The Fragility of Life

The fragility of life

Life is so fragile. 

A baby born to this world, cannot do without the care of her parents to feed her. 

A teenager so often gets himself into car accidents or violent fatal fights. 

A young adult not thinking about the sexual diseases he might get infected with sleeps around.

Cancers, terminal diseases pounce on anyone at any age surprisingly.

Natural calamities claim thousands of lives in a moment.

Life is so fragile.

We are only kept living for the next second by the grace and mercy of God. 

We are only protected from the results of our sinful actions by the loving patience of our God.

Life is fragile. You do not know what are the days God has ordained for you.

Trust in Him now. Do not reject Him.

Turn life's fragility into one like a firm fortress. That though the waves of turmoil sweeps around you, you are firm, because you are standing on a solid foundation of rock. 

Submit your lives to God, that it no longer hinges on the fragility and hopelessness of men, but stands upon this eternal rock, of value, of purpose, of a living hope, of eternal life.

Our rock is the Christ, Son of the living God.

Love one another - C.S. Lewis

"Be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still undecided. If they are wrong, they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them."

C.S. Lewis

Gospel Sunday Message

Many things around us will change. Physical environments, Economical environments, Social environments, they all change. Only one thing doesn’t. God’s love towards us has never changed. His truth has never changed. Since the beginning of time till now, and from now till eternally, this will not changed.

God’s love for us was shown most wonderfully yet tragically, two thousand years ago, when His son had to die by the most tragic and cruel means of execution then, Crucifixion on the cross during the times of the Roman Empire.

Yet now, the cross is worn proudly on necklaces, shown on ambulances, the least to mention a few. Why? Would you hang an electric chair, or hanging gallow around your neck or adore it on a vehicle or building? Then why this adoration and recognition of the cross all over the world throughout history?

This was because the cross manifested the love of God. On the cross, our sins were nailed to the cross, cleansed, forgiven, by the blood of Christ.

From the cross, Christ spoke words of grace. One of His last words referring to the multitudes whom has just earlier called for his execution were, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And by the blood He shed, indeed our Father has forgiven us of our wrong-doings, our sins.

When it comes to belief in God, people often take a cynical eye towards Christ. Yet so many embrace money as their belief. As their God. Believing in money. Or perhaps, just believing in one’s self. Yet when it comes to the last moments of one’s life, does believing in money or believing in your yourself, your achievements, your legacy help? Does the best luxuries help in easing the fear and loneliness of death?

Only words of grace as spoken by Christ can truly comfort. He told the robber was today and thereafter, the robber will be with Him in paradise. Now the robber was in the eyes of the roman law, an evil person, a thief, a murderer. Yet he believed in Christ, hanging beside him. And because of his faith, he was given the assurance of heaven by our Lord. He was comforted by Jesus’s words of grace and hope. This is the only thing that can truly comfort, the assurance of heaven.

If we are truly honest with ourselves, we know that deep in our hearts we search for a god. Animals do not do that. But man does. We do. We search for God in our hearts. And in our hearts, we know that we are unworthy people too. Sinners. Would you be willing to show a DVD containing all your thoughts, the things you said, the things you did, the things you saw, to anyone else?

In the limited eyes of the government, our family, we may be seen as good citizens, or good children. But what after before the unlimiting eyes of God?

All men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Only Jesus can save us. He invites us to the true and living way to God. If only we would accept His invitation.

God searches for man to save him and love him. He has been doing that since the creation of the first man. He searched for Adam the moment he fall into sin in eating the forbidden fruit. Yet, He searches for man not to judge him, but to save him. Only when man refuses this salvation, does God in His righteousness judge man when the wrath of God is terribly and regretfully unleashed unto the sinner whose sins have not been cleansed.

God searches for God saves, for God loves. He has prepared the path of salvation since the creation of the world. The path of salvation through Christ. For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten son to the world, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Christ died for us on the cross. Before His last breath, He said, “It is finished.” The saving path to God is opened.

Do not carry your own burden of sin. Leave it upon Christ. Follow Him.

Love is not proud

Why are proud in the first place? There is no reason to be. When we stand before God as mentioned before, how can we ever be sure that deep down in our hearts where God searches all things, that we are better than the person next to us?

We have no reason to be proud. But rather, when we might have more God given grace than others in some areas, seek to edify, impart, teach the other if possible.

Love does not boast

How often we only want to engage those weaker than us, that we feel we are better, have accomplished more, will be accomplishing more than them. In the pursue of being puffed up, we like to engage in conversations, activities with them and get the constant reminder that we are better than them. But are we?

Let’s not think too highly of ourselves lest it opens a door for the devil. The bible reminds us to think of others better than ourselves, reminds us not to think too highly of ourselves but think of ourselves in accordance to the faith that God has given. Even in matters of faith, we can be so convicted, so loving, so serving to God is because He has given us such a faith.

So let us not think of anyone worse than us. Because if the two of us were to stand before God now, who do you think God will favour more? God sees the heart. What is the state of our heart as compared to the person you think you are better than? Are we truly better than the other person before God?

Let’s not boast because, it we have truly nothing intrinsic to boast about. If we boast about things of vanity, in itself its vanity. Idle words, idle time. Let our speech be not of boast, but of edification. Edify your brother. Edify him every day, every way. God help us to do so. Remind us to do so.

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.

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。”