The one about the spies going into the Promised Land

Numbers 13

 ¹⁷And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:²⁷And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

 ²⁸Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

Numbers 14

 ⁶And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

 ⁷And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.

 ⁸If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

 ⁹Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 

---

Same situation, same land, same people in the land. 2 Radically different perspectives. I need to BE a Caleb/Joshua and trust in the Lord. And I need to make sure that the Lord delights in me. Whatever happens tml with the call, I will praise God.

 

Testing Email Posting

Hi jo,

this is just a post to see whether my post can be sent thru to your email. :)

The one about exasperation

Sigh. I'm so close to just giving up and wallowing in this unproductive unfruitful and unjusifiable stage of my life now. Rejection after rejection is getting to me. and I'm this close... this close... to just...

The one about finally becoming a PR of Australia

This morning i woke up and went to brush up. Weird coz i had this strange feeling while i was brushing... I suddenly had a thot... I was waiting for Visa Medical check to come back with their results.. but they were due on the 21st of june... and today's the 16th... which is weird why i suddenly thot of that... so i told myself that after brushing up, i'll go give them a call and chase them...

 

When i got back into my room, i sat down and almost immediately, an email came... this is what it said...

 

Dear Joel,  

  

We are pleased to inform you that your PR Application has been granted. Please find attached/below the grant letter from DIAC/ASPC for your reference. Please print the letter and bring it with your passport to DIAC Office (Mon-Fri 9-11am) / the Australian Embassy to evidence your visa.

 

After evidencing your visa, you can bring your passport to any medicare office to apply for your permanent medicare card.

 

On behalf of YNJ Migration Consultants, we would like to congratulate you on the granting of your Australian Permanent Residence visa and wish you all the best for your future in Australia

 

If you need any assistance in purchasing a property in the future, we have some real estate/property agents who may be able to assist you.

 

We would also like to thank you for using YNJ Migration Consultants services in obtaining your Australian PR. Please contact us should you have further queries.

 

Regards,

Yapit Japoetra MMIA

 

Awesome right? I was really shocked and didn't have time to really let it sink in coz just there and then, my agent Yapit called me to congratulate me. :) awesome amazing stuff!!! Praise God!!! I was really quite worried coz they were gonna start their quota again on the 1st of july... which means they won't process my application again till the quota is met... and already on paper, the agents are only supposed to have processed applications submitted before 1st jan... but for some reason, my immigration officer went past the 1st jan date and processed mine [which was lodged in like feb/mar]... so praise God... really can feel God's hand in this and thank God that despite the wait and the scare, my medical results came back early AND an immigration officer looked upon my case again and granted it to me!!! :) Praise God!

The one about leaders

So, there's an issue that weighs heavily on my heart today. It's about leaders. I speak mainly about leaders in a christian organisation. And I hope this isn't taken the wrong way so I'm gonna state it right out, I'm not talking about me. :)

I think a lot of the people who do read this have, in one period of their life, been under Christian Leadership. I think it's something that few speak of... Not that it's taboo, more like unnecessary almost. People assume that leaders are always doing great and that they're always spiritually strong and able to hold the fort. I believe this to be true as well, for most of the time. However, I think we sometimes fail to remember that leaders are human as well. We forget that they too struggle thru meeting God's standard, with their own sin, with their family, with their work or school work. And lo and behold, they too get discouraged and broken from time to time.

I want to emphasize that this isn't a cry for help, but more like a plea for people to look around them, to be sensitive to those around them and to extend the hand of fellowship, encouragement and love even if there might not be a visible need for it. A lot of leaders hide how they really are. This could be coz they need to be strong for their members or pride on their side. Whichever it is, I think we, as members of the flock that God entrusted to them, should always pray for our leaders and to thank them for their service and encourage them to keep serving God.

