Love does not Envy

Ah, one for the most powerful tools used by the devil to break a Christian. To break him down from within, the surest way to tempt him into evil, to forget the graces of God. To mock the graces of God.

Envy. In the 10 commandments, it says, do not covet. Envy springs forth coveting. Envy, looking at what you don’t have or the seeming lack of it, that you think is not comparable to others, and a sense of bitterness starts to spring off from inside.

A friend just got a new condo, or design to build flat, nicely renovated with great views. Or had just purchased a nice car, speedy, comfy. Or a great high paying job. Or a chance to be promoted. Or great results. Or a seeming great family life. Or great people skills. Or just received praises.

And we start to envy. It grows slowly into jealously. We start to self doubt ourselves, our graces, our abilities, our current situation. We become unsatisfied. We think, wouldn’t life be better if I hadn’t done this and this, and had done this and this? This is opening the door for the devil to step in.

Cain opened this door when he was jealous of Abel’s offering being favoured. Saul opened this door when he heard of praise given unto others other than him. Joseph’s brothers opened this door when they saw the nice color coat given to him. The Pharisees opened this door when they saw the number of disciples that Jesus attracted. The disciples opened this door when they argued who was the greatest. They opened the door and allowed bitterness to set in, and later on, some of the world’s most hideous crimes were conducted because of these.

Who did not open this door? Jonathan did not. Because he loved David as himself. Esau in my opinion opened but finally closed the door back when he received his brother in love. Barnabas closed this door when he received Paul with love and recognised that someone with a superior ability to minister was called. Abraham closed this door when he let his nephew chose the better looking land. And in the end, they were greatly blessed and remembered as heroes of faith.

We do not have to envy. We only have to give thanks. He is better, has better, is because God has planned it in such a way that His name, His will, His plans will be glorified and accomplished. He has given these good things to them. He was the source. If we disagree by envying, by being jealous, we are treating God in contempt. We should rejoice for our brother! Because we love him. Purging envy, we start to grow humility. Seeing nothing of ourselves. Making nothing of ourselves. But all together, tools for the service of God.

Love is kind.

Love is kind. It is always thinking how to better edifying the person, to do an action that will best help the person to grow to be a better person in Christ.

It is not just convenient kindness, where we avoid confrontation of sin, but willing to discipline where areas of sin is concerned that he may be freed from the bondage of the evil one.

Always thinking, how to better edify the person. In truth, in deeds.

Love is patient

1 Cor 13:4 - 8 is just so important for all of us. We often memorize it, sing it, read it, but yet fail to act it. Through this series of post, I hope that 1 Cor 13:4 - 8 is really imprinted unto my heart, affecting my everyday thoughts, actions and speech.

Love it patient. Love is patient when you expect something and it falls short of your expectations. You expect a nice gesture towards you, you expect something ought to be done for you. You expect that such a reply ought to have been given by this person. But the gesture, the reply, the action, falls short of your expectation.

Your spouse did not react the way he/she should, your child did not respond the way he/she should, your colleague did not give you the thanks he should, or the gave you something else that totally turned your expectation around, your parents did not understand you.

in all this, you remain patient. Patient is when you are fine, ok with the counterparty not meeting your expectation. And God has told us to be patient, as our expectations are always indulged in subjective selfishness. Often, people have been patient with us but we are not patient with them.

May we be patient to\day, and love.

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1 Samuel 17

When David bought supplies from Jesse to pass to his brothers at the front lines of the battle against Goliath, his brothers wronged him that he was just wanting to watch and gloat over people being killed.

Oh how discouraged and wronged David would have felt. For he had no such intentions. Yet he knew that his conscience was clear an focused not on being wronged, not being bitter, but focused on the enemy, focused on God. His focus was so strong that he actually went all the way to meet the king, had the conviction that he could defeat the enemy. All this, because he focused on the strength, the glory of God. Not on the wronging brought by man, or the scare of the enemies.

Focus on God, not on man, especially in times of difficulties.

Lessons from 1 samuel 15

Saul was commanded by God through Samuel to destroy everything in the amalekites city for this is God's wrath against them for attacking the israelites in the past.

Saul was to destroy everything. Absolutely everything. But he didn't cause he valued worldly treasures more than obedience to God.

Sin leads to sin. Sin grows. His sin of greed soon led to the sin of lying to God.

Let us value obedience to God more than the fleeting treasures of this world. Let us not let sin have a foot hold lest it grows like yeast does to bread in our lives, leading us in a downward spiral.

Luke 3

Luke 3. chin lien night class. date: 24 feb

The background of the temple ruled by the high priest in john the baptist's time is very corrupt. There were many means of making profits in the temple then, for eg. Selling sacrifices or priestly taxes.

Hence John was raised in the desert to avoid being corrupted by the depraved situation in Jerusalem. A principle is that whenever God's word is, there will be people. Today there are many trying to attract people into the church using worldly attractiveness. Healing, prosperity, attractions. But the true church attracts with truth.

When a church preaches God's word, even a church in far lands will attract people. Like John preaching God's word in the desert. Today when we evangelize, or preach in pulpit, we should be using only God's word and no other.

John preached a baptism of repentAnce. People hated Jesus not only because he was the son of God, but becUse often Jesus spoiled the means of them making money through the temple meAns.

A church without God's word for a year will have sin growing in members, superstition and empty fillings of the heart. It resulted in john's time when people have a religion without faith. A religion without faith is that one only follows the ritualistic methods, but not observe God's word in the dAily specifics of life. One still enters the casino, gambles, cheats in business.

The second is those who offer sacrifice but not repentance. Their repentAnce is shallow, is false. In our midst, we may have the holy communion, confess sins but still go on sinning.

Third is observing sacraments but the self is not sanctified. Hence, the people needed the messAge of repentance most which is what John preached. They knew only the rituAlistic means but have never heard of the messaGe of repentance.

Man's greatest need is repentance. John rebuked them using brood of vipers. Today many use psychology to gain the favour of man, but not John. John not only preached but also baptized. The Jews knew bAptism as only needed by Gentiles. John's baptism of the Jews signified that the Jews were so depraved like the pagans. John's baptism is different from our baptism. John's baptism is one of repentance. Ours is a baptism into christ's blood. Do we truly know true repentance? It's not just regret. But the knowledge from God that you are a sinner, being sorrowful, needing salvation. 2 cor 7.

The passage from Isaiah tells of someone paving a way for the messiah. Every valley being filled, mountain made low. This refers to the heart man. Needing to be straightened from our evils, malices, deceit. The secret hidden evil things of man.

True repentance is from God. True repentance knows the wrath of God. The seriousness. We have to know that the punishment is serous, eternal suffering. Hence we know that in evangelism, we are not afraid to preach the judgement of hell.

People were coming to John for baptism. But John rebuked them as brood of vipers. John wanted to remind them it's from a true repentant heart that they want to be baptized. Not the same ritualistic heart that just wants baptism.

A hundred baptisms us useless if you did not repent. A serpent escapes the fastest when there us a fire. This is used to described to the false believers then. Let us not treat that baptism is just a means of salvation. But bear the fruits of repentance.

Let us be baptized because of us knowing that we are sinners needing salvation. Many disappear after baptised. Let us not go after ritualistic means of salvation like other religions.

Growing up in a family of Christians does not mean that you are a Christian. We need repentance ourselves. Eg. Eli's family.

Genesis 16

Prayer meeting sermon. pastor tang. 26 feb 2010

Offer the best to God.

May God bless the ministry in yck. Pray For the Workers and the work and the souls.

Pray for a group of youths who were involved in a car accident. These youths attended last year's arise camp.

This reminds us that time and chances are not in our hands. Offer, serve, read the bible, when we have the chance.

Reminds us also to obey our parents.

Pray for the youth who has brain cancer. Serve and love God while we have the chance.

Journey of faith.
Not an easy road. Full of up and downs.

Genesis 16. God credited abram with rigtheousness due to his faith.
Justified by faith.

Between genesis chap 15 and 16, time gap of 10 years. Abram waited for the promise of having an offspring for 10 years.
When will the Lord answer?

Man started to take things into their own hands.

God works in his time. In his time, he raises a person, family, Nation. Jesus mentioned that his time is not up yet while in the wedding at Cana. Jesus walked in God's timing.

When the Lord's time come, are we standing out to answer? The hymn tells us to offer our all.

Hagar bore Ishmael. But this son bought much trouble later on, till today. Things that might seem as grace actually bring trouble.

Hagar means escape. Shameful acts were revealed in gen 16. Shameful acts even happened in the family of the promise. This reminds us not to worship heroes of faith but learn from their rights and wrongs.

I love pear!

Eating pear!


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Hello, Caleb here again

Hello all. My name is Caleb and my papa did this photoshopped picture for me. It was his first attempt but I think that it's quite good already. So kudos to him.


I love my papa! But for now I love my mummy more. So I roll around her more when I wake up and beat and squeeZe my papa more.

I forgot to mention, I know how to walk a bit now and identify some sounds. So I am more fun to play with.

Till next time!

