Notice the similarities...

1) My Father's Heart
2) My Song is Love Unknown

I found it very interesting since I only realized the similarity between the two melodies when we were learning a few new hymns after fellowship dinner. When Cheryl started teaching the tune to the hymn "My Song is Love Unknown", I was like: "Wait a minute, this sounds very familiar..." And I was right, I did hear the tune before. It was the same tune from the song "My Father's Heart" sang by Rachel Lampa. The funny thing is I always thought that Rachel Lampa's version was the original, without knowing that the melody was actually borrowed from an old English hymn, which incidentally is one of Kok Keong's favorite hymn. I have always loved "My Father's Heart", but now that I have been introduced to this new beautiful hymn, I think it might just become one of my favorite hymns as well. ;)

who... made Himself of no reputation

Have you lost your reputation?
Are you trusting in the Lord?

Have you found a full salvation
from what people think and say?

Do you mean to live for Jesus,
let the World say what it may?

(excerpt from I Come quietly to met you -Amy
Carmichael)

The promise of the Lord Jesus in the gospel of John tells us that He came so that those who believe in Him might have life and have it abundantly... yet in the gospel of Luke we find the Lord Jesus presenting a more sobering fact that if anyone will come after Him, should deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Him.

There is a cost to following the one who gives us life in its fullness, and pride and self glory has no part in it. If our Lord had people despising and rejecting him, I wonder how can we as his followers, strive on the praise and approval of the people in this world.

He allows me to hunger

I was reading some of Amy Carmichael's writings and I came upon this passage with the title "He allows me to hunger". It was a devotional on Psalms 63:1,5. It was one of those passages that carry such fundamental truths about God's dealings with us that we just need to be reminded of time after time.

It was a dialog between a father and a son. The son found himself in a barren place and wondered why he should at times feel so helpless and needy... thirsty. The Father in his great gentleness reveals to the son the reason for these unpleasant circumstances and assures his son that the Father will always be there to comfort, provide and protect.

If I may just quote two things the Father said:
- "I am the one who allowed you to come into this humbling circumstances and who allowed you to hunger. I did this so that I might feed you with manna -- My bread from heaven!"
- "Can someone who has never seen burning sands in the wilderness turn into a refreshing pool -- can he speak in praise of My marvels, or My power?"

Circumstances can change and pull us down; but the never changing Father who loves us remains faithful and builds us up. Times of hunger and thirst were never meant to make us suffer, it was meant to magnify God's greatness and remind us of the height of his goodness towards us. I am thankful... for he allows me to hunger.

Time Machine

I wish I had a time machine. I wish I could go back in time to those moments that mattered, go back to relive those memorable moments that was certain to make me smile. Or maybe just to be able to have a second change and change the mistakes of the past. But I guess life is like that, we all wish to have something magical that could do things that we can only dream of. Chris Rice would have wanted his magic wand; I would like to have my own time machine. However far fetched the idea may be, it all comes down to the human need for hope, for something better, something that allows us to cover up our flaws and make things better.

Why then did God not make time machines and magic wands a reality in this world? He could if he wanted to, but He didn’t. It sure would have made things better. Or would it? Maybe we are just missing the point. Instead of looking towards “something” to help us change our lives, we fail to see that “someone” is already waiting for us to turn towards him and depend on him. If only we would be willing to listen to His words and allow the spirit to guide us to making the right choices. Maybe then we would no longer have a need for a time machine or a magic wand, because we would finally be able to say that God has made all things well and that no time machine or any magic wand could have made it any better. So goodbye time machine, I have my Lord by my side and that will be just fine, thank you!

Chapter two

It has been almost two months since I returned home from the UK. Having finished my studies, its good to be home. Ever since then I had been caught up with job hunting, family camp, catching up with friends and family, cleaning my "4 years abandoned" room and lots of resting at home.

Looking back, I have been studying in different places at every stage of my education life: from kajang to KL to Mantin to UK. Now that I have finally returned home for good, it feels like a whole new start all over again. As for now, I am going to start working soon, and somehow it makes me realise how time has passed and how faithful the Lord has been to me all these years. I am thankful... really.

Before stepping into this new phase of my life, my only hope is that the Lord will guide my path in each step I take, so that although the future is unknown, at least I will have the assurance that the path taken is one without regrets and that the one who carried me so far will deliver me through the years to come.

