Hey! Are You A Christian?

I have not been blogging for the past one week simply because I was struggling with something which I want to write but do not know how to. The main thing is I do not want to sound as if I am judging but at the same time, it is something which I have been observing for a while. This thought has also made me very frustrated.

Anyway, I have decided to jot these burdens down and hope those who are in agreement with me will pray with me. Whatever I will be sharing is not meant to point fingers at any one but to start us thinking what we should be doing from henceforth.

Ever heard of Christians sharing some of these issues: that there is no meaning in what they do; that one cannot differentiate between a Christian and non-Christian; that when they see something wrong with either a friend or a family member, they do not want to do anything about it lest they are branded a busybody or that these troubled individuals will leech on them; that they do not feel like praying for someone or something?

Coincidentally my accountability group and I were sharing about the above-mentioned and to me that was the last straw. I realised it is time for us to wake up and start getting used to our identity in Christ!

The above issues I mentioned above simply voice down to one thing - we are not living as salt of the earth and light of the world which God has called us to do so.

If we are, then there will be meaning in what we do especially when we are talking about the routines of life - we can break the norms and be different. We can be a counter-culture and not be mundane beings. Yes, the work we do may be the same after a while but what about the people around us - are we getting ourselves involved in their lives? Are we being a testimony to them? If someone is in need or doing something wrong, are we doing something about them? Yes, these are dirty jobs but that was precisely what Jesus did. He cared for those who needed care; He reached out to those who were lost. If we Christians are not doing anything about these, then who will?

Nowadays it is tough to differentiate a Christian from a non-Christian because the former is not behaving like one. We are to be in the world but not of the world. Because of our fears to let others know of our identity as Christians, we do things as the world would; we pursue the temporal and forgo the eternal; we go for the popular and conclude Christianity as something boring; we conform to the patterns of this world instead of being transformed by the renewing of our minds; we dare not change the world for fear that others might think we are mad.

Even in the church, Christians are not supporting Christians. We sometimes bring the world's teachings into the church instead of the opposite - Christians bicker; Christians judge one another; Christians holding grudges against another; Christians do not care for each other; Christians giving up!

How can the church grow if all these are happening? How can we be better beings when we are destroying one another? Instead of rebuking and correcting one another in love, we destroy with much hatred and bitterness. We are not even practising the basic disciplines like that of prayer. Instead we make remarks like I do not like to pray; it is no use praying; etc.

I was challenging myself this morning as I was praying and reading God's Word to start living! Only when I do that will I see the power of God moving in and through me. Only when I know the will of God will I then be able to find meaning in what I do. Only when I die to self, will my eyes then be opened to what eternity holds. Only when I see myself as a pilgrim, will I see this world as just a transit? If I get too comfortable in this earthly home which is only temporary, then my life simply ends here.

How to challenge Christians to start living? I guess it starts with me first, coupled with prayer and see how God moves me from here.

Many times the church is not growing is due to the fact that the people in there are not.

That said, I shared with my accountability group members that I am burning out. Thank God I have not burnt out yet! At least I am aware of this. The next thing which I need to do is to reorganise my life and see which areas need weeding. I also pray that the Lord will guide me through this period of reflection and action. I cannot wait to find more joy in what I do and soar higher like that of an eagle.

Well, I shall end here.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:29-31

God Still Provides In Bad Times

The Children's Ministry Missions Team will be going to Cambodia in December to bring some Christmas cheers to the orphans, villagers and also members of the Khmer congregation that my church is supporting.

Every year in Singapore, many of us receive gifts from friends but frankly, these presents become excess stocks in our already abundant inventory. As for the Khmer people, especially the majority who are poor, a simple gift would be a great blessing to them because they have nothing in the first place.

I praise the Lord for the 10 children and their families who will be accompanying them. In all, including me, there are 24 in the team. I am excited as to what we will be doing at the orphanage, village and my sister-church.

One of the areas in which the team need to pray for is in raising one-third of the total cost for the trip. All these years, previous missions teams did not have much problems obtaining funds from the congregation but I am not sure about this year.

