Friday, July 24, 2009
Moving a bank
Today, my customer has successfully move his bank from the old location at UOB Plaza 2 to Suntec City successfully and is one day ahead of schedule. However, at the end of the move, the printer cannot start because one of the print servers was faulty. The boss made sure that the IT people stayed back until the faulty print server was replaced. There was no compliment to the IT staff for a job well done, just focusing on a delay that was one day ahead.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
We Expect Harsh Judgement On Others When They Make Mistakes
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: (Luke 6:37 KJV).
Many times we expect harsh judgement on others when they make mistakes but mercy on ourselves when we make mistakes. In the Bible, there are three such incidents.
Joshua wants Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad from prophesy.
Numbers 11:26-29 KJV
But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
John the Apostle want Jesus to forbid those who are not with them to cast devils in His name.
Luke 9:49-50 KJV
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
John the Apostle want Jesus to bring fire from heaven on the Samaritan village who refused to provide them shelter.
Luke 9:51-56 KJV
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Many times we expect harsh judgement on others when they make mistakes but mercy on ourselves when we make mistakes. In the Bible, there are three such incidents.
Joshua wants Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad from prophesy.
Numbers 11:26-29 KJV
But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
John the Apostle want Jesus to forbid those who are not with them to cast devils in His name.
Luke 9:49-50 KJV
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
John the Apostle want Jesus to bring fire from heaven on the Samaritan village who refused to provide them shelter.
Luke 9:51-56 KJV
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Gods Who Claimed To Be Somebody
There are many gods in the world who seek to be worshipped. However, the Bible has a test for these gods:
Thus you shall say to them, "The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens." (Jeremiah 10:11 NASB)
So if any god come to you asking for worship, ask that god if he/she/it had created the heavens and the earth. If the answer is "No", ask that fellow to go away. And you can read about the test for men who claim to be god here.
Thus you shall say to them, "The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens." (Jeremiah 10:11 NASB)
So if any god come to you asking for worship, ask that god if he/she/it had created the heavens and the earth. If the answer is "No", ask that fellow to go away. And you can read about the test for men who claim to be god here.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
There is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed
There is this interesting speech by Buddha found in a Buddhist scripture accepted by all schools of Buddhism:
“There is, O monks, an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed. Were there not, O monks, this unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed.
“Since, O monks, there is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, and unformed, therefore is there an escape from the born, originated, created, formed.”
"比丘們，不生、不有(非緣起)、非造作、無爲(之維度)實有。若無不生、不有、非造作、無爲(之維度)，則不能辨知從生、有、造作、有爲的解脫。
然而，正因爲不生、不有、非造作、無爲(之維度)實有，才得以辨知從生、有、造作、有爲的解脫。"
The Gospel of Buddha - Sermon at the bamboo grove at Rajagaha
Udana (自說經) 8:3
“There is, O monks, an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed. Were there not, O monks, this unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed.
“Since, O monks, there is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, and unformed, therefore is there an escape from the born, originated, created, formed.”
"比丘們，不生、不有(非緣起)、非造作、無爲(之維度)實有。若無不生、不有、非造作、無爲(之維度)，則不能辨知從生、有、造作、有爲的解脫。
然而，正因爲不生、不有、非造作、無爲(之維度)實有，才得以辨知從生、有、造作、有爲的解脫。"
The Gospel of Buddha - Sermon at the bamboo grove at Rajagaha
Udana (自說經) 8:3
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jacelyn Tay interview with Impact Magazine Dec 2008/Jan 2009 Edition
Interview with Jacelyn Tay (郑秀珍) as published on pages 24 to 27 of Impact Magazine, Dec 2008/Jan 2009 Edition:
QUOTE
You were rising in your career when you became a Christian. What led you to consider Jesus Christ?
Before I knew God, I only believed in myself. I believed that all gods were the same. Handling pressure was basically part and parcel of life.