The Hammer Holds

A shapeless piece of steel, that's all I claim to be
This hammer pounds to give me form, this flame, it melts my dreams
I glow with fire and fury, as I'm twisted like a vine
My final shape, my final form I'm sure I'm bound to find

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames
And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

And the water, it cools me gray, and the hurt's subdued somehow
I have my shape, this sharpened point, what is my purpose now?
And the question still remains, what am I to be?
Perhaps some perfect piece of art displayed for all to see

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the flames
And hurt a little, hurt for me my future is untold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

The hammer pounds again, but flames I do not feel
This force that drives me, helplessly, through flesh, and wood reveals
A burn that burns much deeper, it's more than I can stand
The reason for my life was to take the life of a guiltless man

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the pain
And hurt a little, hurt for me, my future is so bold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

This task before me may seem unclear
But it, my maker holds

-Bebo Norman

Choice Gleanings: Monday - May 21st

John 12:24 Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

“One grain of wheat!” That is what my life may amount to–completely insignificant in this world of millions of hungry people. But it could be different! Hand that life over to the Lord Jesus Christ. Abandon my own ambitions and make it my life’s work to live only for Him and His plan for me, and He will cause my life to produce “much grain” to spiritually feed those dying without a Saviour. —David Croudace

There’s surely somewhere a lowly place in earth’s harvest fields so wide, Where I may labour through life’s short day for Jesus the crucified. So trusting my all unto Thy care, I know Thou lovest me! I’ll do Thy will with a heart sincere, I’ll be what You want me to be! —C. H. G.

Bells of testimony

The golden bells that adorn the robe of the high priest suggests testimony... Christ bore testimony upon the earth to the things of the Father..

My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me

(John 4:34)

"Believers bear testimony of one kind or the other. We cannot bear good testimony to the things of God in our own strength. Testimony to the salvation and truth into which we have been brought is only possible by the power of the indwelling Spirit. His desire is to work upon our lives, individually and corporately, producing harmonious melody to the Lord and blessing to those around us." - Cyril Cann

Is my testimony hidden? Is it veiled in by troubles and sin? Has it been kept from the sight of others out of selfishness? Can people hear the heartbeat of this testimony that should be beating for those in need? Have I surrendered to the one who I know is the Lord of my life? What testimony am I bearing? ... so the believer asks.

I can't even tie His shoes

I was reading an online issue of CCM magazine talking about how christian music artists deal with the fact that being in the limelight becomes a struggle when they realise what is the point of all of it when being popular shadows the purpose of the glorifying God.

At the end of the article, I read a short passage that Chris Tomlin shared when he had his first photo shoot:

On the flight to his first photo shoot, Chris remembers opening a letter from Passion founder Louie Giglio and, to this day meditating on the words he read. WHile Louie acknowledged the star treatment Chris was about to experience for the first time, he encouraged him to "think about John the Baptist all day,"

"Everyone was coming to John the Baptist in John and saying, 'You're it. You're the deal...You're getting quite popular here.' And he responded, 'I am not... there's One that's coming, I can't even tie His shoes. That's the One you need to go to. And when you see Him, you're going to know that He must increase and I must decrease,'" Louie's letter continued," And as they're taking your pictures today, I just want you to hold that in your heart...' you don't even tie this guy's shoes,' I've never forgotten it," Chris says.

Not all of us have or ever will have star treatment in our lifetime. However, the fact that pride is just at our doorstep knocking is a good enough reason for us to always keep guard and remind ourselves that we are but a creation of someone much greater than ourselves. The Lord Jesus alone deserves glory... for whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose (John 1:27 - KJV).

I am not sure which "guy" Louie was refering to when he reminded Chris of the passage in John. The way I see it, I may not be able to even tie the shoes of John the Baptist, let alone the One whose feet like unto fine brass as if they were burned in a furnace (Rev 1:15 - KJV). Maybe instead of standing tall and keeping our heads so high up all the time, it might do us good if we learn to fall before the the feet of Christ more often, reminding us that maintaining a facade of self-sufficiency is useless when we come before the one whose shoes we are not even worthy to untie.

Only the redeemed

1 Peter 1:12 : Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

I have been considering the amazing privilege that we believers have on angels. They may have been with the Lord throughout the creation of mankind, but one thing we have is the experience of salvation, which even angels long to know about.

As a song puts it:

"...And I have watched the blinding of grace
Come breaking through with a sweetness
Only tasted by the forgiven and redeemed

And someday I'll sit down with my angel friends up in Heaven
They'll tell me about creation
And I'll tell them a story of grace..."

