Families..and blessing or a mindfield ?

FAMILIES..Blessing or Mindfield ?

Together with my two boys, my wife and I have been living with my parents for the past 6-7 years. 

When God spoke to us late in 2003 to step out of our ministry responsibilities then with Calvary Charismatic Centre(now is Calvary City Church), God spoke to us to sell off everything and just follow Him. So we sold off our car and move out of our rented house and move back into my parents home. Few months later after moving back home, Caroline gave birth to Jeremy in April of 2004. Joel, came 4 years later in 2008.

I would say staying back home with my wife and sons was a blessing indeed but at times can be a mindfield that kept on exploding in our faces.

I realise today, I have no one to blame but the decisions I have made that brought us through this path. 

For my wife and I, we obeyed God to plant Word of Life and to trust Him for all of our life. So we have been living by faith alone. Many have asked me if I shud get a job. Sure I did ask God, and I did try starting businesses..however many times the "businesses" failed terribly. How can I disobey GOd when He spoke to revealed 3 times that my WORK is to work out the Church. He will take care of us. So I obey and God has been blessing us tremendously.

I found out later in the years that my parents has been paying the instalments of my car and helping me out with milk powder for my children. Example, when my dad was still working in his clinic, they used to get free supply of milk powder from agents. So we had free milk powder for our babies for a long time. All this have come without me asking. Of course there were times when I panicked and I did ask for help..but only handful of times.

God showed me that while I have this favour, I need to work hard to work out the Church. In the past few years, ministry was tough..I nearly died being electrocuted. Church member wanted to sue me because she was not happy that I always teach about tithing and offering during our offering time in church. Of late, in rebuilding the church, finances was a challenge. I realise the enemy likes to kick you when you are down at out. However we never lost faith because Jesus kept revealing Himself to us and kept us in Him through the thick and thin. It was this year, that the church suddenly turn the corner. Today, God has blessed us with the support of another church and great friends in the ministry. God is indeed working things out for our good and for His glory.

In all this while, my wife and I knew that God was going to give us a house of our own one day. This was a subject that turn heaven into hell for us many times. We've decided to never move in offense but in peace. My wife has really paid the price living at "home". But we've both have worked hard to grow closer to my parents. However, without much of an income..especially when things got difficult, we realised we were slowly becoming a burden. Many times I've asked God to bless through others but not my parents. They don't understand what faith is..and I don't want them to lose their salvation.

In the past, I did not want to move out yet also because, I saw my parents were lonely and that the grandchildren added to their joy each day. I told my mom a long time ago, that I will take care of them. They don't have to include me in their will..I don't need that..I don't want to fight with my siblings even though their comments are so harsh at times. What to do..being the youngest has its benefits and difficulties too. 

It is recently, we've decided to move out. As of writing this blog post, we are actively praying and looking for the house GOd is giving to us. Things are improving for us in big steps..thank God.

In all of this I learned a big lesson.

1. Don't live at the mercy of others.

2. Obey God early, and try to not be moved by circumstances.

3. Work out your faith so that God will release blessings overflowing to you.

4. When you live with others, open your hearts to give in all the time.

5. Others will not understand. So don't bother about others.

6. Sort out your finances early.

7. Listen to your wife.

Luv Edwin.

Breaking the Bondange of Financial Debts

 Breaking the Bondange of Financial Debts

Financial debts is not a problem you can get out of without the help of the Holy Spirit breaking the bondage..Debts = Sin.

Credit card is not sin..as money is not sin..Sin is an outward result of an inward rebellion towards God...Why people get into debt? greed, careless,living a life without prayer, unbelief..all this are symptoms of the root cause...the root of all evil...Sin..pride..a life where God is not involve. (Rom 1:28)..Pride is saying I am God..God is not important. I can control my own life..I can create..I can do what I want...That's why just because people pray the sinners prayer..but never follow God..does not guarantee them heaven. (Mt 7:21)..Debts in the concordance has the same meaning of Sin..

