The Tallest Order - Living in Faith

The Problem with Religion

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:45:00 +0000

The problem with religion is that it depends on what we do. If we really believe in a perfect God, we can never do enough! If it’s all about what we do, then we're all dead; we can never do enough to make ourselves perfect in the sight of God. We cannot rely upon ourselves.

If it’s not about what we do but what Jesus has done, then we’ve truly experienced massive grace! He offered His perfect life for our sinful one! What grace! Remember, when we get to Judgment Day and we kneel before the throne, don't point at yourselves bragging about your good deeds, point at Jesus and say..."it's all about Him, and I believe in Him, He died so I can have eternal life!" This is such GOOD NEWS! Praise God!

It’s not about us praying five times a day in a special direction (Islam), it’s not about us meditating a certain way (Buddhism), it’s not about us believing in ourselves (Oprahism), it’s about what Jesus has done on our behalf!

Have faith in Jesus Christ, he is the ONLY way into the kingdom of God. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9

Faith is all about what Jesus can do for us, not what we can do for ourselves.

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Beware of the Enticement of Money

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:48:00 +0000

Money is the second most powerful god. Beware of the enticement of money!

(Proverbs 1:10-19)

10 My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them.

11 If they say, "Come along with us;
let's lie in wait for someone's blood,
let's waylay some harmless soul;

12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;

14 throw in your lot with us,
and we will share a common purse"-

15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;

16 for their feet rush into sin,
they are swift to shed blood.

17 How useless to spread a net
in full view of all the birds!

18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they waylay only themselves!

19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the lives of those who get it.

The second most powerful god is money, which is controlled by Satan. Money is even more powerful than Satan himself. Here are a two scriptures regarding "money-lust":

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." - 1 Timothy 6:10.

"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." - Exodus 3,4.

Money can become a god if you have a lust for money. EVERYTHING you buy with money is only with you while you are on this earth; once you die, you cannot take these "things" into heaven. So, why would you want to worship money? "Things" only last for as long as you live on this earth. On the other hand, everything you'll ever need is waiting for you in heaven if you choose to worship the One and Only God. Do not worship money, and beware of the enticement of money!

Religion Versus the Gospel of Jesus Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:58:00 +0000

Religion has good people and bad people. Gospel has only repentant and unrepentant people.

Our pastor was at a restaurant the other day, and he overheard a conversation from a table nearby. The one line from that conversation that stuck in his mind was: ‘this is God’s way of showing me I’m a good person’.

God doesn’t show us we’re ‘good people’! There are no good people! Romans 5 again, ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 5:23).

Religion says, ‘you do the same things as me so you’re good’ or ‘you don’t do the same things as me so you’re bad.’ The Gospel says, ‘You’re bad, and so am I! The good news is that there is One who is good and He died on your behalf. Repent and believe in Jesus Christ!’

Remember, there's no such thing as a perfect human being (except Jesus Christ). Don't try and act good, because you're not a good person...nobody is! Admit to God that you're a sinner, and start having faith in Jesus Christ, your Savior who died on the cross so that you might have eternal life in heaven!

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2 Corinthians 4:18 Bible Verse

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:16:00 +0000

'So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.' 2 Corinthians 4:18 -- Remember this bible verse when you're debating whether or not to watch the evening news, or to pray and read your Bible.

Blessings to you all today!

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Proverbs 1:1-7 - Introduction to the Book of Proverbs

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:46:00 +0000

The Book of Proverbs gives you more knowledge and wisdom about God.

The key theme to Proverbs is very 'life-practical'. And as it is written at the beginning (Prv 1:1-7), Proverbs goal is to instill wisdom into God's people based on the 'Fear of the Lord'. The result; wisdom to help guide you through everyday situations...family, relationships, marriage, work, domestic peace, eternity and much more.

Prologue: Purpose and Theme

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;

3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-

5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-

6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

This is a perfect way to introduce Proverbs. Prv 1:1-7 is the prologue to the Book of Proverbs and understanding it will make it easier to read and absorb the rest of Proverbs. Look at the two main verses (5,7) and examine the meaning...

Verse 5 is great; it plainly states that no matter how knowledgeable someone is about God (Christianity), there is still learning and growing to be done. So, continue reading through your Holy Bible and continue learning. Even if you've read the Bible many times cover-to-cover, still read it; the Bible is God's Word to us. And I guarantee that you will continue to get more insightful information as you read your Bible through again.

