Thought of the day

Posted on March 5, 2012 by clay

Yesterday, we look at one location, and it brought not small sadness to our hearts.
The price is so expensive……and i felt quite miserable within.
There seems so many things, and i felt at lost on how to handle them.

This afternoon, as I spent some quite times.
Somehow my mind rushed back to my dreams, and what I most wanting…if i can choose one thing to do.
A verse came to my mind (in slightly different light).
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Mat 6:32-33

It were probably basic necessities such as food and clothing. But here, with the price of housing skyrocketing and the demands seem unending. I wonder if this is what a lot of people are running and chasing after, and worry about?

But the Word of God says clearly, your Father knows that you need them. Therefore, seek first His kingdom & His righteousness…In other word, don’t follow the crowd. Don’t chase after what’s the world is running after, and miss the more important thing, the eternal thing. For we’re created with limited energy and given limited time. We can’t possibly do everything. Focus on the goal…and those things which you need, Your Father will give to you. But thou must not reverse the order (which is very tempting to do….after we get what we want….then we will seek His Kingdom & His righteousness)

That’s the reason that I write this post. Part of my answer to His calling is to be faithful with this blogging. Who knows, in God’s sovereignty, it can make a difference for eternity.

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Conviction about use of tounge

Posted on March 2, 2012 by clay

I took a quiet time at the end of today, reflecting on what the Lord may want to say to me.
And this thing about the use of tongue came quite strongly.
Just rewinding the last one week, I could see several times I hurt people with my tongue. It’s was said word is sharper than sword, to some extent..it is true.

It reminds me why Jesus teach the importance of careful use of tongue. He highlights in his famous Sermon on the Mount, that harsh words is equivalent to murder. How much more serious could it get? At the heart of a loose tongue, is anger. And that’s why in Jesus’ words, he says…whoever is angry with his brother, is a murderer. Anger kills apparently. Angry birds just confirm it btw :).

And it makes sense why James tells the people to be quick to listen, but to be slow to speak, and slow to be come angry (James 1:19), because he says: “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (1:20)

This is one area which I should be working on. It is very easy to justify this. The society seems encourage loose tongue. People who speaks out loud usually are heard & get their things done earlier. And those who speak harshly are feared in most cases. Those who speak out their minds & hearts satisfy their soul and hearts…when they lash out, they feel peace…regardless how others might feel afterwards. Some others form habit to speak out whatever in their mind as a form of destressing themselves.

All the above reasons would justify the use of tongue for the sake of me. It put others thought, feeling, even interest secondary. And again I am reminded how Paul actually a good example. He refrained to use his tongue to scold harshly, in fact he pleaded to say God give him tounge to build up not to tear down.

In a spur of anger, building up my neighbor would be the last thing in my heart. The first instict would probably just to get out the anger & frustration. We easily call this lack of anger management…

I do see it’s as how serious we take our tongue business. It’s pleasing to the Lord that we should be careful in our words. And only speak words that build up others and not tearing down others.

Father in Heaven, I’m very sorry for my loose tongue which have hurt several people. I ask that you watch my mouth, guard my tongue & deliver me from saying harsh things. Let my words be seasoned with grace & truth, building others up. Speaking things which pleases You.

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Never out of God’s loving hands

Posted on February 21, 2012 by clay

Last nite was bit strange…couldn’t fall asleep despite my dizziness & usual easyly fallen asleep once i hit my pillow.

So i woke up and spent some times with the Lord… At first, i asked Him things that troubled me about a book i was reading. I don’t know how…later it became a question about “how can good God allow evil / sufferings?”

I guess it was triggered by a very moving poems i read during the day. A very beautiful poem, and I cried few times just to finish reading it. It tells the heart of mother of a Down syndrome daughter. I could feel the pain, sorrow, and sufferings in it…and I guess, it made me ask the question….why the Lord allow that things to happen? In the first place, didn’t he the one who give the child? (Every child is a gift of God). And every gift of God is good. Or can we say that confidently?