As we all know, the economy has not been doing well at all. The future seems uncertain and every one is trying to tighten their purse-strings.

I have to confess that there were some anxieties when the above thought came to mind. As I spoke to the Lord about this concern I had, I was challenged to place my full trust in Him. If the work that this team is doing is for God and His people, then the funds will pour in eventually. After I submitted those burdens to Him, there was peace and I praise the Lord for that. :)

At around 3pm, I went with two brothers-in-Christ to Changi Coast Adventure Camp to recce the site which the Youth Ministry will be using for the Youth Camp in December. I praise God we were able to gather all the information we need. As I will be planning the outdoor games on the third day with another brother-in-Christ, the above visit has allowed me to have a better idea as to what games we can play. I am excited and I pray the youths will have great fun! :)

Well, I shall end here for now. I am actually quite sleepy - stayed up to watch the Atletico Madrid-Liverpool match. The Reds were leading for 84 minutes of the game but 6 minutes before the whistle, they conceded a goal and the match ended in a draw. I almost died when that happened.

Anyway, praise God I am still alive! Haha. :)

Have a restful evening!

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Gold In The Rut!

Ever had this situation where you found it hard to encourage someone in his struggles or rebuke him when you noticed the way he carried himself could be a stumbling block to others when your own walk with God has not been right?

I have been facing this lately and it can be frustrating! It just makes me feel like a hypocrite, yet my intention is genuine in wanting to help the person. There is basically this irritating voice in me that keeps taunting me with accusations like "Are you sure or not?"; "Come on! Quit that holy act of yours! You are no better!"; "A pot calling a kettle black!"

I guess that is the reason why I have not been blogging because I found it hard to share about my pilgrim's journey when I am basically stagnating.

Well, I have just had enough of letting the devil take a foothold in my life! Just now while I was praying, I concluded that all the above sliming from that fallen angel should not put me down but instead, it should encourage me to get back on track again.

It feels good to be taken out of the clutches of Satan's lies and be free again. So what if I had fallen down?! So what if I am down and out but I would like to encourage others still?!

I guess we need to always be mindful that the only way the devil can affect us is to challenge us to go back to THE WAY; THE TRUTH; and THE LIFE! Of course, we know who I am referring to here.

JESUS, of course! :)

Never ever go deeper into the rut should you face the same experience I shared in the opening few paragraphs. Many times Christians fall away because they have been cut down by the poisonous words of the devil.

It is alright to be down for a while.

I always like this reminder - when we are down, the only other way is to look up! That is where we see the hands of Jesus , helping us back to our feet so that we can move on with the adventures of life!

I praise the Lord for this liberation.

It is funny for me to say this but I sure look forward to the next time I fall again. There are probably precious lessons I can learn from there, just like this one I am sharing now.

To God be all glory and praise!

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12

Fear Not!

Today is the third day that I have been exercising - basically to get myself in shape again after taking a long break due to injuries to my knees. It has been a good feeling having able to work out though I am taking it slow by doing brisk walking first. I will probably do this form of training for the next three months and review from there as to whether I can move on to jogging and after that running.

I took out the Polar Fitness watch which a dear brother-in-Christ gave me two years ago - it has been in the cupboard since the last time I ran which was almost a year ago. I had the batteries changed for both the watch and heart-rate transmitter. It is my prayer that I will be able to exercise regularly from now on.

Anyway, yesterday evening I was walking with my doggy Sasha at the park opposite my home. Towards the end of my exercise, I met an elderly gentleman and his wife. They were doing their stroll. When they saw Sasha, they played with her for a while.

I chatted with them as we walked along. It was good for me as I was cooling down. After a while, Aunty Poh Kim suggested to her husband, Uncle Joe, that they should head home since it was getting dark. She also commented that she does not like being in the ex-cemetery for too long.

I guess Uncle Joe knew that she was afraid of things like ghosts and chided her for being scared. It was here that I got to know they are Christians because Uncle Joe quoted a verse which read, "... the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4b)

Immediately, it reminded me of the same verse that a Lay Ministry Staff from my church quoted when she was conducting the missions training session on "The Khmers of Cambodia." She shared this verse to encourage the missions team not to be afraid of the spiritual forces at work in the land where atrocities were rampant!

