It's been awhile...

Yup, it's been awhile.... The last blog was 13 Oct 2007. And now, fast forward to 25 May 2016... 9 years have just flown by! So what had happened in the last 9 years? Well, life happened. The busyness of building a family, career advancements, ministry and church commitments pretty much filled up my days, and nights... 

So here I am, having slogged and plowed in the crazy hours into my career, I have since resigned from a job that took, not just hours away from me, but pretty much sucked up my emotional and psychological energy. In spite of it all, I did gain much from it... new skills, new friends, a new sense of fulfillment and achievement, and new respect for myself, and most of all, personal experiences of God's faithful presence. And as I face a new horizon, I am asking God for His direction, for His guiding hand to lead me to follow the path of His will, to fulfill His divine purpose for me. This week, I have been reminded from Ephesians 2:8-10... For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

God has saved me, not because of anything wonderful I did, which by the way, is nothing, God saved me by His grace, undeserving as I am because of my sins. It is His gift to me. And in saving me, He also has a special work(s) for me to complete, which He had prepared in advance. 

And as I wait upon God to reveal the next phase He has planned in advance for me, I am plowing in my hours and energy into my family, and into my spiritual life in Christ, investing into my eternity. What about you? In whom and in what are you investing your time, energy and resources?

Personal Judgments

Read the following from someone's blog and the relevant attached comments :

Study : Youth See Christians as Judgmental, Anti-Gay

Majority of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. What's more, many Christians don't even want to call themselves "Christian" because of the baggage that accompanies the label. A new book based on research by the California-based research firm The Barna Group found that church attitudes about people in general and gays in particular are driving a negative image of the Christian faith among people ages 16-29. The vast majority of non-Christians — 91% — said Christianity had an anti-gay image, followed by 87% who said it was judgmental and 85% who said it was hypocritical. Such views were held by smaller percentages of the active churchgoers, but the faith still did not fare well: 80% agreed with the anti-gay label, 52% said Christianity is judgmental, and 47% declared it hypocritical. The details are in a book released by The Barna Group called UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.

Comment # 1 :

Today's 16-29s who think this way about Christianity are tomorrow's adults who won't be going to church. The fundamentalists need to take a good look at themselves if they want their religion to survive beyond this generation.

Comment # 2 :

I also avoid identifying as "Christian" because the fundamentalists have tarnished that name. I am slightly older than the age range of that study, but if asked, I would also have said I see evangelical Christianity as being judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. That's not the kind of Christianity I'm interested in. And nor would Jesus be, I suspect. Thanks for the post.

Here are my observations :

1. GOD is the ultimate Judge over every man and woman, and his judgment is based on his standards of holiness, not man's. As the Creator of man, we are to live according to his standards and purposes. Romans 1:18, 26-27 states this, "The wrath of GOD is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness...GOD gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion". Thus in GOD's eyes, unnatural relations such as that of the same gender is not acceptable to him.
2. On being hypocritical and judgmental, only GOD is to judge, not man. Why? Because in Romans 3:10, 23, it states, "There is no one righteous, not even one...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD..." Therefore, who am I to say that I am better than another when I have my own sins and shortfalls in so many other areas. No one can say that they are perfect or righteous, not according to GOD's perfect holiness. Our actions and choices, whatever that may be, are to be lined up to GOD's righteous decree, not according to what each man's personal beliefs or as they see fit.
3. Christianity is a way of life, not legalistic religion, ie. to live a life to please GOD, who is our LORD and Master. Christianity has "survived" throughout the ages despite persecution and attacks from Satan not because of how man lived but because it is from GOD. It is said that everything of this earth will pass away but his words will never pass away. GOD is the one who sustains and not man coz GOD is Sovereign.
4. Each person is personally accountable to GOD for their thoughts, attitudes, choices and actions. Before the judgment throne of GOD, there will be nobody to blame because "...since what may be known about GOD is plain to them, because GOD has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world, GOD's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:19-20). GOD has revealed himself to each person - through his creation, through the Bible, his Word, through Jesus Christ' birth, life, death and resurrection. He has offered his salvation plan to each one by inviting each one to believe, accept and follow Jesus Christ...thus, there would be no excuse. So are you the one who's "not going to church" or "not believing in Jesus" because of someone else? Think again. It is GOD who's asking and inviting you personally...

"For GOD so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of GOD's one and only Son". (John 3:16, 18)

Animator (Creator) vs Animation (Creation)

Isaiah 53:6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned his own way; and the LORD has laid on him (Jesus Christ) the iniquity of us all.

This video somewhat illustrates mankind's self-will, always wanting to do things their own way, for themselves and going against GOD instead of submitting to GOD. However, 2 things that are jarringly different is that, firstly, GOD is good and always wants the best for us (he is not a tyrant who's always wanting to destroy his creation like in this video) and secondly, the ending to this video. Despite our rebelliousness and bringing constant grief to him, GOD did not just "shut us down" (which he could have so easily done, don't you think), but instead...