I am a very strong person. I thought I didn’t need God and I could survive very well. A lot of people think that somebody becomes a Christian because he is weak or has problems. In my case I found God when everything was going well. My career was fine. My relationships were fine, but there was still an emptiness in my heart which I didn’t understand. I was actually pretty lost when I had everything.
At that time I was actually a staunch Buddhist. I had my Fai Ming (a Dharma name acquired during a Buddhist refuge ceremony, traditionally given by a high- ranking Buddhist monk.) and the black and yellow-coloured robes. I was ‘baptised’ into Buddhism. I even prayed in the Japanese temple. I also believed in Feng Shui.
You would think I had no need for all that since I was doing well. But as a celebrity, you depend on so-called luck. When you have fame, you have money, but you are also afraid of losing what fame you have. How do you get fame? Hard work alone is not enough. It’s by luck. You are dependent on luck, so you pray to all the gods, in the hope of becoming popular and famous. In January 2006, I was injured during a Renci Charity show. I took that opportunity to speak up for the performers. We should not have to do dangerous stunts to get the funds or donations. There are better ways to raise funds.
As I was recovering at home I received a letter from a lady, who wrote that she had a dream of me. She said she was not a fan, but on her 57th birthday, she dreamt of me. In her dream, her husband tapped her on the shoulder during the altar call in church and asked her to pray for the person in front of her. Since she didn’t know who that person was, she was a bit shy. After that she woke up. It was about 3 am. She felt very guilty that she hadn’t prayed, so she asked God to reveal who the person was and what to pray for. When she went back to sleep she saw my face! She began praying for me, and continued to do so until the day that she wrote the letter. But to me, she sounded like another preacher and I threw the letter away.
After that, I kept meeting people telling me about God. The first one was my friend Ricky. I asked him, “So, you are a Christian? But why? Why do you believe that there is only one Almighty God?” He explained to me and somehow I could understand it; I could accept it as logical. From then on, God brought many people to me. Everyday I would meet people telling me about God.
It also happened that the father of the chiropractor who treated me was a retired Bishop worshipping at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, which is my church now. I wanted to go there to challenge him. I wrote a long list of questions and told my chiropractor, "I am going to ask your father questions and see whether he can answer me." I went to church not looking for God. I am quite stubborn. When everybody was standing up, I refused to stand up, and instead, remained seated and disrespectful. I took the Bible from the pew and it opened to Revelation chapter 12 about the woman and the dragon. I suddenly realized I had dreamt about that before, even though I had never read the Bible. How could it be?
In my dream, Revelation chapter 12 was actually in three parts. I dreamt of the first part on one night, and two weeks later the second part, then three weeks later the third part. That is not normal! In my dream I was chased by a dragon. As I read Revelation 12,1 realised the scenario was similar to my dream. It was impossible. There must be a God. How could I have dreamt of something in the Bible that I had never read before? That was 19 February 2006. That night the retired Bishop led a prayer, saying, "If you decide to receive the Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ, then you should say these words." In my heart I said, "Okay, I don’t want to decide now:" But after I went back home, I thought about it and was convinced there must be a God. So I said the sinner’s prayer.
What is the biggest change in your life since you became a Christian?
The biggest change is that God is above everything. So, in my life, God is the most important. God is more important than my mother, and even my future husband or anybody else, anything on earth. God is number one. This is my choice. I choose to commit and be faithful to God because He is really faithful to me. He has been really good to me. Good as in, I have gone through rough patches, but it always turns out to be good. Those rough patches are for me to learn. When something bad happens I know it is another test. It is to sharpen my character. So I don’t see bad things as bad things anymore. Before I knew God, I was actually very lost. You don’t know why you are here. You do everything and everything is meaningless. But since I came to know God, I know why I am here and I know everything is meaningful. Even when I just bump into somebody, I know it is not by coincidence. It must be God’s arrangement So, I am always looking forward to each new day.
How did you overcome the objections you have to face over your conversion?
