Ha-ha-hallelujah!!!

Why i say tt i was super-encouraged: During CG, in the middle of my sharing abt my need for God's provision for the upcoming Cambodia missions trip, Deborah interrupted me to tell me that I didnt have to worry anymore about bringing extra $ to Cambodia to buy stuff for the kids ... 'cos God has ALREADY provided! She then shared a quick testimony about how God has blessed our team with $300 this week! She hadn't told the rest of us this good news yet, so my sharing abt trusting God's provision was very timely!

When we heard this joyous news, we couldn't stop laughing at the perfect timing of God's goodness & His provision! Truly the LORD has done great things for us... and He has such a great sense of humor too!

HALLELUJAH!!! Wow... How sweet it is to trust in Jesus! Exciting! Seeing God at work, preparing the ground even before we have stepped into the land of Cambodia! Wow... Thank You Jesus! 

Haha! I know I'm very excited. But why shouldn't we be? Psalm 126 describes our feelings so well. :D

May God's joy be upon you too as you endeavor to outreach/serve our friends (and foes too haha) who do not know Jesus yet this Christmas! :)

Ha-ha-hallelujah!!! The joy of the Lord is our strength! :D

Psa 126

1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,
it was like a dream!

2 We were filled with laughter, 
and we sang for joy. 
And the other nations said, 
"What amazing things the Lord has done for them."

3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! 
What joy!

4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, 
as streams renew the desert.

5 Those who plant in tears 
will harvest with shouts of joy.

6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, 
but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Amen! :D

Sent from my iPhone

Rebuke

Just sent a dear friend a direct rebuke, as gentle as I could. Just thank God I accounted to his mentor. Still, it's a pain to see someone resistant to correction and growth... especially when others have tried to speak into the person's life.

At least his shepherd told me to be very direct with him.

And it's something for me to think about, because I know that Hanhui had to do the same with me... asking me question after question. And I hated it then, and was angry with him. But he cared enough to press on, even after I had flared up at him. Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

And now I'm so grateful to him for his courageous love. That he spoke the truth to me in love. That in the end, he succeeded even when it seemed that he had failed. (As he had shared with some of us about a prophecy that God gave him, that in order to succeed in what God had called him to do, he must first go through failure. And he did seem to have failed a lot... yet in the end... like the resurrected Christ, God brokered victory out of his failures.)

And Peter's grace to me, even when I had pissed him off plenty of times... it's not just being nice to me... but I saw how he actively cared for me. Mm. Grace. Grace. I saw it in action.

And I see how much the grace and mercy of God is upon me. When I see people with similar attitudes to what I had last time... OMG. I realize that it would have been easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for me to escape that attitude black-hole of pride. So many people with my kind of attitude have never escaped, and are still lost and suffering in their sins... yet here stand I, not by any works I have done, but only by His utter grace and mercy I stand - forgiven and redeemed.

What can I say? I can only show mercy to others as He has shown me, and hopefully grace as He has done for me too.

But yup. Still learning. Sheesh. Should have been more careful. Proverbs says do not rebuke a fool, or he will hate you... I could have been more prudent.

Feed a child please!

From:
Date: November 18, 2010 12:35:50 AM GMT+08:00
To: 
Subject: You took the quiz - and fed a child!

By testing your hunger IQ, you provided a warm meal to a hungry child in school.

Keep the momentum going! Ask your friends to take the hunger quiz:

http://www.wfp.org/quiz

What Eternity Looks Like To A Primary Two Kid

Matthias was so funny! Had lunch with him on Sunday with his mum Rachael. Matthias asked me how old I was. I asked him to guess.

"17?"

"29."

His jaws dropped. He looked as though I'd suddenly transmogrified into a dinosaur.

"Wow...so old!!!"

I grinned.

"Yep! Here, let me count out for you." And I proceeded to count out my age on my fingers for him to see.

"There! 29!"

His eyes opened WIDE. Apparently he'd just grasped the concept of eternity.

:)

The Critical Thing

Thrilling days ahead. Two boys performed for the skit today. One of them, Matthias, naturally enjoy acting. The other boy wants to try, but is quite shy and says negative things about himself. But when I asked for volunteers, he responded. And he spoke very well! :)

Can see how God is using this drama ministry to help the more shy ones find their voices - literally. To help those who want to try... have a chance to try. Who knows? Maybe this opportunity could be the seed for greater things to come.

