When We Are Ready

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

I've never been more homesick than now

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

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

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?

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.