My mum is now a Christian. But when I wanted to get baptised in April, which was two months after I received Christ, she objected. Everyday she would call me, cry and threaten me, saying that I was not filial, that I was deserting her, since I was not going to pray to her after she died. She didn’t want me to get baptised, and forced me to speak to a monk, saying,"You must speak to Shifu (Master). If you want to be a Christian, that’s fine, but you cannot be baptised.”
I replied, “If you want me to speak to Shifu, I shall. But if he cannot answer some of my questions, then I’ll go ahead and get baptised."
The monk called me and said, "Christianity is actually something lower than Buddhism." He believes in the wheel of reincarnation. The six levels of the wheel of reincarnation are: hell, all the lost souls, the animals, human, deity and the Buddha. You have to work hard for millions of years. For instance, if you are a pig, then in the next life you become a human, and then in the next life you become something else.
I replied, “Okay, as a Buddhist, I have to work very hard. I have to do good so that I can earn the points in my report card, hoping that my next life I may be able to become a Buddha. And then as a Buddha, I have to work some more because I want to go to the world of ‘nothingness’ - Nirvana. If that is the case, who decides what I have done so wrong to fall into this wheel of reincarnation. What have I done wrong? Who decides my first life? What did I do to come into this world? Where do I come from?”
He answered, “From the world of nothing¬ness.” But if I come from nothing, which is the ideal state, what wrong did I do to fall into this wheel of reincarnation? He could not answer me. So, everything is meaningless. I came from nothingness and I have to work so hard to go back to the world of nothingness. Because he couldn’t answer me, he told my mum to let me become a Christian.
The night before I got baptised, my mum was still crying and threatening me. Although the monk had said “Let her go”, I think she was controlled by some satanic force. She was like two totally different persons. My mum has never been an aggressive person but during that period she was so aggressive that it seemed she was not being herself. It’s a little strange. My sister who has been a Christian for the past 20 years advised, “Don’t listen to the devil, just go ahead. It will be fine.” So I went ahead. After I was baptised, she became normal again.
How did undergoing the early financial troubles strengthen you as a person? What helps you face the inevitable ups and downs of being an entrepreneur?
I have gone from ‘plus’ to ‘zero’ to ‘minus’. When I was a ‘plus’, I experienced the life of a ‘plus% I was 19 and had more than 100 thousand dollars. Suddenly I was popular. And then after that, I became a ‘minus’. I owed people money. And I realised I could still survive as a ‘minus’. So, what else was there that I couldn’t do? What actually strengthened me was that I didn’t think that there was anything that was impossible, as long as you are positive.
But that philosophy was before I became a Christian. That is why I told you I didn’t believe in anybody else but myself, my own strength. Now when I think about it, I thank God. By my own strength, I actually climbed from ‘minus’ to ‘plus’ but I was still lost. Everything was still meaningless without God. I used to say,"If you have money, if you don’t have money, it’s still the same. You don’t know why you are here and where you are going."
How do you face challenges in the marketplace, for example, deciding on what type of products to sell as well as the competition involved in it?
When I first thought of opening the health club, it was supposed to be just a slimming centre. My father died a sudden death in 2004. But two weeks before his death I had a dream that he was going to die. I told my mum and so she prayed and got him to drink burnt talismens, but he still died. The death certificate stated that he had died of heart disease. That prognosis is so general and I couldn’t understand it. I started to study more about heart disease, wanting to know why my father had died so suddenly.
I met a Chinese physician when I was in the process of opening a slimming centre. He was actually treating a lot of stroke patients and those with cholesterol problems. I found out that actually heart disease can be prevented and there are good Chinese herbs that can help. I wanted to help people to have healthier bodies and help those who are very depressed about their figures. They needed some counselling. So I decided to incorporate this into a health club.
When I started the health club I wasn’t a Christian yet. After I became a Christian I changed my plans because God gave me a new direction. In the marketplace, everybody just wants to make a sale. It is not easy to train the staff to sell something that people need and not sell things that people don’t need. It is still a challenge now. Whenever there are new staff members, we have to retrain them.