:) So touching. And interestingly, all the kids who have volunteered so far are those whom I took care of back in Hopekinders in 2007 and 2008. :) So beautiful, how God allows our paths to converge and diverge and converge again. Seeing and hearing them grow... I realize that I have to adjust my perception of them as they mature. Last time they baby-talked... But now they talk with an increasing confidence and depth of understanding, that I sometimes feel like I'm talking with youths instead of primary 2 kids!

Growing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men. And... another 10 years...they will become the next generation of young leaders.

Well, I'm feeling excited again about ministry. Things are picking up... Misha is able to help out now that her O levels are over! Am training her to take over my role of directing, especially the art of directing kids. :D

And met this Canadian chap, Fran, who's working in my ex-company. It turns out that he has years of experience with dramas for children and musicals... And praise God, he's very willing to come down and watch us rehearse for the Christmas drama so that he can give us advice on children's drama. God's providence is so amazing!

Finally more scriptwriters are coming on board... And I've found myself editing and giving advice on how to write punchy scripts for kids. Surprised to see myself doing all these things. To find myself miraculously growing in competence.

So awed. So grateful, because I really am less than the least of all God's people...

So Christ. So not me.
So Ephesians 3:20-21
So glory to God!
So forever! Amen. :D

And you know what? The way things have been flowing... Somehow God has made it possible to slowly start up a boys-to-men ministry. Still ongoing, but yeah I do believe in the importance of building strong biblical men to fulfill the Great Commission. Thk God how He uses and unifies seemingly very different passions into a single calling. :)

Bit by bit... Cross-cultural drama to disciple and share the gospel... :) to tell the story of Jesus to children from every nation, tribe, people and language. :)

But the critical thing is not that my plans succeed, but that the world can see what God can do in and with and through a man who is totally consecrated to Him. (I'm not saying that I'm at that level of surrender - far from that!) As Proverbs reminds me: "A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How can anyone then understand his way?"

The critical thing is that the world see not the works of my plans, but see what God can do as I surrender my plans into His hands.

Sent from my iPhone

The End of a Child

When does one stop being childlike? When one stops trusting in his Father.

Sent from my iPhone

The Joy of Memorization

Personally, I find it very fun to memorise certain passages in the Bible. They're so beautiful and majestic, that, well... it makes me just want to memorise for the joy of it. I've tried memorising Colossians 1 too (but haven't managed to complete memorising the entire chapter yet). And I can remember Isaiah 53 by heart. It's such a moving passage that I cry everything I read it. There are so many beautiful passages in the Bible that I want to memorise. For fun, I have memorised Psalm 23 and a few other verses in Spanish too.

Why do I want to memorise so much, in this age of PDAs and smartphones? Because I read that our less-educated brothers in China - peasants some more! - have memorised entire chapters of Matthew! So, we educated Singaporeans (especially university-trained graduates!) really have no excuse not to store up God's words in our educated brains! "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

I remember reading about this old American grandfather who had a stroke that robbed him of the ability to understand ANY language, whether spoken or written. He could still see and hear, but he just couldn't understand any words at all. But... even though the stroke took away his capacity to understand language, he could still recall the Psalms by heart, because he had memorised the Psalms so deeply by heart, that not even brain damage could erase God's word from his memories. Yes! This is the iron standard. Memorise God's Word till it becomes hard-wired (literally) into your heart and mind. Then even if you get struck by a stroke or something terrible, God's Word will still be with you to encourage you in your darkest moments and nothing can ever take away His Word from you, because you treasured His words so much.

Memorising God's word also helps us be alert and ready to fight spiritual battles at the drop of a sword. Like how Jesus instantly rebutted Satan's temptations with 3 quotations from Deuteronomy. If Satan were to tempt us too, how long would we take before we could come up with the right Scripture to counter the devil? Remember that Satan actually quoted Scripture out of context to tempt Jesus to test God. If we don't have God's words at the ready, then... we'll be like guards who have been given enough bullets to bring down a tank, but never load their rifles with any bullets. Then when the enemy suddenly ambushes them, the guards have no time to run back to the guardhouse and load their rifles with bullets...

