City Revival Church Healing Crusade Myanmar July 2012
AIDS patient healed! from City Revival Church on Vimeo.
Excerpts from our orphanage in Yangon
Our rented orphanage in Yangon that is home to 33 children. Our goal is to educate these children so that they could be productive and independent at the age of 18. The orphanage have been constantly moving because of persecution by the neighborhood. The other reason is because most houses are built for families, not for orphanage purposes. Hence, we are raising funds to purchase a building.
Our precious orphans from Love The Children orphanage (LTChildren) eating Marks & Spencer biscuits... Yummy :)
Our top 5 students holding Smiggle pencil cases :) Press on children !
Weekly Devotion: Location, Location, Location
by Pastor Chan Chong Yew
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:3
What do early civilizations look for when they settle into a new territory? They would look for a water source or a river. They knew that if they settle next to a river, the river would bring livelihood and agriculture. The running water would irrigate their crops and cattle. It could also serve as a means of transportation downstream. If man were to prosper, he would have to look for the river and settle along its banks. The river will not look for man for it is fixed and immovable, man will have to look for it. Similarly the will of God is fixed and settled in heaven, man would have to bend his will to settle along the flow of God's will in order for him to prosper. God is sovereign, He has made plans and has set in place principles in which the world may operate. The weather may be unpredictable, it could bring rain or famine, but the river will always be a reliable supply for life. Our circumstances may change, it could be good one day, and bad on another, but as long as we search out God's will and live in it, everything will eventually be alright.
What do real estate investors look for as the first, second and the third most important criteria in a worthy real estate investment?…………. First, its the location, second, its the location and third, the location. A good piece of real estate derives its value almost entirely from its location. Everything about the real estate is about its location. Man cannot create value in the real estate apart from its location. Hence, a good piece of real estate cannot be manufactured; it can only be discovered. The real estate investor must make all effort to discover a good location. He must not be distracted by the design of the building; its peripheral features or even its price however attractive it may be. He has to be fiercely focused to search out a good location.
God has determined the flow of the river, He has predetermined where the "good locations" are. Hence, we need wisdom to discover what the will of God is. We need to understand the ways of God and obey Him. By doing so, we are like a tree planted by the "streams of water that yields its fruit and the leafs does not wither." The Psalm 1:3 also says that whatever he does will prosper. Lasting prosperity comes not from our limited ability and insights. Success comes when God reveals to us His will and when we obey Him single-mindedly. Only God knows the future, a bad location now could be a priced possession some years in the future. Whom will God reveal His will to? Apostle Paul prayed for the church, "we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects." Colossians 1:9,10. God reveals His will to anyone who is willing to trust Him and obey Him in ALL that He says. Before we set out to work, we must do all to understand the will of God. Else we may be wasting our resources and years of effort.
Jeremiah, a prophet of God in the days when Judah was about to be conquered by Babylon, was given an instruction from God to purchase a field. As war was imminent, land prices in Judah were plummeting. However, God told Jeremiah, 'For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land”’ Jeremiah 32:15. God foresaw the future of the Israel and instructed Jeremiah to purchase land. Jeremiah's family benefitted greatly from this revelation. Jeremiah not only heard God's wisdom, he is obedient and faithful to do what God said.
Tang Choon Keng (CK Tang) was born to a Presbyterian Pastor in Swatow, China at the turn of the 20th century. He went from a peddler of hand-made Swatow lace to become a $500 million dollar enterprise. After years of hard work, he made enough money to invest in a land at the corner of Orchard and Scotts roads in 1958. The site was considered a bad location as it faced the Tai San Ting Cemetery. However, he saw it as a revelation from God that this site would one day be the hotspot of a thriving commercial centre. He constructed the landmark CK Tang Department store at 310 Orchard Road at a cost of $50,000. Today, the site remained a magnificent testimony of a man after God's vision. CK Tang worked hard with God's laws as His guiding principles, he said, "Honesty is my foundation." He instituted the policy of not opening the department store on Sunday so that His staff could worship God.
