Redemption

Friday, October 18th, 2013 09:19


Every semester, I have to supervise interns for end-of-term projects. So far, there's been a huge variation in the quality of projects delivered - most were okay-ish, a few were stellar, and some were borderline passes.

This semester, I've got two interns who, sadly, have zero motivation, are on the verge of giving up, and have made the huge mistake of picking the most difficult topic imaginable simply because they "liked it".


Taking this matter to God...


Me: Father, this is such a BAD idea. I don't want them to screw up.

God: My child, you have to let them make this mistake.

Me: Eh???

God: They will learn only if they fail. You have to give them the permission to fail.

Me: *pauses a while* But... I don't want to.

God:
My child, everyday, MILLIONS of my children make the wrong choices. I do not condemn them. I promise however, to fully redeem them.

Me: *is quiet*  I understand... I've been redeemed, too.


God: I will always operate in love, and will take you in no matter how defiled, messed up, or sinful you are (or you THINK you are), and I will restore you even BEFORE you've sorted yourself out. I am always ready to welcome you, and I am always with you. Simply because you are my child and I love you...



I Look to You

Tuesday, October 8th, 2013 16:12

This song always comforts when I'm feeling down. Been listening to it quite frequently these days; it's a reminder that man's weakness is the beginning of God's strength.

The original song was sung by Whitney Houston:




On Youtube, I've found two versions - Houston's is classical, but I felt more drawn to another more modern version by Selah. Am sharing both of them here :)

Original by Houston: www.youtube.com/watch
Version by Selah: www.youtube.com/watch (Note: this version comes with an amazing testimony. Skip to 3:38 for music)


"I Look To You"

As I lay me down,
Heaven hear me now.
I'm lost without a cause
After giving it my all.

Winter storms have come
And darkened my sun.
After all that I've been through
Who on earth can I turn to?

I look to you.
I look to you.
After all my strength is gone,
In you I can be strong
I look to you.
I look to you.
And when melodies are gone,
In you I hear a song.
I look to you.

About to lose my breathe,
There's no more fighting left,
Sinking to rise no more,
Searching for that open door.

And every road that I've taken
Lead to my regret.
And I don't know if I'm going to make it.
Nothing to do but lift my head

I look to you.
I look to you.
After all my strength is gone,
In you I can be strong
I look to you.
I look to you.
And when melodies are gone,
In you I hear a song.
I look to you.

My levees are broken
My walls have come
Tumbling down on me

The rain is falling.
Defeat is calling.
I need you to set me free.

Take me far away from the battle.
I need you.
Shine on me.

I look to you.
I look to you.
After all my strength is gone,
In you I can be strong
I look to you.
I look to you.
And when melodies are gone,
In you I hear a song.
I look to you.






Even so many years after its release (and a 3D release), the Titanic movie still remains one of the most re-watched movies of all times (according to my students, at least).




For the most part, those I've encountered tend to remember Titanic as either

(i) a sappy Romance that crosses all social and economical boundaries, completed with memories that transcend time, OR
(ii) a reminder of Maritime and Boat safety regulations.


Few knew, however, that director James Cameron, saw the Titanic as a metaphor for climate change:

"There’s something about the Titanic. For me, it’s so much more than just simply an exercise in forensic archaeology. Part of the Titanic parable is of arrogance, of hubris, of the sense we’re too big to fail. Well where have we heard that one before? [Video of a sea of burning oil platforms] There was this big machine, this human system that was pushing forward with so much momentum that it couldn’t turn and couldn’t stop in time to avert the disaster. And that’s what we have right now! But in that human system, on board that ship, if you want to make it a microcosm of the world, you have different classes, you know you have first class, second class, third class. Well in our world right now you’ve got developed nations and undeveloped nations. You’ve got the starving millions who are going to be the ones the most affected by the next iceberg that we hit. Which is going to be climate change. We can see that iceberg ahead of us right now but we can’t turn. We can’t turn because of the momentum of the system – the political momentum, the business momentum. There are too many people making money out of the system. The way the system works right now, those people who frankly have their hands on the levers of power aren’t ready to let them go. And until they do, we aren’t going to be able to turn and miss that iceberg we’re going to hit. When we hit it, the rich are still going to be able to get their access to food, to arable land, to water and so on. It’s going to be the poor, it’s going to be the steerage, that are going to be impacted. It was the same with the Titanic. I think that’s why this story was always fascinating. Because it’s a perfect little encapsulation of the world and the whole social spectrum. But until our lives are really put at risk, the moment of truth, we don’t know what we would do. And that’s my final word."

