Devotion Thoughts: What is Friendship?

Every time I read about David and Jonathon, I think about their friendship. Then I think about my friendship. Or are they really my friends?

I was reading the Daily Bread online today (2Sam 1:11, 17-27)

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/08/25/devotion.aspx

Saul and Jonathon had died in battle. David laments for them, more so for Jonathan, his friend whom he greatly loved.

What then is friendship? Isaac Lim says it right – the bottom line of friendship is trust. http://izinmid.spaces.live.com/?lc=18441

(1) Friends trust one another
Read what Isaac wrote:

Who can we talk to? Who can we trust? Sometimes we want to talk to new people, to connect, to help them know more about us, but yet some of the things we tell them can be easily used against us. We want to have friends whom we can trust with the going ons of our lives, we want to share our struggles and pain, and yet sometimes, even people we think we know and can trust aren't exactly who we think they are. I guess sometimes we need to take a little risk to know if someone can be trusted. It isn't easy to open up; clamming up is so much easier.


David trust Jonathon that he will not betray him to his father, after Jonathon visits David while he is on the run from his father (1Sam 23:16-18). Without that trust, David might be wondering whether Jonathon is going home to tell Saul of David’s whereabout.

Without trust, there is no friendship.

(2) Friends rejoice and weep with one another.
When someone says (or blog) it’s their birthday, we greet, “Happy Birthday!” When she blogs about her good results, we congratulates her. When I read others' blog, I also like to know whether people care to comments on their blog. It is the comments arena that reveals how strong the bloggers’ friendships are. There was this simple blog with just ordinary postings - joy and pain that she goes through. But, everytime she share some things, her friends will write comments to encourage her. Blogging has become her motivation. In this aspect, of encouragement, I think non-Christian's blog fair better. Maybe I am wrong ...

(3) Friends are tolerant with each other
Not too long ago, a person from the English congregation called me and voiced displeasure at me because I did not do something. Maybe it was because I am an English Committee member in BPCES, I am expected to do what other can choose not to do. OK, so much about friendship! I began to see church members as … just church members, not friends anymore. Hence, I need to scrutinize who is reading my blog.

What then is true friendship?

Devotion Thoughts: Check my Attitude

I am thinking about this question: “What does it take to be a good Christian?”
Perhaps some answers will be:

A good Christian worships God every Sunday in worship service.

A good Christian does his daily devotion.

A good Christian talks to others about Christ regularly.

A good Christian gives his tithes.
…

If you ask the Lord Jesus Christ this question, what will HIS answer be?

In today’s Daily Bread’s devotion on Matt 5:3-12

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/08/21/devotion.aspx


Jesus’ answers would be: “your attitude towards God and towards people” Hence we call this passage the Be-attitude.

Our attitude towards God:
(1) poor in spirit v3
(2) mourn v4
(3) humble v5
(4) desire to get right with God v6
(5) purity v8

Our attitude towards people:
(1) humble v5
(2) doing what is right – morally and integrity v6
(3) merciful v7,
(4) purity v8
(5) peacemaker v9

Poor in spirit – seeing our spiritual situation as what God would see (we are spiritual bankrupt in God’s sight, Isa 64:6)

Mourn – to mourn for our sins and sinful nature.

Once we are able to see ourselves just as spiritually bankrupt and as sinful as anybody else, no matter how much I know the Bible, how much tithes I give, or how regular I come for Sunday worship service, then my attitude towards the common people will be more amicable and friendly.

Many months ago, my company employed a part-time middle age Indian man as a cleaner. He either comes to work after office hour or very early in the morning before anybody comes to the office. From the look, I suspect he was an ex-prisoner, with tattoo all over his hands (and body also?). He doesn’t talk to us. He just does his work and went off.

When he first came to work one late evening, I was perhaps the only one to greet him, he appeared surprised. Usually, people keep away from such a person. Now, when he sees me, he would smile a bit.

Likewise, there is the Ah Soh (auntie) who cleans the pantry and clears the office's rooms. Showing some respect to such people by greeting them daily help to build our way of getting along with people

It is not the things we do that make us a good Christian;
It is the Be-attitude inside us.