Then I remembered good friends of ours who had miscarriaged before. I felt so helpless, and I can’t answer…Doesn’t everyone says (and I believe so), the baby is gift from God? Why did God take away and cause pain? Did God give and then take? Wouldn’t it better if He didn’t give in first place if take it away cause so much pain?

Spurgeon said God never takes away our golds. He takes our silvers and replace them with golds. Last time I agree with him, but last nite…I will ask him….if the baby is God’s gift…did God give silver in first place so that he can replace it with gold later? Dont we believe that God’s give the best? Can’t God give gold from the beginning and there’s no need for exchange in future?

I was seriously in troubled…in the past I could reconcile with many reasonings. But last nite, there seem strong eagerness to just settle over trivial answers. I ask if possible…I would like to understand better. Who is this God I know? Is it possible for my mind to understand Him better? As far as the mind HE created able to comprehend……..

If it’s said because of our sins…….then it’s like punishment explanation. Well received by many since everyone is sinners and have committed sins. And no doubt the most holy person also a sinner before God. But that doesn’t describe the God that i believe in. That will make our live in constant fear….what if God suddenly bring my sins to my face, and he strike my wife, my son, my mother…….the list continues. There’s no peace to live in the presence of such God who brings all our sins to our face, and still say He forgives our sins……………I don’t think God I know is like that either……

I don’t know if this explanation can answer that question. But with this…I said I could accept it.

Every child is a gift of God. Every gift of God is out of His love, and always the best for us. Hence, we should rejoice over every pregnancies. We shouldn’t be fearful of the “What ifs…..”. What if suddenly God is angry and strike the unborn baby? What if this child is not intended by God? What if God is not sincere with his gift? What if God give to test our faith by take it back and see how we cope with it?……………

The only possible case when Satan challenge God about us…..(the case of Job & Peter). And to that, Jesus rightly point…for us to pray “deliver us from the evil.” And to this I can bravely say, it’s not that God so weak that He allows evil to reign. He has all the power to stop evil, or even our mistakes (sometimes our human mistakes)…….But i learn that God is able not only bring the best out of evil. He could bring the best out of the best also.

What i meant and believe is this. With a lost pregnancy because of human mistakes / evil strike…….it didn’t deny original God’s best gift. But through the situation, God could use it to bring another best outcome. I could fully affirm that after I look back over my life…12 years ago.

Hence, I see that we’re always in the merciful & loving hands of God. God is love, and I am secure in His love. Nothing could happen by external forces which throw me out of His hands of love. Indeed the way His dealings is to show His sovereignty and respect.

Remember the parable of a master who sow good seed? At night he slept, and his enemy came to sow bad seed. In the morning, all his people were surprised where the bad seed came from? He was not puzzled, for he knew that it was the enemy who sowed the bad seed? Could he prevent it to happen if he knew beforehand? Why didn’t he protect it from happen? Why didn’t he do something? Why did he allow it? And why he waited till the end times to separate the good from the bad?

This is a picture of God who’s ultimately sovereign and yet gives so much freedom both for enemy and us. He let us live as if we’re independent from him, and can do anything we like, and also bear with all the consequences that brings. He let it…..he didn’t prevent or interfere with our freedom. Yet in His sovereignty…..when we fall, he never let us fall out of His loving hands. Confusing? I found my peace there. Probably this far my mind can comprehend.

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It’s more than about me & about us

Posted on February 14, 2012 by clay

then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, (Deu 8:14)

Tomorrow is a little history in my life. For i will change my citizenship. It’s kind of a long journey till here. When I look forward, I see about buying a house, settling down, building a family…all with my own hands…

And the verses above struck me…

It’s so easy to forget….After a long and tough journey, acquiring a lot of successes, arrived at some points in life, growing up from zero to something……strangely, our hearts easily lifted up.

It’s true for Israelites, through 40 years journey in dessert, arrived in a good land, built up good houses, and dwelling in it….planting and harvesting, growing up flocks…..it’s so easy to feel……we have arrived here.

