Monday, November 9, 2009
Hope
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (Peter 1 3:15)
The world we live in is used to despair, to hopelessness, to trauma and disappointment. It is used to disease, to poverty, to distress and to every kind of decay and rottenness in humanity. The world is used to such things. What they are not used to is – HOPE.
As such, this is the thing that distinguishes Christians from the rest of the world. We have Jesus and because of him we have hope.
Needless to say, this hope leads to all kinds of strange, incomprehensible behavior. Because the world does not understand your hope, they will not understand your behavior. And because you are such a puzzle, they can either choose to:
1) Love you
2) Hate you
Why would they choose option 1? Simply because the most beautiful thing you can ever offer anyone is a sense of mystery. Also because you provide a platform of hope that no other in the world can provide. And it is so much easier to love you with the divine favour of Christ wrapped all around you.
Sadly, most people would choose option 2. It is in fact, the default option. People will automatically dislike people they do not understand. So perhaps the best options for hopies like us is to explain ourselves like Peter 1 3:15 says - Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
When something bad happens, people will have to cope with an influx of helplessness, depression and hopelessness. To cope, they build up a wall of strength, feigned confidence, convincing themselves that they can solve any problem at hand. This positive mindset might work for a while but after awhile, they find themselves inevitably overwhelmed.
Instead of providing assistance to these overwhelmed people, the world can be harsh and indifference. Our victims of live move from being overwhelmed to becoming in a state of absolute shock. They are shocked by how harsh the world can be. To protect themselves, to grow (as the world believes), they harden their hearts and become unfeeling, unemotional, inhumane creatures.
Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)
This is where we differ. When men disappoint us, we still have hope. And this hope, the hope that comes from Jesus does not disappoint us. So, we are always happy because we have a God that is always above all our circumstances. Our God is so powerful that he could part the red sea. So whatever your circumstances today, God can fix it. And because of this hope, we do not have to worry or to harden our hearts.
Perhaps, as ambassadors of hope, you will have to suffer some persecution, but fear not, the path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter. When you put Jesus in the center of your life, everything else fades under his splendor and you are no longer so bothered by the small insignificant affairs of everyday life.
Rubrix Cube
Have you ever observed a person arranging a Rubix Cube? It is really a mystery for people like us who do not know any of the techniques involved in putting the colours back in place. But somehow, in the hands of a master, the entire process can look so graceful and intelligent.
Our lives are a lot like messed up Rubrix Cube. Sometimes we feel that life is going on the right track – THAT is precisely when our Rubrix cube is almost solved. There is only one tiny colour block out of place but we are more than happy to live with that imperfection. Suddenly, something unexpected happens and our lives are turned topsy turvy. We feel that we have strayed so far from perfection and all the colours are out of place.
Little do we know that in order for God to fix that one tiny out of place block, a major revamp must be put in place. As onlookers, we would marvel at how the experienced player would risk messing up the whole cube again just to put that tiny block in place. We might even imagine that he is simply messing it up to start all over again.
But just when we are about to give up, when everything looks bleak, the Rubrix master makes his final move and everything pops back into perfection. Everything is exactly where it should be.
Isn’t God wonderful? His plans we do not know. But what we must keep reminding ourselves is that if we fix our eyes on the natural, all we will ever see is a messed up lot of colours. But if we commit our lives to the Lord, be confident that this messed up Rubrix cube is in the process of achieving great things.
Our lives are a lot like messed up Rubrix Cube. Sometimes we feel that life is going on the right track – THAT is precisely when our Rubrix cube is almost solved. There is only one tiny colour block out of place but we are more than happy to live with that imperfection. Suddenly, something unexpected happens and our lives are turned topsy turvy. We feel that we have strayed so far from perfection and all the colours are out of place.
Little do we know that in order for God to fix that one tiny out of place block, a major revamp must be put in place. As onlookers, we would marvel at how the experienced player would risk messing up the whole cube again just to put that tiny block in place. We might even imagine that he is simply messing it up to start all over again.
But just when we are about to give up, when everything looks bleak, the Rubrix master makes his final move and everything pops back into perfection. Everything is exactly where it should be.
Isn’t God wonderful? His plans we do not know. But what we must keep reminding ourselves is that if we fix our eyes on the natural, all we will ever see is a messed up lot of colours. But if we commit our lives to the Lord, be confident that this messed up Rubrix cube is in the process of achieving great things.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Story of Paul (Acts 22)
Acts 22
"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."
When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Then paul said:"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them and their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
"About noon as I came near Damasucus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
"'Who are you Lord?' I asked.
"'I am Jesus of Nazareth, who you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
"'What shall I do Lord?' I asked.
"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
"A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that moment, I was able to see him.
"Then he said: 'The God our father has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptised and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."
When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Then paul said:"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them and their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
"About noon as I came near Damasucus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
"'Who are you Lord?' I asked.
"'I am Jesus of Nazareth, who you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
"'What shall I do Lord?' I asked.
"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
"A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that moment, I was able to see him.
"Then he said: 'The God our father has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptised and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
Monday, June 29, 2009
Acts 19
My father is not really a very typical man... In fact, he is very different from other fathers... Not in a bad way though... I have always appreciated his uniqueness... Though I must admit that sometimes I am a little shy about it... He's never afraid to be different from others... And from him, I learnt to be proud of who I am, even if I am very different from others... From him I learnt that it does not matter how many people are doing something... it does not make that thing right...
If a 100 persons do something wrong... it does not make the wrong thing right.. Similarly, if only 1 person does the right thing, it does not make him wrong... Therefore, always have a mind of your own... Most people are followers... they are just doing what everyone else is doing.. and that might not necessarily be the right thing... Look at the signs around you, make you own decision and stick to it...
To be a leader, you must not be afraid to be the first one walking out into the darkness of uncertainty... Unlike the others, you will have no one else to follow except for God himself... Which is good... it will lead you inevitably closer in your walk with God...
Today, I would like to share with you a story that I just stumbled upon in the bible.. I find it incredibly interesting... and funny in a way... =)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acts 19: 8-20
Paul entered the synagague and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicably maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish Priest, were doing this. One day, the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honour. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul is an amazing man... He was the chosen one.. The one who persecuted and led to the stoning of many new christians... and Yet, God chose him and revealed himself to Paul to make him the vehicle of transport of the message of the new covenant to all the world... and even today, as we study Paul... always bear in mind that Paul himself was a Jew.. and not just any Jew, but one who persecuted christians... His entire existance as a servant of God and the apostle of the new covenant is so grounded on grace because nothing in the natural validates his status... In fact, I believe fervently that it is his lack of natural credentials that made him so perfect an apostle of grace...
So Paul went around spreading the news of Jesus's death and resurrection... Teaching people about the new covenant Jesus has died to established, he spoke boldly in public, argued persuasively and had daily discussions... It was his full time job... and of course, even Paul had his share of hardship... for there were those who did not believe and other violent non-believers who publicably maligned him. But he did not give up.... He persevered... and Yes... he carried on doing his full time job till every Jew and Greek in the province of Asia new about his message of the new covenant... about Jesus...
I truly believe that paul must have truly and full-hearted believed every single word he preached... He knew Jesus and he knew Jesus died and rose again for he saw him after his death... and because he believed it so strongly, he was able to spread the message... Because he believed it without a doubt, and was bold in his preaching... he was able to perform great miracles that even his handkerchief could drive out evil spirits... Imagine how blessed Paul is... and how powerful God has made him...
So of course, many Jews started to understand the power of the Lord Jesus... When the opportunity came and they had to cast out demons and perform exorcisms, they thought that perhaps they should try invoking the name of Jesus and Paul... And it worked!! Yes for the first few times it did... until they met a stronger or rather, more intelligent demon who spoke straight in their faces " I know Jesus. I know Paul. But who are you?".... It is almost funny if you think about it... how something even Paul's handkerchief could accomplish, the presence of men with words were unable to do... And of course, how the evil spirit was able to overpower all of them...
The moral of the story.. You cannot sell something you do not believe in... Similarly, if you believe in something you got to be bold about it... God's grace and God's promises are not flimsy concepts... they are strong weapons against all powers of darkness be it depression, diseases, evil spirits... but why do they work on some people and not on others?
Have you ever seen a sales person selling a product he/she does not believe in? Certainly the sales would be quite poor because whatever he says will be unconvincing... His conversation would sound abit like this:
"This knife is good. It can cut through all types of meat and vegetables."
"what about frozen meat? Are you sure it can cut through that?"
"Erm, I don't know... Should be."
"Does it need to be sharpened? Do you sell the sharpener?"
"I am not sure."
"Is it better than last month's model? In what way?"
"I am so sorry... I really don't know."
And that's when the customer walks away... You can't sell something you don't know about and something you don't believe in... That is exactly why the Jews were unable to invoke Jesus's name and cast out the demons... Simply because they didn't know Jesus and they did not believe in him...
So for all you believers out there... please be bold in your love for God.... When people ask you if you christian.. say YES I AM... Don't be embarassed about it... and when people ask you about God's grace... be bold and say that I believe that Jesus died on the cross the most painful and humiliating death ever so that I can recieve all the goodness and blessings that I do not deserve... and that is what grace is... receiving what I do not deserve because Jesus on the cross recieved what he did not deserve...
And do yourself a favour... Read the bible... Learn and understand more about Jesus... So that when hardship and diseases and all kinds of tribulations come your way... you can boldly look them in the eye and say, "I am a child of God. The one whom God loves. And I have authority over you because of Jesus... so please leave at once." You will not fail like those in the story... Because truly, God has already given you the same divine authority that he has given Paul... It is a matter of how much you know about it...
Of course, the story ends with how people begin to believe the authority of Jesus and to confess their sins openly... Another beautiful picture of how God can make something good come out of something evil...
If a 100 persons do something wrong... it does not make the wrong thing right.. Similarly, if only 1 person does the right thing, it does not make him wrong... Therefore, always have a mind of your own... Most people are followers... they are just doing what everyone else is doing.. and that might not necessarily be the right thing... Look at the signs around you, make you own decision and stick to it...
To be a leader, you must not be afraid to be the first one walking out into the darkness of uncertainty... Unlike the others, you will have no one else to follow except for God himself... Which is good... it will lead you inevitably closer in your walk with God...
Today, I would like to share with you a story that I just stumbled upon in the bible.. I find it incredibly interesting... and funny in a way... =)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acts 19: 8-20
Paul entered the synagague and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicably maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish Priest, were doing this. One day, the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honour. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul is an amazing man... He was the chosen one.. The one who persecuted and led to the stoning of many new christians... and Yet, God chose him and revealed himself to Paul to make him the vehicle of transport of the message of the new covenant to all the world... and even today, as we study Paul... always bear in mind that Paul himself was a Jew.. and not just any Jew, but one who persecuted christians... His entire existance as a servant of God and the apostle of the new covenant is so grounded on grace because nothing in the natural validates his status... In fact, I believe fervently that it is his lack of natural credentials that made him so perfect an apostle of grace...
So Paul went around spreading the news of Jesus's death and resurrection... Teaching people about the new covenant Jesus has died to established, he spoke boldly in public, argued persuasively and had daily discussions... It was his full time job... and of course, even Paul had his share of hardship... for there were those who did not believe and other violent non-believers who publicably maligned him. But he did not give up.... He persevered... and Yes... he carried on doing his full time job till every Jew and Greek in the province of Asia new about his message of the new covenant... about Jesus...
I truly believe that paul must have truly and full-hearted believed every single word he preached... He knew Jesus and he knew Jesus died and rose again for he saw him after his death... and because he believed it so strongly, he was able to spread the message... Because he believed it without a doubt, and was bold in his preaching... he was able to perform great miracles that even his handkerchief could drive out evil spirits... Imagine how blessed Paul is... and how powerful God has made him...
So of course, many Jews started to understand the power of the Lord Jesus... When the opportunity came and they had to cast out demons and perform exorcisms, they thought that perhaps they should try invoking the name of Jesus and Paul... And it worked!! Yes for the first few times it did... until they met a stronger or rather, more intelligent demon who spoke straight in their faces " I know Jesus. I know Paul. But who are you?".... It is almost funny if you think about it... how something even Paul's handkerchief could accomplish, the presence of men with words were unable to do... And of course, how the evil spirit was able to overpower all of them...
