More to Words

Sunday, 8th November 2009

Back in 2002, my marriage was on the rocks.

My wife and I live with my parents. When they heard us quarrelling practically everyday, they advised us to go for pastoral counselling.

Back then, the senior pastor of my church was Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup (who is now the TRAC President).

The first two counselling sessions were held separately: I would see Rev Wee and complain to him all about my wife. My wife would see Mrs Wee and would, needless to say, complain to her all about me.

Then, the third session was a combined one, after which we were asked to pray for each other. I was asked to start first and prayed something along the lines of, "Dear Lord, please forgive me for the wrong I have done to my wife. Help me Lord to be a better husband." When it came to my wife's turn, she prayed, "Thank you Lord that our marriage is strong and that Mal is a good husband." I was stunned because back then, that was far from reality! Our marriage was not strong and I was a horrible husband.

Then Mrs Wee showed me the following verses:

Rom 4:17 -- about God calling for things as though they were
Prov 18:21 -- about life and death being in the power of the tongue (ie our words)

Wow, it was a real revelation to me! Even though I had been a Christian since 1979, this was the first time I was made aware of the existence of these two verses!!!

Mrs Wee then went on to tell us about how God had spoken the universe into being, and we being created in God's image, have that same power to speak life (or death) into our situation, and we would eat the fruit of our lips.

And indeed, it was because of those positive confessions that our marriage was restored, as well as my career.

Which now leads me to sharing another wonderful testimony about something that just happened yesterday.

My boy had a kidney transplant back in April 2008 and needs to go for regular blood tests in order to monitor how well the transplated kidney is doing. There is this particular reading called the creatinine level, which ideally should range between 125 and 150. Two weeks ago, on 31 October the reading was at 163. When the nephrologist was told about this, she kind of panicked and wanted my son to be hospitalised and to go for further tests. However, after some negotiation, she agreed to letting him come back for a test one week later (ie. yesterday, on 1 November).

The day after that first blood test, my entire family (including my son) went to attend our youth service because Ps Reuben Ng was preaching. And what do you know! His sermon text was on Prov 18:21!! What a timely reminder!

And so, during the course of last week, we took Holy Communion and confessed that Mark's kidney was operating perfectly. After all, the good work that God had started (in giving him the kidney), He would also bring to completion (to continue to preserve and protect the kidney).

Welll, praise the Lord! He took the blood test yesterday, and voila, the reading was at 143! Hence, there is no need for our son to be admitted for further tests. Hallelujah for the rhema word of God spoken through Ps Reuben's sermon last week.

Speaking of which, that sermon is entitled "My Life, My Death, My Words", and you can download it at the following link:

http://www.box.net/shared/7szz5hzopq

The Innocent Named and Shamed while the Guilty Gets Away Scot-Free

Saturday, 7th November 2009

I came across this article in yesterday's Straits Times. It was about a doctor who was accused by one of his clinic assistants of molest.

While the general rule for crimes is "innocent unless proven guilty", for such "crimes of passion", it seems to be the reverse, ie "guilty unless proven innocent".

Whatever the case, the accused is always named and shamed while the guilty gets away scot-free.

In this particular incident, although the doctor was acquitted because of inconsistencies in his assistant's testimony, his name appears in the article in full.

On the other hand, the only thing that is mentioned about the assistant is that she is a 31-year old.

Some may ask, where is the justice? After all, the doctor's reputation has been stained while the assistant is none the worse. His photo appears in the papers for all the world to see, but she remains incognito.

But a deeper spiritual truth dawned upon me as I reflected upon this. Jesus Christ, the second person in the Godhead was named and shamed 2,000 years even though He was perfectly innocent. On the other hand, we the guilty and un-named are able to get away scot-free because of His complete and perfect work on the cross.

Hallelujah!

What is Eternal Life?

Sunday, 1st November 2009

I became a Christian at the age of 12.

Why?

Because I was told that by doing so, I would go to heaven after I die. One of the most quoted verses of the Bible is Jn 3:16 " For God so loved the world that He gave His begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Back then, to me eternal life meant going to heaven.

Then, at the age of 19, while in the Methodist Youth Fellowship, a fellow brother shared with me the following verse:

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (Jn 17:3)

After sharing it, he said, "Isn't this marvelous?" to which I replied, "Yes."

