Need a Savior (Praying/Complaining)

I'm losing patience about my new venture, contact not telling us accurately, and not answering us always when we ask for updates.

I feel guilty staying long at work. I'm not excelling anymore, my learning is shifted from work to "Christianity". That's where my mind is always focused.

I want to have more time involved with people/ministry. I need bigger salary. I'm thinking of starting business already, a business which I can carry wherever I go. I'm thinking of networking business, full-time than part-time. Not this work here and networking business there. I want to have more time with people, and hopefully to read more. Father!

I also don't want to be with computers anymore, it's crippling me. Ya, it's a blessing so I can communicate with others more, but it's not the same traditionally. I thought that if ever I'm in my next venture, away from comfort zone, I want to just write letters than email. Wish I can give up Facebook. But Father, I want a tablet/ebook.

Father, I'm spoiled aren't I? How will I learn if I'm spoiled. Father, I want to change. Please, speak the gospel to me, teach me how to also speak the gospel to myself. Father, help me understand things I need to understand. Help me trust you, Father. Forgive me. I don't want to try my best anymore just to be good because I can never be good and I can't do it. Father, please enable me. I'm idealistic, teach me to keep it cool. Father, help me be at peace in you. Please, Father.


Father, I am also embarrassed that I don't understand your Word and sacrifice. Father, I have things in mind about it, but how come it doesn't reach to my heart? Father forgive me for my hardened heart. I really want to change. Father, please speak to me the gospel. Let me always experience your love and grace. Help me.

I am also remembering my sins from past that still is with me now. Like coveting. When we receive gifts and when I see that others' gift is better than mine or want what they have, I pout. Now, I envy people who have more friends and spend more time and a chat with them more than I do. It's like it's natural to them have gained such friends when it's always an effort on my part. It's like they are more blessed than I do. Father, teach me to see my blessings when I envy and covet. Father, forgive me of my sins. Father, please help me.

Christmas isn't always the Happiest Time of Year

Not everyone enjoys Christmas. Not everyone has friends for Christmas or blessed with an okay family.

And those lonely during the Christmas season are marginalized, they are afraid to even seek help or seek company during Christmas, because they are afraid to spoil others' Christmas.

The blessed would even sometimes forget these lonely ones. Though the blessed shares to poor people, do outreaches, but what about those poor at heart? The blessed gets busy with their blessings that they forget some of their neighbors aren't as blessed as they are, and mostly without them knowing it.

At this time of year, what truly is Christmas? Where is Jesus Christ? What can the blessed do? What can the lonely do other than self-pity?

When people post online how blessed they are, how loved, how thankful, how whatevers-happy-to-receive-gifts, there are also those who read those posts and wallow in self-pity because they have none of what others post.

Deuteronomy 15 - Giving

What we have is not our own, but the Lord's who has given to us. Therefore, we are to give what we have to others who are in need. We are just mere ambassadors of God's properties: be it money, house, car, our life, love, family, care, mercy, and even grace.

Deuteronomy 13 - Case Laws

1) Prophets who prophesies fulfilled signs and wonders, even if they claim to be from the Lord, but speaks a false teaching, not spoken in God's Word.....is definitely not from God and we be not listening to them.

2) Family, relatives, and friends who are as your own soul leading you to do what is not pleasing to God......is punishable by God and we not yield to them.

3) Certain worthless fellows drawing away people from God......they are accountable to God's wrath but we are to inquire and search and ask diligently if the "news" is true or certain or if just a rumor.

The Beautiful Precious Pearl (The Oyster Story)

A speck of sand entered an oyster.
The oyster suffers and covers it with its own body fluid to heal itself.
But no matter how the oyster tries to heal itself, the sand still irritated it.
Years and years go by, the oyster carries its pain.
Then an oyster-fisherman comes and collects the oyster,
opens the oyster and out comes, not a sand, but a beautiful precious pearl.

Just as the oyster suffered, Jesus Christ suffered on the cross.
The oyster tried to heal itself with its secretions, Jesus shed his blood.
Like the oyster-fisherman collected the oyster, Jesus ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father.
We were that sand that turned into a beautiful precious pearl.
We didn't turn into a pearl by ourselves but God alone did.

