Thy Kingdom Come...

We are as Christians or if you want to be more specific, Christ's followers, long for Heaven.  If we don't long for Heaven then there is something wrong with us.  It means that we found all this material stuff and comfort here on Earth are much better than Heaven.  Heaven is much better than the best things here.  But that's a topic for another day... 
However, some Christians only think about Heaven.  Salvation is like a golden ticket to Heaven.  If you take the time to read the Bible, Jesus has never said that the main purpose of us being saved is for us to go to Heaven.  We go to Heaven as the result of salvation.
Jesus repeatedly said in the Gospel that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  He taught the disciples to pray for God's Kingdom to come, God's will be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven.  There are more of coming than going for the Kingdom of God.  God wants us, His people, to bring His Kingdom here on Earth and apparently He has no plan B for this.

Jesus quoted the Book of Isaiah many times in the Gospel. The themes of the Book of Isaiah regarding the coming of Kingdom of Heaven can be seen in these seven signs:
1. Deliverance
2. Righteousness and justice
3. Peace
4. Joy
5. God's presence
6. Healing
7. Return from exile (sense of home)

Maybe all of us can reflect on these seven signs and ask ourselves what we can do today to bring these signs around our circle of influence, to bring God's Kingdom here.  How can we bring deliverance to people that got caught in addictions, in bondage of sin.  How can we correct injustice on this planet, tip the scale the other way further. How can we show compassion to people.  How can we bring peace, joy and healing, physical or spiritual, to people.  How can we bring God's presence to our brothers and sisters and also to people that are far from God.  How can make people feel accepted, not feeling judged and condemned, to make them feel safe and at home.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  - Ephesians 2:9-10

Luke Warm and Loving It...

On the last bible study we were challenged to spend more time with God.  I was planning to read my bible tonight, but when I was listening to the radio this afternoon I heard about Francis Chan, I remember him speaking at my church a long while ago.  So I went to You Tube and looked for some of his video, one I found interesting, the title says "Luke Warm & Loving It". He was preaching from the Book of Revelation and read one of the letters, which some of us read probably many times, the passages say:

¹⁴"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
      These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. ¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. ¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. ²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

I missed those days when I first met Christ, wide eyes over Him, on fire about Him.  A friend warned me about this before, that the fire may go out over time if I don't keep it alive, keep stoking the fire.  I heard him and I made a promise in my heart that I will not let this happens.  However, the passages above warned me.  It says that I thought that I was rich and have comfort, but I am wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  I'm not a rich man by any means, but we are rich compare to the rest of the world.  We have comfort.  Most people I know including me don't worry about if we are going to eat tomorrow.  We worry about what we are going to eat tomorrow.  All I'm saying is that I have comfortable living and if I worry, I'm not worry about how I can really make an impact for the Kingdom.  At least not anymore.  
I missed that kid, a kid that was just saved, so young in the faith, the kid that was devouring the bible until he was so tired he couldn't read anymore.  A kid that just got this world turned upside down and didn't care, because he has this new faith in God, a new hope in God, a new life in God.  I really do miss him.  He found the Kingdom of Heaven.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

But I think now I feel like I'm not really on fire anymore, I feel lukewarm.  I forgot what true riches are.  I forgot that not all that glitters in life is gold.  I need to get the true gold refined in the fire.

But God still love us.  Those whom God loves He will rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.  God is standing at the door and knocking. If anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in and eat with him, and he with Him.  I never enjoyed God's discipline but I know He wants me to learn about something, He wants me to give up certain things in my life, trivial things in my life.

Sometime I forgot about this grand vision about Heaven:
²At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. ⁴Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. ⁶Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
   In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." ⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
 ¹¹"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
   to receive glory and honor and power,
   for you created all things,
      and by your will they were created
      and have their being." 

I really need to break out of my comfort zone, this comfort living, not conforming to this world any longer and not worrying about stuff this world worries.
I prayed to God to show me the lukewarm areas in my life, to give me strength and more importantly to be on fire again about His Kingdom. 

*You can watch Francis Chan sermon here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBhqrtMqrv8&feature=related
  

I need to slow down

I am a busy person, I have to admit. Or maybe I am not so busy but I make myself busy. When I have "spare" time, I feel weird. Literally, I will feel like something is wrong and I get restless. Sadly I am a person who cannot relax.
This may be surprising to you, but even though I do lots of volunteer work, and occupy most of my time preparing or doing those work, deep in me I know that I am serving myself much more than I do other people, especially those who are the closest to me. God reminds me of this all the time, but I close my ears and am unwilling to change. My ego keeps saying that I do not have time for others, instead I have to finish this and that--all that are about my stuffs.

This time, I think God calls me loud enough that I pay attention. This story is quoted from "the naked soul" by Tim Alan Gardner. It actually came from a university commencement address that Fred Rogers (PBS) addressed in 2002. It is a beautiful story and really knocks on my heart.

