It's been awhile, I know! Have not been able to keep this blog up to date for the past one month.
Life has been busy with moving out of our apartment, increased demand at work and preparing for our big move!
Where do I start?? So much happened for the past one and a half month. Hubby finished his degree, it was such a great relief as academia was not his natural strength, he has put in so much effort and hard work into the past four years and finally completed his BA Honours in Business Management. I am extremely proud of him. Praise God for His faithfulness, he knew very well that he could not have done it without His grace and strength. It was such an amazing journey, another incredible story of God's restoration which I would share one day.
We went to Tours, France or a few days to celebrate and chill out post-exams. It was such a great trip, with perfect weather, beautiful people and food :) We stayed at a small but sublime B&B in the countryside called Cangey, which itself is surrounded by picturesque vineyards and bright golden fields.
It was summer break and most students went away travelling or back home to spend time with families and friends. We organised a trip to the Peak District with the church in the homes and despite getting a bit lost, we met an amazing couple who not just walked all the way with us but offer us water and a lift back to the train station! They had to do 3 trips to fit all of us in and their 2 lovely dogs! They were God-sent!
We went to Liverpool to spend some time with my amazing brother and sister in law Judah and Rachel, they are just awesome! So encouraged and inspired by them and all that they are doing for God in the city of Liverpool. We joined them in their street church on Saturday to bring the love of God to the streets in Liverpool and to worship Jesus in the town centre. Many people were blessed, prayed for and heard the gospel of the love and power of God being preached.
Handed the church in the home over to Dami and Lukundo and sent them out to continue to further the work of God in Manchester and to lead His people into the fulness that He has for us! We know they will do a great job, continue to shine in every area of their lives! Their wedding is this Saturday!! Eeeek!!! Can't wait! Looking forward to a great time!
Just been attending a few of my friend's graduation too. It's crazy how time flies. One of my friend who is four years my junior is now officially a doctor! So happy for her! It's such a journey and accomplishment to have gone through medical school and all God's best to her, Dr, Janice Tan! So proud of you! :D
Now two more weeks before we leave this beloved city! It's a big move for hubby as this is his first time moving to a complete foreign country with different cultures and climate. We are both excited at the same time as we know that we are in His plans and purposes and that God will continue to lead us, bless us and be with us wherever we go. We are foreigners on this land anyway so wherever God's will is for us, that is our home :)
Although am excited to go back to work but still have this sense of not know what to expect. It's good that I will be working in the same hospital so at least I may get used to the system a lot quicker than a complete foreign one. But am trusting in God and depending completely on His strength and His grace. Thank You, Daddy that I can always count on You!
Also praying for the Holy Spirit's direction to be part of a local church so we can continue to grow and to serve the Lord in Malaysia. I believe He has already prepared a place for us there!
So yeah, not sure when will be the next I blog but hope to keep you all updated and do remember us in your prayers! :)
To God be all the glory, and honour and power and strength! You alone are worthy of all praise :)
Natalie
Love this song:
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Still, I choose to praise Your Holy Name!
It has been such a challenging week. First I was not feeling well. After God supernaturally healed my dysmenorrhea which I very seldom experienced (the pain), He also spoke to me regarding the physical pain the Christ needed to suffer and so we must also be ready to suffer physical pain (1 Peter 4:1) I immediately repented from self-pity and claimed healing in His name and it came almost immediately! The pain was gone!
Then, I was down with flu and fever. Hubby was away for the week so it was quite hard for me to be on my own. I started to feel alone again. As this is the first time we were separated since we are married, I believe God is teaching me to be completely and utterly dependant on Him and not on men. I learned to rely on His strength, His presence and His comfort. I remembered before I was married, the Lord was my sole companion at all times. I was comfortably on my own and enjoying my life with Him. After getting married, I always made sure that He is still my First love regardless of my love for my husband. He graciously taught me that it was glorifying to Him to love my husband whole-heartedly, to love him as He loves him and still love the Lord the same. I learned to be secured in my relationship with Him, that I would not put anything above the Lord.
However, I guess there will be times when this will be tested. I need to make sure that I am still completely and utterly dependant on Him alone and no mortal men, including my husband because it can be easy to lean on someone I can see and touch and hold. It was a refreshing time in His presence, time alone with Him, to talk to Him and to listen from Him.
