May they be blessed

2 Thessalonians 3:16

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

It has been an emotional Christmas evening as I bid farewell to an outpost of rangers whom I've loved and found a sense of I belonging even though it consumed much of my life on Saturdays. This includes the youth leaders and fellow leaders whom I've worked alongside over the period of time I was in the church.

Parting is never an easy thing when we have invested time and heart into lives and the journey seems short in light of the fact that our life's journey only ends the day we cease to breathe and our spirit goes back to heaven to meet our maker.

I can empathise with Paul how he felt as he left each of the Asia minor churches and left a piece of his heart behind with the individuals whom he nurtured and bonded with.

I know that each individual I've met in the past 3 years in living springs fellowship needs to walk through their own life's journey and learn to stand on their own faith, but still, that feeling of hoping to be with them when they go through the roughest patch of their life is what makes letting go so difficult. 

Yet, I'm not God, and only He can ever be the one who will always walk with our loved ones through their lives. Thus, into the hands of God I list and commit every single one of the folks I know and may the blessing of the above prayer be a hedge around their lives. That they will have the saving grace of God in their lives until the day they meet Him. 

(YongEn, Daniel, Nicholas, Jason Chua, JingWen, Zackarias, Amanda, Crystal Seah, Fion, Jason Zhang, Crystal Teo, Shiyun, Eleanor, Joan, Kaiying, Claudia, KaiFeng, Maverick, Gabriel, Bennett, Ivan, Jerome, Jordan, Joaquin, Norman, KaiZhi, Ah Ping, YueEn, Sandra, Xuan, Tony, Raymund, Louis, Melissa, Xiaoyan & all the leaders & pastors)

M. 

"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence." (2 Peter 1:3)

All I want for Christmas.

Luke 2: 11
"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

Inspired by this Christmas song which I heard on TV this morning, I thought to myself,"what do I really want for this Christmas?" I've already received an iPAD to much excitement and after the initial happiness, it all wanes. So what other material stuff do I really want for Christmas that could possibly out do that? I'm guessing a car or house but do I really think that could transpire? Instead of my wants, maybe I should think of the stuff I need. But then, those are really so boring to receive as gifts.

That's often the issue with a materialistic inclined Christmas. It'll often be followed by a big post-Christmas letdown because we did not get what you had hoped for. Yet, to shamelessly state what we want, doesn't make getting the gift enjoyable. We always want to have someone present us with something we thought no one but ourselves would know.

The first Christmas was an intimate affair by the manger. It was filled with relief because the Joseph and Mary just wanted a sheltered place so their baby could be born. I'm guessing that the surprise visitors of shepherds and wise men made it more interesting for the new parents who really weren't expecting anything or anyone. After all, who did they know having gone up from the town of Nazareth to Bethlehem?

Well, even though I have expensive or thoughtful stuff that I don't mind getting, all I want this Christmas is to enjoy an intimate time of farewell with the youths that I've been with for most Saturdays of the last three years. I don't need any gifts but I just want to spend whatever moment I have in the church to saying my farewell and remind each of them to live their lives well. Christmas exists because God cared so much that He gave his one and only son just to redeem each of them and all I want for Christmas is for them to know that.

M.

Different perspectives, same direction

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

How interesting that I was introduced to this verse by the same person whom I have a history of email correspondences with and we often end up with multiple email of different perspectives. The last 20 hours involved an exchange of few emails with my youth pastor that really revealed the difference in perspectives and style that we have.

Since young, when we were playmates as our parents served in church, I've always recognised how different we each view things and the style we do things differently. As we grew up, if we were to just spend a moment discussing any point, there's often a difference in the way either of us would consider and react to the matter. She puts her heart into doing things rather than not doing anything, I choose to never do anything unless its clear what and why things must be done. It's really a case of iron sharpening iron and often there would be no conclusion of how each views the matter and the style we do it.

Just as today's long emails went to and fro, what started as my opinion on one matter went into a clumsy comment of my observation and concerns and then seemed to go into an overdrive with me having decreasing interest on subsequent comments. It's quite amazing how the conversation went from dust to storm. I won't agree with every point discussed and necessarily accept how she discusses the matters. What she calls irresponsible talk, I simply label it as a honest opinion that should be critically evaluated because there are the observers and dysfunctional people on the ground have been talking and should never be disregarded. How she states an example of individual, I regard it as a labeling attack that borders as a low blow that I won't ever do. However, likewise, I never expect her to accept what I share and how I raise my considerations based on my perspectives of matters because what she expresses is also correct from her own angles and position. Afterall, in her position whatever I've stated can truly be viewed as extremely errornous and unfair statements without me seeing more than what I presume I know. But it's really not about who is right and who is wrong, but getting thoughts and points across in an exchange without going all personal.

