Urban Street Sleeper 2.0

During our second mission of visiting the homeless, I met three aunties at Komtar bus station. It was around 1.00 am morning and I was a surprise to see them still hanging around Komtar to collect empty aluminium cans. These aunties are old enough to be my grandmother. 

One of them actually beg food from me. She requested two package of rice because her room mate who is older than her cannot walk. The room mate is sleeping and she is also one of aluminium can collector. Although they are not street sleeper but they spend all their time at streets. 

As they share with me how much they need to pay for a small room rental, it shock me. Only RM 170 ! So cheap. But then, to them is a huge amount. Their income are only merely enough for rental. If there is left over, they will keep it for next month. Only RM85 per person, what's the big deal?! We spend almost RM85 for buffet and these people actually struggle for whole month. At these age, staying in a small room, collecting empty cans and used paper as their only income. It is sad to see this. 

I'm grateful as my God's provision is beyond than my need. My condo have another two empty rooms with nice sea view. While some people found no place to sleep and sleep at street, Nikki and I 'struggle' which house should we overnight. Though all houses are flat and condos, but compare to them, we are so blessed. 

Lord, thank you for giving me such a beautiful parent. They might not very rich, but they are good enough as my parent. Papa and mum spend all their time to educate us and to provide our daily needs. Thanks ! It was wonderful to know these aunties. I pray the same love and provision of You will overflow in their life as well. By the power of Your blood, break the curse and no more condemnation. Grant them good health, joyful life and a new mind which acknowledge You as their only heavenly father. Pray this in Jesus' name. Amen !

God Wants To Prosper Our Relationships

Jesus, Painter of my life

Without doubt, one of God's greatest blessings to us is the people that enrich our lives—our spouses, children, parents, friends and colleagues—and the relationships we enjoy with them.  It is God's heart to prosper our relationships. Wherever we may be in our life right now, whether we are searching for a life partner, newly married or raising children , God wants us to know that through the cross of Jesus, He has already redeemed us from painful relationships and blessed us with beautiful, loving relationships. (Galatians 3:13) Jesus not only took all of our sins at the cross, but He also took all the rejection and curse that we deserved. At the cross, He met every single need, physical and emotional, that we will ever have in this life. Carrying our sins, Jesus was rejected by God so that we, receiving His righteousness in exchange, can be accepted by God and enjoy wholeness in every area of our lives. 

There is a beautiful, prophetic psalm in the Bible that reveals how Jesus' affliction at the cross also covers the curse of broken relationships for us In Psalm 88:18, Jesus said, "Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness." Jesus lost His intimate relationship with His Father, and was separated from His family and close friends when He hung on the cross. He suffered all that so that we could receive the favor of God and prosper in all our relationships.
 

Today, wholeness in our relationships begins with the blood of Jesus first reconciling us with God. (Colossians 1:19–22) So when we begin to see how the blood has paid for us to enjoy blessed relationships, when we let go of our self-effort and rest in Jesus' finished work for wholeness in all our relationships, we will see the turnarounds and restoration we desire in this area of our life.

Dear friend, if your marriage is on the rocks, Jesus can give you wisdom to deal with the problems, and bring about healing and a resurrection of His love in your marriage. If you have a wayward child, you will find Him leading you by His peace to be the vessel through which He will minister His grace. If you are believing God for a life partner, know that you have the same unmerited favor that saw a poor, widowed Moabite girl go from poverty to wealth, widowhood to marriage, and from being childless to having a complete family! (Ruth 2–4)

Beloved, you don't have to struggle and rely on your self-efforts to prosper the relationships in your life. When you rest in the finished work of Jesus and see that He has paid for the healing and wholeness of your relationships, you will see God prosper them supernaturally!

Your blessing is on the way

Ya, Lord..my blessing is on the way. Thank you for showing me this acticles which based on your promises in bible. It brings encouragement and again you have shown me your love. Lord, You will prosper my relationship, be it family, friends, life partner and working partners..Thanks for your generous and overpayment.  In Jesus' name. Amen !

1 liter of tears

Just finished a japanese series, 1 liter of tears (一公升の眼泪 ). I guess most of the people knew this series. It is an inspirational series based on a true life story about a teenager (Aya) who endured through an incurable disease that slowly kills her by the days. This is my first time heard about this disease, Spinocerebellar ataxia, the most cruel disease.

Sometimes in life, things may not go our way and perhaps no matter how hard we try, we may not achieve the outcome. Nonetheless, we must not give up. On the other hand, we should continue work hard against all the pains and suffering, turn the negative into a positive outlook of life, just like Aya. 

It is not by chance that we have a healthy body, able to perform daily task such as eating, sleeping, walking and etc. It is by God's blessing. Never take this blessing for granted. In deed we should count this blessing and be grateful. 