The way I do business, I am not answerable to people, but I am answerable to God. I always tell my staff that if they don’t care for their customers, if after selling them something they just say ‘bye’, then God will not bless them. That is something that they probably don’t understand right now. They don’t care if God will not bless them, but they care whether I will fire them!
What advice do you have for people considering becoming entrepreneurs?
From a business point of view, I could give you a lot of answers but because I presume I am talking to Christians, I would tell you to do whatever God plans for you to do. Some people do business and succeed, but some people fail because God never intended for them to be entrepreneurs. For some people it is clear that God planned for them to be entrepreneurs. I have no answer to that. Only God knows. He will provide all the resources for whatever He wants us to do.
Just to give an example of myself: I am not a doctor, I am not yet a nutritionist, I don’t even have a degree but I have opened a clinic with two dieticians, two Chinese medicine physicians, a microscopist and several therapists. God provided all these people. How do I get all the herbs? You know our herbs are not all Chinese herbs. We have other herbs from elsewhere. God enabled me to meet the right persons, so that I could find out which herb cures what. I have faith that it will just happen. If God asks me one day to close the Health Club down, I will close it. I have no secret for success, no formula. I just want to do what God wants me to do.
UNQUOTE
QUOTE
You were rising in your career when you became a Christian. What led you to consider Jesus Christ?
Before I knew God, I only believed in myself. I believed that all gods were the same. Handling pressure was basically part and parcel of life.
I am a very strong person. I thought I didn’t need God and I could survive very well. A lot of people think that somebody becomes a Christian because he is weak or has problems. In my case I found God when everything was going well. My career was fine. My relationships were fine, but there was still an emptiness in my heart which I didn’t understand. I was actually pretty lost when I had everything.
At that time I was actually a staunch Buddhist. I had my Fai Ming (a Dharma name acquired during a Buddhist refuge ceremony, traditionally given by a high- ranking Buddhist monk.) and the black and yellow-coloured robes. I was ‘baptised’ into Buddhism. I even prayed in the Japanese temple. I also believed in Feng Shui.
You would think I had no need for all that since I was doing well. But as a celebrity, you depend on so-called luck. When you have fame, you have money, but you are also afraid of losing what fame you have. How do you get fame? Hard work alone is not enough. It’s by luck. You are dependent on luck, so you pray to all the gods, in the hope of becoming popular and famous. In January 2006, I was injured during a Renci Charity show. I took that opportunity to speak up for the performers. We should not have to do dangerous stunts to get the funds or donations. There are better ways to raise funds.
As I was recovering at home I received a letter from a lady, who wrote that she had a dream of me. She said she was not a fan, but on her 57th birthday, she dreamt of me. In her dream, her husband tapped her on the shoulder during the altar call in church and asked her to pray for the person in front of her. Since she didn’t know who that person was, she was a bit shy. After that she woke up. It was about 3 am. She felt very guilty that she hadn’t prayed, so she asked God to reveal who the person was and what to pray for. When she went back to sleep she saw my face! She began praying for me, and continued to do so until the day that she wrote the letter. But to me, she sounded like another preacher and I threw the letter away.
After that, I kept meeting people telling me about God. The first one was my friend Ricky. I asked him, “So, you are a Christian? But why? Why do you believe that there is only one Almighty God?” He explained to me and somehow I could understand it; I could accept it as logical. From then on, God brought many people to me. Everyday I would meet people telling me about God.
It also happened that the father of the chiropractor who treated me was a retired Bishop worshipping at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, which is my church now. I wanted to go there to challenge him. I wrote a long list of questions and told my chiropractor, "I am going to ask your father questions and see whether he can answer me." I went to church not looking for God. I am quite stubborn. When everybody was standing up, I refused to stand up, and instead, remained seated and disrespectful. I took the Bible from the pew and it opened to Revelation chapter 12 about the woman and the dragon. I suddenly realized I had dreamt about that before, even though I had never read the Bible. How could it be?