* * * * *

For a long time I wondered why I felt like bowing when people showed their appreciation for the work that I've been privileged to do. What I've come to understand is that we who bow are probably--whether we know it or not--acknowledging the presence of the eternal: we're bowing to the eternal in our neighbor. You see, I believe that appreciation is a holy thing, that when we look for what's best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we're doing what God does. So, in loving and appreciating our neighbor, we're participating in something truly sacred....
      I wonder if you've heard what happened at the Seattle Special Olympics a few years ago. For the 100-yard dash there were nine contestants...and at the sound of the gun they took off. But one little boy stumbled and fell and hurt his knee and began to cry. The other eight children heard the boy crying. They slowed down, turned around, saw the boy and ran back to him--every one of them ran back to him. One little girl with Down syndrome bent down and kissed the boy and said, "This will make it better."
      The little boy got up, and he and the rest of the runners linked their arms together and joyfully walked to the finish line.
      They all finished the race at the same time. And when they did, everyone in the stadium stood up and clapped and whistled and cheered.... Deep down we know that what matters in this life is much more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win, too, even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.

* * * * *

I spent most of my time for myself. Even when I am sleeping in the train, I can not really sleep because of thoughts about happenings at work, home, with friends, and everything else. In many occasions, I personally avoid going out with friends or visiting them because of the need to manage my personal matters. On top of all that, my thoughts are mostly about problems and pains, instead of gratitude to God. At night, I can easily ask God for help relieving my anxious heart, but will stumble to say, "I am thankful for.." I got to think for that!

I remember one day in the office, I did not say hi nor greet the cleaning lady who was washing the many dishes from my team's potluck. I usually chat with her a bit but that time I was hurrying to get to bus and to the train station, so I purposely avoided meeting her. The plan went well, but I was very unhappy with that decision and felt guilty afterward. Here is someone who washes my lunch containers everyday, is nice to everyone at the office, yet work alone all night. She deserves to a hi and chat for a few minutes the least. I was so selfish.

I definitely need to work on managing my time better. I do want to pursue my interests, but that all means nothing if I do not care for the people closest to me: my family and friends. I pray also that God will give me the heart and compassion to see their needs, and be of help in those areas.

And Your Dance Will Dazzle the World..

How do you know if you are watching a good movie? Reading a good book? What makes a good story? A good story typically involves a character that wants something and overcame conflicts to get it. “Luke Skywalker was living a boring live in a dessert planet and he wants to have significance in his life. So he joined a rebellion against an evil empire, rescued the princess, fled from the evil empire, destroyed the Death Star and saved the planet.” That’s a story that inspires people, empowers people.

Have you ever sat through a movie which when the end credit rolled, you were saying: “so…, that’s it?? What’s the point??” and yet most people go through life like that. A story about someone working at a grocery store for few years just to save up to buy a used Volvo is not inspiring, at the end of the story when that man brought his savings to a Volvo dealership and drove his car out of the parking lot, that scene won’t brought tears in our eyes. All of us want to live a better story, we need a better story.

Christians sometime think that when we received Christ, that was the climax of their life. That’s not true. It’s only Act I, the Beginning of the story. Our life here on Earth is Act II of our story. Apostle Paul said it best:

“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:10-14)

Conflicts in life can be blessings. The bigger the conflicts the character overcame, the better the story, the more inspiring the story. We inherently hate conflicts, but God wants to teach us something in our conflict, don’t miss this. The sooner we learned, the sooner God will move us from that conflict. God can take that conflict and make something good out of it.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8: 28)
A story of someone who planted water filtration system in Africa despite the challenges is inspiring, a story of a worker stopping human trafficking brought a sense of relieve in our heart, a story of faithful wife who is taking care of her disabled husband to the end brought tears in our eyes, and a story of forgiveness of a betrayal makes us believe in the power of the Holy Spirit.
So live boldly, love boldly, and leave a good legacy.

The final act usually occurs a few minutes before the story ended. Luke blew up the Death Star, Rudy made the Notre Dame Football team, and Harry finally kissed Sally.
Act III, the Final Act of our story has been written. Our story will end with a wedding feast, with Jesus as the groom and the Church as the bride.
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."” (Revelation 21: 2-4)

So I will close with this quote from Robert Mckee, he is not a theologian by any means, he’s actually an agnostic, but he said it beautifully.

"Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully, but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world."

Inspired by Donald Miller at WCCC
Recommended readings:
“Blue Like Jazz”
“A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”

I read this story of faith in the book "Live Like a Jesus Freak" by dc Talk. I am sharing this story with you, as it relates to what we are currently studying from the book of Romans.