Then on Friday, I encountered some challenges at work and caused me to be quite emotional and tearful. I wanted to be stronger at times but all I could do was just to let those tears out. I did not realise that when hubby came back on the same day, he was encountering some challenges at work too and he too was a little down. So both of us comforted and encouraged each other. It was not easy but we believe that the Lord has helped us through and strengthened us both individually and and as a couple. He is just so so so awesome.
I do not know where I will be without You, O Lord. I just don't know and I don't want to imagine. Even though life may still be challenging, it is just so comforting to know that You are for me and that You love me, You will never leave me nor forsake me. I want to continue to serve You and to bring glory to You, to enjoy my relationship with You.
Thank You, Jesus. You are always my first Love and in times of difficulties, help me to still choose to praise Your Holy Name!!!
Then, I was down with flu and fever. Hubby was away for the week so it was quite hard for me to be on my own. I started to feel alone again. As this is the first time we were separated since we are married, I believe God is teaching me to be completely and utterly dependant on Him and not on men. I learned to rely on His strength, His presence and His comfort. I remembered before I was married, the Lord was my sole companion at all times. I was comfortably on my own and enjoying my life with Him. After getting married, I always made sure that He is still my First love regardless of my love for my husband. He graciously taught me that it was glorifying to Him to love my husband whole-heartedly, to love him as He loves him and still love the Lord the same. I learned to be secured in my relationship with Him, that I would not put anything above the Lord.
However, I guess there will be times when this will be tested. I need to make sure that I am still completely and utterly dependant on Him alone and no mortal men, including my husband because it can be easy to lean on someone I can see and touch and hold. It was a refreshing time in His presence, time alone with Him, to talk to Him and to listen from Him.
Then on Friday, I encountered some challenges at work and caused me to be quite emotional and tearful. I wanted to be stronger at times but all I could do was just to let those tears out. I did not realise that when hubby came back on the same day, he was encountering some challenges at work too and he too was a little down. So both of us comforted and encouraged each other. It was not easy but we believe that the Lord has helped us through and strengthened us both individually and and as a couple. He is just so so so awesome.
I do not know where I will be without You, O Lord. I just don't know and I don't want to imagine. Even though life may still be challenging, it is just so comforting to know that You are for me and that You love me, You will never leave me nor forsake me. I want to continue to serve You and to bring glory to You, to enjoy my relationship with You.
Thank You, Jesus. You are always my first Love and in times of difficulties, help me to still choose to praise Your Holy Name!!!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Deuteronomy 8
This is a passage that God spoke to me recently when hubby was reading the bible to me which I also shared it with the CITH, especially to one of our dear friend, Ski who is going away to work in Hong Kong for a year.It is in the NLT and as I read it, I could just feel the presence of God upon me. It's just awesome! So here you go!
A Call to Remember and Obey
A Call to Remember and Obey
8 “Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, theLord your God disciplines you for your own good.
6 “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.
19 “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. 20 Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God.
He is the Ancient of Days. The One who gives and takes away. His heart is always to bless us and to give the best to us. Our part is just to remember and to obey the One who gives His all to us. He is good!!!!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Worship
On Thursday, we had our amazing Panji and Lina sharing with us about worship. The church in our homes shared with one another what worship is all about. Panji was explaining how worship is not about the 'singing' that we have on a Sunday. Worship is in fact our very relationship with the Living God.
Worship is the surrendering of our every being to the One who knows it all. Worship is acknowledging the One and Only God who loves us and who has given His all to us. Worship is living in the fear and reverence of God, enjoying Him everyday of our lives.
When our lives get so connected with His Spirit, there is only one of us. We walk and breath and live in His being. We commune with Him to know His heartbeat. We acknowledge His presence in our lives, when we wake up in the morning, when we go to work, when we meet with people, when we rest, when we have fun, you get the idea...every single thing in our live, we can include Him who holds together the whole universe!
I love waking up, thanking Him for another great day and opportunity to bring glory to Him. I love thinking of Him and all that He has done for me and my family throughout these years of my life. I enjoy singing to Him in unknown tongues that magnify the Great and Almighty God who deserves our praises which can't only be declared by words alone. I love strolling on the street singing and talking to Him. I love going on holidays, knowing that there would be so much fun and adventures because He was there with us.
