Some Questions To Ask When Considering A Job

Taken from "40 Days with John Piper" - Selected readings from 'A Godward Life' - Book I & II

Pondering Vocation as Service to Christ
The freedom to choose your vocation is a historical novelty. Until recent times, if you were a son and your father was a farmer or a blacksmith or shoemaker or a baker, it was almost certain you would be too. If you were a daughter, you would almost certainly be a hardworking homemaker and partner in the home-based family business. Choices were few. And a reading like this one would have been almost unintelligible.

But today, very few sons assume that they will follow in their father's vocation. And daughters have a wide scope of career paths they can follow instead of, or alongside, a more traditional homemaking career. Not only that, mid-career changes are not unusual. Which means that the crisis of choosing a vocation happens not just once, but several times for many people.

One of the things I love to do as a pastor is sow seeds of kingdom restlessness. I picture my preaching as taking trees by the trunk and working them back and forth to loosen the roots. My idea is that this will result in the roots of people's lives going down deeper into God's will where they are, or it will result in the roots being plucked up and planted in a different calling for even greater kingdom fruitfulness. Whatever else, I don't want my people to simply drift into a job or coast along in it with little sense of calling or significance for the supremacy of God in what they do.

So I prepared some questions for them in the hopes that they would be stirred to find jobs and do their jobs, as Paul said, "not in the way of eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart" (Ephesians 6:6, RSV).

Can I earnestly do all the parts of this job "to the glory of God," that is, in a way that highlights his superior value over all other things? "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Is taking this job part of a strategy to grow in personal holiness? "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Will this job help or hinder my progress in esteeming the value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord? "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8).

Will this job result in inappropriate pressures to think or feel or act against my King, Jesus? "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men" (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Will this job help establish an overall life pattern that will yield a significant involvement in fulfilling God's great purpose of exalting Christ among all the unreached peoples of the world? "Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to My in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age'" (Matthew 28:18-20).

Will this job be worthy of my best energies? "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Will the activities and environment of this job tend to shape me, or will I be able to shape it for the Christ-magnifying purposes of God? "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

Will this job provide an occasion for me to be radically Christian so as to let my light shine for my Father's sake, or will my participation in the vision of the firm tend to snuff out my wick? "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

Does the aim of this job cohere with a growing intensity in my life to be radically, publicly, fruitfully devoted to Christ at any cost? "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34).

Will the job feel like a good investment of my life when this vapor's breath of preparation for eternity is over? "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).

Does this job fit with why I believe I was created and purchased by Christ? "Everyone who is called by My name... I have created for My glory" (Isaiah 43:7). "You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Does this job fit together with the ultimate truth that all things exist for Christ? "For by Him all... have been created through [Christ] and for Him" (Colossians 1:16).

"Home"

What are emotions,
but feeling of winds on our skin.
One moment they comfort,
and in another, they're gone.

And yet we persevere,
as climbers of this 'glorious' mountain,
as though conquerers of a great quest,
only to find ourselves confused at the peak.

From love to hate,
from joy to sorrow.
Everything seems too late,
Yet our journey is so slow.

As travellers we travel this winding path,
with emotional hearts as our compasses.
But our hearts are like wind,
taking us further from our destinations.

Yet with every great quest,
there's always a treasure, always a goal.
And only when we ask where to go,
will we find our way back home.

Ah, home sweet home,
nothing more comforting, nothing more satisfying.
Sweat as we may, and toil we shall,
but let us not stop till we're back home.

My home is heaven,
nothing less, nothing more.
To stop walking would be stupidity,
and yet to die trying is the only way.

May we continually open our ears,
to the cry that seem so distant.
The call of heaven to go home,
ah, home sweet home.

Let's gather the nations,
from the east to the west.
Let's join the cry of our pilgrimage,
the cry of our hearts.

Heaven is in my heart,
and heaven is my home.
Jesus is my lover,
and I'm his, forever.

Land for Methodist Churches

Praise God for His faithfulness to answering prayers!


Taken from The Star Paper Wednesday August 17, 2005

Land for Methodist churches

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government has approved two sites – one here and another in Pandamaran, Klang – for two Methodist churches in recognition of their good community service.

“The state government recognises the importance of faith organisations in promoting a morally-strong and caring society. Both churches have contributed well to the community,” said state executive councillor Datuk Tang See Hang, a member of the state's non-Muslim religious bodies committee.

Tang said the state recognised religious bodies as a crucial pillar in helping to maintain a strong and healthy society. However, he said, these religious bodies, numbering thousands, must understand there was not enough land to accommodate all the requests.



WISH COME TRUE: Tang (centre) handing over the letters of approval to Rev Ooi (right) and Bishop Hwa, the representatives of the two churches Tuesday.Bishop Dr Hwa Yung, from the Methodist Church, thanked the state government for allocating the 0.48ha site in Kota Kemuning, Section 31 here.

“We will support your call to fulfil the human development aspect of the Selangor Developed State 2005 agenda, where the face of faith, kindness, compassion and generosity is not lost in
the rapid physical development,” he said.

The Methodist Church’s struggle to have its own premises started over a decade ago. It had initially been granted a piece of land in Section 24 here in 1992, but the land was withdrawn by the state government three years later.

Since then, the church had been appealing for a replacement site. Tang said the Pandamaran Chinese Methodist Church was granted a 1,216 sq m piece of reserve land in Pandamaran, adding that Klang MP Datin Paduka Dr Tan Yee Kew had brought the church's appeal to his attention.

Rev Ooi Liang Hung, who accepted the approval letter yesterday, thanked the state for its generosity.

Christ in me

This thought has been lingering in my head for the past couple of days now. What Louie Giglio said in his message that was included in the "How Great Is Our God" DVD. He picked out his message from Colossians 1:27, which reads "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Louie pointed out that the Christian walk is not hard, nor difficult but rather impossible. We make promises after promises to God to "get it right" with our life. We tell God: "This will be my last time God", only to commit the very same sin we vowed to repent from. That's why many Christians lead defeated lives. We continue to walk in shame. And Louie made it clear that no sermon, gathering, conference, book, self-discipline can get us out of our bondages. No matter how sincere we were when we made that promise to God, it still doesn't cut it, because here's the point: It's not about our efforts. It never was, and never will be.

That's why this "mystery" that Paul is talking about, which even patriachs such as Abraham, Moses and David not know about it, will set us free. This mystery? Christ in us. When we start to realize that the day when we invite Christ into our hearts, we are literally inviting Him to come in to our body, this temple of the Holy Spirit, to dwell, and ultimately, to take full control of it. Louie pointed out that it is not inviting Christ into our hearts, and they try to live the Christian life. If we could that in the first place, that Christ dying on the cross would be pointless.

Anyway, instead of spilling the whole sermon out, how it affected me is that I now walk with a new confidence, that is, I put my trust not in the knowledge of Christ, nor in the identity of Christ, nor in the fact that I'm his friend but rather, I put my trust in Christ that is living in me. With this, when I walk in the world, I have Christ with me all the time, and as long as He is in me, I am a saint. Oh yes, I can still sin. No doubt about it. But sinning won't make me a sinner because I'm a saint. Just as doing good won't make a sinner a saint. However, it's Christ in me that's gonna sustain my faith, not my will power, not my discipline, and definitely not my efforts.

These 2 days has been incredible as I confessed this truth in my heart. I got stuck in a traffic jam for 1.5 hours today. Imagine after an hour and a half, and you're just 1 kilometer away from where you started. And yet, there was an incredible sense of peace in me. I didn't get agitated. I used to get annoyed pretty fast with jams, but having my music turned on and having this truth in my heart, I just took the time to praise God. I've tried doing that before, but it felt like I was "forcing" myself, but this time, it came naturally. I wonder how long this will last...

Anyhow, if you're reading this, I hope that in your own issues, trials, bondage, and sins, that you will find this truth liberating. Read and meditate the first 2 chapters of Colossians, and try to understand it. This is definitely not the "ultimate fix" for all your spiritual problems, but it's a start. I pray that in your struggles, you will ultimately find Christ as your savior.