So my fellow brethren, I urge you, implore you, to give before being asked, love before being loved and serve before receiving. Remind them of Christ's love that they have so readily dished out to and for us. Where there is no vision, the people perish, proverbs speaks of the need for vision... But I think the ones that give us that vision need to be sustained as well. Let us be the aaron and hur to our moses. Let us hold their arms up while they serve the Lord and win the battle.

God bless one and all.

The one about officially being on Optus

So it's official, I jus removed my inactive 3 mobile sim card not 5 minutes ago and I'm officially with Optus now. :)

and did I mention? I now have unlimited smses. :) oh joy.

The one where I'm mobile blogging

So I'm jus using my new Samsung GALAXY S2 to blog and see if I wanna keep mobile blogging. It'll be a good way to keep updated and also kills time while on the tram or sumthing.

Yep, pretty straight forward interface. I like.

The One about not getting that job

Over the past week, God has really shown me patience, shown me how to have patience and also how to have faith and trust in Him. I was waiting on the results of an assessment day from a company and department within that company that i was 100% first choice in my books... i thot i did well and all but to sum it up, i got a call yesterday and in some components, i didn't make the cut and therefore, wasn't allowed to continue to the next stage of recruitment. i told God before that if i get it, i praise Him, if i dun get it, i praise Him.. and so i was dead-set on keeping that promise.

It took quite a bit out of me to swallow the 'bad' news and to know that God has the best for me and that I might not know what's best for me... and to humbly sumbit myself and my future to His Almighty hand... but yeh, it was a very good lesson on personal growth, trust in God and submission... :)

Now, i will keep trying and keep trusting for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. :) Amen.

The One about the Challenge to be a Watchman in God's calling in your life

 

Just thot I'd share my devotion with you today... felt it was quite a cool reminder that no matter where we are, we're called to spread God's word... :) cool stuff. May it encourage and challenge you today!

 

The Watchman   Ezekiel was called to be a prophet after being taken captive to Babylon. Since the beginning of his ministry Ezekiel knew his path would be difficult; he knew the people would not be receptive to his message; "The people to whom I {God} am sending you are obstinate and stubborn" (Ezekiel 2:4). And yet, from the very beginning, God made it clear that Ezekiel was accountable to speak the truth.  Ezekiel 3:17-18 "I have made you a watchman; so hear the Word I speak and give them warning from Me. When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him...that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood."  God called Ezekiel and clearly gave him a message of truth that was expected to be shared; "whether they listen or fail to listen" (Ezekiel 3:11). Ezekiel was not responsible for how many people obediently followed God's Word, but he was definitely accountable for sharing the message God gave.  God's call is not just reserved for pastors, missionaries, or ministry leaders; His call goes out to each of us who hear His message of forgiveness. Yes, the world is still full of "obstinate and stubborn" people (we probably need look no further than the mirror), but God's truth is good news which can save lives and give hope - it's a truth which must be shared!  Now here's the difficult part: Sharing God's truth is not an optional part of our walk. Each of us have been called and given a mission field in which to minister; and we are each held accountable for our ministry into this field. Notice we are not accountable for the response, only for our action or inaction; "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17). Failure to respond to God's leading is sin!  What field has God called you to today? What message has He placed on your heart? There are family, friends, and coworkers who desperately need to hear the gospel message. There are people all around us who need to be encouraged to draw closer to God; encouraged to forgive and restore relationships; encouraged to live according to who they are in Christ. This is our mission field and this is our message! We must obediently share, in love, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, even if no one listens.  We are God's watchman over whatever field He provides. Let's draw near and love Him with all our heart - so close to His side that His message and direction are absolutely clear. We must proclaim His truth wherever He leads. Let's accept the responsibility, and accountability, of the watchman. Have a Christ Centered Day! Steve Troxel God's Daily Word Ministries   *****************************************************  Archive  |  Blog  |  Support   Subscribe  |  Invite  |  Feedback and Prayer    Verses of Encouragement      Find us on Facebook        Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or by invitation from friends.  Please unsubscribe if these messages are no longer desired.  We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail. Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. *****************************************************

The one about Samsung Galaxy S2 Pre-order

It's out for pre-orders on Optus!!! gasp!!! $5 on the $59 cap plan for 2 years.. or $0 fon the $79 plan... like wah. not bad, i expected it to be more expensive... the $59 cap sounds very possible to maintain... that'll be $64 per month... i'm currently paying $37 per month for much lower stuff... like half the amount of calls and 350mb internet. :S hahaha.

