Our pastor said on the pulpit yesterday : It is only when our spiritual state is fed and sated, that we can enjoy ourselves without fear of feeding the flesh.
I have a friend, a widow in her late 50's, retired and very rich. She loves to go for expensive holidays. Every year, she'll have at least 5 to 8 vacations overseas. Last year, she went to Turkey, The Balkans, England, China, Bali Indonesia just to name a few. I've lost track of the places she went this year, but I know she just came back from China last week, and will be going to Taiwan next week. I get tired just by thinking of her whirlwind vacations.
It's all very glamorous. But somehow, somewhere between England and China, the 'pearl' has lost its lustre. No, she didn't get bored, not yet anyway. But it suddenly dawned onto her that it's just another day, just another place to visit. Nothing to look forward to anymore. She just keeps on taking vacations, but it seems to me, empty vacations, not meaningful vacations. She no longer feels contentment. She just has to go everywhere around the world. It has become more like a goal, and vacations have become a religion to her. But again, no contentment. Her spirit is not at peace. Her home is like a hotel to her, a place to stay when she's........well, home.
~~When we enjoy ourselves, even with the simplest act of watching tv, if our spirit has not been fed with the Word, we will watch one programme after another, till past midnight at times, because we keep wanting more. Will we feel contented the next day? Probably not. We'll be too busy keeping sleep at bay during work hours, and get irritable when things go wrong. But when we reach home, we'll switch on the tv again, and the same cycle repeats itself.
~~When we indulge ourselves by playing computer games, if our spirit has not been fed, 1 hour of zapping aliens will turn into 5 hours of 'killing spree'. Will we be contented? Probably not, as our spirit will be in too much turmoil after all the zappings and killings for the past 5 hours. We'll probably take a short nap, and a quick bite after the nap. Then back to the computer again to repeat the zapping and killing process.
~~When we go shopping, if our spirit has not been fed, we'll end up overspending and falling into the 'impulse purchase' trap. Will we be contented with our purchases? Probably not, as we'll be too busy trying to balance our paychecks with our credit card payments! That is, till our next shopping spree, when we'll conveniently forget about our paychecks and credit card woes, because we need to pander to our 'wants'.
The list goes on. Alcohol, cigarettes. It's always the case of I'll just have one. And one will never stay one. Without a 'fed and sated' spirit in control, the flesh will rear its ugly head again and again, and in the end, we'll end up as addicts, hurting not just our spiritual state, but our physical state as well.
When our spirit is not fed with God's word, we will feed our flesh. When we feed our flesh, we step into an endless cycle. A sinister cycle. The flesh will never feel satisfied. We'll keep wanting more......and more.......and more.
Hence in a nutshell, feed our spirit, not our flesh. It's only safe for us to enjoy ourselves and indulge in our whims when our spirit is fed. For it's only when our spirit is fed that we'll be able to truly enjoy ourselves and feel genuine contentment.
And when our spirit is fed, we will never become addicts.
Rainbow as Sign
Monday, October 28, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Trinity God
A troubled girl came to church, and was comforted.
She brought her equally troubled brother to church, and he obeyed.
Their mother, who was at her wit's end, saw her transformed children and came to church. She believed.
The grandmother, seeing the Word of God transform the lives of her faithful daughter and her faithful grandchildren, came to church and accepted Christ.
The grandfather followed suit.
And the light came upon their family, banishing the darkness.
More of their family members followed.
By the Manifestation of Christ's Authority, the mother and her children have shown their family what being a Christian is truly about. They are now guided solely by the Conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their transformed lives in God have convinced their family that the Lord is indeed good. Hence the family gospelisation.
Being a Christian. What does it mean?
Being a Christian means to demolish our old mindsets. Die and resurrect with Christ and become born-again Christians. Model our lives after Jesus Christ. Let Him manifest His authority within us, in our homes, in our working fields, among friends, acquaintances and strangers. Let them see for themselves what being a Christian is like.