I can only imagine how that conversation will be like with the angels when we discuss God's marvelous work. It will be one long conversation with lots of stories to tell... stories that will take eternity to tell.

Music to my ears

I was listening to a cd entitled GLORY REVEALED - The word of God in worship. Beautiful songs combining the words of the scriptures with rootsy American music. As I was listening, I started to think why do I like christian songs so much? I mean I like other songs as well, I listen to other Chinese and English songs, but none of them are christian music. It is like whenever I am feeling sad, happy or any other occassion, the songs of my preference will always be christian songs.

Apart from the obvious - that I am a christian and therefore it seems normal for me to have preference on christian songs. I think what I am getting at is that the reason christian songs will always be my favourite is because there is one major theme within those songs, that is they all focus on the Lord Himself, and that is what makes them so different and special.

Everyone has a songwriter somewhere hidden in themselves. In one way or another, all of us are able to come up with a song of two of our own. However, no matter how beautiful our songs may be, none can be compared with the songs written out of love and reverence to the Lord God Almighty. I believe when God created us, He made us all songwriters. Songwriters that write songs of worship in our hearts. It is when we realise we are made to worship our creator, that is when the world's most beautiful songs are written.

What I really want to say

It has been ages since I have blogged. I just don't know what to write about. Everytime I think of something that i want to write it is always on the spur of that moment that I have something in my mind (which is usually when I am outside doing something else far away from my notebook). By the time I reach home, I just can't get myself to write anything on the blog anymore. Sometimes I ask myself: Is this what I really want to say? Or am I doing it for all the wrong reasons. Often times I find myself silenced by the realization that I don't really have anything to say(which is in many ways worrying). Maybe when I have something worth sharing, I will blog again. As for now, may there be learning and growing in silence.

For Him

Matthew 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
Matthew 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

If according to the scriptures, I should have found myself without hands or feet, I should have been blind, deaf, dumb... but the grace of God held back His wrath and blessed me with faculties that are to be for His glory and for Him alone...

If I can sing Let my songs be full of His Glory
If I can speak Let my words be full of His Grace
If I should live or die
Let me be found pursuing this prize
The One that alone satisfies
The Treasure of Jesus

-SCC

Come away with me

Just what I need: an invitation to a place of solace and peace.

Songs of Solomon 2: 10-13

My beloved spake, and said unto me,
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Arise...... my love... my fair one...... Come away... with Me.

scribbling in the sand

Michael Card wrote a song about the scene John 8 where the angry mob prepared to stone an adulterous woman, and how the Lord Jesus responded in silence and bent down to write on the ground with His finger.

In the song he wrote: " the same finger of the strong hand that had written ten commmands, for now its simply scribbling in the sand." I often find myself in the place of the woman where I am eternally thankful that in spite of my sinful self, the Lord Jesus did not condemn me, but choose to forgive me. "The finger that wrote the ten commandments", speaks of the Lord's right position to condemn me of my sins. Yet He chose not to, because of love. Just as the way He chose not to stone the woman of her sins, but rather just scribbling in the sand.

I am so grateful for all the moments that the Lord Jesus bent down to scribble in the sand in my life, because it speaks of His mercy that I would never be worthy of. Even when others want to pick up the stone of condemnation to throw at me, the abundance of His grace overflows to reach out to me. Thank you!

another year...

January 4th, 2007 is officially the day I start my new year. Why? because its my BIRTHDAY!!! (applause... haha). Now with the very lame joke aside, I find that having reached the 23rd year of my life, many things have come and gone, many things have changed and there are so many lessons and experiences that I have gone through that at this point of my life, somewhere between the dreaming and the coming true... wait a minute that is Bebo norman's new cd, Hehe! Ok lame, but seriously I find myself at a point where there are so many decisions and so many possiblities and so many things happening around me. But when I went to bed last night, thinking that today would be my birthday, I asked myself one question: "With all that is has happened and that which will become of in the future, what is it that matters, now that it is my birthday?" Should I boast about my past and strive towards a better future? Or should I complain about my past and put no hope in the future? Then I was left in silence. I kept quiet to listen to what my heart really desires.

