Money’s Power

Posted on April 29, 2010 by clay

Many would agree that money has power.

Those who has money, has the say. And those without money, doesn’t have a say.

However, i notice that money has power of its own. Power that even greater than the one who possess it realize. For often, as i mentioned earlier, we seldom recognize the influence it has on us. Indeed, it seek to master us. A simple almost general practice everywhere…..

Do you find it so hard to ask someone to return your money?

But do you find it so easy for the person in first place to beg money from you?

Such the power that money could exert on someone’s life. To that person, money becomes everything, that one would beg even for it. Yet when in one’s hands, refuses to let it go, even when it’s not his/hers.

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Money at Work (2)

Posted on April 29, 2010 by clay

Last week, i went back for shortwhile. And had chance to catch up with my best friend. We’re talking about money power and changes in nowdays people attitude towards work and money. This morning, when i thought about it again (after hearing how someone dealing with client on the train)….this my take:

If work is worship as unto the Lord, then the quality must not be determined by the payment of the work done. Nor it should be determined by the amount of praise to be received. No payment, or praise, if work is done as unto the Lord. We believe that such work, would be of high quality work, for it’s not measured by money. Indeed one way to test if we’re influenced by money at work, when quality of our work determined by the amount of money we’ll get at the end of our work.

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Place for me?

Posted on April 27, 2010 by clay

Tonight as we took the bus back, my heart was heavy.

It’s the so many times that the search for place didn’t bear fruit.

Again, it’s met with empty hand and futile result….

And then i look up to see the night sky…and i saw stars (dunno how i could see that in the bus hehe…)

And I ask God, why is it so difficult to find a place?

Is there no place for us in this city?

If the whole world is His, can’t he just open a house for us….there’re so many places that I can see…can’t he just give one for us? Make one available, and end all this search which now…i don’t know where or when to find…

Then i recalled, that night when Joseph and Mary couldn’t find place for that night…and baby Jesus was born in manger (some even said cave). Doesn’t God have the whole universe in His hands? Can’t He give Jesus somewhere, better place? Can’t Jesus choose a more proper place? Why did he end up with no place?

There I thought he understands my feeling, and i understand his too. And it’s no coincidence i believe, only Luke recorded the incident. For at the heart of his gospel, God identified with the poor. God who cares and the poor are close in his heart. I can’t explain with words, but that moment…I just sense his tremendous heart string to the poor. His very action of choosing to find no place, when actually he has all places….Why did he do that? It’s like telling all who has eyes and ears….his heart cry, that he chose rather this…than to be elsewhere and away from what’s dear in his heart.

Once again I regain conviction, indeed the poor are special in God’s sight. Luke is one who captures it and we are blinded if we ignore his message. Maybe the challenge God ask me tonight, where have i place the poor? If he wants me to be like him, then it must be … dear in my heart.

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Timely Word

Posted on April 27, 2010 by clay

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. ~ Psalm 32:9 ~

I seldom resolve for this kind of thing, to have something like a word to sustain me for a time or even a day. Yet this time I really need it (after listening to few people who practice this sort).

And so surrender my old self & practices…and found those words, very timely. Somehow it answers me to the very core of my being. It simply answers to all questions I’ve and settled them all for me. And how wonderful the whole passage for me. It jumps up and brilliantly meaningful. That as if my eyes full of light and I see another world that’s full of brightness.

Indeed the Lord is good, and near us. If you ever wonder how God could strengthen you to face the day / season in life. Come to Him, and He’ll teach you the way you should go. He will counsel thee with his eye upon thee. Isn’t it wonderful?

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Grappling with the gods: Mammon (1)

Posted on April 27, 2010 by clay

Thoughts bit here and there…in fact scattered all over place.

The topic that I’m passionate and proposing to write paper on it.

And now in midst of doing it, and much prayer about it, that all these things happen.

But then, it brings me to see it more clearly.

Now it’s so much clearer than first time I did my research on it.

Experience is always a very good teacher for me.

Now few things that I can say with true conviction:

1. Mammon is very powerful god.

2. We seldom realized how much we’re overpowered by it.

 

And so, this first entry serves as my introduction.

How much I long, desire, and sell myself into…

That my God is more powerful than Mammon.

And my life a showcase of the victory over it.

As mentioned earlier, that Mammon is very powerful.

And we never realized how much we are under the grip of it.

The moment we try to break out from it, then the power struggle.

It desires to master…to put us under…with all it’s might and power.

And I pray, we won’t bow down to it.

 

I know that final victory will only come last.

In this life time, I probably would never be able to completely defeat it.

Yet i know that on the final day.

I will triumph over it. Will tramp on it with my foot.

And how i long for that day.

And the sweeter the victory, when now on earth, I shall fight with all my strength and heart.

Sweeter the sound of final victory.

When i see my God triumph over it. Defeat it completely.

And there i know, really know, the taste of true victory.

Till then, may the Lord strengthen our hands.

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Housing Saga (14/4)

Posted on April 14, 2010 by clay

This morning, landlord’s agent called me.

