1 Samuel 3:8-10

Simple Lies that Work

2011-02-27T11:20:00.000+08:00

Have you ever wondered if the Church you are with is God's Church?
How would you know?

These are some of the most frequently heard reasons.

1. My Church is one of the biggest / fastest-growing Churches around.
Well, my reply to that would be "God does not work through the majority vote".
If size is a good gauge, then Elijah would have been a heretic when he challenged the prophets of Baal.

2. My Church leaders can perform signs and wonders.
My reply to that would be "So can religious leaders of certain cults".
If miracles is a good gauge, then Balaam would have been one of the most God-led leaders around.

3. My Church is richly blessed by God.
My reply to that would be "So are villain similarly rich".
If wealth / power is a good gauge, then Job would have been the person most cursed by God.

4. My Church leaders preach exciting / motivational sermons.
My reply to that would be "So do religious / political leaders of dissent groups".
If excitement is a good gauge, then God would not have warned us about the itching ears of those who seek to hear what they want to, rather than what is right.

If these are not good reasons, then how do we really know if a Church is God's Church?

Only Churches which believe in the whole Bible, only Churches which admit they do not fully understand the entire Bible, and only Churches which try their best to live loving and holy lives are God's Church.
Others would probably fall under the category Jesus labelled "I never knew you".

Which Church are you attending?

Was Man or Woman Created First?

2010-09-30T20:37:00.000+08:00

I heard an argument that the male nipples are evidence that a woman was created first.
The reason given is the uselessness of this physical feature for males.
A supporting reason is that without the introduction of the male hormone, all babies would be females.
Thus, some "scientists" argue that the woman was created first.

I feel that this is similar to the argument about the human appendix.
Some "scientists" feel that the human appendix is useless, and thus a good evidence of our evolutionary past.
However, I believe I read somewhere that there have been recent discoveries about the use of the human appendix.
Similarly, I propose that rather than to suggest that the male nipples are useless, maybe we have not discovered the use yet.

Allow me to propose another argument.

You can ask any construction worker to attempt to build a house.
He would ask you for the materials first.
If you give him metal, glass and concrete, he could build a modern house.
If you ask him to include wooden walls, he would tell you that it is impossible, as you did not provide wood in the first place.
On the other hand, if you had provided metal, glass, concrete and wood in the first place, and ask the worker not to build any wooden structure, he could easily obey your order.

Similarly, if man is made of materials A, B, C and D, and woman is made of materials A, B and C, it is easier to create Adam first, and then to remove material D from man to create Eve.

Some may argue that since God can create something out of nothing, could He not have created the woman before the man (by adding the male hormone later)?
While the answer is "yes", God could have similarly created the man first before the woman.
Since both ways are possibly done by a limitless God, which way is it?
Well, what did God Himself say?

If some people cannot trust the Bible, because of their personal agenda, what else could be a good source of evidence for them?
The Bible records that people have itching ears.
They desire to hear only what they want to hear.

Indeed, let those who have ears, hear and listen to what God says.

More importantly, I believe that being created first or second has no significance other than pride.
I do not believe that God meant to put one gender as superior to the other.
If God has indeed created woman first, some people would have questioned the other way round.
I believe that the fair God means to let them complement each other.

However, it is true that from the Bible, we learnt that Eve sinned first.
Thus, I believe that what really matters is that after we are created, how do we respond to our Creator?

Draw near to God today.

Genesis through Chinese Words

2010-08-01T07:16:00.000+08:00

Are you familiar with the book of Genesis?
What about the Chinese language?
Are you aware that there are many Chinese words that tell the story of Genesis when you break them down?
That is, each Chinese word tells a small part of Genesis.
However, it is necessary to use the complex version of each word to show its constituent characters.

好 means it was "good" when a "woman" was provided for My "son".
This refers to the part where God created Eve from the rib bone of Adam.

Who makes a suitable mate?

2010-05-27T21:34:00.001+08:00

I just ended a conversation with a brother.
He wondered whether we would lose out on our options if we were to choose our mate only from God's family of believers.

I told him to trust God to provide.
This does not mean we do nothing, and just pray.
It does mean we look to God to grant us wisdom about who is the better choice for us.

A good reference is Proverbs 31.
Besides describing the ideal wife, it gives hints on the ideal husband as well.

These are the qualities of a good wife:
1. She can be trusted.
2. She is thrifty.
3. She puts her husband above her own desires (and ambitions).
4. She is hardworking.
5. She can cook.
6. She can manage the household matters.
7. She plans for the future.
8. She is merciful to the needy.
9. She is a woman of faith.
10. She is wise and gentle.

