Salty Conversations

Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

The term "Salary" comes from ancient days where salt was so precious that wages were supposedly paid in Salt (from the Latin word salarium, a payment made in salt (sal) or for salt, from salarius meaning pertaining to salt.

It is one of the most significant item talked about throughout the bible and even Jesus points out to his disciples its essential nature. ("Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." Mark 9:50)

Today, I like to revisit one points which the bible talks about of salt : The need for us to be salty conversationalist.

Indeed we all know that life without salt would result in turmoil and every food we take would either be bland or limited in dimension because all we taste is sweet, sour and bitter. Sadly, many of us fail to be the essential salt of the world and all we are to others around us is sweet, sour and bitter.

What are the expectations required of us by Paul when he said our conversations needed to be full of grace and seasoned with salt? Salt's characteristics as a seasoning to food is to enhance the natural taste and complete the flavour and taste. In meats such as chicken wings or steak, it brings out the savoury,juicy taste of the meat. Salt also tends to enhance our perception of other flavors, particularly that of sweetness. When we add salt into freshly cut pineapples, it adds an additional salty, albeit tasty, dimension to the tart, sourish-sweet taste of the fruit.

Paul was instructing us that similiar to the use of salt to enhance food, we need to enhance our normal speech and bring out the added dimensions of Godly grace. It is a command to live in the world and be set apart. Thus instructions like this from Paul were given to aid us in our own christian walk that we will know how to respond to each person that crosses our path.

Why is it therefore that having been told to us that all we say, talk, and converse should be seasoned with the amazing grace of God, yet we still have so much whining and complaining. Especially in the last 3 years where the proliferation of technologies have resulted in so many taking it upon themselves to freely express themselves online with all their angsts and issues. Do I really care that you are being transparent to people and true to yourself? No! Neither did Paul. Paul advises us to "be wise in the way you act toward outsiders". It's not about you bottling up your emotions, but about you electing to be wise in all that you say, simply because that man may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

It just irks me to see many fail to succeed in their lives and live it fully according to the victorious destiny God has in-stored for us. From lousy results, lukewarm relationships, compromised health and a life full of lack, it is often a result of a life that has been compromised and one that has deviated from a christian's spiritual destiny of success in God. The word of God proclaims that plans of God are made to prosper His children, and to give us a future, but only if they live righteous lives! For it is written in 1 Peter 3:12 " For the eyes of the Lord are towards the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayers"!

If today you are one of those who are living a crappy life crippled by you and your never ending issues, I pray you will reflect to see how much of your talk and expressions are about you, your issues and things around you that you simply don't like. The world and every other non-christian is like that also and you are living an undifferentiated life.

I truely believe that however we choose to say in our conversations to those around us, it will eventually also result in us behaving and doing what we say. As we make more conversations with others, may it literally influence everyone to see the God behind your being.

Be wise today, and be opportunistic in all your conversations, writings and speech with all around you. May you learn to talk about the abundent grace that has been freely given to you through the cross. Just as a cook would always ensure that his dishes are always seasoned with salt before it is cooked, may every word that proceeds from you be thoughtfully processed with a fear of God before it is released.

Blessings,
M.

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." (Mark 9:50)

God of the All

Luke 12:6
Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

I received a daily devotion which quoted this simple sentence of scripture and suddenly it made a lot of sense to me and I pray it will to you too.

I'm sure we don't really see sparrows everyday. but, if we open our eyes wide enough to observe, I'm sure we'll see a few of them around us. They are really tiny birds which would be lost amidst the other birds such as minahs, pigeons and ugly crows. Being so small and tiny, I've always wondered where to go and come from and I've never seen them roosting on trees, simply because I reckoned they are too tiny to observe.

Yet Jesus chosed to use these small, simple birds as examples of God's amazing attention to details. Insignicant as a sparrow, the bible states that God never forgets a single sparrow which he created.

Sometimes in life, we find ourselves consumed with our own circumstances and that's when we need to remember that God is the God of All. For all the big issues in life that we are desperate for God's answers in our lives, we always remember God. But in our everyday lives, it seems that God doesn't seem to be much in the picture.