The Cigarette Sermons
Linh Dao, Vietnam, 1991

Four police officers suddenly burst into ten-year-old Linh Dao's home. They forced her father, as underground pastor in North Vietnam, to remain seated while the authorities ransacked the home, searching for Bibles.

"I remember when the police came," Linh Dao recalls. "They searched around the house all of that morning and asked many different questions. It was scary to talk to the policemen, but I knew what they were looking for, so I concentrated and tried my best not to be scared or nervous." As the police questioned her parents, Linh courageously hid some of the Bibles in her school knapsack.

When the police asked her about the contents of the knapsack, Linh simply replied, "It is books for children."

Linh Dao's father was arrested that day and sentenced to seven years of re-education through hard labor.

"When the policemen decided to take my dad away, all of my family knelt down and prayed. I prayed first, then my sister, then my mom, and last of all, my dad. I prayed that my dad would have peace and remain healthy and that my family would survive these hard times. We were all crying, but I told myself I have to face what's happening now."

Word quickly spread about the arrest, and neighbor children began to ask Linh about the crimes her father had been arrested for. She told her friends, "My father is not a criminal. He is a Christian, and I am proud of him for not wavering in his faith!"

As each day passed, Linh Dao made a mark on her wooden bookcase as she prayed for her father. She remembers, "I cried almost every single night, because I worried how my father was doing in prison and how the policemen were treating him."

"Before my dad was in prison, I was just a child. I didn't need to worry about anything. It was a lot different after my dad left. My mind got older very quickly. I told my sister that we had to help Mom do the work around the house, so she could continue to do my dad's work in the church."

"I prayed every day and every night. My faith grew very fast. I knew one thing that I had to concentrate on, and that was spending time learning from the Bible so when I gre up, I could be like my dad, sharing and preaching. When I think about this, I feel my heart burning inside me, pushing me, telling me this is the right thing to do."

Finally, after more than a year, Linh, her mother, and her sister were able to visit their father in prison. When they reached the compound, they were separated by a chain-link fence. Linh quickly discovered that she could squeeze into the prison yard through a chained gate. She ran to her father and hugged him tightly. The guards watched the little girl but, surprisingly, left her alone. What harm can a little girl do? they must have thought.

Little did they know! Armed with innocence and a childlike faith, children are a secret weapon against the kingdom of Satan. During that first visit to her father's prison, Linh was able to smuggle him a pen, which he used to write scriptures and sermons on cigarette paper. These "cigarette sermons" traveled from cell to cell and were instrumental in bringing many prisoners to Christ.

Linh Dao's prayers were answered. Her father was released early, before he had served all seven years of his sentence. "It was a big surprise when I came home from school one day and saw my dad had been released from prison. I ran and then gave him a big hug. We were so happy. I was proud of my family, and I wanted to yell and let the whole world know that I wasn't scared of anything, because God always protects each step I go in my life."

Linh Dao is now a teenager. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her father and be a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She knows firsthand the dangers of sharing her faith in Communist Vietnam and remains determined to obey Christ rather than men. In spite of a "grim future," she spends her time in intense Bible study.

Don't underestimate what you--as one person--can do. God will work through anyone--of any age--who is submitted to Him, to accomplish His will on earth. One man or woman willing to obey God can change the destiny of millions.

But the Greatest of These... is Love...

1 Corinthians 13:13
13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Why love is the greatest?
I was told because love is everlasting. Love is something we carry to the other side after we've gone. Faith and hope only exist here on this world. Faith fixed on devine revelation that God exists, after we're gone and met God, we would not need faith because we will be standing face to face with God. Same with hope, we have hope here on this world that there are wonderful things waiting for us in heaven, and after we're gone, the book of Revelation said that God will wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Hope will be fulfilled in heaven. There is no room for faith and hope when we see and enjoy.

But love...love is everlasting, for apostle John said that God is love, and where God is seen face to face, love is at the highest, made perfect and love will last forever for God is everlasting.


1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

I went to a coworker’s spouse’s wake last Friday. A wonderful life cut short by a tragic accident. Nothing gets you thinking about your own immortality than going to a wake or a funeral. There were a lot of people there, friends and family were there, viewing and saying goodbye to the departed. Of course, my brain starts spooling, wondering if I would have this many people show up on my own “event”. We are all someday will be “the center of attention” whether we like it or not. And if this tragedy reminds me of anything, it could happen to anybody, at any age, at any time. Am I ready? Are you ready?

The apostle Paul warned the Ephesians Church about this:

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

So let’s examine our life, refocus our priority, figure out what are the important things and what are the trivial things in life. Don’t waste your life on the trivial things. Cherish every moment and don’t take your love ones for granted. Have we loved enough in our lifetime? Have we forgotten offenses in our life? Have we lived a life worthy of our calling? We who had put our faith in Christ Jesus have been paid with high price. Have we done good works in this earth to return the favor? Not to be saved, because we are saved by grace, not by our works, but because we are saved, we do good works.

