This blog is now alive.

Stay tune!

New York, New York!

I'll be flying off to New York with Mrs Chin for our first honeymoon tomorrow!

For the next 2 weeks our schedule will be packed with sight seeing, shopping and eating! Will be going niagara falls for 2 days in-between. I can feel my wallet getting lighter as i'm typing....

The funny thing in NYC is that every shop seem to sell the white tshirt with a big "I love New York" printed on it. While I was there last year, i initially found it stupid as if in singapore you can see almost zero population wearing "I love Singapore" tshirt. After a few days later hanging out in NYC... I was a changed man... I fell in love with the place. So next time, if you are planning to go US, make sure New York is one of your destination!

I love New York! Cheers!

Probably will be going to Japan in sept with Mrs Chin again for our second honeymoon! heh heh!

vote for us!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://justwomen.asiaone.com.sg/idx_wedding_entry3.html

Photo number 69!!! vote!!

VOTEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

heh heh!

Grace personified

A beautiful song sung by ronnie at the end of service yesterday. Very beautiful indeed... This whole song can be translated into a sermon to preach the gospel. Be blessed.


"In Christ Alone"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

more wedding photos

The girls look pretty normal when this picture was taken...

But upon using the latest LK state-of-the-art enhanced revealing filter, the actual photo turns out to be horrifying. Presenting... their true faces. Guys, beware.

A rose(karris) among the thorns? heh heh ;p

more photos!

swordbearers with the newly-wed

entry into the ballroom

walking through the arc of swords

taking aim at the guy whose backside is facing us ;)


trying to hold her liquor

the magnificent helpers! Thank God for you all!

For those who missed the presentation during my wedding...

To my beautiful wife

I, Liong Kiat, according to the Word of God,
leave my father and my mother and I join myself together with you,
to be a husband to you. From this moment forward,
we shall be ONE.

Amen!

Life after marriage is indeed a different, yet wonderful feeling. Karris and I have noticed a significant step into our relationship together after the exchanged of vows. The level of commitment is no longer the same and we felt that it has became stronger since. What God has joined, let no man breaks it! Surely, I testify today that our marriage will be a testimony of many good things to come! To God be all the glory!

To all those who are getting married, do enjoy the process of planning!

Last saturday....!

Praise God for His presence during our wedding! It was really the most wonderful day that Karris and I will always remember it. I had a band of brothers who helped me and a group of sisters who helped Karris tremendously. Couldn't have done it without you guys! I will be holding a thank you dinner especially for you guys this friday in appreciation for all the hard work. Be there!

THANKS!

my new hole

BEFORE...
...AFTER!

BEFORE...
...AFTER!

AND THE KITCHEN...

This house is conveniently located next to a MRT station and amazingly you can hardly hear the train unless you are deliberating listening for a train. Both Karris and I have thought about it when we chose this unit over another new unit we saw in sembawang. The reason is simple; If we were to choose the new unit in sembawang, we would have to fork out $800+/mth over 30 years. Therefore we chose this unit, which we could easily pay the house in full over just 5 years. This unit was bought last year and the value has since risen at least $40K now. Moreover, there is only 2 of us living in the house, 5 yrs later, I'm looking forward to upgrade to a bigger hse when the kids come!

Wedding is finally coming in 2 weeks' time. finally, finally!

Mr & Mrs Chin Liong Kiat!

Only by the Blood of Lamb.

The bible teaches that there is no other way to salvation except through Jesus Christ and His grace. Not by our own works but by His death on the cross.

So what must I do in order to be saved?

You must be borned again, by receiving Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Believe that His blood had cleansed away ALL your sins, and He rose on the third day for your justification.

Are you sure Salvation is THAT simple?

The greatest things of God are often purposely kept at a level so simple that even the littliest child can take hold of it. If it's based on our works to get in to Heaven... then none of us will make it there at all. Jesus Christ was willing to pay the ultimate price to get the ultimate prize, and that is our salvation.

Am I going to Heaven if I die today?