The Optus plan gives me unlimited texts to Aussie mobiles [which is how i would be talking to people anyways, or Whatsapp] and 2GB of data every month... and on top of that, $700 worth of calls to people.... i'm currently getting $350 worth of calls... BUT... i'm on Three... so a lot of that is free 3-to-3 calls... so a bit hard to estimate too la. :S

Half of me wants to sign on the Optus plan now and they'll AIM to deliver it by 1st June... aim to deliver... i love how they phrased it so carefully... coz we all know the CRAZY backlot that Samsung has created with the 3 million pre-orders that has been already been received before it has come to the market...

But...

It's slated to be released to the aussie public next Thursday so i can expect Three and Vodafone to start their campaigning by then... and if it's on their $59 Promo cap, that's LAGI BETTER!!! Coz that gives me $650 [yeh, $50 less than Optus] worth of calls, unlimited texts and free 3-to-3-to-Vodafone calls].... so that's good for me AND my frens who are on Vodafone... so LOGICALLY speaking, i should wait and see what Vodafone/3 offers.. THEN if it's still not good enuf to compare to the Optus one, then i'll port over to optus and i guess no one would wanna call me anymore coz i'm no longer 3... which means they have to pay for calling me. HAHA. :S

So yeh, we'll wait and see for now i think... gahhh i want want want.... been waiting SO long for this phone.

and... i still need a job to pay for it. HAHA. :)

http://www.optus.com.au/store/phone/galaxysii?sid=HAFeat3:galaxysiipreorder:OSC:MPOST:OCA:MPOST:20052011#a_selectaplan

Hillsong Conference 4

wow! What a way to end the conference. What an epic day i've had jus drinking God's word... what and amazing experience and an encouragement to me durin this time of disappointment and lack....

The evening portion of the conference can be summed up in 2 words... EPIC WORSHIP. It was jus that! Hillsong United took the evening session and I think the focus of the night portion was less on teaching but more on worship and jus praising God. I believe that Hillsong know that their gifted in worship and they went full out! :) it was packed and the sound (even though we were right at the top of the side stands) was AMAZING... The thunderous claps and foundation shaking proclaimations in people's voice was enuf to shake ur inner core and make u realize that not only is God bigger than our problems, but that we serve and worship a God not bound by sound, not bound by image or structure but a God that is pleased with our roar of sincere prayers and mega-decibal shouts of victory... He is above and beyond any church program or catch phrase, more inspiring than any bridge or chorus and more awesome than any place we can make on this earth... Our God lives and our worship to Him should be one from our hearts, not necessarily from our lips... But when u combine the two and multiply that with the number of seats and standing area of the Hi-Sense arena, then you really begin to feel what it might feel like when it says, and all of heaven rejoices... It is something i am so thankful for.

So we sang quite a few songs, some new and some classicly Hillsong... And then Pastor Casey came up again and gave a very short exhortation... Must have been like 10mins or less about how our Vision is our Future... What we focus on is where we're going... If we focus on the natural and the problems, then we'll never step into the Spiritual and the eternal...

Also, Jesus changes our Fear and Rituals into Faith and Relationship... That Jesus has taken the problems of this life, and He has overcome them... So also a reminder to set our sights on things of God and to focus on our Vision to impact our Future...

and then we had more worship and ended off with 'With Everything' and 'One Way'... And i jus let myself go with the last 2 songs... With everything was a song i blogged about before where i said the bridge jus fills me with that feeling of being in heaven and i jus lose myself in it... So when they started playing it, i couldn't be more happy... To actually experience it first hand was awesome... I've never sang like that in my life and i didn't care who was beside me or how i sounded, i jus opened up my heart to Him and gave him praise and oh my gosh... What... A... Feeling... It was like God was there... And it was good... It felt so real... I love Jesus.