As I travelled around japan for the past 10 days, I'm amazed at how easily forgotten God can be. Simply because I'm consumed by laziness on days which I don't click online to read my daily bread or even mutter my prayers. It's only on those certain travel situations (like airplane turbulence) that I make my paltry prayers. I know fully well that the Christian walk has nothing to do with having a powerful evangelistic service to remind me of a God's existence or an emotional worship to awaken my slumbering spirit man. Regardless whether I'm alone in Japan or in Singapore there is never a reasonable excuse for wandering away from God because like the sparrow, I'm responsible for finding my own food and protecting my own life.

Yet by the very essence of God as a God of grace, He declares that we are never forgotten even in times of personal unfaithfulness. May we not abuse the grace of God and walk in our own selfish, wanton ways because our eternal lives are valued richly by our creator - more so than the sparrows that He likewise created.

Blessings,
M.

"Awake, O north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
Make my garden breathe out fragrance,
Let its spices be wafted abroad.
May my beloved come into his garden
And eat its choice fruits!" (Song of Solomon 4:16)

Let's go over to the other side

Mark 4:35, 37, 38 & 40
On that day, when evening came, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."
And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.
Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?"

I read Mark 4:35 today and this statament "Let us go over to the other side" jumped at me.

Jesus told it to his disciples after he preached the parable of the sower with the crowds. It's a seemingly simple directional instruction to give, but consider the tempest that occurred thereafter and how the disciples panicked about their impending doom because they chosed to follow Jesus' instructions.

Simple as our life is, it is often loaded with situations like this because like the disciples, we follow our lives direction without much consideration of God's Lordship in our lives.

Evidently, Jesus knew that the tempest would break out and the situation would seem scary. Many interprete the scriptures to say that because Jesus was in full control of the situation he could afford to sleep peacefully amidst the violent rocking of the boat. (If you have been in a sailboat or bumboat and it faces strong winds, you'll have a simplistic idea of how aweful it feels to have greater winds and waves rock the disciple boat)

Viewing the waves breaking over the boat and an imminent sinking of the boat, it may seem normal for the poor disciples to panic because death was imminent. Why then did Jesus rebuke the disciples when they woke him up?

They felt that Jesus had directed them but did not care about their current dire conditions! There was a panicky feeling that the situation was lost and everything was doomed. What's made worst was the fact that they couldn't comprehend why Jesus was still asleep and not doing anything. Thus the desperate situation resulted in the disciples complaining that Jesus was not helping out in their situation. They simply did not recognise the Lordship of Jesus, even though he dwelled in the midst of them!

I believe that we too have many such similiar situations as the disciples where we often lose sight of how God has instructed us to go over to another place and forgot that He would go with us. Then, some sudden tempest of life would strike (i.e physical sickness, emotional failures, life's many little problems, family problems, work stress...etc) and we start looking up at heaven in despair because we feel that "God called us to go this direction but does not care that we live or die!"

I'm not sure if everytime God directs us to "go over to the other side", it would come packaged with a tempest intended to test our faith, but I'm sure that the many times which we face uncertainties of life, it surely tests the mettle of our faith.

When I heard the news of the devestatingly poor "A" level results, my heart truely sank. It felt as if a terribly calamity had struck. Times like this sees the constant echoing questioning of "why? why? and more whys?". Yet, I know better than to querie the perfect plans of God amidst our imperfect lives. It's always simple to say, in the long term, this bump of life would smoothen out and would look more like a mole-hill of yesterday's disappointment instead of the mountain of despair today. But today, having read this passage, I know better now because I see a new revelation of God in the situation. Whenever we are asked by God to go somewhere else with Him, He goes with us!

Crisis may come as we go in the direction God has told us to take, but in the midst of the crisis, Jesus will be there by our side. Our life may be tossed, turned and sinking, but! we will never perish nor panic because He is with us and nothing can overcome us. More so, as we need to recognise that Jesus is with us and as He restfully stays by us, we need to look at His example and accept in faith that if God is not panicking, why should we?

Today, if God asks you to go over to the other side, may your eyes stay focused on the Lord as He goes all the way with you.

Blessings,
M.

"And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."(Mark 4:20)

To See the Word of God!

Matthew 13:16
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear

This week I started work in my new job and with it comes a new office, new people to know, policies and new everything.

The first 3 days have been rather slow as I go about groping in the dark what I'm suppose to actually do, and what is expected of me, and who are the people around me.