"And this is my story." - 丽珍 (Li - "beautiful"; Zhen - "precious pearl")

Santa says, Jesus says

Santa says, "I'm making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice. I know if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake. You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, 'cause I'm telling you why, I am Santa Claus and I am coming to town. If you do good, I will love you and give you anything you want if you ask."

Jesus says, "I know you are not good, no not one of you, you can do nothing apart from me, so I'm coming into the world through the womb of a virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit. I will be born in Bethlehem in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. I will grow up to be a carpenter in Nazareth and proclaim the kingship of God is at hand. I will be teaching you and I will feel what you feel. I will be hurt just as you are hurt. I will be tempted and persecuted. I will be crucified on the cross like a Lamb. My blood will be shed to atone for you. I will be buried for three days. I will then be resurrected to prepare a place for you, to redeem you as my own. Only in my love, you will learn to love me and love others, and learn to do good for I will enable you with the help of my Holy Spirit."

In response to: http://theresurgence.com/2013/12/11/3-tips-for-sharing-jesus-with-others-this-christmas

Trevin Wax - Seven Arrows for Bible Reading (TGC)

Source: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2013/10/22/7-arrows-for-bible-reading/

What is Christmas?

I hate Christmas..

With all the stockings hanging on the fireplace
With all the ornaments hanging on a tree
With all the gifts displayed under the tree
With all the.. "Ooh! Discounts!!!"
With all the lists and what and who to give
With all the cheers of thank yous this is what I ever wanteds
With all the wishlists, "I want this"-es
With all the boohoos I'll be lonely this Christmas-es
With all the gatherings ending up a shattering
With all the lonely people, sitting quietly, cannot relate with Christmas
Because Christmas is all about love to share, smiles to wear, sorrys to bear

But I don't hate Christmas when it's all
because of being adopted as sons of the Most High
through Jesus Christ the Son of God.
His coming was a celebration.
His second coming will be a more than a mega-celebration.

I don't hate Christmas..
If it's all about reaching out the lonely
And make them feel like family
If all Christmas mambo-jumbo is being set aside
To prioritize the neighbor you're sitting beside
If 90% of the parties is really all about worshiping
The God of heaven and earth who did all the creating

But there is still so much more to know about Christmas
behind all those holiday and festive, and yuletide cheers.

What is Christmas?

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Happy Gifting Season

At this time of year, majority of the people of  the world knows that "Christmas" is when we put up Christmas decorations, make Christmas shopping lists (what's for Junior, for Susie, for godchildren, for Mom, for Dad, for siblings, for hubby-bunny, for beauty wifey... endless lists..), Christmas salary bonuses, that Nativity figurines, Christmas carols and chorale, Santa Claus and reindeers and elves, Christmas movies, Christmas whatevers-just-add-Christmas-as-an-adjective.... It's the happy happy season of the year.

And then there's a few people you might have met who would say, "I hate Christmas." And then we think of

them as heartless or whatever we'd like to call them, The Grinch, The Scrooge. And we just leave them be in their mediocre lonely life, just because they don't know Christmas or hate Christmas, as we continue to celebrate this happy happy season.

Something's wrong. Though we say that Christmas is all about Jesus Christ's coming, "Joy to the World", but we're busy with all those mentioned above. We don't want a grumpy sulky person to ruin our season, right?

Jesus said to love one another, even the unloveables. Jesus said to welcome a person with the gospel, and bear each other's burdens. Jesus said that we reach others; in His authority, we go, make disciples, teach, and baptize. Jesus said to worship and praise Him, to look up to Him. Jesus said that we must look highly of others' interest than of our own.

We are blessed with all those Christmas stuffs and bonuses. Blessed to have your family reunion complete. Blessed for the company of good friends. Blessed receiving so many gifts.

