Rehabilitation is man's way to allow someone to undergo restoration to return to normal lives. God's way is through His grace accompanied by His mercy and unfailing love.
Sometimes a person rehabilitate in prison for his bad choice of lifestyle. Others may rehabilitate in a hospital for their illnesses. Drugs and alcohol abusers may seek help at certain support groups or centers providing such services. The obvious reason is because these people wanted to return to a normal life.
Salvation is the beginning of a rehabilitation plan, a program initiated by God. Salvation is the beginning of God's grace working in us in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's God's plan in His wonderful grace at work in metamorphosis from the sinful Adam to the sinless Christ. God's grace is patient and merciful in His unfailing love. God's grace in the Holy Spirit will continue to live in us until we are totally transformed. God's grace promises results that His seed will bear fruit for His honor and glory.
When Billy sought accommodation in my home, I welcome him without the slightest hesitation. Billy, just released from rehabilitation from a drug center has nowhere to go. I was the only good friend on his mind when he walked out from the center. He assured me he had changed. He has been a drug abuser for more than twenty years. He had hope that by living with me, he could stay away from his habit. More important, he hope that he could live in the presence of Christ with me.
Old habits die hard. A leopard never changes its spots. A wolf in sheep's clothing. These are some of man's opinions, unkind remarks and perhaps condemnation when we retort in anger and frustration because a certain person didn't really complete his repentance. We failed to be great shepherd for the Almighty God when we failed to exercise patience, self control and unfailing love over those God gave us to look after. We forgot that its God in Jesus in the Holy Spirit at work through us.
After twenty years undergoing rehabilitation, Billy occasionally sneaked off for his old habit. A friend who caught Billy in the act reported to me and asked me to rid him from my home for fear of any harm to my children or theft of my things. I smiled at my friend whom I understood was concerned for my family's safety by explaining to him about how wonderful God's grace was at work in our lives. I explained to him that grace is allowing a person time to repent. If God's grace were to stop working, then all of us will be going to hell. Grace is at work until it accomplished its purpose in us for our heavenly Father.
Perhaps we have forgotten that the cross was our Father's plan to rehabilitate us? Perhaps we have forgotten that we are all equal before the Almighty God; we are merely sinners. Without God's wonderful grace, we are but just a piece of filthy rag. How sad and sorrowful that we have forgotten that it was grace that saved the wretch in us. How sad and sorrowful that instead of allowing God's grace to work in us to accommodate a sinner's repentance, we pronounced judgement on them.
The reason why Jesus kept reminding us to forgive and love each other is because as it encouraged us, it also helps us to grow His grace in us.
We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us overcome our weaknesses like anger, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, unforgivingness to prevent evil from breeding. Our weaknesses are fertile grounds to breed evil. Hence, God's objective in gifting the Holy Spirit to us was to help check and halt our new life from degenerating.
God's grace represent forgiveness. Jesus taught us to forgive those who sin against us seventy seven times seven times a day. Are we allowing God to live in us in the Holy Spirit to help us do that everyday for those who sinned against us? Are we patient like our Saviour to allow grace to work in our repentance? While we want grace to work in us, are we allowing grace to work through us?
We must allow God's rehabilitation plan to help everyone repent in His grace.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
FATMOM?
As I was walking down the stairs, I glimpsed something on the dining table. I approached the 'big package' which has a note stuck to it by a pin. It was addressed to someone named FatMom. Hmm! What a weird name to call someone!
Suddenly out of nowhere, my three children were standing around me. They were giggling away. "Dad! The package is yours and so is the note. C'mon, open it and read what we want you to know", beamed the three of them.
Dearest FatMom,
Dad, we addressed you as FatMom because of your dual role in our life since mom left us. We want you to know how grateful we are for bringing us up with love, the love that Jesus our Lord had filled your heart. We know that someday when we looked back, our life with our children and grandchildren will be a daily celebration of you.
WE THANK YOU: For each morning trying to wake us up for school. For the always scrumptious breakfast. For the pocket allowance to school, even though we know some days it was a struggle for you. For making sure we have the best meals each day. For trying your very best to give us the best in life. For those nights where you regaled us with tales of your teenage years and living righteously. For teaching us to do our laundries, make up our beds, mopping the floors, ironing our clothing and cooking our own meals. Thank you for all these lessons equipping us to be ready for independence. Though someday we may be living apart from you, your presence in our life will be these lessons you taught us.
We will always remember you reminding us of the 6.5 billion people beyond the threshold of our house. That if we cannot live in peace and love with 4 people in the house, we're going to face an uphill task with 6.5 billion people outside our home. You taught us to love each other, be forgiving, have self control, understanding humility, be kind and many more other good attitudes. When we possessed right attitudes, we are ready to conquer the world.
Dad, though our lives may not be well furnished with the things from this world, we are thankful to Jesus for furnishing our hearts with His love!
Thank you for those days when you would not compromised with our tantrums and ludicrous demands. Thank you for helping us to overcome our reticence and talked to you openly about our personal problems.
