Titus 2:7-8
"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."
It's really hard to be live a blameless life before man, but it is something we really need to try to achieve.
Today in the new paper, the trashy cover story of the day writes about a girl who encounters a cyberspace pervert who flashes at her via his webcam. While he was exposing himself to her, she was capturing images of him so that she could use it as evidence to bring him to justice. However, despite the evidence at hand, she does not want to report the issue to her parents and the police as she herself is breaking a rule set by her parent - she is not supposed to be using instant messaging. To quote her "I was afraid my parents would scold me if they find out that I had disobeyed them and used instant messaging. My father has read articles and think there are a lot of bad guys oline... I guess he was right."
Thus, she cannot bring the man to justice as she would incriminate herself and be liable for punishment.
In the book of John 8-1:11, when Jesus was dealing with the prostitute and the pharisees who were condemning her, he challenged them. "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone". Naturally, no one responded and eventually everyone left.
Today, as we amble through life, can we honestly say that we are actively living lives of integrity and setting an example by doing what is good? Or are we so subdued by our daily routines that we live as per everyone else?
May you and I be reminded to try harder. That our lives will demonstrate the goodness of God before man. Be distinguished.
blessings,
M.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds." (Romans 12:2)
23 October 2008
17 October 2008
Quick to Listen, BUT slow to react
James 1:19-20
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
I received this verse via an email on a work day and I stopped to look at it for a while. Immediately, I told myself, how difficult it is for me to be quick to listen and slow to speak or react. Especially at work where I do my stuff at a hyper fast speed. Typically, when I start my day, the moment I see all my emails, I'll start working to read thoroughly and settle them one at a time. Call it a perculiar behaviour, but unlike most colleagues, I simply cannot have an inbox which is filled with unread emails. I simply must read everyone of them and settle them as soon as I can.
This also is seen in the way which I handle my projects. Everything must be quickly resolved and talked through. I cannot stand it when I resolve matters and it gets stuck in the next level due to people who work slowly or take their own time to read the email only at the end of the day. You can imagine me at an irritable mood the moment I wait for half a day and get no response or approval.
The moment I laid my eyes on this verse and resigned myself to it, I sighed because I knew that it's a virtue to be slow in reaction. It prevents one from acting impulsively. I know because I normally react to situations quickly in anger, some friends react quickly in compassion or with good intentions. But often, if we pondered and deliberated, we would have done things differently.
Today, may we learn to to be attentive and allow God to calm us so we can react slowly. I truely believe that as we wait and ponder before we react, we'll react well. The bible says, we'll end up behaving righteously because we never got angry and in our anger sinned.
blessings,
M.
"They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." (Genesis 42:21)
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
I received this verse via an email on a work day and I stopped to look at it for a while. Immediately, I told myself, how difficult it is for me to be quick to listen and slow to speak or react. Especially at work where I do my stuff at a hyper fast speed. Typically, when I start my day, the moment I see all my emails, I'll start working to read thoroughly and settle them one at a time. Call it a perculiar behaviour, but unlike most colleagues, I simply cannot have an inbox which is filled with unread emails. I simply must read everyone of them and settle them as soon as I can.
This also is seen in the way which I handle my projects. Everything must be quickly resolved and talked through. I cannot stand it when I resolve matters and it gets stuck in the next level due to people who work slowly or take their own time to read the email only at the end of the day. You can imagine me at an irritable mood the moment I wait for half a day and get no response or approval.
The moment I laid my eyes on this verse and resigned myself to it, I sighed because I knew that it's a virtue to be slow in reaction. It prevents one from acting impulsively. I know because I normally react to situations quickly in anger, some friends react quickly in compassion or with good intentions. But often, if we pondered and deliberated, we would have done things differently.
Today, may we learn to to be attentive and allow God to calm us so we can react slowly. I truely believe that as we wait and ponder before we react, we'll react well. The bible says, we'll end up behaving righteously because we never got angry and in our anger sinned.
blessings,
M.
"They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." (Genesis 42:21)
11 October 2008
The truth of the Matter
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails
This verse says it all and sometimes we need to remember the truth behind God word.
May you and I learn to find and comprehend what is God's purpose for our lives.
"But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God." (Isaiah 49:4)
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails
This verse says it all and sometimes we need to remember the truth behind God word.
May you and I learn to find and comprehend what is God's purpose for our lives.
blessngs,
M.
"But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God." (Isaiah 49:4)
06 October 2008
Rock of Ages
Isaiah 26:4
“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.”
We are probably only at one of the many low points of a financial downturn. Everyday, I watch the stock market indices slide down and this often is translated into my financial investments dropping in dollar value. I'm doing nothing yet, just watching, waiting and wondering when the job market becomes spooked. Oh how I'm not looking forward to the poor market condition in the near future.