为什么我们要爱

想分享今天在主日学查考约翰一书第四章里的功课, 为什么我们要爱. 一边提醒自己爱人的功课，爱人正确的动机，另一方面勉励朋友们，当我们不想爱的时候，心里充满苦毒的时候，忍要爱。

为什么我们要爱 - 五个理由

1. 因为神是爱。约翰一书4：7-8. 神的本质就是爱。祂一切所做的，审判，怜悯，都是出于爱。因为神是爱，所以我们要爱。

2. 效法神对我们的爱。约翰一书4：9-11。就是祂差祂儿子，为我们死的爱。

3. 彰显神的爱。约翰一书4：12。没有人见过神，但我们爱的时候，人就从我们的身上看见神的爱的彰显。

4. 神会与我们同在。约翰一书4：13-16。我们爱的时候，神会与我们同在。

5。叫我们在审判的日子坦然无惧。约翰一书4：17-20。

约翰一书4：19。 “我们爱，因为神先爱我们。”

Blogpost from iPhone.

Trying out this blogging tool in iPhone. Perhaps I will blog more on the go now given this. Haha.

Oh Caleb took his tiny few steps yesterday. And it was quite a few steps. So happy. Everyone was cheering for him as he took each step. I will remember 20022010, the day Caleb took his first steps.




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新年蒙恩

华人过新年。所以这次又用华文来写部落格。

又过新年了。原大家新年蒙恩。、！

为什么新年会蒙恩？当然是蒙上帝的恩典。

祂最大的恩典也就是我们接着耶稣，得救赎。新的一年，又被提醒，我们蒙了救恩。耶稣的羊认得祂的声音。耶稣也不会撇弃祂的羊。一百只羊当中少了一只，祂仍然会去寻找。让我们忠心到底，认，听，尊行，大牧者的声音。

我们今日能够生存，每分每秒，都是上帝的恩典。我们能跨过新的一年，是因为蒙了祂的恩。回想，您有朋友或亲人，去年就离开了世界吗？我们竟然能存活，是蒙了恩典。

世界美好恩赐都是来自天上。我们的吃，住，睡，健康，乐，都值得感恩。若你觉得这些是算不了什么，你问问躺在医院的病人们，他最大的需要是什么？是能够赚许多钱吗？股票大涨吗？不是。是能够吃的下，睡得着，恢复健康的身体能够回家与家人见面，享受家庭简单但舒服的住处。我们能为着每日所享用的饮食，的健康，的睡眠，感恩。

还有许多我们蒙了恩典的事项，你自己数算。

新年蒙恩不单单是今年愿你更蒙恩典，也是知道我们一定蒙恩，昨日蒙恩，今日蒙恩，明日蒙恩。用着感恩，知足的心，知道蒙了上帝许多的恩。

所以新年蒙恩，新年感恩。

The Blessings of Christ

No, this is definitely not the post to be looking for if you are looking out for ‘blessings’ like prosperity, abundance in wealth, climbing the corporate ladder or getting a warm family. These are the blessings as promised by, and there shouldn’t be anything else, proper interpretation of THE BIBLE.

The forgiveness of our sins.
Eph 1:7
⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

Salvation
Eph 1:13
¹³And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

SUFFICIENT material blessings
Rom 15:27
²⁷They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.

Peace
Romans 5:1
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Joy
1 Thess 1:6
^6”You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”

These are the true blessings of believing in Christ. Why do you not believe?

Luke 2:21-40 Simeon & Anna. The Witnesses of Christ

Luke Chapter 2
V23 every first born is to be consecrated to God. Mary knew Jesus belonged to God. The messiah, the savior.
V24 offering sacrifice, a pair of doves or pigeon. Some like Mary and Joseph were not wealthy, thus could only afford pigeons instead of bulls or sheeps.

The Witnessing of Simeon.
V25-35 Simeon, bearing witness for Jesus. He was righteous and devout. Waiting for the consolation of Israel. He knew Jesus was the savior, even though Jesus was just a child. Simeon believed in faith.

V29-32 Simeon’s Song of deliverance.
V29" you have now dismiss your servant in peace."
Simeon knew Jesus was the savior of all people.

Qn: are we worthy of dying on the cross if we are willing?
No. A lamb sacrificed needs to be without blemish. What more the ultimate sacrifice?

V34 many will fall, referring to those who opposed Jesus.
V35 a sword will pierce Mary's own soul referring to the day Jesus is crucified.

We have many similarities with Simeon.

Simeon hope for the  coming of the savior. We hope for the second coming of Jesus. We live a testimony for Jesus. Simeon lived righteously and devoutly. Both have the holy spirit upon. By the moving of the holy spirit, we preach, we bear testimony, we offer. both are servants who serve. Do not be an idle person in church. Serve. Both have spiritual hindsight. Seeing value in spiritual things. The more we rely on the grace of God to live, the more we see the spiritual value of things. Simeon whole life was focused on praising God. He was satisfied just seeing God.

Qn: are we satisfied just by seeing God?
A Christian's joy resides sufficiently just by desiring God.

V29 dismiss in peace. When it's time for us to live, let us be dismissed in peace. To leave this world in peace. But while we on the earth, let us work for God.

The witness of Anna. V36-38

Qn: why do we want to live a long life?
To be of good use like Anna.

V38 she spoke about the child to ALL.

How do we measure the value of someone's life? Working hours? Achievements? Joy? Exciting?
If by these measurements, Anna seems to lead a boring life. Day and night in the temple.
She meet with suffering 7 years after her marriage. She could have bitterness in her heart. But let us know that there could have sufferings, but not bitterness. Bitterness is pessimistic, extreme, repeated thinking about a bad thing that happened. Let us pray that we would not have bitterness.

Anna's hope was in heaven.
She was lacking but she did not have any regret.

To summarize her life with one word, service. She lived Alice of value. When you are convicted to serve God, you will live a life of value. No matter what age you are, we can testify about this child.
Jesus had the witness of Anna and Simeon. But what did he witness about himself? The way, the truth, the life.

V40 described the growth of Jesus to 12 years old. He grew. He was a normal child with no supernatural gifts. There is no mention of his growing years because he was a normal child. Do not take into account recordings outside the bible.

Luke 2 – The Birth of Christ

Recorded on 3rd Feb 2010 from Chin Lien Bible Seminary night class spoken by Rev Teo Kiak Hock.

Question: Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem?
Because it was the town of David.
Because it was the town of bread and Jesus is the bread of life.

Question: why was Jesus born in a manger?
He came Unto earth, and made nothing of himself.

Question: why did the angels appeared to the shepherds instead of anyone else?
They could have appeared to the Sadducees, Romans or other important people. But they appeared to the shepherds because God often works in a way contrary to the world. He doesn't use the wises, most intelligent, or the richest. This is evident in the salvation of the Greeks due to the Jews rejecting Him.

Another reason is because all the sheeps under the shepherds are used for offering as a sacrifice. Each sacrifice requires millions of sheeps. The greatest sacrificial lamb is Christ. Hence the shepherds have to know of this lamb.

Third reason why angels appeared to the shepherds is because Christ came to be our shepherd.

In verse 9, the glory of God shone with the angels. It's important that he glory of God shines with the church. The glory of God shone with Moses and dwelt with the temple. The church is just a empty shell if the glory of God is not present.
The glory of God left the temple 2400 years ago when it departed from the temple as mentioned in Ezekiel 11. But on this night, the glory of God shone with the angels. We ought to greatly give thanks for this. What child is this that such a phenomenon? Remember the hymn. This child is a saviour.

Today we have forgotten the meaning of saviour. It is actually a great word. Today, we don't preach Christ as the saviour but him as the giver of peace, prosperity, as a fulfillment, as healing or just something good. What a pity. How would those who remain sick, poor feel? That God does not love them?

Without Jesus, you sill can gain wealth, health, fulfillment, family togetherness. But Jesus came to give something no other can. The redeemer of our sins. The saviour of our sins. To pay the price of our sins. Have you believed in the wrong Jesus? We ought to stand before the great white throne of judgment. But thanks be to God for Jesus has SAVED us. This child is our saviour.

Qn: should we celebrate Christmas since it's a pagan day of celebration?
There is no absolutes for this. We do not have to be argumentative about the date itself. What's important is that we remember the birth of our saviour. Many people today also do not know that 25th of dec is a pagan date of celebration.

Verse 12. You will find a baby wrapped in cloth, lying in a manger. V13. Suddenly, there appeared a legion of angels. This  is a separate appearing of the first angel that appeared to the shepherds first. How many angels were there? From Micah, from revelation 4, 5, we can infer that there were millions of angels in that appearing. Why did the Angela appear? The angels have seen the second person of God before in the heavens. The angels seeks the secret of salvation too. This great saviour, from the glory of heaven, now willing to come into earth. Hence just like the angels glorifying God, we have to glorify Him.

V14. And peace be unto man. This peace refers to the peace between God and man. Not the world peace that we often think or the peace during Chinese new year.
Seeing the angels worship God, the more we man the recipients of grace, ought to worship!