THANK YOU DAD, for teaching us to live our lives the way God our Father in Jesus Christ wanted it. We thank you for teaching us about the simple things in life such as being kind to the less fortunate, and to love everyone as our very own brothers and sisters because we were all created in the image of our heavenly Father. Thank you for reminding us to love with good deeds from the heart and not just by spoken words.
Thank you dad, for explaining to us about wisdom and foolishness. We scrawled these lessons into our hearts remembering that worldly wisdom is foolishness to God and godly wisdom is foolishness to man. That we are to live to please our Saviour Jesus and not man. For teaching us to listen to our hearts. And we can do everything in the power of the Holy Spirit; when we walked in fellowship with our Saviour.
Dad, today as we celebrate Mother's Day, we are confident to live in the world our heavenly Father placed us. We are confident of a victorious life because God in Jesus has gifted us with His Spirit to help us.
Thank you dad for fulfilling your responsibilities as FatMom to articulate how we must live our lives, not for ourselves but for Jesus who came to die for us.
Last but not least, we thank the Lord Jesus for those most difficult days when you lost everything in your business because those days are the best days. Those were the days we lived in His Presence.
* Dad, we want you to know the truth; your chicken stew taste awful! Maybe you should get everything right before you do it again. Sorry!
WE LOVE YOU DAD!
Your Children in Christ Jesus Forever, Kenneth, Adrian and Melissa.
By the time I finished reading, the note was falling apart from the soaking of my tears.
Adrian told me not to worry as he can print out another one!
I look up towards heaven, managed a wink and said, "Thank you Jesus!"
Suddenly out of nowhere, my three children were standing around me. They were giggling away. "Dad! The package is yours and so is the note. C'mon, open it and read what we want you to know", beamed the three of them.
Dearest FatMom,
Dad, we addressed you as FatMom because of your dual role in our life since mom left us. We want you to know how grateful we are for bringing us up with love, the love that Jesus our Lord had filled your heart. We know that someday when we looked back, our life with our children and grandchildren will be a daily celebration of you.
WE THANK YOU: For each morning trying to wake us up for school. For the always scrumptious breakfast. For the pocket allowance to school, even though we know some days it was a struggle for you. For making sure we have the best meals each day. For trying your very best to give us the best in life. For those nights where you regaled us with tales of your teenage years and living righteously. For teaching us to do our laundries, make up our beds, mopping the floors, ironing our clothing and cooking our own meals. Thank you for all these lessons equipping us to be ready for independence. Though someday we may be living apart from you, your presence in our life will be these lessons you taught us.
We will always remember you reminding us of the 6.5 billion people beyond the threshold of our house. That if we cannot live in peace and love with 4 people in the house, we're going to face an uphill task with 6.5 billion people outside our home. You taught us to love each other, be forgiving, have self control, understanding humility, be kind and many more other good attitudes. When we possessed right attitudes, we are ready to conquer the world.
Dad, though our lives may not be well furnished with the things from this world, we are thankful to Jesus for furnishing our hearts with His love!
Thank you for those days when you would not compromised with our tantrums and ludicrous demands. Thank you for helping us to overcome our reticence and talked to you openly about our personal problems.
THANK YOU DAD, for teaching us to live our lives the way God our Father in Jesus Christ wanted it. We thank you for teaching us about the simple things in life such as being kind to the less fortunate, and to love everyone as our very own brothers and sisters because we were all created in the image of our heavenly Father. Thank you for reminding us to love with good deeds from the heart and not just by spoken words.
Thank you dad, for explaining to us about wisdom and foolishness. We scrawled these lessons into our hearts remembering that worldly wisdom is foolishness to God and godly wisdom is foolishness to man. That we are to live to please our Saviour Jesus and not man. For teaching us to listen to our hearts. And we can do everything in the power of the Holy Spirit; when we walked in fellowship with our Saviour.
Dad, today as we celebrate Mother's Day, we are confident to live in the world our heavenly Father placed us. We are confident of a victorious life because God in Jesus has gifted us with His Spirit to help us.
Thank you dad for fulfilling your responsibilities as FatMom to articulate how we must live our lives, not for ourselves but for Jesus who came to die for us.
Last but not least, we thank the Lord Jesus for those most difficult days when you lost everything in your business because those days are the best days. Those were the days we lived in His Presence.
* Dad, we want you to know the truth; your chicken stew taste awful! Maybe you should get everything right before you do it again. Sorry!
WE LOVE YOU DAD!
Your Children in Christ Jesus Forever, Kenneth, Adrian and Melissa.
By the time I finished reading, the note was falling apart from the soaking of my tears.
Adrian told me not to worry as he can print out another one!
I look up towards heaven, managed a wink and said, "Thank you Jesus!"
Saturday, April 29, 2006
About being nice, kind and love
A person who is nice may not be kind but a kind person is both.
In todays dog eat dog world, I guessed everyone knows what is to be nice. What about being kind?
We don't need the Holy Spirit to help us be nice but we do need Him to help us be kind. Kindness belongs to God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we chose to live independent of Jesus, we cannot be a witness for His kindness. Without the power of the Holy Spirit to help us, its impossible to be kind. Kindness require love, the type of love that is from Christ. Without love in kindness, then kindness is as bland as food without flavoring.
