Welcome to 2009! It's good looking back at lessons learnt, and having hope for the next year to be wiser and more mature. The central theme for myself for 2009 is this - walk with the Lord closely.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Come to the Father..
This morning this song was on my mind. And I thought it really apt since this year's Christmas theme is "The Gift"
Before the world began, You were on His mind.
And every tear you cry is precious in His eyes.
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son
Everything was done, So you would come.
Come to the Father
Though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come.
Nothing you can do could make Him love you more
And nothing that you've done could make Him close the door.
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son.
Everything was done so you would come.
Come to the Father though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come.
Everyone is spreading the message of love this Christmas. I am always amazed how God arranges things and events so people would come to Him. Yesterday my mum shared to me a testimony of how she met someone a few times and then decided to invite her to church. She didn't intend to as she wasn't very close to her but decided to anyway. And didn't expect that her son was actually the pastor of her church! My mum's (direct)pastor is the fellow student of that person's son, who is also a pastor. Hope I didn't get you confused... And the woman then reckoned God's will in her life that it was just so "coincidental" to come to the church even though she didn't accept her son's previous invitations...
Even my mum is evangelizing!
From the morning of monday onwards, my feet was really painful. I couldn't walk properly at all. It seemed like at the balls of my feet, there is a muscular pain within. Everytime I walk a step, I have to limp because if I walked normally, its really painful. I'm wondering why am I getting this when I've to go to a prayer meet later on and people were like telling me that when they see a foot reflexologist it might take a few days to weeks to heal.
Before the world began, You were on His mind.
And every tear you cry is precious in His eyes.
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son
Everything was done, So you would come.
Come to the Father
Though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come.
Nothing you can do could make Him love you more
And nothing that you've done could make Him close the door.
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son.
Everything was done so you would come.
Come to the Father though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come.
Everyone is spreading the message of love this Christmas. I am always amazed how God arranges things and events so people would come to Him. Yesterday my mum shared to me a testimony of how she met someone a few times and then decided to invite her to church. She didn't intend to as she wasn't very close to her but decided to anyway. And didn't expect that her son was actually the pastor of her church! My mum's (direct)pastor is the fellow student of that person's son, who is also a pastor. Hope I didn't get you confused... And the woman then reckoned God's will in her life that it was just so "coincidental" to come to the church even though she didn't accept her son's previous invitations...
Even my mum is evangelizing!
From the morning of monday onwards, my feet was really painful. I couldn't walk properly at all. It seemed like at the balls of my feet, there is a muscular pain within. Everytime I walk a step, I have to limp because if I walked normally, its really painful. I'm wondering why am I getting this when I've to go to a prayer meet later on and people were like telling me that when they see a foot reflexologist it might take a few days to weeks to heal.
But I was glad I still went to pray. Some Christians in the villages walked miles and they never complain. How can such a small thing stop us from going to church?
On the way back from prayer meet, Wendy was telling me she even went to church when her leg was in cast before! That's real commitment :)
The next day I went out with Karshun to get some gifts at Orchard and I am still limping haha and then someone handed me a sample of this cream "Dr Joint-Pain". I tried it before I slept and the next day it really felt so much better and by the time I was fetching my visitor, I could walk normally again! Thank God so much and thank God for the cream. Its just within 2 days!
Those with sports injuries, sisters who walk long distances and wear bad shoes, brothers who who overly exert themselves when playing sports and old folks who have joint problems may discover more about it. Free ad. The price of a 35g tube of it though, is S$22.90 at 7-11s.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
This week, there's much to thank God for...
Firstly on sunday, while in camp, Andrew gave a surprising call. He was in Jobb's birthday party and he said he has someone I would love to speak to! And indeed it was true! He got my ex-shepherd on the phone and I'm still grateful to this person (my ex shepherd) for the care and discipleship he has poured upon me while I was in NYP... What brother Andrew did was really glucose-like!
Lately there were some personnels who ORD-ed. And some of them I have built friendship bonds with through the weekend stay-ins and various times together. Initially I thought I couldn't fit in but gradually relationships were formed. Met two Christian friends and I guessed we impacted each other in some ways or another. One of them wrote to me that one of our conversations actually pulled him back from backsliding. It was a morning conversation, after breakfast, i remember. And it wasn't the kind of conversation you would like to have after breakfast and yet you were being thrusted into it ya know.. But thank God good has come out of it. Another Christian friend was from FCBC, he shared his struggles openly and we encouraged one another on. I once told him honestly before that bitterness and negativity has gotten into him. At that time, he dismiss it and didn't thought much about it but after one sunday svc, he texted every Christian in our bunk that God has spoken to me about that issue and he cried and repented. I was just so overwhelmed by his courage to do that and the desire to do what is right before the Lord. We know we will still keep one in touch...