As a result:
1. Her husband can put his heart to lead.
2. Her children are well brought up.
3. Her husband is devoted to her.

This implies that her husband has good leadership qualities and is well-positioned to lead the community.

What do all these mean for us?

It tells us to be patient, and not to choose someone because "it is the right time".
It tells us not to choose someone based on her looks.
It tells us not to choose someone based on his wealth.

Sadly, many of us fail to do so, and many are those who regret their choice.

Don't kid yourselves.
Are you really fine with your choice?
Why would you want to play in the mud, when God can give you toys?
Why settle for second best, when God can totally include you in His will?

Don't kid yourselves.
As long as the other person is not a believer, he or she can never be completed selfless in devoting for your family well-being.

Yes, it is also true that just because a person claims to be a believer, it does not mean that the person is well suited for you.
The person could also be selfish and a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Where does this leave us?
It leaves us fully in the hand of God.
Trust Him to provide.
Ask Him for wisdom.

Day Three of the Trip

2010-05-10T06:41:00.000+08:00

What makes a trip worthwhile?
It is not the number of places you visit, or the number of things you buy, but the enjoyment along the way.

Day Two of the Trip

2010-05-09T21:58:00.002+08:00

Remember to learn well from your experience, or risk repeating historical failures.

Day One of the Trip

2010-05-08T22:53:00.000+08:00

God has taught me through the frustration I faced today that I am too prone to flaring up and showing others my bad attitude.

May God forgive me and teach me how to behave tomorrow.

My Reflection about the Transfiguration

2010-04-24T09:58:00.001+08:00

When you read Matthew 17:1-13, you can see 2 things:

One is the transfiguration of Jesus.
The other is the presence of Moses and Elijah.

How could anyone recognise that they were Moses and Elijah?
My gut feeling is that Jesus introduced them to His disciples, because I personally cannot recognise one man of God from another.

Immediately, Peter suggested building earthly memorials to the 3 of them.
This is what human beings still like to do, to remember good ancestors with physical memorials.

Yet, God thundered from heaven to tell Peter, James and John to obey Jesus.
Clearly, God is not into earthly memorials.
Obedience is more important.

I wonder how many “believers” are building their empires on Earth.
They spend money on investments and grand buildings, as if these things mattered.
From remembering good ancestors, they have changed to getting other people to remember them, while enjoying the goods of the Earth.
They are already rewarded in this lifetime for the things they do for God.
I wonder how they would respond if God comes during their lifetime and destroys all their treasures in front of them on Judgement Day.

At the point of the transfiguration, John the Baptist (Elijah) had already been killed (Matthew 14:1-12).
It is commonly believed that Jesus was facing His approaching death too, and needed some encouragement.
Thus, God sent Moses and Elijah.

Why were these 2 prophets chosen?
Why did the list not include prophets like Samuel or even Elisha?

There are 2 learning points from this account:

1. Are you that good for God's use?
Looking at Exodus 3, you can tell that God started using Moses, only when he was old and useless.
He had already retired by that age.

Similarly, looking at 1 Kings 17, you could not see any background of Elijah that suggests influence, power and wealth of any sort.
He himself was affected by the drought.

What kind of people does God pick?
He picked only those whom cannot boast of their own abilities or possessions, so that all honour and glory go to God.
He picked only those whom clearly recognise their insignificance and reliance on the Lord.

What a contrast to those who seek to be recognised as great Church leaders today!
I strongly believe that there are no great Church leaders, only well-used Church leaders of a great God.

2. How enjoyable is God's will for us?
From Exodus 17, you can tell that Moses served a people who were ready to kill him at the least test of faith.

Similarly, in 1 Kings 19, Elijah declared that the people he was serving were trying to kill him.

How easy is it to be a “servant” of God in this age!
The admiration, the reverence and the financial rewards that come with the job is a strict contrast to what the true servants of God went through in the past.

“Believers” freely abuse Bible verses to claim blessings (usually financial) for themselves without regards to the righteousness required by God in the same passage.

Christianity has somewhat become a popular pastime, instead of a life-changing return to God.
Our God has been made into the popular god of wealth and fortune by people with itching ears.

Again, why did God choose Moses and Elijah?
I believe that having gone through real death threats, and understanding that God has a special timing and purpose in choosing them, they are best positioned to encourage Jesus about the plan God has.
In effect, it is to remind Jesus to trust God, no matter how bad the current situation may appear.

Rain does not continue forever.
The sun will shine through again.
Yet, the heat does not last forever too.

Without the rain of troubles, there is no way our spiritual selves can receive life.
Without the heat of persecution, there is no way our spiritual selves can become stronger.

