Do you know the meaning of Christmas?

Hmm

Maybe the question now is....."where are we?"

Queen of the South

It is said that the Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment day to testify against Jerusalem, for she went to hear Solomon's Wisdom, yet one greater than Solomon was there, and yet they heard not.


Perhaps Nineveh too will rise up to testify against us, for Jonah alone went to preach and the entire city repented in fear and trembling. And we have no lack of the Lord's servants preaching and encouraging and pushing and guiding and leading - yet we are changed not.

Writing

3 times in history is it recorded that God wrote using His finger

The first was the 10 commandments - setting the standard.

The second was on the Babylon King - implementing judgement.

But the third showed fullness of grace and mercy in Christ's dealing with the Adulterous woman. And doesn't the previous 2 unsaid events say much in the third? Who sets the standard but God? And who can judge but God?

And if God decides to count our sins against us no more... Who can be against us?

Such is grace.

Why doesn't?

It had been a while since I (or anyone else =_=") posted.. And probably this should be closed anyway since awty exists only in our hearts now =p Still.. Whatever la =p

People always ask the question - why doesn't God (do so and so). Like, why did God make Adam knowing that he would fall? And why does God allow bad things to happen? And why He doesn't make Himself more obviously known. And why does He want us to pray when He already knows what we want and need better than ourselves...

But don't you think these are small mysteries compared to other instances? If you are the Son of God, why don't you come down from the cross? If you can save others why don't you save yourself? If you are Sinless and blameless why are you made Sin? If you need but to call and legions of angels will come why do you not even allow a sword to be drawn?

These questions remain even when they are answered. Yet perhaps we should be glad God does things as He does, not as we do. If it were that all our prayers were answered, how disastrous that would be...

Honorable

An honorable friend is the best thing, an honorable enemy is the next best. I guess thats the difference between Russel and Dawkins.

Turn

Turn inwards and you shrink. Turn outwards and you probably grow. But its only when you turn to Jesus that you have life.

In all service, the temptation to turn to what you are doing is so strong. But a person must first be a mystic before he can be a saint. He must first be Holy before he can be effective. He must first worship before he can preach.

89

Wants the 89-ers back

Living Waters

It had been quite a trip. I went there with lots of uncertainties. Would I be of any benefit to the people? I can't understand, nor can I speak Bahasa Indonesian. Even at the most optimistic level, if I were able to speak God's Word, would it make a difference? Pastor Ronny is definately more able to do that! And even if God wanted to speak a Word in season, why would He call someone all the way from Singapore, travelling 11 hours on the road to speak it? He has so many (better) saints there!

Still, with Dean's encouragement, and God clearing the way, I sent despite not knowing exactly why.

And stepped right into a different world. It was really a small glimpse of what the Kingdom of God is like. God reigned in that place. It was a place which God built - without His provision, none of it would had been possible. But that was just the start. He who began a good work brings it to completion. He sustains it by providing for every meal, every repair, every brick, every servant. He is magnified in the children's praises, He is remembered at every meal's prayer, at every scripture reading. By their love for one another, the children show themselves to be His disciples. They are united as one family. There is "no exact job description for anyone, but everyone looks around and helps out where there is a need" (Ronny, roughly quoted). Those who are great serve - by very practical means like washing and sweeping and carrying bricks. Those who are least are treated like the firsts, being given the best care and tender treatment.

There is always something to do in Living Waters. But there is always someone to do it.

In such a place, how does one help? What can you add to a City of God? It was then that I realised that this position itself would disqualify me from contributing. As long as I saw myself as being apart from it, as being from "Singapore", as being there to "give" (as though I was better off), I had nothing to offer. How could I offer anything? However, if I became a part of the family, everything made sense. As part of the family, I need not have a special meeting, delivered in a profound way to impact them. In fact, if I were given a special meeting, I would not even be able to carry it out properly. But as part of the family, I just had to do what I could. I cannot revamp the kitchen system, but I could wash a dish. I could not introduce a new curriculum, but I could teach a child or help a lesson. I could not even conduct a Sunday School class (unlike our talented team member), but I can sing a song, staple rubber bands and be beaten up as a failed Singa. I cannot declare God's Word, but I can hold a child to show him / her that they are loved...

Truly, building God's Kingdom is not difficult.