The moral of the story.. You cannot sell something you do not believe in... Similarly, if you believe in something you got to be bold about it... God's grace and God's promises are not flimsy concepts... they are strong weapons against all powers of darkness be it depression, diseases, evil spirits... but why do they work on some people and not on others?
Have you ever seen a sales person selling a product he/she does not believe in? Certainly the sales would be quite poor because whatever he says will be unconvincing... His conversation would sound abit like this:
"This knife is good. It can cut through all types of meat and vegetables."
"what about frozen meat? Are you sure it can cut through that?"
"Erm, I don't know... Should be."
"Does it need to be sharpened? Do you sell the sharpener?"
"I am not sure."
"Is it better than last month's model? In what way?"
"I am so sorry... I really don't know."
And that's when the customer walks away... You can't sell something you don't know about and something you don't believe in... That is exactly why the Jews were unable to invoke Jesus's name and cast out the demons... Simply because they didn't know Jesus and they did not believe in him...
So for all you believers out there... please be bold in your love for God.... When people ask you if you christian.. say YES I AM... Don't be embarassed about it... and when people ask you about God's grace... be bold and say that I believe that Jesus died on the cross the most painful and humiliating death ever so that I can recieve all the goodness and blessings that I do not deserve... and that is what grace is... receiving what I do not deserve because Jesus on the cross recieved what he did not deserve...
And do yourself a favour... Read the bible... Learn and understand more about Jesus... So that when hardship and diseases and all kinds of tribulations come your way... you can boldly look them in the eye and say, "I am a child of God. The one whom God loves. And I have authority over you because of Jesus... so please leave at once." You will not fail like those in the story... Because truly, God has already given you the same divine authority that he has given Paul... It is a matter of how much you know about it...
Of course, the story ends with how people begin to believe the authority of Jesus and to confess their sins openly... Another beautiful picture of how God can make something good come out of something evil...
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Perhaps
- Perhaps being gracious is to understand that no one should have to earn their basic human rights and respect...
- Perhaps the reason why we misbehave is because we underestimate how much we mean to the other party and how deep the words cut....
- Perhaps I have fallen for an image of you in my mind... and not you..
- Perhaps the only difference between pure gold and dust is how we perceive it...
- Perhaps the only thing that makes humans amazing is their capacity to love others...
- Perhaps we should all learn how to live in the moment
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Galatians 6:1
Doing Good to All
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his insturctor.
Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from the nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his insturctor.
Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from the nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
1 Corinthians 2:6
Wisdom From the Spirit
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age of of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucifed the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those
who love him"
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the spirt of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
"For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age of of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucifed the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those
who love him"
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the spirt of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
"For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.
Math Teacher Story
I remembered in JC... I had this awesome math teacher... He was hardworking and dedicated... Everything he did, he did for his students... and all the while, he retained his humility and sense of humour... He was the kindest and funniest teacher around... He gave more of himself to the students than he could afford to give... And when someone does that, the only way he can sustain his enthusiasm would be in the presence of adequate appreciation... But he got none...
Instead, some mean students came up to him and made fun of him and humiliated him.... After which he changed.... He became toned down.. His lectures were no longer lively... No more jokes, no more laughter... He lost that spark in him... We all noticed the difference.. But it was not until the Biology teacher scolded the cohort did we know the cause of this great shift... And up till today, I wonder if anyone went to apologise to that teacher and told him what a great person he was... I would, if I was given another opportunity... To make a hamper of presents and tell him how much I appreciate his effort and genuine love for us... But now it is too late... I can only trust God to look after him and keep the light in him shining bright...
Though you might not understand it.. such events change you... It might years before you are wise enough to concieve your relevelation in words.. But the change has already occured in you.. You have grown wiser... My revelation was simple... he changed... because people like me, who appreciate him chose to remain silent... and the nasty few... decided to speak up....
Instead, some mean students came up to him and made fun of him and humiliated him.... After which he changed.... He became toned down.. His lectures were no longer lively... No more jokes, no more laughter... He lost that spark in him... We all noticed the difference.. But it was not until the Biology teacher scolded the cohort did we know the cause of this great shift... And up till today, I wonder if anyone went to apologise to that teacher and told him what a great person he was... I would, if I was given another opportunity... To make a hamper of presents and tell him how much I appreciate his effort and genuine love for us... But now it is too late... I can only trust God to look after him and keep the light in him shining bright...
Though you might not understand it.. such events change you... It might years before you are wise enough to concieve your relevelation in words.. But the change has already occured in you.. You have grown wiser... My revelation was simple... he changed... because people like me, who appreciate him chose to remain silent... and the nasty few... decided to speak up....
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A woman's heart
Of all of God's creation, I feel that a woman's heart is by far one of the most magnificent... It is from the bowels of the female heart that unconditional love, comforting warmth and breathtaking beauty emerges... It is so overwhelmingly awesome that you can almost always see God in the eyes of a mother...
But as with all powerful and awesome things, a woman's heart can be hardened... A hardened woman's heart is simply terrifying... It has been centuries since man have witnessed the grotesque and wicked nature of a hardened female's heart... To survive politically, Chinese concubines have resorted to killing their own daughters and torturing their fellow concubines in unspeakable ways...
Today's topic will be on the woman's heart....
You know the chinese egg cake? The yellow one split in the middle with a red dot on it? A woman's heart is very much like a chinese egg cake... When it feels no love, or is left out in the open or in the cold for too long... it hardens... it is unappetising to even look at the frozen chinese egg cake... no where near delectable... And just like a frozen chinese egg cake, a harden woman's heart is harsh and frightening, not something comforting and beautiful as it was intended to be...
The reason why women are mean and overly tough is not because they have breached the line of adulthood and have turned independent. It is because they feel insufficient love... As a result, their hearts are hardened... Just like an egg cake left in the fridge for too long...
Something soft and squishy is simply too vulnerable to blows and attacks, the woman has no choice but to harden her heart to cut losses... After many blows of dissapointment, the woman decides that it is best to just build a protective coating around her heart... The protective coating is simply a realisation that she is never going to recieve the love she longs for... that everything that looks like a potential lover is really more like a potential heartbreak...
This protective coating works like a forcefield by helping to protect the heart from dissapointment and hurt.... In turn, the woman forsakes her child-like innocence and compassion and turns means and judgemental... She becomes unforgiving and unloving... And this makes her highly unlikeable... making the possibility of her recieving love even smaller than before...
The solution? Warmth... Like a Chinese egg cake, all you need to do is to take it out of the fridge and steam is gently.. Don't throw it in the oven or subject it too much heat at once... You need to treat the heart with respect... Remember at all times, that the heart is enormously vulnerable... Just give it bite size comfortable portions of warmth and love in the gentlest most subtle way possible... and before you know it... the egg cake (and heart) is back to its soft and squishy self...
I really enjoy do nice things for women as I marvel at a woman's ability to mulitiply love... In fact, you must note that when you treat a lady kindly, you are not only opening up possibilities for your relationship with her, you are really softening her heart so that she can love all those around her...
Guys tend to be more, how do i put it, practical... when you are nice to a guy... he begins to imagine that you like him... and in a way, it sort of makes things awkward.... but that's never the case for women because giving and loving others unconditionally is simply the nature of a woman... All women understand this principle..
With that said, remember to always be kind to a woman... and if you can't, at least don't be mean... You never know who's heart you are hardening... and how much love you are depriving the world from having because of your mean act... A hard heart does no good to the mind and body... the lady will find herself stressed and tired and weak...
And men, please learn to take the place God has created for you... You are meant to look after the ladies as if they are the weaker gender... And yet I see many men these days who train their women up to harden their hearts to make harsh decisions... This is really not what the woman wants.. Deep inside, women are all soft-hearted creatures who long for peace and security and for someone to look after them... If given a choice, I believe that none of them would choose to be mean... It is just not in their nature...
Women, please be strong... I am not asking you to start building up your protective layer and hardening your hearts... I am asking you to have faith in people... Even if it should mean that your soft heart be made open and vulnerable to more blows... Remember, that however badly you are hurt, God can and is most willing to heal you... But what God cannot use is a hardened heart... He needs you soft, squishy and hopeful in order to use you best... Thus be strong in faith... Always have a confident expectation of good in people..
But as with all powerful and awesome things, a woman's heart can be hardened... A hardened woman's heart is simply terrifying... It has been centuries since man have witnessed the grotesque and wicked nature of a hardened female's heart... To survive politically, Chinese concubines have resorted to killing their own daughters and torturing their fellow concubines in unspeakable ways...
Today's topic will be on the woman's heart....
You know the chinese egg cake? The yellow one split in the middle with a red dot on it? A woman's heart is very much like a chinese egg cake... When it feels no love, or is left out in the open or in the cold for too long... it hardens... it is unappetising to even look at the frozen chinese egg cake... no where near delectable... And just like a frozen chinese egg cake, a harden woman's heart is harsh and frightening, not something comforting and beautiful as it was intended to be...
The reason why women are mean and overly tough is not because they have breached the line of adulthood and have turned independent. It is because they feel insufficient love... As a result, their hearts are hardened... Just like an egg cake left in the fridge for too long...
Something soft and squishy is simply too vulnerable to blows and attacks, the woman has no choice but to harden her heart to cut losses... After many blows of dissapointment, the woman decides that it is best to just build a protective coating around her heart... The protective coating is simply a realisation that she is never going to recieve the love she longs for... that everything that looks like a potential lover is really more like a potential heartbreak...
This protective coating works like a forcefield by helping to protect the heart from dissapointment and hurt.... In turn, the woman forsakes her child-like innocence and compassion and turns means and judgemental... She becomes unforgiving and unloving... And this makes her highly unlikeable... making the possibility of her recieving love even smaller than before...
The solution? Warmth... Like a Chinese egg cake, all you need to do is to take it out of the fridge and steam is gently.. Don't throw it in the oven or subject it too much heat at once... You need to treat the heart with respect... Remember at all times, that the heart is enormously vulnerable... Just give it bite size comfortable portions of warmth and love in the gentlest most subtle way possible... and before you know it... the egg cake (and heart) is back to its soft and squishy self...
I really enjoy do nice things for women as I marvel at a woman's ability to mulitiply love... In fact, you must note that when you treat a lady kindly, you are not only opening up possibilities for your relationship with her, you are really softening her heart so that she can love all those around her...
Guys tend to be more, how do i put it, practical... when you are nice to a guy... he begins to imagine that you like him... and in a way, it sort of makes things awkward.... but that's never the case for women because giving and loving others unconditionally is simply the nature of a woman... All women understand this principle..
With that said, remember to always be kind to a woman... and if you can't, at least don't be mean... You never know who's heart you are hardening... and how much love you are depriving the world from having because of your mean act... A hard heart does no good to the mind and body... the lady will find herself stressed and tired and weak...
And men, please learn to take the place God has created for you... You are meant to look after the ladies as if they are the weaker gender... And yet I see many men these days who train their women up to harden their hearts to make harsh decisions... This is really not what the woman wants.. Deep inside, women are all soft-hearted creatures who long for peace and security and for someone to look after them... If given a choice, I believe that none of them would choose to be mean... It is just not in their nature...
Women, please be strong... I am not asking you to start building up your protective layer and hardening your hearts... I am asking you to have faith in people... Even if it should mean that your soft heart be made open and vulnerable to more blows... Remember, that however badly you are hurt, God can and is most willing to heal you... But what God cannot use is a hardened heart... He needs you soft, squishy and hopeful in order to use you best... Thus be strong in faith... Always have a confident expectation of good in people..
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Travelling
It is amazing how travelling out of your comfort zone changes your mind... It is amazing when you begin to realise that just 1.5 hours flight away, a new world lies undiscovered.... It is also amazing when you understand that no matter how much you screw up in your life now, just a few hours away, you can be somewhere completely different where no one knows you... you get to start afresh... So perhaps, with this knowledge, understand that it is never the end for you... your new beginning is just a few hours away...