What really matters is our response to the Lord amidst the troubles and the persecution.
How much do we really trust God?

Choose to give thanks now!

What really matters under the sun?

2010-03-08T15:44:00.000+08:00

I had once thought that my career advancement is very important.
I had also thought that my reputation matters a lot too.

The hospitalisation of my child changed my view.
If we can put aside Godly pursuits, I feel that having my children (family) go through life happily is the most important thing ever.
In fact, it is so important that I am willing to put aside my career plans, or my "right" to fairness.

Lord, I surrender all.
Be the Lord over every aspect of our lives.

The Heart of a Father

2010-01-25T11:30:00.003+08:00

Quite a number of maturing Christians want to know what they can do for our heavenly Father.
That is, how they may serve God.
I believe this may be the wrong question to ask, if we only know what our Father wants for us!
While I cannot speak on behalf of our Father, I can provide a brief idea of what I want for my children, as an earthly father.
Hopefully, this provides a clearer way to see what our Father wants for us (and wants us to do).

I am speaking from the position of someone who want children.
This view would be different from the view of someone whom:
1. has a child due to some irresponsible behaviour,
2. has a child as an unexpected and unwelcomed outcome, OR
3. has a child for the sake of having one.

I want my children to be:

a. healthy and well-formed
Even before he or she is born, I am concerned about various health and developmental issues.
My prayer that my children be born healthy means that they should be born complete, and without the slightest disability.

i. Exodus 15:26 (the Lord is my Healer)
Our Father made it clear that He had our well-being at heart too, but a lot of the things we do in disobedience may bring us diseases.

ii. Leviticus 11, 26 (clean and unclean food, reward and punishment)
This healthy concept includes eating healthily and living responsibly too.

iii. Psalms 139 (You created my inmost being)
After all, our Father who granted us life, knows what we need and has our best interest at heart.

b. happy and well-balanced
I pray that my children would live their lives with smiles always.
However, I do not want them to build their happiness on the sorrows of others or have any sense of perversion in their pursuit of happiness.

i. Genesis 1 – 3 (very good, not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil)
Like our Father, I would give the best to my children, but I would not allow them to do some things that harm them.

ii. Matthew 7 (gifts to our children)
Our Father is generous to us, just as we can be generous to our children.
All basic provision of food and clothing should be met.
All the rest is dependent on the ability of the earthly parents.

c. intelligent and wise
I pray that my children would know how to behave well in the situations that they find themselves in, giving people no excuses to criticise them about their behaviour or implied values.

i. Proverbs 1 (the fear of the Lord)
By anchoring our children in a proper attitude towards us, we can begin to teach them proper values and behaviour.

ii. Luke 2 (wisdom, grace, favour)
Hopefully, like Jesus, my children will develop well in all ways, thus finding favour with everyone in whatever they do.

d. upright and holy
Only after developing their reasoning and empathy (wisdom) will my children be able to actively choose to do the right things.
I would like their lives to bring them confidence and pleasure, and be good models for others to imitate.

i. Exodus 19 (holy nation)
Our Father called us to be of a specific nature, and I know that to be the best option for my children.

ii. Leviticus 19 (be holy)
I pray that I would be an excellent role-model for my children, so that they are not lost in the world of varied and fanciful me-first options.

e. grateful and love me
Of greatest pleasure to me, would be the day when my children would choose to love me, despite the difficulties they have in life and that they would be content, with food and clothing.

i. Deuteronomy 6 (love the Lord)
This, I believe, is the heartbeat of our Father.

ii. Matthew 23 (hen)
Jesus made it clear that our Father always seek to draw us nearer to Him.
Similarly, I want to spend much quality time with my children too.

It has never been about doing things for the Father.
It has always started and shall end with drawing near to Him.

What do you want to achieve in your life?

2009-11-13T10:01:00.003+08:00

I believe in the Chinese saying that we should refine ourselves, put our family in order, build a healthy society or country, before we can bring peace to the world (in that order).

If we are not sure what we want for our lives, it is difficult to communicate anything worthwhile to our families, much less to the society at large.
Similarly, if we cannot help our families find their fulfillment, how can we really convince the world that we can live at peace?

Therefore, I think it is useful for us to set our vision and mission for our personal lives.
If your spouse sees the value in this (after seeing yours in action), you can also craft one set for your family.

A vision sets out who we want to become, and be remembered as.
A mission sets out the things we want to do, based on the vision.

We can then draw out a few strategic thrusts by focusing on the mission, by which our daily lives would be governed by.
After that, we can set goals for ourselves.
There are long term goals (5 years) and short term goals (1 year).
They are based on the strategic thrusts too.