"Jesus, I thank You that You're the Lord of all. Above my trials and fears, above my hopes and dreams, You triumph gloriously by destroying the works of the enemy with Your truth. Lord, I know that many of my brothers and sisters are going thru some difficult times right now in their spiritual walk. Many of them find themselves alone, even when you're right there with them. I pray that You will open their spiritual eyes so that they can see You in all Your glory, and have their faith and hope renewed in Your presence. Father, shower them with Your mercy. Let them know how much You love them, even in their brokenness and weaknesses. Break whatever sin that's in their lives and give them the victory that they so desperately desire. In this I pray, that Your kingdom will continue to be established in their hearts just as Your will be manisfested in their lives. In Jesus' name I ask and pray, amen."

True Love

Jason (Ah Loong): Orkid, how long do you think it takes for 2 people to fall in love?
Orkid: A minute
Jason: It took me less than that to fall in love with you...

"...You don't have to understand people to love them..."
-Sepet (2005)

"Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken"
-Tina Turner (What's Love Got To Do With It)

What is love but a word, or when it involves 2 people, many words. From the timeless portrayal of love from classics such as Romeo and Juliet or maybe even Jerry MacGuire ("..you, you complete me...") I see how at many times, love is but an expression of words. And of many words.

But love, as I believe it, has to be "more than words". Anyone can say "I love you". However, it takes more to live out that love. Poetry and songs are not sufficient to sustain love. Oh yes, it may enhance it, give is some "flava"... but to sustain it, it takes more than that. As I see it, a single act of selflessness can make up for a thousand words. But the cost for that one selfless act.. ah.. it may cost us our lives...

Even as I type right now, I know that in some corner of the world, there are thousands, if not millions of people who are going thru some trying times of figuring out what love is. In the course of wanting to be understood, many at times, we forget what it means to understand. And yet, love endures. I figured if something can be so hurting, humanity in her right mind who have at least be smart enough to stop and move on to something that's more sane. With heart brokens every minute, why is it, in spite of the tremendous emotional turmoil and grief that one has to go thru, we continue to put hope in love?

And so, love endures. As I blogged earlier, I believe love endures because this is part of "eternity". It's an essential part of eternity. Without, eternity would be meaningless. What's the point of having eternal life, alone?

Thus, humanity continues to persevere. We continue to believe in one way or another that "it is better to love and lost, than to never to have loved at all". We perpetuate in taking risks with our most precious parts of our lives, and even when the stakes are high, some of us still believe that it is worthwhile.

I believe, that loves never fail. When two people decides to break-up, that's not love failing. That's two people failing love. And I say this because God is love. Even when he saw that giving us this chance to love was like giving a 5 year old child a 20 tonne truck to drive, he took that risk, so that in all the possiblility of foul-ups and hurts, we can experience the greatest thing in this universe. And love was never meant to be understood. Just like God. We can't possibly understand God and His ways. Its not that God doesn't want us to, but we are unable in our limited and carnal mind. But He has given us enough. Enough to believe, and enough to trust that He is good, and His love is good. And more than that, that He loves us.

I believe also, that until we can experience God's love, without so much the need to "understand it", but so as much to believe it with all our hearts that God loves us, we can never truly love. We can never in our lifetime understand why God would send Christ to die for wretched people such as us. And I guess we were never meant to understand it. However, it is thru that sacrifice, that God hopes that we will believe and trust in Him, even when our eyes and understanding fails us. That to me, is true love. God knew how many would reject His precious gift, which is Christ. And yet, out of some cosmic insanity, He still saw it was worthwhile for Christ to be mocked, beaten, humiliated, broken, spat on, whipped, and finally, crucified. For us. But oh wait, I believe, that it not us that He finds worthy, for who are we. I believe however, that God found that for His love to be shown, and for the chance that it is received, the cross was still worthwhile this risk. And so, we love not because we understand, but love because we believe.

Even with books such as "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" (I've never read it though)... it may enhance our understanding, but it's not sufficient to sustain true love. Like I said, we don't love because we understand a person, but because we believe. And believe in what? Believe in hope. Believe in eternal love. Believe in the cost of eternal love. And ultimately, believe that no one is worthy of true love, but God alone, and God has commanded us even in spite of this, to love. To love like we love ourselves.

"Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all"

Created for eternity

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Here's a thought. God has set eternity in our hearts. To me, I guess what this means is that's our standard. So by right, we should not lose sleep (or worry) bout anything that has an expiry date, which, pretty much covers everything here on earth, but rather, pay more attention on eternal things.

"Lord, give me heavenly eyes to be able to see what you see, that I might not squander my time and resources on things that don't last. Help me to understand the important things in life, such as people, people and people. May my heart be gripped as much as your heart is gripped, knowing that some of them are walking on to perishing destinies, and give me courage and boldness to obey You in bringing light to them. Your kingdom come, your will be done. In Jesus' name, Amen."

"A Prayer..."

Father,

Today I thank You for another wonderful day. Thank you that I could rejoice in it, because this is the day that You've made. No matter what happens, I could still rejoice. Thank you Lord.
Lord, I ask today that You give me strength to persevere. Only You know what the hurts and wounds are in my heart. And even though I know I deserve them, yet in Your infinite mercy, I ask for Your healing. I ask for Your Spirit to come and restore my heart. Lord, forgive me. I need the blood of Jesus to come and wash me clean again. Oh Lord, please come. Come and lift me up from this miry clay. Take me and set me upon the solid ground, which is Your word. Father, in my unrighteousness and unfaithfulness, I ask for Your love that surpasses my understanding, and that peace that only you can give, to fill my life. Create in me again Oh Lord, a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me. Jesus, cast me not away from Your presence, and Lord I cry out, please do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. But instead, I ask of You to restore the joy of my salvation, and again Lord, renew a right Spirit within me.
Father, I ask You to right now lift my face. Cause Your countenance to shine upon me. I thank you Father that Your word is ever true. In Your faithfulness, Lord I can come to You and have my hope renewed and my faith restored. Thank you Jesus for making this possible by giving Yourself on the cross.
Lord, I pray now that my Spirit be set free, and cause me to not just look at myself, but instead Oh Lord, let me intercede for brothers and sisters around me and around the world. The persecution and worldly troubles that they have to face, Lord, I ask that may You continue to strengthen them! Let Your Spirit reign victoriously in their lives Lord. Cause them to look to You no matter what their situation may be. I thank you Jesus that I count on You on times like this! Thank you Jesus!
Above all Lord, I ask for Your kingdom to come and You will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you Lord! Thank you for all You've done!
Lord, You said that if I've asked, You would give me the nations as an inheritance to me. I ask now Oh Lord for the nations. I ask for more souls to be added to Your kingdom. I ask that Lord you will cause Your army to rise up and crush the work of the enemy. Thank you Jesus!
In Your will O Lord, I pray for more love in my life. May I seek to love more in this life, as how Jesus've loved all those around Him. Thank you Father for promises that I can count on!

In Jesus most precious name I pray, AMEN...

On a lighter note...

Did you guys know that "Twinkle, Twinkle little star" has the same tune as the "ABC" song? WOW!

"He Reigns" - Newsboys

It's the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It's the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God's holy fire
It's every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It's all God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns
It's all God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns

Let it rise above the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

All God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns, He reigns
All God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns, He reigns

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they've just heard
'Cause all the powers of darkness
Can't drown out a single word

When all God's children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns, He reigns
All God's children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He Reigns, He reigns

All God's people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns (hallelujah)
He Reigns (He reigns), hallelujah
All God's people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns (hallelujah)
He Reigns (He reigns), hallelujah
All God's people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns (hallelujah)
He Reigns (hallelujah…)
All God's people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns (hallelujah)
He Reigns (hallelujah…)
All God's people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns (hallelujah)
He Reigns (hallelujah…)

All God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns
All God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns
He reigns

"You Said"

"You Said" - Hillsong Australia
(Performed by Rita Springer)

You said,
Ask and you will receive
Whatever you need
You said,
Pray and I'll hear from heaven
And I'll heal your land

You said
Your glory will fill the earth
Like water the sea
You said, Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here,
the kingdom is near

You said,
Ask and I'll give the nations to you
O Lord, that's the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us

O Lord, I ask for the nations (repeat)

你是我最深愛的人 (You are my beloved)

你是我最深愛的人
Words & Music by:永邦

愛上了一個人　
能夠為她犧牲
就算付出了生命　
我甘心為了你

兩個人在一起　
分享愛的命運
永遠都不會忘記　
我們生活點滴

你是我最深愛的女人
你有最美麗的嘴唇
你擁有最動人的眼神
你帶給我幸福和快樂

我是你最深愛的男人
我的愛絕對是永恆
做什麼都值得　
愛上了一個人

Ziggy says coffee cost too much too....

