Jesus Talk @ Jason's Blog

Writing it down

2011-07-20T21:35:00.001-07:00

The Just Live by Faith

2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.

Thoughts:

Write down the vision that God has given you. Review it, verbalize it, that you may be recharged on a daily basis that though things may not seemed as it should, God is in control and He will make His promises whole.

Original Purpose

2011-07-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Lord, I thank You for the love and grace that you have bestowed upon my life. That even though I have strayed from my original purpose of going into technology, you have not witheld your blessings and have brought people into my life to remind me gently.

People like Audrey, whose love for You and expressiveness reminded me of the those times when I had child-like faith and was obedient and was willing. Nothing was more important than to be validated with your Presence.

It's time to head back to my original purpose. Lord be my guide and steer me towards where You want me to be. Help me use my talents and gifts for your Glory. Just as Paul was a tent maker and a soldier of the Gospel, may You use technology to bless me with resources to be a better musician for You.

Amen.

Don't confuse one-ness in worship with one-ness in expression

2011-07-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

So a fellow brother sparked a Facebook thread on "Law vs Grace" or something like that. Felt inspired to share a recent revelation.

While we're on this all important topic, let me digress with a little revelation I had just the other day.

A Jehovah Witness guy came knocking on my door. He was very ernest about sharing the Word of God. Upon discovering that I'm a fellow Christian from another "denomination", he flipped to verses in NT Bible about literally going from door to door to spread the Good News.

Felt prompted by the Lord to share with him what Ravi Zaccharias said when atheistic students confronted him with the tough question on "if God exist why would there be so many different denomination?".

"Don't confuse one-ness in worship with one-ness in expression." was his reply.

So I said,

"I thank you brother for making huge sacrifice in going door to door witnessing Christ. It's the expression of your love towards Jesus and I honor you for that. I belief God has placed in your heart a way to express your worship that'll be central to your purpose and that's gonna be different from another person. The fact that we have so many different churches and denominations is a manifestation of the gathering of these expressions."

He had nothing much to say but I think he got the point. Regretted not inviting him for a drink. That's the least I could do to show kindness to my fellow brother!

Faith, Hope and Love

2011-07-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

1 Cor 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Faith is from the heart.

Hope comes from having a sound mind.

Love is what you do with your hands.

The internal progression would then be faith -> hope -> love.

Otherwise an external stimuli could lead the reverse, love -> hope -> faith.

Interestingly love has always been seen as a heart thing but I would argues that it's really what were do with our "hands" that really manifest love. ie. You could hate someone but choose to love him by praying for the person and blessing him/her.

Love letter to God

2011-03-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dear God,

My life, is Your song.

Lord, let your melodies sing through all circumstances -- the good, the bad, the funny and the sad.

With each victory, though my pride gets lifted up, you are ever so faithful to humble my heart with the gentle stroke of Your love -- reminding me how vulnerable I am to the wiles of the devil.

Lord my strength is found in my love for You, Your revelation to me and the bosom of Your provision.

Thank You Jesus, thank You Lord, thank You my Abba Father.

In His Love,

Jason

Responsible Happiness

2010-11-21T01:16:00.000-08:00

Taken from a comment that I made at my friend's blog. http://defragment.me/thoughts/live-love-and-be-yourself

*Hypothesis*
------
Maybe Responsibility and Happiness are not mutually exclusive.

Responsibly happy and happily responsible.

Assuming this box [] is a constraint set up before us.

Responsibility then comes from a commitment to operate within this [].

Happiness is then derived from operating freely within this [].

And then there are []s within [].

Also []s are dynamic except for the outermost.

Understanding what is the outermost [] is the start of the journey towards eternal bliss.

The one who create the [] has authority over it.

Knowing and honoring the who is an act of worship.

Some worship self.

Some worship family.

Some worship tv.

Some worship Apple.

Some worship the Universe.

Some worship God.

*Anecdote*
------
A wife brought up 3 kids single-handedly after her husband left her for another women. It was tough because one of them had severe autism. She struggled for years with thoughts of divorce. But because she worships a Christian God, she reads the Bible which mentioned constraints regarding divorce. Little did she know that her understanding of the subject was from a human point of view, which isn't the outermost box when it comes to worshiping God.
It was only when she saw it from God's point of view that she understood - her husband had already divorced her years ago. A profound revelation that allowed her to move on in happiness.

*Summary*
------
Worship -> Authority -> [[]] -> Responsibility -> Happiness -> Bliss

*Comments*
-----
Thanks again to Winnie for a thought provoking post. :]

What does the Bible say about employment?

2010-11-11T08:11:00.001-08:00

http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVanswers/2004/2004-10-25.htm

Story of the rainbow

2010-10-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

This is a real life story told by my pastor about God giving his wife signs and wonders.

His wife was feeling a little faithless and praying for rainbows in her life.

Next thing she knows, someone tweeted a picture of a rainbow captured over the skyline. She showed his husband excitedly and told him about the prayer.

To which he asked, "So does that strengthen your faith?". She shrugged and said "Not really... but let me go see the rainbow for myself!".

So she took the car out by herself and drove over Benjamin Sheares bridge and lo and behold, the rainbow was there in full glory. She whipped out her camera phone and snapped the wonderful sight and sent the picture to her husband.

To which her husband asked "That's beautiful! So does that strengthen your faith?".

"Not really..." she replied.

When she got home, her son brought back a picture of a rainbow that he had drawn in school. Amazed by God's timing, they framed up the picture to remind themselves of God's goodness.

Later on their son was staring at a bucket of water left in the hallway and exclaimed "Look Daddy! There's a rainbow!". Apparently the hall lights created a rainbow halo that can be seen on the water.

Husband told his wife about it and asked "Does that strengthen your faith?". By now you should know her reply which is "Not really...".

However this time his wife came up with a challenge "I wanna see a rainbow, at night!". That night she dreamt of rainbows, lots of it. She told her husband and her husband said though the dream was at night, daylight rainbows.

Her husband later found out that it is possible to see a night rainbow. Apparently when light shines on the moon it can create a rainbow so faint that it's not noticeable.

Upon sharing with his wife, he asked "So does that strengthen your faith?".

To which she said "Not really..."

So here's the takeaway. No amount of signs and wonders is gonna build up your faith. You may be excited for awhile but that will sizzle off. Think Moses and the Israelites experiencing the parting of the dead sea. How is it that they can forget that???

The only way to build faith muscles is to exercise it in times of tribulations.

I see men like tress, walking

2010-10-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

Mark 8:24

4 needs of human

2010-10-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

1. Physical Needs - food, air, water. Shared needs with the animals
2. Attraction Needs - relationship with other humans
3. Spiritual Needs - relationship with a divine being
4. Divine Needs - sacrificial expression of relationship with divine being

The guy who believes he's dead

2010-10-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

A man woke up one morning believing that he's dead.