If you are a believer and you are not sure of the answer, likely you are living on a works-based faith under the Law, not a grace-based faith. But know ye not that Jesus Christ already came to redeem the whole world from the curses of the Law 2000 yrs ago!


Jesus is the "author and finisher of our faith". It means He will author and He will finish. We have no part in authoring and finishing our own faith. What is faith? faith is grabbing hold of grace. What is grace? grace is Jesus Christ himself personified. Thank God for His grace. It certainly didn't come cheap but I got it for free. Amen!

remember the time when we just started...

Oh.. When is my love coming back? ;p

outdoor wedding photo

more photos...

Stay tune for more wedding updates...

We love, because HE first loved us.

Putting the amazing back into grace

I had lunch with one of my colleague last friday at jacks' place. He shared with me how he used to attend this mega church years back and even know how to speak in tongue on the 3rd time he visited it. However, he left the place simply because he felt he couldn't obey the 10 commandments.

My reply to him was "Who can?".

Not me, not my pastor, not a single person in my church, not a single person in the church he attended, not even the pastor to the church he attended, not even mother theresa and the catholic pope and not a single living person in this earth now!

It was for this reason Jesus Christ came 2000 years ago to redeem the world! He did not come to abolish the Law that was given, He came to fulfill each Law and at that cross, He executed that divine exchange through his death so that His righteousness becomes our righteousness! To preach the law is to bring condemnation to the people, because no one can keep the Law!

Whenever you preach the Law, you will notice people fear God and be in bondage just to keep the law. Religious people are often selective in keeping the Law. Jesus came and amplified the Law. If you break one, you break all of them. Heaven was created in such a way that not even a person with a single sin can enter! Opps, no prize for guessing where a person with sin will go then...

When you preach grace, people will draw near and worship the Lord with thanksgiving because He is good! The fact remains: we are forgiven not because of our own works but because of what Jesus has done for us! His blood washed us whiter than snow! Friend, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free! - Galatians 5:1

That's why the whole world needs Jesus, my friend. To end off... a song to share.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I'm found.

'Twas blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to feel

and grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear

the hour I first believed.

Yes, a simple yet powerful truth!

Menu upgraded!

Hi guys,

In the midst of wedding preparation, both karris and I have decided to spend a bit more money to upgrade our menu. It was originally a 9-course dinner, now it will be upgraded to a 8-course dinner + a desert buffet spread of 8 items + chocolate fountain!

More details of the menu will be out later!

hoo-ah!

despite getting older...

I still manage to obtain full 25 points (with 2.4km timing of 9.23)

praise the Lord!

in about 10 weeks more...

excited!

coming up on 16.06.07

I am so blessed to have her ;)

Honeymoon planning

Asia countries are out.

USA, Britain, France, Germany or Switzerland.

Where should I bring my love to celebrate?

For God so loved the world.

I remembered that the way to study the bible is a 3-pronged approach: read, understand, apply. While I don't dispute that this is a excellent way for believers to start reading the Word; it is milk for the babes. As you progress deeper into spiritual growth, you got to look at the essence of the passage: progressing to meat for the belly. The old testament always points to the coming of redeemer (Jesus Christ) that will redeem the sin of the world while the new testament is full of assurances that Christ has already paid our ransom in full with His shed blood.

To you who are reading this post, I really hope you have a deeper understanding that being a christian is more than being superficial on the surface. I've seen many believers who serve hard and pray hard, and I salute them for their dedication. But the bible speak of only ONE thing is needful, that is to rest at Jesus' feet and listen to His word. (disclaimer: I'm not encouraging people not to serve.) The primary focus should be on His Words, His grace and His mercy. The rest are secondary.

I appreciate all comments/discussions.

May you be blessed when you read it. To God be all the glory.

=======
Taken from http://www.bibleviews.com/gen15.html

Genesis 15 is foundational to the Christian faith. This chapter recounts God's promise to Abram of being rewarded with innumerable descendants and his questioning how this would happen. Most of the chapter deals with how God confirmed the promise by making a covenant with Abram and his descendants. God initiated this covenant, and it is the first one made with Abram.