And then one way.. Wahhh so shiok jus shouting it out in victory and strength knowing Jesus is that one way to God... Whoo hoo! I jus was filled with God and it was a GREAT way to end the conference. One i will not forget for a while... What an awesome day! As we were reminded today, people dun go out saying what an awesome event it was, people go out saying who an awesome God is... And it's true, if u get lost in the event, then u lose its' purpose.. To glorify God... :) so what an awesome God experience i had today and what an awesome God I serve. :)

~ Joel Tan ~
--- Sent from my E63 ---

Hillsong Conference 3

this session hasn't much to blog bout coz it was mainly a question and answer session with some of the leaders and staff... Pretty awesome time of jus hearing their heart for the ministries and all.

Got great encouragement and advice on creative ministry, youth and the like. :) awesome. Heading for a quick bite now with matt and then dinner later with frens... And then.... HILLSONGS UNITED later on... It's promised to be EPIC!

~ Joel Tan ~
--- Sent from my E63 ---

Hillsong Conference 2

Whoo Hoo! I was worried that i might not have much to blog bout coz the sermon by Brian and Bobbie Houston (one after the other, husband and wife) were quite short and all over the place... But boy was i humbled... After that, there was a presentation about The Scarlet thread which involed a video, song item, scripture intensive reading, a few more videos, a calling of faith and a tremendous reminder which ended in a Spirit filled song at the end.... But more on that LATER!!!

The sermon delivered by Brian Houston was about God being a Builder and Maker and how we should not just make things happen but we should BUILD things,.. for instance, we dun make events and acquaintances, we BUILD relationships. It's a reminder of how God is not finished with His work on this earth and nor should be stop building the kingdom of God...

Then Bobbie Houston, his wife, came up and just threw insights after insights about things God has impressed on her... About how we are like gardens that need to be tended, nutured and allowed to flourish... but also that the work and church on this earth is like a garden as well. That Paul planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase... And it's also a reminder that it's God that's the one who blesses and adds and builds to the church... As well as a whole ton of other insights she jus bulldozed thru that were like 'AMEN' to every one of them... So true..

And then there was a SICK song item that was jus jaw dropping amazing... Beautiful voice and such awesome guitar complementary plucking... Jus felt so blessed by it. so simple and no frills. Jus a light shining down on 2 high stools and lovely quietness of 'I have decided to follow Jesus'... Wonderful.

Then there was a scripture reading followed by some videos and creative videos and announcments about who we are as ADOPTED children of God, ADded to the family and ADministered to... Jus a great use of words and linking thots and ideas very well executed thru a quick rap-like script... Very good. :)

Then we went into a section about The Blood of Christ where we heard one after the other all the 30 references from the NT and it culminated after repeated drilling in of what The Blood means to us that it has saved, redeemed, restored, washed, cleansed, sanctified us and so much more... That ended with a build up straight into a song where the congregation jus rised up one after another clapping and giving praise to God and finally bursting into song... Oh my word, the atmosphere to see people young and old jus heading to the front of the stage was breath taking... I wish i could video it for you... One by one jus streaming out of their seats to the front... Goodness.. bone chilling. :)

So now, we're on our half an hour break before the3pm session... Whoo whee. Best. Conference. EVER! SO GLAD i'm here.

~ Joel Tan ~
--- Sent from my E63 ---

Hillsong Conference 1

The first message from the hillsong conference jus concluded... Oh my sky the worship was TREMENDOUSLY thrilling... Jus hearing the place roar with God's name and the feeling of all these Christians praising God's name... Really felt like a glimpse of heaven. Amazing feeling to be here worshipping.