This allows us to live our lives with purpose, and focus.

I would like to present my version.
This is not the best version ever, but I hope it would inspire you to do something similar, so that you would live a purposeful life.

My vision is:
To be a role-model Christian man in everything I think, say, and do, so that others are inspired to live meaningful Christian lives.

My mission is:
To bring others to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and assist the fulfillment of God's will in their lives.

I managed to write out 5 strategic thrusts:
1. Be an exemplary son to the Father, and brother to the Church
2. Be an exemplary grandson, son, brother, husband, and father
3. Be an exemplary mentor to my peers and the young
4. Be exemplary in my career
5. Be all things to everyone, so that some may be won

I would not list my goals here, because those change with time, and would not apply to you.
However, you can definitely find resources on the Internet to help you write out goals relevant to your lives.
Just bear in mind what you want to achieve in 5 years, and then work backwards, by breaking down those long term goals into manageable short term goals (1 year).

May the Lord grant you favour in this.

How should we respond when we are discouraged in doing good?

2009-11-04T17:30:00.006+08:00

The Lord has planned good deeds for us to do.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, certain situations are beyond our help.

At other times, even though we help someone, and the person gains from our assistance, the person may turn out to be ungrateful and even backstabbing.
The person may have counted our offences against us, more than our willingness to help in the situation.
The person may also feel a false sense of accomplishment and pride at the achievements, as though the person is "self-made".

You know that whatever good deeds we do, we do it as unto the Lord, not counting the possible gratitude and rewards in this life, but with a heart of pure goodness to exclaim the glory of God.
Even so, we do feel disappointed, don't we?

Whatever it is, I encourage you not to give up doing good (not necessarily always to the same person), because you will reap the harvest in the long run, if you do not give up.

Besides, it is not about the others and you.

It is strictly between God and you.

How do we decide what the right thing to do is?

2009-09-27T13:03:00.004+08:00

I would like to start by quoting two statements from the Bible.

Jesus said something like this:

1. Those who are not against Me are for Me.
2. Those who are not for Me are against Me.

These sentences seem to be contradictory, until we examine the context of these quotes.

When Jesus' disciples asked Him to stop others from preaching because they were not in Jesus' "camp", Jesus told them the first statement.
Basically, I believe that Jesus' aim was to tell the disciples to stop judging others.
After all, God is the one who truly knows who His followers are.

When it was time to emphasise on personal responsibility, Jesus mentioned the second statement.
That is, nobody can take a neutral stand about God.
God does not accept people's excuse to sit on the fence, or to be idle.
In fact, this view is further supported by the warning that "luke-warm" Christians will be spit out.

I would like to use these two statements to talk about sin.
Whether a person is sinning or not depends on two factors:

1. Does he know if something is sinful or right?
2. What action is he taking about this matter?

As such, there are a few permutations:

1. He does not know that it is sinful, and he does not do it.
2. He does not know that it is sinful, and he does it due to his sinful nature.
3. He does not know that it is sinful, and he does it wilfully (to relieve pain or to gain pleasure).

4. He knows that it is sinful, and he does not do it.
5. He knows that it is sinful, and he does it due to his sinful nature.
6. He knows that it is sinful, and he does it wilfully.

7. He knows that it is right, and he does not do it.
8. He knows that it is right, and he does it reluctantly.
9. He knows that it is right, and he does it willingly onto God.

I have the following comments about these situations:

1. He does not know that it is sinful, and he does not do it.
This is usually the behaviour of a child who is brought up well by his parents.
He may not understand the definition, but he is obedient to his parents.
This is a plus.

2. He does not know that it is sinful, and he does it due to his sinful nature.
This is the basic tendency of a child.
Even a born-again believer is like a child.
While I am not sure of where God finally draws the line, I believe that this is excusable, at least initially, because a person would finally grow up and realise the truth.
Some people say that children who are not baptised will be in hell, if they suddenly die.
I do not believe that is what a just God has in mind.

3. He does not know that it is sinful, and he does it wilfully (to relieve pain or to gain pleasure).
This is usually the tendency of someone with low intelligence or sanity.
He may not be smart or rational enough to realise that his actions are hurting others.
I also believe that this is excusable, although I would not like to have one of them running around freely in my neighbourhood.
I believe that these people need help.

Eventually, most of us would know if something is right or wrong, because of our conscience.
Few can truly say to God that he does not know and is thus innocent.

4. He knows that it is sinful, and he does not do it.
This is the conscientious effort of a born-again believer.

5. He knows that it is sinful, and he does it due to his sinful nature.
This is the struggle of a born-again believer.
Nobody can say that he does not sin.
Whether this is excusable depends on God who knows him the best.