Finally I came to a conclusion: What matters is that for the past 23 years of my life, I have a family who loves and supports me all the way through. Moreover, I have a Father in heaven who watches over me and loves me even at my worst moments in life. What does that mean? It means on my birthday, I am reminded of how blessed I am, and how much I should be thankful for all that I already have. So thank you Pa and Ma for bringing me to this world and taking good care of me. Thank you Lord Jesus for giving this life meaning that I may have it more abundantly... Thank you!

Isn't that what it is all about?

What am I talking about? Christmas of course. I went to a friend's place for dinner on Christmas eve and apart from bringing some food, I was asked to prepare the music for the night. So I was thinking: Christmas + dinner + music = Christmas music/carols. Sounds like a fairly appropriate choice, doesn't it? Despite my efforts to provide a Christmas-like feel to our dinner, the music that i chose wasn't really everyones favourite. So the host had to change the music selection to a more "modern" genre.

I didn't mind the music to be changed, because it is just music and I fully understand everyone have their preferences. However, there is one comment that troubled me was that one of the guest mentioned that she heard the word 'Jesus' a few times through the Christmas music and found it slighty unpleasant. I don't blame her because she is not a believer. However, the question that I would really like to ask is: Isn't Christmas all about the Lord Jesus Christ?

If the Lord Jesus was not born to this earth, there will be no Christmas, no joy of giving gifts to each other, no peace of a family gathering, no hope for a new year... no hope for all of us in this world. I am glad it is not so, I am thankful that when we remember Christmas, the Lord Jesus is the centre of it all, because Christmas is all about hope, the hope of a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

lonely christmas

Another year, another term, and another Christmas is just around the corner. As usual, everyone is out shopping and busy preparing for the Christmas family time spent together. However, things are not so 'busy' in my flat. Instead, it is rather quiet since my flat mates won't be around for Christmas. At first it didn't bother me much, because I am not much of a party person myself. However, seeing so many people getting into the Christmas spirit and going back home to spend Christmas with their families does make me feel lonely at times.

It is easy to get use to spending Christmas by yourself after a few years, but I guess there is still something inside that wants Christmas to be special, something to look forward to and remember. It makes sense since Christmas is anything but ordinary, because we remember the birthday of the one person that brought hope and salvation to mankind. Just as I was starting to complain about being all lonely and bored, a friend reminded me that despite not being able to spend Christmas with my family like most people do, I still have a Father in heaven who will be with me on Christmas day, and that makes all the difference.

It is interesting that on Christmas, we take it as a time when we can come together as a family and just spend time with each other. Yet the day when Christ was born, He was born into a world which did not welcome Him. He left His father's side to save a world that was lost. In a way, He came to this world lonely, so that we who believe in Him need not be lonely anymore. The Son of God gave... so that we may receive. May this blessed time of the year be a reminder to us - we are all blessed, only because He gave.

Am i who i should be

I remember one of the earlier posts of this blog I mentioned a song which writes "Do they see Jesus in me, do they recognize His face..." This particular statement seem to remind me once again that have I been reponsible enough to reflect the beauty of Chirst as I should have? Or have I just let my testimony be turned into an awful stench to the holy name of the Lord Jesus.

I realise that many times I find myself in a position that even those who are not saved show a better testimony than I should have. Which begs the question: How did I find myself in this place where I see glimpses of Chirst-likeness in others rather than in his own child? It is as though if I was within a group of people chosen for others to point out which one in the group is a chirstian, I know I would not be chosen. Most of us are bothered that foreigners do not recognize which country we are from. We complain that just from our looks, the way we talk and act it is obvious where we come from. Similarly, what if someone came up and said: "I am sorry, I didn't recognize that you were a christian, you sure don't look like one."

It is bad enough for people not to recognize saved ones as believers, it is even worse if unsaved ones were seen as a better testimony than saved ones should be. Do they see Jesus in me? By God's grace and mercy, I sure do hope so...

God is good

Ever since I was young, the word "Good" has always been a common word used in songs that we sing in sunday school. Especially the well known "God is so good" song. After singing it for so many years now, I never actually understood how a simple word "Good" could describe the almighty God whom we worship.

I guess, it is because the word "good" is so commonly used these days that it doesnt really mean as much as it is suppose to anymore. With this in mind, I was led to the scene in the bible where the rich young man approaches the Lord Jesus and says:" Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" One would think that the Lord would answer this young man as he so eagerly wanted to know the answer. However, the first thing that the Lord Jesus said was:" Why do you call me good? No one is good - except God alone. (NIV Mark 10:17-18)

If the Lord Jesus had to make it clear that no one is good, except God alone. I would think that there is more weight to the meaning of the word "Good" then we would expect. The question that then comes to mind is: How would you define good? I am sure there are lots of good dictionaries out there to give loads of definitions and explanations to the word. However, what came to my mind was verse 8 of Philippians 4. In my opinion, that verse gives a clear enough picture of what "Good" really is.