But deep inside, I felt a tinge of disappointment...

Eternal life to the Christian is supposed to be what nirvana is to a Buddhist.

So if eternal life was not about "heaven" but was about "knowing God", then what was so great about that since I already knew who He was, having grown up in Sunday School?

And that summed up my life as a Christian back then for the next 20 years, until as recent as 5 years ago. I am sure there are many other Christians who will be equally disillusioned when they are shown Jn 17:3.

It was no wonder then that being a Christian had little impact on my everyday life. Hence the thought of suicide while in the Basic Military Camp in the Army. You can read about that here.

Hence the anger with God in 1997. Hence the thought of divorce in 2002. You can read more about that here.

It was only in 2005 when that colleague of mine left his pastor's CD sermons in the office for others to borrow was there a start of that breakthrough. No prizes for guessing which pastor I am referring to, but you can read this post just to make sure :-)

It was listening to those sermons where Jesus and His finished work was being unveiled that the concept of "knowing God" became relevant, and meaningful. It was then that I realise what Jn 17:3 was all about and that knowing our Creator God is the greatest privilege that any created being can ever ask for!!!

This truth is illustrated in Lk 10:38-42 where we read the account of two sisters -- Mary and Martha.

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.
39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.
40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,
42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

In the eyes of the world, what Martha did would have been honourable as she was busying herself with "all the preparations that had to be made", while Mary would have been considered lazy for not lifting a finger in helping her sister.

Yet, Jesus rebuked Martha saying she was "worried and upset about many things" and praised Mary for "choosing what is better" -- by sitting at Jesus' feet and listening to what He said.

What was Mary doing? She was doing the one thing that is needed. She was getting to know Jesus. She was experiencing eternal life.

And that is what you and I as beneficiaries of the New Covenant should be doing too. The more we know God the Father and Jesus the Son, the more we know what has been accomplished for us already. The more we will experience eternal life.

And that was what Ps Reuben was conveying to the youth at a recent sermon he preached entitled "That You May Know Him", which you can download to listen to at the following link:

http://www.box.net/shared/olo7ihxqlp

We Are Being Stalked

Saturday, 31st October 2009

One of the dangers with the advent of the Internet chatting software is cyber-stalking. There was a recent article published in The Rock magazine about this.

Well, do you know that we who are beneficiaries of the New Covenant are being stalked? Read on...

One of the most quoted chapters in the Bible has to be Psalm 23 -- the one that talks about the Lord being our Shepherd.

In fact, Ps 23:1 is my wifey's favourite verse.

There is a song based on Ps 23:6 that I remember singing as a youth that goes like this:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever
And I shall dine at the table He's set for me
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life

It is interesting to know that the word "follow" in the Hebrew is רדף radaph (Strong's H7291), which actually means "to be harassed, stalked, pursued, hunted down".

The very same Hebrew word was used to describe the way in which Pharoah's army of chariots pursued the Israelites when they were making their exodus out of Egypt. It was also used to describe the manner in which David was being hunted down by King Saul (see the texts from 1 Sam 23 through 26)

What a revelation! While the people of the world are searching and hunting for wealth and happiness, we who are believers are being hunted down by the Lord's goodness and lovingkindness!
What we need to do is to focus on Jesus, to seek first
- His kingdom (which Paul tells us in Rom 14:17 are righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit) and
- His righteousness (which Paul tells us in Rom 5:17 is a gift)
and all things will be added unto us. Amen?

Being stalked is not a pleasant experience, but being stalked by God's goodness and lovingkindness certainly is :-)

Turning a Mishap into a Hap

Sunday, 24th October 2009

I was away in Hongkong last week. When I got back, my mum told me that she and my dad were involved in an accident. They were on their way to Adam Road Food Centre for breakfast when this taxi tried to overtake them from the left and cut abruptly into their path. What resulted was a big dent on the front left bumper of my dad's car, just below its left headlight.

The taxi driver was extremely apologetic and admitted liability, and they exchanged particulars. After breakfast, my dad drove to the workshop located just outside our estate and was told that it would cost about S$800 to get the dent repaired. Sometime that afternoon, a representative from the taxi driver's insurance company came to visit my dad and told him that he could send the car to an approved workshop to get it fixed, all expenses paid. My dad told him about the quotation he got from the nearby workshop, to which the representative replied that since the quotation was lower than the one he had obtained, perhaps the repairs should be done at the nearby workshop. And so, he offered to pay my dad S$800.