"...I have read the Bible through 100 times, and always with increasing delight. Each time it seems like a new book to me...Daily study is a great blessing...I look upon it as a lost day when I do not read the Bible" - Halley's Bible Handbook

--First time reading the Bible? Here's a suggestion, read the Gospel of John.

Verse 7: this verse is the most important verse to understand before you read the book of proverbs. The fear of the LORD...: describes a reverent awe and a healthy fear of God's displeasure with sin and discipline in good works (praying, Bible reading etc.). ...beginning of knowledge...: because the moral life begins with complete reverence, humility, repentance before our Maker (God) through Jesus Christ.

To make it more understandable, it means: a healthy fear of God is a good thing because you will be aware of good and bad works. You will strive to do better works (Bible reading, Praying etc.), thus, you will learn more about God.

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The 3Ds to Follow Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:18:00 +0000

To follow Christ, we need denial, devotion, and doing -- the 3 Ds of faith.

When Jesus called men to be His disciples, one of the fundamental qualifications was a "single eye" -- the single vision that sees nothing other than the total commitment to achieve that single goal in life, which is to serve God and spread His Word. In the Bible, when the disciples followed Jesus, they left everything behind and followed Him immediately without second thoughts.

"And another also said, 'I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.' But Jesus said to him, 'No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 9:61-62)

Looking back is a distraction, and we cannot follow Jesus as a distracted disciple. To follow Christ, we can no longer live a life of convenience, but only a life of denial, devotion, and doing. Jesus showed how He invested His life in training men to become disciples who would be fully devoted to Him, to His commission to spread the gospel to a lost world, and build men and women in Christ.

"Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-60)

Denial means dying to self and allowing the Lord to take complete charge; denial means by faith surrendering one's right to run one's own life to the control and will of God. In other words, denial means the total dedication of one’s life to the revealed will of God; denial means the desire and willingness to choose for the Lord and His values regardless of the cost. Only complete denial of self can engender a single-minded devotion, which entails loving the Lord with all one’s heart. It means putting Him first and thereby seeking first the kingdom of God, that is, the reign and rule of God in one’s life.

In the first commandment, God told Israel to serve Him exclusively, not only because they owed it to Him, but also because He was worthy of their exclusive trust. They were to resign to His absolute authority over them on the basis of trust in His complete adequacy for them. Like the Israelites, you cannot serve Him to the exclusion of other gods if you doubt His all-sufficiency to provide you with whatever you may need in following Christ.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment” (Matthew: 22:37).

With denial and devotion, you can then put commitment into action through a new set of heavenly and eternal values, priorities, and pursuits.

"I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me." (John 5:30)

Stephen Lau

The Tallest Order

Living in Faith Is the Art of Living Well

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:08:00 +0000

The Bible says you harvest what you plant, or you reap what you sow. Our dividends in heaven will be determined by how well we live on earth.

Living in faith is the art of living well. Living in faith is following the Spirit, instead of our sinful selves. This is difficult, especially in contemporary living, which abounds in sins and temptations. Without faith and trust in God, it is so easy to deviate from the path of holiness and righteousness. Remember, our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, while the Spirit wants from us what is against our sinful selves. There is forever the battle between the self and the Spirit. Man is weak and inadequate, and therefore cannot win this battle unless he has the ammunition of faith. With faith, everything is possible.

What is the art of living well? It is about keeping the body and soul pure and healthy. It is about temperance, not indulgence. It is about a healthy lifestyle to benefit both the body and the mind.

"Who has trouble? Who has pain?
Who fights? Who complains?
Who has unnecessary bruises?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
It is people who drink too much wine,
who try out all different kinds of strong drinks." (Proverbs 23:29-30)

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18)

The art of living well is also about pleasing God.

"If people please God, God will give them wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But sinners will get only the work of gathering and storing wealth that they will have to give to the ones who please God. So all their work is useless, like chasing the wind." (Ecclesiastes 2:26)

Knowledge is empowering. Knowledge is knowing God through His Word, which gives us divine wisdom on the art of living well. And living well leads only to joy!

The law of the harvest, the essence of the art of living well, operates in the spiritual, the moral, as well as the physical levels.

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." (Galatians 6:7)

We should guard ourselves against sowing too much time on material things and self-indulgence. We should refrain from worshiping idols (1 John 5:21) that steal our hearts and minds away from what is good and righteous.

Knowing we harvest what we plant is the art of living well.

Visit my website on faith: The Tallest Order.