"Ziggy" - Sunday, Jul 24, 2005

This must be the main reason why I stopped going for premium coffee... 

What's in a coffee?

Make a trip to Starbucks or CoffeeBean and you'll be spoiled with choices for coffee. However, I always wondered what's behind those fancy coffee names, and sometimes, I guess I'm just too proud to ask. Anyway, I've managed to get a list, and to all the proud coffee lovers, here's what your coffee's made of...

Cappuccino
1/3 Espresso
1/3 Hot Steamed Milk
1/3 Frothed Milk
Dusted with chocolate powder
(Served in a Large Porcelain cup)

Caffe Latte (Cafe Au Lait)
1/4 Espresso
3/4 Creamy Hot Milk
Topped with a delicate layer of a foamed milk

(Served in a tall, thick glass)

Espresso
A short black or standard pour.
Drawn for 15-20 seconds (50-60ml)
Presented with a rich, golden "creama"
(Served in a short glass or porcelain cup)

Vienna Coffee
A Double pour of Espresso
(Served in a tall glass or cup, topped with whipped cream)

Syrup Cappuccino
1/3 Espresso
1/3 Hot Milk
1/3 Frothed Milk
Your choice of Syrup...

Espresso Macchaito
An Espresso 'marked' or 'stained' in the center of the crem
with a dash of hot foamed milk.
(Served in a short glass or porcelain cup)

Irish Nut Latte
Irish creme and hazelnut syrup
1/4 Espresso
3/4 Hot Milk

Flat White
1/2 Porcelain cup of Espresso coffee
Topped with Hot milk

Hot Chocolate
20g of Chocolate added to 150ml of Fresh Cold Milk
Frothed with steam wand of Espresso machine to produce a rich creamy Hot Chocolate.

Mocca (Pronounce as 'Moh-kah' not 'Moh-cah'...)
1/3 Espresso and Chocolate Syrup
2/3 Frothed milk
(Served in a tall glass or cup and dusted with chocolate)

Long Black
A pour of Espresso usually extended to three quarters full.
(Served in a regular size glass or porcelain cup)

"You And Me" - Lifehouse

What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time

Cause it's you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me
And all of the people
And I don't know why,
I can't keep my eyes off of you

All of the things
That I want to say
Just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here

Cause it's you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me
And all of the people
And I don't know why,
I can't keep my eyes off of you

There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right

Cause it's you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me
And all of the people
And I don't know why,
I can't keep my eyes off of you and me
and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove

And it's you and me
And all of the people
And I don't know why,
I can't keep my eyes off of you

What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive

Peace of God

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27

These were the very words that Jesus spoke of before that fateful night of His betrayal. He knew that His time was near, and instead of being filled with fear and panic, He took the opportunity to speak words of comfort to His disciples.

Jesus spoke of the peace of God. He made it clear that this peace is different from the peace that the world gives. This made me think. What kind of peace does the world gives anyway? Not much at first thought. But suddenly, when you do take time to think more about it, there seems to be alot. From relationships to finances, to governments and political systems, and even institutions and social structures, we see how all these systems that were established for years seemed so secure in its foundation. For example, the current generation in Malaysia has no concept of how devestating war could be except from the images that the media carries. We carry this sense of security that allows us to sleep at night knowing that when we wake up tomorrow, things will remain the same as it is yesterday. We call "this" peace. But is it? As history has shown for centuries, peace in a country never lasts, no matter how strong or secure the government is. From the grandeur of Rome's government, what's left of it is only its name and some ruins. So, if a government, regardless of its size and strength, can be so fragile, what more of the systems that it tries to protects. From financial to educational institutions, all these will fall when the government crumbles.

However, it is in instances like these that Jesus mentions we can still have the peace of God. This is because no one is greater than God. He is a sure foundation. No one can move Him. And the strength and security of God, if we choose, can become our peace. For Christians, the peace of God has become something that's mundane for us because we've heard of it so many times. But until we treasure it in our hearts, it will remain just a "good idea". This peace was never meant to be just a good idea, or an option / alternative for Christian to hang on to during troubling times. Rather, it was meant to keep us steady, with our eyes fixed on Him, and our hearts and minds still filled with His purposes and will regardless of what's going on in our surrounding. It was this peace that Christ died on the cross so that by His sacrifice, it is something that we can have.

I guess the opposite of the peace of God, would be the wrath of God. Spending a week listening to John Piper preaching on this topic has opened up my eyes to another side of God - God is not only love, He is also just. And oh the price that Christ paid so that we can stand justified in the sight of God, if we only knew what it cost, we would change the way we live.

May we not treat the peace of God lightly. It's given to us so that in calm and stormy times our lives, this peace will remain our anchor that keeps us close to God.

"Lord, I thank you for this peace. I thank you that in my wretchedness, you've found favor in me thru Your Son Jesus. But may I be continually changed, and may Your peace that surpasses all understanding, keep and guard my heart in Christ Jesus. Amen."

Men are from Mars, Women are from Pulau Ketam...

Ahh... funny as it may seems, yet so true. :P

"She Will Be Loved" - Maroon 5

Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else
I drove for miles and miles
And wound up at your door
I’ve had you so many times but somehow I want more

I don’t mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get insecure
It doesn’t matter anymore
It’s not always rainbows and butterflies
It’s compromise that moves us along
My heart is full and my door’s always open
You can come anytime you want

I don’t mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved

I know where you hide
Alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Tea & Sympathy

'nuff said....

"Tea And Sympathy" - Jars Of Clay

Fare thee well
Trade in all our words for tea and sympathy
Wonder why we tried, for things that could never be
Play our hearts lament, like an unrehearsed symphony

Not intend
To leave this castle full of empty rooms
Our love the captive in the tower never rescued
And all the victory songs
Seem to be playing out of tune

But it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy
'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be

You begin
And all your words fall to the floor and break like china cups
And the waitress grabs a broom and tries to sweep them up
I reach for my tea and slowly drink in

'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy
'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy

So fare thee well
Words the bag of leaves that fill my head
I could taste the bitterness and call the waitress instead
She holds the answer, smiles and asks one teaspoon or two

Don't trade us for tea and sympathy
Don't trade us for tea and Sympathy
We can work it out
Don't trade us for tea and Sympathy
Don't trade us for tea and Sympathy
We can work it out
Don't trade us for tea and Sympathy
We can work it out

God's still on the throne (2)

It's funny how time can just pass you by like that. I guess sometimes it's interesting in the sense that though we are all in the same time and space continuum, yet, we can experience time differently.

These past few months have left me with new questions of life. It has challenged me to answer for my choices of action and speech. I guess that's important at one point or another. However, even through all the questions, and searching for truths to answer them, yet, above all, one truth remains the same, that God is still on the throne. Now, before you fill your mind with assumptions, let me explain what I'm trying to say.

