Carpe Diem

It is pronounced as /ˌkärpā ˈdēˌem/ with exclamation (!).

It simply means to live in the moment and to give little thoughts to the future. 

It goes in line with what I have read in the Scripture today - Matthew 6. It begins with what it truly means to give to needy, to pray and to fast - to practice this spiritual disciplines is good, but do it unto the Lord in SECRET. 

"Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

This is repeated THREE times at every mentioned of the spiritual disciplines - giving to needy, to pray and to fast; 6:4b, 6:6b, 6:18b. It clearly emphasized that our work is not for the purpose of boastfulness or for fueled-up-men-praised. 

After all that is done is secret, Jesus Christ talked about treasures. We ALL loved treasures. Men looked for treasures all their lives - just like pirates in the sea, where as for us is looking for treasures in the sea of men. Treasures come in many forms - money, fame, future spouse and success as how our world packaged it for us. We allow the standard of the world to creep in our lives and be the standard we hold on to. We sometimes failed to realize that even though our mouth said our treasure is Christ alone, but our lives do not lived up to it. When trials come, we find it difficult to cling on to what is unseen rather than what is seen. For instance, if we are going through difficult period of time financially, we find it so hard to part with our money and we struggle with giving (I have been through it and I realized how true is that). 

Our Lord puts it clearly for us, that we CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS. He was not ambiguous on the matter - he state it clearly YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MONEY. 

Although this was a firm instruction from God, we still struggle in our daily lives. The Lord knows it will not be easy. Hence, the following verses 25 - 34, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. He reassured us of the creations our Father in heaven created. He never once fail to feed the birds; the flowers in the field, He clothed them beautifully, 

So, why worry? Our Father in Heaven have already prepared for our every needs. 

CARPE DIEM!

IN THIS MOMENT, Live for God! 

Seek His Kingdom! Seek His righteousness! 

Ask yourselves this, have my DAILY NEEDS ever been neglected by God? (not wants)

If you are able to read this online, it does mean you are very much well off compared to many people in this world who lived in difficult situations.

Trusting Game

This place of trust isn't a comfortable place to be; in fact, it flies in the face of everything we've been taught about proper planning. We like finding refuge in what we already have rather than in what we hope God will provide. But when Christ says to count the cost of following Him, it means we MUST SURRENDER everything. It means going like the disciples, going without an extra tunic or a place to sleep at night, and sometimes without knowing where we are going. 

- Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love - 

I thought to myself, how many will actually go as such? How many will give up all they own and go? There are some whom I had the opportunity to meet when I visit Timor Leste. They are called missionaries. With this entitlement, many ordinary people would think, "Surely they have a 'calling' to go to the 'mission field' and laid their life for others". THEY and US have the SAME EXACT calling! That is, the most important one ....'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength'. The second is this: 'Love your neighbours as yourself.' (Mark 12:29-31)

You need to have a paradigm shift! Mission field do not only categorize when you go abroad, when you visit the Orang Asli, when you do ministry in kampung, when you go to a poorer region! Your life, where you are now is the mission field. The people you come in contact with, that's your mission field. What you have now, your work, your friends, your studies, your lecturers, are all GIFTS from God to live as a missionary.

In whatever you do, let it be unto Him. 

Now, let's look back at the disciples. Why would the Lord had asked the disciples to act radically to not bring anything extra / plan ahead in the next place they are going for rest? Because He is setting the HIGHEST STANDARD of trusting Christ. For them to be in a place of discomfort! For them to realise that it is not by what they have to continue on the journey, but by full trust in God.

Will it be the same for us? No, I wouldn't think so. However, I believe if the Lord would want us to journey as such, He would grant us the full assurance to go. But, you see many would take the excuse, 'Nah, it ain't for me to go through as the disciples because God never call. So God, I will take a rain check on that. Call me maybe......next time or never '. Excuses, fear or just us pushes our focus away from what the Lord had called us to be.

From the example of the disciples, the Lord is ultimately DRAWING A PICTURE for us to NOT RELY ON OURSELVES and our CAPABILITIES, but to RELY SOLELY ON HIM! He is telling us to TRUST by FAITH and not with our eyes. Don't allow our physical eyes be DISTRACTED from what He has called us to.