Stephen Lau

The Art of Living Well

Why Is Spiritual Happiness So Elusive?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:26:00 +0000

Christians all know that obedience leads to blessing and faith, and, ultimately, to spiritual happiness. However, many believers still find spiritual happiness elusive. Yes, spiritual happiness seems to come and go, and forever out of reach.

All too often, we glibly sing the words of faith of Christian hymns on Sundays but without giving much thought to them. Knowing is one thing, while doing is another. We all know that trust and obedience -- and no other way -- is the divine way for happiness and blessing.

The Bible contains many passages that teach us we need to trust in Gd in order to find spiritual happiness, which requires only the price of obedience. However, often times, we find spiritual happiness elusive because our trust or faith is partial or incomplete. In the Bible, Jacob offers a good illustration. Jacob was a believer who had to learn and re-learn his trust and obedience to God because of his halfway trust and obedience. God made His promises to Jacob, who, nonetheless, attached an "if" to his faith in God in different occasions.

Are many of us like Jacob? Do we "bargain" with God like Jacob did? Is our trust incomplete? Do we compromise our obedience to God's commands?

The Bible is very specific that God does not expect us to question or compromise His commands; He expects us to simply trust Him and obey Him. This is the only to find spiritual blessing and happiness, otherwise spiritual happiness is forever elusive and out of reach.

Find out more about living in faith from: The Tallest Order.

Stephen Lau

Healing Hurt

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:54:00 +0000

Hurt is a part and parcel of life. Someone has wronged us: we feel outraged, and emotionally hurt. Sometimes the hurt is so deep and intense that we would hold on to it like a leech. Neither would we forget nor forgive the wrongdoer.

Healing hurt may be difficult, but not impossible -- especially with the help of God.

"Everything you ask and pray for, believe that you have it already and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24)

Healing hurt requires us to believe that we already possess God;s healing power. Once we have that belief beyond doubt, we are at a turning point in our lives -- just like the baptism of the Spirit that gives us a new life and a new beginning.

"For everyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation. The old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. It was all God's work." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)

So, it is God's work that enables us to forgive the wrongdoer, and thus begins the healing process. We will not only experience peace about past events that hurt us, but also make right choices in our reactions to those events. Specifically, we will find ourselves more in touch with how the Holy Spirit may lead us as we become more sensitized to finding God in all things around us.

Holding grudges is often an act of proving to ourselves our right to be angry, or our justification to become hateful and vengeful. In divine healing of emotional hurt, instead of becoming more self-centered as when we hold grudges, we become more responsive to surrendering ourselves to God. Yes, the gift of healing frees ourselves from the shackles of emotional pain to follow Christ anywhere and in any circumstance because God has become more intimately present in our lives. Not that we no longer feel the pain, but rather the pain and suffering have become so much more subdued.

An intimate relationship with God holds the key to healing hurt and easing emotional pain.

In real life, a strained relationship may trigger a heart attack; and a psychological or physical medical condition may make us become more self-centered. Similarly, holding on to emotional hurt only damages our health and alienates us from God. An intimate relationship with God -- in which we surrender or subordinate our will (such as withholding forgiveness) to that of God (such as letting go the past) -- enables us to become God's "new creation" the moment we say "yes" to His way of divine healing.

Divine Healing: Follow the simple steps to physical, spiritual, and emotional healing.

Also, visit my website: The Art of Living Well.

Stephen Lau

A Balance Between Self-Reliant and God-Dependent

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:33:00 +0000

Living a life of faith is the tallest order in life. We need to have faith not only in God, but also in ourselves. In addition, we need to strike a balance between the two. If we become too God-dependent, and we don't do anything ourselves, we may become "fatalistic" -- thinking that whatever happens to us has come from God, and that we play too little or no part in our own salvation. On the other hand, if we become too self-reliant, we may become too self-cnetered, thinking that we can do everything without God. Living in faith requires us to strike a balance between self-reliant and God-dependent.

First of all, we need to believe that God has absolute sovereignty in this world, and that at the same time He has given us the gift of free will, which means we, too, have to play a pivotal part in God's sovereignty.

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we may know the things which have been freely given to us by God . . ." (Corinthians 2:12)

God has given us the salvation, but we need to work at our salvation with faith and obedience, as Apostle Paul said: "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12)

Jesus has demonstrated and exemplified the obedience required of us: "emptied Himself in the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross. . . " (Philippians 2:7-8)

So, we need to rely on ourselves, through faith, to become obedient, even with humility, when we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

Stephen Lau

The Tallest Order

The Four Requirements to Follow Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:01:00 +0000

Having faith is a tall order in life. Following Jesus is the tallest order, because it has four requirements, which are difficult to meet in contemporary living. Jesus illustrated the four requirements when He called upon Simon Peter to be His disciple.