Is there such a thing as CONSCIENCE?

Integrity – that’s the word that I keep thinking for a quite a while now.

Living in truth and honesty don’t mean much to people so long as they can get what they want, sometime at the expense of others. Wonder how their conscience feel?

Well, about 4 months ago I recruited a fresh poly graduate as my Engineering Assistant after the previous staff tendered his resignation. So far, all these young workers just can’t persevere in engineering work. Engineers live a dog life, at least mine is like that. I fight problems almost everyday.

This fresh grad was a China scholar. I thought she has a desire to do engineering as I asked her during the interview. Now that she has gotten her Permanent Resident (PR) pass, she tendered her resignation immediately. So her intention to get a job is to qualify for the PR status.

I have spent a lot of time teaching her and training her. At first, I was wondering why a bright student (with good results) can be such a slow learner. I have to keep teaching her the same thing. Now I know, her intention is just to get the PR. That is why she is not interested to learn. Also, she is so prone to take medical leaves and go on leaves; it becomes a liability to the company.

We all like to put on a false front (like this staff), but how does one conscience feel?

Song Humming in my head

Lord, my heart is prone to wander
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart
Lord take and seal it
Seal it for
Your courts above.

I woke up this morning with this song humming in my head.
Maybe, I was reading Brother Lawrence’s book:
“The Practice of the Presence of God”
and was deeply immersed in his writing.

Every time I pause in what I am doing,
this song just come back by itself,
as if somebody is singing behind my ears.
It just sticks in my head the whole morning,
even as I am writing this.
…

Lord, my heart is prone to wander
...

Sowing & Reaping

Everyone needs to understand and learn the meaning of sowing and reaping.

It all started when Auntie Lily invited us (my daughter and me) to join her in FARMVILLE in facebook. Euodia then started clicking on the icon, “play Farmville”. It was just a small plot of land. And so we planted eggplant and strawberry. Nothing much, looks boring.

After many days past, she again went into the farm, only to find that all her plants had overgrown and withered. She was sad but learnt a great lesson. Living things can die. We learn the lesson that what we sow, we will reap. So, we got more meticulous and pay more attention to what length of time each plant takes to grow, bear fruits and wither if we fail to harvest them.

Farmville gets interesting when we make neighbours. We can also send and receive gifts from neighbours. We also visited our neighbours’ farm and took pictures. The children love to visit Auntie Lily’s farm. We also learnt from her farm; how she arranged the animals and the decorations she had. It’s very beautiful. Farming becomes a community affair! Harvesting time is always an excitement for the children. Some plants take days, others a few hours before fully grown. We need to know them well or else they will wither. I am also thinking about who I should invite to start a farm in Farmville.

There are many more things we’ve yet to explore. But we will.


Spiritual life is also about sowing and reaping.

Is your spiritual land (farm) vacant? Do you visit it daily? How about getting more “neighbours” to help you spiritually? Or maybe visit your neighbours’ spiritual farm and see how they grow theirs? We need to send spiritual encouragement to one another also. There are friends who have no Spiritual life yet. Shouldn’t we also invite them into this Spiritual Farmville (Kingdom)?

Each time I lock into Farmville, I am reminded to also tend my spiritual farmville.

Come, join me in “FARMVILLE”, …

to learn about sowing and reaping,

and be a community of “spiritual” farmers…

“A man reaps what he sows. … for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

PS: This will be my last post. I rather be a farmer than a blogger. See you at FARMVILLE.

Adios!! :)

20th Anniversary of BPCES

What changes do you see after 20 years in Bethany PCES?

I was pondering over this question for a long time. Should I or shouldn’t I blog about my thoughts on this? I shelved the idea …, until I happen to read about another church who is also in her 20th anniversary.

http://www.konghee.com/www/2009/08/what_chc_is_all_about/#more-4793


In 1989, we formed the "new" Bethany PCES with a sad beginning. There was a church division. It was not that we wanted to grow for the LORD. We just wanted to stay in Bethany while the other group wanted to build their own church. I had just returned from the United States and was not fully aware of the issue. I was free to join any groups or to go to another church.