Source: http://montreal2012.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/james-cameron-the-titanic-as-a-metaphor-for-climate-crisis/



Another metaphor for Titanic comes in its final analysis: Eternal Distinction

Titanic is a movie of distinctions. The Rich vs Poor; tea-drinkers who hold delicate teacups compared to lower-decked beer-slurping thugs. The Educated vs Simple; of classically-entertained folk contrasting against roguish games. The Famous and the Unknown. The Upper Deck vs The Lower Deck.

Yet after the Titanic sank, at a time when people were scrambling for news of the ship that crashed on its maiden voyage, the newspapers only published two columns: those who were Saved, and, those who were Lost.

It reminds me of Jesus Christ.

In eternal distinction, EVERYTHING - class, education, entertainment, associations - starkly pales in comparison to whether one Made it or Didn't. Human presumption of all that matters cannot replace our worth and value in the eyes of God.

Titanic is then, a metaphor for the inevitability of death, and we are all on the Titanic.

All things of this world will eventually fade, but we have a high priest in heaven - Jesus Christ - who loves us - regardless of our looks, money, background, achievements (or lack of them), our past, our mistakes, and any future mishaps we may have. Jesus Christ came to demonstrate that God is for us, and not against us (Romans 8:31), and that there is nothing, NOTHING, that can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  -  John 3: 16-17




 

"The devil wants you to be looking at you. When you feel guilty, you're looking at yourself.When you look at yourself, you'll see shortcomings and ugliness. But God sees us in Christ, and in His eyes, we are holy, righteous, and full of glory. Don't focus on yourself. Keep your focus on Christ." - Pastor Joseph Prince


I don't usually write about the bible, but today I felt compelled to do so. I read a Solid Rock magazine today and one of the articles really caught my attention. The message, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince, is worth sharing. 


"For the law was taught through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." -- John 1:17

According to the article, God's grace came through Christ's sacrifice on the cross and believers should no longer be living in guilt and condemnation. There is nothing wrong with the law - the law is holy, but it can't make us holy. The law is righteous, but it can't make us righteous.

Therefore, only grace, not law, can cause people to be holy. Under the law, you have broken all of God's commandments when you break one. Under grace - believing ONE thing - that you are righteous because of the blood of Jesus christ - allows Jesus to become OUR righteousness. The covering of Jesus' blood lets God see us the way he sees Jesus - complete, unblemished, holy, and loved just as God loved his precious son. 

The article did cautioned that living under grace, however, is no excuse to sin. He explained that the law brings unrest; people abide by the rules because of the rules. But for those who rest under grace, they can walk with God and will want to do what is right because they have received His love. Only grace itself, can transform the heart. 

Pastor Joseph Prince shared that he used to preach law and sin until God showed him a revelation in the Bible. He found that the children of Israel lived under pure grace in their journey from Egypt to Mt Sinai. They kept complaining but God never punished them. However, when they chose self-righteousness at the foot of Mount Sinai by saying, "All that the Lord says we can do," (Exodus 19:8) God let them live under the law since they asked for it. And because they placed themselves under the law and were unholy, God had to keep a distance and punish them from that time on whenever they complained.

In the bible, there were only two persons - the Roman centurion and the Canaanite woman - whom Jesus said had "great faith". Pastor Prince enquired why this was so, and God revealed that it's because they were both Gentiles. Gentiles, during those days, were not under the law. Therefore, they were not under condemnation and did not disqualify themselves from receiving. Instead, they were conscious of the grace of Jesus Christ. 

It is important to note that law and grace CANNOT be mixed. Many preachers do try to balance the presentation of grace and law. But, what man calls "balance", Jesus calls "mixture". Jesus himself once said that the new wine of grace cannot be put into the old wineskin of law, because you will lose both. It is either being completely under law or under grace. 


"Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" - Romans 5:20


The main takeaway, I feel, is to understand what EXACTLY is Grace. Grace is the UNEARNED, UNMERITED, and UNDESERVED favour of God. We do not receive it by trying to be deserving of it, by our own works and effort. We receive it simply by believing that Jesus died for our sins. God hates sin as it destroys lives and relationships, but sin is not overcome by our own works or relying on our willpower to overcome it. The devil will constantly remind us, "You still EXPECT God's blessing after you messed up again?" This is when we must remind ourselves that Christ alone, is our perfection and righteousness. None of us are without faults, and none of us infallible humans are qualified for God's blessing by our own merit. That is WHY we plead the grace of God - which is again, which is the unearned, unmerited, and deeply, deeply, undeserving love of the Father towards us.

Something to think about.




 
"My beloved child,

It breaks my heart when you doubt what you are worth. I paid the ultimate price to prove to you how valuable you are, and I have loved you with my life. Whenever you feel insecure about who you are, look to the cross.

Nothing you could say or ever do in this life will change the way I feel for you. You are such a treasure to Me and I gave my life - to free you from the power of sin and bondage - and allow you to live life to the fullest. Remember the cross, my love, and you will never again doubt your self-worth..."





"I'm here. I love you. I don't care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. If you need the medication again, go ahead and take it -- I will love you through that, as well. If you don't need the medication, I will love you, too. There's nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still  protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me"


I have been feeling suicidal for many, many, months.

Crying the self to sleep almost daily. Eating habits out of whack. In the past two years I've lost a lot of weight, and then gained it back in the most demoralizing fashion. Work is thoroughly exhausting; am almost not coping. Some mornings I wake up, and it's like there's no reason to live anymore.

(I don't think I will actually die, but the depression's overwhelming.

I am a teacher now. Everyday I deal with the kids - their problems, their issues, their families. I hear them out, encourage them, help them in school, and tell them how they've got so much to give. We counsel people, inspire them, show them the things of the world. But as Teachers, we're not allowed to be depressed. We're not allowed to be weak. We're not allowed to fail or falter. Not allowed to complain how hard it is. We must always be strong, always be others' pillar of support, always be willing to give ourselves to others who're troubled and in need. But who will look after us when we are down or depressed?

No one.

I can't tell anyone the truth.

I can't verbalize the pain. I can't tell my colleagues, my family, my friends. I've hinted to my BFF that I feel like dying on gchat, and i mostly receive 'awwws' and 'hugs' in a slightly comforting manner. Yet the trap of my deranged mind prevails. The paralysis is awful.

There is nothing that hurts you so much as your secrets.

Sometimes it feels like I can just die alone in my apartment and no one would notice. My work would just hire another person. My father or brothers wouldn't give much of a damn. My mother never loved me anyway, so she wouldn't give two hoots if i were dead or alive.

I've asked God to bring me out. He's assured me many times, he will bring forth healing, the future will be better, and that I will always be a child of God. By His Grace, I have been given the gift of tongues and gift of visions, for which I am grateful for.

So many critical decisions to make. I can't make them, for I can't bear the responsibility if something goes wrong.

So I'm crying out to God, in prayer.


Dear Father,
I need you. I acknowledged I have sinned against you for trying overly hard to direct my own life, without resting in your providence. I thank you that you have forgiven my sins through Christ's death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as you commanded me to be filled, and as you promised in your Word, that you would do it if i asked in faith. I pray this all in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank you for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.
Amen.




2011 was a year of many adjustments. (Those who know me well will understand this phrase well enough). Here's the transformations experienced this year...



Career growth

2010 was a dead year, with endless job applications and zero result. The decision to quit Norway and move to Singapore/Malaysia in 2011 greatly turned this situation around. I landed a great job which I liked and blessed me with good working experience.

The 2012 goal will be to take on more responsibilities at work. And be more accurate in my copyediting.



Friendships

In 2010, my quest to make new friends in Norway was near dismal. Social interaction was limited to talking with the bff on gmail chat and random skype dates here and there. It was not an experience I'd want to repeat.

Highlight for 2011: I still love my girls in Canada, and nothing can ever replace them. When I heard that Jen + JC were going to tie the know, a decision was made to fly all the way from Singapore to Canada to attend their wedding. One of the best choices I've made this year - it was a good holiday, a shopping fiesta, a reunion, a nostalgic trip down memory lane and an awesome wedding all rolled into one. And I actually finished my aeroplan miles when I redeemed for that long-distance plane ticket. LOL.

Old friendships were revived: seeing my bff on a regular basis was pure joy, and so was meeting up with high school friends. Makes you realise that it was 10 years since you graduated from the O Levels!

