Being a good steward

This seems to be the theme these 2 days.

Yesterday, Pastor in church talked about being a good steward of what God has given to us. That is how we should use our talents and gifts that God has given to us, cos at the end of the day, when we are called home to be with the LORD, He is going to hold us accountable of what He has given to us.
(Bible Ref: Matt 25:14-30)

This morning, a colleague sent me an email about practicing christian ethics in our work or businesses. The email reminds us that our primary vocation is spreading God's love and the message of salvation and grace. This does not mean turning our workplace into church services, but it do mean reaching out to those whom we frequently are in contact with ie our colleagues, business associates etc. But how are we to reach out if we ourselves do not show godly examples? And one of the important aspect and christian ethics is diligence. God wants us to remember that our jobs are only our avocation - a means of earning a living, a tool which we can use to perform christian ethics.
(Bible Ref: Prov 22:29)

And as I was reading today's daily bread, it corrected the wrong attitudes that christians may take when reading the bible. We should step out of our consumerism mindset and not see ourselves as 'consumers' of the word of God, but rather we are creators and changers of the truths and principles that we have learnt from the bible into our lives. We ought to bear fruits in the gifts that God has given to us...again, it talks about good stewardship.
(Bible Ref: Eph 4:11-13, 1 Cor 3:10-11, 1 Cor 3:14)

Let us strive to be good stewards for all that God has given to us in our lives....our work, our time, our talents and gifts, our strengths and character, our relationships, our loved ones.

New lessons learnt the past few days

Haven't been blogging for awhile on this blog....BUT! I haven't been slack in my BS hor!

Just wanted to post about the lessons learnt the past few days which struck me:

1. The commandment on "Do not murder": It was quite a fresh perspective that we can "murder"each other with our words and the things we say. Thing we say on purpose to spite our loved ones. Especially towards our closest ones, we often tend to speak more harshly and unkindly to them than strangers!

2. Therefore it's important to WATCH WHAT WE SAY. And strive to say kind words to people around us. And pray for them, so that we may not "murder" them with our words but instead, give life.

Am still on my fast currently...and it has sort of become a lifestyle for me I guess. I'm trying to fast breakfast everyday...but on days when I give in to hunger, I try to do a Daniel fast instead. People have been asking me what I'm fasting for, I've also been asking myself. Frankly I don't know exactly what I'm fasting for, just that I know it helps me to be more aware of God's presence in my life and learn to rely on him for small things like overcoming hunger and overcoming temptations to eat the food I like.

Physically, I do feel I've benefitted from it. I think I'm stronger cos for the past week, I've been consistently lacking sleep...but each day when I wake, I could by God's strength and grace summon the energy to wake up and face the day. It's hard to explain...cos it's not like I'm fasting for a specific item, but more trying to make it a lifestyle.

Also decided not to be too regimental about it, and I'm enjoying the flexiblity of choosing between Daniel or Breakfast fast each day. I'm enjoying my fast...maybe I'll carry on doing this for sometime longer...perhaps the rest of this year...and try to stay on the fast everyday except on days when there's a special occassion like wedding dinner or tours etc...Hope I can persevere on! Cos I think it's good training :)

Esteeming God's Laws

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1)

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19)

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word...105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)

Let's strive to live according to God's instruction manual!

Christian, really?

1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."...5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:1-2,5-10)

Lessons from the passage:

1. Going to church does not make one a Christian
2. Knowing the Bible well does not make one a Christian
3. Having a great preacher/pastor in your family line does not make one a Christian
4. Serving more fervently in church does not increase your chance of going to heaven

As christians, many church related things can still distract us. This is a ploy still used by Satan today to keep us from drawing our focus to God. Many times we still tend to think that we're 'safe' based on our hard work we've done for the church. God doesn't base His criteria for entering Heaven from what we do, He sees our heart.

He wouldn't be pleased with all that we've done if our hearts are not turned to Him. And He is most pleased if we don't do anything but just focus on Him, as seen in the case of Martha and Mary. Of course, God has a purpose and a mission for each of us, but wants us to draw close to Him first, then He will tell us what He wants us to do....not we doing it first and then showing Him proudly what we have done.

Many people who actively serve has a danger of falling into the trap of basing their salvation and faith on their works. We tell non-christians or new christians that we are all saved by grace and not works, but many times we are subtle-ly blinded in our hearts by all our busyness, and may unknowingly put our trust in our Christian-ly achievements instead of on God.

Perhaps that's why Jesus is especially delighted with children, they possess one single quality that somehow seems to fade with age - that is, total dependence. As fully functioning adults, it is a challenge as we have be brought up to be independent in order to survive in a competitive society. But we still need to be totally dependent on God for every aspects of our lives. It's tough! Cos we have to be both at the same time, but it's not impossible. For that, we really have to depend on God to give us strength and wisdom to know how to do that!