Let's try with this scenario: Two persons sitting next to each other in a bus stop. The person on the left has just managed to acquire a high-paying job in a reputable company. That's all he has ever dreamt of and wanted. To him, at that point of time, there could be nothing that could top that. Next to him, sits a girl, who has just found out that her boyfriend has cheated on her. He left her after he was bored with her even though she has given everything that she could, to be with him. Here's what I'm trying to say: Same time, same place, and yet, a world of difference in their emotions. Now, let's fast forward this story to the future for say, a couple of weeks. So, two weeks later at the same bus stop, sits the same two people. However, this time, the guy found out that the guy who promised him the job was fired, and never managed to get his appointment letter done before that uneventful day. So, he lost his dream job, even before getting it. And next to him, sits the girl from 2 weeks back. However, things has turned around for her. Her boyfriend has realized his mistake and how much he misses her, and in earnestness and repentance, came back to her and ask her for another chance. Though she is reluctant, but she took the risk to give it a shot, and to her, it was a long awaited sense of relief from the hurt that she was going thru. Again, same place and time, yet their emotions differ by light years apart.
This story could continue, with the guy finding another job, and the girl getting betrayed again, and that's life. There're never any guarantees. Some people say that life's how we make of it. I guess what they mean is that the guy when lost his job could sort of "reassure" himself by saying to himself that there's always other dream jobs, and the girl could say that he don't deserve her. But we know, and time bears testimony to this, that life don't always to turn out the way we want, no matter how sincere our initial motives were, or how "good" we were in carrying out our lives.

But it is in the "hopelessness" of this "cycle of grief" that the awesomeness of God will shine. He is never moved nor shaken by any calamities or tragedies. No matter how terrible our situation maybe, He is still God. He is the God who remains in control. Nothing ever surprises Him. Nothing is too great nor too difficult for Him to handle. And here's the good news: "He is on our side."

And this is my hope. God's still on the throne. He's on my side. I didn't do anything to deserve His support or blessing, but it is in His eternal grace and mercy that I can find a place of refuge that's so secure. He's my tower and refuge, my God in whom I trust.

"Lord, more that just words, I pray that you take my heart and make it yours. In my brokenness, restore me, and let me know, that it is You, and only You, that can ever make me complete. In Jesus' name, Amen."

DiSC Profiling

The DiSC Profiling is one of the many personality test that's out in the market. One of the more widely used is the Myers-Briggs Personality test, however, it's comprehensiveness tends to turn off people as many are not to excited about filling up a hundred questions. I personally find DiSC to be more practical, and even though it is not as comprehensive as Myers-Briggs, but I find it to be eeriely accurate. Take a online test and find out what your personality is.

http://www.testsonthenet.com/disc/ww-info.htm

To those who have taken the test, why don't post your results in my comments. I've taken the test and scored a high for D and C.

For more info on DiSC, check out this link: http://www.discprofile.com/whatisdisc.htm

When silence speaks...

It's funny how sometimes silence can speak more than audible words, and even more interesting is how we ignore these "silent words". Some call these body language, but I want to call it, the language of the heart.

For some people, their heart and tongue are next to each other, but for some others, the distance is like a million miles. And these people, with the distant heart and tongue, struggle in their everyday lives to let people know what they feel. I'm beginning to feel that I'm in this category. Sometimes when I reflect on myself, I find myself speaking some stuff that didn't come from my heart. And there are times when I do try to speak from my heart, it comes up all wrong.

To make things worse, the distance of the tongue and the listener's ear is another million miles, and is another million miles from the ear to the heart. Thus, what goes out from a speaker's mouth, might not necessarily arrive correctly in the listener's heart.

What are we to do then? What am I to do?

I'm glad that in times like this, the word of God brings forth wisdom. James 1:19 says: "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." This now make greater sense to me. Everyone wants to be understood. Everybody wants their point of view taken. But very few choose to understand. Very few choose to see other's viewpoint first. And honestly, I struggle with this. I'm struggle with pride in my heart. This pride rides on the horse of arrongance, pompousness and lack of love.

But there's a way thru this. If we continue reading James, it says in verse 21: "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. " This means that I've got to trust God more than ever. Whether I can understand the situation or not, or "fix" the problem, it's not the main priority. The point that James is trying to make here is "obey God". Obey with whatever knowhow I have of Him. Even when it doesn't make sense. So, in situations where communication fails, I've got to obey God by being "quick to listen, and slow to speak" even when I feel I might have the words of solution to the issue. It's once said that you can't argue someone to the kingdom of God. I now understand that better, and by faith, take that principal to my relationships, that is, "I can't solve problems by merely words". I've got to, even when it doesn't make sense, to trust in God, that even when I have the "right" to say stuff, I should still shut up, and only speak when He asks me too. This, is my struggle.

Reading the lyrics to the song "When you say nothing at all" which was written by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet, and performed by Ronan Keating and also Alison Krauss, I really wonder whether I can ever reach to that height of communication in relationships, where words become secondary to express feelings, heart and love. I'm a man of words. But as the bible goes, it convicts my heart to tell me that words alone are not enough. And it will never be. Faith in God is what it takes. Faith that He (God) is in the process of making all things right.

"God, make me a man of few words, and the few words that I speak, may it bring hope and life to those who hears it. If it doesn't, then, shut me up for my own good. Amen."

"When You Say Nothing At All"
by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word, you can light up the dark
Try as I may, I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define
What's being said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

Confidence

It is said that the three hardest words for humans to say is "I am sorry", and probably the four hardest words for us to say is "I Could Be Wrong". The worst thing is that it is just as hard to say to ourselves as it is to say to others. This then brings me to the issue of "self-confidence". I've learned that self-confidence is needed to get thru life, as there are many out there who suffers from low self-esteem, and find difficulty in getting anything done. But self-confidence can be a stumbling block, if it is not used properly.

Most people obtain their self-confidence from truth. And these truths can come from experiences in life as well as teachings, advice, and resources from other people. Thus lies the issue of the "validity" of these truths. What if we were confident of something that is false?

Without getting into too much philosophy (meaning of truth, reality, bla bla), I've learned that the Jesus is the only truth that is unshifting. Even though we can twist and turn His words to conform to our ways, but we can't do that in sincerity of heart. And plus, if we lean on the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will have the reassurance of God in our lives. What I'm trying to say is this, that even having the "knowledge" of Christ as our confidence can be dangerous. Even with the revelation of what Christ have done for us, we could still have hearts that are not fully surrended to Him. I guess this is probably why the apostle Paul warned the early church to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling". He is not telling us to ask ourselves whether we are saved daily, but rather, to check our hearts and mind daily.

"I could be wrong". When was the last time we asked ourselves this question, especially in the context when we brought forth a certain issue to a family or friend. Even if the issue was about Christ as a Savior, but did we bring forth the issue with love and gentleness, as instructed to us by the Holy Spirit, or did we do it in arrogance and pride? I believe that perfect love drives out fear, and we can still present the gospel in a loving way, without watering down its message, if we were to wholly be dependent on God for our confidence.

Pride brought down Lucifer. Who are we to say that it won't happen to us. May our confidence never be built on our ability to comprehend the gospel or anything else, but may it be on the fact that we, who are unable to save ourselves, have a King that loves us with a love that's beyond comprehension. May our confidence be built of Christ Himself.

"Search me O God, and I will be found. In Your will, is where I will find rest."

28th May, 2005 - Ambrose & Geraldine's wedding. 

Marriages

Ambrose and Geraldine (I call her Yee Woon) tied the knot on the 28th of May, 2005, approximately about 11:00am (Brisbane time). Standing beside Ambrose as his best man was one of the most memorable experiences for me as I watch and hear him recite his commitment to Yee Woon before God and the congregation. And as Yee Woon recite hers, tears role out from her eyes as she try to contains her emotions, knowing the weight of each word that was spoken.

The wedding was good, the ceremony running without any glitches, with the dinner following the same fashion. But as I come to find out that the planning for this wedding started 8 months back when Ambrose proposed to Yee Woon. Thousands of Australian dollars were spent, as well as tens of people were pulled in for their effort in coordinating this event, which all in all, lasted for just little over 2 hours.

Something crept into my mind as I stood and pondered about all this: Does our "I will" have more "commitment" weighed to it if we were to plan more for the wedding day? I mean, what if a wedding (I'm not meaning Ambrose's) was done without any frills... would that have given it a less "meaningful" association?