Apart from that, I also made many new friends in Singapore - mostly from the lifegroup at church. I was so blessed to have a lifegroup which comprised mainly of Malaysians working in Singapore, too! Being able to fellowship with other Christians on a regular basis also improved spiritual growth, which leads to...



Spiritual Matters


2010 saw the wheels of forgiveness in action. Letting go of a lot of past and starting anew. This may seem small but it was a crucial step in laying the foundation for a walk with God.

There was multiple spiritual breakthrough in 2011: better understanding of grace (especially grace vs law), repentance, drawing closer to god, prayer and fasting, more prayer for other people instead of myself, and understanding the need for evangelism.

There's much to be desired in this department, however. Regular devotional habits need to take place. Also, currently, I mainly read the bible and pray only on the MRT on the way to work. Such actions, i tend to justify with the lack of time. But this means that I'm only giving God what is convenient. HE has to come first, in all matters, and be given the best, not a convenient time slot.

(Time to replace the MRT bible with a Nintendo DS. :P )



Family


Relationship improved with my mother and first brother beyond my imagination. This i attribute to the grace of God, who has the power to heal all brokenness. I also started giving $$ to my father and aunt, and since then they started to see me in a different light. More respect, less nagging, more personal autonomy and more say in household matters.

The marriage, however, went downhill. Being on long-distance, although necessary for sanity (and it allowed growth for all these other areas), made it hard to sustain. We're still trying. Hopefully as soon as the hubby finishes his PhD, the long distance will end and things would get better. Our vows "for better or worse" have never been more relevant.



Others

Health things: Got a gym membership. I workout regularly now, and I feel better, too. During the University days I used to dance salsa intensely at least 3 times a week, in addition to the random swimming and long-walks. Having an office job makes it so easy to have a sedentary life, so I try to combat it by going for my gym's classes at least 3-4 times a week.

And I developed a newfound love for Yoga. Hehehe.

Habits: Sadly, I stopped cooking. There was no motivation to cook just for one person.



Here's wishing a blessed-filled year for 2012, greater breakthroughs on personal fronts, improved career, family, relational and spiritual aspects, and for a wonderful year ahead!




 "He has made everything beautiful in its time..."


 

The last 15 days were a daze. Spiritual crisis and loggerheads with God. Repeated emo + heated arguments with two people close to me, out of which one described me as 'dropping nukes'. 20 ++ Christmas cards jammed up the office printer, and each Season's Greeting card greeted me with the typical idiotic blinking red light. A fever + flu + cough epidemic swept across the cubicles at work before hitting my table. My grandma's now in JB and staying with the mom - who for some reason is being difficult by ignoring my messages and attempts to arrange visits to grandma. An outing with four ex-classmates cancelled for the second? third? time, and it's been delayed more than a month already.

Life ain't rosy for those around me either; the bff's mother drives her up the wall almost every damn day, the hubby went deaf in one ear, and my aunty underwent an eye operation to fix some black spots in her visual field. 

And today, I had my period. The painful, agonizing, bleed-till-you-black-out sort. FML. 

To numb the emotional roller coaster, today, after a long, long, day at work, I gave up on the gym and took the MRT to the Esplanade instead. And headed straight for the Haagen-daaz ice cream store.

Heavenly was the smooth indulgence of bitter-sweet Green Tea haagen-daaz ice cold goodness in a waffle cone. Totally worth every cent of the SGD $6.70 paid upfront.

At the Esplanade, known for free music performances in the evenings, there was a cute young singer today ready to bare his soul to the awaiting audience. With the ice cream in hand I lazed on a triangle-shaped seat against the wall and the non-musical world was no more. 

Almost prophetically, the suave young man belted out in a sweet mid-falsetto, Let it Be, by the Beatles...
 
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
 
 
It was almost as if God was reminding me, "Worry not about your troubles, for I am in control of your circumstances. Whatever unsettles your mind, give it up to me, and taken care of those matters will be..."
 

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be...

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be



A message from my caregroup leader:

Hello You...

the one welcoming the day and wondering what this weeks holds.

I don't know .

But I'm certain of this - there's One who holds us.

And he promises nothing is impossible for you.

Not that mountain you're facing.

Not that task you're dreading.

Not that decision you're afraid to make.

He may not tell us the details of what's to come.