Every Christmas, there are people who dread Christmas. And this is the right time to be reaching out to these lonely and sad (masked by grumpiness) people. Know why these people are so heartless for Christmas. Jesus said the to rich man to "sell everything you have." This Christmas, can you try celebrating Christmas differently? No Christmas adjectives, but let us look to the needs of others and share our blessings. Share the grace freely given to us. Aren't we selfish enough to be enjoying these graces and blessings and forget the unhappy in a happy happy season?

If you are one of those Grinch and Scrooge, I am also talking to you. This season is one of my painful seasons. But I choose not to sulk myself and push people away because I can't relate and understand their cheery celebrations. This Christmas is all about Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, the Savior who died on the cross to redeem His people and bring them to His family, and also reach out to others for our King.

I owe this grace to the people who are lonely this Christmas. It is my challenge and prayer and hope that this Christmas, my parents will allow me to stay away from the house, hope to find someone random or from the streets and invite them for a meal. It is my joy to share to them my Father and King.

Please pray for me, I'll pray that many will be able to read this and hope to do the same, but not as the same as how I'm going to do it. Just use your imagination. Don't wait for someone to come to you because you hate Christmas. Be the one to find someone. Let's do it together in spirit. This is a blessing (and challenge) that you have read my blog. Thank you for reading. May this Christmas truly be merry. God bless you.

An Orphan's Story

When I was in 2nd grade, I started feeling I was an orphan. Ya, I had parents, biological parents, and I lived with them. In 3rd grade, I kept asking my young teen aged aunts, "Am I adopted?"

"No! Of course not. We saw you when you were born. You were so small." "Really?" I asked. "Yes!" was there reply. "If I am not adopted, how come I feel like an orphan?" They didn't know what to answer.

For years, I still thought I was adopted. I was wondering if adoption and being an orphan was a good thing or not, but many more years later, finding out that I really was my parents' child, I hoped that if only I was adopted by another family. That time, I learned that adoption was a good thing. I would even fantasize and stay in that fantasy because I felt safe with a real Mom and Dad.

Growing older and entering puberty, I thought, "God. Who is God? They say He's a Father and He loves me. What kind of Father is He?"

Ya, I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I think, in 4th Grade. Went to Sunday School and Bible Studies. Went to church! But I still don't know God.

As I grew older, slowly I began to know who God was. I began to want to know more about Him, more about the Bible. I finished reading the Bible, but I still didn't understand, "Who is God? Who am I?"

Years and years, I was blessed to have biological parents but didn't know God, but my biological father used to read to me Bible stories and pray with me before I went to sleep. Blessed to have "teachers" but failed to help me further understand God and the Bible. Years and years, I grew a longing for the orphans, I could feel their pain and abandonment. Later, I got to experience a true orphan, adopted by some of my friends. He's my favorite kid. I received only one hug from him since he was with us, and I longed to have that hug again. However, began to remember that I too was an orphan.

Now that I am a young adult. I have a Father. I can't see Him, but He sees me. He has been by my side when I was still a wee old. When I was hurt, He was just right there beside me. All those poems and letters I wrote with my little hands and soaked with my big tears, He was reading behind my shoulders. That time when I felt I was an orphan, God was already taking me into His arms, even before I "received Jesus into my life."

But because I can't hear my Father, I can't touch my Father, He sent two of His children to be my spiritual parents, who loved me, taught me His Word, moreover taught me about our Father and told me, "God is our Heavenly Father. God chose you to know Him. He calls you Beloved." It may have taken longer before God brought me my spiritual parents, maybe because He is teaching me more of Him and that people can fail even if they are His children. That He alone is the only Supreme Parent.

God the Father will not leave me nor forsake me, I have been His and I am His alone.

I thank God that He brought me my spiritual parents, but I still pray to God not to take my Mum and Dad, my spiritual parents away, and I pray that Mum and Dad will remain faithful to Him. I do fear that someday God will take away my Mum and Dad, "Father, don't let me have a fight with them and/or our relationship shattered. I'm sorry that sometimes I rely and long more for my Mum and Dad, and less of You. Just don't take them away. Pleease, Father. Still remind me that You alone are my Great Father. Forgive me of my fear, teach me, enable me to trust in you. Please take away my fear."