Being a Christian means not enforcing our own will in all situations. Wait for the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and be guided solely by the Holy Spirit. We won't have any baggage chaining us down if we simply leave everything to the Holy Spirit.
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity God. The only answer to all problems.
She brought her equally troubled brother to church, and he obeyed.
Their mother, who was at her wit's end, saw her transformed children and came to church. She believed.
The grandmother, seeing the Word of God transform the lives of her faithful daughter and her faithful grandchildren, came to church and accepted Christ.
The grandfather followed suit.
And the light came upon their family, banishing the darkness.
More of their family members followed.
By the Manifestation of Christ's Authority, the mother and her children have shown their family what being a Christian is truly about. They are now guided solely by the Conviction of the Holy Spirit. Their transformed lives in God have convinced their family that the Lord is indeed good. Hence the family gospelisation.
Being a Christian. What does it mean?
- Being a Christian does not mean we need to memorise biblical verses.
- Being a Christian does not mean we have to drag every Tom, Dick & Harry from the streets to evangelise to them.
- Being a Christian does not mean holding on to the law and judging people as sinners.
- Being a Christian does not mean going around with a holier-than-thou attitude.
Being a Christian means to demolish our old mindsets. Die and resurrect with Christ and become born-again Christians. Model our lives after Jesus Christ. Let Him manifest His authority within us, in our homes, in our working fields, among friends, acquaintances and strangers. Let them see for themselves what being a Christian is like.
Being a Christian means not enforcing our own will in all situations. Wait for the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and be guided solely by the Holy Spirit. We won't have any baggage chaining us down if we simply leave everything to the Holy Spirit.
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity God. The only answer to all problems.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Words of Anger
I have an unmarried friend in her late forties who is a self-professed independent singleton. She often says that married women often get stressed out by their husbands and children, resulting in premature ageing and illness. The way she carries herself is akin to a fundamentalist of the anti-marriage movement. Every single time, whenever her lady friends start a relationship or tie the knot, they become her target of sarcasm, barbs and thinly-veiled insults. She starts to gossip about their boyfriends, husbands or their overall relationship with the men in their lives.
I have been at the receiving end of her anger and sarcasm these past few years.
Before Mister Caveman came into my life, we have been close. Whenever she needed a helping hand, which was, and still is, very often ( though she's a self-professed independent singleton, she doesn't drive, can't handle a crisis and emotionally fragile ), my phone number was her 911. A band of us women ( married and otherwise ) rallied around her when she had a housing crisis in 2008. We also rallied around her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, which happily, she has recovered since. Despite criticising her friends' husbands as useless / jerks etc, the husbands were also there to lend a helping hand. She started to aim her barbs at me when I started a relationship with Mister Caveman. Even now, after a few years and after my marriage, the barbs and stings continue to come.
She started the barbs a few years ago with 'loaded' jokes, started circulating some gossip among mutual friends, tried to make me feel guilty for not being able to pander to her needs as often as she likes. She was offended that I didn't confide in her regarding my relationship ( but seeing how she made my other friends the butt of her gossip, would I dare to confide in her? ). The barbs and sarcasm came every now and then, even now. It got to the point that she told me sarcastically that I 'serve' my husband with such 'filial piety' last week. For that instant, I almost boiled over like boiling water.
Is it anger? Is it discontent? Is it jealousy? Is it the no-longer-so-frequent-use of her free taxi and driver ( aka my car and me ) that gives her cause to try to hurt me or to make me feel guilty for giving up my membership of the Sisterhood of Singletons?
There were times when throwing back darts of sarcasm with her face as my target was tantalising! Hurling back barbs that could hurt her also seems very tempting! But the Holy Spirit always stops me at the last moment. If I play tit for tat, not only it will make the situation worse, what can I gain by hurting her, except a moment's satisfaction, which will definitely be followed by guilt?
(Eph4: 26-27) In your anger, do not sin........Do not give Devil a foothold.