So he told his wife over breakfast, "Honey I think I'm dead." His wife gave him the look and said "Don't try to be funny. It's not.".

So the man went on with his life as per normal but the thought that he's dead lingered in his mind. He even told his family members about him being dead every once in awhile.

The family then decided that he needed help or else they would need help. So they called for a psychiatrist.

The psychiatrist after listening to the man decided that the only way to convince him that he's really not dead is to present him the truth that only living people bleed.

So he tried his best with presentations, charts proving scientifically that only living man bleed. The man finally said, "Alright, I guess living man do bleed.".

At this moment the psychiatrist quickly pulled out a pin and pricked the man's vein, causing blood to drip out of his tender skin.

To which the man exclaimed, "My gosh! I think dead man bleed too!".

Moral of the story - You can't right a person if their will is wrong.

3 Levels of Argument

2010-10-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

1. Theoretical (philosophy)
2. Drama (story telling)
3. Personal (testimony)

Goal is to move from level 1 to 3 where the other party would be most open to receive.

3 questions when dealing with evil

2010-08-13T10:35:00.003-07:00

3 questions typically asked when a person deals with evil that falls upon him.

Why me? (escapism)

Where is God? (blame shifting)

How can I stand it? (desperation)

3 questions when dealing with evil

2010-08-13T10:35:00.001-07:00

3 questions typically asked when a person deals with evil that falls upon him.

Why me? (escapism)

Where is God? (blame shifting)

How can I stand it? (desperation)

The great mystery of evil

2010-08-12T20:47:00.001-07:00

Evil is the greatest mystery in life; What exactly is it and where did it come from?

According to the Bible evil came into mankind through the original sin. So the devil's the personification on evil but how did evil entered him who used to be the most glorious of angels?

But one thing's for sure, evil cannot be meaningful unless goodness exists. At least christianity offers a framework where God is the personification of goodness and his purpose good.

How can we trust the Bible if it contains some textual errors?

2010-08-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

Even if the Bible's reputation of 98.5% accuracy rate from the original text is true, shouldn't we disregard it since it's not 100% accurate?

Would you disregard your science textbook if it has some spelling errors? How about classics like Homer, Origin of Species etc? Some of the printed copies might gave errors right?

I believe if one were to throw out the Bible for some mistakes introduced by men then we should be consistent and throw out all other books with even the slightest mistakes, else we're only holding double standards based on our own agendas.

So best to be prudent and examine the inspiration of the book rather than looking for perfection.

Errors in copying manuscript

2010-08-09T08:41:00.001-07:00

To say that no errors exists when the Bible manuscripts were copied is to lie to ourselves. But the current incarnation on the holy book has an impressive accuracy rate of 98.5%, probably the best for any copied text.

Here are some of the errors that may have been introduced.

Dittography - Writing twice what should have been written once. Example: writing "latter" nstead of "later." "Latter" means nearest the end. "Later" means after something else

Fission - Improperly dividing one word into tw words. Example: changing "nowhere" into "now here."

Fusion - Combining the last letter of one word with the first letter of the next word. Example: "Look it is there in the cabinet... or Look it is therein the cabinet.""Look it is there in the cabinet... or Look it is therein the cabinet."

Haplography - Writing once what should have been written twice. Example: "later" instead of"latter." "Later" means after something else"Latter" means nearest the end

Homophony - Writing a word with a different meaning for another word when both words have the exact same pronunciation. Example: Meat and meet have the exact same sound but different meanings. Also, there and their and they're are another example. Meat and meet have the exact same sound but different meanings. Also, there and their and they're are another example

Metathesis - An improper exchange in the order of letters. Example: Instead of writing"mast," someone writes "mats," or "cast" and cats."

Reference: http://carm.org

Marriage fulfills the different types of love

2010-07-17T22:44:00.001-07:00

The word "love" in English is all encompassing. It is used as a generic word for love that a person has for different people & objects in his/her life. However the Greeks used 4 words to describe love.

1. Storge - love of parents for their offsprings

2. Eros - love between men & women

3. Philia - love between friendships

4. Agape - sacrificial love

It is in a marriage that all the different forms can be fulfilled in one fell swop. Take me for example. My wife is my best friend and lover. We've sacrificed many times for each other. We're expectant for a future where we'll provide a loving and nurturing environment for our kids.

How i make decisions

2010-07-04T19:05:00.001-07:00

Everybody has a cosmology, a worldview that he/she holds in his/her mind. Its the thing that reduces the chaos of the world that we live in into maneagable principles.

Take me for example. My worldview is that of a christian and therefore i believe in good and evil as defined in the Bible and my purpose here on earth is to worship God through spreading the good news and loving those around me which will then affect how i live my life out. What is your worldview and what are its principles?

The other thing that shapes our decisions are our core values. These are within boundaries of our worldview and helps us nail down the details of our lives. For me, my core values (in priority) are

1. Loving God wholeheartedly and serving Him humbly

2. Loving my family, wife and kids

3. Loving my God given talents and developing to my fullest potential

4. Honor my friends and associates

So you see these are simple, easily understandable values that i carry in my heart that guides me in making decisions in my life. We live in the age of options so this is especially important in helping to sieve out the kraft. What are your core values? How does it guide your decisions?

Value System

2010-07-04T02:49:00.000-07:00

Values... it's what shape us and influences our decisions... Most of us share the same values. Example,

- Career

- Integrity

- Spiritual

- Family

- Health

Now if we share the same values then why do we often have conflicts? That's because the values shared must be ranked to become a Value System and that's where we usually differ. Take mine for example.

1. Spiritual

2. Integrity

3. Family

4. Career

5. Health

How many of you have the same ranking? It's the process of prioritization that can lead to arguments between individuals, be it spouses, family members, friends or business partners. Identifying this is the first step to peace & reconciliation. The next would be to love the other enough to sacrifice your own prioritization.

Christians are a bunch of heretics going around killing other religions

2010-06-20T18:56:00.001-07:00

Some people are against Christianity because of this reason. An example quoted are the crusades killing Muslims and Jews in the name of claiming back Jerusalem the holy city for pilgrims. Yup I'll totally agree that its disgusting.

However implicit in that statement is a factual error. We ignore the fact that atheists has killed many more. Stalin has killed 50 millions in the name of socialism. Hitler has ordered exterminations of Jews in the name of "The Final Solution". The Germans at that time were the most educated amongst nations, are we then to say that they're a bunch of Jew killing intellectuals?

We should not judge a philosophy by its abuse.