Fruit Cake Story

A couple days a go, i was attended Passion Conference (World Tour) in Kuala Lumpur where there was thousand of uni students came and worship together. The conference had Louie Giglio, Christ Tomlin and his band. It was a great time to worship, singing contemporary music and new version of hymm (Amazing Grace). It was even more exicting that we had a prayer time, listened to the word of God and the story of Ashley and the fruitcake. I just have to share the story that read by Louie from Ashley's journal because i was really blessed by it.

Ashley is a student of University of Florida, the Top party school in the States. Now you can imagine what happens when the parties would start. She is an unbeliever, living in an apartment with her boyfriend. She was in her senior year when one day she went home and caught her boyfriend sleeping with another girl; of course she was devastated. She broke up with him, kicks him out of the apartment and posts an ad at school about needing a new roommate.

A girl named Christa found it and later on became Ashley’s roommate. While Ashley was on her depressed mode, she wrote about how screwed up her life is and every once in a while mentioned details about her new roommate Christa, how she acts crazy and is a freako believing in God and all that Christian stuff; Ashley says: WHAT A FRUITCAKE ?!

Ashley gets more and more intrigued at how her roommate lived her life, there was a day Ashley was wallowing over her situation crying whole day and eating ice cream, and her roommate took time to ask her if there was any problem. The roommate sat beside her and started eating ice cream too. Ashley told her roommate what happened and she said she never heard the response she was expecting to come out; no condemnation but genuine care and sympathy. The roommate asked if she could pray for her but of course, Ashley refused. Ashley’s Mom and step brother are Christians. She said she would have expected her brother to be good to her, but it’s puzzling her that Christa, the fruitcake, acts that way with her.

Ashley becomes all the more bothered how Christa had been living her life which was opposite of how she lives. It was obvious that the roommate didn’t drink, and when asked if she slept with her boyfriend whom she’s been with for three years she said she’s still a virgin. That was crazy stuff for Ashley who could sleep with a guy she’s only been with for three weeks. She asked why Christa was living her life that way, and the answer was a desire to please God in all that she does.

Christa shared about how much Jesus loved her. Ashley kept writing on her journal, and just can’t accept that God could forgive her. God is just not for her type. Ashley was on her moment of unbelief. But it was funny how Christa would share about her experience at a Passion conference and even had a DVD of Louie Giglio sharing a sermon. Ashley writes about how crazy that was.
 

To Ashley, God just can’t forgive a crap like her but God was working in Ashley’s life, and Christa is doing her work in being a good witness of God’s love and grace. As they lived together and the days passed by, Christa had shared about the good news of God’s grace that forgives, even to the worst of all people, even Ashley. She saw that love in “fruitcake” and wanted that for herself. One day, Ashley finally believed and gave in and she said in her journal, “that was it”, the day she became a Christian; the unconditional love of Jesus flooded her heart with peace. She experienced this love and grace that God has for everyone.

Ashley attended one of the Bible studies where Christa attends. The youth didn’t act in a crazy way but were interested at her and were genuine. So they sang and Ashley didn’t know the song but she really liked it and felt like raising her hands too, but she didn’t. When she got home, she googled the lyrics of the song they sung and it just communicated to her so well.

Ashley and Christa talked about how God’s children worship Him and that’s one of the ways. Ashley made her family know about her being a Christian and her mom cried and her step brother was so happy to see her changing. Their prayers were answered. Ashley emailed Louie about her experience, and Louie shared this story to many people, even writing it to the passion blog and it’s being heard in their podcast. Ashley was thrilled that many people can know of her experience, that of God’s unconditional love forgiving her and changing her.

Louie scanned through the pages of Ashley’s journal and jumped to a couple of pages near the end where Ashley was very excited for her graduation. Louie wanted to see and know that she graduated, but there were empty pages. No words were written about her graduation….and the journal was handed on to Louie by Ashley’s father….
 

Ashley died in a car accident, but her story and God’s love that changed her life for 3 months is now being known all around the world. It took a “fruitcake” for Ashley to know about this love and grace, and Louie reads her nicely written story in their Passion tour.

After heard this story, i had a mixed feeling.We never know when is our last breath.Ashley past away in such a young age and yet she had leave a wonderful legacy to our Heavenly Father. On the other hand, i was greatly inspired by fruitcake who never gave up on Ashley and never thought herself highly or better than others. Fruitcake was'nt a perfect girl but she tried to live out her faith and shined for God. It then strip me is no matter how small or insignificant of our actions we think, it does play a role. Lending a listening ear, eating ice-creams along with Ashley, trying to heal her broken heart or even offering a simple prayer. It does play an important role.