Relationship with the living God is not just on a Sunday morning. It is not only during church in the homes meeting. If I were to only commune and spend time with my husband two times a week, for a total of maximum 6 hours, I don't think our relationship will go anywhere. I like to think of him all the time, spend loads and loads of time with him to know him more and share my thoughts and my life with the one that I love. This is the same with God. Although He is not seen but as we know Him more, He will be more real than any 'real' person that you know on earth. He is more tangible than any concrete things that you could feel only with your 5 senses. Oh, He is beautiful!
Words just can't describe the feeling when we get into a living and abiding relationship with Jesus. When we commune with the gentle and loving Spirit of God who is at the same time possessing the limitless power of God! It's dunamis! You feel like exploding, so to say!
I just love to fall in love with my Lord everyday. More and more I want Him, more and more I need Him, more and more I want to know Him for who He is and share my every detail of my life with Him.
It's amazing how Peter exerts the church to live godly lives because this is how the people around us can see the testimony of God's love in our lives which is greater than words alone. Our lives will be reflected through our relationship with God. If we want to have a great and honourable lives which glorify God, we need to involve Him and worship Him in all that we do.
That is the very act of our spiritual worship as we offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice to God.
"So get rid of all malicious behaviour and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and back-stabbing. You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness."
There is a "growing into" our salvation. Salvation does not just end on the day we are saved. We are to grow into the fullness stature of Christ. This hunger to live a sold-out life for God is our very act of worship to Him who is worthy of it all! :)
Let us continue to worship the Lord our God with all of our lives everyday!
Worship is the surrendering of our every being to the One who knows it all. Worship is acknowledging the One and Only God who loves us and who has given His all to us. Worship is living in the fear and reverence of God, enjoying Him everyday of our lives.
When our lives get so connected with His Spirit, there is only one of us. We walk and breath and live in His being. We commune with Him to know His heartbeat. We acknowledge His presence in our lives, when we wake up in the morning, when we go to work, when we meet with people, when we rest, when we have fun, you get the idea...every single thing in our live, we can include Him who holds together the whole universe!
I love waking up, thanking Him for another great day and opportunity to bring glory to Him. I love thinking of Him and all that He has done for me and my family throughout these years of my life. I enjoy singing to Him in unknown tongues that magnify the Great and Almighty God who deserves our praises which can't only be declared by words alone. I love strolling on the street singing and talking to Him. I love going on holidays, knowing that there would be so much fun and adventures because He was there with us.
Relationship with the living God is not just on a Sunday morning. It is not only during church in the homes meeting. If I were to only commune and spend time with my husband two times a week, for a total of maximum 6 hours, I don't think our relationship will go anywhere. I like to think of him all the time, spend loads and loads of time with him to know him more and share my thoughts and my life with the one that I love. This is the same with God. Although He is not seen but as we know Him more, He will be more real than any 'real' person that you know on earth. He is more tangible than any concrete things that you could feel only with your 5 senses. Oh, He is beautiful!
Words just can't describe the feeling when we get into a living and abiding relationship with Jesus. When we commune with the gentle and loving Spirit of God who is at the same time possessing the limitless power of God! It's dunamis! You feel like exploding, so to say!
I just love to fall in love with my Lord everyday. More and more I want Him, more and more I need Him, more and more I want to know Him for who He is and share my every detail of my life with Him.
It's amazing how Peter exerts the church to live godly lives because this is how the people around us can see the testimony of God's love in our lives which is greater than words alone. Our lives will be reflected through our relationship with God. If we want to have a great and honourable lives which glorify God, we need to involve Him and worship Him in all that we do.
That is the very act of our spiritual worship as we offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice to God.
"So get rid of all malicious behaviour and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and back-stabbing. You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness."
There is a "growing into" our salvation. Salvation does not just end on the day we are saved. We are to grow into the fullness stature of Christ. This hunger to live a sold-out life for God is our very act of worship to Him who is worthy of it all! :)
Let us continue to worship the Lord our God with all of our lives everyday!
Friday, May 4, 2012
I know He who holds my tomorrows
Our minds are not designed to worry. Worrying is not from God. Our mind is designed to be at peace, to enjoy the awesome knowledge of His love, might and power.