Can you imagine the fellowship between Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Zechariah, Elizabeth when they met at the manger? They would witness, share with one another the great experiences they had. This is like us sharing the gospel because we are excited with the great news!

V20. The shepherd left and gave glory and praises to God. They went back to shepherd. Went back to the same work. But the attitude is different. Now they had seen the Lord. Christ was with them. Praising God is linked to having the correct theology. He shepherds received the correct theology and thus were Able to praise the Lord.

The progression of the shepherd were they heard, they believed, they obeyed, they praised. They gave thanks.

Now Mary would have thought how to raise the saviour of man? So many difficulties for her. Hence she had to deeply ponder over it. V19.

In the next portion of verses, Luke had some witnesses to testify to his writings. Mary, Simeon, Ana, Joseph the righteous one. It was extremely difficult to find a righteous person during that time of the Pharisees, saducceess. Yet Joseph was one. Recall that there were only 120 believers who gathered as mentioned in acts 2 after the resurrection of Christ. Few are the righteous during that time. What about now? Are we one of them?

I need prayer

I think i really need a lot of prayer in my life now. In my teaching, in my service to God, in my bearing salt and light at home, in my marriage, in my caring for my family.

Am i drained? I am encouraged by the word of God, that those that wait upon the Lord, their strength will be renewed like eagles.

Praise and thank God.

Leadership – Disfavor of men, but getting the favor of God

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. ¹¹ They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

¹³ Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Today was a busy day. I had to juggle four hour lessons, a one hour video conference which I was uncertain at how to handle the technical difficulties, and of course, to coordinate the Open House which was a logistical nightmare.

Although some expressed complaints that some things were bad or could be done better, I think i really have put in my best today. With my limited time and energy, I squeezed out every inch and tried to make everything run, abet not to the mark of some other’s expectation. It was kind of of three leadership roles today.

Hence pondering when doubts of discouragement starts to set in, what does it mean to be a leader? I have to draw strength from God’s word and the complaints of the Israelites to Moses soon surfaced to my mind.

The Israelites complained that they were going to be dying in the desert. What discouragement to Moses! He must have doubted too. He must have doubted himself as to whether he was doing the right thing. He must have thought of himself a failure. But I guess this is the mark of leadership, that those you are leading will complain at times of criticality even though you have put in your best in leading them.

But what is the response? Be discouraged, give up? Say this is not worth the time or effort? Moses called upon the Lord. Moses had faith in the Lord. As long as he knew what he was planning and doing was according to God’s will, his mind went back into balance. The leader stands his ground due to him knowing that in God’s eyes, he is favored, though he is unflavored by men at that time. Amen. 

人 种 的 是 甚 麽 ， 收 的 也 是 甚 麽 。

最近阅读大布道家Moody先生的文字刊物。

太造就人了。现在才知道为什么他当时会成为那么多宣教室，牧师，传道的榜样。被他的道激励，忠心，勇敢的侍奉上帝。

刊物的主题是来自加拉太書 6:7-8 的经文
”人 种 的 是 甚 麽 ， 收 的 也 是 甚 麽 。顺 着 情 欲 撒 种 的 ， 必 从 情 欲 收 败 坏 ； 顺 着 圣 灵 撒 种 的 ， 必 从 圣 灵 收 永 生 。”

简单来说，我们要种属灵的种子，必收的庄家就是来生的永生，今生接圣灵的果子。

但如果我们所种是情欲的种子，可能有段站罪中的快乐，但必收的是懊悔，痛苦，死亡。

什么是种情欲的种子？不旦旦只是，贪婪，淫乱，撒谎，高傲，所谓严重的罪，当你所种的对象(object)，不是上帝的时候，那就是种情欲的种子了。

愿我们“顺 着 圣 灵 撒 种 的 ， 必 从 圣 灵 收 永 生”。撒种属灵的种子，必收的是上帝的同在，恩典，怜悯，今生接圣灵的果子。影响人归主。

Giving Thanks

Plenty of stuff to give thanks for in 2009. Items are listed in no order of priority.

1. Peixuan's safe delivery and Caleb's well growth

2. Transition to a new job

3. Able to type this mail at the year end with the breathe of life!

4. Service in church in the Xian House Mgmt Committee, teaching sun sch, singing in choir, translation, serving in youth fellowship with the wonderful committee members, the chance to witness to people at East Coast and at Senai

5. Gong gong's deliverance from his illness and his more openness to faith in God

6. Ma ma's great food day in day out

7. There are many more items to give thanks for. Both big and small but these are the major ones. 

May God always grant me a heart to always give thanks to Him in season and out of season. Even in difficulties, may God give me a heart to give thanks to Him. To count the many blessings around me, to not let me compare with others, but to look upon Him. God rejoices in a thankful heart.

Change

Many like to use the phrase ‘Change is constant’. Well, yea, i guess that applies to my blog but of course not applying to the things of God. Will be changing the layout and look after having the old one for a couple of years now.

The content posted will also differ. I hope that the content posted on my blog will better help people gain an onward step in truth, and an acknowledgement to God’s grace. Well occasionally some ‘light’ stuff will be posted. =)

So, lookout for this space in 2010. Good bye 2009.

Can one just be a believer and not a disciple of Christ?

I am just a believer, not a disciple of Christ.

Can one just be a believer and not a disciple of Christ? In other words, can I just be a level 1 Christian who has once acknowledged Jesus as my saviour but do not really commit my life to Him? I live the way I want, I go to church once in a while, or perhaps on some occasions, even manage to attend multiple services in a week especially during times like Christmas and Good Friday where you know that you just have to get into the 'mood'.

I carry on living the way I want, unfortunately committing the sins that I have always done, but hey I can always just recall back to the moment, where I acknowledged Christ as Saviour. Well don't they always say that once saved always saved?

Who are the disciples of Christ? The disciples or 'level 2' christians are the ones who really heed God's commands to bear the cost of being a disciple, bearing the cross, giving up everything for Him. But really these are the preachers, pastors, missionaries and others whom have devoted their whole lives to God and His call to carrying their own cross. I am just a level 1 christian. I am not called to serve full time needless to say serve more than just one sunday service per week! The bible calls two levels of christians, the believers and the disciples. And I am just contented at being a believer. It allows me space to be the hypocrite that I am, living the way I want, commiting the sins i have always done, but yet, just at a convenient time, I confess my sins to Jesus and immediately, my sins are forgiven and I have the blessed assurance of heaven, though my glory might be less than others (which I am fine with). Or so is it?

Does the above describe you? Can one just be a believer and not a disciple of Christ? Can the believer bring out all the theologies, justification by faith, pre-election, once saved always saved and re-assure himself that non-committal living to Christ can still gain him access to one of the heavenly rooms that Jesus has prepared for him?

Why do we reject being a disciple of Christ? Why do we in the first place have this fallen reasoning that there can be two levels of Christians, the believer and the disciple? For one, being a disciple demands on us. But can one really just be a believer? Is being a believer different from being a disciple? Let's look into the bible and see what Jesus says.

We are familiar with the passages stating the cost of discipleship. Jesus states that if anyone wishes to come after him, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow him (Lk 9:23). He states that disciples should be willing to lose their lives for Jesus (Lk 9:24), not to lose their lives while chasing after things of the world (Lk 9:25), not to be ashamed of him and his words (Lk 9:26). Now who exactly is Jesus talking to here? Just a concentrated group of deeply convicted fervent disciples? No. In Mark 8:34-38, the gospel book records a similar passage of the cost of discipleship. Verse 34 records clearly, "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Jesus was preaching to the crowd. The masses. The multitudes. Everyone. Jesus is preaching the cost of discipleship to everyone. Not a selected group of 'more fervent' christians.

Another passage reiterates this. Luke 14:25-35 records the teaching of discipleship to large crowds.

²⁵Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Jesus wanted to make true disciples. He never softened his message to majority preferences who are contended just to be believers. Instead, he plainly declared the high cost of discipleship. He made several bold demands that would discourage the half hearted.

Even IF there are indeed distinctions between a level 1 and level 2 christian, didn't Luke 10:27 tells us to love our Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind? With this, how can we not be hypocrites and still say that yes we abide by this but yet we still want to be level 1 christians?

The great commission at the end of the gospel of Matthew tells us to make DISCIPLES of all nations. And what to teach the disciples? That they obey all of Jesus commands (denying oneself, taking up his cross daily etc.). The great commandment for evangelism is to make disciples, not just believers.  

Are we not all Christians? Do you call yourself a Christian? Who are Christians? Take a look at Acts 11:26. "So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."

Who are Christians? Disciples. 

There is no difference between a believer and disciple. No distinguishing between a level 1 or level 2 christian. Simply said, Believers = Disciples = Christians. Do not let our fallen reasoning control us, but let the bible speak for itself to us, and may the Holy Spirit guides our hearts to accept this truth, to obey as what Jesus commanded. To live as disciples.