I came to Bethany in 1986, after attending another church for 10 years. So, it was not appropriate to move to another church again. All my close “working” church friends joined the out-going group, Bethany Emmanuel, except David Lim who remained in BPCES. Ever since I came to Bethany, they were my regular partners during street evangelism. However, I was not comfortable to be under the leaders of Bethany Emmanuel. Whether the church will grow or die depends on the leaders. “But they have taken all the ‘working’ people and the youth.” That was my parting thought.

In 1989, we started with less than 30 people. In 2009, we had about 89 members and probably about a 100 worshippers each Sunday. In 20 years, we increased less than 4 times, many of these are biological. We were waiting for our kids to grow up and take over. When they reached their late teens, we were already talking about handling the church leadership to them. They are now playing active role in worship, Bible Study and even as committee members of the English service.


Bethany PCES is never strong and dedicated to prayer, Word and evangelism – the pillars for spiritual revival and growth.

We started that way, we will continue to move in that way.

We just wanted to stay in Bethany. ...

Devotional Thoughts: Be an evangelist?

“That person doesn’t behave as if he is a Christian” my General Manager / boss blurted out after we were talking about dealings with people issue.

The passage today from The Daily Bread brought back thoughts of my conversation with my General Manager last Friday:

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/08/09/devotion.aspx


Seizing the opportunity to talk about Christianity, I emphasized that we are sinners and that is why we all need Christ as our Saviour. But when we are pardoned from our sin, we need to develop a life changes toward Godliness. It is sad that sometime, Christian don’t display a life that is required of our faith and so stumble unbelievers.

While our ministry may not be that of an evangelist, like Timothy (2Tim 4:5), what we can do as a Christian is to look out for opportunity to share the Gospel, not forcefully, but help others see the need to put their faith in Christ.

There are a few ways to create opportunities for sharing the Gospel. First of all, we need to make our faith in Christ public. If we are ashamed to be identified as Christians, there is no way we can be Christ’s witness. Praying before meal is a good practice. Wearing a cross round your neck (for ladies) is another testimony. Some Christian put Bible verses as screen-savers on their computer. For me, I usually leave my Bible on my desk.

Be a witness – by word and by behaviour.

Devotional Thoughts: The Input & Output of our lives

People know us by our output, not by our input.

Today’s devotion from The Daily Bread triggers the following thoughts:

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/08/08/devotion.aspx


Input = listening (by our ears), seeing & reading (by our eyes), thinking (by our hearts and minds)

Output = Doing (by our hands), talking (by our mouth & body languages)

It is our inputs that shape our lives. It is our outputs that will shape others lives.

The inputs are our private lives. My daily inputs are the books (including the Bible) that I read, the internet websites that I surf, the conversation that I heard, the thoughts that came suddenly to me, the nature that I observe, the newspaper, … Are these inputs healthy nourishment or pollution to my life (Jas 1:27b)?

You don’t know what my inputs are until, I blog or talk about it. Are my writing and talking timely that lessen stress to you, or encourage you? Or are they words that rub salt to your wounds? Likewise, when I do something, you evaluate them and see whether they are in line with Biblical teaching. Am I a doer of the word (Jas 1:22) and so prove that I am consistent with what I read from the Bible? Do my actions bring about blessing to the needy (Jas 1:27a)?

Beware the input and output of our lives.

Devotional Thoughts: Changing of Mentality

I see my children grow from having a mom’s mentality to herd’s mentality.

Today’s devotion from the Radio Bible Class, The Daily Bread brings my thoughts to my family and my youthful days.

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/08/07/devotion.aspx

When they are toddlers and in their primary school, it’s usually, “Mom says this …, mom says cannot do this …”

Now that they are in their secondary schools, decisions are made usually by following their friends. The mobile phone is a very important item in their lives. They switch from mom’s mentality to herd’s mentality and do things in groups. Friends’ decisions take priority.

This is the process of growing up.

It also happened to me when I was young. It was the herd’s mentality that I chose to go to the polytechnic instead of staying in the Junior College.