Then Pastor Casey spoke about being annointed and living in the calling and annointing that God has called us to.... What a great Word... To remind us to live in the grace God has given us, to work and serve in the annointing that we're gifted in so we can be fully utilized and efficient and successful for God's work. It's when we try to be someone else that we fail... Also it was a reminder that we dun live successful coz of Fear and Flesh... That we sumtimes worry and are afraid to step out and step up... And also that our will and God's will sumtimes war against the Flesh... And to seek for God's grace to overcome them. To understand that His grace is sufficient for us and His strength is made perfect in our weakness... That we should always strive to honor Gos for every day, it's the 'Pain of Discipline' vs the 'Hurt of Regret' and we should always remember that Private Victory brings about Public Success. :)

So i'm just thoroughly enjoying this 'last day' conference (inside joke since there's only one day so Brian Houston was saying make this like the last day of the conference. Lolz)

And mobile blogging. I'm gonna try to do this after every session... But i'll try not to be anti social coz i won't be alone later... Frens coming. See how la. :)

Whoever u are reading this, i wish u were here.

~ Joel Tan ~
--- Sent from my E63 ---

The one about Prepping for Hillsong Conference!

Just wanted to repost this video coz it's just an awesome video and song. Everytime i hear it, chills run up and down my body and I can't help but praise God... I believe that a lot of it is due to the emotional climax they bring u to... but oh man, it's jus amazing to jus let the feeling of God's people all singing with one voice take control of u... and it just makes me long for Heaven when one day, I'll be in the multitude praising God with such an amazing volume and feeling... woo... chills.

To add to that, i can't wait for 17th May... going to the Hillsong Conference in Melb for a full day of worship and learning God's Word. :) oooo

Circle

shit. i think i need new friends. haha. :)

Oh bloody hell... time to pack my bags and move

Interesting piece of news I have chanced upon tonight...

I guess it's a call to be the better man and move. pack up my things and... seek for greener pastures... lolz. i can't go into too much detail coz i dun trust the online space... but hmmm :)

Guess I should trust my suspicions more...

 

On other news... got rejected by more job applications. :) it's becoming a norm to get rejections now.. i sumtimes dun even hope for a good result anymore when i see the mail in my gmail inbox... sigh. :) God's testing is preciously trying.... ahh.... i kinda need a good thing here... jus a bit.

Positive... stay.. positive. it's so hard sumtimes...

Faith That Works! Belgrave Heights Convention Testimony

So I wrote up a testimony for the OCF website... thot i'd plonk it here too since i DID sau i'll do a writeup... :)

Faith That Works

 

Indeed, this year's Belgrave Heights Convention theme was an assurance and a challenge at the same time. Assuring us that our faith produces works and that having the integrity and wisdom to match our actions with our words was truly something to think about as we spent close to 4 days and 3 nights up in cold but comfortable Belgrave Heights. Speaking from the Word of Proverbs and 2 Corinthians, our two God-inspired speakers Jonathan Lamb and Vaughan Roberts gave us insights and teachings from the Bible that puts our faith to the test.

 

Being a new comer to Belgrave, I was initially uncertain on whether the time spent up in Belgrave was going to be just one of fun and games with a few messages thrown in. However, I was greatly encouraged by the Word and devotions that we had undertaken as part of our time spent with Christian brothers and sisters. Honestly, one cannot ignore the fact that a lot of the reason why we, as OCFers, enjoy and look forward to Belgrave is due to the awesome and endless fellowship opportunities we have with each other. However, one can also not ignore the intense and yet bite-sized teachings we received. Having 8 teaching sermons over an average of 3 days was interestingly very easy to swallow.

 

One particular sermon that really spoke to me and challenged me was the Taming the Tongue message. I shared with the discussion group I was in that it really made me re-think a lot of the things I say and to always season my lips with salt, of course not literally that is, but to ensure that the words that leave my mouth are one to build up and not to tear down others. Even in the flippant joke, one may cause hurt that have far implicating effects that can stay with a person for a long time. The group shared about past experiences which still remain in our minds and also times we have encouraged and built up others. It's so easy to encourage and build up others, it barely costs us anything but it is as easy to tear down and discourage someone as well. With that said and done, the other sermon messages were so helpful in also picking out Wisdom-filled truths from Proverbs and also living Christian lives of integrity from 2 Corinthians.

