Ang Blog ni Bernz V.1.2

When We Are Ready

2008-05-14T13:08:00.006+08:00

I learned something important today about God's love for us.

We often wonder why God takes so long to bless us. We get frustrated when we do not get things immediately. We become impatient and start to question God.

I have asked the same questions whenever I wanted something badly. I become worried and frustrated when God does not seem to answer my prayers. I remember Him telling me, "Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you," and yet it does not seem to be the case at times.

Like everybody else, I have focused so much on those words that I have forgotten a much more important point. For after those immediately come the following verses "Who among you fathers if whose son asks him for bread gives him a snake instead?" Key words: father and son. The relationship that we should have with God is like between a father and a son!

How more often than not that we treat our relationship with God with a degree of impersonality? God has become too impersonal for us that we neglect to act as obedient children should do. God, as Father only wants the best for His children, and basing from His own judgment, he knows who we are and what we are capable of.

God knows who we are! He wants to bless us so much but He also knows that sometimes we are not ready. We are not ready to face the 'consequences' and responsibilities of His gifts. He knows how much we want things badly but He also knows that our characters are not prepared to receive those blessings. How often have you heard people pray for good health but yet are not committed to exercise everyday? Or individuals who want to find a good wife and get married and yet continues to be self-involved and selfish?

But then you may say, "But I have seen people in the world who got married and continue their self-centered ways." That is true, but just the same, that person was never ready for the responsibilities and most often the marriage ends up in painful separation or divorce.

God as our Father wants to bless us. But most importantly He wants obedience from us as His true Sons/Daughters. If you find yourself praying for the same things over and over again for a very long time maybe you should stop and reflect what God wants to change in you so that you may be ready to receive those blessings and the responsibilities that come with them. He is such a wise and loving God that He knows which gifts would help you or ruin you, which ones you can manage and you can not cope up with. As His true children, we receive this loving and extra special attention from God.

So next time we pray for things, our prayer should be "God, please prepare me for all the many blessings you want to shower upon me. May I have the right heart, mindset and character to be able to face the challenges of those gifts, that I may use them for the benefit of your kingdom."

It does not matter whether you are praying for a relationship, a good career, a new car, better lifestyle or having children, our Father would want to make sure that His Sons/Daughters are in the best position to receive it.

Praise and glory to God, the Holy Spirit and our Lord Jesus Christ!

ANOTHER STORY...

I have told Raymond Wee about this story before.

I dreamt one night that some 'heavenly being' was instructing me about sharing my faith, and about the sin of commission and omission. Although I did not exactly see the 'heavenly being' I felt a wonderful curiousity and peace when 'he' was talking to me. Then before the dream abruptly ended the being mentioned the word batin. I did not know what that meant but I was sure it was some angelic language that was shared to me.

So I went and check what the word 'batin' meant. It was definitely not in the English dictionary or I would have come across it by now. What I did next is checked the internet. And to my surprise there is a word called 'batin.' Batin comes from the Arab language used in the Quran which means 'hidden.' A Batini is basically someone who devotes his time to read the Quran to decipher its hidden meaning. The fun part is not all can be Batini but only a select few!

Is it to say that I have been chosen to decipher the 'hidden meanings' of the Bible? I am not sure and I will not pretend to be. But it did inspire me to read the Bible more deeply and find God's message which most of us often do not recognize.

Let us all search God's real meaning and purpose in our lives through the Bible!

Acceptance of God's Grace through acknowledgment of sin

2008-05-07T11:38:00.003+08:00

I got this text message from Andrew Oh.

"Something I have learned today is that a huge step to overcome our sinful nature: we need to name our sins and claim ownership of them. If we live in denial, what we are saying is that we do not need God's grace and forgiveness."

How true it is. The apostle Paul did say that as our transgressions increase so does the Grace of God increase in us for the forgiveness of our sins. But if we do not acknowledge the sin in us, then we are denying the power of the Grace of God. True humility involves the acceptance of our flaws, no matter how shameful they may be. For on judgment day our sins will be exposed anyway so it would be better to have confessed them now, repent and receive mercy rather then when it is too late.

I am grateful of the Mercy and Grace that flows from God through Jesus Christ. I remember Shawn Wooten's story of the Ukrainian mother whose young daughter fell on a patch from the 9th floor of a building. She cried "God have mercy! God have mercy!" I was moved by those words. Do those words not reflect the exact same feeling we have everyday when we come across struggles in our lives? As we grow we realize how incapable we are of so many things and how many mistakes we have committed along the way. And yet, as Christians we can just call upon God's mercy and know that we will receive it.

God knows the problems we are facing and the struggles we have to go through. Ever since Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden, man was cursed to work the ground and labor for his survival. So He sent His one and only Son to die for our sins so that Grace will be poured out freely to those who believe and have faith.

Praise God for this salvation!

One Year Christian

2008-03-08T18:53:00.003+08:00

Hi Guys!

I know I have been gone for quite some time. But I'm quite pleased with how things have been working out for me.

By the way, I am one year Christian since March 4 and I want to thank all those who remembered and greeted me on my spiritual birthday. Although I was sick on that day itself, I am glad to say that I am on my way to recovery. I thank God who has been here for me and takes care of me. He somehow made sure that on the day I got sick, I have my sister with me to help take care of me. God has used her to show His power of healing.