Hopefully, they will grow up from this herd’s mentality and move on to … Cross mentality. One day, when they grow towards spiritual maturity, they will learn to make decision base on the Cross of Christ.

Mom’s mentality … Herd’s mentality … Cross mentality.

Whether they have reach the Cross mentality or not, they will know it themselves.

Paying 60cents for a 10cents share

Pardon my ignorant, but can someone explain to me this ...

Why would people want to buy a share for 60 cents that is value at 10 cents?

My company has been offering me share at this price and state that its value is 10cents per share. It happened so many times and no, I have not bite it yet. Is this a bait or what? Yet, I don't see the logic of this.

I try to ask someone in the company and the answer is: "It's like that what!"

I have not buy any share (except SingTel share which the government do it for me) so I am really blur in this.

Travelling in the bus … reading …

It just brings back fond memory of those times when I used to read in the bus. …

I sent my car for servicing early this morning. It’s such a long time since I took a bus. So I took out my Bible and read the Psalms. When was the last time I read the Bible in the bus? Those were the days when Bible reading and scripture memory done in the bus was common to me. Ever since I started driving, this habit has long gone.

I use to think that driving a car can buy me time, at least I can reach home earlier or waste less time travelling. But this morning, I seem to have a more fruitful time reflecting and reading. So it is not time wasted in the bus. No, money does not necessarily buy time.

This verse in Psalm 55:22 that I read this morning, seem to give assurance of what happened last week in work (see previous post):

Cast your burden on the LORD,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.

This verse sound familiar (1 Pet 5:7), but I was much encourage by what I read this morning.

Sermon Reflection: 1Sam 28 & 31 – How to live/die well?

Sunday morning …

To live or die well – listen to the voice of God. That was the gist of the sermon as the preacher said it loud and clear.

But how does one listen to the voice of God?

Have you heard God or the Holy Spirit speak directly to you?

Maybe the preacher was talking about obeying the commandments in the Bible? For Saul, God’s voice is through the Prophet Samuel. So does it mean listening to the voice of God is from the Pastor’s sermon? Or is it, to listen to the voice of God means whatever you learn from the Bible, just follow and do?

Doesn’t sound right, leh. :(

If I can listen to the voice of God like King David, using what they call a Urim, or have a prophet like Nathan, then easy lah!

But no such things already - no prophet, no Urim, cannot hear God speaking directly to me, only the Bible.

Ai yah, why the preacher never tell the congregation how to listen to the voice of God?

Maybe she did, I was not attentive.

So this good sermon has a difficulty… How to listen to the voice of God in order to live well?

That set my sermon reflection as I left the sanctuary yesterday morning.

******

Sunday afternoon …

Thinking about what was going on through the week …

I was supposed to finish 10 pieces of a subsystem before the month end of July. At room temperature, all the pieces were working perfectly. However, as I tested over the temperature range of -30 degree Celsius (or Centigrade, if you like) to +70degC, I noticed that 4 pieces failed marginally at -27degree. I could conveniently brush it off and “just close one eye” so to say, as it will not adversely affect the overall system when this subsystem is used.

But, I felt that I should do things right. It was a matter of having a right conscience and listening to that small still voice.

As a result, I kept trying to find what caused the faults, and repeated the testing at -30degC. It was very tiring and finally, at the last day and last minute, I completed the 4 pieces.

Praise the LORD! Trying to maintain a clear conscience has its price.

Is listening to my conscience also considered as listening to the voice of God?

Be alert – the sin that cling to us

This evening, I saw a man in a T-shirt with the following words:

REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE:
AVOID THE BACKWARD GLANCE

Clearly, only Christians with some Bible knowledge will know what happened to Lot and his family. The story in Genesis 19 flashed through my mind. The Angel of God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and told Lot and his family not to look back. His wife’s, still lingering over the lavish life in Sodom, looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.

What are something that I still cling on to so tightly that it became a hindrance for me to flee from destruction?

Is there any bad habit, bad influence, petty sin that I toil with?

Time for some soul-searching …

“Let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, …”