Incidentally, for those who are as ignorant as I am, if you find the meaning for "good book" it actually refers to the bible! (Interesting...) So next time whenever we come across the word "Good" in our praises, maybe it adds a little bit more to our appreciation of the Lord... maybe it just means something better... or maybe it just means that He is the best!

let His praise go on

Recently I fell in love with the lyrics of Chris Rice's song called "And Your Praise Goes On". A beautiful song reminding us that the praise that the Father in heaven so rightly deserves never ends.

Even if everyone on earth stops praising God, every other creation on earth will shout in praise of its own. The fact being that God is so great that it is impossible to silence the praise rendered to Him from every corner of the world.

My personal favourite is the last part of the song where it says:

And when my final breath You lend
I’ll thank You for the life You gave
But that won’t mean the praises end
‘Cause I won’t be silenced by the grave!

And Your praise goes on
I’ll be runnin’ to Your throne
With every nation, tribe and tongue
To Your arms I’ll fly
I’ll gaze into Your eyes
Then I’ll know as I am known
And Your praise goes on
And Your praise goes on
And Your praise goes on

Each time I listen to this part of the song being sung, my eyes just fill up with tears helplessly. I am reminded that even death will not stop me from praising my Lord and God, and that when I reach heaven, I would be just like a little child that I once was, running eagerly to the Father's arms, telling Him how much I love Him... I can almost picture it in my head.

Dear Father, may Your praise go on...

Where is God in the picture?

It has been quite a while since I started university all over again for the fourth time, and for the final time hopefully... Some how this year seem to be different from the previous years. On one hand it is my last year, so I guess it’s like the finishing the last lap of a race, giving it all you have. Also there is much more at stake, the hopes of having to achieve decent results this year and also the possibility to have to look for a job when I graduate. So I guess you could say i am in some sort of a trying period where I am hoping to keep my head above waters before I get swept away by waves of responsibilities and uncertainty.

Just recently, I attended a careers talk organized by Shell. It wasn't my first time being in these kind of career gatherings, but this time it got me thinking. Being in the final year of my university education, it is no surprise that I found the talk very informative and helpful. Just as I was considering my future as to where I might be working after I graduate, I looked around and realize that everyone gathered in the room that day had a common goal, and that was to hopefully be a potential employee of Shell. Most of them dressed in a rather formal manner just to make a good impression.

No doubt to apply for such a reputable company like Shell, it requires a lot of effort in preparing yourself to meet their requirements and making yourself shine among the other applicants. However, as I was sitting down listening to the rest of the talk, I kept thinking to myself, that if so much needs to be accomplished in order to get a good employment, it must be really worth one's while, seeing that so many people are putting so much effort into it. Or is it really?

I see why getting a good job is important, because it does give us some sense of security to our future. However, when I see how much emphasis the world has put on getting a good career, I begin wonder where is God in the picture? Have the need to secure our own future blinded us towards the one who determines our future? If so many of us can spend innumerable hours working towards filling in a piece of paper stating our achievements just to sell ourselves in an interview. I wonder why there are only so few who are able to turn to God who loves us just the way we are. If so many of us can spend so much time in making sure we pick the right choice of companies. I wonder why only few find the time to make the simple choice of believing in God.

The world may seem to be very successful in promoting the way to a successful future. However, I believe there is only so much I can do in securing my future, beyond that I can only leave to the one who holds my future. The hymn writer was right when he wrote: "Because He lives I can face tomorrow, Because He lives all fear is gone, Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth living just because He lives."

And to sum it all up: "Only one life, it will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." ... Amen!

THERE IS A GOD !

Ninety three million miles from the blistering surface of the sun, hangs the planet Earth, a rotating sphere, perfectly suspended in the centre of the universe - the ultimate creation from an infinite mind - and unbelievably intricate, complex design, a supernatural testimony, an irrefutable sign that there is a God!

