Friday, May 21, 2010

The Neglected Society


Bro Chin's sermon tonight pricked me regarding our obligation to help the needy, and to serve the society. Actually, I had always wanted to contribute to the society by volunteering in welfare centres like Old Folks' homes, Orphanages or Hospitals. Jesus had laid a perfect example. Look, he didn't just serve the synagogues back then, right? Instead, he traveled afar to help the poor and needy, some were not even Jews/Israelites. This fountain of grace was poured even upon the Gentiles, on whom Jesus was not initially "sent for"(Mat15:24).
In the spiritual realm,
we are the priests of God, the children of light, (1Pet2:9).
We owned an extraordinary status in the eyes of God. And yea, we are NO ordinary people.
However, in the material world,
I am still a Malaysian subjected to the Malaysian Law and Justice.
I am a part of the multiracial society, a part of the human community.
Deep inside there is an obligation of patriotism. An urge to encourage 1Malaysia~

And a will to stretch out to the neglected part of the society.

Let's not hesitate to offer yourselves to the service to the Nation,
as that is also the will of God,
(Js 1:27 look after orphans and widows in their distress).
They live in loneliness and pain, yet have hardly uttered a murmur about their distress.


Let's stretch out to them with the love of Christ.
aaronCcf

Thursday, May 13, 2010

God Knows

Source: Voices of Children, TrueJesusChurch
Was there, in the Dimensions of Formlessness
a niche to hide the Guilt of the Archangel?
Was there, by a near-perfect mightiness,
a way to conceal a hint of Lucifer's Arrogance?

Was there a Fortress strong enough,
to shield a shameful king from the Eyes of the Almighty?
Was there an Army strong and loyal,
to shield David from God's Anger?

Was there a Darkness so thick and encompassing,
or a Mammon-craving traitor so deft,
Was there a Plot so intricate,
for Jesus to be oblivious of Judas' intentions?

Before Time began, and Beginning built its tent,
God knows.

Before Genesis unveiled her story,
and Heavens and Earth were empty,
yet still, God knows.
Before Abraham laid a foot outside Ur,
on God alone his faith was anchored.
Before Paul made entrance into Jerusalem,
the Spirit alone was his compass.

Before Tomorrow crawls into Today,
and The Day after Tomorrow warns Tomorrow,
God knows.
For He shares our every joy,
and banishes our every sorrow.

we forgive our debtors, You forgive our debts. That's OUR deal. ^^



Strange,
I was aimlessly keying in "Rom 2:3" just
for any biblical websites,
and its content happened to be about judgment. I gaped, jaw-dropped. Did God just let that happen to mold my thoughts?

"So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?" Rom2:3
I judged my friend(s), and sometimes I might just make the same mistakes they did. And won't I also be judged for the sake of God's justice?
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Mat 7:1)
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."(Mk 11:25)
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.(Mat6:14)

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.(Mat6:15)

Didn't I ever sin and commit wrongs against both man and God?
Didn't I fail to keep my promises to both man and God?
If I pour contempt on an honest apology, won't my apology be despised too?
If I judge others for what they did wrong, won't I be judged too?
I am not sinless; actually I am a huge sinner, yet Jesus bore it all for me.


Won't I bear with that tiny offense just to do myself a favour, as Jesus bore with much greater offenses, much greater crimes, much greater sins, much greater pain and sufferings, much greater heartaches?

As Emotions battle with the Bible,
my bet is in the Bible.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Procrastinate

"I am not feeling guilty at all. I am feeling so fine. I am so selfish. I should be guilty for not trying harder to save him."

It is a strange and ineffable emotion; a struggle to define one's guilt.

"He was a good man." But a curse seemed to befall him with cruel calamities,
"But he ended up weeping to himself every night because he had a family he could not love, food but he could not feed himself, legs that could not walk, mouth that could not talk," He was suffering from stroke.

"I promised him in our first prayer that I would read him testimonies but..."
I procrastinated.
He was a Buddhist, like the rest of the family.
But he might just gain hope if I offered him the salvation gospel months ago as I promised in my first bold prayer with him.

"I brought my guitar but didn't share hymns with him." as I had initially planned.
I wanted him to hear and sing (in his heart or anything) so he might enjoy the sweet melody of praise. But I met with some small obstacles and dismissed my attempt. And said 'maybe next time.'