We as God's people must do all to know what the will of God is before we set off. How do we receive the revelation of God's will? We must love Him with all our hearts, meditate on His laws and be faithful in all respects of our work life, family life and social life. As we plant ourselves by the river of God, we will surely prosper in all seasons of life.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:3
What do early civilizations look for when they settle into a new territory? They would look for a water source or a river. They knew that if they settle next to a river, the river would bring livelihood and agriculture. The running water would irrigate their crops and cattle. It could also serve as a means of transportation downstream. If man were to prosper, he would have to look for the river and settle along its banks. The river will not look for man for it is fixed and immovable, man will have to look for it. Similarly the will of God is fixed and settled in heaven, man would have to bend his will to settle along the flow of God's will in order for him to prosper. God is sovereign, He has made plans and has set in place principles in which the world may operate. The weather may be unpredictable, it could bring rain or famine, but the river will always be a reliable supply for life. Our circumstances may change, it could be good one day, and bad on another, but as long as we search out God's will and live in it, everything will eventually be alright.
What do real estate investors look for as the first, second and the third most important criteria in a worthy real estate investment?…………. First, its the location, second, its the location and third, the location. A good piece of real estate derives its value almost entirely from its location. Everything about the real estate is about its location. Man cannot create value in the real estate apart from its location. Hence, a good piece of real estate cannot be manufactured; it can only be discovered. The real estate investor must make all effort to discover a good location. He must not be distracted by the design of the building; its peripheral features or even its price however attractive it may be. He has to be fiercely focused to search out a good location.
God has determined the flow of the river, He has predetermined where the "good locations" are. Hence, we need wisdom to discover what the will of God is. We need to understand the ways of God and obey Him. By doing so, we are like a tree planted by the "streams of water that yields its fruit and the leafs does not wither." The Psalm 1:3 also says that whatever he does will prosper. Lasting prosperity comes not from our limited ability and insights. Success comes when God reveals to us His will and when we obey Him single-mindedly. Only God knows the future, a bad location now could be a priced possession some years in the future. Whom will God reveal His will to? Apostle Paul prayed for the church, "we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects." Colossians 1:9,10. God reveals His will to anyone who is willing to trust Him and obey Him in ALL that He says. Before we set out to work, we must do all to understand the will of God. Else we may be wasting our resources and years of effort.
Jeremiah, a prophet of God in the days when Judah was about to be conquered by Babylon, was given an instruction from God to purchase a field. As war was imminent, land prices in Judah were plummeting. However, God told Jeremiah, 'For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land”’ Jeremiah 32:15. God foresaw the future of the Israel and instructed Jeremiah to purchase land. Jeremiah's family benefitted greatly from this revelation. Jeremiah not only heard God's wisdom, he is obedient and faithful to do what God said.
Tang Choon Keng (CK Tang) was born to a Presbyterian Pastor in Swatow, China at the turn of the 20th century. He went from a peddler of hand-made Swatow lace to become a $500 million dollar enterprise. After years of hard work, he made enough money to invest in a land at the corner of Orchard and Scotts roads in 1958. The site was considered a bad location as it faced the Tai San Ting Cemetery. However, he saw it as a revelation from God that this site would one day be the hotspot of a thriving commercial centre. He constructed the landmark CK Tang Department store at 310 Orchard Road at a cost of $50,000. Today, the site remained a magnificent testimony of a man after God's vision. CK Tang worked hard with God's laws as His guiding principles, he said, "Honesty is my foundation." He instituted the policy of not opening the department store on Sunday so that His staff could worship God.
We as God's people must do all to know what the will of God is before we set off. How do we receive the revelation of God's will? We must love Him with all our hearts, meditate on His laws and be faithful in all respects of our work life, family life and social life. As we plant ourselves by the river of God, we will surely prosper in all seasons of life.