I guess that is how miracle works sometimes. Some miracles may seem commonplace that we fail to recognize God's hand in it. Like the simple happening of my sister coming to Singapore to look for a job, God made her come just in time.

I know the new year bodes even greater and better things for me. I am sure and confident because my Lord is God, He is my Father and this is my Father's world (and besides this, Heaven of course!). I just have a few wishes as a one year Christian:

1 - To be fruitful
2 - For my sister and other family members to become Christian
3 - To grow even higher in my faith and devotion in God and Jesus
4 - To develop more friendships in the Kingdom

I really hope that you all can help me attain my wishes. In this case I have more than three- that's because I'm sure God is way more powerful than than the proverbial "blow the candle and make a wish."

Till next time!

Reflections on the Poor Widow

2008-01-31T00:27:00.000+08:00

Poor Widow

Just want to share an insight about the poor widow who put in two small copper coins in the temple treasury. (Luke 20: 1-4)

Before, everytime I read this passage I always imagined that Jesus wants me to give more monetary contributions to the Church. But after being a Christian in our Church and being inspired at how insightful other Christians are when they read the Bible, I realize that there is more to this story than Jesus wanting more out of our pockets.

Certainly God appreciates a giving heart that does not hold back. To Jesus, the poor widow who gave her everything has definitely given more than the rich people who only gave part of what they can truly offer. To delve a bit deeper, I asked myself what does it mean to be a widow in those days? In 1 Timothy 5:5 Paul says "The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help." For someone to pray night and day to ask God for help sounds pretty desperate to me. And Luke says that the woman who gave the only money she had is a poor widow- being a woman in those days she probably had no work, maybe no relatives to look after her, could possibly resign herself to begging in the streets, and most definitely had no resources or property. And yet she gave all that she had and did not hold back.

Luke 21:1-4 however does not denounce the rich people who gave what what is due of them. But it certainly gives a contrast between a person who gives more than what is expected (the poor widow) and those who just gives what is required of them (rich people). This passage encourages me to give more than what is required of me. Not just monetary but in every endeavour I do for the Lord. Like by serving Him, instead of just doing what is expected of me, I should cheerfully do more by giving my time and putting in more effort. In Jesus' standards, it is simply not enough that we just fulfill our responsibilities, but we should make it a point to bring things higher and do more for the Lord.

In Church I see alot of Christians doing this. Those who use their precious time and energy to give more to God. There are the leaders, the choir singers, the ushers, those who prepare communion every Sunday morning, the disciples at Kid's Kingdom, etc. These are people who go the extra mile to serve our one true Master and Lord and Father. And I am confident that Jesus Christ is very pleased by the acts of sacrifice these people make.

Great Memories of 2007!

2008-01-13T18:09:00.000+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Holidays have been a fantastic accompaniment to the ushering of the new year. Christians have been having a blast celebrating the ocassion of Jesus Christ's birth- sweet melodies of Christmas song filling the air, merry wishings and gift givings just warms up the heart and soul, making the spirit praise in joyous wonder.

Most important of all, is to thank the very person whose ultimate sacrifice to die for our sins gives us the reason for all our celebrations- Jesus Christ, whose birth and and human life all the way to his death on the cross has been a cause of inspiration on how we should lead our lives. His example has given us a chance of freedom from sin, freedom from the worries of this world, freedom from materiality and worldliness, and chance for eternal life.

I want to thank all the christians who have made my holidays such a perfect one. Thank you to Ely and Emman who convinced me to treat myself to the Christmas lights of Orchard on the day I was feeling so depressed due to homesickness. I can never be thankful enough how the christians made me feel so loved when they showed up in Orchard to encourage me. Thank you to Patrick, Weng Fatt, Alan and Su Fen, David and Shirley, Andrew, Victoria, Sandy and Celine for being so encouraging. Special mention to Sera, who really wanted to be there but unfortunately can't- I am sure the the night would have been even more fun if you came.

I also remember the great fun my Bible talk had during our Christmas party celebration. Raymond made sure that the event went well and truly, we had an unforgettable party. As Raymond puts it "The party was wild even before we had the Bailey's out." Haha! How true. Great food, great people and great ocassion to have fun equals a really great time!

Also unforgettable is the East coast over night that Gary's and Andrew's group plus plus had. Me and Ely were fortunate enough to be invited for the hangout and boy we sure had a blast! Christmas singing that turned to a christmas concert and a localized "Twelve gifts of Christmas" with Andrews hilarious one plate of chapati! Fireworks and candlelight on the beach, and whole lot of great time of fellowship- and more singing on the beach!

Then on Decmeber 29, I had one of the best dates I have ever had. Kelvin Pang, Wilfred and I decided to cook up a feast for the sisters with our signature dishes. Shepherd's pie, carbonarra, chicken chop, brownies plus a whole lot of wine!!! What followed is a great time of fellowship. (Thank you to my date Sandy for being such a great date and conversationalist.) Then when we thought the date was over, karaoke soon took over and the food feast easily became a song and dance party! Loved every moment of it.