You know, I am a very timid person... I am afraid of change.. Everyday, I take the bus 89... I arrive at hougang terminal and take the NEL... Everyday, I sit on the same seat... and I am sure I see the same bus driver day in day out... And somehow, along the monotony of life, I begin to imagine that this is all life has to offer... How wrong can I be? How small can my world get? Eventually, I find myself bored and lonely... But then all this while, so many new worlds are lying out there, waiting for me to discover...
That is precisely why I fervently believe that everyone should travel... At least once a year... It will not only help you put things into perspective... it will make whatever problems that seem so large to you appear small...
You know, I am a very timid person... I am afraid of change.. Everyday, I take the bus 89... I arrive at hougang terminal and take the NEL... Everyday, I sit on the same seat... and I am sure I see the same bus driver day in day out... And somehow, along the monotony of life, I begin to imagine that this is all life has to offer... How wrong can I be? How small can my world get? Eventually, I find myself bored and lonely... But then all this while, so many new worlds are lying out there, waiting for me to discover...
That is precisely why I fervently believe that everyone should travel... At least once a year... It will not only help you put things into perspective... it will make whatever problems that seem so large to you appear small...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Post-Vietnam notes
Just got back from the airport... bathed, unpacked and gave out some presents to my family members.. Glad they like the presents... Feeling very exhausted.. but want to note down a few important revelations before sleeping...
- People fight better when they are not afraid... being vigiliant and cautious is not the same as being afraid...
- What I admire about the super-good players... It's not that they don't get slammed or backthrusted... It's that even if they do fall, they are able to pick themselves back up IMMEDIATELY... and still perform at 100%... without new-found fear and over-cautiousness... That is true confidence...
- Fighting is alot like driving... When you first start driving, you are frightened everytime you step into the car.. Afraid of accidents and making mistakes... and thus, that leads to more mistakes.. but once you overcome the freshness of it... and it becomes as well-adapted... you are no longer afraid.. you can drive without thinking... like Mam says "auto-pilot"
- Experience is very important...
- I managed to sleep well and stay resonable calm for the entire trip... even before my fight... it was much better because I anticipated the 'night-before' fear-attacks... and managed to handle it better... Basically my mind was more focused on enjoying the trip then on the fight... 'ruminating and thinking about the fight will not make me perform any better... it will just tire my mind out'
- I like fighting feather
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Pre-Vietnam thoughts
I am starting to believe that fighting international tournament is really a matter of experience... Seriously, the more experienced you are... the more able you are to deal with the stress and pre-tournament anxiety... For the last two international tournments I attended... I was really a matter of handling the stress of the anticipation... Long before I start fighting I am already mentally strained... which of course, does no good to the mind and body...
Perhaps, one must able to take the event lightly before he/she can perform... Of course you must still have the desire to win... But no more than that which you possess when you train... it is dangerous to make winning the top priority.. Instead, think about how you can enjoy the fight and perform at your best... This way, you won't be so pressurised... There will be a higher chance you can perform well for the competition as well as enjoy the trip as a whole...
Do not be illogically negative... If you are good enough to be selected... You'll probably won't be knocked out... Do not be overly confident as well... this will make you more vulnerable.. Instead, be vigilant, cautious and brave... Fight like you do normally...
I cannot lie to you... I am still very new at this.. and my lack of experience makes me very frightened... and I do know that for the last 2 international tournament I went for... the night before the fight and every hour leading up to me stepping into the arena is pure agony...
It is always the night before when I start questioning myself "Why do I put myself through this? Why didn't I pick up a safer sport? Why risk my life when there are so many other safer things I could do? What if I die.. or get handicapped? It is not worth it... I am quitting TKD after this tournament..." Yes... It always ends with that note.. I am quitting after this tournament..
BUT I never did... because though I am a coward.. I can't deny that i thoroughly enjoy the adrenaline rush.. the gracefulness of the sport... the sound of the padding when my kick contacts it... the execution of a turning kick... All this beauty... How can I forsake it? Why should I forsake it?
And the truth is, all that fear is illogical.... If you think about it, I am going to meet a girl my size... I am already sparring regularly with guys heavier than me... and I can always sleep peacefully the night before those sparring sessions... Why I so afraid of that girl I am going to meet? It is illogical... And the dead truth is also that I have been back-thrusted, kicked in the head (the eye even) by guys... and I am still standing... And I have already fought two international tournaments.. and I am still alive!!! So why am I so afraid?
This fear is illogical... And it is not only because the human denise is probably good enough to stay alive.. it is because, God has been taking care of me long before I became good enough to defend myself.. and God has never left me.. The fear is illogical... But I can't control it... I would like to commit it to God and pray for his love and grace that covers all sin....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Lord heavenly father,
I know that I am a coward.
And I lack the courage required to live the life you have planned for me.
Even now, I lack the courage to love the people I want to.
But above all, at this moment, I lack faith and courage,
Because I know deep down in me,
That I am not ready yet.
That the gold probably belongs to someone else.
But it is not in my strength, experience and capabilities that I trust.
It is in your grace and absolute power,
That transcends all understanding.
I know that if judged by the standards of this world,
I am lacking in all areas.
But in your eyes,
It is my weakness that has given you an opening to work.
Your strength is perfected in my weakness.
I pray now for a peace that I do not deserve.
I pray for the peace that Jesus died to give me.
The shalom peace,
That completes me and guards my heart from all fear and anxiety.
Perhaps, I should not pray to perform to the best of my ability.
For that is not enough.
I pray to perform to a degree of absolute brilliance,
Worthy of a Princess of God
that your glory might be known.
I cannot deny that
I fear that if I should under-peform,
I might be an embarassment to you.
And all those who believe in your grace through my testimony
Would be dissapointed.
But I also believe that you, my father who loves me,
Will not give me a challenge too big for me to handle.
You will not lift me up so high only to bring me down.
So it is in this love and grace that I put my trust in.
I pray that you guard all our hearts from fear
And bless us with peaceful travel and sleep,
That we might all enjoy this trip and return home safely,
Wiser and more experienced than before.
Dear Lord,
You work in amazing ways,
And even in dark failure, you have something good in store.
My wisdom is insufficient to understand your plans.
But I do know,
That when everything unrevels,
And the last piece of the puzzle is put in place,
I shall be totally amazed by your wisdom and grace.
Somehow admist the feelings of worry and neglect,
I feel your enormous embrace of love.
And it is this love, this feeling that I am important to you,
That makes all the difference in the world.
When I am most aware of your love for me,
That is when I am most magnificent.
But I fall,
I am fallible.
And when i lose sight of your love,
and focus my attention on the frugal human love I recieve,
It all pales in comparison,
And is greatly insufficient
And I find myself greatly unappreciated and unloved.
So I pray dear Lord,
That you bless me with peace and aboveall,
A constant awareness of your love for me.
The same love that sent you to sacrifise your only son,
In the most painful and shameful manner possible.
All this I pray in Jesus's name,
Amen
Perhaps, one must able to take the event lightly before he/she can perform... Of course you must still have the desire to win... But no more than that which you possess when you train... it is dangerous to make winning the top priority.. Instead, think about how you can enjoy the fight and perform at your best... This way, you won't be so pressurised... There will be a higher chance you can perform well for the competition as well as enjoy the trip as a whole...
Do not be illogically negative... If you are good enough to be selected... You'll probably won't be knocked out... Do not be overly confident as well... this will make you more vulnerable.. Instead, be vigilant, cautious and brave... Fight like you do normally...
I cannot lie to you... I am still very new at this.. and my lack of experience makes me very frightened... and I do know that for the last 2 international tournament I went for... the night before the fight and every hour leading up to me stepping into the arena is pure agony...
It is always the night before when I start questioning myself "Why do I put myself through this? Why didn't I pick up a safer sport? Why risk my life when there are so many other safer things I could do? What if I die.. or get handicapped? It is not worth it... I am quitting TKD after this tournament..." Yes... It always ends with that note.. I am quitting after this tournament..
BUT I never did... because though I am a coward.. I can't deny that i thoroughly enjoy the adrenaline rush.. the gracefulness of the sport... the sound of the padding when my kick contacts it... the execution of a turning kick... All this beauty... How can I forsake it? Why should I forsake it?
And the truth is, all that fear is illogical.... If you think about it, I am going to meet a girl my size... I am already sparring regularly with guys heavier than me... and I can always sleep peacefully the night before those sparring sessions... Why I so afraid of that girl I am going to meet? It is illogical... And the dead truth is also that I have been back-thrusted, kicked in the head (the eye even) by guys... and I am still standing... And I have already fought two international tournaments.. and I am still alive!!! So why am I so afraid?
This fear is illogical... And it is not only because the human denise is probably good enough to stay alive.. it is because, God has been taking care of me long before I became good enough to defend myself.. and God has never left me.. The fear is illogical... But I can't control it... I would like to commit it to God and pray for his love and grace that covers all sin....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Lord heavenly father,
I know that I am a coward.
And I lack the courage required to live the life you have planned for me.
Even now, I lack the courage to love the people I want to.
But above all, at this moment, I lack faith and courage,
Because I know deep down in me,
That I am not ready yet.
That the gold probably belongs to someone else.
But it is not in my strength, experience and capabilities that I trust.
It is in your grace and absolute power,
That transcends all understanding.
I know that if judged by the standards of this world,
I am lacking in all areas.
But in your eyes,
It is my weakness that has given you an opening to work.
Your strength is perfected in my weakness.
I pray now for a peace that I do not deserve.
I pray for the peace that Jesus died to give me.
The shalom peace,
That completes me and guards my heart from all fear and anxiety.
Perhaps, I should not pray to perform to the best of my ability.
For that is not enough.
I pray to perform to a degree of absolute brilliance,
Worthy of a Princess of God
that your glory might be known.
I cannot deny that
I fear that if I should under-peform,
I might be an embarassment to you.
And all those who believe in your grace through my testimony
Would be dissapointed.
But I also believe that you, my father who loves me,
Will not give me a challenge too big for me to handle.
You will not lift me up so high only to bring me down.
So it is in this love and grace that I put my trust in.
I pray that you guard all our hearts from fear
And bless us with peaceful travel and sleep,
That we might all enjoy this trip and return home safely,
Wiser and more experienced than before.
Dear Lord,
You work in amazing ways,
And even in dark failure, you have something good in store.
My wisdom is insufficient to understand your plans.
But I do know,
That when everything unrevels,
And the last piece of the puzzle is put in place,
I shall be totally amazed by your wisdom and grace.
Somehow admist the feelings of worry and neglect,
I feel your enormous embrace of love.
And it is this love, this feeling that I am important to you,
That makes all the difference in the world.
When I am most aware of your love for me,
That is when I am most magnificent.
But I fall,
I am fallible.
And when i lose sight of your love,
and focus my attention on the frugal human love I recieve,
It all pales in comparison,
And is greatly insufficient
And I find myself greatly unappreciated and unloved.
So I pray dear Lord,
That you bless me with peace and aboveall,
A constant awareness of your love for me.
The same love that sent you to sacrifise your only son,
In the most painful and shameful manner possible.
All this I pray in Jesus's name,
Amen
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Emotions in evolution
A very interesting idea just popped into my mind this morning... And it came so surprisingly naturally that I believe that there must a purpose for its birth... and of course a place on my blog... Before we get into it... let me first describe to you the theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin (if I remember correctly)...
The THEORY of evolution is all based on the principles of the 'survival of the fittest'... if you have a selective advantage over another of your species.. you will have a higher chance of living to the age of reproductivity.. and thus produce more offsprings as compared to the selectively disadvantaged variation of your species... And thus, in the long run... the other variations of your species die off while you increase in numbers till there is none of the other left.. and only you remain...
On that note, Darwin formulated a theory that states that all the characteristics that we possess as humans today are indeed a result of thousands of years of natural selection and every single aspect of the homosapian works in a way to ensure that his survival is optimised....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With that said, I was seriously wondering... why oh why... did human beings retain the capacity of having emotions in our system in the years of evolution....