The Response to Christmas

Dear friends,

As we near Christmas day, we undoubtedly get excited and busy with Christmas gifts, decorations, trees, lights, holidays and parties. And we may have a reason to do so, given this year's economic recession, job losses, climate changes, natural calamities, it may be a good time to just get a breather from all these and enjoy this festive season. Yet amidst all these celebrations, perhaps let's take a moment to consider the bigger questions. Just what about Christmas are we celebrating? Why are we celebrating Christmas? Or is Christmas just another festive season where I am granted a public holiday?

Many might already know what the celebration of Christmas is for. Rightfully, its to remember the birth of Jesus. You might have heard it for many years, from an occasional television programme, book, news article or friend, stranger with a pamphlet. But perhaps we have chucked it aside as just another fantasy story. Or you might have felt, it doesn't concern me now. Or, I already know the story well enough. Or, there isn't any reason for me to respond in anyway. But is that really the case?

The world recently mourned at the death of Brittany Murphy. A young, promising actress whose life unfortunately ended at just 32 years of age. Everything seemed going well for her, movies, dramas in the pipeline yet to be released, but the lure of drugs proved too much for her. 

The opportunity to respond to the real meaning of Christmas might not always be there. By God's mercy and grace, we can tide through year after year. But what if one day our lives were to end, without an appropriate response to Jesus?

Going straight to what Christmas celebration ought to be about is of course, the birth of Jesus. The beloved, the precious, the only son of God, who came from the seat of the glorious throne in heaven, to the dirtiest of places, as a helpless infant, born in a manger in Bethlehem. We celebrate his birth as like the shepherds and magi did, two thousand years ago. And yes, this is the familiar Christmas story that we have come to know, perhaps not in its full detail, but a similar one, perhaps with dramatization of cute animals, cosy haystack, and nice flaky snow. 

But the vital question is, how are we going to respond to the birth of Jesus? Just a holiday celebration, just a get together with friends, just a party, just a 'well-deserved' break from a year's work? OR, can we spare some time to think why was Jesus born into this world?

Why was he born? He was born to die for us. For our iniquities. For our transgressions. For our sins.

If our lives were each recorded in a DVD which records all our every though, sight, action, and this DVD were to be broadcast for all others to see, we would be so ashamed and would do all we can to stop the broadcast. We are ashamed because of our shameful inner thoughts. Ashamed of what we see, lust, desire, covet. How many of us dare we say that we are of a better moral character than the recently exposed Tiger Woods?

Jesus was born to die for us, our sins, that before the righteous God, because of Jesus's blood shed for us on the cross, we are viewed sinless before God. AND because of this, the greatest hope, that of eternity in heaven, lies before us. 

This might not strike you especially if things are going well at the moment. But if one were to lie on the hospital bed in ICU, at the hospice, or that you know that you had only a year to live, you search  for such a hope with all your might.

Forgive me for the harsh tone, friends, but I would rather be exposed to criticism, rebuke, ridicule for the reason of this letter, than to hear a plead from a loved one, a cry from a loved one, pleading and crying from the depths of a place, no man would want to go, the depths of a place so dark, so lonely, so painful, so hopeless, so regretful.

This Christmas, remember, Jesus was born to die for us, that we might live eternally. This is no cheap gospel or grace. He asks for our faith in him, as the one true God. He asks for our repentance from our wrongs. He asks for our acknowledgement of him as Lord of our lives and obedience to his commands. And if we abide so, his grace, mercy, salvation and the peace, hope, joy that comes along with it will fill our lives. This is the meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior. And there is no other.

With love,
Jason

The Nativity - A Closer Look

Are we too familiar with the story of Christmas? Cute animals, cozy manger with hay, cute infant, bright star, is that all to it ? Tonight, let's look at it again, with new appreciation, with a renewed understanding, to be reminded as to what it all means, God sent His son, as an infant, for us.

It is a renewed appreciation of how God became man, beginning in the lowest of cirumstances, living through the height of humiliation and ending in the most tragic of endings, all just for us.

Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - Before his birth - The controversy – Mary’s pregnancy

Ask yourself a question. Imagine an unwedded female teenager heavy with pregnancy. How would others view her? Probably an unwanted pregnancy. An adultress. As recorded in Mt 1:19 - Mary if charged with adultery would be stoned. But Joseph's mercy did not intend to disgrace Mary and planned to send her away secretly. But

Yes, Jesus arrival was welcomed by the chosen group, the sheperds, but most of the masses might have viewed Mary's birth as shameful.

Imagine instead of a proud pair of parents who can proudly proclaim the joyous news of their child’s birth, we have a pair of parents， the target of ridicule. Instead of an anticipated birth of a baby, we have the ridicule that he might be a child born out of an unwanted pregnancy.

Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - Jesus as an infant - They made their way to Bethlehem from Nazareth.

Jesus did not enjoy normal pre-birth parent preparation. eg. nice infant rooms, clothes, diapers, milk powder, a cot, a nice baby room. But rather, his parents had to come down from Nazareth in Galilee, travelling down 130 km on a camel/donkey/by foot to come down to Bethlehem totally UNPREPARED. A mother about to give birth would not tread more than 130 km (now 2-3 hrs by car, then 8-10 days) through mountaineous terrain and a desert. Think about what can happen in the desert? Extreme hot and colds.

In times when parents can proclaim their joyous news of the coming birth of their child, a father has to borne the front of humiliation that this child is not fathered by him.

In times when a mother needs the most protection, she was exposed to the harshest 最苛刻 of desert conditions .

In times when parents needs the most certainty in preparing for birth, (eg. prepared route to birth place, mid wife, post natal care), they were exposed to the most uncertainty. Where am I to get these care services/facilities?? Remeber that there is going to be a crowd in Bethlehem due to the census. and chances are, it would be difficult to get lodging.

Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - There was no room for them in the inn

I remembered when my wife was due, I made sure there was a comfortable ward that my wife could gave birth in, that i knew the route to the hospital, that i brought everything in the 'to bring' list, that there was the best of mid wives and doctors to facilitate their delivery.

But for Mary? She had no room in the inn.

There was no best route to delivery Jesus. Joseph and Mary had to knock from inn to inn.

No mid wives/doctors. Mary wrapped baby Jesus herself. Joseph won't probably be of much help if he was like any first time fathers.

In times when a woman in labour needs the most comfort/assurance, she faced the most loneliness. There are many complications that can happen during birth that will scared any woman. I remember i saw woman having to go into labour rooms alone, and that was so pitiful. Mary though had Joseph, didn't had any mid wife thus was even more alone. Not to imagine the darkness in the manger.

Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - For baby Jesus when he was finally born?

In times when an infant needed the most care, baby Jesus had only the most basic of care. A manger, not the often misrepresented cushy comfortable wood plank with hay stack, but a feeding trough for animals. Can you imagine how dirty, smelly, needless to say the bacteria?

Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - God became a helpless baby.

Baby Jesus was unable to protect himself. Was totally dependent on his parents. As recorded in Phillipians,2:7 He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Beginning in the Lowest of Circumstances - Jesus as a young child - Target of a ruthless assasination

Jesus with his parents had to flee to Egypt, to escape Herod. Again they had to trek miles across deserts, into a foreign land. Again into a place of uncertainty. Always on the run. No stable place to stay, to pillow over his head. The King of Kings is pursued like a criminal by his creation. The creator pursued by his creation, 

It didn't really end when Herod died. Joseph was warned in a dream to avoid Archelaus, son of Herod, who was still in pursue of Jesus. And Jesus, God who all mountains, lands, seas were created for him, by him, through him, was chased around by earthly lowly kings in his childhood.

The infanticide - It was such a tragic scene. The tears of mothers, fathers, the cries of innocent babies. Who could bear such sight and sound? Weeping for their children, and refusing any comfort. In their hearts, they might be cursing this baby who Herod tried to search. Cursing, this son of God. Thus Jesus might have been continually doubted/hated by others

Now considering the humble circumstances in which Jesus was born, this Christmas, how are we to respond to the birth of Jesus?

The shepherds and magi responded to the infant Jesus. 

Response of the Shepherds - 众 天 使 离 开 他 们 ， 升 天 去 了 。 牧 羊 的 人 彼 此 说 ： 我 们 往 伯 利 恒 去 ， 看 看 所 成 的 事 ， 就 是 主 所 指 示 我 们 的 。 他 们 急 忙 去 了 ， 就 寻 见 马 利 亚 和 约 瑟

Response of the Magi - 有 几 个 博 士 从 东 方 来 到 耶 路 撒 冷 ， 说 ： 那 生 下 来 作 犹 太 人 之 王 的 在 那 里 ？ 我 们 在 东 方 看 见 他 的 星 ， 特 来 拜 他 。

We can choose to response in three ways similarly. 

A. Firstly, we can choose to ignore the Savior

Imagine the shepherds had heard of the angels joyous announcement and just carried on their shepherding? The magi had seen the star and just ignored it as a nice sight in the sky?

For us, do we go on just celebrating Christmas just as we have always done, without pursuing what it all really means? If so, we will just be as lost as we always were. By God's grace, He seeked us, but if we choose to jgnore, then, we remain lost. REMAIN in DARKNESS. What does remaining lost mains? Remaining in darkness means? It means that we bringing our sins along with us heading for hell.