Of course, we also believe in meditating on Scripture, not just memorising. But both are important. Not just meditating, but memorising too. :)

Good Old Mentors

Sometimes young Christians start panicking. They say that they don't experience God so strongly as they used to. That they feel far from God. But that's why having experienced mentors who have walked with God for a long time is so important. The older ones remind the younger ones that there is something called seasons. That we experience God strongly at times, and not so at other times. Summer and winter - but God's love endures forever. And that weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

I met this lieutenant-colonel last time when I was in Army. He was different from the other officers, because he was genuinely much friendlier and more cheerful. One day I found out that he was a Christian. (Think he saw my Bible.) So we chatted and he told me that he'd been a Christian for about 20+ years. Wow. Very encouraged. Gray-haired splendour of an old and wise Christian walking with God for 20+ years... and being salt and light in a place that needed more cheerfulness, lighting up the place with his constant warm smile. ;)

All in a Day

Helped out in MM event. Very memorable. Sound system screwed up big time. But thank God that I didn't break into panic, though I was very close.

Then met up a friend for lunch. Had a good time of fellowship! :) I'm glad that my friend shared, and I shared... and that I can be myself - you know, acting silly and all that. :) Such a blessing to have friends you can feel comfortable with to be crazy enough. =)

After lunch, I spent time memorising Ephesians 1:3-14 for my Bible study homework.

Then went for Kangwei's and Juan Juan's wedding. Joy! :) Very heartwarming exhortation by Eugene Phang, and Pastor Johannes' sermon given in halting Mandarin... haha! funny but thank God for Ps Johannes persevering to the very end! :D

Then at night, had a good talk with a brother over the phone. Thank God for him so much. =) He really listened, understood and prayed for me over the phone.

Muddied

A difficult conversation today. Felt unsettled and uneasy and unsure what to do next. Trying to think soundly while emotional, which is about as easy for me as flying a kite in a hurricane. :) But thank God for His mercy and grace. Prayed, and did my best as I knew how. Always a learning process - and that God doesn't condemn nor judge me. But He guides me and teaches me the way that I should go, when I stray. But also He comforts me when my conscience troubles me.

=) Thank You Jesus, for forgiving me all my sins - past, present and future. That You do not condemn me, but constantly encourage me - this wows my heart so much, because I know I totally do not deserve to be called Your son, let alone receive Your encouragement. And yet... You still run out to embrace me. =')

Such a joy in the midst of knowing my own failures and character flaws, that there's always one place that I can run to when I fail - and that is His big everlasting arms.

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." :)

---

Thank God for a certain sister, who really sets an example for me in terms of grace and humility. Blessed by her message yesterday morning, apologizing if she has been a bit harsh/distracted/impatient. That she is trying her best to be kind to others as well... and asking me to let her know if I think that she is sinning against me. She sets an example for me in humility... and dare I say: a heart that seeks to live righteously for God. Thanks, dear sis, for your humble heart that encourages me!

Hmm. Anyway, I write from my feelings. And feelings are very shaky foundations when it comes to determining what is true. So that's why I want to always align my feelings and thoughts to make them obedient to God's Word. Because honestly, only God's Word is reliable enough to build my life upon.

Gee. Hmm... I think the most edifying rebukes for me are not those who told me outright that I'm wrong and so on. But the best and most beautiful rebukes came from those who knew they also struggled as fellow sinners, and from their vantage point of brokenness, rebuked / corrected / scolded me. And I was touched because of their gentle hearts - not judgemental, but gracious. That they stood in the same mud as me... just that they told me to get up and stop wallowing in the mud.

"I may be in the same mud as you... but that doesn't mean that you have to LIE down in it. Stand up and keep moving on! And you are not alone! I will help carry your burden too, so that you can get up from where you are. Brother! We are in the same mud, so let's go forward together till we overcome in Jesus' name!"

:) Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. To paraphrase the psalmist: "Let a righteous man strike me, it is a blessing. I will not refuse it; it is like oil on my head." Thank God for the righteous men and women God has put into my life.

Ok... I repent about whatever is true. Need to die to self! :) Will get up from the mud and with God's help, strive to be kinder and more gracious and gentler, no matter the circumstances. I'm after all a slave of Christ. I am not my own but I have been bought at a price. Yup! :) Thank You Jesus for forgiving me my sins! That You will help me become fully what You wanted me to be all along. That You have not left me alone. :)

The Redemption of My Humanity

From Shaowei's blog:

I realized how much God has redeemed my emotions over the years. I used to be disconnected from my emotions, because I thought they were unproductive, but probably more because I was afraid of being hurt. Then, He reconnected my feelings, like plugging a device into the USB port of a computer. I started to feel extreme sadness, happiness, anger, frustration, excitement and love. I experienced the world around me in new colors. I experienced Him like never before. But emotions can be more powerful than thoughts. I sometimes found myself in depression, and I had to learn to overcome the depression while honoring the validity of my emotions. This is when my spirit, through the strength of God, commanded my emotions to be still.