Being nice is a natural instinct of man. Kindness is a distinction of God's presence in our life. Being nice is natural of man, whereas kindness is a gift from God. All of us has no difficulty to be nice, but without God in the Holy Spirit, its impossible to be kind.
When I asked my daughter, Melissa, whether she is kind enough to give some of her clothes away to an orphanage, she answered me like this, "Yup! You can have all those that I don't need anymore!"
I replied her with this answer which I guessed caused her to pause a moment to think deeply, "Hey! When you give something you don't want anymore, you are giving away rubbish! Mummy want you to think about this because I want you to ask Jesus to help you share His love in you."
Later that night, she walked into my room holding a big box of everything she wanted to give away. I couldn't hold back my tears but just allow them to flow freely down my face. "Mum, this is a full box of my love for the children at the orphanage. I prayed and asked Jesus to help me share everything that I have with these children at the sheltered homes. When you left me this morning, I realized its love they need, not what I give."
She walked up to me and hugged me tightly and whispered, "Mum, thanks for teaching me to know what is kindness and love. I will teach the same to my children someday. The world will be a better place because we know what is to be kind when we love. Thanks! Mum!"
When Melissa left my room, I fell on my knees, clasping my hands, and thank Jesus, "My Lord and my God, thank you Jesus for teaching me to be kind and to fathom your love that you have filled my heart. Help me each day to live by the fruits of your Spirit that people may know that You are in me. Thank you my beloved Saviour!"
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Our heavenly Father did not just gave His Son to us, He gave us His love in His Son! In His love in His Son, we have everlasting life. Our Father did not held back His love from us when He went to die on the cross for all our wrongdoing because His love for us overwhelmed Him. Thank you my Lord and my God, in Christ Jesus, my Saviour! Thank you!
In todays dog eat dog world, I guessed everyone knows what is to be nice. What about being kind?
We don't need the Holy Spirit to help us be nice but we do need Him to help us be kind. Kindness belongs to God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we chose to live independent of Jesus, we cannot be a witness for His kindness. Without the power of the Holy Spirit to help us, its impossible to be kind. Kindness require love, the type of love that is from Christ. Without love in kindness, then kindness is as bland as food without flavoring.
Being nice is a natural instinct of man. Kindness is a distinction of God's presence in our life. Being nice is natural of man, whereas kindness is a gift from God. All of us has no difficulty to be nice, but without God in the Holy Spirit, its impossible to be kind.
When I asked my daughter, Melissa, whether she is kind enough to give some of her clothes away to an orphanage, she answered me like this, "Yup! You can have all those that I don't need anymore!"
I replied her with this answer which I guessed caused her to pause a moment to think deeply, "Hey! When you give something you don't want anymore, you are giving away rubbish! Mummy want you to think about this because I want you to ask Jesus to help you share His love in you."
Later that night, she walked into my room holding a big box of everything she wanted to give away. I couldn't hold back my tears but just allow them to flow freely down my face. "Mum, this is a full box of my love for the children at the orphanage. I prayed and asked Jesus to help me share everything that I have with these children at the sheltered homes. When you left me this morning, I realized its love they need, not what I give."
She walked up to me and hugged me tightly and whispered, "Mum, thanks for teaching me to know what is kindness and love. I will teach the same to my children someday. The world will be a better place because we know what is to be kind when we love. Thanks! Mum!"
When Melissa left my room, I fell on my knees, clasping my hands, and thank Jesus, "My Lord and my God, thank you Jesus for teaching me to be kind and to fathom your love that you have filled my heart. Help me each day to live by the fruits of your Spirit that people may know that You are in me. Thank you my beloved Saviour!"
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Our heavenly Father did not just gave His Son to us, He gave us His love in His Son! In His love in His Son, we have everlasting life. Our Father did not held back His love from us when He went to die on the cross for all our wrongdoing because His love for us overwhelmed Him. Thank you my Lord and my God, in Christ Jesus, my Saviour! Thank you!
Monday, April 17, 2006
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE LORD
As the Da Vinci movie gets ready to hit the cinemas across the globe, Christian teachers and pastors scrambled to explain the hidden lies within.
When I was approached to share my views, I only have this to say, "I did not read the book at all." Its because my relationship with my Saviour is so strongly bonded that I don't need anything to distract me to question my Lord's authenticity. I believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son of the Living Father who came to die for me. I am trusting Him and awaits His return to bring me safely home to be with my heavenly Father.
Because I have tasted His agape love at the cross for me, I shut myself to the Devil's lies about my Saviour!
How well do you know your Lord Saviour Jesus? Have you never experienced Him at work in your life that you doubted Him? What's your reason when you acknowledged Him as your Lord Saviour? Was it for an everlasting relationship as children to the Almighty Loving Father or was there an ulterior motive? What do you really want?
When you doubted the One who came to love you and died on the cross to save you from a fiery end, then you don't really know who your Saviour is. Surely you can trust a person who died in your place to free you from the wrath of the Almighty Father.