Guilt

2010-06-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

We've all done something wrong in our lives. You know, those things that you've done that results in guilty pangs in your heart. Guilt is a powerful emotion that God has implanted in our souls to alert us of right and wrong. The problem with sin is that it tends to lead us to do one of the following:

1) Expelling guilt by irreverence

You know that you're feeling bad but you concluded in your mind that it's just a feeling and morality's relative. You put God out of the picture by disbelieving the His commandments or worst, believing but ignoring it altogether.

2) Smothering guilt with pride

You know you've hurt someone but your pride keeps you from admitting that you're wrong so in order to counter that you need a scapegoat; You'll start blaming others for the wrongdoings and shifted responsibilities away from yourself.

3) Concealing guilt with fear

You're confronted with the notion that someone's gonna find out about the wrong things that you've done. Fear suddenly grips you and you find yourself lying about the situation, hoping that paper-thin walls of lies can maneuver people away from the truth.

We're just dancing to the music of our DNA

2010-05-05T23:54:00.001-07:00

Celebrated atheist Richard Dawkins said that there's no such thing as good and evil and that we're all just dancing to the music of our DNA.

If that is true it further confirms my faith. Why? Because it means that those without a fighting chance - the weak, the sick, the poor and those in bondage - alcoholics, substance abuse, sex addicts and those who can't help themselves - chronic depressive, sleep disorders are who they are because of the defective DNA inherited all the way from when man fell into sin.

The only way to change their destiny is to rely on the transformative power of the blood of Christ. It is the best detergent in the world that can clense you of all your sins and make you into a man that you were originally created to be.

May His blood be with you.

What's wrong with other religion? They teach us to be good too!

2010-05-05T23:07:00.001-07:00

Moral goodness is taught in almost all religion. That's awesome.

But the one difference for christianity is that Jesus did not come to make a bad person good or a good person better. He came so that the dead man becomes alive.

So maybe thats why God choose the resurrection route for Jesus; To illustrate that though we're all spiritually dead because of original sin, He has the power to resuurect our spirit man into eternal life if only we trust Him as our Saviour of our souls.

Naturalism cannot explain appaling wickedness

2010-05-04T20:23:00.001-07:00

Naturalism/evolution may explain self preservation and continuity but it doesn't explain the acts of horrific brutality.

Lyrics from an unknown rock band:

I give her a rose

Then i slit her throat

Had sex with her corpse

And left a message on the wall

Something like "Helter Skelter"

I would find such acts more believable as something demonic than as a natural progression of naturalism.

If you can't be gracious about the small things, how can God entrust you with the big ones?

2010-05-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here's what happened.

Bought 2 wardrobes. The delivery wasn't as per expected. Bought tables from IKEA and incurred a slight damage while transporting it back home (poor packaging). Found myself calling both shops and wrangling with the people in charge about the incidents.

That makes me wonder, if I'm a fusspuss about these small items then how can God entrust me with biger stuff in the future?

2 x wardrobe = $168
1 x table top = $60
----------------------
Total cost = $228

That's an small amount that I'm getting worked up over!

If there's a God then why are there evil and suffering in this world?

2010-04-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

The strongest argument against the existence of God is the evil and suffering that exist in this world. That said, a statement like the title is contradictory when you think deeper.

If there's evil, there has to be good.
If there's good, there has to be a moral framework.
If there's a moral framework, there has to be a moral law.
If there's a moral law, there's a moral law giver (which the question is trying to disprove).

Conversely if there's no moral law giver then there's no moral law.
If there's no moral law then there's no moral framework.
If there's no moral framework then there's no good.
And if there's no good then there's no evil.

So what is the question really asking? --> Why does God allow evil and suffering to happen? We'll have to tackle this another time.

Obedience is better than sacrifice

2010-04-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

An army general was leading his troops against a formidable foe.

"Hold the line!" shouted the general. He had his soldiers lined up in formation, waiting for the right opportunity to attack his enemies.

Suddenly one of his soldiers seeking personal glory decided that he could wait no more and broke rank and charged against the enemies. He was easily overcome by the barrage of arrows that came his way.

"Stupid soldier. Now I'm down a man. Every individual here is precious! Obedience is better than sacrifice!" muttered the wise general.

1 Samuel 15:22
"So Samuel said:
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of the rams."

Hosea 6:6
"For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

Give that which belongs to others

2010-04-13T18:39:00.001-07:00

In Luke 20:21-26, Jesus asnwered a question that wsas crafted to stumble Him. Here's my paraphrase.

A man asked if its lawful to pay one's taxes. Jesus then asked him to bring out a coin and identify the image and inscription on it which obviously was that of Cesar's. And so he concluded, "Give that which is Cesar's to Cesar and that which is God's to God."

So the follow up question might have been "what belongs to God"?

You and I are made in the image of God and so rightfully belongs to Him. Therefore give yourselves to Him in devotion and servitude.

How should the just live by faith?

2010-04-11T18:47:00.001-07:00

"The just shall live by faith"

~ Habakukk 2:4

Words made famous by Martin Luther is a statement of righteous living. But what exactly does it mean to live by faith? There are many Hebrew words associated with faith but the one used here in the original Hebrew text is "emunah".

The link below has very clear explanations on the various Hebrew words.

http://internetbiblecollege.net/lessons/hebrew%20words%20for%20faith.htm

So emunah in its basic meaning is "certainty" and "faithfulness". So one can say "the just shall live by certainty and faithfulness (wrt God)".

I suspect many of us know about the certainty aspect of that verse, ie. trusting God, but lost the faithfulness portion which is important is order for faith to be there is the first place. Eg. We cannot say that we love our spouse if we trust them but yet go out philandering.

What would Jesus ask us in heaven

2010-04-08T10:34:00.001-07:00

Ok no escaping death - we all die someday albeit some deaths are more sudden.

Assuming we met Jesus in heaven, i wouldn't be surprised if most of us gets a rude shock when He asks us the following,

"I'm aware of the great achievements that you had in your life on Earth. Congratulations on using your talents to the fullest! Now, have you clothed the needy? Have you fed the poor?"

The purity of pleasure

2010-04-07T17:09:00.001-07:00

In C.S. Lewis's brilliant book "The Screwtape Letters" there's a scene where the junior devil was reporting to the senior devil.

The junior said "Sir i'm sad to report that we've lost our man (whom he was working on) to The Enemy (God)."

"Tell me, how did that happened? I thought we've gotten him?", asked the senior.

"Yes almost but you see, some things happened that was beyond our control. The man was taking a leisurely stroll down the beach one morning and was taking in the beauty of the splashing waves and the serenity of the morning mist where he started wondering about the beauty of what he had seen and thought about our Enemy. That's when he speculated that our Enemy was responsible for all these."

"Then later in the day he started reading a book for pleasure and i thought to myself, 'Ah ha! I got him back on track!'. But to my horror his mind started to sway back to The Enemy the more he enjoyed reading the book! So much that he started praying and giving thanks to The Enemy!"