And of course, who can ever forget the Year End party we had at church? We had a blast and dressing up for the event was fun in itself with me Ely and Emman taking pictures all the way. The 80's retro theme was wild and it is fun to see other christians dressing up in fun and hilarious costumes. If you ask me Phua Hee, Kelvin Pang, Sera, Victoria, Gideon and Zach were the best dressed for the night. Want to thank my dance partner Rupa who was great fun all the way. The night would have been different without you.

Well, for now that's it. Another new year has come and more great memories to make and look forward to. Thank you for the many names who are not mentioned here but are equally important to the unfolding of these events. To everybody, let us start the new year with a grateful heart and happy memories to carry us through. And most importantly, let us thank God who made all these things happen.

Encouragement

2007-11-29T02:08:00.000+08:00

I feel really encouraged lately, specially within the Church.

I felt that the discussion on "Why Do I Behave the Way I Do" really shows how our leaders give so much effort to effect positive changes in our lives. I am really grateful, specially to John and Karen, who took the time and occasion to make sure this exercise goes out well.

I especially appreciate Karen's sharing about her own lifetraps and her experiences in the past. Her making herself vulnerable to to others makes me trust her more and more and makes me want to be vulnerable to her myself.

I really pray that from all these, I would be able to figure out my lifetraps as well and do something about it.

By the way, while surfing other people's blogs, I have encountered a blog from an American disciple (who may or may not be from our Church) who has a lot of awesome insights. I put it up on my link so you all can read his posts for yourself.

Faith in God

2007-10-29T23:59:00.001+08:00

Faith in God

My faith in God is rewarded in ways not defined by material things, but defined by simple expressions of joy, hope, love and strength in spirit. For though everything belongs to God, His reward is beyond human perceptions limited by the physical world, and instead resides in the nourishment of our souls and spirits. He means to build up the part of us that will face eternal life, and not the temporal part of us that spoils with time.

So let me work for the things that please God. For He knows what is best for me beyond all understanding. If it pleases the Lord that I suffer, that in my suffering I am humbled and conditioned to receive His reward from His word, then let me suffer. If its pleases Him that I deny myself for His sake, that in my denial of my worldly self I attain eternal life in Him, then let me deny me. But if it pleases God that I live with joy, like a bright lamp chasing away darkness, then let me rejoice throughout my days.

How can it be so wrong if it is what God requires? He who is imperfect, does he not follow the one who is perfect? For it is only by following the perfect one that we attain hints of perfection. So let our days be perfect in God, through our faith in Him through His son Jesus Christ.

Song Therapy

2007-10-09T22:40:00.000+08:00

Song Therapy

I know we have something called movie therapy at church. I think it is wonderful how we use technology to inspire people and bring out the Word of God. Though I am not sure how many people are reading my blog (I think I should do a little marketing), I still continue to use this space to pour out my thoughts.

Been really down lately. Though I resolved to be happy in any way, I found it tougher these past few days. It has been really busy for me. I have poured out so much of my time for my work, which I am really grateful for, in the expense of my quiet times, fellowships, and prayers. I am glad though that I would get occasional calls and visits from disciples but then sometimes it would not be enough.

It is a tough struggle. Specially when you feel so alone. I feel tired and spent. But I realize that there will points in life that you just have to spend time with God. And I guess this is the part where it has been rather uncomfortable for me. Being alone means that I have no one else to talk to- to laugh with, talk with, share stories with. Being alone means, for that moment in time, God has to be enough. No one else but me and God.

Frankly, that is the challenge because for His own reasons, God is not a talkative God. Many times I have asked for signs, a signal, a message, a heavenly apparition to descend on to my bedroom without success. Perhaps, there is a part of me that wants to really make sure He is real.

I do not know why I still have this doubts about Him. Though I pray and talk to Him every now and then, there are times when I can't help but ask. Or maybe, side-consciously, I also want to provoke Him to make His presence felt.

I do feel that my approach is wrong. My maturity as a Christian is not yet to point that God requires of me. Which is of course, in the irony of it, requires that I become like a child. Full of innocence, full of trust, full of joyful wonder.

Despite my wrong approach, God does have a way of reaching out to me. A sister from the campus named Tong Wei sent a link for this song by Mercy Me titled Home Sick. And when I heard it-oh wow- the song hit "home." It basically sums up all that I felt up to this point. The longing for His companionship, His awesome presence, His love and Fatherly care. That is why the posts is titled Song Therapy. Another wonderful way we can use technology to encourage each other and inspire one another. Nothing is as soothing as a good song. Nothing so personal as lyrics that seem to give expression to how one feels.

So I want to share this song as well to all of you who reads my posts. Be it just one or two of you, I am okay with that. In reality I feel that what I am writing are not just blog posts but actual letters to God. So Father, if you are up there, I hope you are reading these "letters." I know one day I will see you but for now, I will live my life in a way that pleases you. I love you God. And I know you love me too.

Here is the song link and the lyrics.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zvhrPMJe8LE&mode=related&search=

HOME SICK

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times

And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you

But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry

Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face

If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place

Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways

The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know

But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same

Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face

If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place

Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbyes

And in Christ, there is no end

So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have

To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face

If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place

Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

2007-10-01T00:25:00.000+08:00

Oh wow I've been so busy with my new job. But still I'm glad I was able to go for a date last Saturday. Although we were all quite tired from Cheshire home, we were quite glad that we went anyway! Here are some of the awesome shots we took. Tell me if you like it.