I was counting….I left home without money and anybody. Now, I have money, wife, and soon a family. Certainly it’s an achievement…. 2 years ago, in my moving out list, I still remember….26 boxes, that’s all our belonging. Today, probably there’re more….

So, the Lord reminded me, lest I become like the Israelites… It’s the Lord who brought me out. It’s the Lord who preserved my life. It’s the Lord who gave me strength & power to do what I’ve done. It’s all because the Lord’s grace & mercy.

With that, I remember all our friends who have helped us so tremendously. The joy they brought into our lives. The laughters & friendships that so essential to our lives. Then I remember their families too who also has blessed us with their love & generosities. A friend’s mum who brought food for my wife, friend’s aunt who brought another food, friend who brought yet another food (my wife craving for many food). Stranger who went extra mile to do my last min order…

If there’re thing I can boast about…..life is more than about me & about us. Life is simply accumulation of God’s grace. He gives every good things. Out of His love….life is about all & all about Him.

… who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock,  who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. (Deu 8: 15-16)

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Blessed be the name of the Lord

Posted on February 13, 2012 by clay

Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your glorious name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be your glorious name.

My refuge, my exceeding joy,
My salvation, my God

Why are you downcast O my soul?
Why are you trouble within me?
Put your hope in God

My refuge, my exceeding joy,
My salvation, my God

Why are you downcast O my soul?
Why are you troubled within me?
For I shall praise His name.

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name
Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Rafa,
Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Jireh

My refuge, my exceeding joy,
My salvation, My God
Blessed be Your Name

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Migrating over

Posted on February 11, 2012 by clay

My first post at the new site. See how it goes

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Blessed Life

Posted on January 18, 2012 by clay

What is life?

Is it just series of habits? Everyday routines?

Is it just series of appointments?

Accumulation of things?

If life just merely any of the above, it’s a very sad one. How to call it blessed life? When life series of habits, appointments, projects, schedules….

Probably blessed life would means successful life? When every meetings, projects, appointments being fullfilled / met their objectives?

Probably it could also means a trouble-free life? Free from sickness, poverty, harms, calamities, etc? Sounds good, but is it really a blessed life?

Some people will look into lives of Abraham and called it blessed life. He lived long age, died in peace, very rich and not lacking. Little do people know the kind life he went through….left his people, family, friends to foreign country. The Bible recorded he was afraid and lied for his life, then God intervened. Another time he faced battle to rescue his nephew. God demanded him to sacrifice his one and beloved son at his old age…….what do you call that?

Some other look into the lives of Joseph and called it blessed life. Yes, he suffered when he was young, but eventually, he became authority in Egypt. The thing is nobody know how life would like tomorrow. Not every life would turn out well at the end. Would anyone want to go through Joseph’s life? To be hated by all the siblings? To be sold as slave? To be thrown into jail?

Worse still for anyone who dreams to have the life of Job. Would anyone in their right mind want that kind of life experience? To lose everything in a single day? To lose all the riches is probably hard enough. And to lose all 10 children in a day?? After that, he’s stricken by disease that unbearable……. Watching and being with my pregnant wife for 1 day is already a big struggle. To see her in weak, pain, and helpless state…..not comparable to the pain that Job went through……

What then is blessed life? If the end does not justify the mean? Could it be blessed life just an ideal? Where one live peacefully and die peacefully?

I’m intrigued by one man’s life, name Paul. He went through so many things in life. He had experienced shipwrecked, thrown into jail, beaten, stoned, canned. He also experienced hunger, in need, nakedness. He went through hard labor, sleepless night, troubled days, abandoned by friends, chased by enemies. And he died by sword (according to church’s tradition). Could anyone call it blessed life?

These are some his description of his life:

as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (2 Cor 6:4-10)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

   “For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

I thought, I found the answer.