I am reminded with a story of a lady who is terminally ill. As she made the funeral arrangement with her pastor, she asked to be buried with the favorite bible in her left hand and a fork in her right hand. The pastor asked, “What’s with the fork?” She said that when she finished a meal at a function or at a dinner, the server would ask her to keep the fork. She knows that something better is coming, dessert…a cheesecake, peach cobbler or crème brule…Good stuff. She said to the pastor if anybody asked about the fork, tell them that something better is coming…

A life with Jesus in Heaven.

Where can I go from here?

Do you ever thought, "Ugh, if God was there (in that situation / event) in the past, things would not have turned the way it was! It would have had a good outcome." And now you are going through the pain from the consequences of your action, somebody else's actions, and the wrong decisions. You know now that you should have consulted God in the past, or listened to Him, but it's too late now and you just have to fight this storm alone.

Or, say you have consulted God in the past, but either you did not get any answer (yet), or you did not like the answer you got. "Why did God give me this? Why do I have to go through this problem?" Life issues, big or small, are a pain. And we usually ask God's help to avoid it or to fix it soon.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There was a similar experience with Mary and Martha, as told in John 11:1-44. The life issue here is: Mary and Martha's brother, Lazarus, was sick (and died). The outline of the story is like the following. As you read through, put yourself in Mary's and Martha's position.

1. Mary sent the news about the problem to Jesus
2. Jesus heard the problem. He knows God's plan, and decided to wait in responding and making actions.
3. Jesus finally came to meet Mary and Martha
4. Martha was sad by then, wishing Jesus would have been there earlier. She thought it's too late then.
5. Jesus assured her about His power, and asked if she believed
6. Martha accepted and believed His word
7. Jesus asked Martha (and some people on site) to do some actions
8. Martha was confused and unsure
9. Jesus reaffirmed His promise
10. The people did what Jesus asked them to do, and Jesus made a miracle

Seems pretty common. I experience that sometimes. I hoped for something, got no answer, and.. that's when I started to branch out, not following the pattern of "going back to Him" + "trusting His plan" + "see the good result".

• Can you identify yourself in the story?
• Can you think of an experience like this in the past? or one that you are going through now?
• At which point did you find it the most difficult? or at which point are you now?

Now let's go through the storyline again, this time with the verses that tells what actually happened.

1.
³So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

2.
⁴When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." ⁵Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

3.
¹⁴So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

4.
²¹"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

5.
²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

6.
²⁷"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

7.
³⁸Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹"Take away the stone," he said.

8.
"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

9.
⁴⁰Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

10.
⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
⁴³When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Things work out best in God's timing, in God's way.

If you are at point 4, you think it's too late to fix something, too late to make a change --> go back to Jesus and invite Him to be involved.

If you are at point 5, doubting God's power and plan --> read verse 25-26. God's promise does not fail. He has a plan for you (and your situation!) and will carry it through, regardless of however far you have turned.

If you are at point 8, saying no or delaying to do some things that God has been asking you to.. make more effort to complete the task. A change, or even a solution might just be around the corner.

God bless you.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

My family bought a house in the city of Roselle about a year ago. Driving to downtown Chicago, if not accompanied by traffic and at the speed of 75mph, only takes a mere 40 minutes using Hwy 290. It's not too bad; an added bonus is that my house is really close to the hwy as well.

Driving to work is quite a pleasure. I don't get stuck in rush hour traffic like most Chicagoans. One day I decided to time myself - it took me about 15 minutes to drive the 7 miles distance from my house to my office. Not too shabby, I'm not complaining.

While driving every morning at 8.30am using the same road to get to the major streets, I happen to keep noticing this older man walking on the sidewalk alongside my car. He's probably in his late 60s. White hair, hunched back, and always with his cane. The first day I saw him, I forgot about him as soon as his reflection was gone from my rear view mirror. The fourth day I saw him walking at 8.30am, I was intrigued. After 10 months of seeing him and his beloved cane everyday, I just want to stalk him, find out where he lives, and spend a couple of hours talking to him.

This mysterious old man is always wearing his favorite blue windbreaker jacket. Wearing a hat, I saw that he has his headphones on, too. I wonder what he's listening to. Is it a radio? It could be a radio receiver in his pocket. Or is it a CD? What kind of music does he listen to? Classic? Jazz? Country? Wouldn't it be a riot if he listens to hiphop? Ooooh, so many possibilities.

I've started to learn his route as well. He doesn't go to the little streets/alleys; from my house to the next major intersection, I'd say it's a good 0.8 mile. That is the route he takes; to the intersection and back. Before 10am, this man has walked 1.6 miles. On some days, I don't even walk 1 mile! What a way to start the day, don't you think?