Most of us know that emotions are a dangerous thing to possess.. They make us irrational... To have illogically good opinions of people we love... and equally illogically bad opinions of people who appear to endanger us... Emotions such as anger lead us to do dangerous things like launch into a fight with a fellow human being... And extreme sadness often leads to suicide... which is obviously counter productive to survival...
Why then did the human kind retain the capacity of being emotional? What kind of selective advantage does being emotional have compared to a human being who is totally void and immune to any extreme emotional response? Such a human being would be logical at all times.. he would never emotionally compromised... He will always be able to make the right decisions... But maybe.. just maybe.. living itself is not based on how many right decisions you make... and indeed the heart (emotions) have a selective advantage over the brain... Perhaps to survive optimally, you need to have a comfortable mix of rational and irrational decisions...
Perhaps... it is indeed the capacity to enjoy and endure the spectrum of painful and pleasurable emotions that make living worth it... Maybe, in the absence of emotions, humans will lose their magic and charm.... and thus, their selective advantage?
Well, I am trained as a scientist... and this essay is trailing far too off from being a scientific... Thus, let's go back into practical hypothesis formulation... as too what selective advantage emotions have to the human kind...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Possible selective advantages
Reason 1
Emotions help us form stronger bonds with our neighbours.. thus allowing us to be social beings that can coexist harmoniously... Not only can we survive.. We survive more comfortably and in greater safety when we group together....
Reason 2
Emotions like fear can help us increase our speed, accuracy and agility... and allow us to develop supremely sensitive fight or flight response when dealing with danger...
Reason 3
Emotions drive us to fall irrationally in love with another party, though he is not perfect... we develop illogically good opinions of the other party when we fall in love.. This process is essential to start a relationship that might end in proliferation of the species...
Reason 4
Emotions like anger... when present in the leader of the pack... can help add an edge of danger to the leader... that will act as a deterent to the others in the pact..... to prevent any disrespect for authority... and keep the pact in order... Any members who are attacked or discarded in the process of the show of anger by authority and have not the ability to fight back or defend himself will be considered selectively disadvantaged and assumed to have no right to live in the first place... His genes will be removed from the gene pool with his death...
Reason 5
Emotions help us enjoy life... and savour small details of beauty... Giving us a reason to live... As all intelligent beings require motivation to live... this emotional aspect of man would indeed help us find our own source of drive to live....
Reason 6
Emotions are the key factor that seperates man from beast (though I sometimes wonder if Loki (my dog) is more sympathetic than my parents).... It makes us compassionate, patient and gracious... an aspect that would otherwise be impossible without emotions...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps the entire aspect of God's grace can only be understood in the presence of emotions.. Whilst man has undoubtedly commited many henious acts of violence and disrepect in the name of emotions... Emotions have also allowed man to condone and forgive many sins committed against them in the name of love....
Perhaps, to the extent that emotions causes trouble in man... that is also the extent in which emotions can cause good in man.... And in the prcoess of evolution.... emotions have indeed shown to be an essential characteristic that gives the current man an edge over all our predecessors...
Maybe it is time for the cynical me to give due credit to the sensitive side of me.... I am an emo... no doubt about it... i am emotional and sensitive... Though it has made me undoubtedly mildly depressed... It has also allowed me to be sympathetic and compassionate... And maybe it is this two aspects of me that greatly outweighs the disadvantages of being emo....
Whatever it is.. I cannot deny that emotions make criticism and jokes less easy to bear... it also makes forgiving others much harder as the hurt that results from careless words go much deeper... The plus point is that you are naturally more careful with your words... and you are less likely to step on potential landmines...
With all that said, I do not subscribe to the theory of evolution... I do not believe in it... What I do believe in, is that emotions are a gift from God... and the more you have, the closer you are to God.. For only God himself is capable of perfect love... and man is created in God's image... love is an emotion... (though many have said that it is an action... actions are a result of emotions)... and the more you have, the more you will be able to understand the concept of God's grace...
The THEORY of evolution is all based on the principles of the 'survival of the fittest'... if you have a selective advantage over another of your species.. you will have a higher chance of living to the age of reproductivity.. and thus produce more offsprings as compared to the selectively disadvantaged variation of your species... And thus, in the long run... the other variations of your species die off while you increase in numbers till there is none of the other left.. and only you remain...
On that note, Darwin formulated a theory that states that all the characteristics that we possess as humans today are indeed a result of thousands of years of natural selection and every single aspect of the homosapian works in a way to ensure that his survival is optimised....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With that said, I was seriously wondering... why oh why... did human beings retain the capacity of having emotions in our system in the years of evolution....
Most of us know that emotions are a dangerous thing to possess.. They make us irrational... To have illogically good opinions of people we love... and equally illogically bad opinions of people who appear to endanger us... Emotions such as anger lead us to do dangerous things like launch into a fight with a fellow human being... And extreme sadness often leads to suicide... which is obviously counter productive to survival...
Why then did the human kind retain the capacity of being emotional? What kind of selective advantage does being emotional have compared to a human being who is totally void and immune to any extreme emotional response? Such a human being would be logical at all times.. he would never emotionally compromised... He will always be able to make the right decisions... But maybe.. just maybe.. living itself is not based on how many right decisions you make... and indeed the heart (emotions) have a selective advantage over the brain... Perhaps to survive optimally, you need to have a comfortable mix of rational and irrational decisions...
Perhaps... it is indeed the capacity to enjoy and endure the spectrum of painful and pleasurable emotions that make living worth it... Maybe, in the absence of emotions, humans will lose their magic and charm.... and thus, their selective advantage?
Well, I am trained as a scientist... and this essay is trailing far too off from being a scientific... Thus, let's go back into practical hypothesis formulation... as too what selective advantage emotions have to the human kind...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Possible selective advantages
Reason 1
Emotions help us form stronger bonds with our neighbours.. thus allowing us to be social beings that can coexist harmoniously... Not only can we survive.. We survive more comfortably and in greater safety when we group together....
Reason 2
Emotions like fear can help us increase our speed, accuracy and agility... and allow us to develop supremely sensitive fight or flight response when dealing with danger...
Reason 3
Emotions drive us to fall irrationally in love with another party, though he is not perfect... we develop illogically good opinions of the other party when we fall in love.. This process is essential to start a relationship that might end in proliferation of the species...
Reason 4
Emotions like anger... when present in the leader of the pack... can help add an edge of danger to the leader... that will act as a deterent to the others in the pact..... to prevent any disrespect for authority... and keep the pact in order... Any members who are attacked or discarded in the process of the show of anger by authority and have not the ability to fight back or defend himself will be considered selectively disadvantaged and assumed to have no right to live in the first place... His genes will be removed from the gene pool with his death...
Reason 5
Emotions help us enjoy life... and savour small details of beauty... Giving us a reason to live... As all intelligent beings require motivation to live... this emotional aspect of man would indeed help us find our own source of drive to live....
Reason 6
Emotions are the key factor that seperates man from beast (though I sometimes wonder if Loki (my dog) is more sympathetic than my parents).... It makes us compassionate, patient and gracious... an aspect that would otherwise be impossible without emotions...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps the entire aspect of God's grace can only be understood in the presence of emotions.. Whilst man has undoubtedly commited many henious acts of violence and disrepect in the name of emotions... Emotions have also allowed man to condone and forgive many sins committed against them in the name of love....
Perhaps, to the extent that emotions causes trouble in man... that is also the extent in which emotions can cause good in man.... And in the prcoess of evolution.... emotions have indeed shown to be an essential characteristic that gives the current man an edge over all our predecessors...
Maybe it is time for the cynical me to give due credit to the sensitive side of me.... I am an emo... no doubt about it... i am emotional and sensitive... Though it has made me undoubtedly mildly depressed... It has also allowed me to be sympathetic and compassionate... And maybe it is this two aspects of me that greatly outweighs the disadvantages of being emo....
Whatever it is.. I cannot deny that emotions make criticism and jokes less easy to bear... it also makes forgiving others much harder as the hurt that results from careless words go much deeper... The plus point is that you are naturally more careful with your words... and you are less likely to step on potential landmines...
With all that said, I do not subscribe to the theory of evolution... I do not believe in it... What I do believe in, is that emotions are a gift from God... and the more you have, the closer you are to God.. For only God himself is capable of perfect love... and man is created in God's image... love is an emotion... (though many have said that it is an action... actions are a result of emotions)... and the more you have, the more you will be able to understand the concept of God's grace...
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Referee
With great power comes great responsbility (spider man)
And it is also true that...
With great responsibility comes great stress (denise)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes I wish I can just give the stress away... Just by avoiding responsibility... But strangely... such things just come looking for you when the time is right...
Perhaps it is some form of retribution... for all my years of critisizing poor referees... only to become one myself.... and to carry the guilt of decisions made... I cannot describe to you how heavy the burden is... you got to be one to know one...
The job of the referee is to ensure the best player (in accordance to the rules) wins... and yet... Everything is subjective... and the points vary according to your team of referees and how strict you are feeling that day... how linient you want to be with the point scoring... It is really stressful because I know how much the results will impact the self-esteem of the players and their passion for the sport... Bad referees can kill the sport...
With that said, I want to apologise for being a bad referee.. I feel that I could have made many better decisions... But whatever it is... I still believe that whatever happened, happened exactly as God has intended and that above all... God's strength is perfected in my weakness....
And even in my pathetic inexperience, some form of positive impact was made...
Feel exhausted after 5 days of refereeing... but it was really quite a humbling experience... Will be kinder to referees from now on... =)
And it is also true that...
With great responsibility comes great stress (denise)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes I wish I can just give the stress away... Just by avoiding responsibility... But strangely... such things just come looking for you when the time is right...
Perhaps it is some form of retribution... for all my years of critisizing poor referees... only to become one myself.... and to carry the guilt of decisions made... I cannot describe to you how heavy the burden is... you got to be one to know one...
The job of the referee is to ensure the best player (in accordance to the rules) wins... and yet... Everything is subjective... and the points vary according to your team of referees and how strict you are feeling that day... how linient you want to be with the point scoring... It is really stressful because I know how much the results will impact the self-esteem of the players and their passion for the sport... Bad referees can kill the sport...
With that said, I want to apologise for being a bad referee.. I feel that I could have made many better decisions... But whatever it is... I still believe that whatever happened, happened exactly as God has intended and that above all... God's strength is perfected in my weakness....
And even in my pathetic inexperience, some form of positive impact was made...
Feel exhausted after 5 days of refereeing... but it was really quite a humbling experience... Will be kinder to referees from now on... =)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Some New Revelations
God's way might not always be the fastest way,
But it is always the BEST way...
It is dangerous to guard your heart from dissapointment,
by having no expectations at all...
It is as good as living a life without taking risks...
Living in itself is about taking calculated risks...
Discovering the person you love,
helps you understand yourself better...
He/she will be a human embodiment of the values you hold dear...
Even in sin,
God's grace superabounds...
Nothing is impossible for God...
God built man for rest...
His very purpose is to live and enjoy God's fullness in his life...
But man wishes to earn his rest through painful labour....
God however, has a better alternative...
For man to have joyful labour...
That result is shalom peace....
But it is always the BEST way...
It is dangerous to guard your heart from dissapointment,
by having no expectations at all...
It is as good as living a life without taking risks...
Living in itself is about taking calculated risks...
Discovering the person you love,
helps you understand yourself better...
He/she will be a human embodiment of the values you hold dear...
Even in sin,
God's grace superabounds...
Nothing is impossible for God...
God built man for rest...
His very purpose is to live and enjoy God's fullness in his life...
But man wishes to earn his rest through painful labour....
God however, has a better alternative...
For man to have joyful labour...
That result is shalom peace....
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Trust not in your own understanding
You will find it hardest to love something you are afraid of.
Four types of persons
- Quiet people who look serious all the time
- Quiet people who smile at appropriate times
- People who speak at appropriate times and keep quiet most of the time
- People who speak at very inappropriate times
You'll find that types two and three are the most likeable... not because they are nicer than types one and four... they are just alot less irritating and you can't just find a reason to hate them... since they guard their mouth wisely...