So in the end, I did nothing. I do not need to sink to her level to get back at her. Why should I get back at her anyway? It will only cause me more hurt and anger if I give in to my initial anger. In an afterthought, these barbs hurt her more than me, as she keeps spewing them out like venom. If we hold on to the very simple truth, that God is with us, and we are loved, words like these won't have the power to hurt us. If we don't give these words the power to enter our spirit and poison us, it will only remain words. Merely words.
And words don't hurt, unless you allow it to. But that doesn't mean we can't keep so-called friends like these at arm's length!
I have been at the receiving end of her anger and sarcasm these past few years.
Before Mister Caveman came into my life, we have been close. Whenever she needed a helping hand, which was, and still is, very often ( though she's a self-professed independent singleton, she doesn't drive, can't handle a crisis and emotionally fragile ), my phone number was her 911. A band of us women ( married and otherwise ) rallied around her when she had a housing crisis in 2008. We also rallied around her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, which happily, she has recovered since. Despite criticising her friends' husbands as useless / jerks etc, the husbands were also there to lend a helping hand. She started to aim her barbs at me when I started a relationship with Mister Caveman. Even now, after a few years and after my marriage, the barbs and stings continue to come.
She started the barbs a few years ago with 'loaded' jokes, started circulating some gossip among mutual friends, tried to make me feel guilty for not being able to pander to her needs as often as she likes. She was offended that I didn't confide in her regarding my relationship ( but seeing how she made my other friends the butt of her gossip, would I dare to confide in her? ). The barbs and sarcasm came every now and then, even now. It got to the point that she told me sarcastically that I 'serve' my husband with such 'filial piety' last week. For that instant, I almost boiled over like boiling water.
Is it anger? Is it discontent? Is it jealousy? Is it the no-longer-so-frequent-use of her free taxi and driver ( aka my car and me ) that gives her cause to try to hurt me or to make me feel guilty for giving up my membership of the Sisterhood of Singletons?
There were times when throwing back darts of sarcasm with her face as my target was tantalising! Hurling back barbs that could hurt her also seems very tempting! But the Holy Spirit always stops me at the last moment. If I play tit for tat, not only it will make the situation worse, what can I gain by hurting her, except a moment's satisfaction, which will definitely be followed by guilt?
- Anger can lead us into saying things we do not mean, doing things we would not have done. And what we've said and done in anger could do irreparable harm.
- Anger is a tool that is used by the forces of darkness to destroy relationships, to cause unrest and spiritual turmoil.
- Anger camouflaged as jokes and sarcasm leads to bitterness of the spirit, or probably in this case, anger camouflaged as jokes and sarcasm is the result of bitterness of the spirit.
- Anger is an emotional trap that is easy to fall into.
- Anger is also an escape for those with emotional problems.
- Anger masks hurts, discontent, bitterness, jealousy, insecurity, fear and all other negative emotions which a person wants to hide from.
- Anger distorts reality, and closes the heart to the blessings God provide in abundance.
(Eph4: 26-27) In your anger, do not sin........Do not give Devil a foothold.
So in the end, I did nothing. I do not need to sink to her level to get back at her. Why should I get back at her anyway? It will only cause me more hurt and anger if I give in to my initial anger. In an afterthought, these barbs hurt her more than me, as she keeps spewing them out like venom. If we hold on to the very simple truth, that God is with us, and we are loved, words like these won't have the power to hurt us. If we don't give these words the power to enter our spirit and poison us, it will only remain words. Merely words.
And words don't hurt, unless you allow it to. But that doesn't mean we can't keep so-called friends like these at arm's length!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Law and Faith
Justification by faith. We are no longer bound by law but by faith and love. Simply by knowing this is a release in itself.
How many people are being bound by law? How many people are frustrated by the can do's and the cannot do's? Children are frustrated of being curbed of their natural curiosity by laws set by parents. Adults are constantly frustrated by laws set by their bosses, of being forced to surrender their 'family time' to be seen as assets to companies. We bind ourselves by laws set by ourselves to comport ourselves with decorum fit for public eyes.