Quest for a Heart Diagnosis

I started having chest discomforts since 4th grade. But few days ago, we only played a party game of popping balloons. My heart rate shot up to 128 beats per minute. The pain location was where one could feel their heart beat. (My normal rested rate is 67 beats per minute.)

Just posting my expenses (most of my expenses this year are medical expenses):

Doctor's consultation fee: 400
2nd consultation fee: 400
ECG: 300
2D Echocardiogram: 2750
Blood Test: 2328
TOTAL: 6178

My current salary: 4180
Savings from salary: 1180
Planned expense til next salary: 3000

Savings withdrawn: 3520 + 1000 = 4520

Sad. But not worried. There's an inkling not to continue w/ this diagnosis, but better to know what's wrong with me now, before it's too late. I'm not worried for my health nor my wealth. I'm not seeing the doctor to give me peace of mind. With all these blessings laid out for me, even if it means taking away my savings, do I not have to thank God for these blessings: still able to pay for the expenses, good doctors, availability of tests, still able-bodied to visit the clinics/hospitals. I trust in my Father. He has given all these blessings for us to enjoy/use.

Can we not thank Him for these? He gave us a job. He gave us the ability to work. He gave us our salary for us to spend on our wants and needs, and share with others who don't have.

I thank God for all these.

Before my diagnosis, I pray the tests are enough for a diagnosis, so no more tests and expenses. I also pray that the diagnosis is well. But if the tests turn out not enough or the diagnosis is bad, I still praise God. After the diagnosis, I still want to praise Him and proclaim His name to people. I pray that I can serve God. If there be hindrances, I just trust God and still hope and pray that I can still proclaim His name.

Father, forgive me for my selfishness that sometimes I think highly of myself or better than others. Father, enable to think lowly of myself and that others are better than me, that their interests are better than me. Even if I think what they think is illogical or incomprehensible, enable me to trust in your reigning authority and assurance. Father, forgive me, teach me. Help me not to be selfish. In Jesus' name, Amen.

In praise, I can humble.
In sorrow, I can trust.
In others, I judge. :-(

10 Errors to Avoid When Talking about Sanctification and the Gospel

Error #1: The good we do can in some small way make us right with God.
Error #2: We must be good Christians so that God will keep loving us.
Error #3: If sanctification is a work of divine grace in our lives, then it must not involve our effort.
Error #4: Warning people of judgment is law and has no part to play in preaching the gospel.
Error #5: There is only one reason Christians should pursue sanctification and that's because of our justification.
Error #6: Since we cannot obey God's commandments perfectly, we should not insist on obedience from ourselves or from others.
Error #7: The Ten Commandments should be preached in order to remind us of our sin, but not so that believers may be stirred up to try to obey the commandments.
Error #8: Being fully justified as Christians, we should never fear displeasing God or offending him.
Error #9: The only proper ground for assurance is in the promises of God found in the gospel.
Error #10: Threats and exhortations belong to the terrors of the law and are not to be used as a motivation unto holiness.

Source: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2013/11/05/10-errors-to-avoid-when-talking-about-sanctification-and-the-gospel/

All Human Authority is Appointed by God

Appreciate that though grownups (our elders) tell us things against what we think is right, even when it's
illogical and incomprehensible, God still appointed them on our behalf. God's assurance is that He is working behind-the-scenes. Maybe God is showing us something better than what we think is right. God is in control of everything.

Reflection on Deuteronomy & Thanksgiving for Dec7'13

Deuteronomy is an account re-announcing what God had done to Israel since He brought them out of Egypt, and in the wilderness, He's preparing them for His promise for a Land flowing of Milk & Honey.

Reflection: It's Christmas. It's the end of the year. Time to look back and remember what God has done, His faithfulness, His holiness, His reigning AUTHORity, and what we did, our good & our bad, our need for a Savior. And a reminder of Christ's coming just as the OT people looking forward to the coming Messiah.