It was not a school which we painted there - it was God's school. It was not a training center that we cleaned, we were cleaning God's house and Sanctuary. It was not a brick we made, we were building the city of God. It was not a child we were playing with, we were making Saints.

Where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom and joy. How many children in Singapore are as happy as those there? How many adults have jobs that give as much meaning as the missionaries? How many tribes will be impacted because these children will go and bring back the gospel message to them? I am sure many Sunday School Teachers will give their left hand to have their classes and children like those in Living Waters.

It is more real than this illusion which we live in.

Would all these fade away like a dream, drowned by routines, stiffled by the everyday, smothered to an ember? It remains to be seen. May the Lord fan this into flames. And to thank Him for this privellege of allowing us to build His house.

Faith

Is not so much "I believe" as "I believe you"

Clay Treasures

The mystery of Christianity is neither Treasures (divine nature) nor Clay Jars (Humanity). We can see one in the starry heavens and the other in a starred daze. The mystery lies in the Treasures in Clay jars, that we should see divine nature shining through humanity.

The Clay Jar does not cease to exist just because there are treasures in it. Like wise, we do not lose our human nature the moment we have God in us (though many of us try to achieve that end). In fact, the clay jar is more evidently seen for the clay it is because of the contrast with the treasure in it.

Neither does the Treasure loses its value just because it is in a clay jar. In fact, greater is the glory of treasures in clay jars than treasures. Compare a proud person with divine humility shining through. How much greater the glory compared to one with a humble temperament in the first place. Or a timid person going forth in divine wrath. How much greater the impact compared to one who is easily angered!

- Insights by Watchman Nee, Adapted

Knowing You

All I once held dear built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus knowing you
There is no greater thing
You're my all you're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know you more
To be found in you, and known as yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness

Knowing you, Jesus knowing you
There is no greater thing
You're my all you're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

Oh to know the power of your risen life
And to know you in your suffering
To become like you in your death my Lord
So with You to live
And never die

Knowing you, Jesus knowing you
There is no greater thing
You're my all you're the best
You're my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

Genesis

I wonder... how long is it in between Genesis 2:21 and Genesis 3:1?

So

³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:3-5)

How could I had missed the word "So" after reading this passage for so many times?

Its only the greatest who can stoop the lowest!

Pure and Holy Passion

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me on magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your dicsiple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you

If only my obsessions, passions and ambitions were that noble. If only my sight were so good as to see the world for what it is - empty, pale and poor.. 

Surface

The worst enemy of Best is good and better.

I had come to the same conclusion regarding reading the Bible. The worst enemy of understanding the (deep truths of the) Bible is surface reading.When the application / meaning from a passage seems so clear (yet perhaps not speaking to your heart).. that is when we get contented about what it says and carry on with life (or perhaps, if we are more in tuned, to carry out what it says)

Yet, the best truths are not found this way. We don't find gems lying around on the streets - so it is with precious truths in scripture. Take for instance, the passage in Mark 1:35 onwards about Jesus going to a quiet place to pray. Its good if we grasp that even Jesus had to pray, that even He had to find solitude, that He set aside time early in the morning, even before the activities of the day.

That was the level I usually read it at. Until reading in class last Tuesday, I realised that it was not just a normal praying, that He was probably feeling disappointed, that He was probably interceding, that He was probably receiving instructions from the Father etc etc. It blew my mind. (Don't worry if you don't understand how I came to these conclusions, this is just an example, and anyway, maybe I am mistaken =p). How could I had missed those after so many times this passage was used?

Then again, perhaps we already have too much we understood but had not practiced. Maybe that is the greater problem. God speaks in different ways, and I for one, am glad that He speaks through even surface reading to communicate His Word.

Melchizedek

He had set Eternity in the Hearts of people.

How is it that
The Incas in South America, believing in Viracocha
The Santals in Calcutta, India, believing in Thakur Jiu (genuine God)
The Gedeo People (also known as the Darassa) in Ethiopia, believing in Magano
The Mbaka in Central African Republic believing in Koro
The Chinese believing in Shang Ti
The Koreans believing in Hananim
The Karens in Burma (Myanmar), believing in Y'wa
The Kachin North of Burma, believing in Karai Kasang
The Lahu living at the borders along Burma and Laos, believing in Gui'Sha
The Wa living in mountains between Lahu and Kachin believing in Siyeh
The Kui living in Thai-Burma Borders believing in the true God and delicating house of worship in advance
The Naga in India believing in Chepo-Thuru
The Mizos in India believing in Pathian

All of these sharing common beliefs. Not all share all of these beliefs, but the amount of similiarity is staggering.