6. He knows that it is sinful, and he does it wilfully.
This is the tendency of those who commit crimes wilfully, and thus is not excusable.

Obviously, most of us would fall into the "knowing" category.

7. He knows that it is right, and he does not do it.
This is defiance, and also not excusable.

8. He knows that it is right, and he does it reluctantly.
This is like the son in the parable who told his Father that he would not obey Him, but regretted and did it later.
This is valued by God too.

9. He knows that it is right, and he does it willingly onto God.
This person would bring God much pleasure.

Although God will eventually judge us based on our individual response to Him, He loves us deeply no matter what.
What are you waiting for?

Turn to Him now.

Which special need do we have?

2009-09-12T18:50:00.004+08:00

I do not envy those families with a child who has special needs.
By that, I refer to the child who has some difficulties living a normal social life.

In a sense, I really respect those who choose to tough it out.
It is their love for their child that enables them to bring him up.
The child with severe disabilities may never be able to achieve normal independence.
One day, their parents would pass away, leaving the poor child behind.

That is why I often pray that my children would never be born with special needs.
I would not be able to handle them, I think.

Yet, don't we all have a special need?
In this, I refer to the need for Jesus.
Without our connection to the Father, we would be left behind orphans, living a most wretched life.

Praise God for sending Jesus.

To what extent should we obey the Ten Commandments?

2009-06-23T15:17:00.003+08:00

Rather than jumping into the Commandments directly, I would like to draw your attention to what Jesus said in Mark 7:17-23. It is what we think that defile us and make us unacceptable to God. This is an important truth, for as long as we are not aware that our arguments tend to serve our self-interest, we can argue until the cows come home without reaching a satisfactory conclusion about any truth in the Bible.

If we can cast aside our pride and self-interest, and ask the Holy Spirit to teach us, I am pretty sure the conclusion would be the same.

1. The Ten Commandments can be found in Exodus 20:1-17. Note that they should apply to us since we have been rescued too.

2. Referring to Matthew 5:17-48 would further confirm about how much we should obey the Commandments.
We should praise the Lord that Jesus came to fulfill the Law, since we cannot do it by ourselves. However, that does not mean we can stay unmoved and just do whatever we like. In fact, as Christians, we should obey God even better than the teachers and the Pharisees. That can only be done if we do it from the heart. Physical obedience is meaningless, if we harbour a secret sinful thought life.

3. If we expand the physical acts of obedience to include our thought life, we would find the following version of the Ten Commandments:

Giving to God what belongs to God

i. To worship God is to adore, trust, believe and desire God.
We can easily worship any gods by adoring human superstar idols, trusting human systems to help us, believing in the lies of non-Biblical ideologies, and desiring the “security” that comes with money.

ii. To make physical idols of animals (versus plants) include admiring their qualities. It also speaks of an impatience to wait for God to reveal Himself to us, as shown in Exodus 32:1-8.
This actual reverses the order of the creator and the created. We have power over what we create (the idol) and should not worship them. God has also given us authority to rule over the animals. Similarly, proper regard should be given to our Creator. Since He created us all, including the animals, should He not be our only worship?

iii. To use God’s name properly is to use it with respect.
Often, people swear oaths or give their promises in God’s name. This action seeks to impress the recipient about the sincerity of the originator. However, if the oath or promise is not fulfilled or is just trickery, it abuses the name of the Lord. This leads directly to how we live our lives as Christians, how we carry His name. If we call ourselves His own and misbehaves, the weaker in faith, and the unbelievers would have more reason to reject Him. The many religious conmen who pretend that “thus says the Lord” will surely be punished.

iv. Note that six days are set aside for our daily and regular responsibilities. The seventh day is a day of reflective rest and a sign of obedience to the Creator.
Let us not fool ourselves about any talk regarding the Lord’s Day (usually meaning Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, which is Saturday). The early Church meets regularly on Saturdays in Acts. They only collected donations on Sundays. We should not do any kind of work on Saturdays. The current Church leadership burn themselves and their lay leaders out for the Sunday services. There is no longer any reflection in the “day of rest”. However, I would like to remind you of Matthew 12:1-14, and Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6. Since the Sabbath was created for our benefit, showing mercy and not judgement to the needy who need to work on Sabbaths is what we need to do too. In fact, we should render good deeds to the needy on Sabbaths. I believe that this Commandment clearly shows that we cannot observe God completely and that is why we need Christ. Since we are forgiven much, we can forgive others.
I have a recommendation, and this is from me, not from the Lord. We work very hard from Mondays to Fridays (refer to Genesis 3). We obey God to rest and reflect on the Creator on Saturdays, and do not judge those who work on Saturdays. We also contribute to the needy (spiritual, physical, emotional, mental) on Sundays. May God be praised in all that we do.