The senior shook his head furiously and said "That's where you've gone wrong! Instead of letting him take a leisure stroll you should have distracted him into focusing on his exercise! And instead of letting him enjoy the book out of pure pleasure, get him to read it for the sake of quoting it to his peers! That way we would have gotten him!"

The purity of pleasure points us back to the creator pleasure itself.

Unbridled freedom

2010-04-06T18:16:00.003-07:00

Reason unaided has led us to twisting the meaning of freedom; what was once known as selfishness is now termed as self-fulfillment.

Is yr home a place of retreat?

2010-04-02T23:20:00.001-07:00

No I'm not talking about the home as an entertainment box - cable tv, dvd movies, youtube, etc.

Rather, is your home a place of rest? Is it a place where you and the rest of your family can unwind and forget about life's worries? Are you overwhelmed by financial burdens? Are your home chores a source of arguments?

Maybe its better to have less things at home, ie. think twice before you commit to that entertainment set? How about using the money saved to delegate chores to part time house cleaners?

Are you focusing your eyes on the wrong stuff?

2010-04-02T19:37:00.001-07:00

Things that are transient in your life:

- your money (abundance/lack of)

- your career/work/company

- your reputation amongst men

- your personal glory

Things that are eternal:

- your relationship with God

- your relationship with men

- the glory of God

Are you focusing your eyes on the right stuff? What is your mind preoccupied with right now?

Revelation over reason

2010-03-31T17:09:00.001-07:00

Why are revelations so important?

We cannot trust reason unaided.

We cannot be sure of the purity of our will.

Our senses unable to empirically explain all of reality.

The world has come into the word

2010-03-31T16:49:00.001-07:00

It is not the word coming into the world but rather the world coming into the word.

For example, it is not the words that defines that your favourite rock song but the images associated with the words; the world of the images.

That's why television triumph over radio. It blasts you with images that you can associate with words. Be careful of false imageries portrayed by the media. Classic case would be the romanticizing of evil; Good is boring. it's cool and hip to be evil.

Luke 11:34

"The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness."

You can be sure that they'll attack us

2010-03-30T19:13:00.001-07:00

They hit us with cosmological attack.

They hit us with design attack.

Finally, out of desperation, they picked on a major argument, the moral argument. If only they could make Jesus seemed immoral, make Him more like you and I, then they can knock off the rest of the arguments.

But the life of Jesus was spotless. Even the thief beside Him on the cross said He did no wrong. Pilate says he finds no fault in that Man. Never a life lived like His.

Absoluteness in relationships

2010-03-29T19:21:00.001-07:00

I love my wife. Perhaps i know and understand her more than anybody else. However I'll only know the things that she reveals to me. Those that she doesn't, I've yet to know. In time, maybe she'll reveal of herself to me.

Few things to note here:

- You do not know a person absolutely in a relationship.

- You do not demand to know or ask the person the proof himself/herself.

- More dimensions about the person are being revealed over time.

- Humility is the key in wooing after revelations the person.

- Arrogance repels the other party.

Isn't that the same in our relationship with God?

The Good Librarian

2010-03-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the-good-librarian/

The article above talked about being a good librarian is essential in any field or career. I would think it essential to be a good follower of Christ too.

- Logging down your revelations
- Logging down past spiritual victories for personal encouragement
- Having a system of highlighting and finding interesting points in the Bible

The story of the farmer's will

2010-03-27T22:34:00.001-07:00

A farmer died leaving all his fertile lands and houses at the mercy of his will that he made before he died.

A judge in charged of carrying out his will was perplexed after reading the will as it said "My will is to leave all my lands and possesions to Satan the devil.".

After months of deliberation the judge finally gave his verdict.

"Let all the lands of the farmer be overidden by weeds and his possesions to rot away with the passage of time. In my opinion the best way to give them to Satan the devil is to do nothing about them.".

Are desires really bad?

2010-03-27T22:04:00.001-07:00

Consider the following:

- I desire to love my wife

- I desire to love and honor my parents

- I desire to protect my child

- I desire to treat my neighbours with respect

Are desires really bad?

Freedom operates in a controlled environment

2010-03-25T16:44:00.001-07:00

Martin Luther King once said,

"A fish is free in waters and not on land."

And may I add that not just any waters but only the clean ones.

The desire conundrum in Buddism

2010-03-25T02:56:00.001-07:00

In zen Buddism, the root of problems is desire itself. So in order to achieve nirvana, one has to desire getting rid of one's desires.

The ship out in the sea

2010-03-23T16:59:00.001-07:00

C.S. Lewis gave this illustration that goes something like this.

A ship out in the sea must answer three basic questions:

1. Why is it out at sea in the first place?

2. How to keep it from sinking?

3. How to prevent bumping into other ships?

If the first question isn't answered then the rest aren't meaningful.

Do you know why you're out at sea in the first place?

Truth has been subverted by agnosticism

2010-03-23T16:53:00.001-07:00

We pride ourselves that we don't know. Skepticism is the hallmark of university education today. You can go campus after campus and they deny the possibility of knowing. So you basically come out of an university education saying "You cannot believe anything. You cannot know anything.". Agnosticism is the badge of honor in today's education.

"To give truth to him who loves it not is to give him room for misintepretation."

Back closer to heart, in any interpersonal confrontation, the first question to ask is whether the other person is telling the truth. Intent is prior to content. How can then we have meaningful discussion if we don't know what's truth in the first place?

The desks of scientists and philisophers

2010-03-22T18:10:00.001-07:00

Victor Frankl, jewish philosopher, survivor of the holocaust, gave the following statement.

"I am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka and Maidanek were ultimately prepared, not in some ministry or the other in Berlin, but rather at the desks and the lecture halls of nihilistic scientists and philosophers."

The Book of Eli

2010-03-21T03:50:00.001-07:00

In the movie The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington, it tells of a post apocalyptic world where societies are reduced to scrapping for resources and humans are illiterate except for a few "older" folks who were there before The War. There remains only a single copy of the King James Bible which is in the custody of Denzel Washington's character Eli. The show ends with The Book in the hands of the bad who can't read it because its in braille. Eli managed to reach his destination in the west where humans managed to reproduce text and he was able recite the Bible from memory.

A great reminder that we should really read and know the Word of God. Commit verses to memory for it's your weapon. Cherish it for you will never know when it might be taken away from you and you can only rely on what's in your head. Also beware of over reliance on technology ie. Electronical Bibles, even the physical copy which sometimes serves more as a prop to some people than as a dimension to knowing Him better.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

2010-03-20T23:39:00.001-07:00

First of all, a breakdown of the word "christian".

Christian -- followers of Christ

Christ -- the Anointed One

How do you know if you're as christian? Is Christ the LORD over your life? Are you anointed? Do you have the Holy Spirit in you?