All believe that the above named God is different from the idols which they worship, different from the spirits they worship, and even different from the Sun worship. This God is believed to be the Creator of the World, and in many of them, also believed to sustain the world. In many of these, people worship the idols because believe themselves to be not near enough to this God to worship Him. Much of these beliefs had faded away to live only in folk tales and songs, but all trace their source to a time even predating the Nature worship or Spirit Worship.

There are tales of there being trees (the number vary) set before the first human pair (another shocking similiarity), with a forbidden tree.

There is the evil spirit which made them eat from that forbidden tree.

There is the death and sickness that follows this crime (should I even hesitate to use the word Sin?)

There is the worldwide flood, which destroyed everything except a small group of people.

There is the belief that He had left his word in written form, but that they had lost it.

There is the belief that one day, the Book (even in a case of a culture without having a written form of the language) containing His Word would be restored (and interestingly, in many of these cultures, by a white foreigner).

I was staggered by the widespread belief. Truly, Man is without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not give glory to Him and worshiped Created things rather than the Creator.

Have a look at Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson ;)

Unlikely

God just loves to bring us messages from the most unlikely of places doesn't He?

I don't like (as in, preference, rather than strong feelings) fast songs. Nor new songs. And for that matter, Joseph said that it lacks something without a male singer in it (I don't know, can't tell).

Despite all these, in the midst of the all these, we sang a line today - I am not ashamed of the gospel. It was in a fast new song, the song which lacks something without a male voice.

And it jumped out. It is still ringing in my mind.

I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. It is from the first chapter of Romans. Before the part which we usually consider the "key verse" of Romans. A portion which we often "passover" in our reading.

The gospel is such a beautiful thing. Yet, just as the only Perfect Person was ridiculed, scorned, and rejected, so is the gospel sometimes.

What is the sword of the spirit in my hands slaying?

It is taking captive every thought that sets itself up against the gospel of the Lord Jesus. To destroy arguments and pretention that sets themselves up against the knowledge of God.

I am not ashamed of the gospel. Let me never be ashamed of the gospel.

 ---------------

Edit: Here is the song

I am not Ashamed

When you found me
My whole world changed
I'm redeemed by your life

Let the earth sing
You are freedom
Turn my darkness to light

Pre Chorus
You welcome me in
With open arms
Into unending light

Chorus
I'm not ashamed of the gospel Lord
Your power your love
You saved my soul
Now I'm alive in you
I live in the risen son

Truer

Some statements are truer than others

Which really implies that there is an objective truth to which to compare all statements. Without which you can't say that some ideas are better than others - unless there is a best idea against which to compare it.

900 and 4.00002 are both wrong answers to 2 + 2, but 4.00002 is closer to the truth than 900. But this comparison can never be made if there wasn't a correct answer to begin with - that is, 4. 

The opposite of truth is always false. But the opposite of a falsehood is not always a truth. It can be another falsehood. Which is why lies often come in pairs. While people supporting the 2 sides of the lie are fighting one another, Satan is laughing. Whichever side wins, He still wins.

Yet in every counterfeit, there is a hint of the genuine. If only we can see the genuine more clearly

Living For A Cause Greater Than Yourself

More on Bible Study 2 - Living For A Cause Greater Than Yourself

In week 1, we covered the key point about how everything is about God. That's the cosmic, unifying starting point of all things and what holds our universe together.

1 Col 1:15-16
¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

So if indeed everything starts with God and it's all about God, we should find out what's important to God. It's just like any relationship - if you love someone, wouldn't you want to find out what is important to that special someone? :)

In the 2nd session, the 1st questions covers several versions that give us a clue to what's and who's important to God:

• (The lack of) Justice
• The oppressed
• The fatherless
• The widow
• The poor
• The burdened
  
• The hungry
• The naked
• The lost
• The injured (physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological....)
• Jerusalem/Israel

What's the common thread - PEOPLE! God cares about people! Many are experiencing life below what God intended for the world. Read in Genesis 1:

Gen 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

God's original plan was that Man would rule over the earth and have dominion - so powerful! God invited Man to be co-creators on earth - amazing! Literally, to be "like God".