Respecting others as made in the image of God

v. Being a father, I can understand why parents feel heartbroken when their children fail to honour them.
When we honour our parents, we provide for their needs (spiritually, financially / physically, emotionally, mentally). We also give them our obedience (in the Lord) and love, in front of others, in front of them, and when we are alone. We do not gossip about them, but we bless them with prayers. We regard them as higher than ourselves, for without their decision to keep and raise us, we would not be here.

vi. We also murder others when we hate them (without cause), plot against them (for our self-interest), and ignore their needs.
Thus doing, we have decided that their right to live with dignity is not worth contemplating.

vii. By not giving in to lusting in our hearts, we commit ourselves to the sanctity of the marriage covenant, and show respect to others who are not meant for our sexual (and emotional) pleasure.

Putting things where they belong

viii. We should not take anything that belongs to others.
This includes “borrowing” without permission and claiming credit for what others have done. This also includes piracy, and using school and office things for unofficial purposes.

ix. We should think of others as being higher (more important) than us.
By judging others, we would start mudslinging (to make ourselves look better), gossiping, and slandering. I believe the main purpose of false testimony is to justify that the accused do not deserve what they have, compared to us. This is putting things first, before people.

x. The solution to greed is contentment.
Contentment with Godliness is much gain. When we are greedy for what belongs to others, we may plot against them, so that we can get what belongs to them. A lesser evil is to work very hard for these things so much so that the things become our goal in life, our god. We should work very hard, because life is tough, but we should do so with contentment. We are satisfied with what we have and what we do not have.

Above all, we have God.

How do we know if anyone is a disciple of Christ?

2009-05-17T11:29:00.004+08:00

What makes someone a disciple of Christ?
How is such a person different from a believer of Christ?

I am quite certain that the disciples are not restricted to the twelve apostles.
There are even secret disciples, as mentioned in the Bible.
This means that there are people who believe in Christ, and want to follow Him, but are restricted in how they can show their beliefs in public.
They are still disciples of Christ, because they are determined to live their lives according to how Christ wants them to live.

On the other hand, there are believers who attend Church regularly, but have not made up their minds to be disciples.
The Church then becomes a place for them to socialise.

How would you like to live out your faith?

I believe the best way is not to judge other believers, because we do not know their situation, but just to do our best to be the disciples Christ wants us to be.

What kind of posts are on this blog?

2009-04-09T18:40:00.003+08:00

There are many things I can't write here.

1. I am not supposed to talk about my work.
2. I don't want to name my friends, those that I love here.
3. I don't want to talk about my family members for the same protective reason.

Other than that, I love God.
I am also sure He won't mind me expressing my thoughts about Him.

Therefore, unless you personally know me, you should not be able to trace significant personal information from this blog.
I didn't even put a tagboard.

I hope this clarifies things.

As for my limited posts, how often can I receive a revelation from the Lord?
I write when I can, seriously.

I pray that the Lord will bless you and your families.

Are we unfairly treated?

2009-03-26T18:45:00.003+08:00

Do you sometime feel that the world is rather unfair?

Do you feel unappreciated for all the things you have done?
Do you feel that it is unfair that someone who is less capable than you is enjoying more of the things of this world?
Why should you feel so?

Don't you realise that if we have more, more is expected of us?
Aren't you concerned that the Lord said that it is more difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God?
Why are you despairing to be rich?
Or to be in a position of authority?

Isn't God the One who promotes?
Isn't He in control of everything on Earth?
Doesn't He care for you and me?

If so, I can safely say now that God is fair.
In fact, He is more than fair.
He is just.

He will ensure that you have enough for your needs.
He also knows when too much of a "good" thing is bad for you.

Of course, you can continue to chase the material stuff.
You will only be climbing the wrong tree.
Eventually, you will get what you long for.
However, in the process, you would lose what is truly valuable:
The peace of God, and His smile on His servant - you.

Don't sweat for the small stuff.

Do you want to know God's will for your life?

2009-02-19T19:20:00.006+08:00

Do you feel lost sometimes?
Do you ever wish you know what the best plan is for your life?
Do you ever hope that God will just provide a straightforward blueprint for your life?
Do you ever wish that God will talk to you face-to-face?

God interacted with the believers in great intimacy in much of the Bible.
Yet, for most of us, God does not seem to be visibly or audibly present.
How should we resolve this conflict?

I am praying for an answer too.