People go to church because going to church has become a routine in their lives, as it is the law to go to church on the Sabbath day. People give tithes because they 'have' to give 10 percent of their earnings to the church. With this mindset, these people are still bound by the law. But when you are free from the law, and walk by faith and love, we realise that we go to church every Sunday, not because the law decrees it to be so, but because we hunger for God's guidance, and that we want to use the pulpit messages as a guide for the entire week yet to come. We have the heart to die and resurrect with Christ because of love and faith. Because we believe. We give tithes not because we have to, but because of God's blessing, and to be free from financial bondage. Money will have no power, or less power over us if we can give 10 percent of our income freely to God every month.
The law is a cold light with a hardness that glints like cold steel. Faith and love exude a warm, rosy glow. To be bound by the law is to be shackled like a slave. Like Hagar the slave woman and her child. The child of Sarah the free woman enjoys the covenant of God. We are the children of Sarah. Though we are the gentiles, the day we welcome the perfect God into our hearts and willing to live our lives for Him, we cease to become slaves. We cease to be bound by the law. We have become the descendants of Abraham. By faith and love, we are free.
But this freedom does not give us an excuse to indulge in excess. It does not give us license to pander to the longings of our earthly flesh. The Holy Spirit will constantly fight with our wants and longings. To give in would have been too easy. The temptations of the world are great. Temptations of the eye, temptations of the heart, temptations of riches and glory, temptations of power. The temptations to judge, to appear superior, to command. The temptations to turn to philosophy and self intelligence to solve our problems instead of turning to God. The Holy Spirit within us battles against these temptations. So if we let the Holy Spirit control us, we will free ourselves from the law that shackles us, and are able live a life that is guided solely by the Truth, and by faith and love.
And to live by the Holy Spirit, and by faith and love, we will enjoy the true assurance of being the children of God. We are truly free.
Pondering on Paul's letter to the Galatians.
How many people are being bound by law? How many people are frustrated by the can do's and the cannot do's? Children are frustrated of being curbed of their natural curiosity by laws set by parents. Adults are constantly frustrated by laws set by their bosses, of being forced to surrender their 'family time' to be seen as assets to companies. We bind ourselves by laws set by ourselves to comport ourselves with decorum fit for public eyes.
People go to church because going to church has become a routine in their lives, as it is the law to go to church on the Sabbath day. People give tithes because they 'have' to give 10 percent of their earnings to the church. With this mindset, these people are still bound by the law. But when you are free from the law, and walk by faith and love, we realise that we go to church every Sunday, not because the law decrees it to be so, but because we hunger for God's guidance, and that we want to use the pulpit messages as a guide for the entire week yet to come. We have the heart to die and resurrect with Christ because of love and faith. Because we believe. We give tithes not because we have to, but because of God's blessing, and to be free from financial bondage. Money will have no power, or less power over us if we can give 10 percent of our income freely to God every month.
The law is a cold light with a hardness that glints like cold steel. Faith and love exude a warm, rosy glow. To be bound by the law is to be shackled like a slave. Like Hagar the slave woman and her child. The child of Sarah the free woman enjoys the covenant of God. We are the children of Sarah. Though we are the gentiles, the day we welcome the perfect God into our hearts and willing to live our lives for Him, we cease to become slaves. We cease to be bound by the law. We have become the descendants of Abraham. By faith and love, we are free.
But this freedom does not give us an excuse to indulge in excess. It does not give us license to pander to the longings of our earthly flesh. The Holy Spirit will constantly fight with our wants and longings. To give in would have been too easy. The temptations of the world are great. Temptations of the eye, temptations of the heart, temptations of riches and glory, temptations of power. The temptations to judge, to appear superior, to command. The temptations to turn to philosophy and self intelligence to solve our problems instead of turning to God. The Holy Spirit within us battles against these temptations. So if we let the Holy Spirit control us, we will free ourselves from the law that shackles us, and are able live a life that is guided solely by the Truth, and by faith and love.
And to live by the Holy Spirit, and by faith and love, we will enjoy the true assurance of being the children of God. We are truly free.