What is hell like? The below verses give a vivid description.

Matthew 5:29-30

²⁹ 若 是 你 的 右 眼 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 剜 出 来 丢 掉 ， 宁 可 失 去 百 体 中 的 一 体 ， 不 叫 全 身 丢 在 地 狱 里 。

³⁰ 若 是 右 手 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 砍 下 来 丢 掉 ， 宁 可 失 去 百 体 中 的 一 体 ， 不 叫 全 身 下 入 地 狱 。

Matthew 18:9
⁹ 倘 若 你 一 只 眼 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 把 他 剜 出 来 丢 掉 。 你 只 有 一 只 眼 进 入 永 生 ， 强 如 有 两 只 眼 被 丢 在 地 狱 的 火 里 。

Mark 9:43-48

⁴³ 倘 若 你 一 只 手 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 把 他 砍 下 来 ；

⁴⁴ 你 缺 了 肢 体 进 入 永 生 ， 强 如 有 两 只 手 落 到 地 狱 ， 入 那 不 灭 的 火 里 去 。

⁴⁵ 倘 若 你 一 只 脚 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 把 他 砍 下 来 ；

⁴⁶ 你 瘸 腿 进 入 永 生 ， 强 如 有 两 只 脚 被 丢 在 地 狱 里 。

⁴⁷ 倘 若 你 一 只 眼 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 去 掉 他 ； 你 只 有 一 只 眼 进 入 神 的 国 ， 强 如 有 两 只 眼 被 丢 在 地 狱 里 。

⁴⁸ 在 那 里 ， 虫 是 不 死 的 ， 火 是 不 灭 的 。

路 加 福 音 16:19-31 (Chinese Union Version (Simplified))

¹⁹ 有 一 个 财 主 穿 着 紫 色 袍 和 细 麻 布 衣 服 ， 天 天 奢 华 宴 乐 。

²² 财 主 也 死 了 ， 并 且 埋 葬 了 。

²³ 他 在 阴 间 受 痛 苦 ， 

²⁴ 就 喊 着 说 ： 可 怜 我 罢 ！用 指 头 尖 蘸 点 水 ， 凉 凉 我 的 舌 头 ； 因 为 我 在 这 火 焰 里 ， 极 其 痛 苦 。

²⁵ 亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ： 儿 阿 ， 你 该 回 想 你 生 前 享 过 福 ，你 倒 受 痛 苦 。

²⁶ 不 但 这 样 ， 并 且 在 你 我 之 间 ， 有 深 渊 限 定 ， 以 致 人 要 从 这 边 过 到 你 们 那 边 是 不 能 的 ； 要 从 那 边 过 到 我 们 这 边 也 是 不 能 的 。

²⁷ 财 主 说 ： 我 祖 阿 ！ 既 是 这 样 ， 求 你 打 发 人 到 我 父 家 去 ；

²⁸ 因 为 我 还 有 五 个 弟 兄 ， 他 可 以 对 他 们 作 见 证 ， 免 得 他 们 也 来 到 这 痛 苦 的 地 方 。

²⁹ 亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ： 他 们 有 摩 西 和 先 知 的 话 可 以 听 从 。

What does the above verses tell us about hell?
a. That even riches cannot save you from hell if you bear your sins alone.

b. You will be in torment in hell. In agony, in thirst, in fire.

c. That once in hell, you cannot get out. 有 深 渊 限 定, 人 要 从 这 边 过 到 你 们 那 边 是 不 能 的

d. That if we hear the voices of people in hell, they will tell us not to come here! v28

e. That you will be alone in hell…

f. It is for eternity

This is the ultimate result that each one will face if he chooses to ignore the Savior. The shepherd who carries on shepherding, the magi who ignores the cross, us who carries on enjoying the world, working, studying, family...

B. Secondly. What we if we visited infant Jesus, are revived for a few days/week/months, but later forget about the Savior? What if we continue to live unrepentant lives, continue in our lives of sin?

We have to ask ourselves, are we reborn? Is our faith dead? Have we repented? Are we saved in Christ? Or are we just like the the people whom have ignored the Savior but just that we have a surface/superficial acknowledgement of our Savior? Even the devil acknowledge Jesus as the son of God! 

Are we headed for hell thinking that we are headed for heaven? Let's not be the branches thrown into the fire.

⁵ 我 是 葡 萄 树 ， 你 们 是 枝 子 。 常 在 我 里 面 的 ， 我 也 常 在 他 里 面 ， 这 人 就 多 结 果 子 ； 因 为 离 了 我 ， 你 们 就 不 能 做 甚 麽 。

⁶ 人 若 不 常 在 我 里 面 ， 就 像 枝 子 丢 在 外 面 枯 乾 ， 人 拾 起 来 ， 扔 在 火 里 烧 了 。

C. Lastly. But what about if we are like the shepherds, magi, bringing gold, precious gifts to the Savior acknowledging him in his full glory. And after that joyous night, eagerly await his growing up, to follow him? To the point where he died unto the cross still we follow where no one else does? No turning back? 

That we know we ought to be on the cross, but instead Jesus is on it for us?

That we know what ought to flow is our blood but instead its Jesus's precious blood?

That he is our Saviour! He is our Lord!

歌 林 多 後 書 5:21

²¹ 神 使 那 无 罪 的 ， 替 我 们 成 为 罪 ， 好 叫 我 们 在 他 里 面 成 为 神 的 义 。

And because we are seen as right before God, we are assured as having a place in heaven. Where the city and streets are made entirely of gold and precious stones, where there will be no tear, no mourning, no pain but joy, the joy of seeing your loved ones in Christ. 

1. To embrace our him as our Saviour for our sins (see the sinner in us).

If we do not embrace him? Lk 2:34 是 要 叫 以 色 列 中 许 多 人 跌 倒 ， 许 多 人 兴 起 ；will cause many to fall and rise. To those who reject him, its fall into the depths of hell.

2. Repent of our sins. Examine our own sins, pride, lust, unwholesome talk, gossip, laziness and refusal to study God's word

3. Tell others of what joyous day Christmas is, a saviour has come.

Think about it. If it were you, can you give up your son?

Why did he have to go through the humblest of circumstances?

Because of his love for us. He love us so much that he did not want any of us to perish in our sins. But to life in Christ.

I Am Online!

The internet needs no introduction. It has played important roles in all aspects of our lives, be it in family, work, studies or leisure. It is a part of our lives now. We can live our lives with a potential for good or evil, to glorify or rebel against God, to benefit or to harm others. The same goes for our usage of the Internet. It has both the potential for good and evil, glorifying or rebelling, benefitting or harming. We are stewards of our lives because it is God who has given it to us in the first place, when He formed us in the depths of our mother’s womb. The bible commands us to be good stewards of our lives. Hence this warrants us to carefully examine our usage of the internet. Are we a good steward of our lives, using the internet, to the good and edification of ourselves and others? To the glorification of God?

To be good stewards our of lives and in the usage of the internet for good purposes, we need to be spiritually mature. Are we spiritually mature in our thoughts/conduct, in our treatment and witness to others, in our reverence to God?

Being Spiritually Mature in our Thoughts and Conduct

We have to be spiritually mature in the conduct of ourselves. The internet is certainly useful in our course of work. Examples are email, application which enable us to work from home, video conferencing and internet phone calls which save a lot on overseas bills. Our leisure lives now involve web site surfing, online games, instant messenging tools to chat with multitudes of friends and more recently, social networking sites like Friendster and Facebook. However, we ought to be wary of laziness, foolishness and selfishness manifesting itself in our lives unknowingly introduced by the internet. They degrade our level of spiritual maturity.

Being Spiritually Mature in our Thoughts and Conduct - Laziness

When we get online, there are tons of things for us to do, to be attracted, to take notice of, or just to be informed (eg. Facebook notifications). The “to do” list grows enormously huge with the internet. Yes we might be enthusiastic with the things we can do online, but often, we forget about things in real life that we ought to do. Throwing the trash, washing the dishes, cleaning an area of the house, buying groceries, doing homework (or Sunday school homework!), etc. It adds to the procrastination of many seemingly mundane but important things. Things which if not done, will slowly accumulate into an avalanche of trouble. What’s worse is that this does not bring about good testimony with people around us. Our relationships with our colleagues, parents, wives, children sour because of laziness. Colleagues complain that we do not contribute in work. We wrong our parents, wives and children when we are lazy in supporting them in showing them the utmost love to them as commanded by God.

Proverbs tell us that laziness ends in slave labour and hunger [Pr 12:24, 19:15]. Jesus rebuked the lazy with the parable of the servant who does not put the money entrusted to him to work, but just hides it in the ground and does no work with it. We incur the disfavour and wrath of God in our laziness. We forget the more important things that have to be done as compared to ‘levelling up’, sending virtual gifts or updating ‘statuses’.