Its a shame that those who claimed to be children of God, are mingling with non believers, questioning about our Lord's perfect life while He was on earth. These are fake Christians! These are people who have never experienced the mercy, grace and unfailing love of the Almighty Father in His Son, our Lord Saviour Jesus. These are people who betrayed the trust the Lord has in them when He carried the cross all the way to Calvary for their sake. These are people who confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord then doubted Him. (This paragraph does not speak to those who are young Christians)
The children of the awesome Almighty I AM must stand firm in their faith that Jesus Christ is Lord Saviour and Redeemer. As children of the Almighty Father, Creator of heaven and earth and everything thats in it, we must stand firm in our faith until our Saviour returned to bring us safely home to the Father. We must not allow our minds to be the Devil's playground. We must proclaim our Lord's love on the cross until He return.
Do not allow anything earthly to distract you from your focus on Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of the Living Father.
May the power of the Holy Spirit lives in you to help you KEEP THE FAITH!
May the power of the Holy Spirit keep our relationship with our Saviour safe from the Devil's deceit and lies.
May the grace of the Almighty Father in our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ be with us until we see Him again soon.
When I was approached to share my views, I only have this to say, "I did not read the book at all." Its because my relationship with my Saviour is so strongly bonded that I don't need anything to distract me to question my Lord's authenticity. I believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son of the Living Father who came to die for me. I am trusting Him and awaits His return to bring me safely home to be with my heavenly Father.
Because I have tasted His agape love at the cross for me, I shut myself to the Devil's lies about my Saviour!
How well do you know your Lord Saviour Jesus? Have you never experienced Him at work in your life that you doubted Him? What's your reason when you acknowledged Him as your Lord Saviour? Was it for an everlasting relationship as children to the Almighty Loving Father or was there an ulterior motive? What do you really want?
When you doubted the One who came to love you and died on the cross to save you from a fiery end, then you don't really know who your Saviour is. Surely you can trust a person who died in your place to free you from the wrath of the Almighty Father.
Its a shame that those who claimed to be children of God, are mingling with non believers, questioning about our Lord's perfect life while He was on earth. These are fake Christians! These are people who have never experienced the mercy, grace and unfailing love of the Almighty Father in His Son, our Lord Saviour Jesus. These are people who betrayed the trust the Lord has in them when He carried the cross all the way to Calvary for their sake. These are people who confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord then doubted Him. (This paragraph does not speak to those who are young Christians)
The children of the awesome Almighty I AM must stand firm in their faith that Jesus Christ is Lord Saviour and Redeemer. As children of the Almighty Father, Creator of heaven and earth and everything thats in it, we must stand firm in our faith until our Saviour returned to bring us safely home to the Father. We must not allow our minds to be the Devil's playground. We must proclaim our Lord's love on the cross until He return.
Do not allow anything earthly to distract you from your focus on Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of the Living Father.
May the power of the Holy Spirit lives in you to help you KEEP THE FAITH!
May the power of the Holy Spirit keep our relationship with our Saviour safe from the Devil's deceit and lies.
May the grace of the Almighty Father in our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ be with us until we see Him again soon.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
When its easier to bring an elephant to church than a stubborn ant!
Christians never give up trying to bring an outsider to church. It's one of those
Saturday, March 11, 2006
God, Can I Borrow Your Hammer
Can sinners do anything good? Can dust live without the breath of God, the Creator? Can clay mould themselves without the Potter? Could Jesus be nailed on the cross if God had not driven those nails with His hammers? Without the power of the Holy Spirit, can man who are sinners and was created from dust glorify the Living God of Israel?
Genesis 22:8, and Abraham said, my son, God will provide Himself a Lamb for a burnt offering. Genesis 22:14, and Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh (God Who Will Provide).
And a very beautiful prayer from King David thanking the Lord for the Temple that Solomon was asked to build. 1 Chronicles 29: 14, but who am I and who are my people that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you and we give you only what you have already given us! and verse 16, O Lord our God, even these materials that we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your Holy name come from you! It all belongs to you! In the earlier verses King David acknowledged before his people that God is the source of everything.
We may be rich with lots of money, but if God did not gift you with His riches of a generous heart, you could not give anything out of your riches. The riches of God is in the giving and not in what you have. We may have all the nails, but we need to borrow the hammer from God.
If God don't build His Temple, we cannot build it for Him. God remember that we are dust, but apparently we have forgotten that we are dust! If it is not God's will, whatever you do, you labor in vain. Jesus himself reminded us in John 15:5, for apart from me, you cannot bear fruits on your own.
Jesus death on the cross was God's will that His Son die to reconcile God's sinful children to Himself. We may have all the nails, without the hammer you cannot complete the job.
If you have lots of money and wanted to have a charitable heart, ask God to gift you with His riches of a generous heart.
Remember that we are but dust. If we chose to live apart from Jesus, we can do nothing on our own. If it is not God's will, you labor in vain. If you wanted something done, ask your heavenly Father to put it in His will.
Genesis 22:8, and Abraham said, my son, God will provide Himself a Lamb for a burnt offering. Genesis 22:14, and Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh (God Who Will Provide).