It's scary when markets go into freefall and the only thing that seems to be certain is this feeling that we are not even reaching the worst pont yet. However, all financial planning people wil tell you that if you have lotsa cash and time and can afford to invest during this downturn, when/should the economy pick up, you'll make a huge gain. That truth is of course conditional upon the fact that things do go upand you have the benefit of time.
Time makes all seasonal ups and downs of our life seem like a minor skip or hiccup. Afterall, if we look back at our past and remenice about the most sad days, it really does not seem to be as sad as how we felt that the world was coming to an end, then.
But even time will someday come to an end. The only thing amidst all turmoil and uncertainties is the fact that God remains God and His character and provisions are constant.
Today and these coming months, may you and I learnt to look less at the issues and problems which surround us. We must really learn to encounter life with a perspective that we can never place our trust and hope in anything around us. God and God alone is the stable, solid rock which we can trust.
blessings,
M.
"He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal." (Habakuk 3:6)
“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.”
We are probably only at one of the many low points of a financial downturn. Everyday, I watch the stock market indices slide down and this often is translated into my financial investments dropping in dollar value. I'm doing nothing yet, just watching, waiting and wondering when the job market becomes spooked. Oh how I'm not looking forward to the poor market condition in the near future.
It's scary when markets go into freefall and the only thing that seems to be certain is this feeling that we are not even reaching the worst pont yet. However, all financial planning people wil tell you that if you have lotsa cash and time and can afford to invest during this downturn, when/should the economy pick up, you'll make a huge gain. That truth is of course conditional upon the fact that things do go upand you have the benefit of time.
Time makes all seasonal ups and downs of our life seem like a minor skip or hiccup. Afterall, if we look back at our past and remenice about the most sad days, it really does not seem to be as sad as how we felt that the world was coming to an end, then.
But even time will someday come to an end. The only thing amidst all turmoil and uncertainties is the fact that God remains God and His character and provisions are constant.
Today and these coming months, may you and I learnt to look less at the issues and problems which surround us. We must really learn to encounter life with a perspective that we can never place our trust and hope in anything around us. God and God alone is the stable, solid rock which we can trust.
blessings,
M.
"He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal." (Habakuk 3:6)
10 September 2008
Depending on Him
Hebrews 11:6 (Living Bible)
You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.
I feel that my life is always full of challenging situations as I am always placed in situations which I don't like but can't seem to easily get out of. Especially when I look around my workplace and see colleagues get a newer, better job so easily whereas, my attempts come to no avail. This would then result in many one-way, one-sided conversations with God which often go "why, why why...?".
Thankfully there are always multiple reminders that life comprises much more than what I desires and as I surrend my struggles, everything becomes much brighter.
On Sunday, when this version of Hebrews was shared, the word "depending on Him" leaped at me like an Eureka moment. Our life is often not a bed of roses because these are there to make us learn to depend on God. I'm not talking about a sadistic god who forces us to go through challenges and intentionally does it to makes the life of Christian miserable.
But somehow, I can comprehend how these rocky paths of my life is meant to teach me to depend on God and to make me work out my salvation. That is really what believing in Christ is all about - Faith that God takes care of everything. The warnings in Deuteronomy 8:10 - 14 below explains why God shouldn't give us everything we think we should get.
"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God"
Prosperity, rather than rigors of life, makes it easier for any of us to put God behind us. Sure, the life of a Christian is blessed and we have a heavenly father who has amazing richness for us to claim and live. We're not just meant to live mediocre and financially deprived lives, but ironically, success makes it harder to depend on the Lord.
The Israelites did prove to be less faithful after they moved into the Promised Land. Again and again they turned their hearts to other gods. Life is always filled with distractions that squeeze and charm us away from God.
Like you, I too desire success in this life. Sure it is a temporal life, but every hour, every week, every month that passes by for a lifetime of say 70 years seems to be so painfully long. However, in perspective of an eternity which our soul will spend someday, this 70 years is a tiny fraction of time which we need to invest to sercure our eternity. Therefore, may you and I spend this human life staying grounded, humbled and constantly depending on God for every big and small thing that comes our way.
I rather we enter heaven having lived a challenging life and never getting what we want, than to have a smooth life getting whatever we want and then forgotting about God in our lives.
blessings,
M.
"Beware of the temptation that success brings. There is grave danger in getting what we want." Philip Yancy
You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.
I feel that my life is always full of challenging situations as I am always placed in situations which I don't like but can't seem to easily get out of. Especially when I look around my workplace and see colleagues get a newer, better job so easily whereas, my attempts come to no avail. This would then result in many one-way, one-sided conversations with God which often go "why, why why...?".
Thankfully there are always multiple reminders that life comprises much more than what I desires and as I surrend my struggles, everything becomes much brighter.
On Sunday, when this version of Hebrews was shared, the word "depending on Him" leaped at me like an Eureka moment. Our life is often not a bed of roses because these are there to make us learn to depend on God. I'm not talking about a sadistic god who forces us to go through challenges and intentionally does it to makes the life of Christian miserable.
