Hi..thanks for all the supports, prayers and concerns..
Don't worry for we are located out of Bangkok and it is far away from the protest..So, everything is safe here..
Everyone is doing alright too..and we are happy..hehe..
Here's the good news..we will be going down to Phuket on Wednesday night and will be flying to KL on Friday morning..Then some of us will be taking the bus up to Penang on that day..
I'm glad that at last we could get hold of the air tickets..We have been looking for various alternatives (air tickets and train tickets) but it is all fully booked..
Well, another good news was that last night (the night we were stranded here), we went through a bible study on missions work and it was truly a blessing..there were convictions and affirmations..truly our God is a great God..
Continue praying for us..
Matthew..
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Stucked in Bangkok
I figured we could start producing a movie for this mission trip..it is not only filled with action of people getting sick each day but also of being trapped in Bangkok..haha..but praise the Lord for everything..
This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice in it..
Anyway, the protest last until today as well so we won't be able to fly back..and there won't be any spaces in the train until next Saturday..So long..hehe..
Well, continue praying that we would be aware of where God is at work..He assured me last night in the book of Acts chapter 18....that continue to be in the city for God has set apart people of His own..
Hopefully we would be able to join where God is at work..
Thanks.
Matthew.
This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice in it..
Anyway, the protest last until today as well so we won't be able to fly back..and there won't be any spaces in the train until next Saturday..So long..hehe..
Well, continue praying that we would be aware of where God is at work..He assured me last night in the book of Acts chapter 18....that continue to be in the city for God has set apart people of His own..
Hopefully we would be able to join where God is at work..
Thanks.
Matthew.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
Today is Thanksgiving and a missionary, Carol from Washington is preparing some good food..Praise the Lord for everything and may we comtinue to give thanks to the Lord in times of good and bad..Blessed be the name of the Lord, He gives and takes away but blessed be the name of the Lord..
Matthew.
Matthew.
Updates 2
Well, today i am sick..Had a severe diarrhoe and also vomiting..but praise the Lord for brothers and sisters who took good care of me..Today at 6.17am (I still remember the time), I went to the toilet at least 15 times..my tummy is saying bye bye to all the food..haha..right now i am still weak but still moving on..
Today, we had prayer walk..We walked around Nonthaburi and Pakkret..It is the area we lived in..Because of the language barrier, we did prayer walk and giving out gospel tracts..The people here are really nice and patient..more patient that Malaysians..haha..
Thanks for all your prayers and we really need it..especially for health..
On Monday, Karen got sick, on Tuesday, Diana got sick and today is my turn..phew..but praise the Lord..
Another thing to pray about is the protest here..We might not be able to fly back this Saturday but if it is God's will for us to be here, then may His will be done..
Thanks a lot and i appreciate all the prayer, love and support..
Matthew.
Today, we had prayer walk..We walked around Nonthaburi and Pakkret..It is the area we lived in..Because of the language barrier, we did prayer walk and giving out gospel tracts..The people here are really nice and patient..more patient that Malaysians..haha..
Thanks for all your prayers and we really need it..especially for health..
On Monday, Karen got sick, on Tuesday, Diana got sick and today is my turn..phew..but praise the Lord..
Another thing to pray about is the protest here..We might not be able to fly back this Saturday but if it is God's will for us to be here, then may His will be done..
Thanks a lot and i appreciate all the prayer, love and support..
Matthew.
Nothing could I ask more than this
Of First Importance
Jesus was willing . . .
Posted: 23 Nov 2008 11:50 PM CST
“The shattered relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the cross provides the basis for our reconciliation. No other relationship ever suffered more than what Father, Son, and Holy Spirit endured when Jesus hung on the cross and cried, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Jesus was willing to be the rejected Son so that our families would know reconciliation. Jesus was willing to become the forsaken friend so that we could have loving friendships. Jesus was willing to be the rejected Lord so that we could live in loving submission to one another. Jesus was willing to be the forsaken brother so that we could have godly relationships. Jesus was willing to be the crucified King so that our communities would experience peace.”
- Paul David Tripp, Relationships: A Mess Worth Making (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2006), 13.
Jesus was willing . . .
Posted: 23 Nov 2008 11:50 PM CST
“The shattered relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the cross provides the basis for our reconciliation. No other relationship ever suffered more than what Father, Son, and Holy Spirit endured when Jesus hung on the cross and cried, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Jesus was willing to be the rejected Son so that our families would know reconciliation. Jesus was willing to become the forsaken friend so that we could have loving friendships. Jesus was willing to be the rejected Lord so that we could live in loving submission to one another. Jesus was willing to be the forsaken brother so that we could have godly relationships. Jesus was willing to be the crucified King so that our communities would experience peace.”
- Paul David Tripp, Relationships: A Mess Worth Making (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2006), 13.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Bangkok Mission Trip
Hello...how are you all doing?