And a very beautiful prayer from King David thanking the Lord for the Temple that Solomon was asked to build. 1 Chronicles 29: 14, but who am I and who are my people that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you and we give you only what you have already given us! and verse 16, O Lord our God, even these materials that we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your Holy name come from you! It all belongs to you! In the earlier verses King David acknowledged before his people that God is the source of everything.
We may be rich with lots of money, but if God did not gift you with His riches of a generous heart, you could not give anything out of your riches. The riches of God is in the giving and not in what you have. We may have all the nails, but we need to borrow the hammer from God.
If God don't build His Temple, we cannot build it for Him. God remember that we are dust, but apparently we have forgotten that we are dust! If it is not God's will, whatever you do, you labor in vain. Jesus himself reminded us in John 15:5, for apart from me, you cannot bear fruits on your own.
Jesus death on the cross was God's will that His Son die to reconcile God's sinful children to Himself. We may have all the nails, without the hammer you cannot complete the job.
If you have lots of money and wanted to have a charitable heart, ask God to gift you with His riches of a generous heart.
Remember that we are but dust. If we chose to live apart from Jesus, we can do nothing on our own. If it is not God's will, you labor in vain. If you wanted something done, ask your heavenly Father to put it in His will.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Don't Judge The Inner Spirit By The Outer Physical Being
Each time someone open its mouth and spewed out the wrong thing, I found myself something to write about.
A friend came by and took me out for coffee. He was relating to me about his recent thorough medical check up and the thumbs up result from the report! He was bubbling away about how healthy he was and how he had gone at length to keep it; exercise and diet and sex! I stunned him with a question and stopped him from more bubbling.
My question: How about your spiritual health? The healthy one is going back to dust someday no matter how healthy it is.....its the one that's going to heaven or hell you need to worry. There was complete silence. I drove the next 15 minutes peacefully to our destination.
Aren't most of us the same as this friend of mine; Christians or not. We are concerned over the wrong things in life. We are taught to disconnect ourselves from a relationship with the world.
Some smart alec will answer that we need to keep our body healthy to serve God. Its that so? Or vice versa that we should instead keep our spiritual being healthy and strong first to protect the physical body from being disintegrated. Yet, the smart alec will still defend that the physical is more important. No wonder it is said you never win in an argument.
However healthy and strong, the physical body dies and return to dust.
So don't judge the inner spirit by the outer physical being. And don't forget that we are but DUST!
A friend came by and took me out for coffee. He was relating to me about his recent thorough medical check up and the thumbs up result from the report! He was bubbling away about how healthy he was and how he had gone at length to keep it; exercise and diet and sex! I stunned him with a question and stopped him from more bubbling.
My question: How about your spiritual health? The healthy one is going back to dust someday no matter how healthy it is.....its the one that's going to heaven or hell you need to worry. There was complete silence. I drove the next 15 minutes peacefully to our destination.
Aren't most of us the same as this friend of mine; Christians or not. We are concerned over the wrong things in life. We are taught to disconnect ourselves from a relationship with the world.
Some smart alec will answer that we need to keep our body healthy to serve God. Its that so? Or vice versa that we should instead keep our spiritual being healthy and strong first to protect the physical body from being disintegrated. Yet, the smart alec will still defend that the physical is more important. No wonder it is said you never win in an argument.
However healthy and strong, the physical body dies and return to dust.
So don't judge the inner spirit by the outer physical being. And don't forget that we are but DUST!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
If you don't die, you cannot live Part 2
Believe me! The power of the Holy Spirit is awesome in its power.
Immediately after posting my blog, the Holy Spirit was upon me to show me what I have left out in my previous message. Now you are reading part 2............
The Holy Spirit guided me to Paul's letters to the Galatians in chapter 6:14b-17, because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead. It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been circumsized or not. What counts is whether we have been changed into new and different people. May God's mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principal. They are the new people of God. From now on don't let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.
I love the way Paul expressed how his earthly life is dead to the world and everything that's in it. When Paul fully trusted Jesus to live for him, his interest in everything that is of the world died. And when the world realised that it could not work its charm on Paul, attracting him to its lies and deceptions (the evils of the world), it also gave up on him.
The truth of God must be present in our Christian lives. The significance of God's truth is present in our transformation ; from the sinful Adam to the perfect Christ. The Holy Spirit is always protecting us, God's children, redeemed by Jesus Christ His Son, on the cross.
Paul's evidence that he truly belongs to God was the scars he bore on his body. The scars identify him to sharing the same suffering our Saviour suffered. The scars on Paul's body identify him as one who truly is worthy to be called a son of the living God. We know that this is true because Jesus himself confirmed it in John 15:18-19, when the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don't. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don't know God who sent me.
Do you bore any scars on your body as evidence that you belong to Jesus? Did you suffer shame and humility because you stood up for Jesus? Were you ashamed to confess that He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God that was born into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all men, resurrected on the third day to assure us of a hope that someday he will return to bring us all safely home to be with the Father?
Are you one who is worthy to be called a son of the living God? Do you bore any scars that he can identify you as his very own?