The size, position and angle of the earth is a scientific phenomenon to see. A few degrees closer to the sun and we would disintegrate; a few degrees farther and we would freeze. The axis of the earth is tilted at a perfect twenty-three degree angle, and it is no mistake that it is. This allows equal global distribution to the rays of the sun, making it possible for the food chain to exist. Take for example the combination of nitrogen and oxegen in the atmosphere that we breath every day - it just happens to be the exact mix that life needs to prosper. It doesn't happen on any other planet that way. You see, the bible says, "The invisible things of God are clearly seen through His creation." To believe this is not difficult. If there is a design there is a designer. If there is a plan there must be a planner. If there is a miracle, there is a God.

The scripture says "The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His Hands." If we allow our minds to drink in all the truth that just surrounds us, creation itself will help us understand. Did you know that the moon controls the tide? It is the maid that cleans the oceans. Even the waves do not crash against the shores in vain. The tides drag impurities into the depth of the sea. It is nature's constant recycling chain. It simply boggles the mind to think that the stars will rotate with such exact precision that it is true that the atomic clock, with an error factor of less than three seconds per millennium is set by the way they move. Though they silently orbit, the sun, the moon and the stars are like celestial evangelists above which circle the earth every twenty-four hours, shouting in every language, "There is a God."

Athesism is the wedge into the foundation of our faith, trying to topple our relationship with Christ. When the fool says in his heart there is no God, he rejects the truth that God painted on the canvas of the night. Atheism has never created an artistic masterpiece, never healed a fatal disease nor calmed a fear. Atheism has never given answers to our existence, peace to a troubled mind, nor even dried a tear. It is God who created heaven and earth, flung the stars into space and breathed into a handful of dirt and it became a man, a living soul. It is God who sits on the circle of the earth and measures the mountains in a scale and holds the seven seas in the palm of His hand. It is God who sent His only begotten Son to the cross of Calvary to save our souls from hell and the grave and to fit poor sinners for Heaven.

It is God who creates, God who delivers, God who heals and God who is worthy of a thunderous ovation of praise. There is a God! He lives and because He is alive, there is a Hope.

(Selected - Words in Season, July 06)

chaotic beings

I heard a preacher made this comment about human beings once. He said if you want to create chaos, simply put humans into any situation, and you have chaos. Although I wouldn't deny the statement, I still did not fully appreciate it until another preacher pointed out a part in the Bible which clearly illustrates the point.

We humans often boast on how we can build things and create things to improve life, as though we are the reason everything in this world is in order. What makes it more pathetic is that when trouble comes, we blame God for it. It is interesting that the Bible paints a very different picture. In Genesis, we see God is the one who created the world and put everything in order. However, when we come to the first mention of the first two humans doing things together, what did they do? They disobeyed God. If the very first mention of man was to disobey God and cause disorder, funny how we can grow to think that we can turn the tides and start restoring order without God.

Maybe it is time we learn to recognize our tendency to fail, and look to the one whom we know holds everything into place, the one Lord and Savior - Christ Jesus.

not even close

one thing i know is true... even all of my trials and sufferings in a lifetime will not come close to what the Lord Jesus has suffered through for my redemption ... thank you Lord Jesus, I am blessed indeed!

Christ suffered

I remember having a short discussion with some of my friends two years ago when they compared the Lord Jesus with a soldier fighting for his country. They said it is more honourable for the soldier to die than it was for Christ to die, because the soldier did not know where he would be going when he dies, so the risk he was taking was much greater compared to the Lord Jesus who knew He would die to go to heaven. Although I disagree and don't remember having a concluding point to the discussion, it somehow pointed me to the thought of the humanity of Christ.

It is amazing mystery to consider the Lord Jesus being fully human and fully God at the same time, something which until now I struggle to comprehend, and yet by faith I believe it is true. And through many occasions of listening to this beautiful truth being preached, I am constantly confronted with the fact that although the Lord Jesus was fully man, He did not have the capacity to sin. The Lord Jesus just could not sin, it was against His nature to sin. Hence, I was troubled as to how would sin have an effect on the Lord Jesus if He could not sin. My limited brain cells tried to comprehend it but I just could not. Human beings struggle with sin all the time, and I wanted to know what the high preist mentioned in Hebrews 4:15 felt.

Just today, a brother came to visit our assembly at Bedminster road. At the end of the breaking of bread, this brother shared a few thoughts of the suffering of Christ in Hebrews. There were a few verses he pointed out in Hebrews, all of which one of them stood out like a clear answer from God. Hebrews 2:18 "For in that he Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted." The Lord Jesus was indeed affected when He was tempted with sin, not that He struggled like we would struggle with sin, because that would imply a possiblity to sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ could not sin but rather He knew pain in a much deeper level, He suffered for sin... Christ suffered... our High priest who knows our infirmities... suffered.