Over time, I've come to realised that in every matter, there are 360' of angles to view it and often there's no one correct statement, style or perspective that can solve a situation. Especially church where every matter involving people can always be drilled down further with many considerations and that would result in never ending discussions or escalated squabbles.  But this is where wisdom kicks in and we need to consider the key fact; that if we are taking a similar direction, then we should never lock horns to make things divisive or destructive. Afterall, it's really not about who is right or wrong, but what we are doing as a body of Christ to move in the same direction for God's glory.

That is the real beauty of church. It comprises humans with different personalities, passions, talents and importantly, are all flawed because we are sinners saved by grace. The church is often fraught with so many issues, no thanks to us humans. So even if we have others of difference in style and opinions, we must eventually arise to a higher level, united in our faith, with a similar direction to recognise the truth of how the Church has a mission to meet human need with ministries of love and compassion.

I do not care about winning arguments and have always believed that I don't serve to please anyone in what I do and will stubbornly hold fast to my convictions and character. Yet, it is exactly at such times where I get moments that sharpen my thought and character. Importantly, I'm reminded that growth comes when we move on back to our service for God after individuals elect to agree to disagree or even pass on in matters that aren't of life and death consequences. After all, who has time to brood or continue endless communications. Talk is cheap and we really have more important things to do.

In church, we may never be aligned or want to work together in close proximity with some people who rub us differently, but does that stop you from going in the same direction?  Hey, even Paul and Barnabas had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, but continued on their mission. So what will you choose to do?

M.

What to say even if you're crabby

Psalms 57:5

Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.

Having just stepped into work, and dreading tomorrow's meeting. That feeling of crabbiness is still there. Perhaps that is also the reason why I'm penning this down instead of trying to do that awful presentation deck.

Still, the verse of the day stares at me and I will choose to practice what I heard about facing trials in joy. Afterall, as I keep telling a particular emotional ER of mine; emotions come and go.  Therefore, even though its the start of a day where I'm recovering from yesterday's implosion and feeling crabby, I will start the day and shall try to end the day with this Psalm.

Times like this,  shall practice this biblical truth of thinking about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.

Now to stop procrastinating and get back to reality.

M.

Facing trials in Joy

James 1:2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Today was a real bad monday at work. Didn't help that my body was imploding on itself after a weekend of late nights and my body insist on still waking up early. I still have an awful migraine now.

Yesterday's sermon was unexpected. It started off with me groaning inwards as I realised that the sermon was giong to be preached by a deacon. Somehow, the 'traditionalist' in me just cannot fanthom why the pulpit is increasingly being unused by the pastors. So I started with a cynical, shut-off mode but a few minutes into the sermon, I knew that I needed to change my attitude because somehow the Holy Spirit was prompting me to pay attention.

As the sermon went on and the preacher beared his soul and current struggles with work, it was something I could fully really relate to, especially today where the meeting was such a pain. Being throw into an unreasonable work situation with no respite is a horrible feeling when we spend more time at work than we do elsewhere. Somehow life gets really miserable when we are in a position to go to work and not like it. Not that quitting is an option nowadays because of the need for money.

This is where the key point of the sharing kicked in. God gives rain to the good and the bad. Trials likewise. However when we are faced with trials in our life, we have to consider it pure joy. Gosh, that's like saying "Yeh! Thank God for trials because it is good for me " Yet, its is very clear that trials are the ones that builds out faith in God. 

One statement that stood out was the truth that we must learn to thank God for being in our trials. Often we think it is to thank Him for giving us trials. The truth of the matter is as we navigate through life, we have God  on our side who is there to carry us through. So we need to remind ourselves that trials will not consume our lives and even if they aggrevate us for a long period of time, it will work out for the best in our lives as long as we hang onto God, who is always beside us.  

Now, I just want to smoothly pass through the remainder of this week's meetings without anymore awful events like today.Must remember to smile and face it in Joy

M.

Significance in God

Exodus 9:16

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Last Thursday night, I had dinner with a secondary school friend. I think I've mentioned him before in a post some years ago. He gave up his career to join the BB in Thailand, came back to do his masters in divinity, worked for 2 years in the church (he's Methodist) and am now back in Thailand BB to re-establish the ministry in its Christian outreach in governmental schools.

We actually spent a good 3 hours talking, it only felt like a quick one and half hour chat. As I yakked on and on over what I did and the challenges faced by today's youths. He raised a point that made me sit up and take note.

The fact that we are sinners saved by the grace of God is a significant, big thing. How often we forget this fact and we attempt to given significance to the young by giving them leadership positions, organising activities and finding avenues for them to find their significance in life. Yet, its no different from the world and academic systems that have more avenues of activities that empowers our youths with leadership and skills. Absolute power corrupts, and how do we build significance in the house of God and yet preach about servanthood leadership that is inverse to the way the world views leadership.

As I went back home, I was reminded that the theme for Camporama 2008 was significance in Christ and how ahead of time it was that we were getting our kids and youths to see their lives as a significant individual before God. Today, I must remember to continually challenge myself to present the truth that we are significant for God to choose to save us by grace. Nothing else on earth can ever provide value to our lives nor provide us with greater significance.

M.

"O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?Or the son of man, that You think of him?" (Psalms 144:3)