I know how it was to be a worrier. I used to worry a lot - I was just so eager to think about the future, to calculate the possibilities of things in my life and the actions to be taken even before anything actually take place. When a small thing happened, I would be so good to magnify it until it looked so much bigger than it actually was.
Thanks be to God who in His grace and mercy revealed His very self to me and since becoming a Christian, God was dealing and is still dealing with me, patiently teaching me to be at rest and to be at peace in every situation that He allows to happen in my life.
Through suffering, I learned humility and obedience. I realised that by worrying I did not change anything but made things worse and caused people I loved to suffer as well. It does no one any good.
My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
It is very easy to quote this verse to someone who is going through a hard time. When it comes to putting it into practice, I believe many of us find that it is not as easy as we thought it would be.
The truth is, God's word is simple. He means what He says. Unless we decide to let go and let God, we will not be able to experience the peace that He has promised us. When the devil whispered fear and lies, we are to recognise them and to declare the word of truth against the lies of the enemy. The word of God, the weapon of God has the power to demolish stronghold - even the worrying mind.
God's grace and His manna is sufficient for us for each day that He gives us. It is not meant to be kept for tomorrow. Let's not spend the whole time worrying about tomorrow lest we miss out His grace and provision that He intends for our enjoyment Today!
He who promise is faithful. How many know that we can trust in the God of peace in the time of storm? Indeed, we can!
I know how it was to be a worrier. I used to worry a lot - I was just so eager to think about the future, to calculate the possibilities of things in my life and the actions to be taken even before anything actually take place. When a small thing happened, I would be so good to magnify it until it looked so much bigger than it actually was.
Thanks be to God who in His grace and mercy revealed His very self to me and since becoming a Christian, God was dealing and is still dealing with me, patiently teaching me to be at rest and to be at peace in every situation that He allows to happen in my life.
Through suffering, I learned humility and obedience. I realised that by worrying I did not change anything but made things worse and caused people I loved to suffer as well. It does no one any good.
My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
It is very easy to quote this verse to someone who is going through a hard time. When it comes to putting it into practice, I believe many of us find that it is not as easy as we thought it would be.
The truth is, God's word is simple. He means what He says. Unless we decide to let go and let God, we will not be able to experience the peace that He has promised us. When the devil whispered fear and lies, we are to recognise them and to declare the word of truth against the lies of the enemy. The word of God, the weapon of God has the power to demolish stronghold - even the worrying mind.
God's grace and His manna is sufficient for us for each day that He gives us. It is not meant to be kept for tomorrow. Let's not spend the whole time worrying about tomorrow lest we miss out His grace and provision that He intends for our enjoyment Today!
He who promise is faithful. How many know that we can trust in the God of peace in the time of storm? Indeed, we can!
The power of a renewed mind
Yesterday we have had such an amazing time in His presence, hearing what the Spirit has to say to us as a group.
Personally, God has taught me so much about the power of the mind and my thoughts.
When God forbade Adam to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it was as if God did not want him to be able to think and to judge what is good and evil. It was as if God did not want Adam's mind to be opened.
However, after reading the scripture again and again, I believe that this was not His original intention. There was a tree of life and a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said he can eat from any tree except the latter. This means that God wants Adam to continue to have eternal life, to eat from the tree of life which is the Spirit of God. To know God's presence and to know the life of the Spirit.
I believe that God did not want Adam to eat from the tree because it was not the time for his mind to be opened yet. Adam was innocent but he was also immature. He was still growing in the presence of God and he was not yet the son of God. He did not have an identity as a son. He did not know the will of the Father and this is what God wants Adam to come into before having his mind to be opened prematurely.
God gives us free will from the very beginning. There is always an option to life or death. The first man has chosen the latter and therefore cause the entire human race to disobey God and to have the inclination to run their own lives in their own ways. They were proud in the minds, they were selfish and evil as their minds were darkened and alienated from the knowledge of God who gives the actual breath of life to them.
Before I became a Christian, there were so many wrong mindsets which led me to destruction. I was on my way to eternal death and God in His amazing grace and mercy caught hold of me and since then, I was never the same again!
There are still so many things for me to learn. So many things to unlearn. We all grew up in different background, cultures and upbringing. Many of us have mindset which are so deeply engrained in us that we thought was the truth but when the Holy Spirit revealed to us, I realised there were all pride, selfishness, superstition and fear.