Uncle Joe went on to share that if we worship a God who is so great, being the King above all kings and the Lord above all lords, why should we, Christians, be afraid of anything at all? He then added that we should be as fearless as Jet Li! Haha. I think he was referring to the movie which the kung-fu star acted in not long ago. It was quite comical when I heard that.

As I was walking home and pondering on the wise words of Uncle Joe, they did make lots of sense. Many times the fears we have are pointless because the God Almighty whom we worship can help us at all times and at all cost - so long as we call upon Him!

It brought a lot of peace in me as well because lately I have been reflecting on my life and considering what is the next lap in my pilgrim's journey. The uncertainties seem so scary and when I realised I cannot predict the future, I got frustrated and anxious.

It is just so amazing how God brings people whom I do not know at all into my life at the very point when I needed an answer from Him. How can I not testify that this God is real?! Thanks be to Him for that!

The muscles around my legs are beginning to tense up but it feels good. I guess I need to continue to condition them with more exercises and I should be fine after a while.

Oh yah, praise the Lord too that I was able to finish preparing the missions training session which I am conducting this Sunday. There was an inertia this afternoon when I was doing the slides but everything went smoothly after starting on the first slide! :)

Time to go. Just had dinner and have to walk around the house a little.

"I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Watch The Indulgences!

It has been a rather quiet Saturday for me. Initially I made plans to go out with my sister to do some work at the National Library - she was planning to do her assignment and studying for her test next week while I was going to do some stuff for the Missions Ministry.

All came to naught when something cropped up for my sister and the plans were cancelled. In the end I stayed at home and basically rested. I do not know why but lately I have been feeling very lethargic. I get tired and irritated easily - something that I am trying very hard to overcome but with very little result.

I have been praying about it as well. Probably I may have to go on a personal retreat somewhere and list down some of the issues in my life which may have caused this irritation in me. I want to overcome this as soon as possible as I do not like what I am going to through now to affect the people around me - as in them being my victims whom I vent my frustrations on. I think it is not fair.

Anyway, I think the lethargy is probably due to the unhealthy lifestyle that I have been indulging lately - too much eating and too little exercise. I have been putting on weight quite scarily the past few months and no desire whatsoever to work out that body. It is not out of vanity that I want to get something done about the weight gain but more so being a good steward of this body that God has given me. I think it is high time for me to start watching what kind of food I am eating as well.

Being at home today really helps me to reflect on some areas of my life. One other aspect I need to also be mindful of is the way I have been spending money lately. I realised I have been spending a lot lately - mainly on food. This is another area of stewardship which I need to work on. Some would tell me that it is okay to indulge but I think that is a worldly mindset that I must not entertain.

There are other ways to enjoy life!

I think I shall try to sleep early tonight as I have a long day tomorrow in church. The next few Sundays till before the Children's Ministry Missions Team leave for Cambodia will be packed with training and preparation. Sometimes it can be very tiring but it is something worth persevering for especially when you see God moving in the lives of the team members as they prepare and let God use them to touch the lives of the Khmer people.

A lot of things are still very sketchy but I am confident my God Almighty will make the picture clearer as the weeks draw nearer to the trip.

I shall end here. Praise the Lord for the weekends.

Good night to all and have a wonderful time worshipping the Lord tomorrow in your respective churches! :)

"Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Luke 12:13-21

Everything In Life Should Not Be Taken For Granted!

I am now in conversation with a dear brother-in-Christ who was in the Qantas flight when it suddenly met with a mid-air mishap - the plane basically plunged 3000 feet in 20 seconds without any notice whatsoever.

He was just telling me how blessed he was to be alive. He was also sharing about a prompting he had 5 minutes before the plunge to put on his seat-belt. I believe that nudge was from God Himself and by adhering to it, my friend's life was spared from injuries. All thanks and praise to the Lord!

I was just pondering on the above account and I learnt three lessons from here:-

1) Life is fleeting.