What are we basing our faith on today?

Hearts turning into stones?

1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"
3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"
4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."
(Exodus 17:1-4)

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."
(Psalm 95:6-11)

Meribah means quarrelling and Massah means testing. The Israelites quarrelled with Moses when they did not have water to drink. They tested GOD by challenging the authority of His appointed servant Moses. This was after they had experience the parting of the Red Sea and also the miraculous provision of Manna from heaven.

We would think that if we were one of the Israelites who had seen the Red Sea parted and food literally dropping from the sky, we would never think about rebelling againts God and will probably have absolute faith in Him. But is that true?

Have there been instances in our lives where we have experienced tremendous blessings from God, and we are grateful...for awhile. When we face a challenge or difficulty, what is our first response? Do we then begin to question in our hearts "God, what are you doing about this?". Instead of praying and seeking God for help, are we then expecting Him to do something about it immediately as though he is our maidservant?

Living in this country, are we then proned to do what most people are inclined to doing when they feel that they are not receiving the best: Complain. Perhaps this seems like a small flawed...complain. After all we're just voicing out our rights and helping the system or service to improve, right?

I don't think so...I believe that there is a thin line between complaining and giving feedback. When we complain, we tend to get all emotional and focus on ourselves and how much we have been shortchanged. At that moment, we lose focus on God and on His provision in our lives. In the name of genuinely wanting to help to improve a service or person we are complaining against, we are actually simply trying to fight for something we believe we deserve.

God has told us in His commandments to love His with all our hearts, mind, soul and might, and love our neighbours as ourselves. There've been times when I'm guilty of this: complaining when I do not feel good about something...looking back, I see how unloving and how unkind in my thoughts and words whenever I do that! I do not see how I'm loving God nor my neighbours.

We need to guard every thought and actions lest they slowly and unknowingly lead us to a point where our hearts are so hardened that we cannot hear and see God anymore. Let's not be rebellion and allow our hearts to turn into stones. Instead, let's turn to God and depend on His grace and provision everyday of our lives!

Heart Conditions

The Parable of the Sower

1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:

3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that," 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'[Isa 6:9,10]"

13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (Mark 4:1-20)

I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. (Proverbs 24:30-34)

What is the condition of our hearts today? Is God's words falling on good soil? or on rocky and thorny grounds? Are we the lazy farmer who is not upkeeping the garden of our hearts, and allowing thorns and thistles to grow? Are we hungry for God?

Do Not Worry!

Date: 10 June 2007
Speaker: 杨天恩牧师

Scripture Reference:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34


A) Worry stems from self-centeredness

- People today are seeking self-satisfaction and self-gratification. This leads to the declination of moral values.
- Worry is the reflection of self-centeredness.
- Worry is also the driving force of self-centeredness

WORRY -- driving force --> SELF-CENTEREDNESS -- unfulfilled desires --> MORE WORRY
(vicious cycle)

* Are we living in a state of constant worry?

- Jesus sees our worries, and therefore He said 'Do not worry.'


B) Characteristics of Worry:

(i) Going after meaningless/worthless things

• 'consumerism', brand consciousness
• even modern church seems to be 'buying' services, going to churches based whether they feel the pastor or worship or maybe even facilities are good.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:19-21

* Are our hearts set on eternal things?

(ii) Becomes selfish/stingy/overly protective of our own possessions/wealth

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:22-24

• 'Eyes are good' = Generous / 'Eyes are bad' = Stingy
• Based on Jewish culture, 'light' represents good deeds or behaviours
• If we are generous, we'll be doing good deeds and others will see Christ in us and glorify God.
• Conversely, 'Darkness' represents bad things from Hell, and therefore we do not glory God if others see only darkness in us.

Conclusion: We should serve God wholeheartedly and set our hearts on Him, and do not worry!

Sermon on the temptations of Jesus, and us

Date: 27 May 2007
Speaker: Ps David Lim

Scripture Reference: Luke 4:1-13

The Temptation of Jesus
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert,
2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.' "
5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
8Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.' "
9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here.
10For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;
11they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "
12Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Most people go through 3 types of temptations:
- Name / Fame / Status
- Wealth
- Personal Glory

A) Name / Fame / Status (v4-5):
- This is the lust of the flesh.

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11

- We should be lifting up the name of Christ instead of ourselves.


B) Wealth (v6-8):
- This is the lust of the eyes.

"The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want." Psalm 23:1


C) Personal Glory (v9-13):
- This is the lust of our self / pride
- All power/position on earth is temporary
- What is our life, whether the good things or bad things, compared to eternity?