God is so good. He does not give up on us. His original and ultimate intention for us to attain and come into our Sonship, through the power of the Holy Spirit - daily. We are to be transformed through the renewal of our minds. We need to humble ourselves and to have a teachable spirit so that God can continue to complete the good work that He has started in us! Glory to the King!
Personally, God has taught me so much about the power of the mind and my thoughts.
When God forbade Adam to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it was as if God did not want him to be able to think and to judge what is good and evil. It was as if God did not want Adam's mind to be opened.
However, after reading the scripture again and again, I believe that this was not His original intention. There was a tree of life and a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said he can eat from any tree except the latter. This means that God wants Adam to continue to have eternal life, to eat from the tree of life which is the Spirit of God. To know God's presence and to know the life of the Spirit.
I believe that God did not want Adam to eat from the tree because it was not the time for his mind to be opened yet. Adam was innocent but he was also immature. He was still growing in the presence of God and he was not yet the son of God. He did not have an identity as a son. He did not know the will of the Father and this is what God wants Adam to come into before having his mind to be opened prematurely.
God gives us free will from the very beginning. There is always an option to life or death. The first man has chosen the latter and therefore cause the entire human race to disobey God and to have the inclination to run their own lives in their own ways. They were proud in the minds, they were selfish and evil as their minds were darkened and alienated from the knowledge of God who gives the actual breath of life to them.
Before I became a Christian, there were so many wrong mindsets which led me to destruction. I was on my way to eternal death and God in His amazing grace and mercy caught hold of me and since then, I was never the same again!
There are still so many things for me to learn. So many things to unlearn. We all grew up in different background, cultures and upbringing. Many of us have mindset which are so deeply engrained in us that we thought was the truth but when the Holy Spirit revealed to us, I realised there were all pride, selfishness, superstition and fear.
God is so good. He does not give up on us. His original and ultimate intention for us to attain and come into our Sonship, through the power of the Holy Spirit - daily. We are to be transformed through the renewal of our minds. We need to humble ourselves and to have a teachable spirit so that God can continue to complete the good work that He has started in us! Glory to the King!
Monday, April 16, 2012
You are always enough for me
Just finding so much comfort in Your presence right now. Thank You for speaking to me through Angela Hughes' word.
Somehow I have been feeling rather 'down' these couple of weeks. I do not know if it is related to my work which have been quite busy but then I don't think that's the main reason. I have been feeling this sense of 'thirst' in me, that I have been trying to 'feel' You but could not find You. I wondered if something has gone wrong, if I had done something wrong that I could not find You.
Then yesterday during the meeting, You spoke to me that You sometimes hide Yourself so that I would find You. Angela was sharing about a time when she was leading worship and she knew that You weren't there. She was not satisfied and she wondered where have You gone, and why didn't You show up. She said that it was not the time to give up. When we could not find You, that is the time we need to search harder, worship continually, look further and praise more. We must not give up because You are always there and that You want us to seek You and look for You.
I realised that these are all part of growing up in Your presence. When I was a baby Christian, I would ask things like, "God if You do this, then I know it's You or let this happen then I know it's from You." When I grew more in You, these things stop happening. I know it's not because You have left me or that I have backslidden or become less passionate, but it was because You are teaching me to grow up. When I know You more, I don't need confirmation from You. I can hear from You and be confident to know that it's You or not from You. It was scary at the beginning, it's just like when a toddler starts to take baby steps to walk. I may make mistakes, I may fall down and hurt myself but the comfort is knowing that You are never too far. You are like a kind parent who is just a few steps ahead of the child who is trying to walk on his/her own feet. You want us to grow up and to know Your every heartbeat without second guesses.
Just like what Jesus said, You in Him and Him in You. We are to be One with You just as You are One with the Father and the Father with You.
Jesus knew His Father's heart. He does not need to second guess His will. Therefore, He can bring heaven onto earth at any point of time because He knows His Father's will which is in heaven and so He could bring them down onto earth.
This is my heart's desire. This is my sole purpose of life. That is to live everyday in Your presence, to know Your heartbeat, to worship You, to give You my all and to not let anything to come in between our relationship. O Lord, I just need You. I need You. You will always be enough for me....
Your beloved,
Cheng Lu
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