But he reminds us of what's ours no matter what.

Victory.

A future.

A plan that's as good as He is.

Always.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" -- Is
aiah 41:10

(Do not read if unable to accept anything positive about Christianity. Do not read if you're one of those argumentative types who insist that this-is-not-God-it-is-other-things. Well... actually, you may be right and I may be wrong. But what i really mean is, do not approach this blog post if you're bent on debunking God.)


My walk with God has recently involved lots of prayer sessions (mostly in tongues). Perhaps it's time to document some of my thoughts.

Sometimes I fail to find the words myself; so perhaps letting another person tell his story of a struggle is the way to go. An example of worldly things that humans struggle with: a sad yet hopeful story (see link):



http://www.scribd.com/doc/299378/Why-Christian-Pastors-Commit-Adultery-The-True-Story-of-One-Mans-Struggle-With-Lust



----------------------------------------------------
Some personal thoughts of my own that i'll throw in (Please read the above link FIRST before reading my analysis or the breakdown of my thought process below. Seriously):
-----------------------------------------------------

Humans possess their own versions of 'idols'. Thousands of years ago it was all the 'false Gods' which presumably lead to witch burnings and practices of human sacrifice, etc. Today the picture is less obvious; 'false gods' or 'idols' still exist - but in the form of things we worship - money, status, food, pleasure, security.

All are things that are not sustainable.

Unfortunately, when we worship those things of this world, we start becoming like those idols, and chasing after worldly needs. Letting worldly desires (or idolatry) permeate and dominate our lives.

As we walk towards these wordly things, we walk away from God. We tell ourselves 'it's okay, He is full of Grace, God will forgive us' - but it's not about God's rules or things the Church demands from her believers.

It's about reaping the consequences of a life preoccupied with such things.

Perhaps sometimes, the problem isn't the sin itself, or selfishness, or the chasing of money/status/lust/other worldly desires. The problem is that when other unsustainable things become a priority, in the process, we end up not focused on God and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Worshipping the wrong things in this world distances us from God, thus denying ourselves true peace.

Sin isn't about doing what's wrong or unjust. It isn't even about morals or ethics (Hell, Morals and Ethics can be kind of debatable anyway). Rather, Sin is a rebellion against God; it is a rebellion against what God ordained as right and true.

The problem with humans is perhaps, maybe after sinning, we do not approach God with TRUE repentance (i.e. turning away from old habits). We go to God hoping that he'd take away our guilt and solve the problem.

In other words, people don't confess their sins in a spirit of brokenness which truly acknowledge that they have rebelled against God. They merely go to God saying that they're sorry/apologetic for the unforthcoming circumstances they've found themselves in.

A fatal absence of 'Godly sorrow'. Yet fullness of 'Worldly Sorrow' for the shit they got. (I know i'm guilty of it; the only real difference between me and other people is that I've got the guts to admit it. Hah). Think the verse from 2 Corinthians 7:10, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but wordly sorrow brings death."

With wordly sorrow, naturally, as time passes, the guilt goes away, and the bad habits all kick in again. The failure to grieve because of One's rebellion towards God (or rather, sin) is a failure to admit that there was severe poverty in the Spirit.

Perhaps sometimes, even just saying, "God, I'm a truly broken man, a sinner, and I need YOU in my life" is the way to go.



-------------------

Which brings me to another point: Freedom in living.

What's really TRUE freedom? Many people can tell me it's something about human rights - the right to live, right to eat, right to sleep, right to live your life the way you want to. The right to CHOOSE your life. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Hell, during my University days, I learnt a lot about human rights and our responsibility to fight for them. After all it's hard to be free if our rights - to resources, education, employment, fair treatment, etc - are violated. (Actually, these so-called 'rights' I'm referring to are sovereignties, but let's not argue about the definition for now)

But... I don't know. What happens when we live our lives thinking that we're absolutely entitled to all these rights? And, what happens when one of those rights become the very thing that enslave us?

Take for example, someone says, "I have the right to smoke" and he starts smoking a few stick a day. Inevitably addiction would kick in; soon he'll be smoking a whole packet a day, two packets a day, perhaps more. But hey, it's his right to do whatever he wants, isn't it?

He will have a RIGHT.... but will he be FREE? In smoking, he becomes controlled by the bad habit of addiction. That doesn't sound like the freedom to do as you please anymore.

