Power to make wealth by Ivan Ho  9 May 2015 The Chinese would absolutely love this Biblical verse (Deuteronomy 8:18) as it contains the number 8: And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.Deuteronomy 8:18   God gives us the power to create wealth. We all need that power from above.The power, however, is not an anointing to make money, nor praying for wealth to fall from the sky. Rather, I believe it is the knowledge, the skills, the tools, the connections, the opportunities, the creativity to multiply the seeds He put into our hands. Just sit at home to pray for financial miracles but not take any practical actions is not going to help us. Money is just a medium for the exchange of goods and services. Money is neither good nor evil. But when man...

Familiarity can hinder breakthrough By Ivan Ho     1 May 2015   Most modern churches, when they get to certain size, tend to put people into groups according to their age, background, interests and so on, and call them “life groups” or “cell groups”. Some groups have the same people of similar backgrounds and life experiences meet together for years and years, and become so strongly bonded that they become strong “clicks”. They become so at home and familiar with each other. Little do they know, gradually they have also boxed themselves in over time, forming opinions on each other within the group, and confining others to those familiar rolls according to how they grow up seeing each other. Subconsciously, they even put a tag on you that says: “so and so, a pastor” or however they cast you. They expect you to behave like a pastor for...

Working of God’s grace By Ivan Ho   First written 26 June 2015   Paul says: “But by the grace of God, I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10) We are who we are by the grace of God, if we allow God’s grace to work in our life. Before Paul encountered Christ, his name was Saul, a totally different man. He was a well learned man going around persecuting followers of Christ until one day Jesus appeared to him saying: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9: 3-5) Since then, his life was totally transformed when he became Paul the apostle preaching the gospel of Christ. The working of God’s grace changed him into a totally different person.   Many people, though they have accepted Christ, still prefer to be the person they used to be. That is where they feel “more comfortable, more at home, more happy”. They...

Woman at the well, why? Why not? By Ivan Ho   First written 20 Jun 2015 Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well   1. The woman wasn’t a man. 2. The woman wasn’t Jewish, didn’t have the same D N A. 3. The woman wasn’t religious, wasn’t a church goer. 4. The woman wasn’t a leader, didn’t have any achievements of note. 5. The woman had a checkered history, have had many husbands in the past. 6. The woman wasn’t under authority, probably didn’t know what authority meant.   So, of all people, why did Jesus choose to speak to her?   7. The woman had one quality that many don’t have: When Jesus asked her to fetch him a drink, she RESPONDED!