If I may quote or rephrase what the brother shared: "...a natural man succumbs to sin, a spiritual man struggles with sin, but Christ suffered for sin..."

snapshots

I noticed something interesting while watching American Idol recently. At the end of the results show they would show a short clip of the journey of the out going contestant.

Clips like these tend to show the best of what the contestants have gone through, leaving you with a sense of reluctance to see one leaving the competition after all the effort put in. As usual, things like these just come into my mind during my walk to lectures. Somehow I started to think about things like what if someone were to take similar snapshots of my life? What would the highlights be? What would they show? Would I leave my mark on this earth just like the contestants left their mark in the competition? Would someone look at the snapshots of my life and say to themselves, it would be a pity to see him go?

All these thoughts ran through my head not because I want to be famous among men, but rather reminding myself of how i should be living my life. Have I lived my life so that the one who gave me life looks at it and gives a nod of approval? Or would He shake His head with disappointment? Funny how the way we live our lives can be taken for granted when we forget that life is given to us, not something we own with our own right.

When I am reminded that I am accountable to God for the way I live my life, I am also reminded of the one who lived His life in full accountability to His father in Heaven. When Christ Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, it was indeed something to be grasped. His holy life which we remember week after week, serves to remind us that His life is the quintessence of holy living. Now if someone were to take snapshots of my life, I would hope that somewhere in between the laughing and crying, there is something that reflects the way my Lord Jesus lived His life. If that is so, I can say with confidence... I have made my mark.

two wonders

Another hymn that I came across during prayer meeting that caught my attention yet again. A familiar hymn by Elizabeth C. Clephane:

Beneath the Cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wildreness,
A rest upon the way
From the burning of the noontide heat
And the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter!
O refuge tried and sweet!
O trysting-place, where Heaven's love
And Heaven's justice meet!
As to the pilgrim patriarch
That wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Saviour's Cross to me
A ladder up to heaven.

Upon the Cross of Jesus,
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart with tears
Two wonders I confess,
The wonder of His glorious love,
And my own worthlessness.

I take the Cross of Jesus
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by,
T know no gain nor loss:
My sinful self my only shame,
My glory all the Cross.

Believers Hymn Book, Hymn 23

"Two wonders I confess,The wonder of His glorious love, and my own worthlessness". The thing that intrigued me was that out of the two wonders mentioned one I undertsood, the other ... just made me think! I understood why God's love is considered a wonder, because it just is, who can comprehend the love that God has for us? Its vastness is beyond the spheres of our human cranium. If we could, we would have a very different definition of love in our dictionaries.

However, the wonder of my own worthlesssness? hmmmm... let me see, it isn't exactly a wonder is it? How hard is it to grasp the idea that we are mere human beings full of flaws and weaknesses? Then again, maybe it is. If we really think about it, we humans do have the tendency to want to think that we are better than we actually are, as though we have something to prove. I know some people may think that the whole issue of having a low self esteem is bad and what not, so it is for our own good to think positive. I agree to a certain degree that we can't always be pessimistic; however there is a need for us to realise the fact that before the God who created us, we have nothing to prove, the only thing we can prove is how sinful we are and how much we are in need of a saviour. I guess that is why most people would rather shut out the fact that God even exist, because if they accept that, it also means accepting the fact that we humans are not as good as we think.

I suppose that is why in Matthew 9:13 the Lord Jesus says :" ...For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." and in his first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...". I take comfort that Christ came to save sinners and not 'good people', because I know that by admitting my worthlessness, it isn't so bad after all; on the contrary, it is a beginning of a new life with the one who created me and to discover the wonders of His glorious love.

seasons:part 2

Funny how time flies as I can still remember the last time I posted about winter being just around the corner and how the tree beside my room is withering. It was as though few weeks ago I was thinking of the winter holidays and just now I am looking at the tree beside my room and I see signs of life. Little buds appearing as though waiting to blossom after a cold winter season.

Signs like these tells me spring is already here; a new beginning for all life created on earth, and by all life I mean literally "all life", even us human beings who do not need to lose their hair through winter (thank God for that) to show signs of withering to start all over again in spring. A fresh start in life doesn't always need to be at the beginning of the year does it? It would be nice if we could have the opportunity to start anew as many times as possible. Besides, the truth is, we need it.