Guess what? My dad told him he would just take S$400, even though the taxi driver was at fault. He said that he felt sorry for the taxi driver, who had to earn his livelihood.

The rep was very touched and said, "Sir, you are a very kind and generous man".

When my mom told me this, I was extremely touched. Yep, such are the qualities of my earthly dad, who reflects the qualities of our Heavenly Daddy. He had effectively turned a mishap into a hap, and sown a seed of grace and mercy into the life of this taxi driver. I believe that one fine day, a harvest will be reaped from it.

As I reflected upon this, I realise also that there are circumstances in life whereby the devil will throw a lemon at us. With God's help, we can make lemonade out of them and see the truth of Rom 8:28 whereby He causes all things to work out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Amen?

Did Jesus Have an Inner Circle?

Saturday, 24th October 2009

I wonder whether any of you have heard this theory that Jesus had an "inner circle" among His disciples -- made up of Peter, James and John. While we read about Him travelling about with His 12 disciples, there were 3 specific instances whereby He only took Peter, James and John with Him
1. At the raising of Jairus' daughter (Mk 5:37, Lk 8:51)
2. At His transfiguration (Mt 17:1, Mk 9:2, Lk 9:28)
3. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:37, Mk 14:33)

At first glance, it would appear that He exercised favouritism to these 3 disciples. Why were the other 9 not given the privilege of experiencing the above?

It was only recently that I understand that it was not so much Jesus being partial to these 3. After all, He reserved some of the harshes rebuke for them. For example, Jesus said in Mt 16:23, "Get thee behind me satan" to Peter when the latter tried to discourage Him from going through the cup of suffering. Jesus said in Lk 9:55, "You know not what spirit you are" to James and John when they asked him whether they should command fire to come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans for not welcoming Him.

Rather, the significance is in the meaning behind the names of these 3 disciples.

Peter (G4074) Πέτρος (Petros) -- which means "rock or stone"
James (G2385) Ἰάκωβος (Lakabos) -- which means "supplanter"
John (G2491) Ἰωάννης (Johannes) -- which means "Yahweh's grace"

These 3 incidents whereby only the 3 said disciples were "invited exclusively" to witness was God's way of telling us that the Law had to make way for Grace!

This is seen most clearly at the mount of Transfiguration, where we read about how Moses and Elijah appear along with Jesus, but then disappear leaving only Jesus behind. God's voice then comes out from heaven and says, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him". That shows that the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled in Jesus.

In another post, I will blog about the other 2 incidents involving just Peter, James and John, namely the raising of Jairus' daughter and the garden of Gethsamane, whereby again we see that the Law has to make way to Grace.

So, did Jesus have an inner circle? Yes, He did. But it was not made up of Peter, James and John. Rather, it was made up of 2 other persons that have been with Him in the beginning -- God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

Living in Style

Sunday, 18th October 2009

I just came back from a week-long business trip to Hongkong.

According to our HR policy, heads of department can travel on business class for flights that are more than 6 hours. For flights 6 hours and lesser, we have to go by economy class.

But because I went on the trip with my boss (who is the CFO), I was "upgraded" to sitting in business class with him :-)

And dear friends, travelling by business class is an *entire* world of difference. The seats are so much more spacious and comfortable, the amenities are way better and the stewardesses actually address you by name.

Best of all, one does not feel tired upon stepping off the plane.

I took several photos while I was on the plane, so the passengers around me must be thinking I'm a sua ku (which is Hokkien for "mountain tortoise" and describes someone who is overwhelmed by what others consider to be everyday encounters because it is his own first encounter).

You can check out those photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113355&id=751059341&l=3f57cfd82c

It was a real honour and privilege to be able to travel in style, and it was all on the account of my boss.

As I reflected on this, a deeper spiritual truth dawned upon me. On our own, we do not deserve to enter into God's holy presence or any of God's blessings. But because of Jesus, we can approach His throne of grace with confidence and stand boldly before Him. We who are beneficiaries of the New Covenant of grace have privileges that extend beyond just travelling in style. We can live life in style. Prosperity is ours. Health and wholeness are ours. Shalom peace that transcends understanding is ours. All on the account of Jesus and His finished work. Hallelujah!