These are pictures of me, Jessie, Daniela and Alicia at Mt. Faber at Faber Point. The view from up there is amazing and we had great time fellowshipping. We took these winning photoshots out of fun.

The night was very memorable and I was glad to have this souvenir.

Having fun at the Faber point. We know a good idea when we see one. And we just could not resist taking these poses.

Had dinner first at Vivo City. Even then, we were excited to take out cameras out.

Self Control

2007-09-28T00:06:00.000+08:00

Self Control

"To the faithful and lover of everything in Christ. Peace be upon all of you! The Lord favors those who denies himself for the Word of God. For He has denied the life of His own Son that He Himself will set an example for all to be saved. The Son's sacrifice which brings new life. A life purified by suffering and washed by sacrificial blood. Wounds that poured forth water that all maybe quenched. Follow him.

Follow him for he brings new life. By his ressurection he has opened the gates that all may see the reward of self denial- eternal life in the Lord. Peace and glory to all! To God be the glory!

To the faithful, God will remember your efforts, for it is in Him that your inspiration comes from.

Praise God our Father! He has opened our eyes and by His trumpet He has broken the walls of sin. Jericho did not stand against the sound of God's victory. God is Almighty! He hears our cries and rewards our effort. He wipes our tears away and our griefs are comforted. The Lord our God- Creator of heaven and earth- sent His Son who is God himself that he may share in the suffering of man, that he may be called the Son of Man (and yet the Son of God). Praise be the Lord who favors the righteous. By our faith in Him He has made us conscious of our sin- that we may choose the path of righteousness.

Praise be the Lord of all! Sing praises to Him all you who are faithful. Sing praise to the Lord our God!"

What is Faith

2007-07-28T01:21:00.000+08:00

I got this article from a friend of mine when we were so casually talking about my Christian life and whatnot. She shared to me this article which I feel like sharing with you all as well. I hope you enjoy its meaning as much as I did.

What is Faith?

So, where am I with all this...? Where has this journey taken me, and how should it impact my life? I intellectually believe that certain things happened in history, but what does that really mean for my life today...?

What is belief? What is faith?

Although the Christian faith is not based purely on evidence, it is definitely supported by evidence. Faith is not about turning off the brain and merely relying on the heart, or squashing reason in favor of emotion. No, Christian faith is about seeking and knowing Jesus with all facets of the human character. It's not a "blind faith" as I once thought... It's a "calculated faith" based on a preponderance of the evidence. Well, I've collected the evidence, and I've put it on trial... After a number of months in the jury room, I have returned with my personal verdict... Jesus Christ is who he claims to be... the Son of God who came to this earth about 2,000 years ago to offer true and lasting hope for mankind.

OK, now what...? I intellectually believe, by a preponderance of the evidence, that God exists, that the Bible is true, and that Jesus is his Son... How does this affect me? What is faith, as far as it concerns me?

I love the metaphor of a chair... Find the chair closest to you. Look at it closely. Examine its design. Is it structurally sound? Is it sufficiently engineered? Will the materials chosen by the manufacturer support your weight?

Most likely, you picked a chair that you believe will support you. That's belief. You applied logic, knowledge and experience to make an informed intellectual decision.

Now sit in the chair... That's faith! At one point, intellectual assent only goes so far. True living requires that we put our beliefs into action. Intellectual belief without actionable faith is hollow and meaningless...

Have you ever heard about the guy who walked a tight rope across Niagra Falls? Many people watched him do it. To them he asked, "Do you believe I can walk a tight rope across the Falls?" They all replied, "Yes." They had already seen him do it.

Then he pushed a wheel barrow on a tight rope across Niagra Falls. When he completed the feat, he asked the onlookers, "Do you believe I can walk a tight rope across the Falls pushing a wheel barrow?" To that they replied unanimously, "Yes." Because they saw him do that too.

Finally, a buddy of the tight rope walker climbs into the wheel barrow and the tight rope walker pushes him across the Falls. Wow, what a daring feat! When they finished, the tight rope walker asked the crowd, "Do you believe I can walk a tight rope across the Falls pushing a wheel barrow with a person in it?" To that they exclaimed, "Yes!" For they were now believers in this guy's awesome abilities.

Then he looked at the crowd and asked, "Who's next?"

There you have it... Belief vs. Faith...!

Ambassadors or Embarassments?

2007-07-25T00:10:00.000+08:00

Are we an ambassador, or an embarrassment of Christ?

2 Corinthians 5:20 speak of us Christians as being Christ’s ambassadors. This passage revolves on the premise that 1) we are foreigners on earth and belong to Christ’s kingdom and 2) we represent Christ, our king, who has sent us.

From those premises let me expound on two prevailing ideas: our Christian citizenship, and our Christian diplomacy.