Satan uses our "rebellion" to lock us in..that's why many people trying to "get out" ..find it very very hard to get out..its like a blackhole sucking them in...when we are in sin..we are held in bondage because of sin...Only God can forgive us of sin and remove the unrighteousness from us (1 John 1:9), (Isaiah 10:27) (Psalms 68:6),(Rom 5-6)....btw..when we fast, when we tithe, when we pray that 1 hour each day...its saying to God..i don't want to be God..God your are.

There is a better way of course ..see Isaiah 55, Psalms 23.

Repentance is key.

That's all for now..

Luv Edwin Koh

Isaiah 55

New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah 55

Invitation to the Thirsty

 ¹ “Come, all you who are thirsty,
   come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
   come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
   without money and without cost.
² Why spend money on what is not bread,
   and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
   and you will delight in the richest of fare.
³ Give ear and come to me;
   listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
   my faithful love promised to David.
⁴ See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
   a ruler and commander of the peoples.
⁵ Surely you will summon nations you know not,
   and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the LORD your God,
   the Holy One of Israel,
   for he has endowed you with splendor.”

 ⁶ Seek the LORD while he may be found;
   call on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways
   and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
   and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

 ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,”
            declares the LORD.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
   come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
   without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
   so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
   It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy
   and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
   will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
   will clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
   and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown,
   for an everlasting sign,
   that will endure forever.”

Money No Have, Money bo liao ?

MONEY NO HAVE, MONEY BO LIAO ?

Stop playing God was the most important message ever preached at Word of Life this year. The root to all evil is man trying to be god (Rom 1:28-). Forgetting about God and thinking he is able to "create". So sorry mate, creating is not in our power..that power belongs to God. When we step back and allow God to be God, then you can experience the power of salvation in Christ.

I love meditating on Scripture. Isaac dug up wells in the valley of gerar..gerar means ruminant..to meditate.  My favourite scriptures that I commit to memory is Gen 12:1-3 (God's Covenant with Abram), Psalms 23 (the Lord is my Shepherd), Isaiah 60 and 61...John 10:10- God came to bless us and bless us abundantly..and John 20:29..blessed are those that have not seen but yet believe in Jesus.! The Word bless is the greek makarios it means to be well-off. It means to have all things for together for our good..it means to be happier than before..Who is ever happy with problems sitting in our thoughts every day ? I am not ! Psalms 68 tells us God will bring those that are bound into prosperity..It also tells us God has prep-up benefits (blessings) each day for us ! God's thoughts itself towards us are good thoughts ! Best of all, I call the Supreme Christ, the Supreme GOd..Daddy !

I see many people struggle be it in ministry,business or life itself when they need more and need to be self-sufficient. God never created man to be self-sufficient in himself. God created man to be in HIs Kingdom. Only when Man are born again through the word and Filled and led by the Holy Spirit only then they enter into the Kingdom of God where there is flowing eternal abundance for you ! true riches (See Isaiah 55).

The mistake people make.."Lets see what I need to do to get more and to have more". Without a relationship with God, many will become "god". Many will make the mistake or taking their eyes of the real and true provider. This is where Churches lose anointing. This is where Christians step into the plans of the enemy and bondage.

Recently, my wife and I were so messed up with our finances. Suddenly, God's providence just ceased when it was just trickling in the past. We have chosen to live a "crazy" life by faith. Meaning we don't have salary slips. Sometimes it has been tough and challenging especially when having kids..wanting to love them and give them things...we need money ! Even now, with expansion plans for a church of 9 adults and 11 children. The church is at a size where I know who tithes and who does not ! haha

After settling utilities bills and rental..sometimes we only have enough just to buy sweets hehe..How to live a life on just RM20 per week ? At this point we have not been able to even maintain the rental of our church premise. Yet we are moved in our hearts to move out and have a house before end of July and a van for the church plus a expanding Church. I keep asking God, 9 Adults plus 11 children..why expand ? He tells, me when I obey..I will discover ! True. When I shared it with our prayer group, they too said it is time to expand. After that God begin to show me His plans. Ok we are going along..now finances ? !!!!