In my dream, Revelation chapter 12 was actually in three parts. I dreamt of the first part on one night, and two weeks later the second part, then three weeks later the third part. That is not normal! In my dream I was chased by a dragon. As I read Revelation 12,1 realised the scenario was similar to my dream. It was impossible. There must be a God. How could I have dreamt of something in the Bible that I had never read before? That was 19 February 2006. That night the retired Bishop led a prayer, saying, "If you decide to receive the Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ, then you should say these words." In my heart I said, "Okay, I don’t want to decide now:" But after I went back home, I thought about it and was convinced there must be a God. So I said the sinner’s prayer.
What is the biggest change in your life since you became a Christian?
The biggest change is that God is above everything. So, in my life, God is the most important. God is more important than my mother, and even my future husband or anybody else, anything on earth. God is number one. This is my choice. I choose to commit and be faithful to God because He is really faithful to me. He has been really good to me. Good as in, I have gone through rough patches, but it always turns out to be good. Those rough patches are for me to learn. When something bad happens I know it is another test. It is to sharpen my character. So I don’t see bad things as bad things anymore. Before I knew God, I was actually very lost. You don’t know why you are here. You do everything and everything is meaningless. But since I came to know God, I know why I am here and I know everything is meaningful. Even when I just bump into somebody, I know it is not by coincidence. It must be God’s arrangement So, I am always looking forward to each new day.
How did you overcome the objections you have to face over your conversion?
My mum is now a Christian. But when I wanted to get baptised in April, which was two months after I received Christ, she objected. Everyday she would call me, cry and threaten me, saying that I was not filial, that I was deserting her, since I was not going to pray to her after she died. She didn’t want me to get baptised, and forced me to speak to a monk, saying,"You must speak to Shifu (Master). If you want to be a Christian, that’s fine, but you cannot be baptised.”
I replied, “If you want me to speak to Shifu, I shall. But if he cannot answer some of my questions, then I’ll go ahead and get baptised."
The monk called me and said, "Christianity is actually something lower than Buddhism." He believes in the wheel of reincarnation. The six levels of the wheel of reincarnation are: hell, all the lost souls, the animals, human, deity and the Buddha. You have to work hard for millions of years. For instance, if you are a pig, then in the next life you become a human, and then in the next life you become something else.
I replied, “Okay, as a Buddhist, I have to work very hard. I have to do good so that I can earn the points in my report card, hoping that my next life I may be able to become a Buddha. And then as a Buddha, I have to work some more because I want to go to the world of ‘nothingness’ - Nirvana. If that is the case, who decides what I have done so wrong to fall into this wheel of reincarnation. What have I done wrong? Who decides my first life? What did I do to come into this world? Where do I come from?”
He answered, “From the world of nothing¬ness.” But if I come from nothing, which is the ideal state, what wrong did I do to fall into this wheel of reincarnation? He could not answer me. So, everything is meaningless. I came from nothingness and I have to work so hard to go back to the world of nothingness. Because he couldn’t answer me, he told my mum to let me become a Christian.
The night before I got baptised, my mum was still crying and threatening me. Although the monk had said “Let her go”, I think she was controlled by some satanic force. She was like two totally different persons. My mum has never been an aggressive person but during that period she was so aggressive that it seemed she was not being herself. It’s a little strange. My sister who has been a Christian for the past 20 years advised, “Don’t listen to the devil, just go ahead. It will be fine.” So I went ahead. After I was baptised, she became normal again.
How did undergoing the early financial troubles strengthen you as a person? What helps you face the inevitable ups and downs of being an entrepreneur?
I have gone from ‘plus’ to ‘zero’ to ‘minus’. When I was a ‘plus’, I experienced the life of a ‘plus% I was 19 and had more than 100 thousand dollars. Suddenly I was popular. And then after that, I became a ‘minus’. I owed people money. And I realised I could still survive as a ‘minus’. So, what else was there that I couldn’t do? What actually strengthened me was that I didn’t think that there was anything that was impossible, as long as you are positive.