Don't be a sucker

2010-03-20T23:02:00.001-07:00

In things concerning life, you can either be a sucker or a contributor.

Don't be a sucker! Get commited and start contributing!

Miracles and breakthroughs cannot happen when you're feeding off others.

So the converse is true and who's to gain when you get committed and fulfill obligations? You! Can't stress that enough.

Are all religions the same?

2010-03-18T18:31:00.001-07:00

First of all the law of non contradiction -- in order for logic to hold true it must not contradict itself. Eg. If kettle is white then it cannot be black at the same time.

Jesus says that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. It is an exclusive statement and in order for logic to hold it implies that others ARE NOT the way, the truth and the life.

Many say this statement "religions are fundamentally the same" when the converse is the truth. That is,

"Religions are superficially the same but fundamentally different."

Yes almost all religions teaches followers to do good; an expression of that faith. But if you look at the doctrines, you'll find stark contrast.

Jesus, if mentioned in other religions at all, is only reflected in the Bible as the divine being who came down to earth to put on the sins of the world as a sacrificial lamb and emerged victorious against death so we that may have everlasting life if we believe in it and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.

Apologetics and the embodiment of love of Christ

2010-03-17T18:42:00.001-07:00

Apologetics must affirm each of these distinctives without allowing any of them to be the monopoly;

We have a place for the rational.

We have a place for the empirical.

We have a place for the existential.

We have a place for the measure of humanity.

We do not take a single strand of epistomology and make it the fist of all reality; where the question is a rational one, we give a rational answer. Where its an existential one, we give an existential answer.

Jesus is the embodiment of all the prophets. As long as we reach out with the love of Christ, its hard to ignore that there's something special about the gospel.

The converse is true. If we say that we love our spouse but do not embody that love. If the church loves the world but doesn't show the love and care. Yes, the embodiment of the cross.

Only the Judeo-Christian worldview can take a beating

2010-03-16T18:33:00.001-07:00

You wouldnt dare to oppose Islam in a muslim country

You wouldnt dare to oppose Hinduism in India

You wouldnt dare to oppose Buddhism in Thailand

You wouldnt dare to oppose Naturalism in academia

Only the Judeo-Christian worldview offers the freedom of raising points against it and still commands us to love those still.

What is culture?

2010-03-14T18:25:00.001-07:00

Culture is an effort to find a coherent set of answers to the existential questions to confronts all of us through the passages of our lives. -- Ravi Zacharias

Questioning vs Doubting

2010-03-09T17:30:00.001-08:00

When you question you take one step back.

When you doubt you take all the steps back and stop believing.

Why belong to a church?

2010-03-09T17:26:00.001-08:00

Where we submit to Christ in faith, we submit to a congregation in the expression of this faith.

Why does the message of Jesus Christ brings such scorn?

2010-03-07T17:25:00.001-08:00

Proposition:

The ultimate answer to problems isn't political, governmental, social philosophical or physiological efforts but rather the fact that our heart is rebelling against God and Jesus Christ is the one that can only transform us.

Why is it scorned?
Many will scorn because by definition and proposition it's exclusive. We have other name to offer except the name of Jesus Christ.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

You don't love God more than...

2010-02-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

- you love His Word
- you love fellowship with the Holy Spirit
- you love your wife
- you love to set your treasures in His house
- you love your elders and leaders
- you love the poor and underprivileged

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Return to your first love

2010-02-27T19:21:00.000-08:00

Revelation 2:1-7

1"To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Footnotes:
Revelation 2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18

1 Corinthians 12:14

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Rich God? Poor God?

2010-02-20T22:12:00.001-08:00

1. Jesus was showered with. great treasures as a baby.

Matthew 2:11

2. Jesus had many wealthy partners supporting Him.

Luke 8:1-3

3. Jesus was able to pay for His entire ministry team.

Luke 9:1-3
Luke 9:51-52
John 4:8
Luke 22:35

4. Jesus generously fed the hungry.

Luke 9:11-13

5. Jesus had a treasurer.

John 12:6

6. Jesus never considered Himself poor

John 12:1-6

7. Jesus cared for the poor and regularly gave to them.

John 13:27-29

8. Jesus had His own house(s).

John 1:37-39
Mark 2:1

9. Jesus wore good clothes.

John 19:23-24
2 Corinthians 8:9

Real prosperity is having financial abundance to obey God's will whenever He wants you to, and however He wants you to.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Why Should We Flourish?

2010-02-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

Psalm 92:13-14
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,

1. Because when I flourish, I align myself to the Will of God.

John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

2. Because when I flourish, I can be a blessing to others.

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

3. If you can't flourish, you'll not stay planted.

Matthew 13:3-8
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

1 Timothy 6:17
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,

4 Transactional Levels of Commitment (in church)

Enjoyment
Doing Good
Ready to give
Willing to give

Do you have a gift in life? Please unwrap it and give it away!

1 Peter 4:10
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Receiving the miracles from God

2010-01-28T05:47:00.000-08:00

Jesus healed blind Barthimaeus

Luke 18:35-39

1) Bartimaeus had great expectation of his future

Qn: Of all people (there were many), why did Jesus pass by Bartimaeus?

If you yearn for great things for God, He'll give it to you

Luke 11:9
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

2) Bartimaeus prayed boldly and persistently until he was answered

In his blind desperation, Barthimaeus prayed boldly for God.

3) Bartimaeus cast away his negative thinking

Doesn't matter that he was blind and outcast in the past.

4) Bartimaeus approached Jesus confidently with faith

When Jesus called out to him, he did not step away and walk boldly towards Him.

Conclusion
When he was healed, he did not turn away but follow Jesus.

How to live fearless

2010-01-22T05:36:00.000-08:00

Nothing is impossible with God

- If God is with me, who can be against me?
- Whatever God says, it will be done.

Pray

- Fill your mind with thoughts from the Lord, not thoughts of the world
- Visualize your miracle
- Verbalise your miracle

Self righteousness

2010-01-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

1 Cor 10:12
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Eating, drinking, smoking, clubbing

2010-01-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

1 Cor 10:31-33
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Freedom

2010-01-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Contemporary concept of freedom

Free to do and to be whatever we want. Heavily focused on personal rights.

Biblical concept of freedom

Free to serve others. Value of freedom is in servitude of others

1 Cor 10:17
For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

1 Cor 10:19-23
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Penta-Tuche

2008-05-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

The Lord asked me to play a tune and it turned out to be a Pentatonic based number. I shall call it Penta-Tuche. Hmm... must find some way to record it things down quickly on my lappie.

The 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit

2008-05-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

* Love
* Joy
* Peace
* Longsuffering
* Kindness
* Goodness
* Faithfulness
* Gentleness
* Self-control

Link: http://www.bible-knowledge.com/fruits-of-the-Holy-Spirit.html

Waiting Upon The Lord

2008-05-27T16:05:00.001-07:00

Waiting = Wait + Expectant

Waiting upon the Lord would then suggest waiting for God to move in a specific area of need.