The suffering state of humanity was not God's original intention! So part of uncovering our purpose is to realize that God intends for us to right the wrongs that humanity is suffering - to defend the oppress, protect the widow and fatherless, bring justice to those who are wronged......

Key takeaway #1 - God calls us to restore what was lost to humanity in the Garden of Eden and to be a blessing to the people of this world.

Hence the next question - whom shall God send to do His work? Here we see Moses & Gideon - both who felt utterly inadequate to the great task of freeing God's people from oppression. But isn't it like God to use the weak to shame the strong?

1Co 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

2Co 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Key takeaway #2 - God works through people, just like you and me, to bless others. But God can't use us till we're ready to fully rely on Him. Are you ready to rely fully on Him?

Yet here comes the struggle, between what God wants and what we want. So often we ask this question - WHAT ABOUT MY NEEDS? WHAT ABOUT WHAT I WANT? Is there then a conflict between what God's plans are and what we want?

Here we need to realize that God made us - our good passions are God-given. So...there are good passions and bad passions? Because of the Fall and because God loves us so much that He gave us free will - we are free to choose right and wrong. Look at our own lives, sometimes we do enjoy the wrong things - smoking? wrongful relationships? impure behavior? sexual immorality?

Sometimes and more often that not...what God intended for good, we turn for evil. Think of the many famous musicians whose lives end in suicide, whose music often influences negatively, rather than positively. The same gift can go either way.....

Psa 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

One Bible commentator puts it rather nicely:

He(God) grant thee the desire of thy heart; for he who...........finds his highest delight in God, cannot desire anything that is at enmity with God, but he also can desire nothing that God, with whose will his own is thoroughly blended in love, would refuse him.

Once fully surrendered, we find that we will no longer desire what is wrong and against God and we find that we can only desire what pleases God! Much like being in love - you will want want is best for your loved ones, and you will want what they want! The challenge comes then - can we surrender the parts and passions of our lives that are not in line with God's plan?

Key takeaway #3 - God loves us and He gave us passions allows us to enjoy life. And once we are fully surrendered to God's love, we find that line and struggle between what we want and what God wants vanishing, bridged by the Cross of His Love.

In closing:
It's an amazing journey that God calls us to. There is no greater cause that living everyday for God Himself. It's hard to imagine life even a few days down the road, but God calls us to journey with Him daily, one day at a time. What God loves is people and He calls us to love these people and bless them through the passions He has given us.

We find that "sweet spot", that full joy that comes from living in the centre of God's will, loving those He died for and living out our (& His) dreams!

Charisma

1) The experience of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as distinct from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

All believers have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. The Spirit is like a deposit sealing our inheritance. It is because of the New Birth that we have the spirit living in us.

However, there is a separate experience. I will just throw out 2 examples. First is the experience of Pentecost. The disciples had already received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them. Yet, Jesus told them to wait for the Holy Spirit. They had been rebirthed, set apart by Jesus, beloved of Jesus, they know Jesus, trust in Jesus. Surely if anyone was "saved" in the sense that we know they were saved. Yet they were told to wait till the day of the Pentecost (by the way, that is a Jewish festival) where they will receive power from on high. And of course they did on that day.

The second example I will throw out is that of Acts 19:1-6. Evidently, these men had already been given the baptism of repentance (surely you agree that being saved precedes Baptism?). Yet, Paul still saw that they lacked the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and he laid hands on them and they were baptized by the Holy Spirit and they spoke in tongues.

So we can see that there is a separate experience apart from Salvation.

2) The purpose of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

God gave the Baptism of the Holy Spirit for the following reasons.

a) Ministry to people

Luk 4:18  The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus so that He can a) free prisoners b) Heal the blind (probably includes the other sick people), and c) Free people from suffering. These are basically acts of service, relieving suffering and helping other people.

b) Power to Witness

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

The day of Pentecost is a good example of that. They spoke in other languages as inspired by the Holy Spirit and people were filled with wonder that they spoke to them in their own language. As a result, 3000 people were saved that day. See also 1 Cor 14 - prophecy / tongues as a sign for unbelievers

c) To edify the church

1Co 14:5  I wish all of you to speak in languages, but rather that you may prophesy; for greater is he prophesying than he speaking in tongues, unless he interpret so that the church may receive building up.

Which imply that if he does interpret, or if a person does prophesy, the church will be built up.