The covenant was made during a vision Abram had with God. In this vision God told Abram to bring a three-year-old heifer, a she-goat and a ram, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon. When Abram brought them, he asked God no questions about what they represented or what to do with them; nor did Moses, the author of Genesis, explain the meaning of what was happening. God made the covenant after those Abram and the readers knew about from their culture, the well-known one used by the Chaldeans (cf. Gen. 15:7).

Following the Chaldeans' practice, Abram cut the three animals in two and stood the two halves against the walls of a trench he had earlier dug. He did not cut the birds in two. The animals' blood flowing down the trench formed a blood-path the two parties would walk down to confirm the covenant (Gen. 15:7-11).

"As the sun was going down, a deep-sleep fell on Abram, and a dread and terrifying darkness fell on him" (Gen. 15:12). The darkness was the Hebrew way of saying Abram was terrified. He knew God was going to make a covenant with him and his descendants, one that they could never keep. It involved his descendants keeping God's commandments and their 400-year journey in another land, and then going to the Promise Land.

What happened was the way Chaldeans made a covenant. By passing through the blood between the animal's bloody carcasses, the two parties promised to uphold their agreement. And if they didn't, it would cost the failing party blood; the failing party would be cut in two just like the animals were.

When the sun was down, a "smoking fire pot," a pot of smoldering coals used to start a fire (Gen 15:17; cf. 19:28; Exod. 19:18; Heb. 12:29), and a "flaming torch" (Gen. 15:7; cf. Exod. 3:2-4; II Sam. 21:17; 22:7, 9, 29; I Kings 11:36; 15:4; Ps. 27:1; 132:17; Isa. 62:1) passed through the halves of the animals. The fire pot and flaming torch signified God functioning as both parties in the covenant. The smoking fire pot represented God, and the flaming torch Jesus Christ, the light of the world. If Abram had represent himself, it would have cost his descendants blood if they violated the covenant. But with God being both parties, it would cost His Son's blood (i.e., life) if Abram's descendants failed to keep the covenant. As shown in the following references, it did cost God's Son's blood: Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; John 6:53-56; 19:34; Acts 20:28; Rom. 5:9; I Cor. 10:16; 11:25, 27; Eph. 1:7; 2:13; Col. 1:20; Heb. 9:12, 14; 20; 10:19; 12:24; 13:12, 13; I Pet. 1:2, 19; I John 1:7; 5:6, 8; Rev. 1:5; 5:9; 7:14; 12:11; 19:13.

This covenant God made with Abram in Genesis 15 is significant to Christianity because it foretells the coming of the Messiah to bring grace and truth to rectify man's failure (i.e., sins). May we all thank God for His faithfulness in redeeming us though His Son's death.

By Leland M. Haines, Northville, Michigan, and edited by Richard Polcyn, Millersburg, Ohio. March, 24, 2000.

© Copyright 2000 by Leland M. Haines, Northville, Michigan.

Places I want to visit.

Other than planning to go Israel during at the end of this year...
Someday and somehow, i will visit this place too.

The statue of Christ the redeemer at Corcovado mountain
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

One thing is needful

To sit at Jesus' feet to hear his Word.

Are you still busy serving the Lord that when you see other believers not serving, you complain to the Lord?

Are you one of those who keep urging people to serve as number 1 priority instead of sharing with him/her the Word of God?

Are you one of those who believes there must be a good proportion of Martha and Mary in the church?

Martha is no doubt a great server but to God, only one thing is needful. That is to sit at Jesus' feet to hear his Word. You will be in the best position to hear Him and know what He wants you to do. God is not a master for you to serve Him. God is the father that wants to impart every good thing into your life because you are His child. Christ must reign in your life alone. Not your works. God wants you to be like Mary, not Martha at all.

The old painted a picture of God that everyone should fear. The new has come with Christ Himself received us with an open arm when He died for our sin so that God no longer hold us accountable for our sin ever, for it was nailed to the cross and covered with His blood.