Christian citizenship is based on the fact- fact based on our faith- that we belong to the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Our kingdom is the one that God has set apart for us. As ‘citizens’ of Christ’s kingdom, our way of life is the way that Christ has asked us to lead, and Jesus himself has shown the way. The Bible spoke so many times of Christ’s compassion (Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32, Matthew 20:34, etc.), his humility (Matthew 4:8-10, Matthew 17:24-27, Luke 23:34), his forgiveness and mercy (Matthew 21-35, Matthew 9:2-8, John 8:3-11, Luke 7:44-50, John 18:15-18, 25-27, 21:15-19, Luke 23:39-43) and his call to righteousness (based on many accounts in the gospels, most notably when he drove out cheaters and vendors from the temple). The gospel is treasure-filled with how as Kingdom-Citizens we should live our lives. The Beatitudes gives an excellent guide:

The Beatitudes

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Jesus himself made this call. Our saviour has given us instructions, truths and promises of reward for us to be ‘responsible citizens of the Kingdom of God’. Our Heavenly Father, no less, commanded us to listen to Jesus’ words: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)

So now that we have an idea and understanding about the way we should live our lives as Kingdom-Citizens, how then do we live our life in this ‘foreign world?’

We know ourselves as belonging to Christ’s kingdom and that in fact, our life on earth is but a life in a foreign place. But realistically, and physically, this world is where we live. Like a foreigner in another country, we are citizens from another ‘land’, but residents of this one. How then should we respond?

2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Indeed. We are Christ’s ambassadors, with the ultimate mission of reconciling the world to our Heavenly Father. This brings me to the other idea: our Christian diplomacy.

Our Christian diplomacy is exemplified by Christ as well. Just look how he, the Son of God, through whom all things were made, came to earth as humble law-abiding citizen! He paid church taxes (Matthew 17:24-27), got baptized himself (Matthew 3:13-16), and even subjected himself to corporal punishment to be a mediator for us to the Father. So as not to be an embarrassment of Christ, we follow the laws of the land we live in, since by our actions we represent Christ himself, while maintaining to obey the laws of our kingdom and fulfilling our mission of bringing people to God.

But of course, some may say that Christ is the exception rather than the rule. And indeed there were cases when Jesus went against tradition (but only to prove the point that it is not man’s tradition that matters but following the Word of God). Nonetheless Jesus gave specific instructions on how we are to act as his ambassadors on earth. Matthew 18:14 teaches us not to look down on others: “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven….your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Jesus also mentions the important matters of the law- justice, mercy and faithfulness. And most importantly, Jesus called us to love one another (John 15:17).

Our Christian life involves the way we deal with God personally and the way we deal with others. For who can say he loves God but does not love his brother whom God loves? We are both Kingdom-citizens and Christ’s ambassadors. We live a life that is for God and by the way we live our lives we send a message to the world of His love.

On judgment day, the King himself will separate his good ambassadors, from the embarrassment. Matthew 25:31-46 when the Son of Man comes in glory he will judge every nation. So are we living our duty as citizens of the kingdom of God? By our actions, are we being good ambassadors of Jesus Christ? Let us strive to remember the duty that Christ has called us to, so that when the day comes that we face our Lord, we are confident that we have not been his embarrassment, but his faithful ambassadors to the world.

Food For Tought

2007-07-15T23:49:00.000+08:00

Food For Thought

It has been a long time since I last posted on my blog. What actually got me back was how inspired I was with the Campus Ministry's own blogging habits. I realized how passionate they are in putting up their entries. So if you brothers and sisters from Campus are reading this, I salute you all for a job well done.

Which leads me to my next inspiration by the way. I have been having great bible study eversince I decided to take my quiet time more seriously. I am following this bible study program that I might just share with you all when I get the excel format done. So from all the awe-inspiring bible studies I have had, I made a mental-note to possibly put up on my blog some of the lessons I have learned. So here I am now.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT is gonna be like Chicken Soup for the Soul except the stories are not from 21st Century but events that happened as far back as when the concept of 'century' had not even been invented yet. In short, stories from the Bible. The picture by the way is care of a sister who had the vision of finding the image of me eating sotong balls to be her idea of 'graphic art.'

Genesis 14

Story:

Abram defeats the armies of Kedorloamer to save his nephew Lot. With only 318 trained men, Abram chases after his enemies and routs them. Afterwards, Melchizedek, king of Salem told Abram that it is God Almighty that brought him victory.

Lesson:

We should never forget that it is God who gives us victory over our enemies. Our enemies may be different in form, but we are all struggling against the evils of this world and the works of the devil. Some of us struggle against our career, those who persecute us, and even our own selves. But God delivers us and gives us victory as He did with Abram. With only 318 trained men, he defeated a much larger army of soldiers who are probably much more trained than his.

Also, like Abram, we should also equip and train ourselves so that the Lord may use us as when He pleases. The 318 men that went to battle where not amateurs who picked up the sword to face a much bigger enemy. Indeed they were trained men who fought for a righteous cause. In the same way, God delivers our enemies into our hands, when He knows we have armed ourselves with His Word and His Spirit and when our reason for battle is righteous.

The Kingdom Subjects

2007-06-06T00:07:00.000+08:00

Boys Night Out. We had a great time playing settler at ZZ's place. Gary in red, Aaron in blue and looks like a newscaster, Chris with the Coke endorsement, Jeremiah the tallest on the right, and the face of our lively host.

My "Indian" family...All of us have something Indian in mind. Rupa, with her roots, Raymond and Sher lee Wee who long to go to India, and me who wants to have an Indian-themed wedding in the future.

The Big Boys of North East.. (Frm Left to Right)

Jeremiah, Aaron (my discipler), me, ZQ and ZZ.