Pondering on Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Post Church Camp Ponderings
I have spent these few days
pondering over some questions which were raised during church camp.
Firstly, love God……or fear
God?
I did some deep spirit
searching. Took my thoughts back to the past, and tried to give myself a clear
answer. Do I pray because I love God, or because I fear Him? And the answer
that came up is : in the past, I prayed because I fear the situation.
Which leads to another
question. What situation do I fear most? Is it death? Is it poverty? Yes, it is
death. I don’t fear my own death, which is inevitable. I fear the pain and
suffering that precedes my death. My deepest fear when I was much younger was
that death will take those I love and eventually leave me alone. And as the
years go by, one by one, my family members succumbed to death, and I was all
that is left of my immediate family by the age of 32. But though I was
spiritually slumbering and not aware of it then, I realize now that Holy Spirit
has helped me face that difficult time. And when I faced the situation, the
fear changed to acceptance, and acceptance changed to just another
circumstance. God willed it so, and I accepted it. And it was not so hard after
that.
Yes, I feared poverty. When
my finances went down, insomnia rate went up. I spent many sleepless nights
trying to figure out how to get out of the situation, and prayed to God to get
me out of this,
But after I came to my church CLCP back in Dec 2009, I started to slowly understand how God works. I
gradually learned, and am still learning, to trust and submit. I learn patience.
I’ve learned that my past achievements and failures were superficial and
unimportant.To know, test and confirm that God is with me, and being able to
see how God is working in me. And in turn, through me, let the Holy Spirit use my
experience, success and failures, happiness and heartaches, as a testimony to
help others in the same situation to overcome their obstacles. To have peace and joy in the
heart at all times and in all situation, and to give thanks to God. To be able
to accept and actually believe that problems are a blessing. This is success. But
I’m still a long way from it. I still possess the mentality of an escapist.
The hardships I faced before and after coming to this church, is to show me the
difference between human-driven solutions and God-driven solutions. About
holding on tightly to life’s steering wheel, and the relief that follows after
letting God take over the wheel.
So the answer to the initial
question is, no, I don’t fear God. Yes I love him. I pray because I want to get nearer to Him, to rouse my sometimes slumbering spirit, and not because of fear. But is there any reproach in
my spirit? Yes, sometimes. When my pride gets the better of me and drowns out
the voice of the Holy Spirit. When my grievances and hurts cause me to direct
my anger at God and the church. To be honest, there were a couple of times when
I seriously wanted to leave this church. But somehow at the last moment, I always end up back there.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Celebrating God
"Yay! Let's celebrate", went Mr. Caveman's text message.
I just realised that we do indeed say that a lot to each other. Let's celebrate. We do not wait for special occasions to celebrate. We just celebrated whatever we like and whenever we feel like it. We are not celebration nuts, nor are we people with lots of free time to spare. We are both busy people, especially Mr. Caveman who has to drive 1 hour to work everyday. Even I myself scarcely have enough time to sit down and watch TV.........which made me cancel my cable TV subscription, as I've been paying money for something I watch less than 2 hours per month!
Normally, busy people gets tired out in the evenings after work. When they return home from work, their affable personalities might take on the traits of a bear. Grouchy and growly. They might take out their day's frustrations on their spouses or children, or might feel silently resentful and bottle up their emotions. Their everyday routine moves in a circle. Stress tires them out, and when they return from work, it will spill over in their homes, thus getting irritated and at times, irrational. A busy woman might have to juggle career and housework and children. At times, being too busy, parents are not aware of what's going on in their children's life, and in turn, the children will feel neglected. That is when material goods will be used to assuage their feelings of guilt, and to appease their children.
So, why do 2 busy people celebrate? And keep celebrating?
Because we put God in the driver's seat, and let him take the steering wheel. With God to govern us and take charge, we just do whatever we have to do with a light heart. The mindset of working for God, and under God's guidance takes the stress away, and even when we are tired, we are tired in God's grace. Tired IN, not tired OF.