There were other friends too who were non Christians and we hope to bring them into the sheep pen haha to meet the Shepherd. Not the butcher, lol. Some of them went teary though just weeks before they will tell you they can't wait to leave. Although, we will still look forward to a better future outside. However the friends made; I never regret to made them here. The people I know, the experiences I get, the things I've learnt etc are valuable too. When I share my share my experiences and happenings, they said its just good to experience it once. However, some things you will experience many times and at the times you dislike the most, you have the go through it... One of it is camouflaging your face. No one enjoys it. I think we'd rather put on female make-up than that cream all over our faces! The feeling, its just... indescribable.
On tuesday, I just slept on my bed with a smile..
I got gold for my IPPT earlier in the morning. Its been a while since I last ran and I wasn't confident for a gold. I just ran and by the first 50m or so, I already feel my legs becoming weak. But I just prayed to God to sustain me and thank God I was sustained throughout the run. After the run, I got cramps in my right leg.
Standing broad jump - 250cm
Shuttle run - 9.6 sec
Pull ups - 12
Sit ups - 41
2.4km - 9.40sec (5 sec to miss the gold)
On tuesday, it was also the 2nd time I prayed with a brother. He is younger than me by 2 years, a sincere and simply guy... I treat him like my sheep in camp. haha We always start by sharing what we've learnt about the Word... And each time, there's something we can learn and give to one another. This is the 2nd time and God never fail to add upon us. A freethinker was curious and came over to ask a few questions. Thereafter at 9pm, he went to watch "Xiao Niang Re" on channel 8 haha. Then a Catholic came and he shared his best friend died just last week. I got shocked because he seemed normal to me for the past week. Spiritual questions popped up and we tried to answer as best and as true to the Bible as we could. We prayed for one another. Really sense and enjoy the unity in the air - protestant and catholic.
Though the way we end off the prayer is different ya know but I think God is pleased we can gather in such a manner. As we all mature together in the Word, we all become more and more united. Whether, same church, same denomination or same division of Christianity... all will come closer to the Truth though now experientially there are still differences.
Ephesians 4:11-13
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Firstly on sunday, while in camp, Andrew gave a surprising call. He was in Jobb's birthday party and he said he has someone I would love to speak to! And indeed it was true! He got my ex-shepherd on the phone and I'm still grateful to this person (my ex shepherd) for the care and discipleship he has poured upon me while I was in NYP... What brother Andrew did was really glucose-like!
Lately there were some personnels who ORD-ed. And some of them I have built friendship bonds with through the weekend stay-ins and various times together. Initially I thought I couldn't fit in but gradually relationships were formed. Met two Christian friends and I guessed we impacted each other in some ways or another. One of them wrote to me that one of our conversations actually pulled him back from backsliding. It was a morning conversation, after breakfast, i remember. And it wasn't the kind of conversation you would like to have after breakfast and yet you were being thrusted into it ya know.. But thank God good has come out of it. Another Christian friend was from FCBC, he shared his struggles openly and we encouraged one another on. I once told him honestly before that bitterness and negativity has gotten into him. At that time, he dismiss it and didn't thought much about it but after one sunday svc, he texted every Christian in our bunk that God has spoken to me about that issue and he cried and repented. I was just so overwhelmed by his courage to do that and the desire to do what is right before the Lord. We know we will still keep one in touch...
There were other friends too who were non Christians and we hope to bring them into the sheep pen haha to meet the Shepherd. Not the butcher, lol. Some of them went teary though just weeks before they will tell you they can't wait to leave. Although, we will still look forward to a better future outside. However the friends made; I never regret to made them here. The people I know, the experiences I get, the things I've learnt etc are valuable too. When I share my share my experiences and happenings, they said its just good to experience it once. However, some things you will experience many times and at the times you dislike the most, you have the go through it... One of it is camouflaging your face. No one enjoys it. I think we'd rather put on female make-up than that cream all over our faces! The feeling, its just... indescribable.
On tuesday, I just slept on my bed with a smile..
I got gold for my IPPT earlier in the morning. Its been a while since I last ran and I wasn't confident for a gold. I just ran and by the first 50m or so, I already feel my legs becoming weak. But I just prayed to God to sustain me and thank God I was sustained throughout the run. After the run, I got cramps in my right leg.
Standing broad jump - 250cm
Shuttle run - 9.6 sec
Pull ups - 12
Sit ups - 41
2.4km - 9.40sec (5 sec to miss the gold)
On tuesday, it was also the 2nd time I prayed with a brother. He is younger than me by 2 years, a sincere and simply guy... I treat him like my sheep in camp. haha We always start by sharing what we've learnt about the Word... And each time, there's something we can learn and give to one another. This is the 2nd time and God never fail to add upon us. A freethinker was curious and came over to ask a few questions. Thereafter at 9pm, he went to watch "Xiao Niang Re" on channel 8 haha. Then a Catholic came and he shared his best friend died just last week. I got shocked because he seemed normal to me for the past week. Spiritual questions popped up and we tried to answer as best and as true to the Bible as we could. We prayed for one another. Really sense and enjoy the unity in the air - protestant and catholic.
Though the way we end off the prayer is different ya know but I think God is pleased we can gather in such a manner. As we all mature together in the Word, we all become more and more united. Whether, same church, same denomination or same division of Christianity... all will come closer to the Truth though now experientially there are still differences.