Finally, reach out for your Bible and open to the Gospel of according to John chapter 17 and read how much Jesus Christ loves those who belong to Him.
Immediately after posting my blog, the Holy Spirit was upon me to show me what I have left out in my previous message. Now you are reading part 2............
The Holy Spirit guided me to Paul's letters to the Galatians in chapter 6:14b-17, because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead. It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been circumsized or not. What counts is whether we have been changed into new and different people. May God's mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principal. They are the new people of God. From now on don't let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.
I love the way Paul expressed how his earthly life is dead to the world and everything that's in it. When Paul fully trusted Jesus to live for him, his interest in everything that is of the world died. And when the world realised that it could not work its charm on Paul, attracting him to its lies and deceptions (the evils of the world), it also gave up on him.
The truth of God must be present in our Christian lives. The significance of God's truth is present in our transformation ; from the sinful Adam to the perfect Christ. The Holy Spirit is always protecting us, God's children, redeemed by Jesus Christ His Son, on the cross.
Paul's evidence that he truly belongs to God was the scars he bore on his body. The scars identify him to sharing the same suffering our Saviour suffered. The scars on Paul's body identify him as one who truly is worthy to be called a son of the living God. We know that this is true because Jesus himself confirmed it in John 15:18-19, when the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don't. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don't know God who sent me.
Do you bore any scars on your body as evidence that you belong to Jesus? Did you suffer shame and humility because you stood up for Jesus? Were you ashamed to confess that He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God that was born into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all men, resurrected on the third day to assure us of a hope that someday he will return to bring us all safely home to be with the Father?
Are you one who is worthy to be called a son of the living God? Do you bore any scars that he can identify you as his very own?
Finally, reach out for your Bible and open to the Gospel of according to John chapter 17 and read how much Jesus Christ loves those who belong to Him.
Monday, March 06, 2006
If you don't die, You cannot live!
Hard to digest this really because it is not sensible at all. But then this is simply a preview of how God think and work.
If we don't die to the world and everything that is of the world, how can we prove we belong to Him? Yes, God knows and examine our hearts but when our heart is not dead to the world, we can never prove ourselves to be His. And now I very much understand what it really meant that we need to die with Christ in baptism (a symbolic commitment to acknowledge our faith that Jesus is the Saviour born to us).
We need to die to the law that was given to rule us so that we can live by grace in the power of Christ.
We struggle a lot in our earthly life because of the control that the world and the Holy Spirit wanted in us. Every time when we give in to sin, the world gets stronger in us. Each time when we sin, we allow the world to live again in us. We were supposed to be dead. Each time we sin the world grows back stronger because our decision to sin give life to it. When we continue to live in sin, we walk backwards to Adam instead of moving forward to Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
Let us study and ask the Holy Spirit to grant us understanding of God's word in Roman's 6:2-4 and then read the entire chapter 6. We died to our old sinful lives, so how can we continue living with sin? Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ when we were baptized? We share his death in our baptism. When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared his death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the wonderful power of the Father, we also can have a new life.
Galatians 2:20 speaks to us even more clearly when it says, I was put to death on the cross with Christ and I do not live anymore....it is Christ who now lives in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself to save me. Rightfully we are supposed to be dead to allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our earthly life. When we accepted Christ as the Saviour, we gave ourselves to God....we returned ourselves to God. Our baptism means we sent the sinful man back to dust and live a new life in our Saviour, sharing His ressurrection.
Yes, we must be dead to our old life so that we can be alive in the new life. The Holy Spirit is in the new life, and that is on provision we have given up our old life. The Holy Spirit do not share his indwelling in us with other spirits. The glory belongs to God and we are His creations which make us rightfully His. God will never share us with anyone because our God is a jealous God. We either belong to Him or we are not! There's no two ways about this ownership rights. The only way is to die to everything that is of this present earthly life to prove purselves that we really desire to be exclusively His.
When we submit obedience to the Holy Spirit, gifted by God to help us with our earthly lives, Jesus grows a little in each with each obedience. In due time, we will experience total transformation from Adam to Christ. Every obedience from us in the power of the Holy Spirit brings honor and glory to our heavenly Father in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
In conclusion, you need to be dead to be alive. This may not be the desirable terms and conditions of man, but they are God's conditions.
May your choice be wise.......
If we don't die to the world and everything that is of the world, how can we prove we belong to Him? Yes, God knows and examine our hearts but when our heart is not dead to the world, we can never prove ourselves to be His. And now I very much understand what it really meant that we need to die with Christ in baptism (a symbolic commitment to acknowledge our faith that Jesus is the Saviour born to us).
We need to die to the law that was given to rule us so that we can live by grace in the power of Christ.
We struggle a lot in our earthly life because of the control that the world and the Holy Spirit wanted in us. Every time when we give in to sin, the world gets stronger in us. Each time when we sin, we allow the world to live again in us. We were supposed to be dead. Each time we sin the world grows back stronger because our decision to sin give life to it. When we continue to live in sin, we walk backwards to Adam instead of moving forward to Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
Let us study and ask the Holy Spirit to grant us understanding of God's word in Roman's 6:2-4 and then read the entire chapter 6. We died to our old sinful lives, so how can we continue living with sin? Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ when we were baptized? We share his death in our baptism. When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared his death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the wonderful power of the Father, we also can have a new life.