This year, I've had the privillege to see 3 couples say their vows before God and before men, to stand with each other thru all the possible calamaties of life, and till death do they part. Up till now, I can still sum up that weddings, when compare to the maintainance of marriages, is still far far much easier to pull off. Though planning for weddings can be tedious (and more than often, they are), but yet many couples do not prepare themselves for marriages. It is then not surprising to see that 1 in 2 marriages in the United States end up in divorce, and also how this trend is slowly creeping into the other countries of the world.

I guess that's probably why the Apostle Paul encouraged the early church to stay single, and only to marry when they cannot control themselves ("burn with passion"). But yet, without belittleling Paul, God's plan for mankind is a wedding, and how Christ will be our bridegroom, and we'll be His bride. Spotless bride. One of God's intention, I believe, is to continue to reveal His love through marriages. And I continue to believe that it is essential for a marriage to be filled with the love of God, because it was never meant to be sustained independent of God, but rather, it is His love that sustains the husband and wife, allowing them to draw love from Him as they love each other and love Him back.

I pray for Ambrose and Geraldine that may their marriage continue to flourish with love for each other as the grow deeper in love with God each day.

God's still on the throne

The journey of life is full of ups and downs. Nothing new to that. For some reason, even though we as people have gone thru these experiences countless of times, yet it doesn't prepare us, at least emotionally, for what's to come next. It's sort of like riding on a roller coaster. You can ride it a hundred times, and yet, you can still be thrilled with the next ride.

My faith continues to be tested. And I continue to learn more about myself. I now see a different side of myself. I guess I would never have known that side should I never have gone thru what I've just been through. Life's like that, I guess.

However, one truth remains the same in my heart, that is God's still on the throne. He's been there since the beginning of time, is there, and will always be there. It's sort of something that gives me the hope to believe that God is making all things good.

And I still believe in love. I believe in the eros love that driven by the God given agape love. I believe in fighting for a loved one. I believe in love. I believe in love...

Where does the road leads now? I'm not sure. But of this I am... God's still on the throne. And as long as He's there, I have hope.

"Take me to the place You want me to be Lord. I'm Yours."

Forgiveness... (Part 2)

God never intended for the impartation of forgiveness to based on the basis of "worthiness"; whether the person deserves it or not, but rather, from love, grace and mercy instead. Because once the forgiveness is extended, the healing process begin, not just on the receiver, but on the giver as well.

Pope's attempted assassination... 

Pope with Agca 

Forgiveness

As the world prays for the Pope John Paul II, many websites take the opportunity to publish the story of his life. One that caught my attention was the slideshow on MSNBC. It portrays the early life of Karol Wojtyla, which was the Pope's name before he took the name John Paul II at his election. Two slides that caught my attention was the one on his attempted assassination and the one when he met up with the would-be assassin in prison. The pope quoted that it was Christ's teaching that instructed him to forgive Agca, his would-be assassin.

Forgiveness was why Christ came down to earth. It was his purpose to die on the cross so that we would receive the forgiveness of God that we never have nor would ever deserve. However, unforgiveness continues to plague the world, and the church itself is not spared. Taking the Pope's example, one could say that John Paul could forgive Agca because he has fully devoted his life to God, and if the attempted assassination was done on someone else close to him, the Pope might have a different reaction. I beg to differ on this because I see that the Pope will react the same way because of his stance of Christ's teaching on his life. John Paul acknowledged that Christ's teachings is more important than anything else in his life, including his own personal feelings.

I had a wonderful time yesterday sharing on the issue of "sin". One point that I highlighted during my sharing was that sin simply means disobeying God. As we look at the people around our lives, we notice that there are plenty of non-Christians that behaves a hundred fold better than some Christians. And yet, the bible terms them as "sinners". I pointed out during the sharing that the reason for this is because non-Christians do not know God, and therefore, CANNOT obey God, no matter how "good" they are in the eyes of others. Christians, on the other hand, have the choice to obey God, or disobey God (hence "sinning"). Non-Christians will continue in their blindness until someone bring them the light, or the truth. However, coming back to the point that I want to make, we as Christians now have the choice to obey God. And one of God's imperative for us is to forgive others just as Christ have forgiven us. There is just no excuse that we can come up to justify our disobedience on this commandment. Period. No matter the crime or the atrocity that has been committed, we are still left with only one way to obey God, that is to forgive. Any other outcome would result in sin.

The reason why people struggle with forgiveness is the intense desire for justice. The reason why we have this desire is because God gave it to us. It's a good trait to have. Animals lack this desire. However, God said that He, not us, will take care of justice (Romans 12:19). The moment we take justice into our own hands, it shows that we lack faith in God. Our lack of faith will basically state that God is not whom He claims to be (not Almighty), thus making Him a liar, and finally, making Him anything but God. However, God has called us to trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5), and when we do this, we will reap the rewards of our obedience to Him, and for our faith in Him.

Until we understand the value of forgiveness by obeying God in forgiving others, we will never be able to receive that forgiveness from God (Mark 11:22-25). God never made it a prequisite for us to be perfect before forgiving us, but rather, in His infinite love, Jesus died for us while we were still sinners.

Easter has past for bout a week already. I pray that in my own life, I would see everyday that the cross Jesus has died on would be enough proof for me to obey God without the need to know why.

"Oh the wonderful cross, oh the wonderful cross,
Bids me come and die, and find that I, may truly live.
Oh the wonderful cross, oh the wonderful cross,
All who gather here, by grace draw near, and bless Your name.."


“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” - Luke 23:34

Thank You Jesus...

Bread of life...

Maundy Thursday... Christians all over the world commemorate the last supper of Jesus on this day. The scriptures records down these events in great detail. One of the most memorable part of the events that took place during the last supper was when Jesus had communion with His disciples. Though such a simple act, but yet, I find it so significant and deep in meaning.

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 22:19-20 (NIV)

I wonder how many Christians understand the significance of the elements of Holy Communion. I believe it must be more than just Jesus wanting us to remember Him or what He has done for us. This is what I believe: Everytime when we take communion, we are instructed to remember Christ and what He has done. But I doubt many of us have trouble remembering these events. I would think that by watching the movie "The Passion of the Christ", we would have an even greater picture that will make us remember these events for a long long time. My belief is that more than this, Jesus wants us to understand that we are now His body, which was broken on the cross for us. Therefore, the punishment that was upon Him, was actually meant for us, but He paid the price for us. He didn't do it so that we can just escape punishment, but instead, with this new freedom, we can then carry out His will. Therefore, everytime when we eat of the bread of communion, we are to remember that the body we have is no longer ours, because somebody else paid for it. The truth is that it was never ours, because we used to live in sin, and death owned our very souls. But then, when Christ have set us free, we are now no longer slaves to sin, but slave to righteousness. And by this, since we belong to Christ, we have a new master, and He has given us a new purpose. Oh, how many times have we taken communion but yet our hearts are still consumed with ourselves and our own desires. We should be receiving communion with a heart that acknowledges that our body is no longer ours, but that we are now the body of Christ, and with that, we are to carry out the purposes that Christ has initiated when He came to earth until we die or when He comes back for His church.

In the same way, the blood that was poured for us for the remission of sin, is represented by the wine that we take during Holy Communion. Thus, as we are reminded that the blood that was shed for us have cleanse us from all sins, so are we to take this blood to the world to tell them how they too can be cleanse of their sins. Christians who understand their faith holds the power of the blood of Jesus in their testimony. They know the power of the blood that was shed for them, and how it can turn the darkest sin white, heal the deadliest disease, and free captives from the law of sin and death. But yet, we live lives that does not reflect the power of this blood. Oh may God have mercy on us all for treating His sacrifice with contempt.

I love the song "You are my king" because each time I sing it, it reminds me of not just what Jesus have done, but what I should be doing for Him...

You Are My King
I'm forgiven because you were forsaken,
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That You, my King has died for me?
Amazing love, I know its true
Its my joy to honor You
In all I do, I honor You

You are my King
Jesus, You are my King
You are my King


Lord Jesus, thank You that in suffering, You remembered me. I praise You for Your amazing love that gives me another chance to love You back.