Some people use alcohol to numb their stress and cigarettes to relax. They look towards the future as a motivation to work. A future of comfort and luxury. Money enough to satisfy their family, enough to provide for their children. They will then consider their duties fulfilled. Though they might wear themselves down in the process, most will consider this to be worth their while.
Born-again Christians use the Word. They look towards the Kingdom, not to the worldly future, and use their present conditions to glorify God and do whatever He wants them to do. They derive strength from God's endless well of strength, and live for the present. They enjoy what God gives them everyday, and look forward to what God has in store for them tomorrow, be it grace or sanctification, which will be gladly accepted to strengthen the spirit.
We treasure our God-given relationship, and do our best to keep the atmosphere around us peaceful and happy. We walk where the Holy Spirit guides us, and when the Holy Spirit rejoices and prompts us to celebrate, we simply do so.
And so we celebrate. Not celebrating ourselves, but celebrating our lives in God. Because in God, everyday is a celebration.
I just realised that we do indeed say that a lot to each other. Let's celebrate. We do not wait for special occasions to celebrate. We just celebrated whatever we like and whenever we feel like it. We are not celebration nuts, nor are we people with lots of free time to spare. We are both busy people, especially Mr. Caveman who has to drive 1 hour to work everyday. Even I myself scarcely have enough time to sit down and watch TV.........which made me cancel my cable TV subscription, as I've been paying money for something I watch less than 2 hours per month!
Normally, busy people gets tired out in the evenings after work. When they return home from work, their affable personalities might take on the traits of a bear. Grouchy and growly. They might take out their day's frustrations on their spouses or children, or might feel silently resentful and bottle up their emotions. Their everyday routine moves in a circle. Stress tires them out, and when they return from work, it will spill over in their homes, thus getting irritated and at times, irrational. A busy woman might have to juggle career and housework and children. At times, being too busy, parents are not aware of what's going on in their children's life, and in turn, the children will feel neglected. That is when material goods will be used to assuage their feelings of guilt, and to appease their children.
So, why do 2 busy people celebrate? And keep celebrating?
Because we put God in the driver's seat, and let him take the steering wheel. With God to govern us and take charge, we just do whatever we have to do with a light heart. The mindset of working for God, and under God's guidance takes the stress away, and even when we are tired, we are tired in God's grace. Tired IN, not tired OF.
Some people use alcohol to numb their stress and cigarettes to relax. They look towards the future as a motivation to work. A future of comfort and luxury. Money enough to satisfy their family, enough to provide for their children. They will then consider their duties fulfilled. Though they might wear themselves down in the process, most will consider this to be worth their while.
Born-again Christians use the Word. They look towards the Kingdom, not to the worldly future, and use their present conditions to glorify God and do whatever He wants them to do. They derive strength from God's endless well of strength, and live for the present. They enjoy what God gives them everyday, and look forward to what God has in store for them tomorrow, be it grace or sanctification, which will be gladly accepted to strengthen the spirit.
We treasure our God-given relationship, and do our best to keep the atmosphere around us peaceful and happy. We walk where the Holy Spirit guides us, and when the Holy Spirit rejoices and prompts us to celebrate, we simply do so.
And so we celebrate. Not celebrating ourselves, but celebrating our lives in God. Because in God, everyday is a celebration.
Friday, December 7, 2012
In Memory of Kimi
A difficult goodbye
To my sweet little fry
Twilight has set upon you.
In my life, you passed by
Became my shadow, my little ally
Your loyal heart steadfast and true.
Little doggy girl, but nonetheless
Your presence I've been blessed
A part of me you've become.
The sight of you lessened my stress
Even when you have made a mess
Darling with a waggly little rump.
Then you laid yourself down to sleep
And the Reaper came to reap
You are forever gone.
Leaving me with memories so deep
You in my heart I will keep
A void where you used to belong.