We are doing great here..
It was a great time on the train..24 hours isn't that bad..it is actually super fun..and I got the chance to share with a person on the train and make friends with a teenage girl..she is really quiet but we hope to establish better friendship with her. Isn't that cool? Well, the lady i spoke with believes that all religion is the same and God sent people down at different places at different time to cater to the needs at that moment..so, in a nutshell, all religion leads to God..
Upon arrival at Bangkok, we visitied the church and had a good time knowing them..the thing that we find hard here is the language barrier..Everyone here speaks Thai and even with us, it is also Thai..haha..
All chinese here will look like thai..really hard time..
We went to Imax and the screen was BIG..and then we met a bunch of guys from Israel..well, we said we're Christians and they say, well, Jesus is a Jew so no problem lahh...aiya..
Just today, we had a great bible study session and singing praise to God..it was truly a wonderful time..the best thing was the prayer walk where we prayed around the area for heart's to be soften and also to embrace the gospel as well...not only that, we talk with some people around and they are friendly..haha..so hard not knowing thai language..one would die here..haha..
Not to forget, i just had Swensen Millionaire Ice Cream...YUMMY....
There are also lots of funny stories here to tell..will tell you all more when i'm back..One of it is in the train..once again..language problem..
Waiter in the train: What you want?
Chris: Arr..this one? (He chos no. 1 on the menu)
Waiter: No ham..
Chris: Oh ok..hmm..
Waiter: All got ham..this one (refering to no. 1) no ham..
Chris: Oh ok..(pondering for a few minutes)..i want this one..(pointing at menu no. 1)
Waiter: No ham..
Chris: Huh??this one..
Waiter: No ham..(waving his hand signalling there isn't any)
All of us: OHH..NO HAVE..
Just now, we went for a prayer on the bridge across Chao Phraya river..if you read you geography, you will know what is it..haha..It was cool..and then we sang some songs..
What is important here is prayer..prayer..prayer...if only we would pray and seek the power of the Holy Spirit to convict people around...
It is also one of the lessons i learnt here..to pray pray pray..especially with brothers and sisters here..
Some of the things we would need prayer support are these:
1. Praying that the hearts of the people here will be soften...you just won't know how sad their state is living in the cycle of karma with no hope..
2. Praying that the the church will be blessed by God to reach out to the people here...basically, at the place where we are staying, the people know about Christ but they are afraid..
3. So, praying that they will open their hearts to receive the gospel..
4. Praying that we would become friends with them..one of the church workers here said that they really need friends in their lives..
Thanks a lot for your prayer support..we really need it..
Your Brother in Christ,
Matthew.
We are doing great here..
It was a great time on the train..24 hours isn't that bad..it is actually super fun..and I got the chance to share with a person on the train and make friends with a teenage girl..she is really quiet but we hope to establish better friendship with her. Isn't that cool? Well, the lady i spoke with believes that all religion is the same and God sent people down at different places at different time to cater to the needs at that moment..so, in a nutshell, all religion leads to God..
Upon arrival at Bangkok, we visitied the church and had a good time knowing them..the thing that we find hard here is the language barrier..Everyone here speaks Thai and even with us, it is also Thai..haha..
All chinese here will look like thai..really hard time..
We went to Imax and the screen was BIG..and then we met a bunch of guys from Israel..well, we said we're Christians and they say, well, Jesus is a Jew so no problem lahh...aiya..
Just today, we had a great bible study session and singing praise to God..it was truly a wonderful time..the best thing was the prayer walk where we prayed around the area for heart's to be soften and also to embrace the gospel as well...not only that, we talk with some people around and they are friendly..haha..so hard not knowing thai language..one would die here..haha..
Not to forget, i just had Swensen Millionaire Ice Cream...YUMMY....
There are also lots of funny stories here to tell..will tell you all more when i'm back..One of it is in the train..once again..language problem..
Waiter in the train: What you want?
Chris: Arr..this one? (He chos no. 1 on the menu)
Waiter: No ham..
Chris: Oh ok..hmm..
Waiter: All got ham..this one (refering to no. 1) no ham..
Chris: Oh ok..(pondering for a few minutes)..i want this one..(pointing at menu no. 1)
Waiter: No ham..
Chris: Huh??this one..
Waiter: No ham..(waving his hand signalling there isn't any)
All of us: OHH..NO HAVE..
Just now, we went for a prayer on the bridge across Chao Phraya river..if you read you geography, you will know what is it..haha..It was cool..and then we sang some songs..
What is important here is prayer..prayer..prayer...if only we would pray and seek the power of the Holy Spirit to convict people around...
It is also one of the lessons i learnt here..to pray pray pray..especially with brothers and sisters here..
Some of the things we would need prayer support are these:
1. Praying that the hearts of the people here will be soften...you just won't know how sad their state is living in the cycle of karma with no hope..