Ephesians 4:11-13
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Is it true that the songs that we hear when we were a new believer brought especially fond memories? I just bought a CD from online "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" first volume. It was a CD I remembered first bought by Daniel and Kar Shun at Life bookshop. At that time, I didn't know Life Bookshop was a Christian bookshop with many chain stores. Then KS and I were intrigued that "Christian also have bookshop ah". Now the book shop has closed down.
Then when they were buying this CD, the chicken that Daniel and KS bought from Cold Storage dropped outside Parkway Parade! But they hurriedly pick it up and continue eating haha. Then, we were as young as 13, lol.
When KS lent me the CD, then I started to appreciate the lyrics and grown a desire to worship God! The songs here are the first songs I heard from a Christian album!
I wonder does new believers today also remember in such detail their new experiences with the Lord and church friends together? I bet they will!
There are many intimate things that tie us closer to one another and to God. We are going to help all our new bros and sis to experience that too!
Then when they were buying this CD, the chicken that Daniel and KS bought from Cold Storage dropped outside Parkway Parade! But they hurriedly pick it up and continue eating haha. Then, we were as young as 13, lol.
When KS lent me the CD, then I started to appreciate the lyrics and grown a desire to worship God! The songs here are the first songs I heard from a Christian album!
I wonder does new believers today also remember in such detail their new experiences with the Lord and church friends together? I bet they will!
There are many intimate things that tie us closer to one another and to God. We are going to help all our new bros and sis to experience that too!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Vision
I am thinking about this thing called 'Vision' recently. I honestly feel a little inadequate or misfitted when I share about vision few saturdays ago. Is it because the vision have diluted?
As I survey the Bible and some real life examples of people who have vision, I think what I have now doesn't yet amount to a vision. Its probably a desire, probably something that it'll be fantastic to have but a vision is something you can see with your eyes, see it with your faith(Abraham believed his descendants will be numerous like the stars) and you will pour out your heart and life into it. A vision is really something more than just wanting to enlarge your group.
A vision should be something that we will be willing to pour our life into! Abraham believed God when God called him and he left his hometown immediately with his family, relatives and all his possessions!
Hebrews 11:8
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. "
Our vision should be God's vision, like Hope of God vision, which came from God and indeed the person believed. Now we have more churches than we ever thought we could have. But if our vision is really world vision, really God's vision, we will not stop here. We will not wanna compare with other churches or envy churches... We wanna run our own race! We should run to what God has been telling us all along - to build the church His way! Not just any standard will do.
When our vision is short of what God wants us to do, it will get stuck somewhere, some time. Some people's vision is only to get big numerically but they don't get the kind of picture that has the kind of quality, the kind that will erect and multiply into so many more. The kind that people love to go, not have to go, the kind that everyone is so committed to walking with God. When we hear of things such as people going to church because of programs that are fun, for girls, for friends... it just feels that they are missing out something so much more bigger! Wouldn't it be different to have a vision for your life that you can pour your whole life into it, like the man who sold everything to pursue God's Kingdom. Matthew 13:45-46
It will get stuck somewhere if people are not released and have the liberty to get into God's vision for the world! The question we have to ask is not how many we have now, we have to ask how many is going to stand with us on the last days! We should not focus on short term methods to grow and neglect the long term vision.
People must be growing spiritually and growing to walk with God. Only a community that is fully committed to God can change the world. The world sometimes scoff at the idea of church because they probably don't see any real value of the church or its because Christians are not setting the example to build the biblical church. That's why people's idea of church get distorted. We can't blame people.
If we are to seriously walk with God; simple humble and people who love one another and love God deeply, the kingdom of darkness will be afraid. We wanna obey Him fully. We are gentle yet aggressive. We wanna be a church that has a world vision worth giving your life for. I think that's just the ideal. Missions is a means. Going to missions trip is good and fantastic thing to see what God is doing. But if we don't have that vision, we are just looking at what God is doing in the world and peering at His exciting plan through a periscope.
Now what I'm describing is a dream, its a desire. We haven't reached the point where we give our lives to a vision. Some people may think this is fanatic but I think man has always been ideal. We can be as fanatic as the Bible allows us. People never think we can fly but the Wright brothers invented the airplane! If Jesus is real and He indeed gave us the Great Commission, why should we be acting like He is less. Jesus is worth living your life at the edge.
Now what I'm saying is a picture. Its probably cos there is the theoretical part and the exciting part in action. I am just like smelling what God is brewing but I'd really long for a specific vision that I can live for. As for all of us, let us continue to walk with God and love Him so much. Walk with Him faithfully and serve Him and you will find God reveal to you part by part and He will send you to fulfill that part of the vision that will change so many lives. God's world vision is too big for any one man to fulfill. Every one has a part to play. The stupid thing is to think we can do it without Him. God must be in the picture and it shouldn't be like just you doing your own thing, working your human way and try to by "brute force" trying to be fruitful. God should be real and alive in everything we do. Let us patiently and faithfully walk with Him, pray earnestly, learn the principles to serve Him and apply them. Amen.