May difficult questions come your way that cause you to think further! May you be granted with discomfort to push you out of comfort zone.

I pray when the doors of opportunities are open to us, we will be willingly answering that call of trust!

Small yet a Ripple Of Change in many lives

On a cold freezing winter evening, someone left an eight-week old male kitten in the outside book drop at the Spencer Public Library. The poor little kitten was being shoved inside the box on the wall with all the other books. The staff found the badly frostbitten and filthy kitten and they thought he was grey. But, after a good wash under the filth, he was a beautiful orange kitten. The library director Vicki Myron decided to take care of this kitten who was then eight week old. The story of Dewey Readmore Books was birthed on November 18, 1987. 

The act of Vicki Myron who took care of the Dewey for a good 18 years is something to be applauded. It begins with a birthed of desire to take care of this kitten. Little Dewey grew as a cat and a public affection to people in Spencer and Iowa and Beyond. His story of being shoved in a the book drop box and how he was determined to live on after that. Vicki Myron had fought for this little kitty to live in the public library. He became the permanent resident of the Spencer Public Library. 

Dewey: The Small-Town Library
Cat Who Touched the World

The title of the book tells it all. How did it happen? He began by winning hearts of the people in Spencer. He began SMALL. 

After reading his story written by Vicki Myron, this is my thoughts.
(if can, you should read the story for yourself)

Dewey in comparable to a human being is small and may not have been able to accomplish "success" in the measure of human beings. In our measurement, he is just like any cat that laze around and demands our attention. Dewey is a different cat, although by just reading from a third party point of view. His story gives light on what matters most is the LOVE FOR OTHERS. Both Vicki and Dewey shared the most intimate relationship of loving one another. Through the toughest time in life for both, they stood by one another. They have shown a LOVE that is not self seeking or self serving. Through the lens of a cat who do have the intellect of a human can love humans to its best. Through the lens of Vicki, she sacrificially give and shared life with Dewey. That MINUTE ACT of LOVE stands out strong which made Dewey endearing to many who have met him or have not met him.

This cat changed the town Spencer in Iowa. Its story reached across the globe: all the way to Japan. What did it do? Love others and living to its purpose by being a cat. That is an inspiration. A small cat who can be lost in the sight of many made a change. 

Bringing it back to our human senses. What then does this all mean? Sometimes, being human, we feel that way, which is being engulfed in the sight of many and feeling small. We feel like nothing in the things we do. It is YOU and I can make a DIFFERENCE by being faithful in the little things. The little things are to love others and living out our purpose.

It may be small and unnoticed but believe me, like Dewey it creates a ripple of change in many lives. Friends, begin small today by loving others and dream big in our PURPOSE in life. 

Strictly for CHRISTIANS: Mega EVENTS, good?

Taken from http://www.churchleaders.com/files/article_images/worship_crowd_802061783.jpg

I've seen many mega Christians events that brings many people regardless whether you are a believer or not together in one seating. This is a good initiative to gather people from different ethnicity and different believes.

Is this a good effort? Yes, I definitely agree!

My concern is since there are so many big Christian events that can invite our friends, are we taking the backseat not to share the gospel with our friends directly? What I seen is that many think that it is not my forte to share the gospel because;

1. I am not capable.
2. I am not so holy like my pastor or teachers.
3. I did not read the whole Bible yet. 
4. I do not have an awesome story to tell how God change my lives.

What many fail to understand is that we are missionary in school or in campus or at WORK. We are the ones who will be the LINK to share the gospel with. We are the ones who will allow friends to see what Christ had done in their lives. We are the ones at the front sharing about Christ.

Matthew 28: 19-20

"Therefore go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Therefore go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS: This is a command for all who called on God the Father and God the Son and believes in the work of the Holy Spirit. Not solely a command for those who are in the work of ministry.
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Baptizing is a public declaration of your faith to the community of believers that you believe in the God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. To baptize 'them', means that they too had received God and publicly declaring their faith. 
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you: To teach them what you have learned that your faith is firm in God.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age: and don't worry. He is with you ALWAYS, when you shared your faith to your friends through words and actions. Even if your friends are not ready to receive, continue to pray and be a friend to your friends.