I remember one day it was raining. I woke up late because the alarm clock didn't go off. I was thinking in the back of my mind: "My old man is not going to take his walk today. I wouldn't! It's raining! I'd be lazy and go back to sleep." But boy, was I wrong! While turning on my wipers, I saw him walking with an umbrella over his head, already on his way home. He was almost done with his walk. I suddenly felt ashamed. I was running late. The old man? He was walking on time.

And that is almost the case everyday for the past 10 months. I purposely look for him whenever I drive to work. Never has he missed his walk. From Monday to Friday, at 8.30am (I don't know if he walks on weekends). You can find him walking; whether it'd be a clear day, a rainy one, a very sunny morning, or a gloomy sky. He's there with his music and his cane... and occasionally, his umbrella.

It got me thinking; shouldn't I be like that when it comes to my spiritual life? Shouldn't I read His Word everyday, pray everyday, be kind and joyful everyday (among many others), irregardless the "weather" the world has for that day? If it was a happy day, shouldn't I not forget to give praise? It it was one of the sad days, shouldn't I still be faithful to Him? I need to walk with God everyday, just like the old man. Rain or shine.

I need to be more like you, my old man...
And while on that note, I need to know where you live as well.
I would love to spend one Saturday morning with you.

Half Baked

As I walked into the church today, I was expecting a typical day, good worship music, encouraging message, get some lunch and go home. Oh boy was I wrong... I was once again challenged as a Christ follower. The preacher was talking about half-baked Christians, like these half baked cookies, that left bad taste in people's mouth, a bad memory that en grained in their mind for years to come. Maybe bad things that we said, or our poor conducts that made people said, "If that's Christianity, I don't want to be part of it."


A half-baked Christian is someone who acknowledge Jesus as a Savior but not necessarily acknowledge Him as Lord in his/her life. Jesus said, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6: 46). Some of us Christians, even those who are involve in ministries in church, are missing the Jesus' authority in our life. It's like we forgot what we heard on Sunday when Monday morning comes and we live our lives our own way. Sometimes we have all the good intentions but we just simply half-baked.
What if Moses only took the Israelites half way to the promised land, what if Joshua only circled the Jericho wall half the time, what if David only hurled the stones half way from Goliath? What if Jesus only walked half way to Calvary?

It's OK, we are all guilty of this at some point in our live. So, let's all of us strive to be a fully baked Christians, like these yummy chocolate chip cookies, bringing pleasant memories to people that we met.
The key is to be intentional, to be more aware about which areas of our lives where we are weak and keep a watch on them. Nothing is automatic, only decay and corrosion is automatic. Reading the word of God daily and apply it daily in our lives will help us tremendously in our walk with Christ. We need to remember that we who professed faith in Jesus Christ, that we are His soldiers, and soldiers listen and obey the commander-in-chief's commands.

And tomorrow is Monday morning, and I brace for the dawn...

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
(Psalm 139: 23-24)

Moments of Truth

What is your life verse?
I hope these verses will help you in your walk with Christ...

SALVATION
John 1:12
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Romans 10:13
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Titus 3:5
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

ASSURANCE
1 John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:12
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

TEMPTATION
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Romans 8:5
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

TRIALS
James1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

FEAR
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Romans 8:31
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

WISDOM
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Matthew 10:16
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Proverbs 17:28
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

ANGER
Ephesians 4:26-27
“In your anger do not sin." Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

James 1:19-20
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

CONTENTMENT
Philippians 4:11
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness with contentment is great gain.

PEACE
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

POWER
Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Mark 10:27
"With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

Zechariah 4:6
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the LORD Almighty.

PRIDE
James 4:6
But He gives us more grace. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

"I want to know You...
I want to hear Your voice...
I want to know You more."

Does God have regrets? Does God cause us pain?

I have been reading 1 Samuel recently, and there are a few repeated verses whose meanings can't be what I think it is.
Here I took snippets with the particular verses bolded.
Basically I have two questions:
1. Why does it say "the Lord regretted"? does it mean that God feels he has made a mistake?
2. What does it mean by "the distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him"? does it mean something bad/evil can come from God, or that God would purposely give us evil spirit/thought?

If you happen to have read this part of the book before, or want to go read it now.. please share what you find out!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1 Samuel 15:
¹⁰ Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, ¹¹ “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.
³⁵ And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 16:
¹⁴ But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. ¹⁵ And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. ¹⁶ Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
²³ And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

1 Samuel 18:
⁹ So Saul eyed David from that day forward.
¹⁰ And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. ¹¹ And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.

1 Samuel 19:
⁹ Now the distressing spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. ¹⁰ Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.