"He died crying helplessly to himself even if he had wanted to know Christ" to gain hope, peace, love and salvation.

He passed away the past Monday, abruptly.
This was an unbearable loss for most of his family members because he was a good man.

Jesus could help him, certainly; The Holy Spirit could have comforted him;
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"(Rom10:14)

He might have wanted to say to me "'Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.(Acts 8:31)

I didn't cease the time and opportunity, and they both slipped away secretly.




"Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?..."
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."(Acts 1:)

Let's not procrastinate and allow yourself to fall into this dilemma and regret.
May God lead us and add us courage to do His will.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

志工团感想

我参加了两次的志工团,
第一次是去北区
第二次是霹雳区及南区。

我的感想就是
每间教会都有各自不同的习惯
无论如何
我们在真理方面是统一的
就因此
无论去到哪一间教会
都很快的就打成一片
每一位信徒就好像是亲戚一样
甚至比亲戚更亲,都非常有爱心

让我非常感动的就是霹雳区的青年们
他们每逢星期六晚上都会从各地方教会集聚在巴占练唱诗班
之后还会一起出去吃夜宵
这种习惯我羡慕不已


在这两个旅程中
最大的收获就是各各教会的爱心
他们的爱心非常伟大
三个字“谢谢你”好像不够
真不知道该如何答谢
我们又给他们添了许多麻烦
又不知道该如何赔罪
领走前
就只能说一句很老套的话 “愿主纪念你们的爱心并祝福你们”


最后
我要特别感谢Dn.Isaiah Chang给我们的勉励
让我们满载而归
我们真的感激不尽
谢谢你~

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

D u r i a n ' s C h o i c e

After our adventure and victory over Mount Kinabalu, KK church had organized visitations to the many True Jesus Church in the state.

At a not-very-flashy-looking Ranau church,
whose membership was dominated by mostly orang asli/natives, had left me with a very extraordinary story. The Gombak TJC tour had all witnessed this miracle that lasted for many years.

A miracle that I childishly named as 'Durian's Choice', as the durian tree seemed to have chosen Jesus as its master.


In the past when the Ranau True Jesus Church was building, there was a small piece of land
on which a durian tree was planted. That piece of land was supposedly the church's possession,
but the Gentile neighbor insisted that it belonged to them. The Church gave in.
Through the years, the tree grew and branches dispersed.
Some branches reached the church compound across the fence.
And the tree bore fruits, but ONLY in the branches that reached the church compound!
NO FRUIT was yielded in the neighbor's territory.

this lasted many years till now, we witnessed the flowers blooming ONLY on the branches
in the church compound. None was found in other branches in the neighbor's land!

Praise the Lord. This simple miracle generated a huge deal of thanksgiving in us.
Pray so that human beings will give up their heart of stone and find peace in Christ our God. ^.^

Conquest on Mount Kinabalu and Success in Spiritual Life



I am most delighted to announce that the Gombak TrueJesusChurch climbing team had all, both young and old, reached the Low's Peak, the highest point of Mount KK, Sabah!

Throughout the tedious and perilous climb, I noticed the common characteristics shared between our proud Conquest and our personal Spiritual Life.
Like a mirror, I'd say.
The climb itself mirrors our journey of faith as a Christian.

Not hard to relate, really. Let me show you:

1. Prayer in all things = we prayed before, during and after our climb.
= we also prayed for each other as some were unwell
(Js 5:16)...and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
(2Thess 1:11) With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.


2. Chocolate bars, energy food = Spiritual food in spiritual life
(1Cor 10: 3-4)They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

3. Water = springs of living water, Holy spirit
(Lk1:35) The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
4. Teamwork = spiritual companion
~ I assure you that any climber with meager climbing experience would have given up easily without a team to constantly encourage him.

(Eph2:21)Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work (Ecc 4:9)In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
(Amos 3:3)Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?


Thus, provided that we all shared the same goal, we pushed each other towards it and conquered it hand in hand!

God said the gate to heaven is a narrow one, a perilous one.
Some gave up the climb and retreated = their faith has failed
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mat 24:13)
Perseverance in trials (fatigue, fear, long distance, weather...)


See? the two stories are linked! It's a practical lesson to learn, then we can truly understand how hard a life Paul had lived before he finally sang the song of victory!
(Jude 1:20)But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.