Or the love of money. Hoard it and you worry that it will get lost/stolen/made in wrong investments. Live in an expensive house and worry that you will get robbed. Earn a bit more and your sense of self-worth increases, earn less and you feel like shit. Give more to your parents and they think they love you more, give less and they doubt your love. We're all free to earn money as we deem fit. And get as much of it as possible. But are we FREE in our hearts, FREE in our spirit, in doing so?

It's the same with other bad habits of any sort - if we keep thinking that I want to steal/lie/cheat/watch porn/be emotional/hate somebody/indulge in wordly desires, we're going to be controlled by these bad habits. We're going to be enslaved by these things. It may seem strange to the world, but perhaps the only way to be free is to surrender our rights and personal desires to God. Kind of like what Jesus did - HE had the right to live, sleep, fait treatment, marry, own property, earn money, be respected, be loved. And he gave up all of it to fulfill God's greater plan in building His Heavenly Kingdom.

True freedom, i think, is like flying a kite; reign it in with the strings and the kite will soar, cut the strings off and it will fall. Such freedom is the freedom found in slaves who joyfully serve, in leaders who exalt their men/women above themselves, and in those caught in unforthcoming circumstances but still praise God with no reservations.

A life that walks very closely with God is insanely hard to keep to. But it is a life that is free from the bondage of Sin.

Something to think about.

------------

Note: I may not express myself very well for some of the points mentioned above. If I've said something that can be interepreted in more than one way, and if one of the ways offends you, I meant the other one.

A Prayer...

Sunday, April 10th, 2011 21:45

OPENING PRAYER KANSAS STATE SENATE 

Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in KANSAS at the opening session of their Senate. 

It seems prayer still upsets some people. 
 
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard: 
 
Heavenly Father, We come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that: 
 
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism. 
We have exploited the poor and called it the Lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. 
We have killed our unborn and called it choice. 
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. 
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. 
We have abused power and called it politics. 
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. 
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of speech. 
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. 
 
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of your will and to openly ask these things in the name of your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. 

In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Reverend Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. 
 
The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this Prayer from India, Africa, and Korea. Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program "The Rest of the Story" and received a larger response to this program than any Other he has ever aired. 


With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our world and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called, "...one nation under God...". If possible, please pass this prayer on to your friends.



(Warning: sensitive topics. Do not read if in a bad mood, if easily offended, or if you just fought with your significant other)

When secular and religious perspective clash, I always find myself at a loss at what to say. Especially when discussing these topics with others; sometimes there's nothing I can say without pissing someone off.

For those who don’t know, I am a Christian, and coming to Christ was a turning point in my life. But that’s a separate story on it’s own. Anyways, since then, sometimes it’s like my friends don’t know what to do with me. For I was once a staunch atheist. Sometimes I am caught between the religious and the secular, and that’s when the problem arises.

 I've got Christian friends who know and believe that Jesus Christ is the best thing that ever happened to them, and I've got athiest friends who think that any form of institutional theism - especially christianity - is the bane of all human existence.

In the U.S., the top 3 perceptions that non-christians have of christians is that they are hypocritical, self-righteous, and judgemental. Can't blame them - who're the ones protesting against abortion, stem cell research, and homosexuality anyways? Where's the christ-like love to accept people regardless of what's their beliefs?

And on the other side of the fence, the predominant preceptions that christians have of atheists? (i) They are unspiritual, (ii) overly-focused in the physicality of the world, (iii) sinful and need to be 'saved' by the grace of god. Repentance, anyone?

Honestly, the more I look at the religious-secular battle, the more I feel like I'm staring at two sides of the same coin. 

So here is where I pose the questions…

Is there no bridge to where the two paths can reconcile? Why are the two points of view such polar opposites? Is there no room for dialogue? Even my best friend whom I adore to bits refuses to acknowledge anything good that could come out of Christianity and instantly shoots down any positive thing I bring up about God, valid or not.