Missing the Messiah (Arang Friday, May 1)

Material: Matthew 21:1-17
Highlights
1. Why people in Jerusalem did not believe that Jesus is the Messiah? Because they had not seen the result they expected from a Messiah. They did not believe merely on what prophet had said.
Application for us: Many of us know Jesus through preachers, Christian books, parents, friends, etc. If we don't have a firsthand experience with God, we are more likely to get into dissapointment.
2. Jesus threw out all the people who were buying and selling there and said "My Temple will be called house of prayer"
Application for us: Our body is God's temple. Let's invite God to cleanse us.
3. Childrens in the temple were praising Jesus when they saw Jesus performed miracles.
Application for us: Let us have a childlike heart. Can we express and testify our gratitude for what God has done in our lives?

Project
Choose the book in the Bible on your own. Read 10 consecutive chapters during this 2 weeks (one chapter per weekday), and pick just one topic/verse in those chapter to share during our next meeting. Please put the chapters of your choice down in the comment section of this post.

Let's have a firsthand experience with God!

Good or Bad?

The following paragraphs are excerpted from the book Follow Your Heart, by Andrew Matthews.

There once lived a farmer. He had a son and a horse. One day the farmer's horse ran away, and all his neighbors came to console him, saying: "What bad luck that your horse has run away!"
And the old man replied: "Who knows if it's good luck or bad luck."
"Of course it's bad luck!" said the neighbors.

Within a week, the farmer's horse returned home, followed by twenty wild horses. The farmer's neighbors came to celebrate, saying: "What good luck that you have your horse back--plus another twenty!"
And the old man replied: "Who knows if it's good luck or bad luck!"

The next day the farmer's son was riding amongst the wild horses, and fell and broke his leg. The neighbors came to console him, saying: "What bad luck!"
And the farmer said: "Who knows if it's good or bad luck!"
And some of the neighbors were angry, and said: "Of course it's bad luck, you silly old fool!"

Another week went by, and an army came through town, enlisting all the fit young men to fight in distant lands. The farmer's son, with his broken leg, was left behind. All the neighbors came to celebrate, saying: "What good luck that your son was left behind!"
And the farmer said: "Who knows?"

We can spend our whole lives figuring everything out. "This is good, that is bad ..." It is futile. We label events as "disasters" when we only see one percent of the picture.

The author talks about good luck and bad luck. From Christianity point of view, we can translate it to good blessings and--what we consider--not so good one.

Often times when I get something that I like or has hoped for, I think of it as "God has blessed me, praise the Lord." I think that is fine. James 1:16-17 says, "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

But when I get something that I do not like, or not get something I want, I fret. For example, when an incident happens that requires me to change my routine, takes me out of my comfort zone, hinders me to or fails to achieve some goals. I feel it is natural to feel disappointed or down in the beginning, but usually I let myself get stuck with the mindset of what should and should not happen, what I deserve and not, or why 'good' things happen to other people.. and not me. The truth is, often times I know only "one percent of the picture", therefore cannot make a good judgment of the situation. This is just like what the Proverbs says:

Proverbs 19:21: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."
Proverbs 16:9: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."

What Do You Want on Your Tombstone?

A friend sent me this "Commitment as a Christian" from a pastor in Africa. I can only hope that will be said of us on our tombstone one day.
As for me, I'm still a long way to go...

“I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me--my banner will be clear!”

Be near me, Lord Jesus...Light of the World...

The ultimate Light has come to our dark world.
He came in a form of a baby, God wrapped in a flesh, for He is called "Immanuel" which means, "God with us." The ultimate Gift for us all, Him who's light is so bright... that those who their life have been touch by Him have that light also.

He commands us, His followers that "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

A new dawn is coming, a new chapter is coming for us as the new year is approaching. Let's be that Light, to act justly everyday, loving mercy in every way and walking humbly before our God. God came to this world because He loves all of us and He for a reason beyond my own understanding He actually cares for us and wants to save us, so we can be with Him someday in Heaven.
Now the challenge is "How people that don't believe that God is good and loving may see that He is actually good and loving?". We, His people, are the answer. It may seem like a bad plan to leave God's rescue plan to all of us, the imperfect selfish people. Nevertheless that is part of His plan to show that He is good and full of love. But we are not alone, those who has put his/her trust in Christ Jesus has the gift of Holy Spirit that will guide us, renew us, inspire us and convict us. Jesus promises us also that He will be with us to the very end of the age.

So let's us a group in the coming year try to be that light, show our good deeds, be more loving to our friends, our family, people that God has put in our path and importantly strangers. Let's lovingly challenge each other in these areas, to be the Light-bearer to all people. This is not just a cliche that we read in a Christmas card, we can actually do this.

With that I wish all of you a wonderful and a Merry Christmas. Stay warm, share laugh and love with family, friends...
Thank you Lord Jesus.