Ascension Day

I didn't know yesterday was Ascension Day till I read the ODB online. It gave me a fresh prespective of the life and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Most of the time, we celebrate His birth during Christmas, remember His sufferings on the cross during Good Friday, and rejoice on His resurrection day on Easter Sunday. But we often forget or are unaware (like me) about this special Day which is the Ascension Day, 40 days after His resurrection. It's this day that completes the whole picture isn't it?

Reading the ODB, I realised that the life of Christ actually reflects our Christian life. His birth gave us hope, and is akin to our new birth when we accept the Lord as Saviour of our lives. His sufferings on the cross assures us that He understands all that we go through in life. His death is like the dark hours in our lives where everything seems so hopeless and helpless. His resurrection tells us that in Him, we can overcome all things that have come against us. And His ascension assures us that He is right now at the right hand of God the Father interceeding for us every moment of our lives. At the same time, He sent the Holy Spirit to live in us to be our beacon and guiding light.

Thank God for this fresh perspective!

Read from: http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-05-17-07.shtml

A new body

Years ago, I heard a story about a man looking for flowers for spring planting. At the greenhouse he came across a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. To his surprise, it was hidden in a corner and growing in an old, dented rusty bucket.

"If this were my flower," he said to himself, "I would place it in a beautiful pot and display it proudly! Why is it confined in this old bucket and hidden away in this concealed place?"

When he remarked to the owner about the flower, she explained, "Oh, I started the plant in that old bucket until it blossomed. But it’s just for a short time. Soon I’ll transplant it to my garden."

The man laughed, and imagined such a scene in heaven. "There’s a beautiful one," God will say, "the product of My lovingkindness and grace. Now it’s confined in a broken body and in obscurity, but soon, in My garden, how tall and lovely this soul will stand!"

So we may now be "planted" in bent and battered containers for a short time while our Lord beautifies our souls. But, "as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man" (1 Cor. 15:49). Then He will display His handiwork and our loveliness for all to see. This is our assurance and delight. — David H. Roper

- story taken from ODB Website -

As I read this passage, I was reminded of the clients that I meet day to day. I'm thinking what a joy it would be for them to have this assurance that one day they will be having a new body that is so much better than their current one. Imagine that for the first time in their life they can walk, for the first time they do not need mobility aids, or they have their full sets of limbs again. I can imagine that scene would be so beautiful!

But even now, some of these people are the most beautiful people on earth, beautiful because despite their physical defects, they have such a lovely spirit which is often much more wholesome and beautiful than people who looks perfect on the outside.

Sometimes I think these people who looks imperfect on the outside bears much more resemblence to the image of our Father than us who are able-bodied. Perhaps not having what normal people often take for granted has caused them to be able to focus on what matters more eternally.

Sometimes I think we have so much to learn from them. Thank God for putting me here to work with them. From them, I learn to be contented with just being healthy, and grateful for being able to move independently without any aids. I also learn resilience, that no matter how hard the situation is, we have been designed by God to be overcomers. But not by our own strength...it's much easier to gain victory if our hopes are placed on God.

I pray that all my clients will know about God and acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour, and be filled with joy and anticipation for the new body promised to them in Gloryland!

Out of Egypt and into our Promised Land

While we were house hunting, I was encouraged by this passage and felt that God has spoken His promise to me through this passage:

6 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him.
7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills;
8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;
9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

Today, the day after He gave us Holland Ave, He showed me this verse again during my weekly lunch cell group. He reminded me once again to rejoice when I have seen and tasted the good of the land.

Although so far I've only managed to see the exterior of the unit, but I'm sure it is a good unit filled with all the goodness that is promised in Deut 8:6-10! Amen!

Lessons for Living from Proverbs 15

1. Stay Happy & Cheerful
v13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.
v15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.
v30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

2. Seek Wisdom
v14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
v20 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
v21 Folly delights a man who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding keeps a straight course.
v24 The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave.
v33 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

3. Be Contented
v16 Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.
v27 A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live.

4. Love Thy Neighbour (which is, everyone around you!)
v17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.
v18 A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.
v23 A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!

5. Be Diligent!
v19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.

6. Be Teach-able
v22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
v31 He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.
v32 He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

7. Be Humble
v25 The LORD tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact.
v33 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

8. Pursue Righteousness
v26 The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him.
v28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.
v29 The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Everyday is a gift from God

Colossians 1:9-14

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Today's ODB title is very interesting: "What God owe us". Of course, God doesn't owe us anything! But it is us who at times, or perhaps many times behave as though He owe us alot. We've often taken His goodness and grace for granted: blaming or being upset with Him for not answering our prayers, yet on the other hand forgetting to thank Him when He blesses us.

In line with my previous post, this passage and ODB re-affirms the lesson that I believe the Holy Spirit is teaching me. That is, not to take God for granted. And not to take my status as a Christian for granted too.

Being able to wake up alive and healthy every morning is a miracle and gift of life from God day after day. And being able to call myself a Christian and child of God is the priviledge that is bought at a costly price, but given to me free.