June and the Joy it Brings

2007-06-03T21:54:00.000+08:00

JUNE HAS ARRIVED!!!

June has come and its just another wonderful chance for disciples to get up and go. Today is Sunday and John Louis has preached a wonderful sermon about the Kingdom example. I have made quite a lot of good notes about the topic and I wish to share them to all you soon.

My dear mentor ZQ and 'favorite' brother Jerick

A spate of good things happening this June. Most of all the SEA Conference! I am really looking forward to those four awesome days that we could spend time with Christians from Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea and Japan. It would be interesting to get to know disciples of different cultures and walks of life. What's is even more interesting is how as Christians, we are bonded together in God's love despite the distance we came from and the seas that set us apart. It is a time to realize for ourselves, how God has made disciples of all nations.

June 9 is brother Roger and Sister Wandy's wedding day. I could see for myself how awesome a disciple Roger is and I know that God has blessed him with sister Wandy as a bride. My only wish for them is to love God more, as He is the source of love, loving each other will come naturally.

June 2 by the way is our dear ZQ's birthday. I still get it confused with Ms. Grace's, whose I think is on July 2. I haven't the chance to spend any time with him during that day, but I really do miss spending time with my dear mentor. Mentorship is something I value a lot, and I am not the type of person who just listens to everyone. Mentorship for me is special, for it is the foundation of a certain change in my life. I realize how with every chapter of my past 11 years God has sent someone to guide me personally. Beginning of highschool, end of highschool, start of university days and end of it, I saw four people who had direct influence in my life. Now I am in Singapore, I had a mentor at my work, and more recently, ZQ, my mentor in my new life as a Christian. I wonder if he knows how important a part he has played?

So there you go my dear brothers and sisters. I am sure you all have some plans in mind to make the fullest of June. I for myself plan to do something special for this month. I was thinking of embarking on a book writing project. Yup, you read it right. Book writing project. My topic will be on how to reconcile our careers with our Christian life. I would be needing material to write this book and a great amount of motivation and inspiration of course. Please pray for me.

Lastly, before I forget, I would like to greet sister Joanne Low a belated happy birthday! I pray that you will have a better and more awesome year with God. Amen.

An Awesome Turning

2007-05-26T02:13:00.000+08:00

Another year...

I'm 23 now. I thank God so much for everything. I have a lot to be grateful for.

God has truly blessed me with so much. I felt it would be appropriate to head this post with the title An Awesome Turning. For it has veritably been a turning point of my life when I decided to be Christian.

A lot has changed, but more needs to be done. But at least I am on the right track. I hope that you all will pray for me. That my turn towards God will be permanent and complete. I do not want to lead a double life of Christian and non-christian. I want to live a life that is just purely Christ-centered. I know this will come with time. For now, I am trying my best to learn from the examples that older Christians are showing.

As I am typing this, Sister Pat's Dad had a serious heart attack. She sms'ed Sher while we were in Raymond's car driving. I was really amazed how Raymond and Sher without hestition suggested we pray right there and then. So Raymond tuned the radio down and he started praying. It was really God's kingdom working. We were communicating with God and asking that He be with Sister Pat and for her Dad to recover. Somehow, with this experience, I understood a part of how a Christian should be.

Let us pray for Sister Pat's Dad, that God may place His healing hand upon him. Let us also pray that God will be with Pat and her family, to give them the strength and the faith to endure through this hard and trying time. Amen.

A Faithful Sister's Poem

2007-05-20T00:20:00.000+08:00

Thank you Sister Joanne for sharing this wonderful poem with me and giving me the right to post it. I haven't been active in my blog for quite some time and I'm glad that my next posting is so meaningful. God is truly awesome!

Who am I but
a speck of dust in universe wide?
A flower whose beauty fades
as day turns into night-
Like a mist that vanishes
when the sun peeps from the sky.

Yet as insignificant as I
God treats me as the Apple of His Eye.
He goes to all length to show His love,
even if He has to die.
He longs for me like a groom
would long for His bride.
To Him I am His joy, His song and His pride.

What could I do to repay such love
but to make Him Lord of my life.
With Christ in my life, I am truly satisfied.

Thy loving kindness is better than life. ( Psalm 63: 6 )

- Low Wai Kin Joanne

I had an awesome time with sister Joanne when I visited her gallery "Ode to Art" in Raffles City. If you are interested in art I really recommend that you visit her place. One story that she told that really struck me is her interpretation of one of the Vietnamese paintings. She conveyed how the Vietnamese women in traditional clothes looked as if they are meeting for Bible study. How kingdom-focused can you get?

Sister Joanne, if yo are reading this, I am so grateful to have you as a sister. The way you treated me in the gallery just shows how much you love God by welcoming a brother without any reservations at all. I truly pray for success in your career.

To the others who are reading this, please pray with me for Sister Joanne to have a productive time in her career and that God will bless her more and more financially and moreso spiritually.

God Loves Me

2007-04-15T00:39:00.000+08:00

This is a picture of the clouds from the 11th floor deck of my block after I went for morning prayer with the Brothers...