Our cause

Listening to Teresa Conlon's sermon titled "Never Drawing Back" dated January 30th, 2005 made me realize how often we give up so easily in our own battles. God has given each one of us a battle that we are to fight. However, the good thing about these battles is that He has also promised that He will be with us through each of these battles. Our instruction is to fully obey Him and rely on Him for all the provisions that we need to win these battles.

What are the battles that're placed before us? Most of the time, it's our own struggle with sin and other weaknesses. Though we have been set free from all these, yet Satan deceitfully comes to remind us again and again about what we've done. With shame and lies, Satan will use it to make us stumble into our past, and cause us to be captured by it again. But there's another battle; it involves our loved ones that are still not saved. They are caught in the web of sin and hopelessness, and often, turn to the wrong things or people to get free.

However, I feel there's a need to concentrate more on the battle that involves our love ones. I feel this because our struggle with sin is a perpetual thing, at least till the day with die. This battle is something that we've to fight daily. But for our loved ones, we are called to fight for their salvation. We are to be the "light of the world, and the salt of the earth" to them.

Over the weekend, I've come to know about people that close to me struggling with their marriages. They told me about the hopelessness they are facing with their spouse whom they thought they knew, is but a stranger to them now. Then, there are the cases where discipline becomes an issue that affects not just their studies, but also their own livelihood. Relatively speaking, some of these issues are actually considered "normal" when compared to other families that I know of who are struggling with drug abuse, alcoholism and physical abuse. But for some reason, I refuse to accept this as a norm, because I believe that God in His sovereignity is capable of making things work for the good of those who loves Him. The more I think about it, the more I realize how Satan is plotting to destroy my family. I begin to realize that there's more than meets the eye. The spiritual realm is in a chaotic frenzy of spiritual beings waging a war between good and evil. And that's why we need to rise up in our Spirit being to join with the forces of good to destroy the forces of evil and to release those who Satan has held captive for so many years. But often, we are addicted to "peaceful" living, not wanting additional problems or "inconveniences". Until our spiritual eyes are opened to see how the souls of our loved ones are crying in agony, loneliness and hopelessness, we will continue to live a "mediocre" christian life so that we will just be good enough to enter into heaven.

I now believe even more in the cause that God has given me. This is because I see how Satan has deceived and abused my family for too long. I know the promises God has given in Acts 16:31, and believe it with all my heart that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus". And the greater promise is this, that "..the battle is the LORD's...", and I know with all my heart that thru Christ Jesus, victory is mine already. Thru the cross, Jesus have given that victory to those who believe in Him. We just need to claim it.

I love this song:

When the mighty men
From the tribe of Judah
Faced the enemy
They were told by God
Not to be afraid
He would give the victory

He said lift up a song
And lay down the sword
For the battle is mine
Says the Lord

Sing unto the Lord
Make a joyful sound
Lift your voices
And let your praise resound
Sing a victor song
In the time of war
Trust in Jesus
The battle is the Lord's

When the evil one
Comes against you
To fill your heart with fear
You can trust in God
He will never leave you
He promised to be near

You can lift up a song
In the midst of the war
For the battle is mine
Says the Lord

Sing, Sing, Sing
Sing, Sing, Sing
For the Lord is good
And His mercy endureth forever
For the Lord is good
And His mercy endureth forever
Forever and ever

The battle is the Lord's

Family...

I was going thru some old photos as I was preparing a slide show for Sue's wedding. Little did I expect to be sucked into memory lane, as thoughts and events of old suddenly came flashing into my mind. I look at the pics, and I've got to say that I was a very blessed kid. I mean, I used to tell people that I had a unhappy childhood, but these photos proved otherwise. But something happened along the teen years.. the joy died, and resentment and unforgiveness crept in...

Mike and the Mechanics' "The Living Years" teaches us that we ought not to take people around us for granted. And, the song also stressed the importance of finding out that fact during the "living years". When I look at the stained and faded photos, my heart is crunched as I suddenly desire so much just as to be able to go back into time and relive those moments, and also to undo the wrongs and to make things right. For some reason, hurtful memories tend to always resonate louder in our minds, and are more memorable than happy ones. I remember the hurtful words that I've spoken to my parents, and how I was disobedient to them. If I knew what I know now then, I would have smack myself in the face and told myself to shut up. But life goes on. Words that have been spoken can never be retracted, like fresh water that runs into the sea.

What is family then? Why strive for its survival? And why is it that so many of them fail?

I learned that family is more than just time spent together. It's more than birthdays, graduations, new year's, and christmases spent together. I learn that family goes beyond vacations at the seaside, and the welcoming of the new TV set. Family is from God. And only God can keep the family together because it is His love is the source of all that's good, and the only thing that's worth living for.

In the past 10 years of my life, I have seen with my own eyes how families that are close to me break down. They stopped functioning, and altogether dissolved into something society can't even define. How did it happen? I don't really know. I know some of it could have started from a few hurtful words, while others because of silence altogeher. Today's society tries to make us accept such occurences and something "normal". They view as though not all families are meant to last, and if ours can, we are just plain lucky. Therefore, the breaking down of the family institution has managed to earn its "rightful" place in our modern day society...

The first family that ever existed was God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. With them and thru them existed a love that words cannot describe. In that love was perfect unity and harmony, and it overcomed every single other element that came against it.
I now see why God created families. And it is thru the institution of the family that we can know more about God's love, how it is so sacrificing, enduring and filled with compassion. I thank God for my family, because I know that even when the world rejects me, I have a family that will be there for me. And I claim the promises in Acts 16:31... knowing one day the love in my family will be made complete in Jesus Himself.

Do I have a perfect family? Not really... but when I look at the cross, I see hope for one. And knowing that God loves my family so much gives me more the reason to fight for mine.

Thank you Lord...

My Family...

Family...

Lies, truth and faith...

Why do people lie? Some do it for selfish gain. Others, for malicious intent. And then, there are some who so call lie to "prevent" more bad things from happening. I recall the movie, "A Few Good Men", and there was this scene when Tom Cruise was questioning Jack Nicholson in court. The situation had become intense and Tom Cruise shouted "I want the truth!!" with Jack Nicholson shouting back "You can't handle the truth!!". How bout us? Can we handle the truth?

During my college years, I had a philosophy lecturer by the name of "Eddy". I can't remember his full name, but he played a big role in the way I think. I guess I started to look at the world differently since his course. Thanks to him, I'm also very into philosophy. There was one particular example that he gave that I remembered well. It was during an discussion on ethics, whether good and evil was subjective. Coming from a Christian viewpoint, I stood firm that good and evil was objective, that everything that God called good is good, and everything that God called evil is evil. Then he threw this question out. He said, what if one day, a gang of robbers came into your home, tied your whole family up, and ransacked your whole house. Then one of them asked, "I know you have a sister here somewhere, I want to know where she is". Obviously, him asking the question meant he was planning to harm her in some way. And lets also say that you knew where your sister was hiding... would you lie to the robber, stating that you didn't know, or, would you tell the truth, because it was your principle? The lesson on the "lesser of two evils" was introduced to me on that day. I couldn't answer that question, and begin to have thoughts that to some extent, the bible is not really that practical. Years passed by, and I'm in the U.S. continuing my course. Then one day, I had a similar discussion with Tayo, my good Nigerian comrade. He insisted that God's truth is absolute, so recalling that example by Eddy, I threw it at him. I asked him, "which would you choose Tayo?" And without even thinking twice, Tayo replied "I'll pray!". Gosh... I've never even thought about that. I never knew there was a third option. It was from that day on that I knew the truths in the bible are real. And it's applicable even for our modern day world.