Her proposal:

– authority will inspect, so we’ve to move out

– she’ll help us to move

– temporarily stay at her place

– our things can put there also

– then they apply for legality

– once authority approved, we can move in

– clean with new contract approved under authority eyes

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Being Ready

Posted on April 5, 2010 by clay

This morning my eyes were so heavy that I couldn’t open it to read my morning devotion. So i just prayed that the Lord will give me the word for the day somehow. Trying to remember any verses, but nothing came to my mind. Then…an hour later, i thought i saw a verse. And as i began reading it (by this time i could open my eyes wider), i felt very familiar with the verse. I realized that it’s because it’s one of my fave tshirts. Without i realized, last nite my wife wore my tshirt to bed. Haven’t told her that this morning the word means something new to me

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him – Mat 24:44

My thought went back and forth on what I did yesterday, and the Easter event 2 days ago, with some incidents during the week and earlier this month on this topic of Jesus’ 2nd coming. Few things that i thought good to share:

1. I come for work with the lightness of heart, that I do my work and finish my day job such way that when Jesus come today, I could tell him, “I’ve finished my job for the day.” It’s such a liberating thing to know that ultimately the Lord himself our master, and we’re accountable to him. To be able to finish the day, with the feeling that we’ve done our part, is a liberating thing.

2. I come to live with the mindset that I want to be clean when I meet my Lord. And any debts or outstanding things between me and my neighbor should be settled. I can’t be bothered with the world’s business. For the week before, there’re not small disagreement at work that quite affected me, or at least my conscience. So this morning, ignoring that, and settling it, I told myself, I want to meet my Lord clean, not meddle with things of this world, which has no value before His presence. What if someone not happy with me? It’s of no value to Him. What if I’m not happy with someone, it’s too also of no value to Him.

3. Life is not just about I’m living to old age and waiting for time to tick. But there’s this dimension that my Lord may return sooner than I expected. So preparing myself, and to be able to say at any time and point of my life, “I’m ready Lord.” That feeling is wonderful, for we’re not waiting for someone who’s delaying His promise, but means…he’s coming to fetch me…..that i might not see death. That’s the whole new thinking especially last weekend when discussing about faith & what God has done.

4. It set me free from worry and fear. For nobody knows the time. Nobody determines, only God above. So it’s all very small matters about life, when God rules and owns everything, and he could come anytime (especially time that we don’t expect).

Living with readiness, for my Lord might come today, it’s such a blessed anticipation.

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On Calling (1)

Posted on November 20, 2009 by clay

This afternoon, I’m still thinking about the subject, as we’re taking this course together on discerning God’s will and been discussing quite a lot about the subject.

I am quite amazed at the numbers of books published around this subject. And that means there’re plenty of views and explanations. Really amazed…that probably there’re still more out there with their views about this subject than all the books available. And with that, the possibility is enormous.

I’m quite glad that we did attend the lecture last night. We’ve learnt few good stuff. And personally I’m thankful for the fact that it did re-enforce my belief & ‘sense of calling’ that otherwise going to die . As usual, I’m person who like to do and gets my hands dirty. The dirtier the better, coz that means I really get hangs of it, turn it upside down, and I’m still at home with it. So yah, excited to experiment with this finding, whether what I think is correct. I pray this will do good for pen as well. (to be explained later)

Back to the matter of calling, what was taught last nite re-enforce my belief…that first and foremost of calling…not a call to do something. But actually a call to belong to someone. A call to belonging said P Steven. The moment I think the other way, that calling is summon to do something, I would have missed out the whole point. I would reduce God to simply a taskmaster. Whenever I would come to him, is like asking for the next task to be completed. Not very far from seeking him for the gifts. At the end of the day, all becomes about me. I’m the superstar with all the gifts, or I am the superman with all the tasks done. And God becomes the superbank where I draw all the gifts and tasks and resources I need.

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Thanksgiving to God

Posted on November 9, 2009 by clay

Just would like to say thanks to God for all wonderful things He’s done in my life over the past weekend.

1. Thank God for a wonderful wife. Everyday she just seems more beautiful.

2. Thank God for safety that we left and came back safely…wonderful protection (happened like those in movies when the cab driver drove against the current….)

3. Thank God for wonderful wonderful weekend, meeting up with wonderful people with wonderful stories. Testifying that indeed the Lord is good, and great 

So yah, my body is tired, my eyes also growing sleepy, but my heart is burning.

Looking forward for many new things ahead. And as Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be.

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Meaning of strength

Posted on May 28, 2009 by clay

This morning as we’re doing our devotion, this thing came to mind. How life of David and Saul such a big contrast.

At the end of 1 Samuel, Saul is pictured as a man who lost his strength

“Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.” ~ 1 Sam 28 : 20 ~

… And insted recovering back his strength … he lost it further, at point of return when he seek a medium which lead to his death at the end of 1 Samuel.

David on the other hand, also lost his strength, in tragedy to find that his wives were kidnapped upon arriving home. And his entire town was burned with fire.

“Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.” ~ 1 Sam 30 : 4 ~

However, a very short verse describe the turning point for David, and the entire course..

“But David found strength in the LORD his God.” ~ 1 Sam 30 : 6b ~

David found strength in the LORD, his God. I think that’s the biggest lesson i learnt from all the dramas. One man seek strength by his own, and he never gain it back. The other man lost his strength and seek his God, and he found it there. It’s so comforting to know that God alone is enough. Situation can be very bad (like this man David, he lost everything, even his people wanting to stone him … ), yet somehow, unknown to human mind, God is able to give strength greater than the situation, to turn around the situation to victory. It’s not David’s greatness or cleverness or abilities … but the LORD who gives strength. Seek Him.

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