It has been an awesome week with God! Often I have asked God whether He truly exists and if He can manifest Himself to me. However, the more I ask, the more frustrated I became. For God does not reveal himself physically- for He knows our unbelieving nature-instead He chose to reveal Himself in a way that is totally unmystical. Without any pageantry and ostentations, God has revealed Himself to us through our Christian brothers and sisters. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?..." (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Bible- the Word of God- says that we are temples of the Holy Spirit, which is from God. The Father does not confuse us. His Words itself says that He lives in us throught the Holy Spirit. We are His temples. Therefore, we do not need any grand and miraculous sign that God exists! No, sign and miracles are for the unbelievers to believe. But for the children, whom the Father has chosen to reveal Himself, He has given us our brothers and sisters as the living proof of His love and existence.

And so it is with this truth that I believe we should lay our foundation of faith. God asks us to put Him as number one priority, and since in our hearts we harbor God, the Father then requires that we love each other. It is the love for our neighbors that signifies and concretize our faith. "...I tell you the truth, whatever for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40).

So as children of God and heirs of Christ, we need not look elsewhere to find God and show Him our love. He is within us and among us. All He commands is that we love each other, and by that we are expressing our love for Him.

My Christian Family

2007-04-15T00:07:00.000+08:00

Justin at the Spider Web

I had to climb all the way up just to take this photo. But I think it's worth it.

ZZ with his zeal...

Jeremiah gives a big smile...

Brother David with Jeremiah

Christ is Risen!!!

2007-04-08T01:07:00.000+08:00

A good friend of mine has e-mailed me the following essay. I'm not really sure who the author is, but I felt it good to post it on my blog, seeing how lagging I've been since my last post. Anyway, hopefully I will have enough time in the future to make my postings a bit more up-to-date. HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!!!

"Humanity has always had a deep craving for truth about the larger questions of life:
Who are we? Why are we here? How then shall we live?

We are here because we struggle with these questions as the disciples must have as they watched the life, ministry and death of Jesus. When you look at the life of Jesus, especially this past week of betrayal, suffering, torture and death, Pilate's question echoes eerily throughout it all: what is truth? Where does one find truth? What leader, or king, as Pilate called him, would choose this path as "truth?" What truth can possibly be found in the life of a man who willingly walks into suffering and the death of a criminal?

Pilate was worried about whether Jesus thought himself a King who would threaten the Roman rulers. Indeed, many followers wanted Jesus to be that king who would liberate them from occupation and oppression. But Jesus wasn't as interested in the temporal power of earthly kingdoms as he was about deeper truths. Neither Pilate, Jesus' disciples, nor his enemies could foresee that the path to truth and new life would first go through a dark tomb. His followers must have been shattered on that Friday. Mary Magdalene must have been devastated and confused, and she didn't recognize the truth when Jesus came to her face to face on that early Easter morn.

For me, the truth is the empty tomb. The truth is resurrection.

"He is not here, for He is Risen!"

The truth is the unexpected which comes out of nothing, the hope that comes out of nowhere when all light has gone out. The truth is what gives life, hope, joy and purpose. The truth is the love that God poured out into the world in Christ to bring light to all the dark corners where pain, hatred, suffering, injustice and death dwell.

In our globalized world, Pilate's question echoes for us, to "What is truth?" We have all kinds of experts telling us their truths. More and more, media giants seem to create waves of "truths" that sometimes actually obscure what is actually happening. The political pundits face off in the media writing or arguing their perspectives. How do we judge which is right? If we speak out against popular views, we are labeled as trouble-makers or worse. Yet it is these popular views, the "common wisdom," that has brought us again and again to violence and conflict and to the brink of nuclear war. Who has any truth to give us, now that so many leaders are under investigation for corruption and scandals or indicted for crimes. Our young people cry out, "Who can we trust?"

In the last weeks, the Discovery channel presented a documentary film claiming to have found the tomb of Jesus, with family members, possibly even a wife and children, based on names inscribed on the ossuaries. This has created a stir among some believers who wonder whether this could possibly be true. For me, these kinds of excavations do not shake my faith or create doubts because the truth was announced and witnessed on that first Easter morning: "He is not here. He is Risen!"

We Christians have built our lives and faith on the truth of the empty tomb. No one can find his DNA, for He is Risen!

It is hard to live Easter hope in a Good Friday world. It is hard to believe that the paths of truth and righteousness will one day be recognized by those who are called to lead. We are, in the end, like Mary in the garden, blinded by fear and burdened with grief, yet brought to see, in the dawning light, the face of truth in the Risen One. May the tears of pain, of oppression and fear be wiped from our eyes by the mighty acts of our just and righteous God. May the Risen One bring light to your darkness, hope to your fears and new life where you have grown weary. Amen.

HAPPY EASTER !"

Partnership with the Good Shepherd

2007-03-28T00:48:00.000+08:00

Paraphrased from the Lesson of John Louis 11/03/07

John 21:15 Jesus Reinstates Peter

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

“Yes Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”

He answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

Christ has called us into partnership with him. As Christians, He employs our hands and our bodily functions to do His work here on earth. Like the good shepherd, Christ needs ‘good sheepdog’ to tend His flock and feed His lambs and sheep. It is because of this that we must ask ourselves the question whether we want to take on the responsibility of taking care of God’s people

As partners in Christ’s ministry, we must remember two points. First, is to stop wasting our time. Second, is to delight in trust and obedience.

