Saturday, April 6, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Their Bible Tells Me So
They think they have all the right answers
They think they have all the right formulas
They think they have all the right recipes
Their right formula starts with - You shouldn’t
Their right recipes start with - You shouldn’t
They don’t have to tell me it’s sad
They don’t have to tell me I’m bad
They don’t have to tell me I’m wrong
Coz’ I already know I’m bad
Coz’ I already know I’m wrong
Because their Bible tells me so
Sunday, March 17, 2013
JC - My story ends with you
Whatever I may do Lord
And whatever I may say
I belong to you only
In your perfect plan I will stay
I may fall a thousand times
And fail you a thousand more
Again I will rise up with my eyes
Fixed upon that prize
Though broken I may be
And there is nothing good in me
It's your love that will cover me
Your faithfulness and mercy shall
always follow me
I trust you with my heart
My life is in your hands
Hold me together Lord
For you alone are my God
Remember what you have become to me
Though my life ebbs and flows
You know what to do with me
There's no thwarting of your purpose
And whatever I may say
I belong to you only
In your perfect plan I will stay
I may fall a thousand times
And fail you a thousand more
Again I will rise up with my eyes
Fixed upon that prize
Though broken I may be
And there is nothing good in me
It's your love that will cover me
Your faithfulness and mercy shall
always follow me
I trust you with my heart
My life is in your hands
Hold me together Lord
For you alone are my God
Remember what you have become to me
Though my life ebbs and flows
You know what to do with me
There's no thwarting of your purpose
Monday, March 4, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Far, far away....
in a library somewhere, you’ll hear a quiet conversation that went something like this…..
[Emdee was silently reading from the World Scripture book]
Emdee: ‘Truth has many aspects. Infinite truth has infinite expressions. Though the sages speak in diverse ways, they express one and the same Truth’.
Emdee: But JC said ‘I am the way, the Truth and life!’
DOC: Do you believe in what JC said?
Emdee: Yes!
DOC: That’s good, so what’s wrong?
Emdee: Nothing wrong with what I believe, it’s them who don’t believe!
DOC: So what are you going to do? Shoot them? Ostracize them? Colonise them? Debate with them? Force them? Remember what Jesus’ comments were after his overly zealous disciples asked if they should call on fire to come down from heaven and consume those that didn’t receive them?
Emdee: No.
DOC: Jesus rebuked them. Read up Luke 9:51-56. Then Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:14-15 not to debate or strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
DOC: If you are rightly dividing the truth, then you need not be ashamed but that doesn’t imply that you force them on someone because that goes against how God created mankind in the first place. He created us with a free will. He gave everyone a choice to love or to reject Him. Why force someone to do anything?
Emdee: I don’t understand…
DOC: What is it that worries you Emdee? If the Bible speaks of Christ’s supremacy in Ephesians 1, that He is above all things and everything is under His feet and the Bible is inerrant, what’s the struggle then? Jesus said in John 6:44, no one can come to Him unless the Father draws that person, so it’s not really up to you is it? Jesus had made it plain, our job is to heed to the greatest commandment of God. Mark 12:30-31 says to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love others as you love yourself. All the commandments hang on these. Don’t make it complicated.
Emdee: Actually I don’t exactly know what that passage really means…
DOC: It means to love God with all that you are including loving God in all that you do. I think that’s what it means when the Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15-16 sanctify the Lord God in your heart. It means setting God apart, like putting Him on a pedestal. In practical terms, it just means He becomes the centre of your life, your desires, your motivations, your will. Basically your everything!
When you get the first bit right, loving others as yourself becomes natural and easy and this is what will draw people towards Christ. You start to create love and peace which are characteristic of children of God, just as how it was described in Matthew 5:9. It’s not what you do on your own ability but it’s Christ in you working His will in people’s lives. And because you’ve become so engrossed with loving God, His love will just flow and people will start to respond without you batting an eyelash and taking credit for it.
Emdee: But isn’t loving means telling someone the right way so they don’t end up in hell?
DOC: There are other ways of loving people. These days it is not so much about what you say that matters. Reminds me of what St. Francis of Assisi had said, …’preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words’. Tell me Emdee, if you are preaching because you fear for their future and they don’t accept what you say, what is that to you?
Emdee: Then they will end up in hell! They need to be saved!
DOC: If they end up in hell what can you do?
Emdee: Hmm, not much.
DOC: Then it’s not really up to you then is it? Try not to complicate things. Make the main thing the main thing. Heed to the greatest commandment of all. I told you Jesus had made it really plain.
[Emdee was silently reading from the World Scripture book]
Emdee: ‘Truth has many aspects. Infinite truth has infinite expressions. Though the sages speak in diverse ways, they express one and the same Truth’.
Emdee: But JC said ‘I am the way, the Truth and life!’
DOC: Do you believe in what JC said?
Emdee: Yes!
DOC: That’s good, so what’s wrong?
Emdee: Nothing wrong with what I believe, it’s them who don’t believe!