3) The continual need in the present day

One of the objections regarding Spiritual gifts is that it is no longer needed in the present day.

Now, lets put aside the issue of tongues and prophesy for the moment if we are to assume that God need not speak any longer. Lets just look at the other 6 gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 (there are 2 other lists in the New Testament, but we will just stick to this). Now, are there still sick people around? If you recall, one of the reason for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is to minister to people. And surely, the answer is that, yes, there are still the sick around. If that is the case, then surely we still need the gift of healing and miracles. Are there still people who need wisdom and direction for life? Are there those who need to know that God is really speaking? Then surely the Word of Wisdom and Word of Knowledge are both needed. And everyone can do with more faith. And we still need to discern the Spirits.

So we can see that the need is still there. Notice that we can still edify the church, we still gain power to witness, we still minister to the poor by these spiritual gifts even in the present day. 

4) The last days

Act 2:16-18  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel:   "And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.  And in those days I will pour out My Spirit upon My slaves and My slave women, and they shall prophesy.

Peter took the prophecy of Joel and interpreted the events of the Pentecost as being the fulfillment of that prophecy. Now, notice the first words - in the last days. Surely if it were in the last days then, it is even closer to the last Day today. We can take the prophecy and say that in these last days - God will pour out His Spirit upon us.

Notice also that God poured out His Spirit on sons and daughters, young men and old men - point being, everyone will be filled. In other words, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an experience limited for some, it is meant for all Christians.

5) Regarding Cessation

One of the objections raised is that towards the end of the age of the apostles, there are less and less of these miracles signs and wonders. One example given is that Paul himself was unable to get rid of the thorn in his flesh, which points to a withdrawal of these signs of the working of the Holy Spirit. With the death of the last apostle John in the late 1st Century (or early 2nd Century), the workings ceased completely.

Firstly, there had never been a complete cessation of tongues. Ever Flowing Streams by David Allen will demostrate that. Throughout church history, there had always been pockets of believers who spoke in tongues. Never so much as in the present day, but still evident nevertheless.

Secondly, the Spiritual gifts are mainly God operated. It is not true that every person prayed over by people with the gift of healing will be healed. Some do not. And usually, the gifts do not operate on the one who has the gift. We know that it is really God's Will that God did not remove the thorn from Paul's flesh.

6) Regarding Love

This is the passage most often quoted to support that tongues will cease.

1Co 13:1-3, 8-13  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.  2  And though I have prophecies, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and do not have charity, I am nothing.  3  And though I give out all my goods to feed the poor, and though I deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, I am profited nothing...
8  Charity never fails. But if there are prophecies, they will be abolished; if tongues, they shall cease; if knowledge, it will be abolished.  9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  10  But when the perfect thing comes, then that which is in part will be caused to cease.  11  When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I thought as an infant, I reasoned as an infant. But when I became a man, I did away with the things of an infant.  12  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall fully know even as I also am fully known.  13  And now faith, hope, charity, these three remain; but the greatest of these is charity.

a) The first portion (vs 1-3) does not ignore Spiritual gifts
Notice that it says that even if he speaks in tongues or have faith to move mountain, or all knowledge (a hyperbole of spiritual gifts), if he does not love, it is for nothing. It does not mean therefore that tongues or faith or knowledge is useless, what it does mean is that you must exercise it in love. It does not tell you to only have love, it tells you to have both love and gifts.

b) The second portion (vs8-13) is not yet fulfilled.
Yes, the Bible is the perfectly inspired Word of God. But there is no indication in this passage that they were referring to the Bible when they talk about perfection. Is there? Furthermore, I do not think that we see face to face yet. Jesus is not yet returned, nor are we on the other side of eternity. Nor do we fully know like we are fully known - do we?

Yes, prophecy and tongues are only partia. But the fullness is not yet come.

My own take is that the fullness talked about here, the perfection is when Christ returns or when Christ takes us home. Only then will we be perfect. And of course, in heaven, there is no need for prophecy and tongues. They will cease. But love will remain. I think this is a better and more accurate interpretation of this verses.

Incidentally, it comes in between 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, both of which talks about spiritual gifts.

1 Cor 14:1 starts with: "Follow after charity and desire spiritual things, but rather that you may prophesy." I think that kind of seals the argument. You must love. You must also desire spiritual things such as prophesy. They are not exclusive of each other.