Romans 5:8
But GOD demonstrates his own love for us in this : While we were still sinners, Christ died for us...

and again...

Ephesians 2:1, 4-5
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions...
...But because of his great love for us, GOD, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved...

Who Am I ?

Who is GOD and what difference

does it make to how I am to live my life?

This question may not seem the most asked in this present day and age, especially when society and cultural beliefs point towards individualism and self-fulfilment. Sin has so permeated into our lives, minds and society that this question seems so irrelevant...of course, how wrong we are. If a person knows, is convicted and accepts who GOD is, what a difference it would and should definitely make...to that person, to those he/she relates to and everything else.

Why, do you say? Well, our beliefs basically drives our thinking, attitudes, behaviour and character. What you know and believe is true determines how you process your thoughts, decisions and actions. Eg. if one believes that the fetus is not a life form, then one would believe that it is OK to abort, or, if a high-flyer who believes that the end justifies the means, then it's green light all the way towards that coveted position even if it meant malice, slander or "indecent proposals".

So back to my question : Who is GOD and what difference does it make to how I live my life? Here's a few I've learnt...with many more to discover

GOD is :

1. Our Creator

Genesis 1:27 states, "So GOD created man in his own image, in the image of GOD he created him; male and female he created them". Every invention is invented to fulfil a purpose or function, otherwise, the invention is useless.

So what is man's purpose? :- GOD created man that man would enjoy and have fellowship with GOD forever, to display GOD's glory, according to GOD's good will and purposes. Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are GOD's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which GOD prepared in advance for us to do".

Then, what difference does it make to how I am to live my life? :- My life is not to be lived to meet my own purposes (of which are distorted by the world's standards and patterns) but instead, fully for GOD, to fulfil his will and plans, which are always good and wise. Thus, my motives and the choices I make each moment of the day are important and will be tested by GOD.

2. Holy

Isaiah 6:3 states, "And they (seraphs or holy creatures) were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory". GOD is the thrice holy GOD, in him there is no sin or evil.

What difference does it make to how I am to live my life? :- If I profess to love GOD and acknowledge that he is my Creator and LORD, then I am to live according to his standards and not of the world's or my own. But because his standards are perfect, no man can live up to them except by faith in Jesus Christ and his redemptive work on the cross, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This again gives GOD glory.

GOD is the JUDGE...

GOD is SOVEREIGN...

GOD is OMNIPRESENT (everywhere)...

GOD is OMNIPOTENT (all powerful)...

GOD is OMNISCIENT (all knowing)...

...and many more attributes of GOD as he is infinite...

Mind-boggling, isn't it???

Original Love

A daily devotional I received via email alert today from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries :

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Revelation 2. It's about love. God's talking to a powerhouse group of believers. He says in verse 2, "I know your deeds. I know your hard work. I know your perseverance. I know you cannot tolerate wicked men. You've tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and you found them false. You have persevered. You have endured hardships for my name. You've not grown weary." Man, these are believers who were doing a whole lot of things right. They're going to get the Church of the Year Award, right? No, they're missing what Jesus values the most. Listen to Revelation 2:4, "Yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." He says, "You guys have fallen. You don't love me like you used to. Oh, you've got the right theology. You've got the right lifestyle. You've got the right activities, but that's not it." The height of your relationship with Him was when you loved Him with original love.

Could Jesus be saying to you right now, "You don't love me like you used to?" So much is right in your life, and I'm grateful for that, but maybe the big thing isn't right. You don't love Him like you used to. The idea of first love has taken on flesh and blood again as I watched it come alive in Cathy's romance. First love isn't cerebral, it's emotional. Do you have deep feelings for Jesus, or has the passion of loving Him grown cold? I want to be more moved by Jesus; more moved by what He did for me on the cross than I've ever been in my life. I have more to be moved by than I ever did when I first started with Him. Cathy's original love is expectant. She looks forward to each new day of being with, and talking with, and going places with the man she loves. That's how a Jesus-lover looks at his or her day - being with Him, talking with him in the many different experiences of this day.

I'm watching in Cathy a love that is buoyant. No problem seems big enough to sink her now because of a love that's bigger than all of that. Well, those who deeply love Jesus experience buoyancy. It's so easy for the warmth of first love to die. In our relationship with Jesus, first love gets quenched by rules, and rat-race, and religiosity, responsibilities, and sometimes by plain old spiritual adultery where we let something else have the best of our love.

Maybe Jesus is calling you back in to that love; that love you had when you knew him a lot less, but you loved Him more. Loving Jesus has always begun at the same place, "that old rugged cross" the hymn says, "stained with blood so divine, has a wondrous attraction for me. Where the dear Lamb of God left His glory above, to bear it to dark Calvary." In the middle of all our Christianity, it's easy to forget what it's all about. It's a relationship; it's a love affair with the Lord Jesus.

A good reminder for myself...not to forget GOD in the whole equation...GOD is to be central in all I do and nothing else should occupy his place...