Along with this new job comes many positives like a pay rise, pantry with free drinks and biscuits and many new handphones to play with. The sucky thing about changing anew is the fact that I'm totally out of my comfort zone and there's really just too many people and policies patrolling it. Doesn't help that the fun part of spending money and doing creative work is no longer part of my job scope.

There's really nothing much to whine or boast about as I trudge along and need to pick up everything and start performing fast.

The horror of my life came about as I joyfully logged into the internet and realised that so many /all of the christian sites which I frequent are now blocked off by a "smart filter" set by the IT people. The key reason given behind it? "Religion and Ideology" which the legal people or whoever policy maker has advised.

From my daily bread readings, which has always been my regular homepage, to the bible gateway which I use to do bible checks, and even the Royal Rangers US website which I refer to to obtain my detailed description of the merits and activities. It's now all taken away. It's a horrible feeling really, because suddenly I feel so robbed of my Christian freedom and ability to read the word of God.

Suddenly, I regret the many days which I opened the browser just to bypass the daily bread readings and click onto hotmail and gmail to check my mails. For all the past times which I took the freely online availability of the Word of God and the ease of searching for verses, I truely feel blinded now and like some persecuted Christian in a communist country.

The internet at work now serves very little fun and function and boy is it making me feel like a withering plant.

Thank God that I clicked around and around desperately and found 2 sites which offer me a simple online Bible reading and search function. They may not be as advanced as Bible gateway, but the moment I found them, I was truely grateful. It felt as if my blinded eyes could see and the freedom the see the Word of God online made my day.

For once I truely understand the meaning of these words by Jesus to His disciples that it is truely blessed to see the things/words of God.
I sincerely pray that these websites wouldn't be blocked off by some zealous IT filter person, because I've come to be so reliant on searching on the web for all my bible needs. Likewise, I also pray you will treasure the free opportunities and access to the Words of God because they bring life and hope.

Blessings,
M.

"For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." (Proverbs 4:22)

Mountain Tortoise Experience

Exodus 15:1-2
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD : "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

This was the thanksgiving song of Moses after the crossing of the Red sea. God had just performed one of the greatest miracle to deliver the nation of Israel by parting the Red sea for Israel to cross and destruction of the Egyptian army as the Red sea closed in on them. One can imagine the jubilee and joyous victory amongst the Israelites as they witnessed the awesome crashing of waves upon their former slave masters.

Today, I'm reminded of the need for us to count our blessings and take time to be greatful to the Lord.

Yesterday was an eye opening moment for the Rangers who went with us to FCBC to assist their Rangers programme. From the moment we saw the throngs of young people inside the MRT station to the time we stepped foot into the cavernous Expo hall, we aimlessly wandered until we found the open location of the Rangers gathering area. It made many of us feel like mountain tortoise because we never could imagine that there would be so many young people and young adults alike attending church in this far flung location of Singapore Expo.

With 8 faithful Rangers, we were grateful that only 40% of the FCBC rangers attendees came as we were kinda overwhelmed with the conditions and situation before us. Huge, open and noisy, the environment was something that made us feel bare and vulnerable. Didn't help that the kids weren't exactly docile and quiet, but rather the opposite.

As I glanced at the younger Rangers who were handling the DR group, it was an impressive sight to observe as I watched them attempt to match the DR kids energy and lead them. Looking at the hyper DR kids as they played games, it reminded me of the Cebu children of my first mission trip who played catching with wild abandon and always ran out of the game boundaries.

I'm not sure if all the Rangers who went enjoyed themselves or were blessed to be there amidst the chaos and confusion, but I was really blessed to see each of the youth step out and attempt to help out.

Its nothing awesome like the parting of the mighty Red sea, but trust me, it was an incredible sight and feeling to observe ordinary teenagers step out of their self-centred, bless me lives and ever procrestinating attitude to contribute to the Kingdom of God. Especially in a mega-church and in situations of non-optimum environment, few trained leaders and maddening throng of kids.

It strikes a cord similiar to Luke 10:2 where Jesus told his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

This was made more poignant when the youth service ended and the Expo hall was filled with youths gathering in circles having their cell groups and fellowship for the week. The contrast of ERs attempting to give much to help DR, versus youths gathering to receive more ministry really blessed my heart because I firmly believe that the time is here where youths are to arise and partake of selfless giving to the body of Christ rather than sit about to receive blessings.