(1) The first requirement is that we must listen, and have an open mind. When Jesus got into the boat of Simon Peter and began preaching with the boat a little away from the land (Luke 5:3), Peter must have listened intently to what Jesus had said to the crowd. In life, we must open our ears to the Word of God, which is a seed of faith planted in our hearts.

(2) The second requirement is obedience, which is faith itself. When Jesus told Peter to put down his nets for a catch, Peter replied: "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets." (Luke 5:5) Peter was obedient, though it was against his human reasoning that he would catch any fish at all. He demonstrated faith in action -- the faith that he must have acquired after listening to Jesus' preaching to the crowd on the shore. Putting faith in action is a tall order.

(3) The third requirement is humility, or the capability to see one's own inadequacy in the face of sin. When Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish, he immediately threw himself down before Jesus, saying: "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" (Luke 5:8) Humility is seeing redemption that can come only from the grace of God, and not from man's own doing. Seeing the need for salvation as well as believing that salvation comes only from God is a taller order.

(4) The fourth requirement is to give up everything to follow Jesus -- which is the tallest order. After Jesus told Peter that he would be a fisher of men: "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men" (Luke 5:12), Peter and his partners (James and John) brought their boats to land, left everything and followed Jesus (Luke 5:11). In modern application, it does not mean that following Jesus would require us to give up our present occupation. However, it requires us not to look back but to look forward, and not to hold on to what was once precious to us before our salvation -- especially the material things in our lives. In essence, giving up everything is living in faith, which is the tallest order in life.

To follow Jesus, one needs to pay a price. Nowadays, living is never easy, and living in faith may seem even impossible. But with faith, everything is possible.

Stephen Lau

The Tallest Order

Buying into the Optimistic Future God Has Prepared for Us

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:16:00 +0000

In the Bible, Jesus and His mother attended a wedding at Cana in Galilee.When all the wine provided for the celebration had been served and there was no more wine left, at the request of His mother, Jesus performed His first miracle by turning six stone jars of water into the best wine. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, he called the bridegroom to tell him, "Everyone serves the best wine first and when people have drunk enough, he serves that which is ordinary. Instead, you have kept the best wine until the end."

In that incident, Jesus was teaching us the importance of buying into the optimistic future God has prepared for us. There were different occasions in which Jesus said that the last will be the first, and the weakest will become the strongest.

"In this way the last ones will be first, and the first ones last.” (Matthew 20:16)

"However, many that are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:31)

"And, look! There are those last who will be first, and there are those first who will be last.”(Luke 13:30)

Remember, things are not always how you think -- especially your future.

Life is full of problems. There is often more than one solution to a problem, and more than one perspective to any one given situation. Only with faith can we believe that our problems will have their solutions and that we will have more than one perspective to any difficult situation in life. With faith, we can believe that the best wine is in store for us, even though currently we have none.

Is life getting better for you? If not, you may be confronted with financial problems, health problems, or relationship problems. If life is falling apart for you, it is time you turned to God with your faith. If you believe that God is in charge of your life, then you will have more than one solution to any one of your life problems and more than one perspective to your current situation. Just buy into the optimistic future God has prepared for you!

Go to Dr. Ralph E. Bass Library for books to inspire you with hope for today's problems.

Stephen Lau

The Tallest Order

Who You Are -- Claim Your Identify

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:16:00 +0000

You are a child of God in name and in fact. Just claim your identify.

Why is it important to claim the identify as children of God?

It is because our identify gives us dignity, which leads to service -- service to God and to His people. We should be proud of the fact that we are a creation of God. We are all created in the image of God -- although we are uniquely different in our physical makeup, and in our individualized purpose in life, among others.

In the Bible, Jesus showed us the importance of identify in His own baptism. Even though He is the Son of God, it was the first time Jesus claimed His human identity when the heavens opened up and the Spirit of God came down in the form of a dove to announce that He was the Son of God. Jesus' baptism began His public ministry.

Likewise, you should claim your identify as a child of God. You are important -- maybe not to others -- to God, and God has a purpose for you. It is this identification that not only gives you the self image as a creation of God, but also enables you to live in faith.