As I survey the Bible and some real life examples of people who have vision, I think what I have now doesn't yet amount to a vision. Its probably a desire, probably something that it'll be fantastic to have but a vision is something you can see with your eyes, see it with your faith(Abraham believed his descendants will be numerous like the stars) and you will pour out your heart and life into it. A vision is really something more than just wanting to enlarge your group.
A vision should be something that we will be willing to pour our life into! Abraham believed God when God called him and he left his hometown immediately with his family, relatives and all his possessions!
Hebrews 11:8
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. "
Our vision should be God's vision, like Hope of God vision, which came from God and indeed the person believed. Now we have more churches than we ever thought we could have. But if our vision is really world vision, really God's vision, we will not stop here. We will not wanna compare with other churches or envy churches... We wanna run our own race! We should run to what God has been telling us all along - to build the church His way! Not just any standard will do.
When our vision is short of what God wants us to do, it will get stuck somewhere, some time. Some people's vision is only to get big numerically but they don't get the kind of picture that has the kind of quality, the kind that will erect and multiply into so many more. The kind that people love to go, not have to go, the kind that everyone is so committed to walking with God. When we hear of things such as people going to church because of programs that are fun, for girls, for friends... it just feels that they are missing out something so much more bigger! Wouldn't it be different to have a vision for your life that you can pour your whole life into it, like the man who sold everything to pursue God's Kingdom. Matthew 13:45-46
It will get stuck somewhere if people are not released and have the liberty to get into God's vision for the world! The question we have to ask is not how many we have now, we have to ask how many is going to stand with us on the last days! We should not focus on short term methods to grow and neglect the long term vision.
People must be growing spiritually and growing to walk with God. Only a community that is fully committed to God can change the world. The world sometimes scoff at the idea of church because they probably don't see any real value of the church or its because Christians are not setting the example to build the biblical church. That's why people's idea of church get distorted. We can't blame people.
If we are to seriously walk with God; simple humble and people who love one another and love God deeply, the kingdom of darkness will be afraid. We wanna obey Him fully. We are gentle yet aggressive. We wanna be a church that has a world vision worth giving your life for. I think that's just the ideal. Missions is a means. Going to missions trip is good and fantastic thing to see what God is doing. But if we don't have that vision, we are just looking at what God is doing in the world and peering at His exciting plan through a periscope.
Now what I'm describing is a dream, its a desire. We haven't reached the point where we give our lives to a vision. Some people may think this is fanatic but I think man has always been ideal. We can be as fanatic as the Bible allows us. People never think we can fly but the Wright brothers invented the airplane! If Jesus is real and He indeed gave us the Great Commission, why should we be acting like He is less. Jesus is worth living your life at the edge.
Now what I'm saying is a picture. Its probably cos there is the theoretical part and the exciting part in action. I am just like smelling what God is brewing but I'd really long for a specific vision that I can live for. As for all of us, let us continue to walk with God and love Him so much. Walk with Him faithfully and serve Him and you will find God reveal to you part by part and He will send you to fulfill that part of the vision that will change so many lives. God's world vision is too big for any one man to fulfill. Every one has a part to play. The stupid thing is to think we can do it without Him. God must be in the picture and it shouldn't be like just you doing your own thing, working your human way and try to by "brute force" trying to be fruitful. God should be real and alive in everything we do. Let us patiently and faithfully walk with Him, pray earnestly, learn the principles to serve Him and apply them. Amen.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Good Shepherd, Bad Shepherd
Am currently listening to "A Pastoral Church" mp3 which I bought in Thailand. Learnt loads about being a good shepherd and bad shepherd. At one end, is Jesus the Good shepherd and the other, bad shepherds can become like the "devil" which destroys other people. There's such a great mantle in being a good shepherd because we love God and we love His flock.
We may not be like Jesus, nor are we like some bad shepherds in the Bible who lie, deceive and leads the sheep astray by taking advantage of them. But we may be somewhere in the middle and has many weaknesses that needs to be changed so that we will not lead our sheeps astray unintentionally!
Having a shepherding system in the church posesses some risks but also many benefits. We need to screen people so that there will not have bad shepherds that destroys God's flock. I realise that if we are too used to just tell people the things to do but by not telling from the Word of God, it is easy to lead people astray. We are also to not lead them our way, but God's way. People who lead their sheeps just their own way is prone to just meet their own agenda, for own benefit and self glory. There is so much to learn from the Great Shepherd - God our shepherd!
In Psalm 23, how King David soaks himself in the arms of His shepherd..
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Let us desire to be a great example to our flocks. It may seem we fall really short of God's idea of a Good Shepherd, but with dilligence and spirit of a shepherd, I believe the shepherd's heart will flow down.
We may not be like Jesus, nor are we like some bad shepherds in the Bible who lie, deceive and leads the sheep astray by taking advantage of them. But we may be somewhere in the middle and has many weaknesses that needs to be changed so that we will not lead our sheeps astray unintentionally!