For a brief moment yesterday, I witnessed how this plain vanilla generation from a little nondescript "mountain tortoise" church can be called to stretch its arms and start impacting many from a giant church and I'm truely greatful for the opportunity to witness this work of God. So, today I count my blessings for their willingness to obediently serve the Body of Christ to the best of their availability, despite their lack of formal training. More so when I see how they abandoned all pride as they stuck with their tasks in their "goofy uniforms" instead of feeling overwhelmed by embarressment in front of the 600-1000 trendy youths.

May the Holy Spirit speak to you today and enable you to say "In all I think and do, Lord I lift them unto you, come Holy Spirit take over my wilful heart as Lord I lift this life as worship unto you and am willing to be used to bless those you lead me to".

Blessings,
M.

God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;he does great things beyond our understanding.He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'So that all men he has made may know his work,he stops every man from his labor. (Job 37:5-7)

Choices

Ruth 1:11-13
But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons-would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!"

I've never really understood the reason why Ruth would want to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi. Frankly, unless she had no family back home to go to or they were very aweful people I don't see why she would want to follow her emotionally bittered mother-in-law. Even as a heathen Moabitess, I'm really sure that Ruth did not saw Jehovah Elohim in Naomi's life. Especially when the bible shows how bittered Naomi was because God had made her live through the death of her 2 sons and her husband (see Ruth 1:20-21)

Despite Naomi's clear instructions to Ruth to return home, twice! Yet Ruth made a choice to follow Naomi as the bible records her making a heartfelt plea "May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

But as the bible later records in Ruth, the choice to stay with Naomi was indeed a good choice, for out of this decision, Ruth was to be part of the lineage of king David and eventually Christ.

This Chinese New Year celebrations was just like any others, until it was tampered off when I got news of a friend who was medically unwell. Only when I visited her, did I know of the fact that she underwent 2 surgeries because cancer had struck her. What's sobering was the fact that she was already in an advanced stage and there was nothing medically which would give her the assurance of success in treatment or impending death.

Death is always around, but when such a sobering situation strikes someone close to us and we physically witness how life is in the process of being robbed, that the weight of reality hits home.

My friend has always been a fair-skinned beauty, voluptous lady. Humourous and very zesty for life, there was no lack of suitors who would approach her. and I recall going out lunch with her some 6 years ago and got waylaid by a man who stopped her to give her his contact number on his POSB receipt. Clearly she never called him because our rationale was POSB was for the average man, if he had written it on a foreign bank that would have shown him to be financial more wealthy and suitable. That decision was followed by great laughter on our part.

Yet, this week, as I sat on the chair and looked at her, she was far from her former glory. Having loss much blood and weight through 2 operations, her bones were now showing and the fullness of her voluptous flesh was lost. However, what was terribly different was the attitude which she now carried.

Some 3 odd years ago, she followed her cousin to church nicely. Then she made a decision to accept Christ into her life. For the next year or so, life was still status-quo to before she attended church. When I met her occasionally, we talked and discuss at leisure issues such as "How she successfully got a free bible and save good money","why must tithe, when she will tithe and why 10%? she'll give lesser first", "why cannot play majong or gamble?", "what's wrong with the occasional swearing or worldly indulgence". Then, myself and another friend were extremely skeptical of her profession as a christian. But honestly, with discussion of her faith and topic like the above, who could blame us anyway?

Then many moon later, one day, she told me that she much awaited conception was successful and her husband was attending church with her when the name of the baby came into his mind. That's where I realised that not only had she gone deeper and foresaken her past, she had reached the stage where her passive husband was brought to Christ as well.

Now, 2 kids later and some 3 years later, as she sat to relate to us her encounter with cancer and life the past month, plus the fact that her death or life is all unknown even as she undergo weekly tests and a soon-to-come chemotherapy, something is uniquely different about her. Ever sentence that proceeds out of her mouth is littered with Faith, Hope and Trust in God.

I am humbled as I sat there listening to her exclaim her faith in God and the choice she has made to look up to God's soverignty, inspite of all that cancer has robbed her and the uncertainties of passing away and leaving behind 2 young toddlers.