Truth be told, we all like to fool ourselves into thinking that this world is filled with nice people... and it is not difficult to appear to be nice... just don't be mean... and yet, so many people get it wrong... Just because people start treating you nicely when you misbehave, doesn't mean that they like you more... It just means that they have recategorised you as 'the problem that needs to be treated carefully' in their minds... you are not a friend... not someone they can share their problems with... you are simply, one of their problems.... Thus, to truly be likeable, one must make your best effort to be nice...
And when you catch yourself thinking an evil thought of someone, understand this:
The quality of that person does not lie in the category of talker he/she falls is... it is in his/her nature... Most people are just unpolished gems... And there are indeed many evil thinkers who have mastered the art of putting up a front of niceness...
In conclusion, do not believe what you hear, do not believe what you see... Somethings that you might discern to be obviously true... might just well be the greatest surprise you will ever recieve.. Besides, things change so quickly... your friend, your buddy... even your family can shift sides very very rapidly... so what might be the truth yesterday, may no longer hold true today... and tomorrow is always a new mystery
Thus, all in this world is shifting sand.... let your thoughts be flexible and ready for change... And most importantly, as I have always mentioned... trust not in your own judgement or likeability and even... your own wisdom... it might earn you temporary success... but trust me... for a world as volatile as the one we live in... human wisdom is never enough... we need God's Grace... HANG ON TIGHTLY to the one thing that matters... the truth of God....
In a world that changes, God's word will be unshifting rock of salvation.... that will save you from all threats... and no matter what your circumstances are... He will lift you above them... that the world might see his glory through you...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
All your sins are forgiven
Heard this message at church a couple of times... but it only lately that I truly start to understand what it really means...
The root to every bad behavior is the feeling of condemnation... (an unforgiven sin)
What is sin? Sin is defined as the falling short of perfection. It does not state how far you fall from perfection. You can be a 99% correct and disciplined person, but the law condemns you anyway...
Law condemns the best of us... While grace saves the worst of us....
Why do people misbehave? Why are people rude and mean? Why do people hurt themselves by smoking, drinking excessively, hurling insults at their loved ones? The root is in fact... the feeling of condemnation.... Because, these people are aware they have fallen short... and that they have sinned... and yet, they are not aware of the salvation and ABSOLUTE forgiveness Jesus has died to provide us with... Thus, they feel that no matter how hard they try, they will never be able to make things better...
These people are not delusional or negative... they are right... Compared to self-righteous people who believe they can achieve perfection by their own works... I consider such people one step closer to wisdom...
They are right to acknowledge how helpless they are... they are right to conclude that however hard they try, they will never be able to wash away the sins of their past... but what they need to desperately know is that...
ALL their sins are forgiven...
And it is in fact, not a privilege that is granted to us without a cost... The cost was the pain and suffering and ultimate death of God's son, Jesus... For someone as precious as Jesus to go through that many hours of humiliation, torture and dehumanisation... it is really not a small price to pay...
Thus, the least we can do now is to recieve this gift... this gift of forgiveness of ALL sins... Yes, your works are unable to erase your past sins.. BUT Jesus's pain and death.. his blood... is able to do that! Jesus's blood washes away all your sins... your slate is clean....
Every single second of your life now.. you are viewed as a precious child of God in God's eyes... He can no longer punish you for the sins that you've commited? Why? Is it because God has gone soft on sin? No. It is simply because God is perfectly fair and just.. for all the sins that Jesus has carried on the cross and died for... God cannot punish it the second time...
So whatever it is... whatever wrong you find hard to forgive yourself for... acknowledge it now that that sin is carried on Jesus on the cross... you no longer have to punish yourself for it.... Be free from this self-condemnation... Self-condemnation does not result in humility. Instead, it results in a form of extreme low self-esteem that will lead you to feel helpless and small.... and thus to behave accordingly... You forget that when God created you... precious child of God... he created you for great things.... destined to be a great person...
With that said, even the sins of those you hate... the sins of your enemies... all these sins were carried on Jesus... when he died on the cross... Jesus carried the sins of the entire world.... the sins from the past... all the way into the future... every single moment of yoru life, your slate of sins is cleared... every single imperfection forgiven and taken away from the moment they occur... this is GRACE.
Now with this freedom, go out and sin no more... Similarly, bear no hatred for your neighbour.. for even his sins are carried on Jesus... Just remember that if you should find it hard to forgive... pray for forgiveness.. and you shall recieve it as a gift... Do not bear the hatred in your heart.... hatred and vengefulness are like poison to the soul and body... it makes you sick and weak and unhappy...
Let go and Let God.
The root to every bad behavior is the feeling of condemnation... (an unforgiven sin)
What is sin? Sin is defined as the falling short of perfection. It does not state how far you fall from perfection. You can be a 99% correct and disciplined person, but the law condemns you anyway...
Law condemns the best of us... While grace saves the worst of us....
Why do people misbehave? Why are people rude and mean? Why do people hurt themselves by smoking, drinking excessively, hurling insults at their loved ones? The root is in fact... the feeling of condemnation.... Because, these people are aware they have fallen short... and that they have sinned... and yet, they are not aware of the salvation and ABSOLUTE forgiveness Jesus has died to provide us with... Thus, they feel that no matter how hard they try, they will never be able to make things better...
These people are not delusional or negative... they are right... Compared to self-righteous people who believe they can achieve perfection by their own works... I consider such people one step closer to wisdom...
They are right to acknowledge how helpless they are... they are right to conclude that however hard they try, they will never be able to wash away the sins of their past... but what they need to desperately know is that...
ALL their sins are forgiven...
And it is in fact, not a privilege that is granted to us without a cost... The cost was the pain and suffering and ultimate death of God's son, Jesus... For someone as precious as Jesus to go through that many hours of humiliation, torture and dehumanisation... it is really not a small price to pay...
Thus, the least we can do now is to recieve this gift... this gift of forgiveness of ALL sins... Yes, your works are unable to erase your past sins.. BUT Jesus's pain and death.. his blood... is able to do that! Jesus's blood washes away all your sins... your slate is clean....
Every single second of your life now.. you are viewed as a precious child of God in God's eyes... He can no longer punish you for the sins that you've commited? Why? Is it because God has gone soft on sin? No. It is simply because God is perfectly fair and just.. for all the sins that Jesus has carried on the cross and died for... God cannot punish it the second time...
So whatever it is... whatever wrong you find hard to forgive yourself for... acknowledge it now that that sin is carried on Jesus on the cross... you no longer have to punish yourself for it.... Be free from this self-condemnation... Self-condemnation does not result in humility. Instead, it results in a form of extreme low self-esteem that will lead you to feel helpless and small.... and thus to behave accordingly... You forget that when God created you... precious child of God... he created you for great things.... destined to be a great person...
With that said, even the sins of those you hate... the sins of your enemies... all these sins were carried on Jesus... when he died on the cross... Jesus carried the sins of the entire world.... the sins from the past... all the way into the future... every single moment of yoru life, your slate of sins is cleared... every single imperfection forgiven and taken away from the moment they occur... this is GRACE.
Now with this freedom, go out and sin no more... Similarly, bear no hatred for your neighbour.. for even his sins are carried on Jesus... Just remember that if you should find it hard to forgive... pray for forgiveness.. and you shall recieve it as a gift... Do not bear the hatred in your heart.... hatred and vengefulness are like poison to the soul and body... it makes you sick and weak and unhappy...
Let go and Let God.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Trial GP essay
Like every good advertisement, I think it wise to show you an example of my work. =)
Enjoy... though the facts are a little updated... Please pardon me, I am a little rusty.
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Do we always benefit from the advances in Science and Technology?
In today’s world, it is nearly impossible to locate a setting that is untainted and uninfluenced by science and technology. In fact, this claim is also true in all other less tangible areas of human life. For one, even the way we socialize, the way we communicate and the food we eat; all these things are in some ways inexplicably tied to some form of technological advancement. However, one must question, are all these advances in science and technology purely beneficial to our world? Or is science and technology a double edged sword that can be misused for great evil.
It is impossible to ignore the ubiquitous sight of technology in today’s world. From the moment, you wake; you are confronted by high technology gadgets, like your cell phone that doubles up as your alarm clock. You proceed to wash your face and brush your teeth, and there you have it – an electronic toothbrush; gadgets that make life more efficient and convenient. It is true that with the advances in technology, things that used to be impossible are now made possible. Not only that, but also affordable and common.
A very apt example of that would come in the field of aviation technology. With the advances in aviation technology, travel between states and even continents have become easy, safe and affordable. This has not only led to leaps of improvement in communication speeds, it has also made trade between countries and the formation of large corporate Multi National Corporations possible. This has in turn led to great increase in wealth and affluence in many countries.
Another good example would be that of the invention of the telephone, which of course have over time evolved into the latest 4G handheld mobile phones. This has greatly increased the efficiency of communication to the extent that one can actually work in the comfort of their own home. This has greatly influenced the way people live and in more ways than one, liberalized women. For one, women who were just a century ago confined to the home are now given the option of working from home through high tech devises like laptops and blackberry. They can literally perform two roles at a time – a mother and a part of the workforce. This would have been literally impossible just a century ago.
When it comes to the discussion of science and technology, it would also be irresponsible to leave out the tremendous advances in the area of medical science. The discovery of vaccines, antibiotics, stem cell organ transplants are all but the tip of the ice berg when discussing the developments in medical science. Just a few decades ago, the elderly can simply die from simple influenzas. But with increase knowledge of how the immune system works, this is no longer such a problem as doctors can very vigilantly prescribe vaccines and vitamins to patients as a precaution for such influenza attacks.
In-Vitro-Fertilization, otherwise known as IVF or test-tube baby, has also opened new doors to the many couples with problems in their reproductive system. The sperm and ovule are fertilized in a petri dish and the embryo implanted in the uterus of the mother through an external injection. The procedure is so simple and yet, it has impacted so many couples around the world and allowed them to start a family.
With that said, like every powerful thing, science and technology can be thwarted and misused. In the process, great harm and damage can be inflicted on the very world we live in. A good example that has left its mark in human history would be that of the progress in weapons development. In world war two, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan led to the death of thousands of Japanese. Of those who survived, many young kids and toddlers developed mutations of which the unborn fetuses were most affected. Though the dropping of the atomic bombs led to the much celebrated end of the war, the effects of the trauma it has caused is still echoing in the culture of the Japanese. This can be seen in the high suicide rates in Japan and the highly disturbing nature of some of their animations and movies.
Another example of how science can be thwarted and badly abused would be in the infamous Adolf Hitler and his dedication to eugenics. In his perverse hatred towards the Jews and strong belief in formation of ‘pure’ Aryan race, he actually invented an inhumanely rapid way of exterminating his fellow mankind in War World Two. Hitler created the gas chambers. It was there where he executed his ‘final solution’ and rapidly gassed millions of Jews and Semites to death. Not only did he embarrass and humiliate his prisoners before their death, he picked a few unfortunate ones to perform unethical experiments on. These examples include experiments on how long it takes to freeze a person to death and how much water a human stomach can bear before it explodes. These experiments were grossly inhuman and unethical and have not only led people to question the sanctity of human life; it has also led to the guilty conscience that the Germans still bear up till today.
In conclusion, though science and technology has brought with it multitudes of advantages to mankind, it has also inevitably made history’s worst traumas possible. Therefore, we do not always benefit from the advances in science and technology but when used wisely and cautiously, science and technology can indeed lead to great leaps of enlightment and convenience in mankind.
Enjoy... though the facts are a little updated... Please pardon me, I am a little rusty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do we always benefit from the advances in Science and Technology?
In today’s world, it is nearly impossible to locate a setting that is untainted and uninfluenced by science and technology. In fact, this claim is also true in all other less tangible areas of human life. For one, even the way we socialize, the way we communicate and the food we eat; all these things are in some ways inexplicably tied to some form of technological advancement. However, one must question, are all these advances in science and technology purely beneficial to our world? Or is science and technology a double edged sword that can be misused for great evil.