Galatians 2:20 speaks to us even more clearly when it says, I was put to death on the cross with Christ and I do not live anymore....it is Christ who now lives in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself to save me. Rightfully we are supposed to be dead to allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our earthly life. When we accepted Christ as the Saviour, we gave ourselves to God....we returned ourselves to God. Our baptism means we sent the sinful man back to dust and live a new life in our Saviour, sharing His ressurrection.
Yes, we must be dead to our old life so that we can be alive in the new life. The Holy Spirit is in the new life, and that is on provision we have given up our old life. The Holy Spirit do not share his indwelling in us with other spirits. The glory belongs to God and we are His creations which make us rightfully His. God will never share us with anyone because our God is a jealous God. We either belong to Him or we are not! There's no two ways about this ownership rights. The only way is to die to everything that is of this present earthly life to prove purselves that we really desire to be exclusively His.
When we submit obedience to the Holy Spirit, gifted by God to help us with our earthly lives, Jesus grows a little in each with each obedience. In due time, we will experience total transformation from Adam to Christ. Every obedience from us in the power of the Holy Spirit brings honor and glory to our heavenly Father in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
In conclusion, you need to be dead to be alive. This may not be the desirable terms and conditions of man, but they are God's conditions.
May your choice be wise.......
Saturday, March 04, 2006
A Passion Driven Heart
Our Christian lives must be driven by passion; a passion to be after God's heart and His will. Without passion we can never discover our purpose for Him.
Let me boldly say this out loud that it is pure nonsense that we discover our purpose for God because of a book. You can read all you want in the book and in a puff, all is forgotten. You may gain knowledge and awareness of your ignorance but without passion, you labor in vain. You must develop a passion to pursue something. When our heavenly Father came to save man from eternal death, it was passion for His own created children that motivate Him to die for us on the cross.
So is it an acceptable fact that God sent someone to write a book to remind us of the purpose for the life that He gave us? Allow me to caption a reminder that the sinful man is not capable of anything without the power of the Holy Spirit. Our earthly life is tainted with sin. We are lost. We must be reminded that it is God who came to look for us and not the other way. We cannot discover our purpose for God if God did not send the Holy Spirit to help us grow a passion to pursue Him. Because the Spirit of God is passionate after God.
So now you have read the book and discover your purpose. What have you done with your discovery? Did you already lost the purpose? Don't you agree that it is pathetic of you to discover your purpose for God because of a book? Where is your passion now? What happened to it?
A few years ago when The Passion of Christ was shown in the cinema, many Christians expressed how guilty and unworthy they were for Christ to suffer and die for them in such a cruel death. When temptation show up at our door, we forgot everything; our guilt and unworthiness.
When you love God, you do anything for Him at whatever the cost. Jesus Christ came and showed us. Our Saviour went to the cross not because of us. We are not worthy of Him to suffer and die like that. Jesus Christ was doing it for the Father. He came to do the will of the Father. Because Jesus tasted the Father's love, Jesus will do anything at whatever the cost to Him.
So we must learn to respond to God's commands the same way. "Love our enemies" , He told us. So if we really love God, we should do just that. We must discard our way of viewing things from our own eyes. We must now see things from God's heart. People are no longer people because when you see from God's heart, they are now children of the Living God. Only difference is they are still lost and need our help to tell them how much the Father loves them.
Without love it is impossible to please God. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
I can't possibly understand why we need to go to Bible college to study and know more about God. Christianity is about a relationship with the Living God. It's about a Father's love for His lost children. It's not how much we know about God; it's how close we are with God. It's about being passionate after a relationship with God. I guessed not many people may agree with me. Because on my mind I was wondering whether I will be allow into the Kingdom of God if I am an illiterate and know nothing about the Scriptures yet live with reverence and fear of God. By the way fearing God was interpreted as hating what God hates. (Proverbs 8:13)
So I conclude by quoting Ecclesiastes 12:13......Fear God and obey His commands for that is the duty of all man.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The heart that matters
I believe God graced our lives once in a while to remind us that He loved us and He missed us because it has been some time He heard from us.
You may asked how could God be missing me when I attended services every Sunday.
Worshipping God is a matter of the heart. When the heart is passionately pursuing the Creator, it ain't matter anymore about church attendance on Sundays. The Father is please with those children who are after His heart and His will.
The following verse was mentioned twice in the Bible and it must be an important reminder. The prophet Isaiah first mentioned it in the Book of Isaiah 29:13 and then our Saviour mentioned it again in the Gospels as in Matthew 15:8, these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.
For truly when you set the heart right, everything will fall gracefully in place. When our hearts are aligned with that of our heavenly Fathers', our earthly and spiritual lives will not show signs of any faltering.
We should spent time as often as possible to examine the status of our heart. Are they healthy by God's standard? Is the Holy Spirit in control? Are we living our earthly lives approvingly of God? Constant examination is necessary because an oversight may be too costly.