Having a shepherding system in the church posesses some risks but also many benefits. We need to screen people so that there will not have bad shepherds that destroys God's flock. I realise that if we are too used to just tell people the things to do but by not telling from the Word of God, it is easy to lead people astray. We are also to not lead them our way, but God's way. People who lead their sheeps just their own way is prone to just meet their own agenda, for own benefit and self glory. There is so much to learn from the Great Shepherd - God our shepherd!
In Psalm 23, how King David soaks himself in the arms of His shepherd..
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Let us desire to be a great example to our flocks. It may seem we fall really short of God's idea of a Good Shepherd, but with dilligence and spirit of a shepherd, I believe the shepherd's heart will flow down.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Movie, late NIGHT, Math & Relationship
During the weekdays of last week, I think quite a number of people fell sick. I was one of them, and I know a couple of friends were, Weikang was one of them too.
I went to buy the tickets with Joy for the DMM movie outing for birthday boy Weihong in the morning. Its a math problem about the tix, I thought there is gonna be 8 people in total for DMM but there's 9 actually (I didn't count myself!). But while thinking it was 8 only and 1 person wouldn't come so it ought to be 7 tix, I still wanted to order 8. But this doesn't seem to make sense, so there's a mini "commotion" happening about 7 or 8 tix at the tickets counter for a couple of seconds and when I looked up the ticketeers' face at the end, it looks kinda weird. It was funny thinking back.
But it was settled in the end, thankfully, 9 people were able to watch movie "Body of Lies" together which stars Weihong's fav actor Leonardo Dicaprio. I'm glad Guan Quan, Yiyou as well as Stephen joined us. During the show, I was actually quite impressed with both Russell and Leonardo's acting style. Leonardo's acting here reminds me of "Blood Diamond" while Russell's performance didn't drift too much away from the way he talks and acts in "A Beautiful Mind". These two are fabulous shows. "Body of Lies" however is a show that probably there's nothing much to ponder or think about after it.
The show ended late and I reached Si-Han's home at 4.15am. Thank God he woke up to open the door. But I couldn't sleep till like 5am though I yawned a few times in the bus. In the morning, we watched The Simpsons season 8 together, beginning to like this cartoon. Its rather ironic, political and sarcastic. I find it doesn't really state any values. Its like merely "laughing" at say, the condition of homosexuals, the way people treat the environment, the way people always laugh at others' mistakes and all that... creative stuff, that sets you thinking.
I think I like this sort of stuff, that's why my fav Jay Chou songs are those with a meaning or lesson behind such as the one on terracing rice fields, family violence...
Relating with people...
Yeah I do think that sometimes what I say sounds kinda "misleading" to those who may not know me. Can't give examples here because they are in Chinese!! Like someone said "everyone relates with one another differently". One skill we need to learn through our life is how to relate with people better. This dawned upon me that we may not relate or rub each other the right way all the time including your future spouse! What more our friends and sheeps and family members! But as the Bible says what is stored in our hearts will come out in our speech and I believe also in the little things we do, character is a huge part of our ability to relate with one another.
Unclean thoughts, envy, jealousy, fear, bitterness, hatred, selfishness, rebellion, lies; all these things spoils relationship. It breaks trust and it also breaks God's heart. That's why to be a love and fellowshipping church, its impossible if everyone is not moving forward in their relationship with God first. People do certain things that has "presentational" value in relating at times. However to relate long term and deeper, we need more than that.
Was just speaking with Chris a while ago, as we were discussing things, we encouraged one another to love and walk with God ever more closely. Sometimes this emphasis disappears when we get busy. When we lead people we forget to take direction from God the true Master and Leader.
So do we find that we need God? This question is for the new believers in faith, for the mature believers who are in church for some time, and for leaders (shepherds to pastors).
If we find that we need God in our life (the degree that you need water for living), what difference will our activity, our dependency on Him be?
It can be head knowledge but do we act like we need God? A symptom that we feel we do not need God as much is that we do not pray. There is a few kinds of way to respond when we go through problem and difficulty.
1. is the kind that gets discouraged and drift further away from God, they find no point seeking Him. 2. the kind that gets overly anxious and starts to seek God like mad but when problems go away, they turn mild in their relationship with Him. 3. the kind that hopes and trusts in Him, very steady, as steady as before. just remain strong but never fall. 4. still hopes and trusts in God but draw closer to God even more and from there the relationship advanced further.
This is by experience and I have responded the above 4 before. I really wanna know I need God in my life like never before. Things will be different if we are people who seeks Him like never before! We should not be Christians who just think we need God for salvation. We need God for EVERYTHING!
God is someone we gotta seek as the greatest treasure in our life!
A quote by an intellectual atheist who believed in Jesus eventually.
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.
-C.S. Lewis-
There's not an option open for us to ignore Jesus as whether God or devil. There's no option (extremely speaking) that for those who come to believe in Him, to act like He is less than who He is, in the role and importance in various aspects of our lives.