Lord provide !!!! In the past I've entertain many thoughts like ordinary people..to get a job, to invest, to do whatever to have MORE MONEY !!! But everytime, God shoots them down..every thing I did to make more money for church (very noble isn't it ? hahah ...not with God)..It made nothing ! I baked cupcakes ..all I got back was RM10.00 hahaha the amount I put in to buy the ingredients ! hahaha

This past 2 weeks..I had enough !I want my breakthrough. So the only way I know how..on my knees ! Every hour, I dedicated 10-15 minutes to pray. God thought me to trust Him. In trusting Him, He made me know He will do it His way..only then can He be glorified ! Ok ..I'm all in for it ! Not easy K..when you have nothing to hold on to in the natural...but I found my faith growing growing growing ! Radical prayer ...haha more like desperate prayers !

SUddenly last Thursday (30 June)..God told me that our journey in tribulations is over ! We have stood with our faith intact and our love for Christ growing..actually His love for me never ending !..My mother In- Law told Caroline on Saturday, then God told her the best He has for us is right ahead of us.  Can you believe it ! God open doors for me to preach at a fellowship in KLIUC in August and Singapore too in September !

On Friday night (1 July)..God told me that money is coming in !..True event..the next day, my sister in-law gave to Caroline RM300.00. On Sunday in Church we collected the best offering ever RM400 plus !!! After taking our guest speaker out to lunch..we were left with RM200 plus..He declined the love offering. Still not enough to pay our rental outstanding..plus my own needs are still staring me in the face..BE GONE IN JESUS NAME !

All I know was after Church on Sunday, I kept praying..God told me the night before and that day itself turn your praying to praising !..So for the whole day, I kept praising GOd...I walk by faith each step by faith...For the Lord is my tower ...wow wow wow !!!

On Monday first time ever, Rev June Yuen from Faith Methodist msg me on facebook. She told me that her church is going to support us with RM500/month until the end of 2011. WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!! I was tearing in joy when I saw the message ! 

I believe more is coming ! Jesus is my more than enough !

Why all this happened ? Because God showed me His kingdom. That is the message I must preach and will preached..but He showed me, when I take up my cross, it is not to struggle..but to take up our crosses of victory..as we give up our dead works and destiny to pick up the life giving power of God for our lives ! Christ in me the hope of glory ! When we put our hands on the plow to win the lost, God knows our heart is in the right place. ! He will bless !!! So turn your "work" into platforms to share Christ ! I agree with Christ and yield to the King of the Kingdom to declare His decree to be part of His purpose 100%.

Hahahahahahahaha ! I'm Rejoicing ! ..so from here on we need a new house, a new van and soo much more...

Go forward, and while doing that..let God lead ..Keep your eyes on Him !

You can trust in Jesus man !

Luv Edwin

Isaiah 55:1-10

 ¹ “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
      Come to the waters;
      And you who have no money,
      Come, buy and eat.
      Yes, come, buy wine and milk
      Without money and without price.
       ² Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
      And your wages for what does not satisfy?
      Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
      And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
       ³ Incline your ear, and come to Me.
      Hear, and your soul shall live;
      And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
      The sure mercies of David.
       ⁴ Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
      A leader and commander for the people.
       ⁵ Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
      And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
      Because of the LORD your God,
      And the Holy One of Israel;
      For He has glorified you.”
       ⁶ Seek the LORD while He may be found,
      Call upon Him while He is near.
       ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way,
      And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
      Let him return to the LORD,
      And He will have mercy on him;
      And to our God,
      For He will abundantly pardon.
       ⁸ “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
      Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
       ⁹ “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
      So are My ways higher than your ways,
      And My thoughts than your thoughts.

What is The Church ?

What Is the Church ? Why Go To Church ?

The Church is not the building and neither is it an organisation..the Church that Jesus refers to is every believer. In Mt 16:19 - Jesus said, I will build the church and the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. In Greek, the Church is Ekklesia...Jesus is responsible to call out a people who do not know God, to follow Him and in and and through us build His kingdom !


In Genesis 12, God called Abram out of Haran and out of Terah...Its the same call today...God wants us to get out of a life where God is not there. Get out of a life where you walk in rebellion and unbelieve - SIN. Get out of a future that is gloomy..and walk with God to a greater life !