But that philosophy was before I became a Christian. That is why I told you I didn’t believe in anybody else but myself, my own strength. Now when I think about it, I thank God. By my own strength, I actually climbed from ‘minus’ to ‘plus’ but I was still lost. Everything was still meaningless without God. I used to say,"If you have money, if you don’t have money, it’s still the same. You don’t know why you are here and where you are going."
How do you face challenges in the marketplace, for example, deciding on what type of products to sell as well as the competition involved in it?
When I first thought of opening the health club, it was supposed to be just a slimming centre. My father died a sudden death in 2004. But two weeks before his death I had a dream that he was going to die. I told my mum and so she prayed and got him to drink burnt talismens, but he still died. The death certificate stated that he had died of heart disease. That prognosis is so general and I couldn’t understand it. I started to study more about heart disease, wanting to know why my father had died so suddenly.
I met a Chinese physician when I was in the process of opening a slimming centre. He was actually treating a lot of stroke patients and those with cholesterol problems. I found out that actually heart disease can be prevented and there are good Chinese herbs that can help. I wanted to help people to have healthier bodies and help those who are very depressed about their figures. They needed some counselling. So I decided to incorporate this into a health club.
When I started the health club I wasn’t a Christian yet. After I became a Christian I changed my plans because God gave me a new direction. In the marketplace, everybody just wants to make a sale. It is not easy to train the staff to sell something that people need and not sell things that people don’t need. It is still a challenge now. Whenever there are new staff members, we have to retrain them.
The way I do business, I am not answerable to people, but I am answerable to God. I always tell my staff that if they don’t care for their customers, if after selling them something they just say ‘bye’, then God will not bless them. That is something that they probably don’t understand right now. They don’t care if God will not bless them, but they care whether I will fire them!
What advice do you have for people considering becoming entrepreneurs?
From a business point of view, I could give you a lot of answers but because I presume I am talking to Christians, I would tell you to do whatever God plans for you to do. Some people do business and succeed, but some people fail because God never intended for them to be entrepreneurs. For some people it is clear that God planned for them to be entrepreneurs. I have no answer to that. Only God knows. He will provide all the resources for whatever He wants us to do.
Just to give an example of myself: I am not a doctor, I am not yet a nutritionist, I don’t even have a degree but I have opened a clinic with two dieticians, two Chinese medicine physicians, a microscopist and several therapists. God provided all these people. How do I get all the herbs? You know our herbs are not all Chinese herbs. We have other herbs from elsewhere. God enabled me to meet the right persons, so that I could find out which herb cures what. I have faith that it will just happen. If God asks me one day to close the Health Club down, I will close it. I have no secret for success, no formula. I just want to do what God wants me to do.
UNQUOTE
Sunday, July 19, 2009
100% Correct and 100% Useless
If someone were to ask me, "Sir, what can I do to get 100 marks for maths?" and I replied, "Answer all questions correctly", I would be cursed for giving a useless answer. When Buddha spoke of the eight-fold path (Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration), everyone venerated him for his great wisdom. Why is this so? What is the difference between my answer and his? (Except that his answer is eight times more detail and equally useless?) Do the right things and it will be right, right?
It reminds me of a Microsoft joke. A man lost his way in a city and ask a bystander, "Where am I?" The bystander replied, "You are here." The lost man asked, "Do you work in Microsoft?" The bystander replied, "Yes, how do you know?" The lost man said, "Because your answer is 100% correct and 100% useless."
It reminds me of a Microsoft joke. A man lost his way in a city and ask a bystander, "Where am I?" The bystander replied, "You are here." The lost man asked, "Do you work in Microsoft?" The bystander replied, "Yes, how do you know?" The lost man said, "Because your answer is 100% correct and 100% useless."