 

I would highly encourage anyone to go for Belgrave when it swings by again next year. One thing I have regretted in these past 2+ years in OCF... Only going for Belgrave Heights Convention this year. However, don't trust me on how awesome the short camp was, go and ask others. Believe me, they will all say the same. Why? Because especially in this aspect, I have full confidence to say that I have Faith That Works!

Belgrave Heights Convention

Woah. BHC was amazing. So glad i went. i'm real tired now coz of it... so i can't blog but i do intend on blogging a post about it... but yeh, feel really convicted to really pay attention to my tongue again... to watch what i say and not be flippant about things or people.. and to think before i say anything... awesome teaching by brilliant speakers jonathan lamb and vaughen roberts. amazing.

plus the fellowship was so good! :)

Changes in my life and Belgrave

Since i last blogged, there have been major changes in my life... Needless to say, i'm adjusting to them and getting a new look on life in terms of many things... One thing I AM right now is unemployed... the job hunt is quite depressing. Sometimes i wish people would stop asking me how it's going... coz it's really honestly jus depressing to keep getting either no replies or rejection in the email... It sucks coz i wait and wait for them to reply and then my heart skips a beat when i see a new mail... whether it really is from the companies or not, that's one thing but when i DO see it's from them, i jus pray and hope... and then i say a short prayer and open the mail... and it's always been negative generic replies... I guess after one too many, it starts to get to you... it gets to me. But then i pray and thank God for the opportunity that i took to apply and jus pray for whatever else that's left...

I just gotta keep my mind positive like always. And trust. Prov... :)

Speaking about trusting and Proverbs, I thank God for my good fren who's responded to God's call... it took a while but abi's now officially a sister in Christ! :) yayyyy. haha... i'm so glad that her fervent spirit and willing heart has led her to find out more about God and seek Him. You can tell when a converted soul has found God... the genuiness and sincerity i see in her is just.. inspiring. It makes me really look at myself and question whether I can recapture that passion to follow and chase after God that i see in her. :) But here's to many years of seeking Him, learning more about Him and loving Him and others as well. :) So happy for u!

Tomolo... nay, later on today [coz it's 4am] i'm going to Belgrave... it's been 2 years that i've been in OCF and this is my first Belgrave Convention... took me long enuf and i ran out of excuses this year. hahaha. no seriously, i'm quite glad i signed up full time... i wanna claim all the chances i can get to get the word of God from inspired and inspiring speakers... and this year there are seminars regarding technology and the gospel. how cool. excited for that. :) i'm also leading a grp this year [talk bout heavy]... but i'm always glad for a chance to lead and facilitate the discussion of God's word... this time, i've got 2 co-leaders to mentor and guide... i think they'll be fine as they are. :) Rachel and Matt Tan... my grp is ruled by the Tan clan!!! haha Joel Tan, Rachel Tan, Matt Tan.. mwahhaha. :) we'll jus Tan-i-fy everyone!!! :) Speechless, yeh i know... i have that effect. :) But yeh, looking forward to Belgrave... it's gonna be a time that i try my best to catch up with people.. get my roots in and secure them with this camp. :) i have to look out for the future. :)

That said, i should sleep. :) night world. it's been too long, i apologize. but i haven't had the mood to blog for a while.. didn't really want to immortalize some stuff i was going thru. :) i'm sure u understand. mwhaah... ok let me summarize my last few months... SINGAPORE FOOD MELBOURNE SPLIT SINGAPORE GRANDMOTHER'S FUNERAL FOOD MELBOURNE JOBLESS. :) there. done. ahhahaha. :)

GOOSE KNIGHT!