We must not take for granted that we will live to a ripe old age and having that mindset, shove aside all the important things we need to do. We will never know when we will go - whatever we need to do, we should do it now.

2) Pray for one another.

I think it is important to keep one another in prayer regularly. Yes, there may be just too many people to pray for but I guess when we need to intercede for someone, like this brother of mine who was going back to Perth to finish his studies after a week's break back in Singapore, just do it.

I do not know whether you have this thought before - "nah, no need to pray for this or that matter because I doubt anything bad would happen." Well, next time when this thought comes again, we should just pray and not waste time rationalising.

I believe the prayers said for my brother-in-Christ by his family and friends have saved him. God has listened to their prayers! Hallelujah!

3) Fasten your seat-belt at all times!

For those of us who have been flying often, thinking that this is not important or get irritated when the announcement is made by the flight crew to fasten the seat-belt even when the sign is off... well, think again. It will probably save your life! Do not take things for granted.

Well, I am relieved all is well. I am praying that those who were injured will recover soon.

Anyway, it has been a rather frustrating day for me.

I have been trying to get some work done but just could not concentrate as I have been feeling tired the whole day.

It did not help when a personnel from the National Environment Agency found some mosquito larvae in one of the plates holding the flower pots which belong to grandma. I guess this is another area which we tend to take for granted though I have warned grandma and my parents before to check the areas along the corridor regularly. The staff took down my particulars . I am praying nothing will happen after the agency is done with the investigation.

Well, one of those days, I guess. I am trying not to get affected by the above paragraph - easier said than done though.

Time to end here!

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

It Is Never Too Late!

Dance With My Father Again

Verse 1:
Back when I was a child,
before life removed all the innocence.
My father would lift me high
and dance with my mother and me and then
spin me around 'til I fell asleep.
Then up the stairs he would carry me
and I knew for sure I was loved.

If I could get another chance,
another walk, another dance with him,
I'd play a song that would never, ever end.
How I'd love, love, love
to dance with my father again.

Verse 2:
When I and my mother would disagree -
to get my way, I would run from her to him.
He'd make me laugh just to comfort me,
then finally make me do just what my mama said.
Later that night when I was asleep,
he left a dollar under my sheet.
Never dreamed that he would be gone from me.

If I could steal one final glance,
one final step, one final dance with him,
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
'Cause I'd love, love, love
to dance with my father again.

Bridge:
Sometimes I'd listen outside her door
and I'd hear how my mother cried for him.
I pray for her even more than me.
I pray for her even more than me.

Verse 3:
I know I'm praying for much too much
but could you send back the only man she loved?
I know you don't do it usually
but dear Lord she's dying
to dance with my father again.

Last Line:
Every night I fall asleep and this is all I ever dream.

Next week is dad's birthday. For his present, I am thinking of doing a compilation of photos taken of us together since I was a baby. It just dawned on me that dad is already 74 this year. Wow! How time flies!

When I was browsing through all my childhood photos, I never realised I had so many. All taken by dad who loved photography then. He has stopped this hobby altogether - probably because he is much older now. I thank God that this interest of his has passed on to me. Come to think of it, I still have that Kodak camera he was using whenever we go out.

Anyway, whenever I look at the old black and white photos, tears would just roll down my cheeks. These are basically tears of joy, pain and also regret.

Before I went to primary school, I remember dad would always bring me out to watch movies at the Capitol, the Odeon and Lido cinemas and this was a weekly affair. He would then bring me to eat at places like the old Satay Club or at the Taman Serasi hawker centre. Dad would also buy me lots and lots of toys at Yaohan - even at times when he refused to do so. Yups! That is because I would cry and cry till he was too embarrassed and had no choice but to purchase the toys I demanded for. Haha.

Since I was a baby, dad took care of me more than mum. Mum was more like the head of the household but of course, this does not mean that dad has no authority at home. Day and night he would be the one feeding me. Of course sometimes in the middle of the night as well when my tummy started rumbling. Nestum was my all-time favourite cereal! :)

The above are experiences I would cherish for the rest of life.

Then came primary education. This was the period when mum started pressurising me to excel in my studies. In school I started hanging out with the wrong company which then made me rebel against her by purposely doing the opposite of what she hoped me to be.