You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go

Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

Fill us up with Your spirit and send us out
Fill us up with Your spirit and send us out
Fill us up with Your spirit and send us out Lord

THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST (RECAP)

Who is Matthew? (Matt 9:9-13)
• A Tax collector, accountant, has a good job, well educated
• One of Jesus’ disciples
• Instant submission (v.9), left everything he has behind and followed Jesus
• Gaul (v.10), invited his tax-collector friends for a dinner with Jesus

Bible Reading on Matthew 9:18-38
v.18-19 Jairus, a leader of synagogue, asked Jesus to come to his place to bring his daughter, who just died, to live.

v.20-22 While walking towards Jairus’ place, a woman who suffered from bleeding for 12 yrs touched his robe. She was considered unclean in the society.

v.23-26 Jesus got into Jairus’ place, people didn’t believe in Jesus, there were asked to leave, and Jesus brought the girl to live.

v.27-31 Continue journey…
Two blind men called Jesus as “The Son of David”, which means The Messiah, to get his attention but Jesus kept walking.
Isaiah prophecy about the ability of The Messiah to heal the blind and the mute in Isaiah 29:18, 35:5, and 42:7.
They followed Jesus, and got healed. Jesus was actually tested their faith and persistence.

v.32-34 The blind men brought their mute/demon possessed friend to Jesus. The mute was healed, but Pharisees accused Jesus using Satan force.

v.35-38 Jesus was doing this whole thing not as a miracle worker, but to show his compassion and healing to the sick world.
Jesus is God, he created the world in fine condition (Genesis 1:31), but all he sees now is sick people and their troubles.

Summary:
Compassion without action is just a pity, or feels sorry.
We need to get out of our comfort zone and do more effort to put our compassion in action.

What's on your wallpaper?

When I worked in SF, I was given the client laptop to use (separate from my company's laptop). I knew I would use it for quite a while, so I started customizing it. One of my favorite things to do is changing the computer screen saver.
As with my other laptops, I set the screen saver to display pictures in My Pictures folder. I want it to display bible verses, instead of other pictures, so.. I have a few templates in Word that I can type in the verses. For each page, I take the screen snapshot and save the picture in My Documents -> My Pictures folder. This is one example:


After a while, I got bored with my wallpaper, too. So I decided to look for a background wallpaper with bible verses in it. Then I found one with this verse in it: Matthew 6:19-21, "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."

At first I thought of this only to help me memorize verses. But what happened was.. after I started working from Chicago, my laptop was used by a team mate in SF, and apparently he never changed this wallpaper. Just a few weeks ago he told me that now the only bible verse he remembered is Matthew 6:19-21, the one on the wallpaper!
I am never sure if he is a believer, but regardless, it's great to know that he now remembers one bible verse :)

I bring this up just as an idea. If you are bored with your screen saver or wallpaper, try this idea. You can also pick a nice picture as a template, add a bible verse on it (by using Paint), and use it as wallpaper. This way, you can change it every week or so, and use that to memorize bible verses :)

The 10 Commandments of Dating (Part 3) (Beware: Mature Discussion Ahead)

Dating Commandment VII:
Thou Shalt be Dedicated to Grow!
The most frustrated and miserable people in marriages are those who married a spouse who are not willing to grow. By grow it means identify what needs to be worked on in a relationship and do whatever it needs to do in that relationship. It maybe by reading a book, getting resources, joining a bible study group or even going to a Christian counseling. Find someone who has an open mind and willing to grow. We are always growing. It’s either we are growing to get closer to Christ or move away from Him.

Dating Commandment VIII:
Thou Shalt Have a Healthy Boundary Around Sex! (Caution: Adult Mature Theme)
SAVE SEX FOR MARRIAGE!
God sets up boundaries around sex, because He loves you and He doesn’t want you to get hurt. When you close sexually to a person, you are giving all of yourself to that person. It is one of the most close intimate experience you will ever have, and God wants to protect you by having that experience in a context of a marriage, in a committed love in marriage. God knows how delicate your heart is in this area.

Sexual Purity Verses:
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food; but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, “The two will become one flesh.” But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Galatians 5:19 - 21 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:3 But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 – 8 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you may and excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. Consequently, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

The bottom line is sex for us who are single, needs to wait until marriage.
When we are in disobedient in this area, there will be consequences that we will pay in the future. You will carry an emotional baggage in your life as a result from sexual relationship before marriage.

Just think about this, if you with your dating partner can abstain from sex before marriage, to have self-control in this area, just imagine how this will build the confidence in your relationship on setting up boundaries on other things in your relationship and throughout your life. Things such as setting boundaries in handling finance, raising and handling your children, interaction with the opposite sex and etc. If you take sex out of the equation in your relationship, you can have the time to really get to know each other, to build on your relationship, to deepen your friendship, to deepen your intimate emotional relationship.