What I know is that God desires to speak to us as a Father does.
He desires to share His all with us.
When He took Israel out of Egypt, He wanted the whole nation to communicate directly with Him.
It was Israel that did not want to.

What is missing for our case?
Do we really want God to speak to us?
How strong is our desire?
What are we willing to do to have that kind of open communication with the Lord?
What can we do?
Do we really understand our position as children of God?
Who are we to the Lord?

The basic actions we can take include:

1. Spending time with the Lord
2. Reflecting on His Word (the Bible)
3. Denying our selfish desires so that His will can be made manifest in us
4. Preparing for the unexpected

God speaks to different people in different ways:

1. Mainly through His Word
2. Godly counsel by loving Christian brothers and sisters
3. Impression on the heart by the Holy Spirit
4. Dreams and visions, and
5. Rarely through His audible voice

Regardless, His will is mainly that we be saved, and slowly transformed into the Christ-like image day by day.

He may desire that we serve others in a specific way, and in this sense, His will can be accomplished through our lives.
However, even if we do not do what He desires, He would move someone else to do the job.
We would just lose the opportunity to serve Him.

Choose God - choose life.

Is there anything new that can satisfy us?

2009-01-21T18:29:00.011+08:00

With the start of the new year, what is new to you?
Do you have a new year resolution?
What do you hope to achieve this year?
What do you hope to have this year?
What do you hope to try this year?

The book of Ecclesiastes stated clearly that all are in vain.
Whatever we try to do, it has been attempted before.
Whatever we try to get, people have possessed it before.
Whatever we want to try, people have tried it before.

Yet, there is no real and lasting satisfaction.
We may be happy for a short while, but the happiness will fade.
As long as we look to temporal things on Earth, we will never be satisfied.

This is because we are created this way.
Our real source of satisfaction can only come from the Lord.
When we see Him face to face, we will be content.

Let us look to Him to fulfil our hearts' desire.

Can we truly forgive others?

2008-12-27T13:03:00.018+08:00

I have decided to share on this topic.

I am very inspired by brother Sokreaksa S. Himm.
He is the author of two books, The Tears of My Soul, and After the Heavy Rain.
I strongly advise all to read these two books, and perhaps more, should he decide to write others.
I only have the second book, as the first was limited in its circulation, and I would rather some others have it first.

What I am going to write here is a summary of my thoughts.

Frankly, this is one of the most difficult topics to share on.
I am sure it is not difficult for anyone to understand why.

Who among us can claim that we have never been hurt by others?
That person would be a liar.

Yet, why should we forgive others?
My reply is: Why not?

There are many reasons why I chose not to forgive those who hurt me.
These include:
1. I had been hurt unfairly.
2. Justice meant that those who hurt me must suffer for their sins.
3. Those who hurt me did not ask for my forgiveness.

There are good reasons to forgive now.

1. "I had been hurt unfairly."
Have I not hurt anyone in my life?
Have I not hurt He who loves me most?
Can I effectively measure the hurt I suffered and the hurt others suffered because of me, and say that I am the lesser of sinners?

We can only conclude that this society is not God's original design, and we are still suffering the effects of sin.
All the more, we cry, "Come, Lord Jesus. Come."

2. "Justice meant that those who hurt me must suffer for their sins."
I still believe in this, but vengeance is the Lord's.
He will decide when and where the vengeance will come.
Am I God, that I should think myself above the judgement of Christ?
Am I all-knowing, that I should trust myself the best judge of what and when is the appropriate punishment?
Did I really understand the message of the Lord?
How do I demonstrate Christ-likeness by holding on to the pain?

3. "Those who hurt me did not ask for my forgiveness."
When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother, I always thought that this passage meant that I must forgive those who ask.
However, I also believed that those who did not ask need not be forgiven.
At the same time, I could not reconcile this view with the prayer both Jesus and Stephen said at their deaths, that the Father would forgive them, for they did not know what they were doing.

Aren't we all "not knowing"?
If we truly understood how our words and actions would hurt others, would we still have done so?

If we would, we truly deserved to be condemned.
If we ever had or have any regrets, doesn't it show that we "did not know"?
How can we trust that we hurt others without intending it, and yet, others hurt us with malice?
How deceptive the heart is!
How self-righteous we are!

I always said that we should know what kind of person God is first, before we can understand why He gave certain commandments, and in this case, the same principle can apply.

If we can believe that God is both just and merciful, we would understand some things:
1. The need for final judgement on Judgement Day
2. The call to be merciful
3. The use for His commandments

1. As God is just, He would not tolerate evil forever.
One day, all shall be made accountable for their thoughts, words and deeds.
Why then is He "delaying" judgement?
Why does He place such a premium on free will?
Isn't it because of His mercy and sense of justice at the same time?