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Gog and Magog
In the last days, there shall be Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38, 39). Gog is one of the three rulers prophesized by name in the Bible. The other two are Josiah (1 Kings 13:2) and Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28-45:1). Gog and Magog (גוג ומגוג) is mentioned again in Revelation 20:8, at the end of the millenium.
In the last days, Gog shall lead many nations to attack Israel. The purpose of Gog and Magog's invasion is to magnify the name of God in the eyes of the non-Christians. The fulfilment of this prophecy will convince them that the Bible is true.
"and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog (Ezekiel 38:16 NASB)."
"I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 38:23 NASB)."
"And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them (Ezekiel 39:21 NASB)."
Gog and Magog will be defeated by God Himself by a great earthquake (Ezekiel 38:19), hailstones, fire and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:22). And Israel will also recognise that the Lord is their God.
"And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward (Ezekiel 39:21 NASB)."
Gog and Magog (Ya'juj and Ma'juj, يأجوج و مأجوج) is also found in the Koran (18:93-99, 21:95-97), but as usual, it is completely different from the Bible.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Ten Kingdoms and the Beast at End Times
In the last days, there shall be ten kings, and there is one beast.
Here is the mind which has wisdom The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:9-13 NASB)
After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. (Daniel 7:7-8 NASB)
As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. (Daniel 2:42-43 NASB)
Here is the mind which has wisdom The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:9-13 NASB)
After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. (Daniel 7:7-8 NASB)
As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. (Daniel 2:42-43 NASB)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Three Characteristics of Prophetic Language
Dr Michael P V Barrett in his book, "God's Unfailing Purpose", described three characteristics of prophetic language:
Prophecy tends to use symbolic languages;
Prophecy tends to use language of imminency;
Prophecy tends to link distinct epochal events into single predictive contexts.
Prophecy tends to use symbolic languages;
Prophecy tends to use language of imminency;
Prophecy tends to link distinct epochal events into single predictive contexts.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Prophetic Ambiguity - 1
In his book "God's Unfailing Purpose", Dr Michael P V Barrett wrote that "An intentional ambiguity inheres in prophecy. God reveals enough clarity to testify to His control of time and faithfulness to His word, but He does not make us privy to every single detail of His plan."
He gives 2 Kings 7 as an illustration. The prophet Elisha gave two specific prophecies - cheap food (2 Kings 7:1) and the fate of the doubter (2 Kings 7:2). The prophecies were specific, but strategic details were left out.
Then Elisha said, "Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'"
The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" Then he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it."
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die?
“If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die.”
They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there.
For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.”
Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life.
When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there also, and went and hid them.
Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”
So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of man, only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were.”
The gatekeepers called and told it within the king’s household.
Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.’”
One of his servants said, “Please, let some men take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see.”
They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.”
They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king.
So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.
It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.”
Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.”
And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died (2 Kings 7 NASB).
He gives 2 Kings 7 as an illustration. The prophet Elisha gave two specific prophecies - cheap food (2 Kings 7:1) and the fate of the doubter (2 Kings 7:2). The prophecies were specific, but strategic details were left out.
Then Elisha said, "Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'"
The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" Then he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it."
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die?
“If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ then the famine is in the city and we will die there; and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die.”
They arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Arameans; when they came to the outskirts of the camp of the Arameans, behold, there was no one there.
For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.”
Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their donkeys, even the camp just as it was, and fled for their life.
When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they entered one tent and ate and drank, and carried from there silver and gold and clothes, and went and hid them; and they returned and entered another tent and carried from there also, and went and hid them.
Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”
So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and they told them, saying, “We came to the camp of the Arameans, and behold, there was no one there, nor the voice of man, only the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents just as they were.”
The gatekeepers called and told it within the king’s household.
Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “I will now tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone from the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and get into the city.’”
One of his servants said, “Please, let some men take five of the horses which remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who are left in it; behold, they will be in any case like all the multitude of Israel who have already perished, so let us send and see.”
They took therefore two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the army of the Arameans, saying, “Go and see.”