The same thing happened with my mind. I depended on my mind, then became afraid of it, then was reconnected to it, and finally my mind agreed to be subject to my spirit.

The same was true of my relationships: my friends, my family, my loved ones. My identity used to be built on what others thought of me, then I separated myself from others, then I reconnected and came to honor and enjoy people as creatures of glory. My identity in God is most seen through the way I connect with others around me, because God created us for relationship.

I love how this brother describes so well. I can identify with what he says.

God also redeemed my emotions. I'm not sure if many people know, but when I was a young child, during primary school days, I actually was a very self-absorbed person. I didn't have much compassion for anyone, not even my own parents. I remember I was in Primary Three, and one day, while reading a book, my dad came back home very sick. He was so sick that his colleagues had to bring him back home, supporting him on both sides.

And... my response was: I looked up at him, and then went back to reading my book.

Gosh. To think I was so heartless. :(

Now after growing... yup, thank God that He has changed me so much.

Same with my emotions. When I was in secondary school, I remember I didn't care much about others' feelings. The feelings that I cared for were mostly for myself and myself alone. And I was NOT sensitive to people's feelings. I could just butt into a conversation and start talking about my own pet topics, completely oblivious to the annoyed glares of the people I was interrupting. No wonder very few people could stand me when I was in the Scouts. And I didn't respect the people I was with very much. Ask any of my old RI friends and they can tell you what a ... character I was.

But after coming to church, people told me that I needed to be more sensitive to others. It was a slow process, but over time, God helped me grow and learn to empathize, think about how others would feel, read their faces, anticipate social situations and so on...

Thing is, I started swinging to the other extreme. I experienced the joy of empathy, and feeling for others. And I learned to start reading people's facial expressions. However, I became very worried a lot of times what people would think of me, and fret constantly over what their facial expressions and body language might mean. It could take me hours or even days to get over perceived worries.

And... I started getting depressed about my lack of close friends too. Formerly, I didn't really see the value of making close friends... but after I became a Christian, I discovered a deep pain - the pain of loneliness and inadequacy. I didn't care much last time, preferring to spend time playing computer games the whole day.

But it was a good pain, because it helped me realize how little I cared for others, and how self-absorbed and socially immature I was. Only when I had experienced pain, did I start seeing the value of growing. It was like a healed leper feeling pain for the first time in many decades. God took away the leprosy of my heart, so that I might learn to feel again, even pain... and in so doing, He helped me become human again. =)

Now, I think the past two years were God correcting my extremes in sensitivity. Like a powerful radar dish made more effective through better training, God has helped me grow. He redeemed my emotions, and my sensitivity.

I guess one of the sweetest things was having sisters tell me that I'm tender, thoughtful, caring, empathetic and sensitive. :) Haha... but seriously, they really told me that. So thank God for what He has done in me... not I, but Christ who lives in me! :D

And took the Caliper test... was so surprised to find that empathy is one of my greatest strengths. Totally amazing for someone who was so heartless as a kid that he couldn't care less about whether his dad was suffering or not. :(

*sigh* Redemption.

Jesus, God's righteousness revealed,
The Son of Man, the Son of God,
His Kingdom come
Jesus, redemption's sacrifice,
Now glorified, now testified
His Kingdom come

Such is the depth and measure of my redemption... and how it cost God so much to restore humanity's humanity. That God is not so much making me a better person as He is redeeming my humanity. That He, the Son of Man, is making me a man once again.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see..."

"The Only Thing I Know"

"This video reflects my real-life experiences with *videogames*."

If you play video games, you simply have to watch this video. Only 5 minutes, but it will really make you stop and think.

Conforming

I was having quiet time just now, when I think God whispered to me (ah, like what Kelvin reminded me - the presence of God not in the powerful elements, but in a gentle whisper) a phrase: "conforming to the likeness of Christ my Son"

Reminded of what God the Father boomed to our three amigos, Peter James and John, when they saw Jesus being transfigured before their very eyes: "This is my Son whom I love. Listen to Him!"

Quiet time. A time to seek His face. For what purpose? To wait upon Him in the stillness of solitude, listening for any word that the Master might deign to speak. As a little boy prayed so long ago: "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening."

Reminded that one reason that God Os more interested in who we become, rather than what we do. For doing inevitably springs out of being.

Conforming to the image of Christ till He is fully formed within us. Not norming to the pattern of this world.