We must allow God to work in us...only when the church worship Him and lives for Him..to be faithful worshipper and passionate witness of the kingdom ..a simple question..how many people choose to go to Church on God's Sabbath these days (Is 58). Jesus was angry with the people that defiled the church, defiled their lives..(Mt 21)..nobody could get in..the moment Jesus threw out the rubbish nonsense..and He goes back in ...you will read that the people in need started flooding the church....Its so easy to run down other churches and christians..but the only one we can really work on first..is ME...lets allow the fire of the Holy Ghost burn away the dross and sin..so that faith can rise again.

The Church represents the Kingdom of God...It is build by Christ..in His Word, In His Power (Holy Spirit), in His Character...and only then can the Church bring glory to Christ...

The Church is you and me. Lets be faithful with the little that  God puts in our hands (time, money, resources)..when we can walk through the fire and flood with our faith in tact...only then the abundance will overflow !

Be the Church and let  God build the glorious Church that shines for God. After all, the Church is the place God meets His people..As He meets us as one He also meets us as our bodies are His temple. Jesus is in You !

The Kingdom of God is not coming..it is here. (Mt 10:7)
  
The CHurch is not here to just to meet my needs, the Church is each believer in unity shinning the light of the Glory of God in a community that has lost hope..YOU ARE the CITY ON THE HILL ! so stop running down Pastors and churches..love the Church of God again ! because God loves His church !

The Church is God's plan..it takes one that God works through..then it becomes more than 1..then it keeps growing and growing and growing ! ..Don't look down on God's plan..be in God's plan ! If there's something wrong with God's church, lets begin with ME ! ME needs to die first.

Daddy's Love

^{DADDY'S LOVE
48} Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were 

under the fig tree, saw you.”
⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter^[j] you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” 

(John 1:48-50)

Nathanael was probably praying and working things out with God in the secret place - under that fig tree. He was talking with God in prayer. That's why Jesus said "I SAW You..."

Then Jesus asked Nathanael if he now believes ? If he believes, God will lead him and show him greater things. He will even see the heavens open and angels descending...Now this is the same thing Jacob saw in Genesis 28:17.

Remember Jacob was a man that had big shoes to fill namely his dad and grandpa's. Yet he was pretty sure about himself and he was ok on his own. He was on his way to find himself a wife. He sure had no desire for God at all.

It was God that revealed Himself to Jacob as He did with Nathanael. Everything begins with God first ! . God is the one that chooses to reveal Himself and that's how we have faith and miracles. That is how we get saved..when Jesus revealed Himself to us. We never sought Him, He let us know He was knocking on the doors of our hearts first. Jesus' disciples were the first to believed in Him because He revealed Himself to them first !.

There's one NAME that Jesus came to reveal to us that we often miss out quite alot. You see, God is the supreme eternal being everyone knows or tries to accept. Everyone knows the all amazing, majestic, holy God ! But one thing that God came to show us who He really is is what Jesus said in John 4:23

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (John 4:23)

That name is what reveals who God really is - OUR FATHER ! our Daddy. The Holy Spirit in us helps us to cry out ABBA FATHER...So many times we WORK so hard to get into God's presence. We pray like it is work. We try to draw out faith in our hearts to believe for a miracle we so need. But nothing is happening !!! We are casting this and that out ! why is it so hard ?

It should not, because God is not some task master..He is your daddy. Jesus broke His perfect relationship with His father on the cross for us. First time in scripture He calls His father, my God, my God why ? because He became distant because our sins are on Him..So that we can draw near and call God, PAPA !

You see, how do you come to a place of miracles where you see revelations and wonders that Jesus told Nathanael? You must believe..friends and that believe comes because. we know GOd loves ME (YOU).

You see,this is love isn't it ? That while we were still sinners Christ died for us. To Worship God (Mt 4:10) is to Fear God (Deut 6:13). To Fear God is to love Him and obey Him. Everything flows out of God's heart into yours and from then on the perfect works will come !

God as Father, wants you to draw nearer. Not just to know He is God..but to know He is daddy. Daddies are defenders, protectors, providers, source of life.

Its easier this way, your daddy's way. He loves you so.

Just like you are the kid of the President of the country. You can have access into his office like no other and right there you see his people work..in the same way, you have access into God's heart, and from there see the angels all around at work for Him and you too.

