have to wait until after university I suppose. I have to learn to trust God’s timing. May God open up a path for me.

It is always easy to say that I’ll leave things to God to control and let Him take care of everything. But it is always a constant struggle between Him and myself battling for control over my life and its course. No matter how I want to surrender control to God, a part of me yells to go that way and this way and that way… Yet there is nothing that I can do about the circumstance but wait and wait… I plead to God to go that way, but it may not eventually be so. Why am I not giving up control?

A recent MSN chat with a friend highlighted this conversation:

Friend: One book once asked me this… imagine you’re hiring someone to take control of your life, and there are two applicants, yourself and God. Who are you going to choose?
Me: Of course the right answer is God right
Friend: Yea lar… So why keep fighting for control…
Me: Aiya… True also

It’s so easy to say that God will take care of it and lead to the best possible path. But internally things are rather different, albeit I must say that the anxieties are exponentially diminished with the realization that God is in control. It just takes a mustard seed of faith to believe so. Truthfully, my eyes are myopic and too focused to see the big picture. But thank God that He has that weakness covered up for me.

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” (Prov 16:9)

With that I want to say that I have submitted all that can possibly be submitted for my US University applications, including the Stanford Optional Update Form (with an additional “insightful” essay attached. Kiasu eh?). Just completed the Financial Aid forms and FeDex-ed it to the other side of the globe. I have planned and executed to my fullest ability. It is now a waiting game. I now wait for the Lord’s direction.

Stanford, MIT, Cornell, Berkeley or Princeton? Or none at all?

I think I can relate to the lyrics of this song. This is my personal interpretation of its lyrics. Listen to this song via ‘imeem’ located under the globe map on the right.

LYRICS OF “Dare You To Move” by Switchfoot:

Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone’s here
Everyone’s here
Everybody’s watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?

(I am a human being who came into existence in this planet called earth. This is reality. This is the world. Everyone is anticipating something from me. Everyone is waiting for me to make my next move. The pressure is on me to perform. After the big blunders that I have made, everyone is wondering whether I am going to make it. They ask,”What is he going to do?” with the hope that I will not stand up again. I am stressed and confused. What is going to happen to me?)

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

(Yet, God ‘dares me to move.’ He challenges me to return from failure. He encourages me to forget the past and focus on the future. He wants to see that I live my life without regrets for the things which cannot be changed. The present and past can be very painful and excruciating, but I must live as if it never happened. I have to get up and face reality. No more hiding, no more avoiding.)

Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

(The world is a fallen world. Failure is inevitable. Trials and tribulations are sure to come. Times are gonna be tough. People will laugh. People will annoy me and give me trouble. When I try to move forward, everyone wants to hold me back from achieving my dreams. They want me to conform to the image of the world. I am also facing an inner battle. Should I stay here in my comfort zone or step out in faith to become who I can really be? Can I really achieve that which my heart has desired? Can I?)

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

(Perhaps the fall has given me a reference point to spur me on in the future. The recovery from my great fall gives me great meaning to ponder upon. Perhaps I can be more humble at my lowest point, hence becoming more forgivable and more forgiving. I cannot run away from myself, my inner feelings. The truth is, I cannot run away at all. It begins with me. I want to choose the best path. My salvation in Jesus Christ begins with me. It is the one and only way.)

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before

I love this song.

Seemed to be yet another 2.00pm to 11.00 pm day working at Giant Kelana Jaya with no sale in hand. Another colleague of mine sold one earlier, and being human, I felt kinda desperate for a sale myself before I close the day. Maybe its KIASU. Anyway.

Feeling down and resorting myself to the fact that life is like that, sometimes we lose and sometimes we gain, I went for dinner and just psyched myself to not feel too bad. After all, it is just a STUPID part-time sales job. I told myself, I’ve been through 9 days of ZERO sales before, so what’s there to be dejected about?

Right after I finished dinner I received a call from my mum and I lamented to her that this day would be just another ZERO sales day (my mum called me at 7:01pm and by the time the story ends it is 8:02pm). Within that same hour, I sold two RM1258 iZZi wireless broadband packages ONE AFTER ANOTHER. Instantly after I closed the first sale another customer came by and I started talking to him for a while. And he also BOUGHT!!!!!!

OMG, what a miracle! It’s so hard to sell these stuff. From this, I believe that God will come through for me (and you too!) in the most hopeless of situations. Today my mood really changed after the two sales settled within one hour. I made RM 100 in commissions today. Praise the Lord.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Phil 4:6)

I received this story from a forwarded e-mail:

A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible study.

The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord’s voice the young man couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Does God still speak to people?’

After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.

It was about ten o’clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, ‘God…If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.’

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, ‘God is that you?’ He didn’t get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk.

The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn’t recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

‘Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.’ It didn’t seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.

This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh.

Half jokingly, he said out loud, ‘Okay God, I will.’

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the worst of neighbourhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, ‘Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.’ The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.

‘Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.’ Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.

Finally, he opened the door, ‘Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don’t answer right away, I am out of here.’

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man’s voice yelled out, ‘Who is it? What do you want?’ Then the door opened before the young man could get away.

The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn’t seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. ‘What is it?’

The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, ‘Here, I brought this to you.’ The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.

Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.

The man began speaking and half crying, ‘We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn’t have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.’

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, ‘I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?’

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man’s hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.

He knew that God still answers prayers.

This is so true. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that God asks us to do that cause us, if we are obedient to what He’s asking, to be able to hear. His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world). Phil 4:13

Sometimes we are stubborn and refuse to believe that what we pray can indeed come true. Take heart and let your desires be made known to God through prayer!

It has been a very long time since I last blogged, and I just want to remind myself how powerful and merciful my God has been to me in all my life. He has blessed me tremendously in every area of my life, and I just live each day in my best ability to please Him and live according to His ways.

The year 2007 has seen so many ups and downs in my life, especially that related to school and also, yes, church. I began involving myself in Ushering Ministry this year and I must say that being in the ministry can be time-consuming. Going to weekly cell groups and bible studies can be draining on my time, especially for a JC student in Singapore. But God was always there to help me in my life, should I stumble, He caused me to stand up and walk again. “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:30-31, KJV) I have at times in Singapore felt so useless, tired, drowned in fatigue, burdened by stress and almost given up if not for the strength from the Lord my God.

Being in City Harvest Church also poses another challenge: people seem to like to persecute this church and this is never lack of bad comments from others when it comes to this church. This comes even from friends and relatives. I strongly believe in the ways of the church because I have seen for myself how these ways are justified and according to the Word. Pastor Kong Hee is someone whom I truly respect and I do not doubt the credibility of the church or himself in any way. In fact, I am not truly stronger in my Christian life thanks to my encounter with God in City Harvest Church. God did not raise up a church of 22,000 for useless reasons; we are doing something great in the market place and indeed, we are living in exciting times where we can witness great things happen in the near future.

Some of the miracles of God this year that I must thank for: Gold Award in the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair, a real boost to my CV. I thank God for that, as I would not have dreamed for a moment that I would be capable of winning such a prize. So many other things to thank for: favour among friends in National Junior College as well as a good Council term, plus a myriad of achievements in school which I can’t thank God enough for. I really hope to continue to shine for Him and to be a salt and light in the marketplace for all that I am doing.

It took me some time to realise this: God promises that we can do all things through God who strengthens us, but before that we must reach out and step out to attain that promise, because we would also directly benefit from the transformation of reaching out for that promise. In other words, God rewards those who initiate the effort themselves. And the familiar phrase: God helps those who help themselves. Being a Christian gives me limitless opportunities, I will never know how much God has in store for me, and I am excited about what lies ahead.