It is impossible to ignore the ubiquitous sight of technology in today’s world. From the moment, you wake; you are confronted by high technology gadgets, like your cell phone that doubles up as your alarm clock. You proceed to wash your face and brush your teeth, and there you have it – an electronic toothbrush; gadgets that make life more efficient and convenient. It is true that with the advances in technology, things that used to be impossible are now made possible. Not only that, but also affordable and common.
A very apt example of that would come in the field of aviation technology. With the advances in aviation technology, travel between states and even continents have become easy, safe and affordable. This has not only led to leaps of improvement in communication speeds, it has also made trade between countries and the formation of large corporate Multi National Corporations possible. This has in turn led to great increase in wealth and affluence in many countries.
Another good example would be that of the invention of the telephone, which of course have over time evolved into the latest 4G handheld mobile phones. This has greatly increased the efficiency of communication to the extent that one can actually work in the comfort of their own home. This has greatly influenced the way people live and in more ways than one, liberalized women. For one, women who were just a century ago confined to the home are now given the option of working from home through high tech devises like laptops and blackberry. They can literally perform two roles at a time – a mother and a part of the workforce. This would have been literally impossible just a century ago.
When it comes to the discussion of science and technology, it would also be irresponsible to leave out the tremendous advances in the area of medical science. The discovery of vaccines, antibiotics, stem cell organ transplants are all but the tip of the ice berg when discussing the developments in medical science. Just a few decades ago, the elderly can simply die from simple influenzas. But with increase knowledge of how the immune system works, this is no longer such a problem as doctors can very vigilantly prescribe vaccines and vitamins to patients as a precaution for such influenza attacks.
In-Vitro-Fertilization, otherwise known as IVF or test-tube baby, has also opened new doors to the many couples with problems in their reproductive system. The sperm and ovule are fertilized in a petri dish and the embryo implanted in the uterus of the mother through an external injection. The procedure is so simple and yet, it has impacted so many couples around the world and allowed them to start a family.
With that said, like every powerful thing, science and technology can be thwarted and misused. In the process, great harm and damage can be inflicted on the very world we live in. A good example that has left its mark in human history would be that of the progress in weapons development. In world war two, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan led to the death of thousands of Japanese. Of those who survived, many young kids and toddlers developed mutations of which the unborn fetuses were most affected. Though the dropping of the atomic bombs led to the much celebrated end of the war, the effects of the trauma it has caused is still echoing in the culture of the Japanese. This can be seen in the high suicide rates in Japan and the highly disturbing nature of some of their animations and movies.
Another example of how science can be thwarted and badly abused would be in the infamous Adolf Hitler and his dedication to eugenics. In his perverse hatred towards the Jews and strong belief in formation of ‘pure’ Aryan race, he actually invented an inhumanely rapid way of exterminating his fellow mankind in War World Two. Hitler created the gas chambers. It was there where he executed his ‘final solution’ and rapidly gassed millions of Jews and Semites to death. Not only did he embarrass and humiliate his prisoners before their death, he picked a few unfortunate ones to perform unethical experiments on. These examples include experiments on how long it takes to freeze a person to death and how much water a human stomach can bear before it explodes. These experiments were grossly inhuman and unethical and have not only led people to question the sanctity of human life; it has also led to the guilty conscience that the Germans still bear up till today.
In conclusion, though science and technology has brought with it multitudes of advantages to mankind, it has also inevitably made history’s worst traumas possible. Therefore, we do not always benefit from the advances in science and technology but when used wisely and cautiously, science and technology can indeed lead to great leaps of enlightment and convenience in mankind.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Advertisement
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If you need extra help in your studies, please feel free to contact me. =)
Credentials:
If you need extra help in your studies, please feel free to contact me. =)
Credentials:
- NUS graduate (Major in Food Science and Technology, Minor in English Studies)
- A level General Paper - A2
- A level Biology - A
- O level English - A1
- O level Literature - A2
- Prospective teacher-in-training (entering NIE)
Fees:
Primary 1-6 (Maths, english and science) - $35 a lesson of 1.5 hours
Secondary 1-4 (English, Biology, Literature) - $45 a lesson of 1.5 hours
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Fees are the same regardless of how many subjects you need... as long it is between the time frame of 1.5 hours... Lessons might be extended to 2 hours if it is required... (no extra charge)
I also take foreign students or students who are poor in english who wish to improve their english independent of any particular examination. Will work on their basic linguistic writing, reading and communication skills.
If interested, please email me at denise_thong@hotmail.com
Monday, May 11, 2009
Luke 7: 36-50
For three times in the last three days, I stumbled upon this passage in the bible:
- When randomly flipping through my bible
- Listening to my sister
- At church service
So perhaps, God is trying to tell me something =)
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Jesus Anointed by a Sinful woman
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself,"If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -that she is a sinner."
Jesus answeterd him, " Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her fair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Then Jesus said to her, " Your sins are forgiven."
The other guests began t say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you, go in peace."
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
It's God! =)
God can speak light into the darkness...
God can speak health to the sick...
God can speak strength to the weak...
There is power in words...
And as Jesus is, So are we in this world...
There are many things that I can't do...
But Jesus can...
So I must stop looking at the me in the mirror...
And feeling so small and helpless...
If I respect Jesus,
I must respect and love myself..
For as Jesus is, So am I in this world...
I quit belittling myself...
I quit feeling inferior and helpless...
I want none of that...
And I am not scared of anyone who wants to belittle me...
I am not defined by what they say about me...
I am defined by what my creator says about me..
And he says I am fearfully and wonderfully made...
This is the truth...
We are the gems of the LORD...
Precious gems..
And gems look best in the light..
Truth is light..
Jesus is light...
You might not know it...
Or you might be too afraid...
To stand in the light...
Because you are afraid that all those around you...
Will see your flaws...
But truth be told,
If you clothe yourself with the truth of the LORD...
All they will see is God's glory through you...
So be of good cheer..
Smile...
For smiling requires faith...
and faith is nothing but..
the confident expectation of good...
I understand that it is important to be humble...
Arrogance lead to many injuries...
Wounds in the heart that take years to heal...
By all means be humble...
But not to the extent of trampling over your own ego...
You are a prince/princess of God...
Always remember your value...
The world might judge you based on the worldly...
That's all they can see...
They will judge you based on your looks, your wealth, your dressing, your status...
But that's all nothing to LORD...
God values that that can't been seen with worldly eyes..
He values humility, kindness, compassion..
And above all,
He values love...
Love your neighbour as yourself.
I would like to issue a challenge...
To myself... and to all of you whom I love...
Do not judge others based on the world's values...
For you are no longer of this world...
You are living in this world,
But you are not of this world...
Train your eyes to see the good in others...
The diamonds hiding admidst the dust...
For those who seek goodwill shall find it...
And those who seek trouble shall too recieve it...
Therefore, always look for the good in people...
It is not easy to find a perfectly good man..
But it is even harder to find a man with no goodness in him at all...
Love yourself..
For by the measure you love yourself, you will be able to love others..
For the command is to love others like you do yourself...
If you are overly harsh to yourself...
It will overflow in your way of dealing with others...
Love yourself...
But do not be self-focused...
To the extent that you are self-focused...
That will be the extent in which you are depressed..
For the self is always imperfect...
And in our needless quest for perfection...
We find ourselves failing...
The only perfect thing in this world is love..
God is love...
Jesus is love..
Focus on Jesus..
He is your divine distraction from self-obsession...
Self-obsession is indeed the fastest way to depression...
Instead of focusing your energy on loving yourself and those around you..
You knit pick on all your tiny flaws...
And seek to hide or cure them...
The one who is most able to love..
Is the one who has already settled all issues with himself...
Be hospitable to all...
Kindness, hospitality and selflessness are not traits of the flesh...
They don't come naturally to people...
They are traits of God...
And will flow into your lives..
When God enters your life...
Be kind to strangers...
For when you show kindness to another...
You are blessing God...
Your greatest service would not be just praise and worship in church...
It would be service to God's people...
There is not one human in this world that is not created by God...
And not one who is not destined for salvation..
All are lost...
And need to be found...
Those who are lost yearn in their hearts secretly for the LORD...
And will gravitate towards the LORD...
So hesitate no more...
Extend your hand to save God's lost sheep...
For you yourself was saved the same way...
God is good...
And all the time..
God is good...
He creates each day afresh...
And whether you know it or not...
It is a day that the LORD as made..
You should rejoice and be glad in it...
Because for each new day...
God provides new manna for you...
You will be able to reap much from this new day...
All the blessings that God has in store for you...
Waiting to be discovered...
God can speak health to the sick...
God can speak strength to the weak...
There is power in words...
And as Jesus is, So are we in this world...
There are many things that I can't do...
But Jesus can...
So I must stop looking at the me in the mirror...
And feeling so small and helpless...
If I respect Jesus,
I must respect and love myself..
For as Jesus is, So am I in this world...
I quit belittling myself...
I quit feeling inferior and helpless...
I want none of that...
And I am not scared of anyone who wants to belittle me...
I am not defined by what they say about me...
I am defined by what my creator says about me..
And he says I am fearfully and wonderfully made...
This is the truth...
We are the gems of the LORD...
Precious gems..
And gems look best in the light..
Truth is light..
Jesus is light...
You might not know it...
Or you might be too afraid...
To stand in the light...
Because you are afraid that all those around you...
Will see your flaws...
But truth be told,
If you clothe yourself with the truth of the LORD...
All they will see is God's glory through you...
So be of good cheer..
Smile...
For smiling requires faith...
and faith is nothing but..
the confident expectation of good...
I understand that it is important to be humble...
Arrogance lead to many injuries...
Wounds in the heart that take years to heal...
By all means be humble...
But not to the extent of trampling over your own ego...
You are a prince/princess of God...
Always remember your value...
The world might judge you based on the worldly...
That's all they can see...
They will judge you based on your looks, your wealth, your dressing, your status...
But that's all nothing to LORD...
God values that that can't been seen with worldly eyes..
He values humility, kindness, compassion..
And above all,
He values love...
Love your neighbour as yourself.
I would like to issue a challenge...
To myself... and to all of you whom I love...
Do not judge others based on the world's values...
For you are no longer of this world...
You are living in this world,
But you are not of this world...
Train your eyes to see the good in others...
The diamonds hiding admidst the dust...
For those who seek goodwill shall find it...
And those who seek trouble shall too recieve it...
Therefore, always look for the good in people...
It is not easy to find a perfectly good man..
But it is even harder to find a man with no goodness in him at all...
Love yourself..
For by the measure you love yourself, you will be able to love others..
For the command is to love others like you do yourself...
If you are overly harsh to yourself...
It will overflow in your way of dealing with others...
Love yourself...
But do not be self-focused...
To the extent that you are self-focused...
That will be the extent in which you are depressed..
For the self is always imperfect...
And in our needless quest for perfection...
We find ourselves failing...
The only perfect thing in this world is love..
God is love...
Jesus is love..
Focus on Jesus..
He is your divine distraction from self-obsession...
Self-obsession is indeed the fastest way to depression...
Instead of focusing your energy on loving yourself and those around you..
You knit pick on all your tiny flaws...
And seek to hide or cure them...
The one who is most able to love..
Is the one who has already settled all issues with himself...
Be hospitable to all...
Kindness, hospitality and selflessness are not traits of the flesh...
They don't come naturally to people...
They are traits of God...
And will flow into your lives..
When God enters your life...
Be kind to strangers...
For when you show kindness to another...
You are blessing God...
Your greatest service would not be just praise and worship in church...
It would be service to God's people...
There is not one human in this world that is not created by God...
And not one who is not destined for salvation..
All are lost...
And need to be found...
Those who are lost yearn in their hearts secretly for the LORD...
And will gravitate towards the LORD...
So hesitate no more...
Extend your hand to save God's lost sheep...
For you yourself was saved the same way...
God is good...
And all the time..
God is good...
He creates each day afresh...
And whether you know it or not...
It is a day that the LORD as made..
You should rejoice and be glad in it...
Because for each new day...
God provides new manna for you...
You will be able to reap much from this new day...
All the blessings that God has in store for you...