Kimi
2000 -- 29.11.2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Charade
I was baking the other day, and due to carelessness ( or over-confidence in my ability to control the oven ), my cake cracked. To cover up the crack, I slathered thick cheese frosting on top, and scattered some chocolate rice. My aunts went 'Ooooh' and 'Aaaah' over it. They just saw the beautiful dressing, as the cracked surface has been painstakingly concealed.
A pimply face, under tons of foundation and artful make-up. Results : porcelain complexion.
A pear-shaped body, concealed under a slim pencil-line skirt. Results : breath-taking figure.
The wolf, dressed in sheep's clothing, instantly looks like a sheep, if you can ignore the long nose and the sharp teeth!
'Dressing' conceals all faults. In certain cases, some people use dressing as an armour to conceal who they really are. An old friend of my mother's, a rich and arrogant old lady, would simply not step out from her home without first decking herself in expensive jewellery and beautiful clothes. And of course, her trusty tube of lipstick is a must. Working girls will spend a bundle on a Coach bag, to signify their successful working status and independence. Managers will splurge on a luxurious car and home. Status. Wealth. Image. Success stories. The confidence that goes with it. The need to appear above others. But reality is carefully concealed behind the successful veneer. The reality of debts, of loans. Of skipping meals to make ends meet. The stress of being unable to match finances with appearances often results in strife, causing havoc to private lives. And yet, most will continue to live deceptively affluent lifestyles. 'Dressing' gradually becomes quicksand. It suffocates and sucks a person deeper and deeper.
One might also 'dress' one's attitude and public face. Some use different faces when talking to different people, appearing humble and obliging when conversing with the rich, but domineering and superior while talking to the poor. The rich and famous, in an attempt to gain fame as a generous donor, will give to charities amidst flashes from cameras, smiling magnanimously while handing over big mock cheques. Even in churches, the outwardly pious and devout-looking person might not the person you believe he / she is. I knew a woman from my old church. She's the first to volunteer for church work, first in line to the charity box, and always praises the Lord. But it's a different story at home. She bullied her mother-in-law, and in the end, forced the old lady to move from her home. The old lady was frightened of her. No doubt moving out was a relief for the latter.
Facades. Charades. The perpetual care for outward appearances. There will be no rest, as the person is forever on stage in the public-eye, imagining oneself to be forever in the spotlight.
But when we face God at the very end, the curtains are down. The end of the charade.
A pimply face, under tons of foundation and artful make-up. Results : porcelain complexion.
A pear-shaped body, concealed under a slim pencil-line skirt. Results : breath-taking figure.
The wolf, dressed in sheep's clothing, instantly looks like a sheep, if you can ignore the long nose and the sharp teeth!
'Dressing' conceals all faults. In certain cases, some people use dressing as an armour to conceal who they really are. An old friend of my mother's, a rich and arrogant old lady, would simply not step out from her home without first decking herself in expensive jewellery and beautiful clothes. And of course, her trusty tube of lipstick is a must. Working girls will spend a bundle on a Coach bag, to signify their successful working status and independence. Managers will splurge on a luxurious car and home. Status. Wealth. Image. Success stories. The confidence that goes with it. The need to appear above others. But reality is carefully concealed behind the successful veneer. The reality of debts, of loans. Of skipping meals to make ends meet. The stress of being unable to match finances with appearances often results in strife, causing havoc to private lives. And yet, most will continue to live deceptively affluent lifestyles. 'Dressing' gradually becomes quicksand. It suffocates and sucks a person deeper and deeper.
One might also 'dress' one's attitude and public face. Some use different faces when talking to different people, appearing humble and obliging when conversing with the rich, but domineering and superior while talking to the poor. The rich and famous, in an attempt to gain fame as a generous donor, will give to charities amidst flashes from cameras, smiling magnanimously while handing over big mock cheques. Even in churches, the outwardly pious and devout-looking person might not the person you believe he / she is. I knew a woman from my old church. She's the first to volunteer for church work, first in line to the charity box, and always praises the Lord. But it's a different story at home. She bullied her mother-in-law, and in the end, forced the old lady to move from her home. The old lady was frightened of her. No doubt moving out was a relief for the latter.