Thanksgiving:

1. Working w/ fellow Christians from other churches and different ministries.
2. Spiritual family. Found in the WWW (Whole Wide World). Though not present in the flesh, but present in spirit with one goal & one desire: To glorify the One True God. Supplementing one another with love cos God first Loved us.

Is Jesus waiting?

Driving home, I ran across a billboard sign that says "Jesus is waiting. Come fast. Don't let him wait long enough." Hence, I asked in my thoughts, "Is Jesus really waiting?"

In Genesis, Abraham grew up in pagan roots, but God called him: Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father's household to the land that I will show you." - Genesis 12:1

Then came Jacob the Deceiver, who left his family running away from Esau, his brother's revenge, but God met him: Then he fell asleep in that place and had a dream. He saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it and the LORD stood at its top. He said, "I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the ground you are lying on. I am with you! I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!" - Genesis 28:11b-12, 15

Jesus' disciples were doing their business before Jesus called them to become His disciples: As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). He said to them, "Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people." They left their nets immediately and followed him. Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then he called them. They immediately left the boat and their father and followed him. - Matthew 4:18-22

So, is Jesus waiting? Is He waiting for sinners to follow Him, accept Him as Lord and Savior, believe in Him, confess their sins?

Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Faith, grace, and salvation only comes from God, and not from ourselves. Can we be able to choose to be saved? Can we, creatures of God, choose whether to believe in Him or not? Will Jesus really wait for us until we make a decision to believe in Him? By no means, "consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)

And where does the "word of Christ" comes from? From God Himself. From God's calling. From God's spoken Word. From the gospel being preached by those who heard the call of God through His Holy Spirit.

Thank God for He has called you after you heard His gospel preached. Thank Him for the faith that is in you. Thank Him that He enabled you and chosen you to come to know Him. Thank Him He called you.

Now, with Jesus' command: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

Do we have to make Jesus wait before we do what He told us to do, to spread the Word so they can hear and be called by God? No, we have to obey else we disobey His command. Take heed though, not all who hear the Word, hears. They're not making Jesus wait before they believe in Him, they are rebelling against their Creator.

But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But again I ask, didn't Israel understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger." And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me." But about Israel he says, "All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!" - Romans 10:18-21

"I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me."

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes --- his eternal power and divine nature --- have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. - Romans 1:18-24

On Jesus' Lap

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. - Mark 10:13-16

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." - Mark 9:36-37

Imagine you were one of those children. You wanted to go near to the most famous man the town or the whole country was talking about. You thought, "Who is this man whom grownups say that he has made wonders and loves any people he meets? If he sees me, can he love me too? Can he come and play with me?"

Walking towards the man, you were almost there, close to his side. You raised your arm to touch his cloak, get his attention. Then two of his bodyguards saw you, they shoved you away and said, "This is no place for children."

Heartbroken, you thought, "He doesn't love me," and you walked back to your house. Then you heard someone calling your name. You looked back and saw the scary man walking towards you. Petrified, you wanted to run away, but could not because of fear, "Oh no," you freaked.

The man, now standing in front of you, and you, didn't know what to do, bowed your head and waited. Then suddenly he took you in his arms and walked back to the crowd. He sat down and you sat on his lap.

How would you feel that you're sitting on the lap of the King of kings and Lord of lords. The lap of the One who made the heavens and the earth. The lap of the One who made you and loved you even before you've known Him. He even took you in His arms and embraced you. You could feel his macho arms, you could lay your head on His shoulders.

Sit on the lap of Jesus and learn from Him through His Word with the guidance of His Holy Spirit.

Reflections on Podcasts (Mark 6:1-6)

"Familiarity breeds contempt; therefore, seek and know God. God is astonished with unbelief & belief from unexpected faiths." - Mark 6:1-6 (Kevin DeYoung)

"It is not me who will direct my path but God. God knows where He will call someone to faith, not me. I just have to wait upon the Lord where He leads. If I have to stay I must learn perseverance, dwell in Christ, rest in Christ, and continue in believing, not in unbelief." - Mark 6:1-6 (Paul Tripp)

"To dwell in Christ and to rest in Christ, I would say pray & learn more about Him through His Word."