This was the beginning of the rift between my parents and I. I would create lots of problems. Though dad would always come to my rescue, I was not as grateful to him anymore because then I thought my gangster friends were the best! As much as I could, I would stay away from my parents though I know dad would always be near should I need him.

Now looking back, it was a stupid move on my part to rebel because the consequence was not excelling in my Primary School Leaving Examinations which then brought me to the Normal stream of my secondary education.

Though I have already accepted Jesus Christ then, there were still a lot of things which I needed to repent; there were still lots of grudges and hatred against my parents. Of course I did not do well for my 'O' Level examinations as well. Already having to do 5 years of secondary education because I was in the Normal stream, I had no choice but to repeat my 'O' Level exams again. Six years of secondary education altogether! Others finished in 4 years successfully and I finished in 6 unsuccessfully.

Well, I still failed to gain entry to a junior college or polytechnic. To give dad due credit, he was still trying to be there for me when I was in my pits but the rift was too wide and I basically declined his willingness to help.

Well, these are some experiences, if given a chance, I would love to right the wrongs.

All said, I still praise God for His amazing grace! My life took a turn for the better when I chose to do my 'A' Level as a private candidate after my pastor-in-charge woke my ideas up. He also reminded me to honour my parents.

I did well to be admitted into a local university and then graduated with a degree. My parents saw a change in me and a couple of years later they turned their lives to Christ. Our relationships have since improved tremendously!

After a long-winded sharing, my encouragement to us all is this - Don't Wait Till It's Too Late!

Dad is already old. What matters to me now is not about the past but the present. How am I going to spend my time now with dad? I have lost many precious years which I could have spent quality time with him but of course I chose the other way and 'wasted' those years. Now, I will not make such boo-boos anymore.

The song I shared above is one of reminiscing the past. Though it is a sad song, it is not about the unpleasant but instead the wonderful time the songwriter had with his dad. It is of no doubt that one day dad will be leaving me but it is my prayer when that happens, my heart would be filled with all the great experiences I had with him - of no regrets; pain, grudges; or hatred.

Okie, back to scanning some of the old photos. All thanks and praise to my Heavenly Father for my earthly father who is trying his best to be as great a parent to me as possible! I appreciate his perseverance and love.

Looking forward to the remaining days I will be having with him here on earth but setting my eyes even further ahead, I am glad I will be spending eternity with dad in heaven as well! Hallelujah! :)

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" — which is the first commandment with a promise — "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Ephesians 6:1-2

A Burdened Heart I Have

I came back not too long ago from a time of fellowship with my accountability group. We were in Ang Mo Kio for a time of catching up. It has been a month since we last met - though we have been absent from each other's lives for so long, I still thank God that we made an effort to meet up.

The time spent was refreshing (as always) but one issue a brother-in-Christ shared burdened my heart. I am not at liberty to share it in detail here but that particular topic has caused me to ponder on how relevant God is to even Christians of today. I wrote something about this in one of my previous blogs.

It has sparked in me whether being more educated, in general, has caused one to rationalise too much about the reality of God's presence in his or her life to the point that everything must be explained with evidences in order for he or she to believe; that we are trying to use our finite minds to understand something infinite.

I also wonder whether the lures and pleasures of this world (which are temporal) have made us consider that heaven may be a lousier place to be in because all one does in heaven is just singing and singing.

It is so ironic that when one goes through a trial in life that he or she prefers to be taken away from this earth so that there is no more suffering but when one considers heaven as just about singing, he or she has second thoughts.

I am not being judgmental here for those having these thoughts. It just baffles me, that's all. The next question is - what do we really want then?

I think every day from now onwards I will pray for all (both believers and pre-believers) that our eyes, ears and hearts are opened to the presence of God in their lives. I do not know how God will answer this prayer of mine but it is a burden I have for all.

Well, I hope the Lord will continue to speak to me on the above-mentioned.

I am tired. Time to sleep.

Good night, everyone! The weekend is near! Praise the Lord!

"After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, " 'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.' "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." Luke 8:1-18