Philippians 3:10
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul wanted to know God so much more, and loved Him by willing to go through so much hardship and he find it worthwhile to be "in the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings" this way.
I went to buy the tickets with Joy for the DMM movie outing for birthday boy Weihong in the morning. Its a math problem about the tix, I thought there is gonna be 8 people in total for DMM but there's 9 actually (I didn't count myself!). But while thinking it was 8 only and 1 person wouldn't come so it ought to be 7 tix, I still wanted to order 8. But this doesn't seem to make sense, so there's a mini "commotion" happening about 7 or 8 tix at the tickets counter for a couple of seconds and when I looked up the ticketeers' face at the end, it looks kinda weird. It was funny thinking back.
But it was settled in the end, thankfully, 9 people were able to watch movie "Body of Lies" together which stars Weihong's fav actor Leonardo Dicaprio. I'm glad Guan Quan, Yiyou as well as Stephen joined us. During the show, I was actually quite impressed with both Russell and Leonardo's acting style. Leonardo's acting here reminds me of "Blood Diamond" while Russell's performance didn't drift too much away from the way he talks and acts in "A Beautiful Mind". These two are fabulous shows. "Body of Lies" however is a show that probably there's nothing much to ponder or think about after it.
The show ended late and I reached Si-Han's home at 4.15am. Thank God he woke up to open the door. But I couldn't sleep till like 5am though I yawned a few times in the bus. In the morning, we watched The Simpsons season 8 together, beginning to like this cartoon. Its rather ironic, political and sarcastic. I find it doesn't really state any values. Its like merely "laughing" at say, the condition of homosexuals, the way people treat the environment, the way people always laugh at others' mistakes and all that... creative stuff, that sets you thinking.
I think I like this sort of stuff, that's why my fav Jay Chou songs are those with a meaning or lesson behind such as the one on terracing rice fields, family violence...
Relating with people...
Yeah I do think that sometimes what I say sounds kinda "misleading" to those who may not know me. Can't give examples here because they are in Chinese!! Like someone said "everyone relates with one another differently". One skill we need to learn through our life is how to relate with people better. This dawned upon me that we may not relate or rub each other the right way all the time including your future spouse! What more our friends and sheeps and family members! But as the Bible says what is stored in our hearts will come out in our speech and I believe also in the little things we do, character is a huge part of our ability to relate with one another.
Unclean thoughts, envy, jealousy, fear, bitterness, hatred, selfishness, rebellion, lies; all these things spoils relationship. It breaks trust and it also breaks God's heart. That's why to be a love and fellowshipping church, its impossible if everyone is not moving forward in their relationship with God first. People do certain things that has "presentational" value in relating at times. However to relate long term and deeper, we need more than that.
Was just speaking with Chris a while ago, as we were discussing things, we encouraged one another to love and walk with God ever more closely. Sometimes this emphasis disappears when we get busy. When we lead people we forget to take direction from God the true Master and Leader.
So do we find that we need God? This question is for the new believers in faith, for the mature believers who are in church for some time, and for leaders (shepherds to pastors).
If we find that we need God in our life (the degree that you need water for living), what difference will our activity, our dependency on Him be?
It can be head knowledge but do we act like we need God? A symptom that we feel we do not need God as much is that we do not pray. There is a few kinds of way to respond when we go through problem and difficulty.
1. is the kind that gets discouraged and drift further away from God, they find no point seeking Him. 2. the kind that gets overly anxious and starts to seek God like mad but when problems go away, they turn mild in their relationship with Him. 3. the kind that hopes and trusts in Him, very steady, as steady as before. just remain strong but never fall. 4. still hopes and trusts in God but draw closer to God even more and from there the relationship advanced further.
This is by experience and I have responded the above 4 before. I really wanna know I need God in my life like never before. Things will be different if we are people who seeks Him like never before! We should not be Christians who just think we need God for salvation. We need God for EVERYTHING!
God is someone we gotta seek as the greatest treasure in our life!
A quote by an intellectual atheist who believed in Jesus eventually.
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.
-C.S. Lewis-
There's not an option open for us to ignore Jesus as whether God or devil. There's no option (extremely speaking) that for those who come to believe in Him, to act like He is less than who He is, in the role and importance in various aspects of our lives.
Philippians 3:10
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul wanted to know God so much more, and loved Him by willing to go through so much hardship and he find it worthwhile to be "in the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings" this way.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Love over success
Not too long ago, I person I admire very much, faced a defeat in an election, that I believed meant alot to him. His life has been lived in such a way that he had always wanted to change his nation Thailand for the better.
Yesterday as I was worshipping God in service, a sister came to my mind, and God used this sister's perseverance and love for the people in the area she is serving in, to remind me of what success is.
We are called to love first and foremost. Without love, everything we do is meaningless. I'm sure with love, we wouldn't mind too much about not getting elected or appreciated. We may get disappointed. But we still get up. It may be called "Messiahnic complex" that we get so selfless as we understand from the love God shown to us.
