Update from Israel

Stefan’s Comment: The LORD Our God is Mighty
59:1 “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” (NKJ)
I would like to take the time in this weeks comment to encourage you. Despite the difficult situation that we here in Israel are in, the Lord is still mighty and mighty to save. As you all know Israel has been at war with the Hamas for the past three weeks almost. As of now Israel and the IDF has been doing an outstanding job and has achieved great accomplishments. Our soldiers, who truly are the salt of the earth and mighty men of valour, have been giving all that they have in the defence of this nation and for that they are to be honoured. Even though the majority of them do not know their God and Saviour, they are still fighting for Him against the powers of darkness.

However, none of these accomplishments would have been achieved had it not been for the Lord’s might and outstretched arm. We must realise and never forget that we are like a vapour, like a piece of grass, one minute we are here and the next we are gone. Nothing that we do can be achieved without the approval and help of our Lord. As we see in many stories involving Israel in the Bible, it was the Lord who gave the enemy into the hand of Israel. In fact, I think that such was the case in every battle that Israel won. When ever the Lord did not go before them they lost the battle. Joshua, Gideon, David, Asa, and Jehoshaphat are only a few examples of how the Lord subdued their enemies before them. But we must remember that it is ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts (Zech 4:6). To God it does not matter how many soldiers there are, how many bombs we have or don’t have, when the Lord fights for someone they will win no matter what stands in their way. Such I believe has been the case over the past couple of weeks.

Keren and I have been spending time in prayer together a number times a day for our soldiers, leaders and the residents of the south. We have been praying specific requests for the situation and have been amazed to see how our prayers were answered right before our very eyes. As we have been presenting our requests before the Lord in the morning, we have been seeing the fulfilment of them on the Hebrew eight o’clock news at night. I want to share with you the exact prayers that we, and I know many others also, have been bringing before the Lord and how He has divinely answered them.
After only a couple of days into the ground operation Keren and I asked the Lord for many Hamas prisoners to be taken. This so that the IDF could retrieve real time intelligence that would assist our soldiers in neutralizing explosives charges that were planted in various places, evading ambushes set by the enemy and preventing abductions by knowing where the tunnels are during their advancement into the Gaza area. The same evening the news reported over 80 Hamas terrorist being captured by the IDF and interrogated.
As we knew that many booby traps were set and entire houses / complexes were rigged with explosives in order to set them off when the IDF soldier entered we prayed that these devices would be supernaturally neutralized. The same evening some footage was shown from inside Gaza and an intelligence officer was telling the reporter that a large group of soldiers (not sure of the exact size unit) had entered a school and stayed there for a number of hours. As they came to leave the saw that the door was rigged with explosives. As they began to look around they saw that the entire school was rigged however the explosives never went off.
As the soldiers were advancing into Gaza on Saturday night and throughout the following couple of days many were praying that the Hamas terrorist would be afraid and run away. There have been many reports of Hamas deserting their posts in fear of a confrontation with the IDF, and there have been top IDF officers who have said that the resistance that they encountered was a lot weaker than anticipated.
On this recent Saturday past we prayed that there would be great confusion and miscommunication in the ranks of Hamas. On our way to a meeting in the evening the news reported that the terrorist in charge of the Qassam and mortar firing in the city of Gaza was killed by the IDF. This was possible because he was out in the open firing a 120 MM mortar himself, and the reason for that is because many Hamas Terrorists have refused orders to come out and continue fighting so he had to go and do it himself.
We also prayed during the week that the enemy’s plans would be exposed. The same evening a Hamas map was discovered that showed the entire layout of explosives locations, sniper positions and escape routes in a certain neighbourhood.
As you see, the Lord truly hears our prayers. He has commanded us to “give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isa 62:7). The name of Israel is still despised in the nations therefore we are to keep on praying. As It is written in the opening verse and the one that follows it, the Lord hears our prayers and answers them, it is only our sin that prevents Him from hearing and from working in our midst.