Is your sin more powerful than His blood and forgiveness? By no means. Don't let anyone teaches you that your salvation is not guaranteed because Christ has already paid your ransom in full. Even if you fall into sins, you will not fall out of His love. Here's a revelation if you haven't know: All believers still sins after receiving Christ. Be it the pastors, to the deacons, to the leaders in church and to you. That's why we need His grace everyday and where sins abound, grace much more abound!

For this reason, He came to set us free.

new year, new house.

The redemption of mankind

For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners
so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous.
- Romans 5:19

Adam's sin bought forth the sin of mankind and at that instant, God had a plan of what He will do for the redemption of mankind. He killed and made coats of skin to cover the nakedness of both Adam and Eve, to signify what was to come: The Lamb of God to be slain so that we will be clothed with His robe of righteousness.

For the blood of bulls and goats are enough to cover the sin of Israel for the entire year, presented to God by a mortal High Priest. During the annual rites, the whole nation of Israel were solely dependent on the purity of the mortal High Priest and the spotlessness of the sacrifice. When accepted, it will mean that their sins will be covered for the entire year, and it doesn't matter what they do, sins were covered.

How much more, we are now being represented by our eternal perfect High Priest, and the eternal perfect sacrifice. When Jesus' blood was shed for the eternal forgiveness of mankind, it was for eternal. But many of us wrongly believed or were wrongly taught that it was only for sins for a moment of time, making it inferior to the blood of bulls and goats.

His grace is sufficient for you and I today. Our righteous are never dependent on what we have done because it is solely His righteous on us that God accepts us today.

For this reason, He came.

Lamb of God

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

- John 1:29

Yom Kippur, known as the "Day of Atonement" to the Jews is the day when the passover lamb will be sacrificed. There are 2 goats, one as the sacrificial lamb and the other one known as Azazel (aka scapegoat). I will mention briefly on the scapegoat.

According to Jewish Law and customs, the scapegoat will have red wool tied around its horns, to be sent out into the wilderness, a symbol of the collective sins of the people (The High Priest would place his hands on its head and confess the sins of the nation, essentially laying the blame on the head of the animal). The scapegoat will be led through the temple's gate to a waiting priest whose job it was to take it to predetermined spot about ten to twelve miles away. Along the way, there were ten stations with food or drink in case the tired priest needed to break his fast. When the priest came to the final station, he pushed the goat off a cliff. Using a system of signal flags, the priest leading the animal would message back to the temple that the sins of the people were forgiven as the red wool around the goat's horns turned miraculously white.

The ritual has ceased today and it was said that after the death of Jesus, the red wool around the scapegoat's horns no longer turn white, symbolising the end of sacrificial offerings. Why? Because Jesus Christ has became our burnt offering when He was hung on the cross. Suffering the wrath of His very own Father He yelled: "I thirst!". The temple veil was torn not from the bottom up but from the top down revealing the Holy of Holies, signifying the open access into God's presence through the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus came, so that you and I are acceptable in God's eyes today. He did not come to condemn but to set us free from the curses of the Law. Nothing you can do can make Him love you more, and there's nothing that you've done will make Him close the door.

For this reason, He came.

"For Christ, our Passover lamb,
has been sacrificed."
- 1 Cor 5:7

For this season...

Come to the Father
though your gift is small
broken hearts
broken lives
He will take them all
The power of His blood
The power of His love
Everything was done
So you would come

Have you found the reason for this season yet?

Jesus Christ was not born on exactly on 25th Dec but about 2000 years ago, He did walk on this earth. He came not to condemn and evict the world for sin but to redeem, save, and rescue the world out of sin. He did not come to abolish the Laws but He came to fufill the Law so that He have the rights to redeem us. Who cares if 25th Dec is not the date of His birth? What most important is that the whole Singapore come to standstill amidst the busy fast-paced life to commorate the birth of Jesus Christ.

We are the reason why He came
He is the reason why we celebrate this season
God bless and merry Christmas!