They went after them to the Jordan, and behold, all the way was full of clothes and equipment which the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. Then the messengers returned and told the king.
So the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. Then a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; but the people trampled on him at the gate, and he died just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.
It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.”
Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.”
And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died (2 Kings 7 NASB).
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Eat, sleep and cuddle
What does a baby need? Baby only need to eat, sleep and be cuddled. When the baby grows up, he still have the same three needs, except it appears in many forms.
Eat: But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4 KJV). See also Luke 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3.
Sleep: God gives his beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2).
Cuddle: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:23 KJV).
Eat: But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4 KJV). See also Luke 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3.
Sleep: God gives his beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2).
Cuddle: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14:23 KJV).
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Seventy Years of Mercy
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11 KJV).
God was very merciful to Israel. For the first exile, God gave Israel a specific timing so that Israel did not have to live with uncertainty about the length of the punishment. When the prophecy came true, it also glorified God, revealing Him as the true and living God.
God was very merciful to Israel. For the first exile, God gave Israel a specific timing so that Israel did not have to live with uncertainty about the length of the punishment. When the prophecy came true, it also glorified God, revealing Him as the true and living God.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Manna (Exodus 16)
The food which God gave to the Israelites in the Wilderness. It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers made with honey. (16:31)
The rules:
Their action:
Their disobedience:
Our lesson:
The rules:
- They are to gather it in the morning. (16:21)
- They are to gather according to their need. On the sixth day they have to gather twice as much food. None will be given on Sabbath. (16:16, 22)
- They may gather it for six days, but rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath. (16:26)
- No one is to let any of it remain until the next morning, except on the sixth day. (16:9, 23-24)
Their action:
- They gathered it every morning. When the sun grew hot, it melted. (16:17)
- Some gathered a lot, some a little. But when they measured it with an omer, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. God supplied exactly what each person needed, which is an omer per head. (16:17-18)
- On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. (16:22)
Their disobedience:
- On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. (16:27)
- Some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. (16:20)
Our lesson:
- God will supply all your needs daily.
- You may put in a lot of effort and save much surplus, but in the end, you will only spend what you need. The rest will breed worms and smell.
- There were many Richest Men in World and Great Rulers in the past, but they left us no legacy and we do not know who they were. We know our Richest Man now, but a thousand years later, who would know him? The worms will take their toll.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
That in all things he might have the preeminence
Three questions:
1. Why is Christ preeminent?
2. What is Christ's preeminence?
3. Is Christ's preeminence reflecting in your life?
Why is Christ preeminent?
1. He is the Creator - For by him were all things created (1:16-17).
2. Firstborn from the dead (1:18)
3. For it pleased the Father (1:19)
What is Christ's preeminence?
1. In all things - that in all things he might have the preeminence (1:18).
Is Christ's preeminence reflecting in your life?
1. Word - And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col 3:17
2. Walk - that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called (Eph 4:1)
3. Motive - That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col 1:10)
4. Testimony - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2:6).
From sermon by Rev Koh Hock Heng.
1. Why is Christ preeminent?
2. What is Christ's preeminence?
3. Is Christ's preeminence reflecting in your life?
Why is Christ preeminent?
1. He is the Creator - For by him were all things created (1:16-17).
2. Firstborn from the dead (1:18)
3. For it pleased the Father (1:19)
What is Christ's preeminence?
1. In all things - that in all things he might have the preeminence (1:18).
Is Christ's preeminence reflecting in your life?
1. Word - And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col 3:17
2. Walk - that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called (Eph 4:1)
3. Motive - That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col 1:10)
4. Testimony - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2:6).
From sermon by Rev Koh Hock Heng.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Is it scriptural for a lady to shave bald?
I read in the papers of some women shaving bald for charity. It looked so odd to me to see a lady bald and I wondered what the Bible says about it. Of course it said about long hair being the glory of a woman. But what about some African women who could not have long hair by nature? It seem that the scriptures also said that there need to be a separation between male and female.
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