I've seen from time to time how many people lie to get themselves out of "sticky" situations. As long as they don't get caught, the situation is managable. However, I think that from a Christian viewpoint, lying shows a lack of faith in God. It's because we don't trust that God is in control of the situation, so we decide to take the situation in our own hands. There are many references in the bible where it exhorts us to live a life of truth. Here are some examples:

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" - Deut 5:20 (NIV)

"Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another" - Lev 19:11 (NIV)

"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices"- Col 3:9 (NIV)

And this is the reason why God insists that we live on the truth:
"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" - Num 23:19 (NIV)

I'm convinced that we should a life of truth. Don't get me wrong... I also believe in confidentiality. However, I'm deciding to draw the line of telling the truth, or surpressing it based on God's instruction to me. What I mean by this is that I'm not obligated to respond to every enquiry that's thrown unto me, rather i'm planning to respond by saying "I'd rather not discuss that", than making up some other story to get myself off the hook. Also, there's a need for me to live a life where I do not get myself involved in "unhealthy chatting", ie. gossip, and not only avoid it, but discourage it. People will then find me less "appealing" to approach to know about such things. Thus, it's more than just "not lying", but it's a lifestyle that actively pursues truth and righteousness. And when there are situations that are beyond my comprehension, and I'm not sure how to react, that's when I'll leave it to God to tell me what to do. However, in order to be able to know God's leading, I would have to live a life of prayer. Thus, I see that living a life of truth emcompasses a huge portion of our lives. We have to deal with every single area. Lastly, we need to be accountable, that is, there are people that we turn to to keep ourselves checked. It's critical that we have people that we've entrusted to question us when we're out of line.

"I'll pray." What a simple yet profound idea. It's like when the world is going into chaos, and people are all in the panic state, and someone turns to us and ask "What shall we do? We're all doomed!!" And we simply look at them, with eyes that are filled with a peace that's beyond our understanding, and reply "Let's pray". Therefore, faith comes into rescue, not so much as to keep us from breaking our principles, but rather, to remind us that God is in control. We do not need to take things into our own hands. Awesome!

Faithfulness

Managed to contact Mandy today. I was so glad to know that she's still in love with the Lord. That's not to say that I expected her to fall away, but its just that when I look at my own peers, I am saddened by the fact that so many of them, even after experiencing and tasting that the Lord is good, fall away and decide to live lives their own way.

I love this verse:
"Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. "
2 Tim 2:11-13 (NIV)

Looking at the last part of this verse, Paul told Timothy that even when we are faithless, Jesus will still be faithful to us, because He is love. He is the unconditional love that continues to love even when that love is not returned.

I pray for so many of my friends who have fallen away that they might be drawn again to the goodness of God. May the love of God compel them, and to let them know that even in their faithless situation, Jesus is still faithfully drawing them back unto Himself.

But I guess everyone has their own season in the wilderness. My prayer is that they get thirsty quickly, because the world and all it has to offer cannot quench that thirst that's deep in our souls. Only Jesus can give us the living water that's able to quench that thirst.

Revival is coming. And I feel that God is starting that awakening in the church first, causing His people to feel burdened for the lost, especially those who have walked away from Christ. And I believe that as long as we continue to pray and stand in the gap for them, reaching out to them in love and faithfulness, the love of God will melt their hearts again, and they will put down their pride and come back to God again. "Oh God! Draw Your people unto Yourself!"

Psalm 121

"I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Psalms 121:1-2 (NIV)

Just came back from an evangelistic meeting. Our church titled the event, "Praises in Suffering Times". How appropriate, I thought. I mean, there must at least some people who are suffering. And oh how they need to hear the gospel. But not for me. Nope. I'm fine. I'm dandily fine. I think... Am I?

Driving back, I was listening to Pastor Neil Rhodes preaching, and he touched on one point that I used to always overlook. He was saying how important it was for Christians to be more fervent in prayer when EVERYTHING was going good in our lives. I mean, the less problems or obstacles we have, the more we need to pray. I tend to do the opposite...

I then begin to look at my life. Currently, I have everything that I need. Spiritually, I feel that I'm doing my best for God. But I know that God still desires more for me. And by more, I mean, that God's plan and purposes for my life, has not even begin to reveal itself to me at this point. I'm beginning to sense that God wants more than just faithfulness in church-going, or church involvement. He wants more than just a sharing of the gospel out of convenience. I beginning to feel that God wants, at least from me, a life that is so desperately in need of Him. And to tell the truth, at this moment, I'm not in desperate need of Him. Why? Because I have all that I need. I have a home, a car, a job. I have friends and families. And I know that it is not God's will to take this away from me to suffer me, but rather, to bring me into a more abundant life than I could offer to myself. Therefore, there's a fear in me, because I know that what I have right now, will soon be taken away from me. I'm not sure how, nor when, but I'm convinced that it will happen sooner or later. But then again, there's a sense of excitement in all this. It's as though even when I lose all that I have, but yet, I'm beginning to understand that it is all these things that are preventing me from experiencing an even greater joy than the world could ever offer.

At this moment, I speak of things that are still very much unknown to me. I have no clue of how things will unravel. But this I know, that God is on my side. I can see with my mind's eye how people could turn their backs on me and cause me harm, however, I know that God's still my help. It makes more sense now when the Psalmist who wrote the 121st Psalm, proclaimed in those simple words, "My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth."

"Father, I thank You for blessing me with the good things in life. But Lord, I know that sometimes, these things can take our eyes away from You. I would rather Lord, lose all these things than lose You. So Lord, have your way in me. Show me O God Your power, that I might have the eyes of my heart opened, and realize that all things on earth are only temporal, but only You and Your word, is eternal. I pray Lord Jesus that You would take me beyond these words, and into the realm where Your understanding is engraved onto my heart, that I would not just say and believe it, but to also live it out. In Jesus' name, amen."

Daniel and Grace 

Marriages...

Daniel and Grace tied the knot today. I've got to say that the wedding went pretty well. The setup, the agenda. It was "perfect" to me.

I learned something today too. I can't recall her name, but she (the Pastor) who gave a message during their wedding ceremony, made me realized something when she mentioned that though a couple is given to one another, yet, the SOURCE of love still comes from God. For some reason, this just made perfect sense to me. Most relationships don't work out because each of the partner is expecting the other partner to fulfill their need for love. And the worse thing is that, it is not that they are holding it back, but rather, it is because they are incapable of perpetually sustaining that source of love from themselves to give to the other. This then when prolonged, would lead to hurts, wounds, discouragement, and even, resentment. Most of the time, if the issue is not dealt with, they will look elsewhere for this source of love. And that's why marriages fail. Infidelity does not happen overnight, nor is it usually an "accident", but rather it is a consequence of such subsequent events.

When I gave thought to the marriage thing a little deeper, I begin to realize that many people, here and elsewhere in the world, gives a very high regard of marriage as something that needs to be accomplish within his or her lifetime. It's as though if somebody doesn't get married, that person is "incomplete". However, I feel that God views marriages very differently from the way we humans view it. I know this, because from the bible we know that earthly human marriages ceases once we die. It does not perpetuate in heaven. For me, I see that marriage is something that God uses to teach us more about His love for us. But many have made it their goal for life. This is not God's will. Instead, I believe that He uses marriage to allow to grow and understand more about how He love us.

Paul also confirmed this when he wrote in Ephesians about how Christ is the bridegroom, and the church is His bride.
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church"
Eph 5:31-32 (NIV)
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to belittle the institution of marriage, but rather trying to stress the importance of it. Marriage is important, because to some, until we learn how to persevere and endure thru one, we will never fully understand nor grasp the "mystery" of the love of God. John Piper, in his sermon, "Sex and the Supremacy of Christ", mentioned that God created sex for husband and wives because it is thru that sexual relationship, that can we learn the intimacy that God desires with His people. "One flesh". It is not about sex with God, but rather, the depth of that intimate relationship that God so desperately desires with His creation.

I look for the day that I will know God, just I'm fully known. I know God has prepared a partner for me. But my ultimate partner is still Jesus. And with this, I'm glad I can be complete in Him, even if the world doesn't see it this way. Who cares. I've got Jesus.

Living that God centered life...

Looking back to the past few blogs that I've written, I guess to some extent that the words presented may give the reader a "false" perception of the writer, as though the writer has got it all figured out about his Christian walk and all. But I know that I'm still far from it. What I blog is what I feel in my heart. These are the things that I feel that "should" be. However, I know too that it is not impossible to live it out, because if it was, then God would never have expected it from us.