To claim who you are, do the following every morning:

(1) On waking up, say out your name, loud and clear.

(2) Announce that you are one of God's beloved children.

(3) Ask God for direction to serve His purpose for the day.

(4) Pray for strength to express you love and compassion to those you are going to meet throughout the day.

You will be surprised that God will use you to express His message of love and to convey His grace to others through you. Yes, God speaks to all of us, if only we will listen.

My Sheep Hear My Voice: Have you ever wondered how you can hear God's voice?

For more information on living in faith, visit my website: The Tallest Order.

Stephen Lau

The Real Value of Money to You

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:07:00 +0000

Life is all about living, and living needs money. What is the value of money to you?

In the Bible, Jesus said, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

So, what is the real value of money to you?

If money means to great deal to you, two things could happen:

(1) You may begin to indulge yourself in all the material things you can afford, given that money can buy almost anything you want in life.

If you have the means, you will ultimately lose your faith, and your soul. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Matthew 6:24)

If you do not have the means, you may still want to buy the things you want with the money you don't have, and you may end up in debt.

(2) If money means a great deal to you, you may learn smart money management, such as good investment or finding means to make more money. Again, there is the danger of making money become an end itself. You may focus more on making money, rather than pleasing God.

The real value of money is that you are but a steward of God's money and therefore, in God's economy, it is your moral responsibility to take good care of it. If you have excess, share it with those who are less fortunate than yourself; if you think you have less, be content and be grateful. Placing your trust in God in all money matters is one the tallest orders in contemporary living.

Christian Financial Freedom shows you practical steps to achieve your financial freedom through the Scriptures.

Stephen Lau

Sleep and Spirtuality

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:35:00 +0000

Your sleep reflects your spirituality.

As a matter of fact, your sleep is a mirror of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. A healthy individual does not require any sleeping aid: sleep comes naturally. Medications cannot resolve health problems. Likewise, if you have spiritual problems, you do not have restful sleep, and sleeping aids cannot fix your physical problems, let alone your spiritual ones.

Contemporary living has too much to offer that we tend to forget about who we are, and why we are here on this earth. To many, living has become a form of indulgence in the material things around us. Unfortunately, such indulgence comes with a price -- obsession, nervousness, stress, and worry; they have become the source of restlessness, which contributes to insomnia and sleep deprivation. As St. Augustine once said: "You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find peace in You." It is this restlessness that has prevented many of us from getting restful sleep.

In addition, our multi-task mentality alienates us from our Creator. We often pride ourselves that we can accomplish so much in life that we seem to have forgotten that "unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1)

Sufficient sleep not only protects our physical health through an enhanced immune system, but also attunes ourselves to the spirituality that is always present in the moment. We need to put life's burden on God, and good sleep is an acknowledgment of our trust in God. In the Bible, Jesus showed us how to take a worry-free nap when His disciples were worried in the midst of a storm at sea (Mark 4:35-41). Jesus knew that His Father was in control of the elements, and Jesus's peaceful sleep was just a way of praying to Him.

Remember, one-third of your life is spent on sleeping, and it is just as good a time as any to spend it on praying. Yes, let your sleep be your prayer, and let it be sweet.

"Then you will walk on your way securely
and your foot will not stumble.
If you sit down, you will not be afraid:
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." (Proverbs 3:23-24)

Your good relationship with God gives you peaceful and restful sleep at night.

Stephen Lau

The Tallest Order

Living in Faith and Your Digestive Health

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:19:00 +0000

If you are a believer, you will always be able to see the wonders of God's creation in everything around you. The complexity and intricacy of your digestive system is a case in point. Indeed, the digestive system is one of the most remarkable creations of God, in which man is provided with the fuel to power the physical body. The digestive process in itself is so complex, involving digestion, absorption, transportation, and elimination that one cannot help marveling at the ingenious coordination and interrelationship between each of the organs in the human body.

Because God has created an extraordinary digestive system for us, He does not expect us to misuse or abuse it. "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple." (I Corinthians 3:16-17)

Unfortunately, many of us, wittingly or unwittingly, have abused our digestive tract, which is responsible for converting the food we eat into the nutrients we need to sustain life. Due to the abuse, it is only natural that our digestive tract becomes a source of ailments, instead of a fountain of energy and vitality.