Weekly Devotion: Subduing our environment through faith and perseverance
By Chan Chong Yew
God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
Two countries residing side by side on the Korean peninsular, yet with two very different agricultural and economic conditions. During one year, South Korea had a surplus of 1.4 million tons of rice after meeting their domestic needs. That amount was exactly what their famine struck northern neighbor was short of in that very same year. The surplus of the south actually fulfilled the shortage of the north. The consistently low crop yields of the north according to an internal minister were due to factors including cold damage and famine. The question remains as to why two adjacent territories have such drastic differences in weather and agricultural conditions. The South Koreans were consistently outpacing their northern neighbor not only in their agricultural sector but in all other sectors of their economy including electronics and financial services. The reason is that the South Koreans recognized the authority of God as some 20% of their population are Christians. They believed that the authority of God to subdue and rule over the environment is theirs through faith in Jesus Christ. In Christ, believers are given the power to break the curse of poverty over their environment. Once the curse is broken, prosperity and abundance will abound through the work of boldness and perseverance.
In the verse above, God has given mankind the mandate and authority to be fruitful and multiply across the face of the earth. In other words, to create, to build, to fulfill our wildest dreams. The process includes subduing the environment and ruling over every living thing on the earth, in the sea and sky. God had made the environment such that it must first be subdued by us before it could work for us. The living things have to be ruled over before it could cooperate with mankind. The horses of the wild have to be tamed before any man could ride on it. However, because of the sin of Adam, a curse descended over the earth making it impossible to be governed. Hence, before the environment could work in man's favor, it must first be subdued by breaking the curse over it.
Sin invokes the curse of poverty and robs mankind of the authority that he needs to subdue and rule over the environment. On the day that Adam rebelled against God's laws, God said, "Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you… By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground," Genesis 2:17-19. Our sins and the sins of our forefathers resulted in a curse that descent upon our environment. God removed the curse by placing it upon His Son Jesus resulting in His death and suffering. Galatians 3:13-14 said, "Christ redeemed us from the curse that came from sin, having become a curse for us... in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the people of all nations through faith." The curse that originated from Adam's disobedience have been rendered ineffective through Christ's work and will no longer hinder God's people. How could we receive this blessing? By repentance and faith.
Repentance is about making a decision to turn away from the unrighteous deeds that first plagued Adam and walk in the ways of righteousness. Repentance does not mean one will never sin again for we are still a work in progress. Repentance is a sincere desire to turn away from evil to worship God and to love Him forever. Repentance is a mindset that continuously seeks to walk in righteousness. Faith is to agree that Jesus' work on the cross is sufficient and immediately effective in breaking the curses over my territory. Faith expresses itself in diligence and perseverance in the midst of challenges until breakthrough comes.
Our economic and business environment may seem hard and unyielding because of unrighteous dealings. Those who engaged in evil practices are falling into a curse themselves even though they may prosper for a while. As God's people persevere in righteousness and diligence, it will just be a matter of time that all things will work in our favor. The bible said in Proverbs 13:22b said, "And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous." Do not give up! For in due time, we will reap a bountiful harvest in our work.
God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
Two countries residing side by side on the Korean peninsular, yet with two very different agricultural and economic conditions. During one year, South Korea had a surplus of 1.4 million tons of rice after meeting their domestic needs. That amount was exactly what their famine struck northern neighbor was short of in that very same year. The surplus of the south actually fulfilled the shortage of the north. The consistently low crop yields of the north according to an internal minister were due to factors including cold damage and famine. The question remains as to why two adjacent territories have such drastic differences in weather and agricultural conditions. The South Koreans were consistently outpacing their northern neighbor not only in their agricultural sector but in all other sectors of their economy including electronics and financial services. The reason is that the South Koreans recognized the authority of God as some 20% of their population are Christians. They believed that the authority of God to subdue and rule over the environment is theirs through faith in Jesus Christ. In Christ, believers are given the power to break the curse of poverty over their environment. Once the curse is broken, prosperity and abundance will abound through the work of boldness and perseverance.