The four "I AM and I did not" that I can think of, God is saying you don't need to be extravagant in sharing your lives.

1. I am not capable. (God is in a business of using willing hearts to share lives with many)
2. I am not so holy like my pastor or teachers. (God did not put that as the FIRST RULE to share His story)
3. I did not read the whole Bible yet. (Also, this is not the rule to do so, but God gave you the Bible to read to firm your faith in Him)
4. I do not have an awesome story to tell how God change my lives. (The fact you receive God and God is in your life because of what He has done is already an AWESOME story)


So, what about the mega Christian events? Mega Christian events are good to introduce Christ to your friends. The crucial work comes after. That is to share with them what is it like when God comes into your life. However, mega events only come two months once approximately. Where as to be a friend means that we can share lives together starting from now.

Start with what you already have.

means now you have friends, build deep friendships with them. 

Pray for them. 

One day, in hope they will come to know Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Love birthed Faith, Faith birthed Courage

Faith is being sure what we hope for and being certain of what is not seen.

Hebrews 11:1, NIV

When we know the LOVE that gives peace, assurance and hope, we can be sure of the things that we hope for. Things in the future are hard for us to perceive. Just like this game shows I heard on Red FM, ‘The Box’. You are required to answer a simple question. Then, you are given two choices; cash or the box. In the box, there is a surprise GIFT. It may be an EXTRAVANGANT GIFT, or a simple gift such as two bottles of the 500 ml water. Many had participated. Many had win and brought home the CASH! I remembered one man sighing when he had discovered that in the box was a trip to a beautiful island, compared to the load of cash at hand.

Obviously our life is not like the game show. However, we could see some similarities that we often go for the things that could be SEEN or EXPLAIN, rather than the UNSEEN or UNEXPLAINABLE. We discount our faith to only things that could be SEEN with physical eyes. Why? Because we are afraid. We have fears that if we put our hope to the things unseen, that our lives will be out of control.

This fear is genuine, because it is into the unknown. When you and I placed our trust in Him, our unseen and unexplainable future is certain. Because it is there we find assurance that no matter where we go, we will have peace because He is with us. 

One day, there is a man lying on his death bed. There is a Christian doctor who worked at the hospital, who hopes that he can share the gospel with him. So, day and day, the doctor will go and check on him and have conversation with him. Soon after, the man on the death bed asked the doctor, “Do you believe there is heaven and hell?” The doctor caught by surprised, looked at the man and said, “Yes, I do.” The man replied, “Do you know where you are going?” The doctor said, “I know where I will go, that is heaven.” The man who had bad experiences with Christians, quickly challenged the doctor, “How do you know? How can you be sure? How sure you are going to heaven?” He added on, “If you can prove to me, I will give my life to Jesus.” The doctor was lost of words. So, he went home and prayed and seek the Lord. Few days passed by. He still haven’t gotten his answer to the questions of the man.

Taken from http://www.sorrywatch.com/2013/07/30/apologies-in-medicine-a-post-by-an-actual-doctor/

Now, this doctor has a dog. His dog is a faithful dog. Everytime, he comes home from work, his dog will be so happy to see him. As he goes about doing house chores, his dog followed him back and forth in the house. One night, as he was seeking the Lord, he looked at his dog and finally gotten his answer. 

The next day, he got permission from the hospital to bring his dog to visit this man. He got the dog all clean and sterilized. So, he went to the man’s room. Knocked on the door, and enter with his dog. He did his usual checks on him. The man who was curious, looked at the doctor and asked, “Why did you bring a dog here?” The doctor smiled and looked at him, “This is your answer to the questions that day.” The man was puzzled. Then, the doctor explained, “You asked me how can I be so sure where I am going in the after-life? I thought for days and sought the LORD but I didn’t find a solid answer to tell you. So, one day when I was resting, and my dog was by my side, then I realized something. My dog is a faithful dog. Every time I come home after work, it will greet me with smiles and followed me whole-hearted back and forth in the house. Today, I have brought my dog to an unknown place. Instead, of being frightened of its new surroundings, it calmly follow me in and out of my office and now in your room. It is not afraid, because my dog knows I am here with him. Same goes to my faith in Christ. I will not be afraid where I will be going after this life, because I know I will be with Him. With Him by my side, I am comforted.”