The following verse especially caught my attention:

But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased ~ (Gal 1:16)

As an expecting father (expecting my wife to give birth), the fact that God set apart even from mother’s womb gives great comfort & confidence. It talks about God’s sovereignty, also of God’s mercy & choosing. Why did he do that? I can only think of one answer….Because he loves.

As Paul says, a blessed life is ..being loved by God. Nothing beats that. Nothing greater than that.

Posted in 2 Corinthians, Blessedness, Fatherhood, Galatians, Job, Restful | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The happiest man on earth today

Posted on January 6, 2012 by clay

Just can’t contain my joy inside.

Since last nite, I had sent the news of my wife pregnancy to a few friends.

Then this afternoon, I announced it in office.

Also I sms few good friends.

They all so supportive & encouraging. I just overwhelmed with their love & joy.

I just want to explode with joy.

 

Thank you Lord for circle of friends. They’re really good friends. I’m so blessed to have so many good friends around me. I pray that you keep us loving one another, as your children.

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Merciful & Compassionate God

Posted on January 4, 2012 by clay

I disagree with many who depict the God in the Bible as a nasty & cruel God.

On the contrary, I see him as merciful God and abundance in love.

Perhaps our worldview (lenses through which we see) affecting our view.

But yesterday, as I read the following account, I became even more convinced.

Deu 3:21-29 : tells the story of Moses forbidden by God from entering the promised land.

I thought there’s nothing much to be gained / learnt from that story.

Somehow, I was intrigued by why did Moses wrote / recorded it in first place.

He said that he pleaded with God to be allowed to enter the land and see the beauty of it.

But the Lord gave him the same answer: “NO!” And not to repeat the matter again!

(I thought like a father son kind scenario)

However, the next part is very interesting. For the Lord told Moses to go up mountain, and see the whole land with his eyes. I’ve never met such God before. Who’s both just and merciful. He’s just and uncompromising so he doesn’t allow Moses to enter. Yet he’s merciful & compassionate to allow him to see (for that’s Moses’ desire to see the good land beyond Jordan). I don’t know how Moses feel. But i suspect he would be very grateful.

God being God could told Moses that “No” means “No”. But he didn’t do that. He bent slightly and gave him chance to see. Which will be far less superior with the next thing Moses would see… I learnt that in life, God knows best. If he didn’t give us what we asking, I’m very happy to receive what he gives. Though it may not be exactly what I was asking. But I know he’s my best interest. He gives the best…which far better than what we’re asking.

There’re things regarding my wife which I ask the Lord. And there could be things which He may answer with ‘No’. And i’ve learnt that God’s “No” could be the very best for me. For He is a loving & compassionate God. He knows what he is doing.

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Pizza Story

Posted on January 2, 2012 by clay

31st Dec 2011

9.00 pm – my wife said she want to eat pizza. Chicken Supreme, because she wants the baked pineapple taste….

We’re searching for the pizza delivery…..got a few.

But the delivery size is definitely more than what two of us can finish. …… It’s not wise to waste food like that, not to say money as well……..

So i said to her, if i just go and look for 1 sliced pizza.

She insisted it must be chicken with baked pineapple…………

I don’t know how, she managed to find there’s one pizza shop near our place….and the sell the one she wants.

 

9.35pm – I left home

9.48pm – I reached the pizza shop. The lady at counter told me, that take away is already closed at 9.45pm. And they’re sorry for that.

I prayed & pressed on little bit…I said my wife is craving. And i just need a small pizza, not a big one.

Thank God the lady then accepted it, and processed my order.

….Finally…all the customers left, and left me alone waiting for the pizza. Apparently, I was the last customer that night. And I could understand also, 31st Dec….everyone would want to have a break / not working.

10.35 – I reached home again with the pizza in my hands

I thank the Lord who grants such beautiful closing for our year 2011. My wife was so happy. I told her, it’s the Lord’s goodness, otherwise….it doesn’t make any sense for the lady to entertain my order, or the kitchen personal to bake  just one small pizza at last-minute. Thanks to all the staff on that night. Really made my year-end memorable.

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