The writer and the Indian woman

2006-02-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

A true story of how lust can pounce on us if we're not careful with the conditions of our heart.

Click play to listen

Eternal perspective: Breaking of the Bread

2006-02-23T20:02:00.000-08:00

What's the significance of the breaking of the bread which is practiced in Christianity? Listen to the two part audio below to find out.

Excerpt from Just Thinking, a Ravi Zacharias International Ministries podcast. Visit www.rzim.org for more information.

Eternal perspective: Breaking of the Bread part 1

Eternal perspective: Breaking of the Bread part 2

Download: Part 1 | Part 2

Pontius Pilate: Conversation with Gaias

2006-02-23T07:24:00.000-08:00

A powerful imaginary audio conversation of Pontius Pilate with his imaginary servant Gaias. Due to recording constraints, the audio comes in two parts.

Total runtime: 6:00min

Part 1

Part 2

Download: Part 1 | Part 2

My 5 verses to live by

2006-02-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

1. Gen 1:26
And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness...

2. Gen 1:28
And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it...

3. Psa 139:14
I will praise You; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...

4. Phi 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

5. Heb 12:2
looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith..

Qoutes of the day

2006-02-21T19:59:00.000-08:00

"Shame is like a cup of hot water. Drink it all at once and you'll be badly scalded. But have it at sparing doses and it'll provide nourishment to your body."

"Even nature abhorrs a vacuum. Take Christianity away and it will be replaced by something else."

~ Ravi Zacharias (RZIM)

Book of the generations of Adam

2006-02-01T23:03:00.000-08:00

(Gen 5:1-32 MKJV)

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and blessed them. And He called their name man in the day when they were created. And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and fathered a son in his own likeness, after his own image. And he called his name Seth. And the days of Adam after he had fathered Seth were eight hundred years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years. And he died. And Seth lived one hundred and five years and fathered Enos. And after he fathered Enos, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years. And he died. And Enosh lived ninety years and fathered Cainan. And after he fathered Cainan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years. And he died. And Cainan lived seventy years and fathered Mahalaleel. And after he fathered Mahalaleel, Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. And Mahalaleel lived sixty-five years and fathered Jared. And after he fathered Jared, Mahalaleel lived eight hundred and thirty years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred and ninety-five years. And he died. And Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years and fathered Enoch. And after he fathered Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years. And he died. And Enoch lived sixty-five years and fathered Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he fathered Methuselah. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God, and then he was not, for God took him. And Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years and fathered Lamech. And after he fathered Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years. And he died. And Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years and fathered a son. And he called his name Noah, saying, This one shall comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which Jehovah has cursed. And after he fathered Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years. And he fathered sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years. And he died. And Noah was five hundred years old. And Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Adam = red man
Seth = compensation
Enos = man
Cainan = possession
Mahalaleel = praise of God
Jared = descent
Enoch = dedicated
Methusaleh = man of the dart
Lamech = powerful
Noah = rest
Shem = name
Ham = hot
Japheth = opened

Does this tell of Christ?
Jesus as the original man (red man) who volunteered to be the sacrificial lamb (compensation) for mankind (man) because of man's fallen nature (possession). He is the Son of God (praise of God) who came down to earth (descent) to be sacrificed (dedicated) through crucifixion (man of the dart). After that He rose from the dead (powerful) and gave hope (rest) to mankind.

If this is story is what it's meant to be, pray what would "name", "hot" and "opened" speak of?

Chinese New Year Service: Strong Faith Allows Great Freedom

2006-01-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

Luke 10:2
- We are sent out as messengers/laborers

Luke 10:5; 10:9
- Be a blessing to the lost

Luke 10:9
- Share the Word

Evangelism to friends

1. Bless them
- To bless means to speak well them and encourage them

2. Fellowship with them
- Even Jesus got into Peter's world and not to mention the tax collectors and prostitutes

3. Look for a need
- Everybody's got a need somewhere

Acceptance does not mean approval

1 Timothy 4:1-6
- Legalism: doctrines of the demons

Romans 14:1-2
- The strong: More liberated
- The weak: Tend to live by rules and regulations

Strong faith allows great freedom so in whatever we do, we must do it in faith and in obedience to the Holy Spirit.

God is more forgiving than we give Him credit for.

egs.

Martin Luther: He drank alcohol and tends to crude remarks

Charles Spurgeon: Smoke a cigar once a day

C.S. Lewis: Was a chain smoker

Weekend Service: 3 Most Basic Keys of Success

2006-01-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

Matthew 16:22-24
- Get a revelation of who we are & where our authority comes from

James 1:22-24

1. Power of Revelation
- Noot good enough to hear from God the whats, but also to hear Him say when.

2. Power of Visualization
- If you can't see it, you can't have it
- Starts in the realm of imagination
- Ephesians 3:20

3. Power of Confession
- life & death are in the power of the tongue
- Gen 1

The Holy Spirit was hovering /waiting for God to speak the word before getting into action
Psalms 33:6

- Get a rhema to fight the devil/demons & break the bondage to get breakthrus

Hebrew 11:1
2 levels of faith

1) I need to touch to receive things (women with the issue of blood)
2) Roman centurion kind of faith

Hebrew 11:3
- You words frame your reality

2 Corinthians 4:13
- I believe, therefore I spoke

CG Sermon: Growing From Excellence To Greatness

2006-01-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

Evaluate current positions.

Psalm 37:23

1. Friendships

1 Cor 15:23

2. Level of Knowledge

- Knowledge -> Responsibilities -> Authority

- Crisis is a positive. Brings you up to another level

- Crisis reveals preference or conviction?

Proverbs 24:10

- Knowing the truth sets you free

3. Level of Responsibility

a) Little things
b) Money
c) That which belongs to another man

Matthew 35:14-16; 20-21

- Be faithful in little things. Be a good steward in all areas of our lives

- The enemy of success is comnplacency

Similarities between the Jewish & Chinese calendar

2005-12-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

This is very interesting! Taken from www.antioch.com.sg.

A similarity exists in the Biblical calendar of the Jews, and in the traditional Chinese calendar; they both are lunar-solar.

This is the only correct calendar from the requirement of Genesis 1:14. In a lunar calendar each month begins at new moon, the narrowest half-circle of moonlight in the sky. Each month is actually 291/2 days so the months alternate 30 days, 29 days, 30 days, etc. The lunar year has 3543/8 days in twelve months, but the solar year has 3651/4 days, (the time the earth makes one orbit of the sun). Chinese and Jewish calendars equalise the lunar and solar year lengths the same way, by a thirteenth month added whenever needed. This works out practically in the nineteen-year cycle wherein twelve years of every nineteen years have 12 months and seven years have 13 months. Nineteen years contain 235 lunar months; so in this way the moon keeps time, and the sun keeps time, and the years keep to the seasons.