I spent the past two days attending a course on "Professional Selling Skills". The presenter / course leader made the entire course very interesting thru his unique and unconventional way of presenting the materials of the course. However, I was a bit "bored" with the course because I felt that deep in me, the line that I'm in currently is only gonna be temporary. I did try to convince myself that even though I may not do sales forever, I could still make use of the things that are taught. However, as the course progressed, and even as I force myself to be positive and open towards the presenter, I still failed. I failed because the Spirit of God was testifying in me that what was taught was the wisdom of men. The problem wasn't because it wasn't good or unpractical, or any of that sort, but rather, it was just that the wisdom was not from God. And I'm beginning to see why this is gonna be a very important point in my own life.

Take a walk into any bookstore and we can find on the shelves hundreds, if not thousands of books on self-improvement, self-help, motivational books and so on. Frankly speaking, all these books are good (to some sense) as they have helped out many people, some who may suffer from low-esteem, or just need some help in thinking outside the box and so on. However, there's a significant difference between good wisdom, and the wisdom of God. There are many men out there who has many theories about how we can live a more fulfilled life, or how we can learn the habits of highly effective people, and so on, but because many of these people did not draw wisdom from God Himself, though the techniques might yield some results, they will never last.

Again, I'm talking about eternity. What's the point of fixing my self-esteem when I'm gonna die at 80? I mean, if my life ended at 30, I would have saved myself the trouble of even having to fix my self-esteem. Thus, there leaves a big question that many of us know we need to answer, but yet we still avoid it all cost. And that question, I believe, would be "What does God want to do thru my life?". This question would also need to be followed with another question, and that is "Am I going to obey it?".

God is calling us to a more glorious life than we can ever imagine. And when He calls us, He will also provide all that we need. This I believe with all my heart. So, we have to be true to ourselves, and not keep living a life that's of two masters.

God help us.

Life with a purpose, but whose purpose are we living for?

Rick Warren's book, the "Purpose Driven Life" indeed contained many good points that Christians could generally learn and practice to achieve a life with purpose. But there's still this drawback that I feel. I feel that many Christians still try to form their own purposes. And of course, many of these "purposes" are good, and some even sound noble, and godly. But is this what God really want for our lives, or is it something that we're just trying to justify to make ourselves feel better?

When Jesus called His first disciples, they just "left their nets" and followed after Him. Even when He sent them out to preach the gospel, He told them not to take anything extra, but rather to go by faith. It's funny how modern Christians today view the call of the gospel very differently. Many of us refuse to budge out of our comfort zones. Can you imagine one day if a pastor would to cry out to his congregation and say, "sell all your properties and be prepared to go to the farthest corner of the world to preach the gospel". I bet the church would probably stone him for making such a statement. Though most of us would not result to such action (stoning), but yet, deep in our hearts, we still feel that the pastor's statement is illogical, insensitive, and maybe, even ungodly cause we feel that we should only go when God calls us to go. This is of course true. There's no dispute in this. However, a question continue to rise in my heart, that is, the jobs that we have now, the homes that we own, the life the we live... has God call us to this?

Jesus made it very clear in the gospels that His follower MUST deny himself (or herself), and take up his (or her) cross daily. Jesus made it plain also when he said that those who try to save their own lives, will lose it, and those who lose it for His sake, will find it. These paradoxical themes continue to ring, not just in the gospels, but even Paul reminds us of it in his letters. But for some reason, modern day Christians find themselves excluded from such a life. It's as though we need that "strong" or "extremely clear" calling of God before we need to give up our current possesions for the sake of His gospel. It's as though the "default" life is --> study hard, get a job, get married, get a house, a car, have kids and make sure u have enough to retire. Unless God calls us, we are naturally called live this "default" life. And the worse part of all this is that unless we seek God, it is very difficult for us to even hear God's calling for our lives. We will be so busy with this "default" life that we wouldn't even know when God is calling us.

Shouldn't the Christian walk be the other way? I mean, imagine if the "default" Christian life is, get equipped in the word, pray, fast, go into the places that God has calls us to go, disciple, preach, heal the sick, etc, and unless God called us to do other wise, we will stick with this default one. Wouldn't the gospel be spread even faster this way? I mean, how often does God call His people to live secular lives anyway? It doesn't make sense to me. And yet, it is so. We justify to our hearts and minds that we are still living within God's will. Go figure....

Why do we still fear when we have the creator of the universe backing us up for everything that He has called us to? I mean, even if we are to lose our lives for His cause, we still gain everything! I bet this was Jim Eliot's conviction when he wrote "He is no fool to give what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose". Jim had a glimpse of heaven. And when he saw it, he wanted it so bad that everything else on earth is not worthy of him anymore. He had a cause. And not just "a" cause, but he had "His" cause.

Satan continues to work his deception among God's people. And if we as Christians are not careful, we will fall into this deception. Therefore, it is so critical that we understand God's purpose for our lives. If we don't, we will end up living for our own purpose, if not, somebody else's (Satan's?)...

Living a life that's worthy of God's calling

Had an interesting discussion with a friend over dinner tonight. One topic led to another and it came to the point where I questioned him, "How different would you live your life, if you knew Jesus was coming back in 2 years time, or less...?"

We, as 21st century humans, have a very unrealistic view of life. This is especially true when we live in nations that are shielded from the realities of life, which often includes unpredictable deaths, and unwanted circumstances. So much so that even we as Christians, tend to get caught with this mindset, as though that we have time to accomplish and build our careers and desires, and then only would we seriously "consider" giving all to God.

Jesus said that the coming of the Son of Man is like a thief in the night. Simply put, we don't know when He is coming back. Even if He doesn't come back in our lifetime, yet, that doesn't free us from the fact that we could still be taken away anytime. But, we continue to live our lives as though it will last for the next 100 years. Jesus also mentioned that where our treasure is, there our heart is also. This is true, because if we were to really assess how we spend our time and money, we would know how much we are giving it for God's cause. Jesus said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." [Mark 12:30 (NIV)]. The word "all", which was spoken 2 thousand years ago still means the same thing today: All. It still means unreservingly giving everything, and holding nothing back.

The church is dead today because there's no desperation within the hearts of God's people. The church have been lured by the world, and instead of it being the "light" of the world, it has now become "like" the world. The lamp that once burn brightly where people in the dark would draw near it to find truth, is slowly fading out. This is one of the reasons why the church need to cut itself loose from the bondages of the world, and start clinging onto Godly things. Eternity needs to be establish in our hearts so that we can start living as though we are dead to the things of the world. It's only when our minds are freed from the clutches of this world, that's when we can really have our candle lit up again, and being able to become the light to the dark world.

In Galatians, Paul rebuked the Galatian church because they were turning their faith onto what we would term as "tangible" securities. There was a bunch of people who were going around preaching that circumcision was the only way to be sure that you're saved. Though we don't practice that today, but yet a similar theme continues, that is, the shifting of our faith. Faith, which is supposed to be "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" [Heb 11:1 (NIV)] is now being replaced by "being sure and hopeful for the things that we do see". Our eyes, hands, intellect, and strength have become our god. We no longer need God to intervene for any of our predicaments. Financial problems? No problem when you have a credit card! Health problems? No problem when you are medically insured! Relationship problems? No problem when you have 1-800-TELE-PSYCHIC or the nearest therapy clinic. There is no room for God anymore. Who needs him? We have ALL that we need in this world... oh... may God have mercy on us all.

History has proven from time and time again, that major revivals that occur in the church is usually preceded by a major catastrophe. It's as though God needs to lift His hand of grace from us before we would turn back to Him. My Spirit has been testifying within my heart since 9/11, that turmoil on earth will only increase. From measure to measure, tragedies and calamaties will continue to occur, so as to wake the church up from its slumber. The church needs to arise, and began to move out in faith into the glorious purposes that God has prepared it for. The church is you and me.

What are you doing?

What am I doing?