Modern living has led us to abuse the digestive system through not only our wayward lifestyle, but also our lack of faith in God. Instead of living in faith and putting our trust in God, we strive to accomplish what we want to achieve through our own efforts. And thus, many of us have wandered away from God, and we have become self-centered and self-righteous. Instead of relying on God, we become self-reliant. In the process, we have created stress in our lives. Stress generates negative emotions, which decrease our secretion of hydrochloric acid, which in turn reduces the production of pancreatic enzymes for efficient digestion. Thus, begins a chain of reactions, giving rise to heartburn, indigestion, constipation, and a host of digestive problems, including food allergies and sensitivities.

The panacea to all digestive disorders is obedience and trust in God. "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

Before eating, do the following:

1. Relax, slow down, and reduce your stress.

2. Meditate on God's Word. Read: Close Your Eyes, Open Your Mind.

3. Clear your mind of all clutters and negative emotions.

4. Pray and give thanks.

Once you realize that God is in charge of your life, including your eating, you will know what to eat, what not to eat, and how much to eat. Once you understand that your digestive system is a creation of God, you will think twice before you put any food into your mouth.

Living in faith can enhance your digestive health. Say goodbye to digestive disorders: Goodbye to IBS.

For more information on living in faith, visit my website: The Tallest Order.

Stephen Lau

Self-Reflection on Pain as We Experience It

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Pain is inevitable in life: whether we like it or not, we experience all types of pain - emotional, physical, and spiritual pain.

It is important that we have self-reflection on pain as we experience it.

For a non-believer, pain becomes meaningless in life. A believer, on the other hand, would crave divine healing. However, even for a believer, the experience of pain would raise questions about why God would allow pain in this world. Therefore, it is not uncommon for people to search for the meaning of pain in their lives, especially if their pain is intense and severe.

No matter what, we all experience pain - personal, social, and global. We all strive to control our pain, adapt ourselves to pain, or simply escape from pain. Living is all about pain management. Strive as we may, we fail to deal with pain. With birth comes aging, separation, and dying; social injustice, such as racism, oppression and persecution, abounds; natural and man-made catastrophes strike indiscriminately. We only feel our own inadequacy and vulnerability at the onslaught of pain.

Generally, to look for a way out of pain, we do three things:

1. We deny our negative realities.

2. We rationalize our unhealthy attitudes, feelings and behaviors.

3. We blame someone, our society, or just anything for the cause of pain.

Essentially, we are all focusing on "our" pain - or, more specifically, the egoistic self. We even devise our own ways of dealing with our pain: addiction to drugs and alcohol, success, work, sex, money, food, and pleasure. We customize them to suit our needs. They are no more than special effects to transform temporarily the self into self-esteem, acceptance, or belongingness. We simply want to be healed of our pain.

The Christian faith provides the greatest healer - Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us to believe in Christ as our Lord, and in the sufficiency of His grace for all our needs, including healing our pain. But the healing would take place only when we completely surrender ourselves to God.

So, the next time you feel any type of pain, do some self-reflection and soul-searching on your relationship with God. It may give you a different perspective of pain.

For more information, go to my website: The Tallest Order.

Stephen Lau

How to Overcome Loneliness

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:54:00 +0000

You may be unhappy even though you have so much in life. The reason is that you never become satisfied despite your abundance. Loneliness is a fact of life, especially among the elderly. Loneliness is real to many people. Even Albert Einstein had this to say about loneliness: “It’s strange to be known universally, and yet to be so lonely." Loneliness is no respecter of persons.

We are living in a society that promotes self-reliance, and hence loneliness. We make ourselves lonely because we often reduce direct human contact to a minimum. For example, we may choose to leave messages on a machine instead of talking directly to people.

If you feel lonely, maybe there is something wrong with you. St. Augustine wrote in his classic work The Confessions of St. Augustine, “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find peace in You.” Maybe that is the reason why many of us never become satisfied until we find God in our hearts.

If you feel lonely despite your abundance, maybe it is because you do not feel love in your life. You may be reluctant to express your love to others, or you may feel unloved or undeserving to be loved. Remember, God is the essence of love. God loves each and everyone of us for what we are and who we are, because He has created us in His own image. Love is a free gift from God. Not only does He love us, but also expects us to love others as ourselves. Loneliness is a reflection of the lack of love.

Loneliness is different from solitude. Loneliness is a state of mind. It is an inner thing. Possessions do not alleviate your loneliness, just as having people milling around you may still make you feel lonely, when you are alone, all by yourself.

Only through your relationship with God can you overcome loneliness in life.