Live in the truth; Live in God's truth. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit gifted to help you. Be obedient to His teachings and guidance. Do not be deceived that when all is well, all is really well! Always reconfirm! Do not offer your heart to be the Devil's playground. Surrender your heart to Jesus and make Him the sole tenant of your heart, His dwelling place. When the One who is greater than the one who is in the world is in total control, who can be against you? Let the True Light of God suffused your whole being.
Return the heart that was once lost to the Creator, the Owner. Pray that it is in His will to find your lost heart and also the hearts of love ones. If the heart is too stubborn, break it down with the power of His grace. No stubborn hearts can withstand the power of God's grace.
Stretch out your hands towards Jesus and cling on to Him. Don't let go.
Is Jesus in total control of you now? Why not give Him a mandate this very second? Don't hesitate!
Reign in me Lord! Let me experience the wealth of your riches. Make my heart wholesome in your holiness. Cause my heart beat to synchronise with yours.
Grow in me a desire to be transform from Adam to Christ, from death to life, from sin to holiness, from a son of man to be the son of the Living God.
Thank you Jesus! Thank you for the cross!
You may asked how could God be missing me when I attended services every Sunday.
Worshipping God is a matter of the heart. When the heart is passionately pursuing the Creator, it ain't matter anymore about church attendance on Sundays. The Father is please with those children who are after His heart and His will.
The following verse was mentioned twice in the Bible and it must be an important reminder. The prophet Isaiah first mentioned it in the Book of Isaiah 29:13 and then our Saviour mentioned it again in the Gospels as in Matthew 15:8, these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.
For truly when you set the heart right, everything will fall gracefully in place. When our hearts are aligned with that of our heavenly Fathers', our earthly and spiritual lives will not show signs of any faltering.
We should spent time as often as possible to examine the status of our heart. Are they healthy by God's standard? Is the Holy Spirit in control? Are we living our earthly lives approvingly of God? Constant examination is necessary because an oversight may be too costly.
Live in the truth; Live in God's truth. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit gifted to help you. Be obedient to His teachings and guidance. Do not be deceived that when all is well, all is really well! Always reconfirm! Do not offer your heart to be the Devil's playground. Surrender your heart to Jesus and make Him the sole tenant of your heart, His dwelling place. When the One who is greater than the one who is in the world is in total control, who can be against you? Let the True Light of God suffused your whole being.
Return the heart that was once lost to the Creator, the Owner. Pray that it is in His will to find your lost heart and also the hearts of love ones. If the heart is too stubborn, break it down with the power of His grace. No stubborn hearts can withstand the power of God's grace.
Stretch out your hands towards Jesus and cling on to Him. Don't let go.
Is Jesus in total control of you now? Why not give Him a mandate this very second? Don't hesitate!
Reign in me Lord! Let me experience the wealth of your riches. Make my heart wholesome in your holiness. Cause my heart beat to synchronise with yours.
Grow in me a desire to be transform from Adam to Christ, from death to life, from sin to holiness, from a son of man to be the son of the Living God.
Thank you Jesus! Thank you for the cross!
Monday, February 27, 2006
Introducing the Honorable Chairman Mao.....
Welcome to my blog....
I hope my writings will help you discover and understand what is truth, lies and deceptions. I will share about how lies and deceptions have trapped our thoughts and imprisoned our freedom to enjoy what God has originally given us.....The Garden of Eden. I hope God's truth will set you free from the hell you are in now.
May the power of God's grace find your stubborn heart and set it free from the bondage of the Devil's lies. May you discover God's truth in the Holy Spirit and be transformed from Adam, the son of man to Christ, the son of the Living God.
Each and everyday, one step at a time we shall partake this journey together in His Spirit and His Truth to return to the Garden of Eden, our birthplace.
May the Living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour guard our souls as we wiggle through lies and deceptions into His Truth.
May we reached our destination and dwelled safely for all eternity with our heavenly Father.
And we can surely trust our Lord Jesus to escort us safely into our heavenly Father's loving arms.
Welcome to your first step of your journey.....let the adventure begins.....hold on tight to Jesus and don't let go of your hands.....walk in faith!
I hope my writings will help you discover and understand what is truth, lies and deceptions. I will share about how lies and deceptions have trapped our thoughts and imprisoned our freedom to enjoy what God has originally given us.....The Garden of Eden. I hope God's truth will set you free from the hell you are in now.
May the power of God's grace find your stubborn heart and set it free from the bondage of the Devil's lies. May you discover God's truth in the Holy Spirit and be transformed from Adam, the son of man to Christ, the son of the Living God.
Each and everyday, one step at a time we shall partake this journey together in His Spirit and His Truth to return to the Garden of Eden, our birthplace.
May the Living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour guard our souls as we wiggle through lies and deceptions into His Truth.
May we reached our destination and dwelled safely for all eternity with our heavenly Father.
And we can surely trust our Lord Jesus to escort us safely into our heavenly Father's loving arms.
Welcome to your first step of your journey.....let the adventure begins.....hold on tight to Jesus and don't let go of your hands.....walk in faith!
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