Yesterday as I was worshipping God in service, a sister came to my mind, and God used this sister's perseverance and love for the people in the area she is serving in, to remind me of what success is.
We are called to love first and foremost. Without love, everything we do is meaningless. I'm sure with love, we wouldn't mind too much about not getting elected or appreciated. We may get disappointed. But we still get up. It may be called "Messiahnic complex" that we get so selfless as we understand from the love God shown to us.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Never Lookin Back
I have mused about this for a few days and its really refreshing to know of how single minded we should be about pursuing God and running in opposite direction of sins.
1. In terms of sin, we must not look back.
The first person that we may know (chronologically if we read the Bible) is Lot's wife.
Gen 19:26
But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
God was destroying the sinful city. The angel warned repeatedly to run and keep running without looking back but Lot's wife did not heed to this instruction and became a pillar of salt instead. (this is not salt and light btw haha).
I think God is trying to tell us not to have any second thoughts of going back to sin. We mustn't treat sin lightly. We must hate it like how God hates it.
Matthew 18:8
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
This verse is not literal or else all of Jesus' disciples would be crippled and handicapped personnels already. But this shows the intensity of how we should hate and turn away from sin. Sin must be cut off completely. We need to repent immediately.
2. In terms of vision, we must not look back
Over here, there are 2 person's life we can learn about not looking back - Paul and David.
Paul says in Pulippians 3:7-14
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
This is very on-the-go spirit! Perhaps one day when we are 50 years old or when we retire or when we are "considered successful" or have attained many things already, we may be tempted to look back and just admire our work and say to ourselves "hmmm I've achieved pretty much already its time to relax..."
If our life is just working hard to look forward to retirement, life would be so boring! My dad was just sharing to me that some of his friends retire and die within 3 years of retirement because they may be too bored. What is there to do when you retire?
In Christendom and in serving God, there's no such thing as retirement! Life will be so boring and meaningless to just want to retire. How many retired people are truly living fulfilled lives? But we never rest till we really is sitting in heaven.
Paul is able to do so much because he knows that his work is not finished as long as he is on earth. But he'd really prefer to die to meet Jesus. He will serve God and the people till he is taken away from them. What a life sold out to Jesus Christ!
Philippians 1:21-26
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
He doesn't retire. He doesn't stop just because he's achieved so much. He could well stop serving much earlier. Paul planted more churches than all the other apostles combined! We can really learn of his servant like example that our lives is to live for Christ and if we give it all, what right do we have to decide to withdraw after our "service term" ends? There's no retirement and CPFs in the Kingdom of God.
David in 2 Samuel 24:1-17
What David did was probably a moment out of pride to just sit back and admire his achievements, but he forgot about the promises of God that it could be much more he could have witnessed than if he were to choose to count it.
This does not signify we don't do stats or count sheeps. But I think its the thought that we exalt ourselves and of pride, that is wrong. David realised that in verse 10
10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."
Have you heard of what Obama did when he knew that all the national polls have placed him in a very favourable position to win? (I don't know if he will be a good president but he certainly is good at campaigning) Newspapers here used the word "rebuke" to describe his speech to his supporters that they might be complacent and lose the momentum of the campaign. They must never think they are gonna win UNLESS they finally won. No relaxing at any last moment. Excellence and dilligence till the utmost for God.
Have you ever done so much preparations for something, maybe an exam or something, and then near the end, you are brimming with confidence that you've prepared much better than most people. When the results came, you were disappointed. You could have worked harder, its within your reach and your capability. But you lost it, for a moment of pride and complacency. That is the tortoise and hare story that we've learned. If you think like that hare, someone is gonna overtake you. In the Christian context, it might be that you missed out on God's best.
There are many powerful people or leaders who left because of temporal things, which is rather foolish... Nothing should cause us to leave God or the church cause of such things.
Psalm 119:9
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
Luke 9:62
62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
1. In terms of sin, we must not look back.
The first person that we may know (chronologically if we read the Bible) is Lot's wife.
Gen 19:26
But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
God was destroying the sinful city. The angel warned repeatedly to run and keep running without looking back but Lot's wife did not heed to this instruction and became a pillar of salt instead. (this is not salt and light btw haha).
I think God is trying to tell us not to have any second thoughts of going back to sin. We mustn't treat sin lightly. We must hate it like how God hates it.
Matthew 18:8
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
This verse is not literal or else all of Jesus' disciples would be crippled and handicapped personnels already. But this shows the intensity of how we should hate and turn away from sin. Sin must be cut off completely. We need to repent immediately.
2. In terms of vision, we must not look back
Over here, there are 2 person's life we can learn about not looking back - Paul and David.
Paul says in Pulippians 3:7-14
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
This is very on-the-go spirit! Perhaps one day when we are 50 years old or when we retire or when we are "considered successful" or have attained many things already, we may be tempted to look back and just admire our work and say to ourselves "hmmm I've achieved pretty much already its time to relax..."
If our life is just working hard to look forward to retirement, life would be so boring! My dad was just sharing to me that some of his friends retire and die within 3 years of retirement because they may be too bored. What is there to do when you retire?