That is why I find it such a beautiful coincidence (or shall I say divinely designed) that after Easter comes a season where what was seemingly dead in the winter start to show signs of new life. It was as though the story of Easter was to prepare us for the new season, the season of new beginnings. The fact that Christ rose again three days after His death, changed the course of life forever. Suddenly, all of us are given a chance to have a new life, Christ through His death and ressurection gave us that life. He made what was dead spritually in us bud and grow.

Psalm 19:7 says: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. When was the last time you heard God's testimony? Maybe you heard it when you were reading the bible or a devotional book. What about his art? Have you seen His testimony through His artwork? If not, maybe its time to look out your window, have a stroll through a nearby park, and see what God has to offer through His masterpiece. If I may quote Max Lucado:"...there is a certain understanding of God on the cross that comes only with witnessing His daily testimony...To really understand and believe in the miracle on the cross, we'd do well to witness God's miracles everyday."

key factor: Christ Jesus

A thought was shared from a hymn last sunday, and there was something about the simplicity of it that hit the point spot on. No fancy descriptions or any witty twists, just simple facts that bring out the beauty of who Jesus is as it is.

Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go,
Anywhere He leads me in this world below,
Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade,
Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid.

Anywhere! anywhere!
Fear I cannot know.
Anywhere with Jesus
I can safely go.

Anywhere with Jesus I am not alone,
Other friends may fail me, He is still my own;
Though His hands may lead me over drearest ways,
Anywhere with Jesus is a house of praise.

Anywhere with Jesus I can go to sleep,
When the darkling shadows round about me creep;
Knowing I shall waken never more to roam,
Anywhere with Jesus will be home, sweet home.

Hymn 423 of Redemption songs

something to be grasped

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped (NIV) - Phil 2:5-6

Everytime I read Philippians 2:5-6, I always wonder why that phrase had to be there. The word "grasp" seems to be calling out to me. Does it mean that we should understand it? Probably. However, it seems trivial to mention it when it is obvious to understand what you are reading. So like always the dictionary comes in handy. Although the appropriate explanation in this context should be 'taking hold of something intellectually' or 'to comprehend', I find that the other definitions tend to give a clearer picture.

Grasp - To take hold of or seize firmly with or as if with the hand.

With emphasis on key words like 'take hold', 'firmly' and disregarding the use of the hand. I realize how sad it is that nowadays people no longer grasp things. We may know alot of things, but how much of the things that we know, do we really grasp? With the burst of information in these modern times, everyone is literally stuffing their heads with knowledge. Outwardly it seems as if people are getting smarter with all the knowledge that they have, but inwardly it is hollow, because there is no taking hold of the things we know and grasping the meaning of it all.

Especially when it comes to the things of God, where head knowledge is useless without the practical application of it. It is as though God knew that one day people would be tirelessly slaving through loads and loads of information and knowledge that He had to put that little phrase in that verse to remind us that there is something to be grasped. Something that requires more than a mere understanding, but to really take it in and let it to have an effect on us. Christ Jesus, the risen and glorified one who by His very nature being God did not consider equality with God. What a contrast it is when we consider us humans, being in very nature a creation of God, always wanting to be the god of our own little universe that we created for ourselves. How different life would be if only we could recognized the sovereignty of God our creator and the supremacy of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. If only we understood... if only we grasped...

A friend once said: There is a thin line between knowledge and wisdom... but it is that thin line that makes all the difference!

france ski trip

I know it has been ages since I have been to france (three months to be exact), but my project has kept me well occupied for the whole term that I had to wait until now to share the photos. Oh well, better late than never... (full album)

our price, He paid

A thought from Choice gleanings that I thought should be a constant reminder to us the magnitude of the Lord's love for us and the incalculable price He paid. For those that are as forgetful as I am, this is one reminder that tops the list at all times:

Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isa. 53:4 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. John 19:1

The Roman scourge, wielded by a soldier’s muscular arm, devastated human flesh. Such a beating was brutal. But to be smitten by the arm of God—an arm so powerful that it took only His fingers to fashion gigantic stars—is beyond our comprehension. It was love for you and me that motivated Christ to endure such torment. He took our punishment, “and with His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). —D. Logan

Jehovah lifted up His rod—O Christ it fell on Thee! Thou wast sore stricken of Thy God, There’s not one stroke for me. —Ann Ross Cousin