Meditation or solitude holds the key to overcoming loneliness. Learn to meditate. (Go to my web page: Meditation Techniques for more information on how to meditate.) Through meditation or solitude, you come face to face with your loneliness and, more importantly, with your relationship with God. Once you realize there is a connectedness between all human beings because we are all created in the image of God, you will understand there is a need to love others as yourself. As soon as you can relate yourself to everyone and to everything in life, you will no longer feel lonely any more. Loneliness is only an expression of fear, worry, or uncertainty, but the Bible has this to say: "Love has no reason for fear." (1 John 4:18) So, love conquers everything, including loneliness.

Living in faith makes you come closer to God, and it is this closeness that enables you to open yourself not only to God but also to others. Without this openness, there will be no connection and no communication with others and with God, and hence the loneliness.

Visit my web page: Living in Faith Resources, and my website: The Tallest Order.

Stephen Lau

The Spiritual Meaning of Pain

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:22:00 +0000

No one is immune from pain - especially, emotional pain, due to bereavement, disappointment, frustration, and rejection. Life is not meant to be a bed of roses, and Christianity is not painless. But pain has a spiritual meaning for all those who believe in the word of God.

Living by God's word, which, supposedly, is to give us peace, is often the tallest order in life. Why is that? We are human beings, and we are all self-centered in some way. To give up self is never easy. But this is exactly what pain demands us do: become God-centered instead of self-centered. We too should undergo the pain of not communicating Jesus' love, just as He wept over Jerusalem. In other words, if we preach His word or live by His word, we too will suffer. We do not pray to be delivered from this suffering, but, instead, we pray to become less self-centered and more God-centered.

When we are afflicted with pain, two things could happen, demanding us make a decision: we could open ourselves to God and to others; we could also close ourselves to God and to others, resulting in loneliness, withdrawal, and emotional turmoil requiring psychiatric help. So, confronted with emotional pain, we have two options: let past hurts control us in self-centered ways, and thus perpetuating the hurts; accept the hurts, and let God take over for ultimate healing. Remember, abandoning yourself to God's providence is spirituality, and it is only in the abandonment of self that you experience hope, love, and faith, which are prerequisites of healing of emotional pain.

To truly appreciate the spiritual meaning of pain, we need to do the following:

1. Thank God with a heart of gratitude for the gifts He has rendered us, in spite of the pain He has permitted to happen to us. Gratitude is manifestation of spirituality.

2. Become closer with God through reading His word, prayer and worship. Devotion is an act of spirituality.

3. Open ourselves to others by sharing our pain. Often times, it is difficult to be honest with ourselves, especially regarding our nethermost painful thoughts with others; openness with others requires an element of trust in others as well as in God. We need faith to believe that God will use our openness and communication to heal us of our painful memories. Trusting in God is spirituality.

4. Healing of pain is never complete unless and until there is forgiveness - forgiveness not just of others, but also of ourselves. Forgiveness involves four steps: making the decision to forgive, just as Jesus has forgiven us; following Jesus' example of doing good to others who hate us, or "turning the other cheek"; blessing those who have done us wrong - saying good things can change another as well as ourselves; expressing anger at the deed, not the person who has inflicted the deed, or more specifically, showing compassion rather than resentment.

The spiritual significance of pain is that it may lead us closer to God, because it demands surrender of self, which is often a barrier between man and God. Spirituality is essentially your personal relationship with God. Learn how to develop and cherish that relationship.

Begin your simple steps to Divine Healing Success.

Visit my website: The Tallest Order.

Stephen Lau

All About Stephen Lau

How to Use Money for Spiritual Development

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:01:00 +0000

Paul said: "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pieced themselves with many pains." (Timothy 6:10)

Is money really the root of all evil?

Money is nothing by itself. However, money is a measure of the meaning and value to different things in life. It is our attachment to and perception of the meaning and value of money that determine whether it is the root of all evil.

We can attribute spirituality to almost everything that money can do; in that case, we are using money for our spiritual development.

1. If you have a lot of money, you can share it with those who are less fortunate than yourself. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

2. If you have a lot of money, you don't have to spend it on yourself. See your life as abundant, and express your gratitude to the source of all things - God. Gratitude is spirituality.

3. If you have a lot of money, you can express your humility by surrendering your will to the will of God. "Thy will be done." Trust God to show you the way. Humility is spirituality.

4. If you put God first in spite of your abundance, Your Relationship With God will be a strong testament to your spirituality.