Being Spiritually Mature in our Thoughts and Conduct - Foolishness

We are well aware of gaming addictions and we think that we will never become game addicts. Well doesn’t it seem straight forward that we cannot play games for consecutive straight hours, without food and rest? However, gaming addictions are rampant all over because we do not have God’s wisdom with us when all that we fill our minds are just Pet Society, Mafia wars or Farmsville. It is a very simple formula. When we do not have God’s wisdom, we are in foolishness. And being fools, we fall too easily into the abyss of gaming addiction.

Foolishness causes our actions in life to be without wisdom. We choose not to study, not to do our best, not to help friends, not to listen advice from parents/teachers/spiritual elders. We hate wisdom, hate knowledge, choose to skip classes, to slack, to harm friends. We can no longer think in God’s wisdom, to understand His Word, to apply His Word in our lives. We are fools. We hate wisdom, we hate knowledge, we hate it when someone forces us to study, to be more involved in church. We bring grief to our parents. Everything we do seems right in our eyes. We do not see ourselves as being hotheaded, reckless, spurning discipline or wandering eyes. But yet, this is how the bible in proverbs describes the fool. We do not grow in spiritual maturity, but in fact take several steps back in to reckless foolishness.

Being Spiritually Mature in our Thoughts and Conduct - Selfishness

How many times have you wanted to level up, waited for money to be replenished, waited for gifts to be given or generated, build up skill points? We have to be wary that we do not indulge in a “I, me, myself” only attitude and think that the world revolves around us. I want to level up. I want to build up my empire/house/farm/café, I want to be the strongest character or avatar. Jesus taught us that as disciples, we first ought to deny ourselves. The ‘self’ attitude that dangerously creeps in online games hinders us from deny ourselves, deny our wants, our interests, our loves for the service and will of God. How then can we ever proceed to carry our cross daily?

Being Spiritually Mature in our Treatment and Witness to Others

We forget to ask a friend if he/she needs help with homework, or has understood what the teacher has just taught, or volunteered to do house chores for mum, or prepare children worship service leading. We become full of ourselves once we dwell too long in make believe simulated environments as every decision, action or result affects only me and no one self. I do not have to learn, or initiate care to others.

Jesus gave us all a new commandment. That we love one another as Jesus had loved us. And by this will all men know that we are His disciples. Indeed we have neglected the loving of others in prayer and action, and much often because of more time being spent online. We have forgotten to love others. Loving others often requires us to take active role, but we often delegate it to a passive role, and with increasing distractions, we forget it entirely.

Jesus mentioned that by our testimony of loving others, people will know that we are His disciples. How will others know then that we are disciples of Christ? When others see our profiles and see game logs all over, or horoscopes analysis, or displaying of a video that goes against biblical principles, what kind of an impression will that give?

In Facebook, our profiles are visible and seen by many more people than we actually think. We claim to want be salt and light for the world, for our friends, for what ever environment we are in. But are we causing a big stain because of our Facebook activities?

Being Spiritually Mature in our Reverence to God

Have we compromised our service to God due to online distractions? Have we created online idols? Have indulged in sins of violence and sexual immorality online?

Have We Compromised our Service to God? Distraction by Online Idols

Have we compromised time for Him, in church ministries, in our devotional time, in our reading of spiritual books or trying to share the good news of salvation because we want beat our friends at typing maniac?

Have we forgotten the call of God in our lives? The call to be disciples, the call to love one another, the call to make disciples, the call to be salt and light of the world? When our minds are filled things of the world, it is only natural that we leave little left for God. The time, effort and energy spent online causes us to forget or be numb to the call of God.

Have we compromised our quality of service to God? While serving Him in church ministries, we might have our minds on whether someone has defeated us in Mafia wars or if we can better spend our time leveling up. We are distracted when we serve God. We are distracted when we ought to love people. We are distracted by online idols. God commands us to love Him with all our minds, all our hearts, not a distracted one. God commands us to worship Him in truth and spirit, not a spirit that drifts off to a virtual world.

Violence and Sexual Immorality

The themes of violence and sexual immorality are rampant amongst online games. Very often, the two are present in the same game. Games like Grand Theft Auto have a very strong violence and sexual theme. We see GTA advertisements even on bus stops which very clearly portray an attractive female holding a weapon. The game portrays a lead male character, often a wronged person who revenges through joining a gang. Along the way, he steals all kinds of vehicles, commits all kinds of hideous crimes with it and involves in sexual relations with prostitutes.

Appropriate Usage of the Internet

With all these dangers lurking in the Internet, should the solution just be a simple banning of usage for Christians?

For Getting Work Done

The internet has certainly aided communication. We communicate via emails to achieve tremendous of work done. The internet in short, has aided us tremendously, in getting work done, including works of ministry. We collaborate by being able to send and share excel sheets (church financial statements), word documents (meeting minutes, preparation of sermons), powerpoint slides (teaching aids, presentation shows) over the internet. Google docs is a good example.

For Leisure

One of today’s avenues of leisure is certainly sitting in a cosy chair and surfing the internet for sites, logging into Facebook to see friends’ statuses, logging into Pet Society to do up your house or chatting up a far away friend over MSN Messenger.

How to Curb Wrong Usage?

With the benefits of getting work done and leisure, how do we determine appropriate methods and durations of usage of the Internet?

How to Curb Wrong Usage? - Self Examination

I think it can be linked to the previous points introduced. If you feel your conscience rebuking you on laziness, you are forgetting to do the things that really matter, foolishness, you are not being able to discern between actions of wisdom, selfishness, you remember just about yourself and not forgetting the more important needs of others, then you really need to self examine. You should always be on the alert and be reminded that we are but stewards of our lives and time. God is really our master and we are accountable to how we spent our time and what we spent it on. We must know that God is in control through us being in control of ourselves. With self-control being the last fruit of the spirit, it probably aids us in remembering it.

How to Curb Wrong Usage? - Meditate on God’s Word Day and Night

However, due to our sinful nature and fallen reasoning, our self examination is often neglected and faulty if we indeed try to self examine. We have to meditate on God’s Word day and night. Not let it depart from us. A cup can only contain so much. If we fill it with filth, there is no place for God’s Word. If we fill it with God’s Word, naturally there is lesser place for filth. David sinned and committed adultery not when he was busy fighting God’s enemies, tending sheep or planning for battle. He had his cup filled with doing the things of God then. He sinned when he was free, had nothing much to do, and allowed the things of the world to fill his mind. Solomon did not sin when he was busy planning and constructing the temple of God. He sinned when he was free, not dwelling into the laws of God, where it specifically mentions in Deut 17:14-20 that a King should not multiply horses, wives, golds and lastly, to keep a copy of the law beside him that he should not depart from it.

How to Curb Wrong Usage? Beware of being too Free

David and Solomon had favor in God’s eyes when their cups were filled with the Word and ministry of God. They incurred the wrath of God when their cups were filled with filth. And many times, the filling of filth starts with us being too free. So let us pray that we really can have wisdom in our usage of our time, especially during the holidays.

How to Curb Wrong Usage? Be Watchmen of One Another

Because we cannot always trust on our own ability to self examine, to fill our cups with God’s word and ministry and to have wisdom in our free time, we need the watching over us by friends in Christ. The titanic would not have sinked have there been another lighthouse or ship watching over it. The claims by itself being the unsinkable ship sunk with the physical ship the moment it struck the ice berg. David would have gone on sinning have Nathan the prophet not rebuked him earlier.

As watchmen of one another, we should rebuke others in wrong and be humble enough to be rebuked when we are in wrong. 2 Tim 4:2 “Correct, rebuke and encourage”. Heb 12:5 “Do not make light of the Lord’s disciple, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.” We are well aware of other’s online activities especially through our home page. If you see a friend who is engaging in something not appropriate, correct him, encourage him. If he still persists, rebuke him. Similar we ourselves, should accept the rebuke of a brother which is according to God’s truth, and be sensitive to it as God’s rebuke might come from a loving brother.

Using the Internet to build Spiritual Maturity

The Internet has great resources to build us up in word, faith and conviction. In word, gty.org is a great site that has sermons by John Macarthur in audio, video readily downloadable for free. You can read pdf versions of books he has written or request for hardcopies of it. You can shop around for books in the site and order them with free shipment to your house.

Biblegateway.com is a great site that provides bible commentaries, concordance or search for verses with a specific theme or keyword. Such really helps to find out the biblical principle concerning a particular word, theme or concept.

Biographies of missionaries, both past and present are readily available via search engines. Let’s not forget the sermons available online at edenbp.org.

The resources online certainly helps us to meditate on God’s Word day and night. We can listen, read online, or download the audio sermons and listen to it at almost anytime we want. How fortunate are we at this age, but yet we our knowledge and conviction of our faith seemingly pale in comparison to our forefathers who do not have Internet, but the plain good old paper and pen.

We can often also encourage others via online methods like email, Facebook groups or blogs. Blogging about sermon notes, the reader re-caps not only what was said during service, but also has insights to how the writer intends to apply what was heard. Through email and Facebook groups, links that help build spiritual maturity can often be shared. For eg. how did the 12 apostles die. Unforunately, we are very much lacking in this area.