Luv Edwin

At The Wedding

AT THE WEDDING

¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

¹⁵ When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁶ Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷ At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

   ¹⁸ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ (Luke 14)

Over this years of serving the Lord and living by faith, my wife and I have experienced God providing and taking care of us. He does this through the care and love of the people He has brought into our lives..namely - our family and friends and even Church leaders that we have the privilege to cross paths with.

Sometimes we have felt like a burden to them and that's when we always cry out to God to give us our own so that we don't need to be a burden. However I've come to realised, as someone told me a long long time ago...be humble enough to receive from God.

Why? because when God blesses and provides He does it through unsuspecting sources and people. To see how much sometimes people have done for us and stood by us..I just stand in awe and so humbled by it all. Instead of complaining about who He uses, my wife and I have learn to give thanks and appreciate people more. Thank God for our parents, siblings..for people like Pastor Benedict and Betty Rajan, Pastor Wee, Pastor June and Bro Ding, for Bishop Daniels and Alicia and so many many more.

Its because of them, my wife and I can do what we do now. Its because of them I love God more today. So whenever God wants to bless you, let Him do it His way.

Luv
Edwin 22/3/11

He is God, I'm not.

^{HE IS GOD, I AM NOT
10}Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand)

 that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! 

I will be exalted in the earth! (Ps 46:10)

In this season of prayer and fasting for me, God is doing delivering me from self. I suppose so many times in wanting to make things happen, I've taken things into my own hands. I do pray and pray alot, but one thing I have often failed to do...that is to let Jesus be God.

When we play God or try to bear the burdens of life, we try to be God. You see we are in the flesh and weak in corruption. When we try to bear things on our own, we end up messing things up. Because we are not meant to do those things and neither do we have the power to make things happen !  God never created man to bear life. God created man to walk with Him. When man learn to walk with God, they must learn to let God go before Him. Many times we go ahead or are left behind because we want to be in CONTROL.

We fear being taken out of our comfort zones or fear and manipulating of others. Instead of empowering and loving people, we repress and destroy lives and relationships  by our effort to control - to be God. God does not control, He loves. 

Jesus never forced anybody to love Him. He loved them. He was always with the rejected like the tax collectors, forgiving the unworthy. Fellowshipping with Zaccheus. Loving us. He always was with people. How He succeeded ? He loved His Father first. Jesus is who we must be. Its because He love His father, He came to us. Because of His Father's love in Him, He loved us. He always helps people to the point they are so helped they can walk in freedom !

I've learnt to trust Him more. 

Just yesterday (18/3/11), I needed RM1,595.00 to pay for our Church renovations. Till this point, God has brought a Pastor and her husband across our path. They have given so much to lift this church up. We always think it takes many to do much..I've learnt one thing from this couple, all it takes is God !

So my wife and I prayed hard. God's presence was so strong when we were praying yesterday. God prayed through me saying we don't have to borrow and that He will provide. We will have our miracle. By evening the miracle came RM1,000.00 from this Pastor and her husband. They've already gave us RM600.00 last Sunday to do the metal gate for our Church. Now we decided to put the two together and pay off the renovations. God did this in one day !

The lesson I've learnt is..cast your cares on Him because He cares for you..once cast already..then rest ..Because God will see us through. 

Awesome ! Praise Jesus !

Luv 

Edwin.

The Power of Fasting

THE POWER OF FASTING

The power of Fasting is not in not eating or not doing some lifestyle thing. God does not desire sacrifices but obedience..obedience is not doing this instead of that. Lets discover what Fasting really is.


Pastor June Yuen shared with our church recently what Fasting actually is. The more I meditated on it and studied the Word, God showed me much much more. Isaiah 58 teaches us on what ideal fasting and sabbath really means.


If you read Matthew 25, where Jesus compared sheeps and goats and in fact most of the Gospel, you will see one thing. 

 ⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: 

to loose the chains of injustice 

   and untie the cords of the yoke, 

to set the oppressed free 

   and break every yoke?  (is 58:6)

Sheep will always have a need to be part of a body and close to its Shepherd. In John 10:16-17

¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.

 I must bring them also. 

They too will listen to my voice, 

and there shall be one flock 

and one shepherd.

 ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is

 that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.