In the verse above, God has given mankind the mandate and authority to be fruitful and multiply across the face of the earth. In other words, to create, to build, to fulfill our wildest dreams. The process includes subduing the environment and ruling over every living thing on the earth, in the sea and sky. God had made the environment such that it must first be subdued by us before it could work for us. The living things have to be ruled over before it could cooperate with mankind. The horses of the wild have to be tamed before any man could ride on it. However, because of the sin of Adam, a curse descended over the earth making it impossible to be governed. Hence, before the environment could work in man's favor, it must first be subdued by breaking the curse over it.
Sin invokes the curse of poverty and robs mankind of the authority that he needs to subdue and rule over the environment. On the day that Adam rebelled against God's laws, God said, "Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you… By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground," Genesis 2:17-19. Our sins and the sins of our forefathers resulted in a curse that descent upon our environment. God removed the curse by placing it upon His Son Jesus resulting in His death and suffering. Galatians 3:13-14 said, "Christ redeemed us from the curse that came from sin, having become a curse for us... in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the people of all nations through faith." The curse that originated from Adam's disobedience have been rendered ineffective through Christ's work and will no longer hinder God's people. How could we receive this blessing? By repentance and faith.
Repentance is about making a decision to turn away from the unrighteous deeds that first plagued Adam and walk in the ways of righteousness. Repentance does not mean one will never sin again for we are still a work in progress. Repentance is a sincere desire to turn away from evil to worship God and to love Him forever. Repentance is a mindset that continuously seeks to walk in righteousness. Faith is to agree that Jesus' work on the cross is sufficient and immediately effective in breaking the curses over my territory. Faith expresses itself in diligence and perseverance in the midst of challenges until breakthrough comes.
Our economic and business environment may seem hard and unyielding because of unrighteous dealings. Those who engaged in evil practices are falling into a curse themselves even though they may prosper for a while. As God's people persevere in righteousness and diligence, it will just be a matter of time that all things will work in our favor. The bible said in Proverbs 13:22b said, "And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous." Do not give up! For in due time, we will reap a bountiful harvest in our work.
Weekly Devotion: An Inheritance More Precious Than Gold
By Pastor Chan Chong Yew
"to His saints God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27
Every father and mother desire to give their children inheritance. Physical wealth ranks as the most desirable inheritance that parents could give to their children. We marvel at those who were born with silver spoons and gold water taps. However, we know there are intangible inheritances that are far more precious than gold and assets. Healthy genes, wisdom, personal values, honor, authority and even citizenship are such. The richest individuals in the world; both Bill Gates and Warren Buffet couldn't agree more and donated most of their wealth to charities. Bill Gates in an interview with The Sun said, "I knew I didn't think it was a good idea to give the money to my kids." He said in another interview that he would pay for education and health issues, but his children are expected to find careers and support themselves while making a contribution to society. Bill Gates is leaving his children an inheritance worth more than money. They're learning the value of hard work and what wealth can do to enrich the world. It's like leaving with your children the Golden Goose, not just the eggs.
The true and incorruptible inheritance is the image and legacy of fathers. Hence, those who were fathers could start building an inheritance for their children by living a life of legacy and wisdom. The Bush family in the United States produced two presidents and the Lee family produced two outstanding prime ministers in Singapore. It is undeniable that intangible inheritances as mentioned are more important than tangible assets. Having said that, not all of us come from refined or comparable family backgrounds. Some families have been trapped in cycles of poverty and mediocrity for generations; such are not only poor in spirit but in material assets as well. How do such families transcend their level of debasement? In Christ, there is good news: God has given us a far better inheritance than our earthly fathers through His Son, Jesus Christ. Every child of God can now be equipped with the capabilities of God to create wealth and to achieve their highest dreams.