Amidst the psychological torment of imminent death, she choosed to see the powerfully ordained life which Christ has offered and the healing availed because of the suffering on the cross. In all the aweful medical procedures that she underwent, she choosed to thank God for the opportunity to experience and understand and to ultimately praise Him in front of those who asked her why was she different from others.

Even as I left that day, and continue to pray for her to see the Hope and Faith come to fruition, at such a sobering time, I'm reminded that when the time of persecution and the storms of life hit, we must be like her and choose well. More so because we must choose God's soverign will over our inward struggles.

Ruth probably choosed to follow Naomi out of filial piety and God honoured her for her decision. What about you? Many of us will never be in the situation of my friend. Rather, we will only have minor bumps in our lives which, when it causes us to stumble, we'll end up howling and squealing in pain or depressingly bemoan our failures.

Someday, may you and I learn to choose God and praise His soverign ways above our hopelessly blind, human struggles.

Blessings and may the Lord be glorified in the life and struggles of my friend,
M.

"The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age." (Ruth 4:14-15)

Life Abundantly

John 10:1o
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The Christian life is one which is meant to be of abundance. The dictionary defines the term "abundantly" as something marked by great plenty (as of resources), or experiencing affluence.

Yet today if you were to look at yourself in the mirror, can you ask yourself any of these questions to audit your life:

i. Are you enjoying your life?
ii.Is your life today the way it is meant to be?
iii. Are you living up a life according to your maximum potential which God wants you to?

Perhaps all the three questions above could be rephrased as "Do you have a sense of purpose in all that you are doing every day?"

I'm not surprised if many of us answer the questions with the following answer "No. I live daily but I have no life". Why? All because we live robotical lives as we run the rat race at school or at work. Even more when we strive on in our programmes, aspirations and goals without recognising that we are called to be heavenbound in everything we do.

I'm challenged by the promise of abundance that Christ promises in our lives but I see so few experiencing. I'm not talking about abundance of money only but a life that Christ promises encompasses a more abundant multi-faceted life beyond just money! We are talking about an overflow of health, joy, peace, wealth, blessing and love that the richness of experiences are so deep and wide than it overwhelms our needs and wants.

In Genesis 41, when Joseph interpretes Pharoh's dream of Egypt experiencing 7 years of abundance before 7 years of horrible famine, we see that the 7 years of abundance allowed the people to store so much food that during the next 7 years of famine, Egypt could not only support itself, it could even sell it to people living in the neighbouring region. That's called abundance! Having so much more that it is able to overflow and support others around you.

Thus, if God is the awesome great God who is more than enough for you and me, why are so many of us wallowing in the lowly things and drowning in earthly stress and unfulfilled potential. Even worst, many are living a life today that is neither free nor abundantly, but plagued by duress and uncertainties of our circumstances and unknown future.

One of the secrets of experiencing the abundance promised by God is clearly stated in the parable of the talents of Matthew 25:29 where Jesus states "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

Invest all the talents, gifts, time, efforts, plans back to God!

Be a sower of everything which has been birthed to you and use it for Godly purposes! Why spend one short 45 minutes of your weekend in corporate church worship and the rest of the sabbath being an inactive participant when you clearly know that there are so much things which needs you to do, someone to encourage, someone to bless. Here's 2 simple suggestions t try out:

i. Everyday of the weekday allows for opportunities to chat/worship with God and frankly evaluate with Him how your day has been with or without him.
ii. Is there a friendship which you should incorporate mentorship or encouragement? Can you start to omit some of the useless, mindless nonsense in your conversations and talk about 1 Godly truth or 1 thing that brings God into perspective.

There are just too many things which you can do for God with the talents, time and life imparted to you. We need to start experiencing the glorious breath of God's life invigorate our weary earthen body and enhance our sensory perception as we plow through the daily tasks. Then will we start seeing the reality of God back in your life and His purpose amidst our daily grind of life.

I pray that today, you'll examine your life and realise that its really fruitless and weary to go through the routines, personal aspirations, stress and endless earthly activities without meeting God daily.

It is time that your spirit man awakens from its contented/slumber state and crave in desperation. Remember, you and I need are born for a purposeful existence and to experience a life that is much more than this because a life with Jesus Christ brings about more abundance!

blessings,
M.

I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:14)