But somehow, I can comprehend how these rocky paths of my life is meant to teach me to depend on God and to make me work out my salvation. That is really what believing in Christ is all about - Faith that God takes care of everything. The warnings in Deuteronomy 8:10 - 14 below explains why God shouldn't give us everything we think we should get.
"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God"
Prosperity, rather than rigors of life, makes it easier for any of us to put God behind us. Sure, the life of a Christian is blessed and we have a heavenly father who has amazing richness for us to claim and live. We're not just meant to live mediocre and financially deprived lives, but ironically, success makes it harder to depend on the Lord.
The Israelites did prove to be less faithful after they moved into the Promised Land. Again and again they turned their hearts to other gods. Life is always filled with distractions that squeeze and charm us away from God.
Like you, I too desire success in this life. Sure it is a temporal life, but every hour, every week, every month that passes by for a lifetime of say 70 years seems to be so painfully long. However, in perspective of an eternity which our soul will spend someday, this 70 years is a tiny fraction of time which we need to invest to sercure our eternity. Therefore, may you and I spend this human life staying grounded, humbled and constantly depending on God for every big and small thing that comes our way.
I rather we enter heaven having lived a challenging life and never getting what we want, than to have a smooth life getting whatever we want and then forgotting about God in our lives.
blessings,
M.
"Beware of the temptation that success brings. There is grave danger in getting what we want." Philip Yancy
06 September 2008
The Lord gave, blessed be the name of the Lord
Job 1:21
the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
It has been raining for the past week. Not that the rain is aweful, but it results in some inconveniences in programmes and this was the 1 week holiday which we would be running a 2 day 1 night Discovery Rangers Training Camp (DTC) for the boys and girls aged 8 to 10 years old.
Throughout the week, rain fell. Some days it was in the day, other times at night. Amazingly, on friday as the DTC was to start, the rain which fell throughout thursday night stopped by 10am of friday.
As I worked and gazed out the window throughout the day, I was absolutely amazed by the sunny weather which was atypical of the past 2 weeks. In fact, the rain never came and the camp was blessed with sunshine and cool night for all outdoor programmes and campfire to go on.
Only just 1 hour ago, at 8pm did the rain start coming back and now it's all back to the same wet weather phenomenal which we have been having for the past week.
The very fact that the camp enjoyed such great weather is truely a blessing from God and I give Him thanks for looking after His little Discovery Ranger boys and girls.
Thank you Jesus!
M.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
It has been raining for the past week. Not that the rain is aweful, but it results in some inconveniences in programmes and this was the 1 week holiday which we would be running a 2 day 1 night Discovery Rangers Training Camp (DTC) for the boys and girls aged 8 to 10 years old.
Throughout the week, rain fell. Some days it was in the day, other times at night. Amazingly, on friday as the DTC was to start, the rain which fell throughout thursday night stopped by 10am of friday.
As I worked and gazed out the window throughout the day, I was absolutely amazed by the sunny weather which was atypical of the past 2 weeks. In fact, the rain never came and the camp was blessed with sunshine and cool night for all outdoor programmes and campfire to go on.
Only just 1 hour ago, at 8pm did the rain start coming back and now it's all back to the same wet weather phenomenal which we have been having for the past week.
The very fact that the camp enjoyed such great weather is truely a blessing from God and I give Him thanks for looking after His little Discovery Ranger boys and girls.
Thank you Jesus!
M.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
28 August 2008
Dead Dreams Restored
Isaiah 26:19
But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.I attended the youth service with the living springs ER on 16 Aug and this was the verse and topic shared. One of the activities which we did was to write down the dreams and aspirations which we had when we were young. It was refreshing to rethink what I wanted to be when I was young and review it.
Sadly, the few adults who were present realised that over 50% of our dreams never materialised. Yes some were hilarious to review because they were idealistic dreams common to children but in adult years, most of us would never want to do such a job. Examples include a fireman, road-sweeper or nurse.
We were given some time to review our list and as I reviewed mine, I realised that some dreams were indirectly fulfilled and often they were used to glorify God. When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher because I wanted many school holidays to play and enjoy. However, as I did my part-time teaching, I realised that teaching in school was never my cup of tea. But I did end up fulfilling that dream because I joined the teaching ministry in church. That to me was a lot more rewarding that I ever expected, except that I don't enjoy school holidays.
What about you? what innocent dreams did you aspire to have or would still like to have? Life comprises more than just the current realities. We need visions and dreams to move ahead in life. Surely, life in Christ comprises of more possibilities and opportunities to extend our capacity and eventually lead towards God being glorified.
Today, won't you do like what I did. Write and review your dreams because that which is honest, true and worthy, God can restore.
blessings,
M.
For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. (Ecclesiastes 5:7)