Waiting to be discovered...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
2 Corinthians (5: 14-21)
How my church got it's name - New Creation Church
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Monday, April 20, 2009
2 Corinthians (1: 3-11)
The God of All Comfort
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort we ourselves have recieved from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hears we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves bit on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort we ourselves have recieved from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hears we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves bit on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Miracles
Was waiting for training... Sitting near NTC observing the clouds (which can be quite dreamy and lazy act for all you stressed people out there)... But for me.. it was so amazing... Especially when I thought I could have become blind just a few days ago... sort of makes seeing mean so much more.. Thank God I am fine...
Just a few weeks back, my dad lost my dog when he brought the dog down for a early morning walk... My mum panicked and woke me up at 5AM to go down to look for the dog... I was very upset... It is not only once or twice but every single day.. that I wake up and feel so lucky I have such an adorable God-sent lying beside me...
I got up, washed my face and ran down to look for him... I shouted his name for a whole 15 minutes and just when I was about to give up... I decided to walk to the bottom of my flat and scream once more... Just one last time... (Bearing in mind that my dad has been searching for him for 1 entire hour prior to me)... And guess what? He responded to the last call.. My little God-sent came home by himself... All the way from Changi Village where he was lost... He had to cross two roads and climb one overhead bridge to get back safely... and He did... The greatest miracle of all... God responded almost instantly! I never had to pray or scream out for his help... He came long before I could even speak his name... Somehow, all I had to do was to feel enormous pain and he would come to my rescue... Amazing yah...
It all happened when I was at the brink of desperation.. Just a moment from crying desperately.. I literally felt my heart breaking... and at that moment... My loki came back to me...
The ironic thing is... the night before... and the morning after i grabbed loki back into my arms... I gained nothing new... But I felt so much richer... You could have asked me if I wanted one million dollars or Loki.. and my answer would have be a straight LOKI!!!
Realise how lucky I am...
Same thing regarding my eye injury.. the impact of the turning kick was so significant... my eye just went blank for awhile... and when it happened, the first thing I thought of was "Shit, no more Asian Martial Arts fair for me." Ironic yah? I should be worried about bigger things like not being able to see my loved ones anymore... Or be able to observe the beautiful sights of the world ever again...
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Clouds are such amazing phenomenon... How God creates beauty with simple water droplets... Such great beauty with such simple things...
Just a few weeks back, my dad lost my dog when he brought the dog down for a early morning walk... My mum panicked and woke me up at 5AM to go down to look for the dog... I was very upset... It is not only once or twice but every single day.. that I wake up and feel so lucky I have such an adorable God-sent lying beside me...
I got up, washed my face and ran down to look for him... I shouted his name for a whole 15 minutes and just when I was about to give up... I decided to walk to the bottom of my flat and scream once more... Just one last time... (Bearing in mind that my dad has been searching for him for 1 entire hour prior to me)... And guess what? He responded to the last call.. My little God-sent came home by himself... All the way from Changi Village where he was lost... He had to cross two roads and climb one overhead bridge to get back safely... and He did... The greatest miracle of all... God responded almost instantly! I never had to pray or scream out for his help... He came long before I could even speak his name... Somehow, all I had to do was to feel enormous pain and he would come to my rescue... Amazing yah...
It all happened when I was at the brink of desperation.. Just a moment from crying desperately.. I literally felt my heart breaking... and at that moment... My loki came back to me...
The ironic thing is... the night before... and the morning after i grabbed loki back into my arms... I gained nothing new... But I felt so much richer... You could have asked me if I wanted one million dollars or Loki.. and my answer would have be a straight LOKI!!!
Realise how lucky I am...
Same thing regarding my eye injury.. the impact of the turning kick was so significant... my eye just went blank for awhile... and when it happened, the first thing I thought of was "Shit, no more Asian Martial Arts fair for me." Ironic yah? I should be worried about bigger things like not being able to see my loved ones anymore... Or be able to observe the beautiful sights of the world ever again...
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Clouds are such amazing phenomenon... How God creates beauty with simple water droplets... Such great beauty with such simple things...
Bitching
What's one of the most beautiful things to listen to in this world?
Someone saying something good about you behind you back... And you happen to just walk by...
What's one of the most painful things to accidentally stumble upon?
Someone saying something bad about you behind your back... And you happen to just walk by...
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I can attempt to be an A+ Christian here and tell you to take no regard to what others think about you... and have no regard for anything in this world... But to tell you honestly, it is almost humanly impossible to ignore what others think about you.. Especially when we are just we...
Of course one day when we become multi-billionaires and own houses and cars and have our own personal fan page on facebook, we can possibly ignore mean comments... But look? Haven't you noticed that many beautiful young celebrities commit suicide after listening to some mean and harsh comments about themselves?
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Though we can not prevent people from saying nasty things behind our backs.. we can try to prevent ourselves from bitching needlessly and carelessly...
I am not saying that bitching is bad. In fact, I am saying that its good... We all need to bitch about people from time to time.. Unload that stress.. vent it out on someone or something (like a blog)... then move on in life... Nothing better than bitching to get an obstacle out of your mind... Especially if you are a woman... trust me... there's some 'bitching' gene encoded in our system... We need to talk about our problems..
Though bitching is not bad.. You must make sure you bitch to the correct person... Someone who understands you enough not to judge you based on your bitching session.. Someone who loves you enough to allow you to unload... then swiftly forget the information... and love you like you're the most innocent and adorable thing in this world...
If you bitch to someone who doesn't know you enough.. or someone who is immature, he/she might not be able to handle the information.. Instead of being your pillar of support, he is likely to pull away from you... much like you are some evil let loose from hell... and he would probably imagine that you might too bitch about him behing his back... and thus, as a result lose faith in you..
Truth be told.. Our world is so far from ideal... Even christians bitch all the time.. My parents bitch about us (my sister and I) all the time... and I have heard loving couples bitching about their boy/girlfriends behind their backs... but do they still love each other? YES...
It is precisely because they still love each other that they can be so seriously affected by the 'bad behavior' of the other party... this inspires them to have to bitch about it in order to unload some stress... Besides, its a natural correcting mechanism to seek opinion from a friend in solving our relationship problems...
Therefore, it is ok to bitch about people... I have seen so many examples of people who complain about one another... then go back to doing incredible selfless acts of love to one another... So it appears that bitching is not mutually exclusive from love...
Do not be affected by the mean things you accidentally stumble on when you walk past a pair of conversing friends... At least they care about you enough to discuss about you... Try to find an appropriate place and person if you wish to speak badly of someone else... Do not do it in the open or when the party in discussion might be somewhere near...
On the contrary, if you wish to say good things about others... do it openly.. =) Might make you more popular than you can ever imagine...
God's grace... God's grace!!!
Someone saying something good about you behind you back... And you happen to just walk by...
What's one of the most painful things to accidentally stumble upon?
Someone saying something bad about you behind your back... And you happen to just walk by...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can attempt to be an A+ Christian here and tell you to take no regard to what others think about you... and have no regard for anything in this world... But to tell you honestly, it is almost humanly impossible to ignore what others think about you.. Especially when we are just we...
Of course one day when we become multi-billionaires and own houses and cars and have our own personal fan page on facebook, we can possibly ignore mean comments... But look? Haven't you noticed that many beautiful young celebrities commit suicide after listening to some mean and harsh comments about themselves?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Though we can not prevent people from saying nasty things behind our backs.. we can try to prevent ourselves from bitching needlessly and carelessly...
I am not saying that bitching is bad. In fact, I am saying that its good... We all need to bitch about people from time to time.. Unload that stress.. vent it out on someone or something (like a blog)... then move on in life... Nothing better than bitching to get an obstacle out of your mind... Especially if you are a woman... trust me... there's some 'bitching' gene encoded in our system... We need to talk about our problems..
Though bitching is not bad.. You must make sure you bitch to the correct person... Someone who understands you enough not to judge you based on your bitching session.. Someone who loves you enough to allow you to unload... then swiftly forget the information... and love you like you're the most innocent and adorable thing in this world...
If you bitch to someone who doesn't know you enough.. or someone who is immature, he/she might not be able to handle the information.. Instead of being your pillar of support, he is likely to pull away from you... much like you are some evil let loose from hell... and he would probably imagine that you might too bitch about him behing his back... and thus, as a result lose faith in you..
Truth be told.. Our world is so far from ideal... Even christians bitch all the time.. My parents bitch about us (my sister and I) all the time... and I have heard loving couples bitching about their boy/girlfriends behind their backs... but do they still love each other? YES...
It is precisely because they still love each other that they can be so seriously affected by the 'bad behavior' of the other party... this inspires them to have to bitch about it in order to unload some stress... Besides, its a natural correcting mechanism to seek opinion from a friend in solving our relationship problems...
Therefore, it is ok to bitch about people... I have seen so many examples of people who complain about one another... then go back to doing incredible selfless acts of love to one another... So it appears that bitching is not mutually exclusive from love...
Do not be affected by the mean things you accidentally stumble on when you walk past a pair of conversing friends... At least they care about you enough to discuss about you... Try to find an appropriate place and person if you wish to speak badly of someone else... Do not do it in the open or when the party in discussion might be somewhere near...
On the contrary, if you wish to say good things about others... do it openly.. =) Might make you more popular than you can ever imagine...
God's grace... God's grace!!!
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Donkey Story
Scenario A:
A donkey with a man with a parcel... The parcel is strapped to the back of the donkey.... and the man rides freely on the back of the donkey.... carrying no burden...
Scenario B:
A donkey with a man with a parcel... The man, feeling pity for the donkey, decided to do his part by carrying the parcel for the donkey... In his ignorance, he actually believes that he reducing the load of the donkey.. Little does he know, that his effort is needless...
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Most of us are living lives like that of scenario B... Once we have accepted christ, our lives are different... All our weights and problems (like the parcel) are been carried by Jesus... and in his death, his blood washes all these sins away.... we no longer have to carry the burden... The picture of the donkey carrying us and our parcel is that of Jesus carrying our load and us... on the cross... where he died and paid the ultimate the price for our sin...
But yet, we condemn ourselves and map out idealistic impossibly difficult paths to follow ... To try to convince ourselves to play our part in helping Jesus.. In helping God do his work... Little do we know, that we are as silly as the man in scenario B....
When God starts a job, he completes it... It is entirely him - 100% ... Your part is to ride quietly on his shoulders and be restful and calm... Don't be silly to try to carry the load by yourself... God has it covered... Just pray for peace and stillness....
A donkey with a man with a parcel... The parcel is strapped to the back of the donkey.... and the man rides freely on the back of the donkey.... carrying no burden...
Scenario B:
A donkey with a man with a parcel... The man, feeling pity for the donkey, decided to do his part by carrying the parcel for the donkey... In his ignorance, he actually believes that he reducing the load of the donkey.. Little does he know, that his effort is needless...
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Most of us are living lives like that of scenario B... Once we have accepted christ, our lives are different... All our weights and problems (like the parcel) are been carried by Jesus... and in his death, his blood washes all these sins away.... we no longer have to carry the burden... The picture of the donkey carrying us and our parcel is that of Jesus carrying our load and us... on the cross... where he died and paid the ultimate the price for our sin...
But yet, we condemn ourselves and map out idealistic impossibly difficult paths to follow ... To try to convince ourselves to play our part in helping Jesus.. In helping God do his work... Little do we know, that we are as silly as the man in scenario B....
When God starts a job, he completes it... It is entirely him - 100% ... Your part is to ride quietly on his shoulders and be restful and calm... Don't be silly to try to carry the load by yourself... God has it covered... Just pray for peace and stillness....
Thursday, April 9, 2009
God's grace
I feel this impending need to re-explain the concept of God's grace.. I was browsing through my previous blog entries and I realised that my earliest blog entries are no longer assessable on this blog... It is thus essential that I re-explain this concept of God's grace which is central to everything else written on this blog... Central to what defines denise thong...
God's grace is the unearned and undeserved favour from God... A result of his love... A result of his sacrifise (of Jesus)...
It is one thing to work hard to lead a sin-free life... then run to your heavenly father for nods of approval and affirmation... Yes, you will still feel loved... but you feel the constant pressure to live up to that sin-free expectation... and when you do sin, you feel so condemned and estranged from the love of God that you become afraid to run to the LORD for help...