Sex is defined as oral or genital stimulation to orgasm outside the clothes or underneath the clothes and genital intercourse.
So how do we set the limits?
1. Spend some time to write a purity covenant before God with your partner. Slip it in your bible as a reminder.
2. Have an accountability partner. Find someone the same gender as you are, that you trust that can challenge you in this area.
3. Remove the temptation from your relationship. For example avoid spending time together alone in the bedroom late at night, avoid putting yourselves in a situation where the sexual temptation may arise and stay out of the “swimsuit” area of your body (use your imagination) until you both get married.
If you honor God in this area, God will honor your relationship.

To those of you who remains a virgin and honors God with your purity, God bless you, God bless you that in this sex crazed culture you have won this battle. Don’t let other people undermine you and don’t let other people make fun of you because of your choice to remain pure before God.

To those of you who had not remain pure in this area, those who had made compromise in the past in the area of sexual purity, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us”, God forgave you and you have to draw a line in the sand from now on and decided to make a new commitment before Christ.

Dating Commandment IX:
Thou Shalt Seek Wise Counsel!
Wisdom is learning from other people and not to repeat their mistake. Learn the wisdom from the bible, from this love letter from God and ask God for wisdom. Learn from godly couples that you know and try to soak the wisdom that came from their successful marriage. Good marriage is a hard work, but the pay off is well worth it. Be the best student of your partner.

Dating Commandment X:
Thou Shalt Not Ignore the Warning Signs!
Be wise. Don’t jump in to fast in a dating relationship. You will recognize these warning signals when you get know someone more and more, do not ignore them. Have a moment of reflection on those signals.


On final note, for those of you who are dating or thinking about dating, honor God with your relationship. Keep yourself pure, and grow spiritually together, don't let your dating partner pull you away from Christ and pull you away from serving God. No one person is worth it, compared to the love that God has lavished us in pour life.

Remember for all of you singles out there, that when Lord Jesus was in this world, He was a single man and He did miraculous things in His ministry. You too as a single can have a complete life, a wonderful ministry to further the Kingdom of God.

* Special thanks to WCCC

The 10 Commandments of Dating (Part 2)

Dating Commandment IV:

Thou shalt not isolate!
Often times we saw ourselves or our friends disappear after they got into a relationship. Vanished and never to be found. This is actually is pretty unhealthy, for a relationship to be healthy we need feedback from people that we trust and care about our best interest.


Dating Commandment V:
Thou shalt stand firm in thy faith!
NO MISSIONARY DATING!
What is that? It is a long term relationship with a non-believer hoping that someday we can change them to be a Christ follower. Only they and God can change them.
Please don't fall in love with someone who is not in love with your First Love, Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul warned the believers in Corinth about this.
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?" (2 Cor 6: 14-15)
When 2 cattle are yoked together, they will lift each other's load to go forward. The stronger cattle will actually carry the weaker cattle in the same yoke. Now imagine if the two cattle have unequal yoke, one will go to the left and one will go to the right, one will drag the other, imagine the frustration.

Even a relationship between two believers, we need to know where each other is in their spiritual journey. Ask deep questions about their faith journey in first 1-3 dates to find out about how they accepted Christ, how is their serving life, their prayer life, etc.

Couple with same faith that serve together and pray together will have a better chance of success in their marriage.

If you caved in to compromise about your faith in your relationship, there might be some underlining issues that you need to ponder and address. Issues such as acceptance, neediness, etc.


Dating Commandment VI:
Thou shalt learn to fight fair!
FIGHT IS INEVITABLE!
It is not a question of if, it is a question of when.

Asses yourselves on how you handle conflict:
Is it:
1. Withdrawal?
Avoid conflict at all cost, passive, no talking about it. This is Unhealthy way.
2. Give-In Style?
The people pleaser. This requires no courage but high on consideration for other. This is also Unhealthy way.
3. Stand Your Ground?
My way or the highway. This requires big courage but low consideration for other. You could win the battle but could lose the relationship. This is also Unhealthy way.
4. Compromise?
Let's meet each other halfway. This requires lots of courage and has high consideration for other. Be honest to each other. This is a healthy way.
5. Collaborative?
Our way. This requires lots of courage and has the highest consideration for other. This is the BEST way.

If you made mistakes, this is a very BAD way to apologize:
"I'm sorry you feel that way..."
"I apologized, now your turn."
This is pretty insincere apologies.

We are not a mind reader, therefore the great need to communicate. We don't know the motive when our loved one made the offence.

"...bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do." (Colossians 3: 13)

When you like to mend your relationship with your love one, you should say these 3 things sincerely:
1. I'm sorry. (Not, I'm sorry, but...)
2. Please forgive me, when you ready.
3. I forgive you (if the other is asking for forgiveness).

...to be continued.