Facades. Charades. The perpetual care for outward appearances. There will be no rest, as the person is forever on stage in the public-eye, imagining oneself to be forever in the spotlight.
But when we face God at the very end, the curtains are down. The end of the charade.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The Broken Pot
Time flies! My last ramblings felt recent, but it was in fact 7 months ago. It's high time I dust off the cobwebs from my mind then, before they become the new housing estate for spiders.
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The pot is broken. Fit to be discarded. It is no longer beautiful. It has become a disgrace in a perfect garden, where flowers bloom colourfully in a row of beautiful pots. It stands alone, wretched and blemished. Unloved, its very presence an eyesore.
BUT........
Though broken, it still houses life.
Though broken, it still fulfills its duty.
Though broken, flowers still bloom.
Though broken, plants still thrive.
As long as we don't discard it, cast it aside, it can still offer its protection to the young tender shoots, and shield it from the elements.
God never discards us. Even when we are blemished, cracked or broken, God will never cast us aside, nor leave us in a trash heap. When we fall apart, when we feel blemished and broken, when others shun us and judge us, God is always with us. Like the prodigal son, the cracked and blemished lost son, the Father always welcomes us back with open arms. And secure in his love, we can use our cracks and blemishes as a testimony. Our dismal experiences can be called upon to comfort, nurture and minister others. We can use it to benefit people.
Our conditions might change, for better or for worse. But in every condition of our lives, be it good or bad, we can use it for God. All our successes come from God, We use it to glorify Him. But we can also glorify Him when we fall. There are lessons and reasons behind a fall. And after a fall, do we just wallow in self-pity and waste away, or like King David, we'll repent, stand up stronger and worship God?
Do we become a broken pot in the trash heap, or the broken pot that houses colourful flowers and thriving plants?
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
CLCP 2nd Anniversary
We recently celebrated the 2nd anniversary of our church. For our brethrens, it has been two fruitful years of growing together in spiritual strength. Two years of praying for each other and pulling each other up. We have faced lots of obstacles, each one a test and with God's grace, we've managed to pass through the obstacles unscathed and emerged spiritually stronger. Some of the brethrens' lives have become testimonies today. Some are fighting an on-going spiritual warfare, while some are still engaged in never-ending spiritual warfare!
But the one who has to walk down a path strewn with thorns is our Pastor Sarah. She has to undergo difficult tests along the way in order to shepherd us. She ministers to each of us with great sincerity and patience. Her spirit is strong, yet humble. Even when she literally vomitted blood for a few months last year, with the strength of the holy spirit, she managed to hold everything and everyone together.
With God's promise and direction, we will continue forward. We are assured that God is with us. Holding onto this promise, we'll move in the direction of 4 gospelization. We will continue to 'circumcise' our hearts with the Word, in order to heal ourselves, cast out our inner demons and rebuild our temples. With individual gospelization within us, we will reach forward to our families. Then the people around us in our daily fields. With the guidance of the holy spirit, we will raise remnants. These will take time, but we will move according to God's time table.
With God's grace, may our church continue to grow, and that we'll continue to grow together with the church.
But the one who has to walk down a path strewn with thorns is our Pastor Sarah. She has to undergo difficult tests along the way in order to shepherd us. She ministers to each of us with great sincerity and patience. Her spirit is strong, yet humble. Even when she literally vomitted blood for a few months last year, with the strength of the holy spirit, she managed to hold everything and everyone together.
With God's promise and direction, we will continue forward. We are assured that God is with us. Holding onto this promise, we'll move in the direction of 4 gospelization. We will continue to 'circumcise' our hearts with the Word, in order to heal ourselves, cast out our inner demons and rebuild our temples. With individual gospelization within us, we will reach forward to our families. Then the people around us in our daily fields. With the guidance of the holy spirit, we will raise remnants. These will take time, but we will move according to God's time table.
With God's grace, may our church continue to grow, and that we'll continue to grow together with the church.
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