5. If you have a lot of money, you can demonstrate that you are a good steward of God's money by investing it wisely, and not spending it on yourself. A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom shows you how to manage your money the Christian way. Good money management shows your obedience to the will of God, which is also spirituality.

So, it is not a sin to have a lot of money, and one should not feel guilty about having the abundance.

For more information on living in faith, visit my website: The Tallest order, and web page: Living in Faith Resources.

Stephen Lau

All About Stephen Lau

"It is the Lord!" Living in The Present

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:43:00 +0000

Living in faith is living in the present - the most direct contact with God. "It is the Lord!" (John 21:7) is what you should always remember when you are living in every moment of your life. Just like everyone else's life, your life is filled with joy and sadness, fulfillment and disappointment. To live in faith, you need to welcome the pleasant as well as the unpleasant.

In Zen (an ancient Chinese philosophy, not a religion, even though it is often associated with Buddhism), one welcomes the good as well as the bad, and one does not seek a way out of life's problems, but rather through them. In other words, one just embraces everything that comes along the way. Living By Zen is a way of life, and the way to health. In Zen philosophy, human misery is a result of the futile attempt to choose only the good without accepting the bad, because picking and choosing is a sickness of the mind.

Likewise, in Christian faith, we believe that God speaks to us through everyday events, whether they are good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant. Everything that happens to us is an expression of the presence of God. "It is the Lord!" (John 21:7)

Jesus shows us in the Lord's Prayer that living in faith is living in the present moment - neither the past, which is gone, nor the future, which is uncertain. Only the present is real: "give us this day our daily bread." Zen also emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment.

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus also tells us to put our trust in God's providence. Living in faith, you abandon yourself to God's providence, and it is only in the abandonment that you experience hope, love, and faith, which are attributes of spirituality. Abandonment is not easy; in fact, it is the tallest order in living in faith. But it is the only way you can contact God directly.

For more information, visit my web page: Living In Faith Resources.

Stephen Lau

The Tallest Order

Faith Is a Major Decision in Life

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:04:00 +0000

To seek spirituality is a major decision in life.

Spirituality is the Spirit of life. Paul says spirituality demands a major decision in life to be interested in spiritual things, that is, things of the Spirit, instead of things of the flesh. "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." (Romans 8:5).

What is the difference?

If you are interested in things of the flesh, you become self-centered, and your motivation in life is self-oriented. In other words, your focus in life is more on yourself, rather than on God or others. The result is that it is more difficult for you not to sin because "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2)

In modern life, spirituality is more than a challenge: it is a daily struggle - it is like striving to stay awake when you desperately want to sleep. It is never easy. Living in faith is the tallest order in contemporary living, but it is essential to foster a personal relationship with God.

The good news is that the process of struggle is also a process of discovery - discovery of self as well as discovery of the mystery of God. Through this discovery, you come to know God's plan for your life. Your heart yearnings for the Spirit will be richly rewarded. Spirituality is no more than a heart-searching process; it renews the heart, the mind, and the soul.

Spirituality is not something you do consciously; it is simply a way of daily living. There is no blueprint for success. Spirituality is a vision of who you are - a unique individual created in the image of God. It inspires action through decision to believe. This decision to believe is the foundation for your spiritual life, the corner stone of your personal relationship with God.

Visit my website: The Tallest Order, and web page: Living In Faith Resources.

Stephen Lau

All About Stephen Lau

Is Faith Enough?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Lau) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:18:00 +0000

Last night, I went to a bible study. We discussed James 2:14: "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?"

It was interesting that the group came up with different views on "faith" and "works."

The pastor asked: "What is faith?" and "Why do we have certain behaviors? Are they for God, for others, or for ourselves to see?"

Faith is obedience to God, just like Abraham "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?" (James 2:21)

Our behaviors or works are certainly not for God, who sees all; they are not for others to see - that would be hypocrisy. Our behaviors and works are for us to see: to see if we have "changed" after believing in Christ.

Faith changes a person, making him or her want to be Christ-like, and this change of character is reflected in the behaviors or works. In other words, that individual wants to think and act like Christ - that is, to do things pleasing to God.

We also discussed: Is faith alone, without works, enough for salvation?

James told us explicitly: "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demon also believe, and shudder." (James 2:19)

Many a time our work may fall short of the attributes of faith. However, with faith, we will continue to strive to use our behaviors and works to justify our faith.

Visit my website: The Tallest Order - Living in Faith.

Stephen Lau

Faith Has Its Reasons - Paperback #A5345