2. As God is merciful, He demonstrates His patience with us, who are saved.
His will is that none shall perish, but this may not be the will of men.
This long-suffering God reaches out to us first, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
All we wise enough to call for judgement now?
In this culture of instant gratification, have we forgotten what we have received freely from the Lord?
As we freely receive His grace, freely we shall give.

3. I believe that all commandments are given for our benefit.
We do not commit murder, because this would bring fear, anger and hatred into our midst.
We forgive, because we can be truly free.
Those who hurt us, may never realise that they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and woe be to them when they fall into God's hand of judgement.
However, there could also be some who are sorry, but lack the courage to apologise.
They may have found their peace with the Lord, but we, for the lack of forgiveness, are still holding on to the pain.

It is worth our while to forgive.
Let us try to live lives truly worth living!

How do we forgive?
How did we become Christians?
The answer is the same: by choice.
Choose to forgive.

I lie, if I say that forgiving others is an easy choice.
May the Lord walk with us, as we choose to forgive others everyday.
May He complete our insufficiency.

Day 4 of the Trip

2008-12-11T20:23:00.006+08:00

We have done what we planned to do.
Yet, the work is never truly finished.

The harvest is great, but the workers are few.

I saw a big body of water from the aeroplane.

The available land are "reclaimed" from the wetlands.
Thus, a lot of small puddles of water are left uncleared.

This leads to a persistent mosquito problem.

I was told to stay away from 0500 to 0800 hrs and 1700 to 2000 hrs.

We really don't know how blessed we are.

Day 3 of the Trip

2008-12-10T21:18:00.020+08:00

While at work, we saw that another computer was down.
My friend tried to salvage the "Blue Screen of Death", but it was in vain.

Even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as one of these.
Anyway, these flowers reminded me of my wife and daughter.

Should I adopt a child?

Am I a good father?

Day 2 of the Trip

2008-12-09T21:19:00.020+08:00

Finally, we are in a cyber cafe now.

Things were so rushed yesterday that I suggested skipping the blogging activity for the day.

Everyone was tired after the flight, and I wanted the younger ones to have more time to rest.

I miss my family.

It is going to be a few more days before I see them, and phone calls are too expensive.
I am working on alternative methods of contacting my loved ones.

The Internet connection is not great, and thus I am not putting the photographs up.

I took a lot of photographs and can't wait to share them with my family.

Now that I am typing this, it means I am very safe, until now....

What is the kind of love that God demands of us?

2008-10-06T17:21:00.010+08:00

I was told to share my thoughts on the two most important commandments in the Bible. You can find the reference from Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34 and Luke 10:25-37.

To sum it up, they are:
1. "Love God with everything you have." and
2. "Love your neighbour as you love yourself."

What do they mean for the Christian?

1. It helps to refer to 1 John 4:7-21.

From the verses, we can see that God loves us first, and thus, it should not be difficult for us to love Him back. It is made easier for us, because we are told to love Him with what we have, and not what we do not have.

Why does God demand that of us?

Imagine that I love God with everything I have except for one thing. It could be something simple like my computer games, which I spend more time at than with God, or something complicated like my choice of a girlfriend, where I tell God not to interfere.

This simply means that the one area becomes my god. It also means that I am, in reality, enslaved (addicted) to the one area, since I told God not to come in and help me make godly decisions.

When we surrender all to God, we gain the ultimate freedom - the ability to live the life that God knows is best for us.

How do we know we have really loved God with everything we have?

It is when we are ready to drop those things at a moment's notice. It does not mean that we must drop everything or anything now, but it means that God is given the final say. Thus, when He tells us "no", we know that it is not good for us.

Another consideration is how the others are affected by us. If we damage our relationships with our loved ones over a particular area, chances are that we have not surrendered that area to God. Read Romans 14-15 and 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 for further elaboration.

This brings us to:
2. Luke 10:30-37 sums up how to love our neighbour.

We are to show them mercy, because we ourselves received mercy from the Lord. We are to avoid hurting them, because that is how we do not want to be treated. We are to treat them the way we ourselves want to be treated.

For example, if we want to others to respect us, we should show respect to others. If we want others to be honest with us, we should be honest with them too. Finally, if we do not want others to use vulgarities on us, we should watch our own mouths.

What happens if we are not treated the way we treat others?

Does it really matter? Who would God be pleased with at the end of the day? Who would He reserve His fury for?

Finally, read 1 Corinthians 13 to see the characteristics we should aim to have.

Consider how you can change your lifestyle today, to live out this two commandments and enjoy the freedom that come with them!