The man eyes welled up with tears.” May I have this kind of assurance that you have?” asked the man. The doctor puts his arms around the man and prayed.

Am I making this story up? No, absolutely no. It is a testimony of a friend. Thus, when we know WHO we LOVE and have the communion with HIM, then our LOVE will birth FAITH in our life. With this FAITH, we will be COURAGEOUS to live life in accordance to Him, by Him and through Him.

LOVE, the greatest of all

Love birthed Faith, Faith birthed Courage.

-Nick Vujicic-

LOVE has become something that is cliché or even weak in the eyes of many. This has to be REDEEMED in today’s world. LOVE is the GREATEST of all that gives u strength, assurance and courage to pull through. I am not talking about human love. Human love fails, but there is one that never will fail us, that is God’s love. Because of this perfect LOVE from GOD, then we can have FAITH that He will never fail us, and from there, it will birthed out in us COURAGE to put our words in actions.

Taken from http://mikyunglim.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/proverbs-31-30-29-28/

Psalm 8:3-5 [NIV]

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

What is man that you are mindful of him,

The son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower that the heavenly beings

And crowed him with glory and honor.

He is an ALMIGHTY GOD. Who are we that He care for us? Simple. It is because of the LOVE He had given to us that He made us and crowned us with glory and honor. HIS LOVE surpasses our logic understanding. 

He could have created MAN programmed to LOVE HIM no matter what. Instead, He gave us a choice. He first showed us LOVE. In our minute understanding, we have to choose whether we want to reciprocate the LOVE that He has given us, to Him. When we learned to LOVE HIM with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind and with all our strength, our entire focus will be on Him. Not because we are forced to do so, but we are delighted to do so. Not because we don't have a mind of our own, but we have discovered something greater and more valuable than gold and silver. To love Him, we cannot do it out of own, but we have to rely on Him to LOVE Him. This is because our love can turn out selfish and deceitful, because of our human nature.

                              He has given his LOVE for us, will we open our hearts to accept Him?

LOVING someone takes time to grow. It's a long process, but a meaningful and heart-warming experiences.

Simple.

To live a simple life was a call for students since 1976 till now. It is a call to live less luxuriously. It is a call to live life different from what the world standards. Three main points of living life simply:

Luke 12: 29-31

29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

In the first point to not worry what we eat or drink, we are called not to be anxious about the provisions in the future life. 

Our second point reemphasizes with this verse: Luke 12:15

15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Note that in Luke 12:34, 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The central teaching of Jesus on the simple life highlights first that this life is preoccupied with God - seeking first the kingdom - but second acknowledging that 'all the rest' (Luke 12:31) fall into their right and rightful place. Jesus warned that possessions in life is not the main quality of life, if this becomes our primary focus, then our feelings and motivations will be attached. How easy it is to live 'a life of faith', telling ourselves that we are concentrating on seeking first the kingdom of God, while knowing fully well in our heart that if this faith life fails, we have stored up abundances somewhere that will carry us through. There's an agony in actions to practice what is written in these verses. Eller wrote; "...be very clear, this is not to say that it is immaterial whether the simple life has a concrete manifestation or not. No, no, no; It is incredible that a person could freely and wholeheartedly choose God and become the absolutely obedient to him without it making some change in his relationship to things of the world. If some sort of outward change did not take place it rightly could be suspected whether he had actually chosen God. That change, of course, will be in the direction of simplicity, a lessened evaluation of what the world promotes as important. Yet, nevertheless, no one can dictate specifies to another; each person, with God's help, will have to evolve his style of simple living for himself". 

John McInnes wrote, it worries me that Christians as for others the luxuries of yesterday have become the necessities of today and that the luxuries of today will be the necessities of tomorrow. Our community we lived in are calling for this, to be safe than to be sorry. The church of the Laodiceans in Revelation Chapter  3, a church that was being well taught and firmly established in the time of Paul. They have become lukewarm: one of the heaviest condemnation in the scriptures; I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Rev 3:16. Was their sin a doctrinal error? No! It was materialistic takeover. They have been sucked in by the culture of their day in terms of wealth (I am rich), position (I have prospered), and possessions (I need nothing) (verse 17). 