In Christendom and in serving God, there's no such thing as retirement! Life will be so boring and meaningless to just want to retire. How many retired people are truly living fulfilled lives? But we never rest till we really is sitting in heaven.
Paul is able to do so much because he knows that his work is not finished as long as he is on earth. But he'd really prefer to die to meet Jesus. He will serve God and the people till he is taken away from them. What a life sold out to Jesus Christ!
Philippians 1:21-26
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
He doesn't retire. He doesn't stop just because he's achieved so much. He could well stop serving much earlier. Paul planted more churches than all the other apostles combined! We can really learn of his servant like example that our lives is to live for Christ and if we give it all, what right do we have to decide to withdraw after our "service term" ends? There's no retirement and CPFs in the Kingdom of God.
David in 2 Samuel 24:1-17
What David did was probably a moment out of pride to just sit back and admire his achievements, but he forgot about the promises of God that it could be much more he could have witnessed than if he were to choose to count it.
This does not signify we don't do stats or count sheeps. But I think its the thought that we exalt ourselves and of pride, that is wrong. David realised that in verse 10
10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."
Have you heard of what Obama did when he knew that all the national polls have placed him in a very favourable position to win? (I don't know if he will be a good president but he certainly is good at campaigning) Newspapers here used the word "rebuke" to describe his speech to his supporters that they might be complacent and lose the momentum of the campaign. They must never think they are gonna win UNLESS they finally won. No relaxing at any last moment. Excellence and dilligence till the utmost for God.
Have you ever done so much preparations for something, maybe an exam or something, and then near the end, you are brimming with confidence that you've prepared much better than most people. When the results came, you were disappointed. You could have worked harder, its within your reach and your capability. But you lost it, for a moment of pride and complacency. That is the tortoise and hare story that we've learned. If you think like that hare, someone is gonna overtake you. In the Christian context, it might be that you missed out on God's best.
There are many powerful people or leaders who left because of temporal things, which is rather foolish... Nothing should cause us to leave God or the church cause of such things.
Psalm 119:9
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
Luke 9:62
62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Monday, November 3, 2008
James Hudson Taylor III's testimony of the growth of Christianity in China. "The officials in China have gathered together and say "when we persecute them, they grow. Now we don't want to persecute them anymore" "
Haha. Cool right. Christianity grew the most during the times of persecution. It don't make sense, but the Gospel and Christianity is indeed different from other religion, which grew more under persecution. We must never stop preaching the Word, proclaiming His death and resurrection.
James H. Taylor III is the great grand son of James Hudson Taylor. Who looks like...
Haha. Cool right. Christianity grew the most during the times of persecution. It don't make sense, but the Gospel and Christianity is indeed different from other religion, which grew more under persecution. We must never stop preaching the Word, proclaiming His death and resurrection.
James H. Taylor III is the great grand son of James Hudson Taylor. Who looks like...
I find that mothers do play a really HUGE part in shaping their children's spiritual life as well as their service for God when they grow up. Hudson Taylor's story showed about father/men's insensitivity of their kids especially emotionally or what they are thinking as a child. Whereas the mother understood what was going on in young Taylor's mind when he was losing his faith in God. The mother secretly prayed... and one day Taylor received a tract explaining the meaning of the Gospel. (He had been attending church all his life without understanding!) He was thrilled and gave his life to Jesus that day after the great "revelation" being explained. This story of his has a certain similarity to GFA (Gospel For Asia) founder of how his mom prayed for one of her sons to be a missionary and indeed he became one but he also sent out and train many missionaries.
As we all know, he is the famous Christian missionary to China. He is considered one great man who opened the doors of China by being sensitive to the culture (contextualization) and also carrying out systematic plans to evangelise to the whole nation of China.
David Livingstone is a famous missionary to Africa. There are many great stories about him. He is one of the first few pioneers to do missionary work in Africa. He attended the University of Glasgow which is one I'm applying for.
"Perhaps one of the most popular national heroes of the late-nineteenth century in Victorian Britain, Livingstone had a mythic status, which operated on a number of interconnected levels: that of Protestant missionary martyr, that of working-class "rags to riches" inspirational story, that of scientific investigator and explorer, that of imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader and advocate of commercial empire.
His fame as an explorer helped drive forward the obsession with discovering the sources of the Nile River that formed the culmination of the classic period of European geographical discovery and colonial penetration of the African continent."
I haven't read much about him so far. But here's how he looks like...
These are heroes of Christianity we can read about to let us have a greater understanding of our missionary fathers. I'm sure their expeditions will have many lessons for us to learn! There are many more people such as Charler Spurgeon or C.S. Lewis or Jim Elliot whose wife is Elisabeth Elliot and many more we can read about. We need not read books of them but we can research on the net too. But of course we should read the Bible too...the life of Abraham, David, Saul, Paul, Joseph are also great people we can learn from. Haha we not only learn from the living, we learn from the dead also. Their chapters is closed but ours is not...
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