2. Praying that the the church will be blessed by God to reach out to the people here...basically, at the place where we are staying, the people know about Christ but they are afraid..
3. So, praying that they will open their hearts to receive the gospel..
4. Praying that we would become friends with them..one of the church workers here said that they really need friends in their lives..
Thanks a lot for your prayer support..we really need it..
Your Brother in Christ,
Matthew.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Blessedness of God
I just preached my first official sermon last week but praise the Lord that i did not die on the pulpit..haha..i was feeling nervous, anxious and there are lots of butterflies in my tummy..haha..and after my sermon, i had stomach cramp..what a great day..haha..but i felt glad and happy i made my first sermon, the best thing was the blessed assurance that comes from God that gave me strength to proclaim His words..
Blessedness means happy..and this happiness is different from what the world has to offer..it is the happiness that God gives eventhough we are in the lion's den..and in both the Old and New Testament, we can find many verses that relates to the blessedness of God..
Deuteronomy 33:29
Blessed are you, O Israel, who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, who is the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty.
Job 1:20-21
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshipped. He said, "Naked I come from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there, the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Pslam 128:1
Now blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.
Revelation 22:12-14
Behold, I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every men according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city,
Jesus Himself also talked about the blessedness of God in the Sermon of the Mount, Matthew 5:1-12.
From all these verses, we can conclude that the happiness that is eternal and everlasting can only come from God and God alone through His ways. We have always been looking for happiness through fulfilling our own desires but that kind of happiness don't last long. After that, we would long for more but we are never satisfied with it. This is because that satisfaction only come from the Living Water that never runs dry.
Praise the Lord for that. May we come into His presence daily seeking Him to be filled with eternal joy.
Blessedness means happy..and this happiness is different from what the world has to offer..it is the happiness that God gives eventhough we are in the lion's den..and in both the Old and New Testament, we can find many verses that relates to the blessedness of God..
Deuteronomy 33:29
Blessed are you, O Israel, who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, who is the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty.
Job 1:20-21
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshipped. He said, "Naked I come from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there, the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Pslam 128:1
Now blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.
Revelation 22:12-14
Behold, I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every men according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city,
Jesus Himself also talked about the blessedness of God in the Sermon of the Mount, Matthew 5:1-12.
From all these verses, we can conclude that the happiness that is eternal and everlasting can only come from God and God alone through His ways. We have always been looking for happiness through fulfilling our own desires but that kind of happiness don't last long. After that, we would long for more but we are never satisfied with it. This is because that satisfaction only come from the Living Water that never runs dry.
Praise the Lord for that. May we come into His presence daily seeking Him to be filled with eternal joy.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Create in Me a Clean Heart
How many of us see sin as something so hideous, ugly and filthy? And the bad news is that nothing in our own capability could remove it, "for all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy garment" (Isaiah 64:6).
Well, i have been through fighting sin and temptation this week and will continue on fighting for as long as i live in this world. It is not an easy battle for the lion awaits its prey to let its guard down and will strike in a flash with no time to defend itself. My life has been like this this few weeks, staying awake and fighting against it.
The one challenge is the thought of offending my Saviour, the Lord whom I love most for i know that sin will destroy my relationship with Him. I know that sin will cause death in me. I know that sin will not please my Lord.
How i wish my heart could be like the heart of David when he calls upon the Lord to create in him a clean heart. The heartfelt urgency to fight against sin prompt David to seek nothing but his Lord, urging Him to create a clean heart for without it, it is as if the jaws of hell is right beneath him..
Let us pray to God with such a heart, pleading and wrestling with Him till we have found in us a clean heart. Remember that with iniquities in your life, God won't be in the center of your life and nothing will ever go right.
Continue to pray for me and also lift each other up in prayer as we fight against the principalities of this world. But remember who the victor is? Amen.
Well, i have been through fighting sin and temptation this week and will continue on fighting for as long as i live in this world. It is not an easy battle for the lion awaits its prey to let its guard down and will strike in a flash with no time to defend itself. My life has been like this this few weeks, staying awake and fighting against it.
The one challenge is the thought of offending my Saviour, the Lord whom I love most for i know that sin will destroy my relationship with Him. I know that sin will cause death in me. I know that sin will not please my Lord.
How i wish my heart could be like the heart of David when he calls upon the Lord to create in him a clean heart. The heartfelt urgency to fight against sin prompt David to seek nothing but his Lord, urging Him to create a clean heart for without it, it is as if the jaws of hell is right beneath him..
Let us pray to God with such a heart, pleading and wrestling with Him till we have found in us a clean heart. Remember that with iniquities in your life, God won't be in the center of your life and nothing will ever go right.
Continue to pray for me and also lift each other up in prayer as we fight against the principalities of this world. But remember who the victor is? Amen.
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