Our Father in heaven has given an inheritance to His children far more precious than anything in the universe; that is His own DNA. In the above verse, "the riches of the glory" refers to the inheritance of believers. This inheritance is in fact "Christ in you, the hope of glory" which means the attributes of God. In other words, God is giving us as an inheritance not only the status as a son of God but the nature of God as well. Just imagine, from now on whatever Jesus could do, you could do likewise (John 14:12). This is far more glorious and exciting than plain silver and gold. The nature of God includes His power and authority, His wisdom and character. With these attributes, life's possibilities become limitless.
How then do we obtain the inheritance of Christ's attributes? Colossians 3:1-2 said, "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." The "things above" represents the attributes of Christ, the "things below" represents fleshly pleasures. The phrase "set your mind" means being intentional in manifesting Christ's qualities in our actions and rejecting the pleasures of darkness. In the face of every challenges, we seek to be bolder and more confident than before. Keep imagining the Christ within you speaking out in truth and confidence. Always try to see things from Christ's perspective and allow His wisdom to surface in your thoughts. Do not put off thoughts that seemed foreign or impossible to you. Do not entertain impure thoughts and pleasures of the flesh. This is the mindset of God and it takes a lot of getting used to. You will soon find yourself opening the "Red Sea" like Moses, prospering with perseverance like Joseph of Egypt and doing things that you've never thought possible.
Weekly Devotion: Child-Likeness & the Kingdom
by Pastor Chan Chong Yew
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” Luke 18:17
We could almost unanimously agree that children are the most blessed. Children possess the simplicity, the boldness, the obedience that many adults lacked. Even though children don't exactly own anything, yet they seemed to possess all things. I have young nephews and nieces whom I observed gave away their Chinese New Year collections without blinking. They don't seemed to be bothered by how much they have lost, neither do they understand the value of money. They only know the love and security of their parents. It is well-known that toddlers are faster learners in swimming than adults, they are natural swimmers; they learn to float the moment they enter the water. As for skiing, they are fearless, they take to the slopes without hesitation. They are impressionable, they believe whatever their parents say and obey them. These qualities of trust, generosity, boldness and obedience are key qualities for one to experience the blessings of God continuously.
In the passage below:
15 And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. 16 But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” Luke 18:15-17
The disciples prevented the children from coming to Jesus because they felt children were not mature and well mannered enough to deserve Jesus' attention or to connect with Him. People tend to believe that only the accomplished and the wise deserve to enter the Kingdom of God. Children on the other hand do not have the concept of social status nor do they know how to express respect and reverence towards elders. Ironically, Jesus loved the children and was not offended by their childish mannerism. In fact, He went as far as to say that only those who are child-like could enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus taught that unless we have qualities like that of a child, we will not experience God's kingdom. What are these qualities? Jesus was referring to humility; which is to understand one's weaknesses and the need to depend on God. Children's means of survival are dependence and trust in their parents. They understood their own helplessness and were entirely at ease with it. It is precisely this quality of humility that attracts God and causes them to inherit the blessings of God's kingdom. A humble person is one who recognizes that his strength is not sufficient for success. He also recognizes that his knowledge is lacking however knowledgeable he may be. Hence, he sees himself as weak and simple and that he constantly goes to God for strength and wisdom. God imparts power and wisdom to him without reservation because he is humble and obedient as a child. Jesus taught that the psyche of children reflects the relationship between the parents and the child in its purest form. By observing the child's responses and interactions with his parents, we could learn deep and profound lessons of how we as grown ups should relate to God.
The kingdom of God and its prosperity is descending upon the humble today. What we have accomplished with God's given measure of strength and wisdom for the day, we give thanks in faith and leaving the results to Him. Our part is to be obedient and faithful to the work that was entrusted to us. God's part is to cause our work to bear fruit by His love and power.
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