Every new moon is set apart as a holiday or special day in both traditions. In the Bible, new moons are sabbaths (rest days) and feast days, for family or friends. New moon observance will be in effect in God’s kingdom; Eze. 46:1,3.

In both calendars New Year Day is at a new moon and set apart as special. The Bible merely speaks about the “beginning of months.” In the Oriental and Jewish traditions the month chosen as first month was sometimes changed by custom or by decree; but God told Moses to begin counting the months at the month ABÌB (springtime), also called NISÀN; Ex. 34:18; Lev. 23:5; Est. 3:7. The present Jewish custom has New Year Day in the autumn, six months later than the Law of Moses. The existing Chinese custom has it two months earlier than the Law of Moses, but eventually all peoples in the New Earth will observe the ‘beginning of months’in accordance as God told to Moses;

Passover begins at 14 ABÌB (Joshua 5:10) and is two weeks after the Biblical New Year Day. Passover is a full moon holiday. Full moons are 14 or 15 days following new moons. In some years Ching Ming holiday comes at Passover; in former times it probably was a full moon holiday and then would always be exactly at Passover. There may be a connection. Ching Ming has a tradition about plague, in which many people suddenly died. This may commemorate the first Passover night in Egypt wherein all of Egypt’s firstborn died—anyone not protected by the blood of the lamb. The Passover of the Jews is followed by seven more days, “the feast of unleavened bread.”

SUKKÒT (Feast of Tabernacles) is another full moon holiday, the fifteenth of the seventh month—the same day in autumn as Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. SUKKÒT is very festive, a day to rejoice with an abundance of grain and fruits from autumn harvests. All nations will celebrate this holiday in God’s kingdom (Zech. 14:16-19) and already the Chinese observe it in part. (But SUKKÒT has seven days more.) This is the last holiday of the year as ordered by Moses.

The Fast of Esther is 13 ADÀR (Esther 9:1,15-19), the same day as Yuen Siu (Chinese Lantern Festival). The Jews also keep the following two days, called PÙRIM; Est. 9:21-22. This is another full moon holiday, a time of light-hearted mirth and street parades amongst the youth. It began with the Jews of Persia, and they certainly would have brought it with them, when they came to China.

God bless.

Two philosophies of obedience

2005-12-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Except from Dr Rob Thompson's "Daily Success Key".

I have come to discover two philosophies of obedience in this world. Let me use a mental picture to give you an idea of these two ways of thinking…

Three men are standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The sergeant in arms, who is standing on a level just above the deck, suddenly calls out, “Duck! Hit the deck.” Two of the men instantly hit the deck. The third man remains standing and looking around asks, “Why? What’s going on?” Suddenly an incoming missile explodes on the deck. The third man, who failed to heed the sergeant’s warning, is killed by the exploding shrapnel. A few minutes later, the other two men who instantly obeyed the warning get up from the deck uninjured.

Let me explain my point…
The third man represents the Greek understanding of obedience. He remained standing on the deck asking the question, “Why?” He was only ready to comply once he understood the answer. Our modern American culture is based on the Greek philosophy of obedience. The Hebrew understanding of obedience is simply to obey – then understanding will come.

Jesus is not the Lord of my life until I fully comply before the instruction is given. Whatever it written, we must make the decision to willingly surrender our own way to God’s way.

Think this applies to most of us. Especially those who are of a higher education level where we are trained to be critical and to understand whats going on. Lord help us all to have a humble heart that's always ready to yield!

How to be pleasing to others

2005-11-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

Just read this from Pastor Robb Thompson's Daily Success Key.

Numbers 14:27-28
"How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them,' As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you.’” (NKJV)

If we refuse to eliminate negative things from our lives, those negative things will ultimately destroy us and there will be nothing we can do about it. The moment we choose to obey is the moment we have declared we no longer want our own way. We must listen, hear, and be content with the instructions we receive from God’s Word, whether it is from the man of God or though our daily meditation. Why is that? Because God has given us the responsibility to obey.

It is also God’s desire for us to be pleasing to others. In our modern society, everyone wants to know the reasoning behind every situation. Why do you want me to do this? Why do you want to do it that way? The question is constantly “Why?” There is no desire to submit and that spirit has crept into the Church. People in the Church are even now beginning to hold a negative opinion against those God has called to lead them. That very spirit will eventually kill them if that negativity is not dealt with.

We must be serious about stopping the negative influences from penetrating our lives. Remember, we are all susceptible to the negative flow of society, but we must remain diligent to fill ourselves with His Word.

I know this for myself as it is indeed the struggle of my flesh when it comes to submitting to leadership. May the grace of God help me further in this area.

Trials in life

2005-11-21T03:18:00.000-08:00

A daily success key from Pastor Rob Thompson says

Trials are the only things that stand between us and the Land of Promises.

1 Peter 1:7
“These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God that mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (NLT)

Trials comes in may shapes, sizes & forms. My trial right now is one of patience and perserverence. I'm blessed with knowing what to do in life and Praise Jesus for that. But with it comes a time of waiting. Waiting for the right time and opportunity.

Oh how many times have I not passed this test, trying to create opportunity myself instead of relying on the Lord for provision and getting into unnescessary trouble which ultimately prolongs my time of waiting.

Pastor Kong talked about the power of focus and it is indeed important for us to be wise in selecting the right things to focus on, least we end up neglecting the things that are right before our eyes, screaming for our attention and missed the great opportunity that God has made for us.

May God grant all of us wisdom and understanding to the times in our lives! Amen!

Prisoners in a palace

2005-11-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

Except from RZIM blog [ link: A Slice of Infinity ]

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus gives a fascinating description of the condition of people since the Fall: "For when Satan, who is completely armed, guards his palace, it is safe—until someone who is stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings" (Luke 11:21-22, NLT).

Humankind, he insists, is like a great number of people in a huge palace. The palace is controlled by a mighty prince who is heavily armed. It is large and has many distractions to entertain its prisoners, keeping them from considering their predicament. To all intents and purposes they believe that they are totally free—except in those rare reflective moments when they realize that something is wrong with the world. In the confines of the palace, misery, guilt, fear, confusion, and disappointment stalk them. In reality they have never tasted true liberty.

Cool... Kinda makes us special agents, saving the prisoners from within the palace... :)

Word search: tree of life

2005-11-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

What's it about the tree that Adam lost in the fall? I did a search on the phrase "tree of life". Let us look at what the Bible says.

(Gen 2:9 MKJV)
And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food. The tree of life also was in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

(Gen 3:22 MKJV)
And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever,

(Gen 3:24 MKJV)
And He drove out the man. And He placed cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

(Pro 3:18 MKJV)
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold upon her; and happy is everyone who keeps her.