DOC: So what are you going to do? Shoot them? Ostracize them? Colonise them? Debate with them? Force them? Remember what Jesus’ comments were after his overly zealous disciples asked if they should call on fire to come down from heaven and consume those that didn’t receive them?
Emdee: No.
DOC: Jesus rebuked them. Read up Luke 9:51-56. Then Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:14-15 not to debate or strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
DOC: If you are rightly dividing the truth, then you need not be ashamed but that doesn’t imply that you force them on someone because that goes against how God created mankind in the first place. He created us with a free will. He gave everyone a choice to love or to reject Him. Why force someone to do anything?
Emdee: I don’t understand…
DOC: What is it that worries you Emdee? If the Bible speaks of Christ’s supremacy in Ephesians 1, that He is above all things and everything is under His feet and the Bible is inerrant, what’s the struggle then? Jesus said in John 6:44, no one can come to Him unless the Father draws that person, so it’s not really up to you is it? Jesus had made it plain, our job is to heed to the greatest commandment of God. Mark 12:30-31 says to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love others as you love yourself. All the commandments hang on these. Don’t make it complicated.
Emdee: Actually I don’t exactly know what that passage really means…
DOC: It means to love God with all that you are including loving God in all that you do. I think that’s what it means when the Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15-16 sanctify the Lord God in your heart. It means setting God apart, like putting Him on a pedestal. In practical terms, it just means He becomes the centre of your life, your desires, your motivations, your will. Basically your everything!
When you get the first bit right, loving others as yourself becomes natural and easy and this is what will draw people towards Christ. You start to create love and peace which are characteristic of children of God, just as how it was described in Matthew 5:9. It’s not what you do on your own ability but it’s Christ in you working His will in people’s lives. And because you’ve become so engrossed with loving God, His love will just flow and people will start to respond without you batting an eyelash and taking credit for it.
Emdee: But isn’t loving means telling someone the right way so they don’t end up in hell?
DOC: There are other ways of loving people. These days it is not so much about what you say that matters. Reminds me of what St. Francis of Assisi had said, …’preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words’. Tell me Emdee, if you are preaching because you fear for their future and they don’t accept what you say, what is that to you?
Emdee: Then they will end up in hell! They need to be saved!
DOC: If they end up in hell what can you do?
Emdee: Hmm, not much.
DOC: Then it’s not really up to you then is it? Try not to complicate things. Make the main thing the main thing. Heed to the greatest commandment of all. I told you Jesus had made it really plain.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The mind and JC
An old friend of
mine once said something about the intricacy of working as a Christian in
academia. It was in the similar line
of thought wherein science and religion doesn’t mix. This really bothered me and caused me a lot
of anxiety and sleepless nights.
Here I am loving
Jesus with all my heart, my soul and my mind and working in a place where this
lifestyle is relatively alien. Take note
of the last area that I have finally surrendered to Him - mind. Anyone who works in academia knows the ’intellectual’
activities required in this type of work.
The last time I
felt ‘iffy’ about my spirituality was when I was studying Masters in Theology
several years ago. I came unprepared for
the battering of my own spirituality when what I thought I knew was right
started to get challenged and when uncomfortable questions about my
spirituality started to surface.
Learning from my fellow learners the perils of studying theology further
increased my discomfort. I opted for the
easy way out and went back to where I was comfortable.
Now, here I am
with the same feeling of ‘iffyness’, I decided to face my fear.
Jesus surpasses
all understanding, He knows the way around the human mind. But He does it with gentleness and humility,
not imposing and domineering one’s free will.
He gives choice, He allows you to think - that is how He made us. We are rational beings. We argue, we discuss, we look for solutions,
we analyse.
He respects what He has created - us who were made in His image. He is able to draw everyone but also has the power to allow blindness in people's heart because of stubbornness. He says that He allowed this to demonstrate His knowledge, He is the beginning and the end. He knows those that will come and those that will not, those that will listen and those who will chose to remain faithless. Classic example of our fickleness is Judas. How could anyone that walked with the Son of God betray Him? I have yet to find out if there was redemption for Judas. And what about Lucifer? How could anyone that had come from the throne of God, considered the son of morning light, beautiful and perfect rebelled against the Most High? God had allowed it, that’s how much He respects His creation.
He respects what He has created - us who were made in His image. He is able to draw everyone but also has the power to allow blindness in people's heart because of stubbornness. He says that He allowed this to demonstrate His knowledge, He is the beginning and the end. He knows those that will come and those that will not, those that will listen and those who will chose to remain faithless. Classic example of our fickleness is Judas. How could anyone that walked with the Son of God betray Him? I have yet to find out if there was redemption for Judas. And what about Lucifer? How could anyone that had come from the throne of God, considered the son of morning light, beautiful and perfect rebelled against the Most High? God had allowed it, that’s how much He respects His creation.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
...life with JC is an adventure - not a worry
I thank you Jesus for the craziest 2012 family trip ever with all my siblings and their family!!!
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