A goat is like the prodigal son and like the one that received the 1 talent and very much like the people that fast by afflicting their hungry stomachs and forgotten about mercy. We do not serve God for the sake of profit or self-enrichment neither is it to be richer or smarter or stronger. He did not give His only begotten Son so that we can do whatever we want and go wherever we want. 

Adam and Eve took and ate a fruit from the tree that they were not suppose to do. They like lucifer, disobeyed because they wanted to be like God or even be God. Creation cannot control the Creator. Neither can creation be worshipped as the creator.

It is because we are mere human beings. When we die, we become dust. When we pass on from this world, whatever we had before cannot be brought to wherever we go. Whatever or whoever we are on earth, matters nought on earth. That's why Jesus said, without HIM, we are nothing.

Yet Christ showed us one thing (see John 10:15)..which is also said in Isaiah 58 and also in Matthew 25:45 

¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and 

I know the Father—and I lay down 

my life for the sheep. (John 10:15)

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, 

whatever you did not do for

 one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

The Gospel and who Jesus is and what Jesus does for mankind is God love in us and thru us to love people. You see Jesus goes to the lonely, the broken, the rejected, the one who sits alone,. He laid His life down in obedience to God because God thru His Son wants to tell the world, HE LOVES YOU.

So Fasting like everything else that God wants us to do..which is the message of the Cross - the Great Commandments of God (Mt 22:37-40). Love God and Love People. 

Fasting is not to just deny ourselves of food and to look so super religious. Fasting takes you out of yourself and into what God see. God see the end of this world and the return of His Son, the first fruit over all that love Him. Fasting is us telling God, I will not eat meaning God I am man. I must obey my master. I am not God. God you be God ! isn't that awesome truth.

Remember the Holy Spirit cannot take you into the Kingdom of heaven, if you are full of yourself. We die to self daily.

When you face problems you cannot overcome, don't go and try to solve it by getting another job..by borrowing money, by getting yourself deeper and deeper into messes. Pray ! pray that you cannot do anything about this, but you want God to intervene. Then rest don't try to help God. Then you will see God open doors and make the impossible possible for you !

Let Him be the Shepherd of your life today.

Be Blessed

Luv Edwin

TSUNAMI

 Tsunami 2006

Way back in August 2006, when I was closing the metal gate of our newly rented premise for our Church, I was electrocuted. To cut the long story short, there was a power leakage that infact short circuited and damanged electrical appliances of our neighbor above our shop. It broke my left shoulder blade. I knew I would have died but somehow, I believe till today God intervened. 


Anyways, my thoughts immediately that following week was where to have church services after this as we decided to return to that shop was dangerous. The owner could not give us a guarantee that the problem was rectified properly. So in much pain and difficulty...the thought of giving-up the Church work did cross my mind as we were facing some difficult challenges up to this point too.


It was when one afternoon that I was praying and seeking God for a word, that was when He drop the word TSUNAMI into my spirit. I asked God what He meant. Suddenly it was like a quick lesson on what a Tsunami is. In the natural Tsunami brings untold destruction wherever it hits and untold lost of lives. It was not a good things.


But God then said, the Tsunami He is going to bring will not bring destruction..but it will bring GOOD change and LASTING change. With that word I believed, God was talking about the Church work we were doing is going to see GOOD growth. So we continued. In fact I shared that revelation with our members in the service at Tropical Inn ..the service we did immediately after the electrocution.


This week after the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami...I remembered that word God gave me. When I was on Facebook this week...I read a blog update by this Evangelist - Shyju Matthew..it intrigued me because of this Title - Holy Spirit Tsunami. When I read it, I got the shock of my life.


Word for word, it was literally what God said to me in 2006 !!! ..Then I tot it was a word for our church work..but over the past weeks..with visiting Pastors coming to our church..I believe that word is not just for us..but it is what God is going to do..A final REVIVAL HARVEST of souls before the end time events unfold ? ..but all I know is, with every new generation...GOd always does something awesome ..so that that generation WILL HEAR the GOSPEL.


I believe Word of Life Church, JB (our church)..is going to be a strong end time ministry. And I believe it will not just be a local ministry but an international one. And I believe and know, just like all other God's works today, the Tsunami that God is going to bring soon will be a great move of GOd thru the workings of the Holy Spirit for all of God's body.