(Pro 11:30 MKJV)
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he who takes souls is wise.

(Pro 13:12 MKJV)
Hope put off makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

(Pro 15:4 MKJV)
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but crookedness in it is a break in the spirit.

(Rev 2:7 MKJV)
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

(Rev 22:2 MKJV)
In the midst of its street, and of the river, from here and from there, was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve fruits, each yielding its fruit according to one month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

(Rev 22:14 MKJV)
Blessed are they who do His commandments, that their authority will be over the Tree of Life, and they may enter in by the gates into the city.

Think there's a distinction between "tree of life" and "Tree of Life"

tree of life = wisdom, fruit of the righteous, desire fulfilled, wholesome tongue.

Places: Mount Moriah

2005-11-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

Mount Moriah:

1. where Abraham took Isaac for sacrifice (Gen 22:2)

2. where the Lord appeared unto David (2Sam 24:18)

3. where Solomon built the temple (2Ch 3:1)

In 2Ch 3:2 we are told that Solomon began the construction in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

The double digits 2 seem to spring up in verses that talks about altar/sacrifice/House of God...

1Ki 6:22 And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until he had finished all the house. Also all of the altar that belonged to the Holy of Holies, he overlaid with gold:

1Ch 22:1 Then David said, This is the house of Jehovah God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.

2Ch 2:4 Behold, I am building a house to the name of Jehovah my God, to dedicate it to Him, and to burn before Him sweet incense, and for the continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of Jehovah our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

Revelation of the day: Is there not a cause?

2005-11-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Was listening to Dr Ravi Zecharia's "Is There Not A Cause" podcast when he mentioned 4 points that can be learnt from Nehemiah:

1. Feel the burden in your heart.

2. Seek God ernestly with that burden (have a strong devotional life).

3. Having faith, hope & love.

4. Get into the proximity of the situation.

5. Know exactly what you need.

6. Finish the task with the Glory of God.

Awesome. Thank You Lord for the deep truths and revelation in these simple yet profound points.

Physical manifestations in Scripture

2005-11-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

According to the book "Surprised by the Power of the Spirit" physical manifestations in the Scripture are categorized into:

1. Visible phenomena

Theophanies* (Ex 19:16-25)
Angelic appearances (Matt 28:4)
Audible voice of God (Matt 17:6-7)
Visions (Dan 8:27)
Jesus during his earthly ministry (John 18:6)
Appearance of glorified Jesus (Acts 9:1-9)

2. Intangibles

Trembling (Psalm 119:120)
Weeping (Neh 8:9)
Trance (Acts 22:17-18)
Drunkenness (1 Sam 1:12-17)
Casting out of demons - shrieks, convulsions, unconsciousness etc. (Mark 1:23-28; 9:14-29)

* Theophany = Appearance of God Himself

Profile: Sarah, Abraham's wife

2005-11-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

What kind of a women is Sarah, the wife of Abraham? Did a search on the occurence her name in the Bible. Let's see what the Word says...

(Gen 17:15 MKJV) And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah.

(Gen 17:17 MKJV) And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?

(Gen 17:19 MKJV) And God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed. And you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

(Gen 17:21 MKJV) But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time in the next year.

(Gen 18:6 MKJV) And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal; knead it, and make cakes.

(Gen 18:9 MKJV) And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

(Gen 18:10 MKJV) And He said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door which was behind Him.

(Gen 18:11 MKJV) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, far gone in days, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

(Gen 18:12 MKJV) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After my being old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

(Gen 18:13 MKJV) And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I, who am old, truly bear a child?

(Gen 18:14 MKJV) Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return again, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

(Gen 18:15 MKJV) Then Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh.

(Gen 20:2 MKJV) And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech the king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

(Gen 20:14 MKJV) And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them to Abraham. And he restored him Sarah his wife.

(Gen 20:16 MKJV) And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, he is to you a covering of the eyes, to all that are with you, and with all this, you are reproved.

(Gen 20:18 MKJV) For the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

(Gen 21:1 MKJV) And Jehovah visited Sarah as He had said. And Jehovah did to Sarah as He had spoken.

(Gen 21:2 MKJV) For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

(Gen 21:3 MKJV) And Abraham called the name of his son that was born to him (whom Sarah bore to him) Isaac.

(Gen 21:6 MKJV) And Sarah said, God has made me laugh, so that all who hear will laugh with me.

(Gen 21:7 MKJV) And she said, Who could have said to Abraham, will Sarah suckle children? For I have borne a son to him in his old age.

(Gen 21:9 MKJV) And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian (whom she had borne to Abraham) mocking.

(Gen 21:12 MKJV) And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the boy and because of your slave woman. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For in Isaac your Seed shall be called.

(Gen 23:1 MKJV) And Sarah was a hundred twenty seven years old, the years of the life of Sarah.

(Gen 23:2 MKJV) And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

(Gen 23:19 MKJV) And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave at the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

(Gen 24:36 MKJV) And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old. And he has given to him all that he has.

(Gen 24:67 MKJV) And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

(Gen 25:10 MKJV) the field which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth. Abraham and Sarah his wife were buried there.

(Gen 25:12 MKJV) And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham.

(Gen 49:31 MKJV) They buried Abraham and his wife Sarah there, and they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah. And I buried Leah there;

(Isa 51:2 MKJV) Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

(Rom 4:19 MKJV) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead (being about a hundred years old) or the deadening of Sarah's womb.

(Rom 9:9 MKJV) For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son."

(Heb 11:11 MKJV) By faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged Him who had promised to be faithful.

(1Pe 3:6 MKJV) as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children you became, doing good and fearing no terror.

Revelation of the day: "Surprised by the power of the Spirit"

2005-11-12T00:47:00.000-08:00

i was taking a study break when i saw a book "Surprised by the power of the Spirit" by ex Dallas seminary professor Jack Deere on my shelf. felt the Holy Spirit telling me to just flip thru e book and did just that. the first page of that i flipped to had this title, "Seduced by" which instantly caught my eye. author was talking about being subtle seductions that can bring us away from the Lord. here are his main points:

1) be careful of loving your denomination more than the Lord.

2) be careful of loving the Bible more than the Lord.

3) be careful of loving your commitment to the Lord more than the Lord Himself.

the following verses are what i found in the scriptures. :)

Eph 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.

Deu 11:22
For if you will carefully keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him,

Luk 18:10-14
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed within himself in this way: God, I thank You that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice on the Sabbath, I give tithes of all that I possess. And standing afar off, the tax-collector would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but struck on his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

his examples were so presonal and heartfelt and he has raised some points which touches me personally and echoed with my own experiences. awesome! thank you Holy Spirit!