The final question remains, what do we do? 

Bishop Taylor says, it is not enough to say these things; our world is waiting for concrete examples in realizations. It is not enough to point out the contrast between our idolatry of Growth and the Bible's theology of Enough: we have to opt out of the drift and help one another to live in cheerful protest against it. We must not wait for all Christians to be persuaded of the need for this, neither should we waste out time designing a single rule of life for those who are so persuaded. 

In the end, it is still our individual response and decision. The pressure of the consumer society is so strong. It is difficult to stand against the trend. We may need to keep each other accountable and on the mark. That's why Christian Fellowship play such an important role. Finally, simplicity is not a side issue. Nor it is to preserve of the ultra-bright or the super-spiritual. It is RADICAL living, if radical means going to the radical or the heart of the issue. The solution? we make one decision that will LAST forever. A true and individually satisfying answer to the question of the simplicity will demand that we give the Christ Lordship over the whole of our lives and not even the whole of our personal, private and reflective lives but over our living patterns as well. 

[Excerpt from article, Simplicity, John McInnes, IFES]

WE are called not to worry for our well-being, because God will provide 

(Our Jehovah Jireh). 

D-MOLITION!

Demolition in progress! Tear down! Abolish! *COUGH* oh-the-dust! An image appeared in my mind: a building that is going through a construction. It is not a pretty sight. Everything looks so bare and dusty. The air in a constructed-building is not clean. Tearing down is a COSTLY job. For construction, well it will be definitely more expansive than just putting a new coat of paint on it. But, if an old building just continue to be RE-painted, the old cracking structure beneath the paint will break out and reveal itself in a short  period of time. Stripping down the old structure is COSTLY, but it is a necessary one.

How then this applies to us personally in our life? 

The old structure that we have built throughout our life is our thoughts. The experiences we went through, our upbringing, our principles, our philosophy; all contribute to the way we think. This then slowly build up a STRONGHOLD in our life. 

What does STRONGHOLD means? In Greek, it means HARD PLACE. The stronghold we built could be a spiritual stronghold. The spiritual stronghold is a faulty thinking pattern based on lies and deception we tell ourselves. What we think can manifest physically in our body. Example, if you think you are ugly, then you won't look in the mirror and be thankful for who you are. If you think you are stupid, then low self-esteem sets in. 

We NEED to break this STRONGHOLD! Demolition of own-built-thoughts need to be tear down! It is HARD. It is PAINFUL. It is COSTLY. But it is indeed a NECESSARY one! 

It is hard to let go of something that had been "attached" or "known" to us for all our life (up to what age you are). What is it to you that you continue to live in the "darkness" and feeling lowly of yourself. This is not what our God had created you for. Let the breaking of old thoughts begin, and build on what His thoughts He has for you.

Ephesians 4:22 - 24

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  

When strongholds of thoughts are being broken down, then RE-BUILDING of self could happen.

What are you building your life upon?
Layering a new platform is important. The layer of foundation is crucial. Jesus Christ need to be platform in your life. His say must be your say. We are to be build on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with  Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone Ephesians 2:20.  

Friends, demolish the strongholds.  

Let Go and Let God take control of your life. 

Don't miss out on the great things He had in store for you! 

Renewed MIND

Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things. 

Philippians 4:8

When we professed saying that 'we accept Jesus Christ as Personal Saviour', there is no ABRUPT change that happen at that exact moment! Heaven rejoice and the angels sing praises (but, that is beyond what we can see with our naked eyes). So, JUSTIFICATION happens.

Our part is to continue to play our part for SANCTIFICATION. When we had turn from our old ways, we must fill it with new thoughts from Him. When we decide to enter the Kingdom of God, we are given a fresh and new mind. We turn from our old habits. We discard them and put in with new thoughts. Our mind is like a flask; when we empty the flask, we need to always fill it again. What should you and I fill our 'flask' with? We CHOSE to turn from our old ways in our perspectives we see life, the Lord in a bird eye view from above, chose us to walk this way. Our role to build right thoughts into our mind. 

Our old habits are tear down everyday, and to allow the new ones to grow in us. This should characterize how we lived.