We do not encourage or share very much on God’s truth online, where this can actually be a very good avenue of shining for God. Posting edifying videos, sites, statuses, emails certainly helps to keep God’s truth, drip by drip into our minds as we log on.

Conclusion

To end it all, we have to ask ourselves if being online helps moulds us to becoming spiritually mature youths. Towards ourselves, does it cause us to be lazy, foolish and selfish? Do we forget about the more important needs of others and always think about ourselves? Do we compromise in our service to God in time and quality? Have we forgotten the call of God? Have we set up online idols or secretly indulge in violence and sexual immorality online? Or perhaps we can use it appropriately, for work and leisure. And more importantly, for the building up of our spiritual maturity. This we can achieve, by filling ourselves constantly with God’s Truth with the help of resources online and being watchmen for one another.

Thank you Lord for grandpa

Dear Lord God,

I thank you for hearing my prayers and for answering them. You grace and mercy was on grandpa and he recovered. Three months ago, he was lying on the hospital bed in the intensive care unit, hands tied to the bed and struggling, but dear Lord God, your eyes were upon him. You healed him, slowly day by day, till the day he was able to be discharged.

I was praying that there would be a messenger of yours who would pray for him, share the Word with him, and dear Lord indeed you sent such a messenger. I thank God for these messengers, faithful loyal servants of yours. May you bless them greatly and repay their love for your children.

By your grace, i pray that i can be such a messenger myself to others in need.

Thank you God, and in Jesus name i pray,

Amen

Sep 14

Very close to Sep 11, is sep 14, exactly one year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. The US govt back then refused to save the bank with a long traditional, and it thus had to collapse due to its sheer amount of loses caused by the devaluation of its toxic assets (the mortgage backed securities).

After that, a tsunamic of financial institutions collapse followed. The govt stepped it and poured almost a trillion dollars into the financial system in a desperate bid to avoid a financial system meltdown. Yes, a trillion dollars. Probably enough to bring an entire 3rd world country to have skyscrapers in it.

After that, a string of regulatory reforms were enacted, and fast forwarding, it seems that the dust has settled and the financial system is strong again, picking up, traders are back at their game again. The question is, will things turn topsy turvy again? Yes it will.

The root of the problem wasn’t solved. Its not some toxic product, or about whether its capitalism or communism, but the greed of man, the severe greed of man, is ever present. They might not offer mortgage backed securities any more, but the so called ‘financial innovation’ will once again come in the form of disguised ‘vanilla’ products that might seem to offer simple fixed returns, but man’s greed will soon let it loose again, derivatives will start to creep around the corner, and we are in the process of creating another bubble again.

No amount of financial reform will resolve this problem. The bible says that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve the Lord at the same time and also serve money. Not that we cannot possess money, its important and a very important tool for expansion of the church, benefitting brethens in need, and a tool for our livelihood.

Its the priority that we rank them. God first? Money first? Which is our Lord? Or is God ever in the picture? The bible has mentioned that blessings come upon the man who meditates upon His Word day and night. Regarding blessings from money? Erm…Or rather, regretful consequences from greed?

The priority is important. With God first, we will consider how we should gain our money. Through proper, moral, God favouring means. And also, the intent, when we earning this money.

God’s abundant grace is ever present, and might possibly be in the form of money, although its just one out of the millions of ways his grace can flow to us. What’s important is that God asks us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. In short, its to seek Him first, His ministry, His Word, to Benefit his children first. And after that, if He’s willing, the rest will follow through.

So, countdown to the next financial collapse? Can probably look out for a few signs, some so called ‘super goody’ financial product appears again, might probably be from real estate given the frenzy now in singapore. Look out for speculation on prices for ALMOST EVERYTHING, commodities, wines, art pieces, i dunno…erm…names? Basically speculating on anything.

Till now, the eager bankers would probably not worry about when the next collapse will come…

Sep 11

ohh…Caleb is now at Sembawang. But he is coping well there and mummy and papa still visit him at night, so its ok. We will fetch you back on thurs nite ok? So its not too long that you will be away from us. One week 4 out of 3 nights you are with us =).

Other than that, the sep 11 anniversary just past a few days ago. As we watch new footages of the planes crashing into the towers, renewed memories of those terrifying scenes kept flashing through our minds. In a fallen world, with the depraved minds of man, in the name of false ideological gods, all immorality is put aside. Now which religion would condone such an evil act? The very taking away of numerous lives?

Let us have a sound mind, that we know the truth and goodness of a loving God, whose wrath on sin did not fall on those who have repented and believed in Christ, but on Christ himself, on the cross, and those who have rejected him. With a sound mind, we read, understand the Word of God, the bible, and there is no way you can get a hinge of a meaning that you ought to self-sacrifice and destroy another religion with violence and oppression.

Caleb photos! From my E63 – first time transfer

 

Caleb with Samuel and pr. lingli’s aunt

Pr. LIngli’s aunt close up

 

Oops, he ain’t getting very used to the flash.

    

Caleb with Pr. Lingli who has a big smile

   

Caleb having a weird look with teacher Grace

 

Caleb having a ‘small eyes’ look with teacher Grace

 

Close up with Pr. Lingli’s aunt

  

Oops…intruder alert

Going to Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition

We will first go to Bank Negara of Indonesia to remit money for the maid, then we will go for lunch at Beppu?? (mummy is hitting me)

And then we will go to the Arts Museum to see the Dead Sea scrolls where the rest of the church members will join us.

Then after that, we will go to Mummy’s friend’s baby who is celebrating his one year old b-day.

Ok, what a boring post this is, well to test Windows Live Writer 2009. Get your free copy now. It comes with many other useful applications like a photo gallery. Well of coz, google still rules.

http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/

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Really really thank God

Really really thank God that grandpa was discharged today and able to go home. May I plead with God that he continues to build up grandpa's faith that he can believe in God more and experience Him more.

It was really a miracle when i think back, when he was struggling to even breathe and his life was in danger, till now at home filled with energy though now his level of antibodies is very low due to his medication for MG, and as a result is very vulnerable to common diseases.

Finding a church for cousin

Hmmm...does anyone know of a good english speaking church which preaches the Word of God truthfully and worships Him in spirit and in truth?
It would be really useful too if the church is located in the east.

Would like to bring my cousin and her brother there as they are having some problems coping with the mandarin language used in my current church.

I really do hope that they have a right relationship with Christ through the use of a language they are comfortable with. May God lead us to finding such a church.

I love Mummy and Caleb! + random thoughts

oh gosh, its been ages since i last posted. Well many things have past and gone, and God's abundant grace and mercy has never failed to be on me. As well as pray for strength on how to be moulded by his trials.

Caleb is 7 months and 5 days old! He can crawl, walk on the walker, reach out his hands to ask to be carried, can eat solids, do ga-gas wa-was, hold his milk bottle to feed himself and of course brings lots of joy to people around him as what his name is intended for.

Thank God for taking care of him, growing stronger day by day.

On a side note, did you guys read the article on the suicide pact by a self made taoist medium who is only 16 yrs old? He made the pact together with 6 other teenagers and 2 really did jumped off a 9th storey floor. Felt really really sad on what had happened.

Apparently, they felt that they had to self sacrifice themselves to save the world. May we always have God's truth in us, given to us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, having God's Word as a light before us, shining clearly and brightly the path before us, to warn us of temptations, warn us of dangers, to know the truth, and the truth sets us free, free to do God's will. Not the will or deception of the devil, or man's depraved thoughts.

Oh well, off to teach my Global Citizenship class now. Signing off, Jason.

Our Very First Family Portrait!

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Originally uploaded by certainan

The Entertainer!

Caleb with his great grandparents who accompany him in the day and evenings. =) Caleb never fail to amuse them. And of course, it brings about the great story telling/analysis/prediction skills from greatgrandparents too! haha. Jia Le realli added joy to the family. Thank God for children are a gift from God.

Who Loves Caleb? Me! Me! Me!

Sleeping soundly…zzzz….zzzz. Don’t wake him up!

Smiling and chuckling. =D

Just lazing lazily on mummy. Hmmm…seems that hairloss is more obvious.

Papa trying to imitate his sometimes grumpy look.

Windswept photo shot! And he’s wearing mummy’s long awaited bip.

Documentary on Benny Hinn

 

I got the below youtube link to a documentary on Benny HInn. It assesses if his claim to miracle healings are true or not. Thanks to my Stemi Sg facebook friend.

Do add him/her to ur fb, veri uplifting and truth indwelling videos it shares not to mention any services tat are up and coming.

In the video, you will realize how awfully similar the worship services conducted are to some other Mega Charismatic churches in Singapore...

May God Himself guide us into His truth and give us the wisdom to discern, as well as the heart to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth instead of just aiming for a uplift of our individual self.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhvFScYQR_c&feature=related

Blog using Windows Live Writer!!!

Decided to try out live spaces instead of my blogger site where it is a pain to add photos. So far so good, still trying to get used to spaces.
So if things turn out well, expect to see my posts here!

My beloved son! haha. so funny! Love u Caleb!