So exciting to be living in the end times..where truth that was foretold..is unveiled for the final time.


Check out Pastor Shyju Matthew's article.


Luv
Edwin Koh
17/3/11

POWER OF 1

 <sup>POWER OF 1

8</sup>And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

 ⁹And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

⁸And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

 ⁹And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen 2:8-9,17)

 I shared this sermon yesterday (6/3/11) in Church. It came so suddenly and truely a revelation as I was reading through Malachi 3 and 4 especially on tithing and offerings. God showed me something else and tot I shud share the highlights of the Power of 1.


As I was reading through Malachi 3:8-10...I know tithing is 1/10 or 10%  of our income. Suddenly God was telling me about the 1 hour of prayer that Jesus said to His disciples to do at the Garden of Gethsamene. But the  consequences are there if we don't. If you don't tithe, and don't pray for 1 hour, the consequences are what we have to face. With every law there's are boundaries. Basically the boundary stops us from crossing over to take what the devil failed to do be life God.


Suddenly God took me back to Adam and Eve. He told them to not take the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ..(it was a good tree)...but what is God trying to get at ? It lies in what I call the POWER OF 1.


The tithes, the 1 hour of prayer, the 1 tree of the knowledge of good and evil even our 1 life that belongs to Jesus...belongs to HIM !. You and I belong to Him.


You see tithes teaches us to obey Him. Usually people have issues with tithing its because they have no confidence in a God that can provide. 


One day Jesus (Mt 4) was walking along the shore, He saw the fishermen..He knew they worked  hard but caught nothing. He decided to step into their boats and teach them to fish. When the fishermen saw their nets overflowing and breaking with tonnes of fish, their eyes were open to Jesus Christ. They followed Him, because He could do more than they could ever do.


Tithing, prayer is about our trust in Him. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil really is a wisdom and the mind of God. Only God knows what is right and wrong..Only God knows what is good and what is evil. Only God knows what tomorrow will bring.  Jesus saw the fishermen forward..as in the Book of Acts extending His Kingdom throughout the world. He didn't see them as failed fishermen..He saw them as increasingly fruitful and effective because they positioned themselves in Him.


The power of 1 is a reminder and a gauge of the quality of our devotion and relationship with God. You see many always try to do good works and to do right works. Yet Righteousness in God is right believing and right standing. It is only in abiding and devoted relationship..that the fruits of that relationship is the right works can come to past. Depend on the Holy Spirit and not what is right or wrong (Romans 8:1-2)...there's no more condemnation in Jesus.


So stop taking what belongs to God..and start planting yourself in prayer to love God more..and let God work more in your life. God will bring change and blessings into your life !


with luv,
Edwin Koh

Difference Between Grace and Guilt

Difference Between Grace and Guilt

Its something God just said to me while reading a status of a Pastor on facebook. When we based our live on the Law (the last 3/5 of the Commandments)...alone and forget that the mercy giver is on the mercy seat above it, we based our faith on performance and not relationship. There's no grace in performance / works. There's only grace in relationship because JESUS IS not your healer..but your healing..not your provider, but your provisions (providence)..not the giver but IS.
 

The Gospel is the Gospel of Grace..not judgment and guilt. Jesus never made us feel bad about our mistakes and He never sowed guilt into our lives (Romans 8:1). Perfect love covers a multitude of sins..I always believe, if that's how God behaves, we too much behave that way..if God calls us into prayer all the time, it shows He loves spending time with people ..etc..so we too must love spending time with people and not be afraid of them. ..you see if we love out of condition (phileo)..then the agape (unconditional) love of God is not in us...How often when someone hurts us, we want to prove them wrong ? or someone made a mistake, we keep on harping on that mistake hoping that person GETS IT..

esp parents with kids (I know I got 2 boys). Nagging changes nobody.

Can you imagine God picked on every mistake we made ? on the other hand He did not. He loved us inspite of (Romans 5:5). Keeps on forgiving us today.

Grace is all about being in Him..not working to get more of Him. Thank God He did not picked on us. So being Christians (little Christ), that's how we shud behave too. I think Rom 13, love does not harp on past issues (keeps records)..Yah..I hope this helps.