Today, I realised that I can do nothing for myself...I can't keep myself alive if not for God's breath of life in me...and I can't freely go before God and talk to Him if Christ does not stand with me to represent me as my high priest. I realise that life is really not in my control at all, it is God who is in control of my life. I'm alive only as long as He keeps His breath of life in me. The moment He takes it away, my physical body become nothing more than an empty shell.

Lessons learnt:
1. Be grateful each day when we find that we still can wake up alive. Everyday is a gift of life from God.
2. Live out our gratefulness in our actions ie try our best to live a life worthy of what He has done for us and given to us.
3. Learn to stop complaining as this is a very destructive habit. It's a no. 1 sign of ungratefulness. It cost the Israelites the chance of entering the Promised Land God had intended for them!

Being a Christian....what a miracle!

Hebrews 10:5-7

5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.' "

As I read this passage of the Bible (Hebrews 10 talks about Christ's sacrifice which is once ane for all), I started to wonder what it was like to be a 'christian' back then in the OT...where 'christian' was probably not even the term to describe them.

The high priests had to offer annual sacrifices to atone the sins of the nation. I heard from a sunday sermon once that during that time of the year, the high priest would keep himself away from the people and think about nothing but GOD's words. Hey, it's a stressful job man....a slightest imperfection in actions, words or even thoughts would be the end of his life! I remember in Sunday School they taught about the high priest had a rope tied around him, so in case he did die inside the Holy of Holies, he could be pulled out.

Seems like God is so cruel and unmerciful...but think of it this way: If a white piece of cloth is perfectly white, even a tiny speck of black ink would be very obvious wouldn't it? That's the way it is with God...He's perfect that every tiny little imperfection becomes very apparent in His Holy presence. This is the basis which I begin to realise what a miracle it is for us to be christians!

When Christ came to die on the cross for us, He atoned for our sins once and for all....meaning there's no longer any need for the annual sacrifices, no longer the need for the high priest to represent us in the presence of GOD. Jesus took the place of the high priest in that one ultimate sacrifice. And the result is we can enter the Holy of Holies into GOD's presence.

No, it does not mean that GOD has changed...He has not lowered His standards to accept imperfections in His presence. It simply means that HE sees us through Christ. Because Christ is perfect, and Christ took the penalty of sins in our place, we are seen as perfect in GOD's eyes because of Christ. It's like when a child breaks something in a departmental store, and his parents paid for the thing that was broken, the matter is resolved. Not because the departmental store decides to let the child go, but because his parents have already paid the price. That's the same with us.

I've heard this truth being preached many times over the years of my life as a Christian, but today it just felt so real. What a priviledge! Christ must have realised what His sacrifice would mean for mankind that He decided to do it...He knew that His sacrifice would mean that man can come back into GOD's presence forever...He knew that His sacrifice was the only way God can see man as perfect.

Sadly though...because we are free to now enter GOD's presence, many of us have taken this priviledge for granted...we often behave as though it was our right in the first place...sometimes we even act as though GOD owed that to us. We take GOD's grace and we take Christ for granted many times in our lives. Man can be so ungrateful! But thank GOD that HE is faithful...He does not change His mind because of our sins...no matter what we've done wrong, HE still sees us through Christ.

Being a Christian todays means that we do not have to face death for the sins in our lives...Christ has already paid the penalty on the cross. But we do not want to sin because we are grateful to God and Christ for what He has done for us. We've turned over a new leaf, like a prisoner who has been released and makes his mind not to commit crimes again. I think that's the way we ought to live our lives...that's the only small way which we can, in the capacity of a human, try to repay GOD and show gratitude for the good He has done for us.

May we always remember that each day that we're alive as a Christian is a miracle!

Seeds among the thorns

Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23

3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Never thought this would ever apply to me. I've always regarded the "seed" mentioned in this passage as the salvation message. Today it shed new light...the "seed" refers to GOD's words too. And my seed has fell into the thorns.

Time to do some weeding, and fertilizing.

Slacking...But God is good!

Been slacking for my personal relationship with God. Have been really busy and tired that it just seems impossible to find time to do it!

But God is good...despite my slacking, He has blessed me with a wonderful weather for my photoshoots day. It's hard to believe that He was not in control when we see for ourselves that whenever we were in the car travelling to our next outdoor shots location, it would be raining. But whenever we reach the destination, the rain would stop and the sky would be clear.

In the midst of the rainy weather, God gave us pockets of time where the rain would stop and we can take our photos. He even cleared some parts of the sky and made it blue and white so it would look nice on our photos. Even the photographer said that no one would believe we actually took our photos on a rainy day!

We have been praying for a cooling yet bright weather...and God gave us all that! All glory to Him! My wedding photos can be a testimony of his goodness now!