Pretty Wife and cute son!

Thank God for His grace for blessing me with a wonderful wife and son.

The Rapture

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7e18e50b58eb7e0c6ccb&sp=1

First Day of Teaching at TP

IT was my first day of teaching at TP today. A fun day starting with class at 10am, engaging the students with numerous real life examples, giving them homework, later in the lunch time going back home to bring Caleb to see the pd for a slight bout of constipation.

It was real fun teaching the students, their excited faces beaming with curiousity and thirst to know what is upcoming for the semester. And hopefully, I responded with the needed energy to quench their thirst.

But what hit me on my first day was when I was walking towards my lab room, I saw a student in a wheelchair doing his homework with his grandmother standing beside him. Both were there at 9.30 waiting for their lesson which starts at 10am.

It was really a heart warming scene. I couldn't concentrate on my teaching task any longer till I could understand them both more. So after connecting my audio visual aids, I went over to ttalk to them. The grandma was a teochew and she had been bringing her grandson, wheel ridden from young to school since primary three. And yet there she was, day in day out, fetching her grandson to school, sitting with him in classes, with love caring for him.

I introduced myself to the boy, and he was there diligently concentrating on his assignment placed on a tabletop on his wheel chair.
It was then that I really had to thank God for whatever troubles I have cannot be compared to them. And also, the kind of love that this grandma demostrated to her grandson reminded me of my own.

May God help me to keep a lookout for them and get to know them better, helping them in needs and in God's love and truth.

Good Friday - Just Another Holiday?

Dear Wonderful Friends,

In the anticipation of tomorrow's Good Friday public holiday, I hope that we can just spend a little time thinking of the significance of this very important day two thousand years ago when a man, whom no judge could find any wrong-doing by him, yet was sentenced punishingly to death by Crucifixion on a cross.

I hope that before we just ignore this mail and go on about surfing sites/or work, that we will at least sit down to ponder on the actual happenings that have occurred, and if indeed it is not just a fictional recording, what does it mean for me?

Born by a virgin birth, Jesus grew up progressively and reaching the age of thirty travelled around towns and cities of Israel, making disciples, whom have recorded his teachings which have made up the Gospel books today as found in the bible. He gave comfort to the hurt, rest to the weary, healing to the sick, nourishment to the tired, hope for the faint, peace to the worried, joy to those in sorrow. He was sinless, not even a faint drop of wrong-doing was found on him.

Yet the most important thing was not about the impact of his actions but about whom he claim he was. He proclaimed and taught of Himself as the Saviour, the fulfillment of the Messiah as prophesied in the Old Testament completed five hundred years ago. That through him and only through him, we can gain eternal life. And that is not in abstract terms, but eternal life realized in being able to live in God's heavenly Kingdom for eternity.

With jealous, hypocritical, untrusting and murderous hearts, the religious teachers of that time whom are well versed with the prophecies of the Old Testament about the Messiah, plotted to discredit him, shame him, hurt him, kill him. And in doing so unrealizingly that they had actually fulfilled one of the many prophecies that Jesus was to be brought like a silent lamb, to the slaughter.

Betrayed by his disciple for 30 silver coins, whom later admitted that the had spilled the blood of the innocent, he was arrested and was brought before the temple priests, whom couldn't find charges against him. They later referred him to the Roman courts and repeatedly, the judge, Pontius Pilate refusing to condemn him of any charges, an act shared by his wife that "this man is innocent". Finally relenting to the shouts of the people who wanted Jesus crucified, Pilate gave in but not before professing that the blood of this man was not his head and he was found to be innocent.

He was flogged, severely whipped, till his flesh and muscles were left dangling from head to toe, with intestines and bones being exposed. A crown of thorns put onto his head, being mocked, spitted, shamed as the King that he had claimed to be. And the final act of punishment, the crucifying of him on the cross oh which, nails driven through both hands and legs, he finally succumbed to the tortuous treatment and breathed his last.

There was a huge earth quake after that and the curtain temple separating the Holiest of holies from the holy place was split into two. Many who witnessed then wondered, surely he was the son of God!

Before he breathed his last, he uttered two very important phrases. "Father, spare them for they do not know what they are doing." and "It is finished."

What these two phrases mean is that all the suffering and ultimately death brought upon Jesus Christ was actually God's wonderful plan to save man kind. With tremendous pain, Jesus still had mercy on the people whom are killing him, pleading for them before God the Father. And as he breathed his last, "It is finished." Signifying that the price for man's sins for all time has been paid by His death on the cross. That whoever accepts Jesus as dying for him/her, he/she can appear clean of sin before God.

And that is, really, the really Bad Bad Bad Friday which ultimately turned out Good for God's Love for Man that day was shown and accomplished.

So dear friends, I hope that the significance of Good Friday speaks to you today. And it is all summarized in our often over-looked verse which I would add some elaboration,
"For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, to die for us on the cross on Good Friday, that whoever believes in Him dying for us, will not perish but have eternal life."

And lastly dear friends, it does not end here, but He who died today, will resurrect three days later, disapproving once and for all, any doubts that He was the Messiah, proving once and for all, that He is the Messiah, Saviour of Man kind.

The empty tomb, the mark of my salvation.

God Bless,
Jason

Stupid AXA Agent

quite stupid saturday...when Caleb was born, there was a free 6-mth insurance coverage for him by AXA. So naturally, when the insurance agent called, and mentioned to come on down our home to arrange the docs for us, we agreed. of coz we knew that he wld definitely recommend 'extra' products to us but we were v. strict on only signing the basic essential insurances.

so he came first time down and did the docs for us, and of coz recommended a whole set of additional coverages for our family but it was quite a hefty premium per mth and we realli didn't feel the need for such extravagant coverages. so politely turned down his offer.

now he called us a second time saying to deliver us caleb's completed insurance coverage, so again of coz we are ok with that and also expected him to recommend again to us strongly on more coverages.

and it was as such, giving us caleb's stuff, he proceeded to turn away to recommending a 'family' coverage. As i have an existing coverage frm an army fren of mine whom has given me appropirate coverage, he asked to review tt coverage. Well, wrong choice actually, as once we laid all our existing coverages, it kinda became clear to me which plan was the better one. The existing one i had was much much better then the one he was recommending to me.

What made me realli angry was that he kept insisting that the one he had was much better. I realli politely rejected him a few times as his plans realli needed me to pay premuims well into my old yrs. He had well proclaimed he was looking out for our finances and all tt, but his actions were unfortunately not in tune with his recommendations.

Some of his absurb recommendations include saying of 9% interest rate is easily obtainable because we are monitoring it for u, hence u dun have to worry abt ur withdrawal being non-guaranteed. And he quoted this example believe it or not...imagine..u bought stuff with us in 2003 and in 2007 when it reaches the peak, and sell it, u gain a 30% return! well tt is true and many might be enticed...but wat we want is just a basic coverage and not investments and if realli investments, we wld hld it long term..and tt means holding it beyond 2009 which means a 10% loss instead which he conveniently just blanked out.

I asked him why he ignore the latter part of the years from 08-09 and he said, "because we wld know to sell it 2007!" yea rite...realli can't believe it man.

more stupid stuff to come...

i showed him my existing plan and he calculated the compounded interest rate for it. And unfortunately, he calculated it wrongly and still told me the wrongly calculated result. Becoz of my previous cfa exp, i knew the right of calc but the thing tt angered me was his blatant lying.

And of coz, i was most angered when he kept insisting his plan is better and its better for my family but obviously his first priority is defn to get the deal done.

before that, i actually believed that he as a insurance agent with his professionalism, cared abt his clients more than getting a deal which i feel tt is the true valued thing tt makes ur job worth while and worthly of a call. but he realli changed my mind quickly.

I seldom am pissed off with pple but i realli wanted to highlight such insurance agents to all...there are realli those who care for u and ensure tt u get appropirate coverage but there are those, who quickly turn a blind eye to better coverages from competitors. forunately for my basic finance knowledge, i cld discern it better and in the end, i had to reject all his plans.

And worse, was that he originally suggested upgrade to MySheild paid using cpf, he didn't want to do for us as he doesn't earn any commision frm tt...well fine...dun wanna own him any favours.

well i understand that its his job and the hrs he spent on discussions with us, but its my family's money tt is in concern now and not just a one time payment but almost life time.

oh not to forget, when i kept rejecting his plans, he started to randomly come up with plans from all his AXA arsenal and ust randomly recommend this and that, saving that he wld like to at least have us sign a plan with us.

haiz...realli hate to do this but, he to me, his concern wasn't for us and tt pissed me off. if he calls me again, wil simply just reject reject reject.

tt are gd insurance agents out there,....and there are erm....no comments.. but well through out the whole thing, i was polite to him, offering him drinks, but realli unhappy abt his unthought of reommendations.

but wat struck me was also, paying premiums here and there, i am reminded of Christ' s saving grace for us which is ENTIRELY FREE. Freely given to us. Freely. And as we enter passion week, let us remember Christ dying for us, and we, reminding ourselves to live for Him!

复活了

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.