But my friend.. this is when the ironic and beautiful part comes in... God's love is nothing like the above... It is not based on merit or ability... It is not about impressing God... It is based only on one thing being you... No matter how horrible you are... or how badly you've behaved... you can never escape from God's love for you... In fact, God's love is really a source of provision, not a source of condemnation... It is when you fail to lead a sin-free life... that you must turn to God for help... And yes, he will answer and will bless you with what you lack... to lead the life he intended for you to live... He will definitely not punish you and critisize you...
As such, the church is not the house of saints... it is a hospital for sinners...
God's grace is the unearned and undeserved favour from God... A result of his love... A result of his sacrifise (of Jesus)...
It is one thing to work hard to lead a sin-free life... then run to your heavenly father for nods of approval and affirmation... Yes, you will still feel loved... but you feel the constant pressure to live up to that sin-free expectation... and when you do sin, you feel so condemned and estranged from the love of God that you become afraid to run to the LORD for help...
But my friend.. this is when the ironic and beautiful part comes in... God's love is nothing like the above... It is not based on merit or ability... It is not about impressing God... It is based only on one thing being you... No matter how horrible you are... or how badly you've behaved... you can never escape from God's love for you... In fact, God's love is really a source of provision, not a source of condemnation... It is when you fail to lead a sin-free life... that you must turn to God for help... And yes, he will answer and will bless you with what you lack... to lead the life he intended for you to live... He will definitely not punish you and critisize you...
As such, the church is not the house of saints... it is a hospital for sinners...
God's love transforms you
Love is such an amazing thing... It transforms you into a very different version of yourself.. Most of the time for the better... What actually happens when you are in love? Why do you behave differently? It is definitely not only attributed to your desperation to impress the person you love... This is evident from the fact that you act differently even when he/she is not around...
I guess this transformation is definitely due to the new identity that you have taken up... You are no longer just denise.. you are the one whom _________ loves... And thus, you act according... in a manner you have determined would please and make the other person proud... Somehow you feel that the person's always watching... You enjoy the attention as well as the nods of approval... Somehow, this feeling of approval... this stamp of love.. makes all the difference in the world.. It makes you feel lucky... Like striking a lottery...
With that said, I would love to write an entry all about love (between men)... and how it has filled my life and transformed me for the better.. but I would in fact be lying to you... Because the only love that has transformed me into a better person is that of the love of God... the love of Jesus...
In many ways, I feel that the love of man... is very much like a drug.. It makes you feel illogically happy for awhile... when you are with the person you love... you feel this illogical happiness and euphoria... But, very sadly, it leaves you feeling so insecure when you are away from the person... and ultimately... you are drawn back to that one you love to get another dosage of the drug... and probably even more than before.. Before you know it... you become clingy and desperate (addicted) ... you forgot how life was before that drug came into your life... you forgot to live without that drug.. and when you finally decide to give it up.. and cure that addiction.. you suffer from serious withdrawal symptoms.. This my friend, is not a metaphor... There really are withdrawal symptoms... They are characterised by self-esteem problems, heartaches, depressions and suicidal intentions...
The love of God however, has the same euphoric effect as the love of man... minus the withdrawal symptoms.. You won't wake up in the morning feeling insecure and helpless... In fact, you wake up each day with a confident expectation of good (faith) in your life... You are no longer just denise.. you are the denise whom God loves.. The one who God would have sent his son to die for even if you are the only one on earth...
It is God's love that empowers you to do the amazing... The more you are able to understand this concept.. the more independent and capable you become... Because you are no longer just a helpless, weak human being.. You are strong, blessed and LOVED by none other than God almighty... That really transforms you...
I guess this transformation is definitely due to the new identity that you have taken up... You are no longer just denise.. you are the one whom _________ loves... And thus, you act according... in a manner you have determined would please and make the other person proud... Somehow you feel that the person's always watching... You enjoy the attention as well as the nods of approval... Somehow, this feeling of approval... this stamp of love.. makes all the difference in the world.. It makes you feel lucky... Like striking a lottery...
With that said, I would love to write an entry all about love (between men)... and how it has filled my life and transformed me for the better.. but I would in fact be lying to you... Because the only love that has transformed me into a better person is that of the love of God... the love of Jesus...
In many ways, I feel that the love of man... is very much like a drug.. It makes you feel illogically happy for awhile... when you are with the person you love... you feel this illogical happiness and euphoria... But, very sadly, it leaves you feeling so insecure when you are away from the person... and ultimately... you are drawn back to that one you love to get another dosage of the drug... and probably even more than before.. Before you know it... you become clingy and desperate (addicted) ... you forgot how life was before that drug came into your life... you forgot to live without that drug.. and when you finally decide to give it up.. and cure that addiction.. you suffer from serious withdrawal symptoms.. This my friend, is not a metaphor... There really are withdrawal symptoms... They are characterised by self-esteem problems, heartaches, depressions and suicidal intentions...
The love of God however, has the same euphoric effect as the love of man... minus the withdrawal symptoms.. You won't wake up in the morning feeling insecure and helpless... In fact, you wake up each day with a confident expectation of good (faith) in your life... You are no longer just denise.. you are the denise whom God loves.. The one who God would have sent his son to die for even if you are the only one on earth...
It is God's love that empowers you to do the amazing... The more you are able to understand this concept.. the more independent and capable you become... Because you are no longer just a helpless, weak human being.. You are strong, blessed and LOVED by none other than God almighty... That really transforms you...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Matthew 5: 38-48
An Eye for an Eye
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have a your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your ememies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? do not even pagans do that? Be perfect , therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have a your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your ememies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? do not even pagans do that? Be perfect , therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Tenderheart
Jesus Calms the storm (Mark 4:35-41)
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, " Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up , and the wave broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern. sleeping on the cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him. "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be Still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other,"Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
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The beautiful thing about Jesus is that he is both completely man and completely God... Like God, he has the divine ability to rise above all difficulties and challenges... he has authority over all in this world... but like man, Jesus has deep feelings of compassion..
Being raised by man, he understands completely well, how the human functions.... He understands human fears, helplessness and infirmities... And this is how Jesus Christ is able to provide for us completely... Because he does not give from a heart of supeority... Instead, he gives from a heart of love... because he knows how helpless we are and how much impact he can make in our lifes, the more he gives, the happier he is. In fact, it has been long preached that Jesus is more willing to give.. than you are to recieve...
I love this story because here you have a boatful of disciples... at the brink of death... yes.. they may be Jesus's disciples.. yes.. they may have just witnessed dozens of miracle healings and miracle provision... but they are still human.. how many of us can not panic when we are placed on a boat that is about to sink?
No matter how many miracles we have witnessed before, we will always have doubts on whether we would survive... Somehow the human tendency to demiracalise everything and explain it as a result of chance always gets the better of us.... and before long.. we find ourselves doubting the love and power of God..
Fortunately for us, Jesus understands our fear and understands our lack of faith... More importantly, he understands our desperation and need for IMMEDIATE help... Therefore, instead of carrying on his restful sleep... Jesus woke up immediately to calm the storm.. And almost instantly there was pin drop silence... the boat was completely still... completely peaceful...
So beloved, I am not writing this in attempt to encourage you to learn how to get a grip of yourself in tough times... Jesus did many things we humans can never do.. for one.. Jesus walked on water.. none of us can do that no matter how hard we try.... Therefore, I am writing this not to encourage you to learn to sleep during a storm.. It is impossible and almost inhuman to do so...
How many of us can fall asleep peacefully when our loved one is dying? Somehow, that would make us heartless and inhuman... In fact, it is our vulnerability that God loves and treasures... it is our humaness that is so precious... Therefore, do not feel guilty if you lack faith... It is as good as feeling guilty for breathing... why feel guilty about something you have no control over?
Therefore, when you are in dire circumstances, do not endeavour to be peaceful and strong with your own effort. Instead, be like the disciples.. call on the LORD when your need is dire... Do not be tempted to turn to your friends or to resort to political-scheming... All this won't save you.. Call on the LORD... and he will strip the circumstances of its might over you... and stabilise everything....
The fact that Jesus could sleep on the boat shows that he was confident that as long as he was on the boat, God would never allow it to sink.. He knew that, thus he could sleep deeply despite all the turbulence..
In fact, Jesus could have just ignored his disciples and carried on sleeping.. and when the morning came and the storm subsided, he could have lectured them and scolded them for their lack of faith... then stood up and said "see, you should all be like me.. I slept so soundly last night.. have faith like me."
But no. Jesus didn't do that... He calmed the storms immediately because he knew that humans were vulnerable... and easily subjected to trauma... Thus, he decided to do the loving thing... and provided peace back to the circumstances... Though either way, they would definitely have lived... He loved the disciples so much to ensure that not only do they live... but they lived well, and are fully aware of God's divine love and tenderheart towards them...
Similarly, this is the love that Jesus has for you... every single second of your life! =) God's grace, God's grace!
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, " Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up , and the wave broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern. sleeping on the cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him. "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be Still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other,"Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
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The beautiful thing about Jesus is that he is both completely man and completely God... Like God, he has the divine ability to rise above all difficulties and challenges... he has authority over all in this world... but like man, Jesus has deep feelings of compassion..
Being raised by man, he understands completely well, how the human functions.... He understands human fears, helplessness and infirmities... And this is how Jesus Christ is able to provide for us completely... Because he does not give from a heart of supeority... Instead, he gives from a heart of love... because he knows how helpless we are and how much impact he can make in our lifes, the more he gives, the happier he is. In fact, it has been long preached that Jesus is more willing to give.. than you are to recieve...
I love this story because here you have a boatful of disciples... at the brink of death... yes.. they may be Jesus's disciples.. yes.. they may have just witnessed dozens of miracle healings and miracle provision... but they are still human.. how many of us can not panic when we are placed on a boat that is about to sink?
No matter how many miracles we have witnessed before, we will always have doubts on whether we would survive... Somehow the human tendency to demiracalise everything and explain it as a result of chance always gets the better of us.... and before long.. we find ourselves doubting the love and power of God..
Fortunately for us, Jesus understands our fear and understands our lack of faith... More importantly, he understands our desperation and need for IMMEDIATE help... Therefore, instead of carrying on his restful sleep... Jesus woke up immediately to calm the storm.. And almost instantly there was pin drop silence... the boat was completely still... completely peaceful...
So beloved, I am not writing this in attempt to encourage you to learn how to get a grip of yourself in tough times... Jesus did many things we humans can never do.. for one.. Jesus walked on water.. none of us can do that no matter how hard we try.... Therefore, I am writing this not to encourage you to learn to sleep during a storm.. It is impossible and almost inhuman to do so...
How many of us can fall asleep peacefully when our loved one is dying? Somehow, that would make us heartless and inhuman... In fact, it is our vulnerability that God loves and treasures... it is our humaness that is so precious... Therefore, do not feel guilty if you lack faith... It is as good as feeling guilty for breathing... why feel guilty about something you have no control over?
Therefore, when you are in dire circumstances, do not endeavour to be peaceful and strong with your own effort. Instead, be like the disciples.. call on the LORD when your need is dire... Do not be tempted to turn to your friends or to resort to political-scheming... All this won't save you.. Call on the LORD... and he will strip the circumstances of its might over you... and stabilise everything....
The fact that Jesus could sleep on the boat shows that he was confident that as long as he was on the boat, God would never allow it to sink.. He knew that, thus he could sleep deeply despite all the turbulence..
In fact, Jesus could have just ignored his disciples and carried on sleeping.. and when the morning came and the storm subsided, he could have lectured them and scolded them for their lack of faith... then stood up and said "see, you should all be like me.. I slept so soundly last night.. have faith like me."
But no. Jesus didn't do that... He calmed the storms immediately because he knew that humans were vulnerable... and easily subjected to trauma... Thus, he decided to do the loving thing... and provided peace back to the circumstances... Though either way, they would definitely have lived... He loved the disciples so much to ensure that not only do they live... but they lived well, and are fully aware of God's divine love and tenderheart towards them...
Similarly, this is the love that Jesus has for you... every single second of your life! =) God's grace, God's grace!
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