So to my believeing and non-believing friends, here’s what I’ve got to say:

 

What i wish from Christians

1) To realize that throughout history, Christians have thoroughly failed in setting a good example for the world to follow; we cannot blame others for thinking negatively of our religion. What have we got to proof that shows that we are so great anyways? By both worldly and godly standards, we have FAILED to be exemplary. There are countless native communities who suffered because of missionary work, and there are Christians who go around with the My-God-Is-Better-Than-Yours-And-You-Are-Wrong kind of attitude. It’s been like this for hundreds of years, so if any Christian today has to endure looks of hatred and heated arguments from their non-believing counterparts… basically we are paying the dues for the long history of suffering we brought upon others. O Karma, thou art a heavy hand. :P

2) To mingle more with non-christians. Remember that when Jesus Christ came, he hung out with all the tax collectors, prostitutes, and outcasts of society. He came not for the strong, but for the weak. Being around Christians only, sadly, encourages close-mindedness and an overly comfortable position of superiority.

3) To realize that the way to draw people to God isn't by spreading the Gospel, but by letting our lives be a testimony to others; to show by concrete examples that God is a true force that can change lives for the better. Instead of evangelizing, perhaps it is better to volunteer, get involved in social work, and exhibit kindness, gentleness, love, and forgiveness. There is a dire need for more Christians to do this - right now, Christians who are do-gooders are far and few-between, and therefore the good ones are seen by the world as "good people who happen to be Christian". Unless there is a true spiritual revival, and until we TRULY can behave accordingly to the principles of Christ and the bible, we cannot claim that all the good in the world is a result of Christ.

4) To realize that most of the world sees their problems as physical (and emotional), but the solutions that we provide are spiritual. This is related to point #2 about mingling with people from other non-believing backgrounds

 

What i wish from Atheists

1) To not completely debunk Christianity or any religion as senseless. If a person is doing good deeds/volunteering 'in the name of god', perhaps consider that it might be valid. To not shoot the intentions down so quickly. Plus, do the reasons for being altruistic matter, as long as good deeds are being done?

2) To recognize that serving God is a central to a Christian’s life, so whether one agrees or disagrees, not to belittle the importance of this.

3) To consider getting to know God before claiming that God is invalid. Sadly, most of the accusations about God are from people who hardly know Him. Note: by this i mean having a personal relationship with God, in his true form. Unfortunately many people come to know religion, religious laws, the impacts of those laws on society, and institutional theism - but not the very essence of God Himself. 

4) This is a tough one. To all the Atheists out there, know this: There is no condemnation in Christ. I believe in a God that loves and accepts you no matter who you are, what you do, or how your background is like. Our circumstances may be shitty, but with God, there is a reason for these things to happen (mostly related to character building). I am not advocating that people get comfortable + take God’s love for granted, but to us Christians, God’s love is the very essence of life itself. So please don't ever discount that. Honestly, what's so bad about having a God who loves unconditionally?

 

To Christians, Atheists, and the Undecided: 

At the end of the day, most of it is a matter of perspective. Tolerance + acceptance is key. That way, everyone can be right. 

To bastardise a quote from George Orwell, all are right, but some are more right than others.


P.S. 
If there is something I've written that can be interpreted in more than one way, and if one of the interpretations offends you, I meant the other one.

 

Interview with Rick Warren:

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

"People ask me, What is the purpose of life?

And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for..

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease..

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation...

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings."

-- Rick Warren

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

If you do not pass it on, nothing will happen. But it will just be nice to pass it on to a friend....just like I have done.

God's Blessings…
Recently, God has been doing things - both in my life and in the lives of those around me. He's blessed me with a suitable job within three weeks of my return, improved my mother's moods, lessened my father's tendency to get entangled in shady business projects, aided me in a long-overdue issue that badly needed repentance, and most of all, brought my first brother to Christ.

Yes, there is still lots to do. I can very well argue that enough isn't being done - My mom's still horribly ill-tempered at times; emotionally and mentally unstable and prone to random outbursts. Dad has the occasional thing going on still; even if it is lessened his tendencies still EXIST. Both my parents, my youngest brother, and all my in-laws - they still do not know God.

But in all fairness, God is good; never did I dream that God will actually answer the prayer of guiding someone else in my family to become a Christian.... something which I once thought was impossible but the Holy Spirit kept me believing via the power of prayer.

And God eventually proved himself faithful.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight" -- Proverbs 3: 5-6


Heavenly father, I pray that you will watch over my brother and guide him so that he may have a good relationship with you, so that he will come to experience joy and peace that only you can provide, and that he will use his life as a living sacrifice to be an example to others around him. In Jesus name, Amen~

"So we fix our eyes on not what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  -- 2 Corinthians 4:18 


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