Sent from my iPhone

Surprised by Wonder

Just made a new friend just now. Missed the last train so had to take bus 157. One guy was standing there waiting for the same bus. He saw me waiting too, and remarked, "Missed the last train?"

So just chit-chatted and he's from NTU, second-year. Nice chap and all that. Exchanged numbers. Told him if he needs part time job, my office may have. :)

Interesting how missing one appointment can open up new appointments. Surprised by wonder indeed. :)

Yeu Ann

Sent from my iPhone

Seek His Face - What Does It Mean?

What does it mean to seek His face? How we approach God during our quiet times, prayers and so on will depend on what we understand seeking His face to mean. And I think it also depends on what we understand God to be, as revealed through the Bible.

Think seeking His face means the following things to me:

1. That God is not a faceless Being. Not a Faceless One. Which reminds us that He is a Person. So we can communicate to Him like we communicate with a fellow human being.

2. That we can look to Him to make us feel secure. Like how a baby cries if it can't see its parents' faces, but smiles if it sees.

3. That we constantly look to Him for His approval... not merely a legal approval, but an emotional approval. Like how a boy will keep on looking at his father's face when doing something. He does it to see if his dad is smiling or frowning - whether he is pleased or dissatisfied with his son. Think that's how I should also keep looking to God for my source of approval. Emotional approval especially. Fathers have this unique power to influence and mold their sons just by the countenance of their faces. That's one reason fatherlessness can be such a devastating epidemic, with lost boys trying to seek fatherly faces that will approve - even if it is a bad one.

4. That we can't be looking anywhere else if our eyes are locked upon the other person's face. Lovers have eyes for only one another. No other face is more important than the face of their beloved. No other gods but Yahweh, the one true God.

5. That we remind ourselves of His true identity. To make sure that we are not looking at the wrong person. Ever have one of those embarrassing experiences where you playfully grabbed a friend from behind to surprise him/her... only to find that you grabbed a stranger? :)

And seeking His face also protects us from counterfeit experiences. Like how... a guy might think a girl looks really beautiful from the back... only to find from the front that the person is actually...*ahem* a 'pirated version'. :P Guys, I think you know what I mean! (Sorry if this offended anyone!)

6. That we remember that God really is beautiful beyond description. Like how the psalmist longed to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord in Psalm 27:4.

But what does beauty mean here? I think it's the character of God, Gos attributes, His compassion & grace, His strength, His power, His humility...

And it's so important for us who love Him to remember how beautiful the invisible God is. Because we, being away from home, tend to forget. And when one sees the beauty of the Lord anew, his heart is recharged and renewed.

Like how the old hymn goes:
"In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom
That transfigures you and me
As He died to make men holy
Let us live to make men free"

And when we have seen the beauty of the Lord afresh, whether it be in our own lives, others' lives, or creation... we are more eager again to tell others about Jesus! :) Ever seen a beautiful rainbow and ran to tell others to see it? That's the same with Jesus!

I think there's really so much more about this wonderful phrase... But I write so much, and I am only a child...

How about you, dear bro/sis? Any thoughts to share?

Yeu Ann

Sent from my iPhone

Kelvin shared some good points with me today. About being still before God, and casting our visions in writing so as to preserve - and keep the details fresh.

Oh yes! The Michaelangelo painting of Gid reaching out to Adam but Adam was not so enthu. He shared with me how Adam tried to touch God's finger too but also kept his arm firmly on earth. So it made it harder for Adam to really reach God. If Adam really wanted to grab God, that would mean letting go of earth and going all the way with outstretched arms.

Instead, we get Michaelangelo's sharp visual commentary on the church-goers of his time:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/God2-Sistine_Chapel.png

Very true! How we keep saying that we want to be touched by God, but we keep leaning back onto our comfortable things of the world instead of throwing our arms around His big strong holy hands.

I have my own "earthy armchairs"... Hee won't share here but yup think everyone has their "earthy armchairs" too.

His prayer for me... Thank God. Because I was feeling quite loaded with cares and concerns. I feel it a great blessing when someone prays a hearfelt and detailed prayer for me.

A New-Found Strength

Feeling the usual wave of inadequacy. It comes with regularity. But thk God so much, I feel more secure now. A security found in a special Bible verse, a rhema word that God impressed strongly on my heart a few times and esp during a service. :)

It's like being in a boat in the midst of a storm. But with Jesus as my fellow passenger. :)

I think this is a period of new-found strength that I have received after crying out to God a lot of times. He doesn't remove the storms that come with regularity. Instead He gives me a fortress, a safe refuge and rock to hold on to when the next wave comes.