It seems as though a cease fire is near. Let us continue to pray for protection, alertness and discernment for the soldiers, for wisdom and favour for Israel’s leaders and for peace and protection for the residents of the south. Let us continue to pray for confusion and fear to strike the ranks of Hamas as it is written “The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.” Ps 37:12-15 (NKJ)

Then we can stand and see how He hears and answers, for the glory of His name and so that all may know that there is a God in Israel and that He is the Redeemer of Jacob.

The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel. Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF.

Anugerah Juara Lagu TV3 ke 23

Who will win tonight? I’ll enjoy tinight’s competition since the Raja SMS is not competing… . So, enjoy the show…

Oh, here’s something that i got from the net which i want to share with all…

Below are 7 DON’Ts after meals: 
  
 * Don’t eat fruit immediately – Immediately eating fruit after meal will 
  cause stomach to be bloated with air, increasing your weight. 
 Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal. 
  
  * Don’t drink tea – Because tea leaves contains a high content of 
  acid. This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we 
  consume to be harden thus difficult to digest 
  * Don’t smoke – Experiment from expert prove that smoking a 
  cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes 
  (chances of cancer higher) 
 
  * Don’t loosen your belt – Loosening belt after meal will easily 
  cause the intestine to be twisted & blocked 
 
  * Don’t bathe – Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the 
  hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach 
  will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in 
  our stomach 
 
 * Don’t walk about – People always say that after a meal – those 
 who walk a hundred steps will live till 99. In actual fact this is not 
  true. Walking will cause the digestive system unable to absorb 
 the nutrition from the food we intake 
 
  * Don’t sleep immediately – This is dangerous. The food we intake 
 cannot be digested properly. Thus will lead to gastric & later infection 
  in our intestine if we do this habitually. Your last meal should be at 
  dusk 6pm. Anything eaten later in the evening becomes body fat.

Weather man

 

To tell the weather, go to your back door and look for the dog.

If the dog is at the door and he is wet, it’s probably raining.

But if the dog is standing there really soaking wet, it is probably raining really hard.

If the dog’s fur looks like it’s been rubbed the wrong way, it’s probably windy.

If the dog has snow on his back, it’s probably snowing.

Of course, to be able to tell the weather like this, you have to leave the dog outside all the time,

especially if you expect bad weather.

Sincerely,

The CAT

Update me

Today is Friday and its another weekend i’m really looking forward into. No reason actually. The rain is on and off. But no flood like the last few days. Yeah, i think for the 1st time in my life i saw Kuching was hit by the big flood. To me its big because this flood made my sister stranded at her office after office hour due to the water high level which prevent Mason’s honda civic to move around. The water level was about 3 feets and i was so curious BUT happy about it. I was born in Sibu and Sibu area are fond to flood. No rain but only King tide can turn Sibu into Venice (ever see Venice submerged in water??).

I still remember this one particular day, i think i was 2 years old where i was with my brother Igat sitting at the car porch under the house in Lanang Camp. Our house was built on few strong poles and it is sort like few meters above the land. I think it was engineered that way for the flood. So that morning, nearly lunch time, the rain started to poured like cats and dogs. Just within few minutes the water level reached our car porched. I was so surprised yet excited about it. So my brother picked up a dead leaf and put a few drops of hammer oil at the but of the leaf  and immediately put it down on the water and there it went as quickly forward as if it was like a boat with a horse power engine attached to it.

As a 2 years old lad, it was a magic to me and it was something extraordinaire when one does not know the law of physics at that time. This was one of the activity that we do during flood and another favourite that i could recall back was to swim in the drain in front of the house. How i did it, that i can’t imagine Eating sand? Yup, i did that too… As if my mom’s cook were horrible. Oh yea, drinking gasoline? Yup, that’s me and i was hospitalized for a night to  get my stomach cleaned.

I don’t think my nephews and my neice will have the same game like what i (we) had expereinced. Put them in the Rajang River i’m sure they’ll get drown. Not that i want that but things now a days so different. People especially parents tend to play safe.  Can’t blame them tho… But i guess i experienced more than them and i did not regreat to do all those stupid stuffs because i know one day it will turn into a story and i’ll type it on the typewritter opsss!! On the  computer and let my children know what their daddy had done when he was young.