The first point: Stop wasting our time. This point is likened to a sheepdog that does not use its inbred skills for the proper purpose. Instead it wastes its time chasing cars and bicycles. This analogy is used to describe how we, as human beings, have wasted our time doing unproductive things that we were not meant for. A glaring example is how, on average, a person can spend at least 24 hours of every week watching TV and playing computer games. Which in aggregate is equivalent to ten years of a person’s 70 years of living!

Part of the reason why we have fallen to such wasteful practices is because we were ‘in the wrong hands.’ In 1 Peter 4:3, Peter says “For you have spent enough time in the past in the past doing what pagans choose to do- living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.”

The passage clearly says that we have been exposed to practices in the past that have caused us to sin- practices that even today the world is not free of still. The same passage, though, speaks of ‘having spent enough time’- an intonation of both command and hope. It is God’s way of saying “It is over. I have forgiven you,” and reiterating His call for us to abandon our wasteful practices and seek a productive partnership with the ‘Good Shepherd.’

The second point asks of us to delight in trust and obedience. Again, this statement is likened to a good sheepdog that enjoys and ‘delights’ in his relationship with the shepherd. From this relationship, the sheepdog has ‘committed’ itself to be of good use to its benefactor. Similarly, we must make a decision to be of good use to our ‘Shepherd,’ our Lord Jesus Christ.

Delighting in trust and obedience in the Lord only brings about God’s grace and blessings. We must trust Him to make full use of our hands and mouth for His purpose. In turn, we receive ‘true liberty’, ‘true freedom,’ and ‘total fulfilment’ in God because only He knows what we were truly designed for.

In the gospel of John 15:14, the evangelist also compounds to this relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ for it states: “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father, I have made known to you.”

Indeed, this partnership with the Good Shepherd is no longer a case of a master and a servant, but rather a personal relationship between two friends. For Christ have made known to us all the knowledge that we need to do our task here on earth, like a sheepdog being trained for His work in the field, and we are so familiar with God’s works that like the sheepdog responding to a simple gesture, we respond to God’s Words.

Prayer after teaching:

God Almighty Father, thank you for sending Jesus Christ to us as the Good Shepherd, and thank you for choosing us to be his partners here on earth. As his “sheepdog,” teach us to be good Father that we may have the right tools and the right knowledge in the form of the words of the Bible, that we may feed and tend Your flock. Thank you for making us friends with Christ, Father, and teach us to be of good use to You, to fulfil our lives’ purpose and to delight in trusting and obeying You. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen

Micah 5:5

2007-03-27T23:20:00.000+08:00

Ms. Joyce Tan and son Kevin

Exactly today 27/03/2007, I prayed before opening the Bible. I prayed "God, let me read what teaching You want me to know for this day," for I still remember that everytime I randomly opened the Bible, I always manage to read verses about sin, God's anger and destruction (of Israel). Back then, I thought that that was just by chance, and God is not really surreptitiously saying that He is angry with me.

Looking back now, perhaps God did want to say that He was not pleased with how I was leading my life of sin, that the random Bible verses were a way for me to realize that. I did not live a life God has mapped out for me. He tried to reach out but in my own stubborn way, I kept to myself.

Fortunately, God did not give up on me. He found a way for me to come back to Him freely, my own heart seeking Him. He waited until the day that my heart is soft and my mind is open. That was a period after I had a turbulent time with my career, a time when I felt lonely with me being alone and had no succesful relationship with women, an episode in my life that I begin to doubt my abilites and what I can do. It was a lonely time- just the right moment for God to show the silver lining.

I love the story of how I was found! It's a story I keep telling and will continue telling as long as there are people willing to listen. I found God, or rather God found me, through this rather cheerful lady, who happened to need running shoes and ended up in my shop (of the hundreds of sports shop in Singapore). I could see that she is no ordinary person, just by the way she spoke in her very fluent English, and in the manner she spoke to me. She had wide inviting eyes, a gentle but rather carefree smile, and a voice that had the color of sunshine. I do not remember who asked who first, but I got to know she was from America and now lived in Singapore, and I got to tell her that I'm from the Philippines. She asked if I was Catholic and I said yes, and if went to the church here and told her that I used to but got really disillusioned by it so I stopped going. Then she spoke the words I will never ever forget. She simply asked me "Well, maybe you would like to come to my church?" For some reason, the gravity of those words weighed heavily on mind. I'm not sure either what made me come two weeks later on that very sunday that this guy named Douglas came to Singapore after two years. I was amazed, I was awed, hooked by the way these people sang and praised God. Moved by the way they whipped out their PDA's and notes to write down the lessons. Inspired by the sermon of Douglas about softening our hearts. And most of all touched...by the gesture Ms. Joce Tan, the lady who invited me, and Siew Hee, her husband, showed- it is as if I am one of their own.

" And he will be their peace." Micah 5:5. This is what God wanted to tell me. One simple line. One simple verse that sums up everything that God has done for me. I am at peace with God, at last.

I therefore dedicated this blog to God, and to the people whose hands, mouths and in Ms. Joyce's case foot, God has used to get me back into His Kingdom. For my brothers and siters at Central Church of Singapore, this blog will be postings of my own narration of the sermons for every sunday (I am able to attend, i might add), as well as some of our collective prayers. God bless us all, that we may know God more, and through us make Him known.