It's ... how to say... not that kind of strength that we typically imagine - cool, detached and unperturbed - hovering above the waves. Staying dry. I think that sounds very much Buddhist.

But the Christian kind of strength is very different. The kind of strength that gets soaked wet. Just like Jesus getting wet in a storm. Strength that gets beaten and even bloodied. Strength that became a helpless baby in a manger. Strength that became crucified in weakness and pain. Strength made perfect through suffering.

Hebrews 2:8b-10

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 

I am so happy to have my Father with me. Because I know that this deeper strength is not from my own understanding or strength or even positive thinking. But it is a peace-inducing strength from heaven above that comes from clinging on to a portion of God's promises in the Scriptures.

Hee! Excited to experience God to a deeper degree today, as compared to the past few waves. Cling on to His promises and not your own understanding. Because heaven and earth will fade, but His words will never pass away.

Sent from my iPhone

First Shepherding

First shepherding with Kelvin today :) He's on leave.

Sigh. Woke up late. Didn't get to spend quality time w God in the morning. :( think it's the lure of my flesh that makes me want to sleep late and wake up late. Need to pray and speak the Scriptures to myself more. Crucify my sinful old nature daily! Lord help me!

---

The first shepherding with Kelvin was really nice :) Very thankful to hear Kelvin's side of his story, how he responded and his thoughts regarding our becoming shepherd and sheep. :)

Suffice it to say that we both believe that the hand of God is at work, bringing us together. Initially we both were concerned that the whole matter had seemed rather 'tikam-tikam', but God's hand was in this. :)

Reminds me of what happened during NUS days when Weizhu found out that he was going to be my shepherd a few days before I found out. :)

I'm his first sheep since he came back. How God brought him back to church - he and his wife shared their story last year, which really moved many of us to tears.

I'm deeply blessed by his sincere and wise sharing. He has a real desire to seek God and do His will. These are real words from a man who has gone through brokenness, left church and sinned against God, yet God brought him back and redeemed him... It reminds me of something that Hanhui shared with me before: that those who have left church, but come back again like the prodigal son, often end up having a deeper and steadier walk with God... in a way, they experienced God's goodness, left Him but realized the world could not compare to God's goodness and came back in brokenness and shame... only to be rejoiced and celebrated over. "My son was dead but now is alive; he was lost and is found."

:D

Hanhui, Weizhu, Peter, Kelvin... all had left church previously... but they returned, and now exude a richer experience of His grace. A richness of forgiveness, grace and redemption that none but prodigals can experience. Even angels long to look into such things.

Sent from my iPhone

HTTP 404 Scripture not found?

Matthew 22:29
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

When I read this, it reminded me how many times we screw up our discipleship / shepherding / ministries... our sheep do not grow... in fact we ourselves do not grow and keep on struggling. Of course ignorance of Scripture alone is not the ONLY issue... but a lot of times, we cause a lot of damage and hinder others' growths and experiencing the kingdom by teaching them to be more "practical", to be more sophisticated and worldly-wise... Instead of teaching them what the Scriptures say, we give them worldly human wisdom that lack the power of God. We prefer to rely on self-help literature that praise and promise success in worldly terms, because they seem to offer an easier way to winning souls. But we neglect to study the Scriptures and godly Christian literature that remind us of the way of the cross, the narrow gate, the cost of discipleship, the power of the Holy Spirit, learning to become more and more broken and let Christ increase...

Simply because we do not know what the Scriptures have to say, or do not believe the power of God to do more than all we can imagine. We shortchange ourselves ... and shortchange our disciples. All because we do not read the Bible carefully enough and do not believe in His power.

---

Looking at what I wrote, yes, it's very ... how to put it... extreme? Direct? Blunt? Hmm... actually, there's obviously much more to the whole picture than what I've written, and it's not such a clear case of black-and-white all the time. But I think I'll leave it in this format, because I mean this not as a teaching, but as a simplified sketch of what I think and feel. Like how a black-and-white line drawing does not do justice to the subtle shades and nuances of a grayscale photograph, let alone a full-coloured movie. But its starkness and clarity demonstrates a certain aspect of the topic, which I think it key to highlight to a specific audience and season.

So, that's my disclaimer. What you see above is not meant to be a thoughtfully-balanced post, but more of an emotive shove. :) So read it and take it with a pinch of salt, dear friend. :)

One of Those Days?

:)