The Fall Of This Generation

A poem I wrote while contemplating how the world around me works:

The fall of this generation

will come swiftly as the wind.

The destruction of human souls,

not from outside but within.

The eyes attempt to see the things

that we weren't meant to see.

Callous espionage, betrayal, deceit;

in the name of curiosity.

Oh, the irony of turning to trust

only the things in sight;

but failing to see the things that kill

are the things that bring delight.

The ears, they fool us, they make us think

that just because we listen,

we know more than those before us,

our obstinate nature hastens.

The experience of those who came before us

counts for nothing here,

For good is the advice we glean for ourselves

as the ones that fall on deaf ears.

The tongue, the greatest tool of evil,

bestowed upon our kind.

But woe to us, the words we say,

it has enslaved our mind.

For the glamour of speech has blurred the glimpse

of the knives that we have sheathed.

The bark is often worse than bite,

When the lies lie near the teeth.

The hands have made us capable,

for the wrong reasons it seems.

They have learnt to work on their own,

instead of in a team.

Worse still, the hands are idle,

unmoved in the face of need.

How contrived activism may be

when a movement mistaken for a deed.

The fall of this generation

hastens by the day

It obsesses with temporal gain

than the truth, the light, the way.

We think we know better:

We got morals, skills and goals

In the end, the harsh truth is that

nothing lasts, not one bit at all...

Not in this fallen world.

The Sad Truth Behind My Enthusiasm

Hi all,

This post will be particularly more heartfelt as I talk about some of the things I feel which will hit home for me, perhaps even for some of you reading this. If you are able to relate to this, then take heart in the fact that you are not alone in your experience. 

Ever wonder why some people continue doing what they do, even if everyone else can see that it is not worth the effort? 

Don't they see that their efforts will hardly make a difference? Do they know that they are wasting their time?

That was what people used to say about me. When I joined the student council back in my JC days, there were quite a number of people discouraging me in an attempt to 'avoid wasting my time'. They told me things like "It's not worth it, people will not appreciate you" or "Nothing that council does makes a difference". Of course, being the overly optimistic person I am, I ignored these comments and went with my heart, all ready to make a difference in the school. It did not take long for me to become disillusioned. I became aware that to actually make a difference, the people have to change - and that was something I could not change. Hear me out for a moment here:

You see, there is no such thing as a perfect community or organisation. There are always problems waiting to be resolved. Yet, the two main types of people that I observe are: 1) those that turn a blind eye to these problems and pretend that everything is fine; and 2) those who tried to resolve these problems but give up eventually because no one else is interested in resolving them.

The former does what is easy: it fits into the norm because everyone else is doing it. If other's aren't too bothered about these issues, why should you? Besides, bringing up problems within a community will only cause others to dislike you for being a wet blanket.

The latter does what is ideal initially; but due to discouragement and lack of results, overtime, they too start to realize that they have been too idealistic to want to bring about the change that they wanted to see. They start to see no point in putting in the extra hours and effort if no one else was going to. "Why am I always the one taking the initiative" becomes the perennial question. And I have been in this exact situation too often in my life, I started to lose my direction. 

I know I'm not the only one, there are many others whom I have spoken to who share the same sentiments; and its extremely sad that these people, who used to be so full of energy, passion and dedication to their ideals, have become drained, uninterested and lethargic overtime, simply because of the inherent problems of the community. I grieve for these people, because I know how it feels like to give your all and yet, receive nothing but disillusionment and a sense of hopelessness and despair.

Unfortunately, I feel this way too, at times, even in my own church. I am fully aware of the problems within the community, both as a whole and within the community of young people. While serving, I started to question myself: "Why are those volunteering to serve and helping out the same few people?" I saw a repeat of what I have been trying to do in various stages of my life: me and a few others trying to evoke change for the better in a community but burning out eventually due to the lack of cohesiveness of the community. But then I asked myself: "Is the community really to blame? Have I found any community out there that do not carry similar problems? Or am I just hopping around from place to place, in a hope that I'll find the perfect, flawless community to be in? In that case, why would I need to bring about any change then?"

I guess that shook me a little, and I've come to realize that there will ALWAYS be problems; and there's nothing I can do about that. What I CAN do, however, is to change the way I respond to it:

If there are problems, I don't pretend that they don't exist. I embrace them.

If everyone's waiting for someone else to make the first move, then I make the first move.

If no one takes the initiative, then I will take the initiative. 

If people think it isn't worth it, then I will show them that it is.

It doesn't matter if people think I'm a fool, or if people label me as 'simply enthusiastic'. This is because I know what my goals are, and this is my way of staying true to them. Here's why:

No matter how insignificant my efforts may seem, or how much people may not seem to care or appreciate my work, I know that all these discouragements are just a mere illusion. Because I know when I continue to serve and care, knowing that we all feel the same sense of being alone in our endeavours, deep down in each person, something will stir. Something will make them feel "hey, this guy is actually trying hard to bring people together for a good cause! Let's join in!" And this will go a long way because down the road, these same people will do the same thing as I did - to continue to work and serve because they see that somehow, they too will change someone else's heart, no matter how small the change.

As long as there is hope that people's hearts can change, there's is no better reason for me to keep pressing on doing what I do despite all the drawbacks. In fact, I can't help but feel a great sense of fulfillment when I see the young adults in the community getting to know each other better through a BBQ dinner or when someone mentions how much they enjoy the little times of random fellowship that we have together. It's simply awe-inspiring, how God takes our tiny, little effort and multiply it hundred-fold! 

In the midst of such optimism, I do not deny that I see the heart-wrenching reality of the situation. We're all going to get older and busier, and we won't be able to do the things that we are doing now. All these memories that we choose to create are the things remaining from the effort that we put in now. And I'll admit, my passion and energy will become limited in time to come. It's only a matter of time that I won't be able to do what I'm trying to do anymore. By that time, will I have gotten closer to my goal of truly bringing people together? How far will I be from my expectations? I shudder to imagine how I'd fare; which is why I'll keep running this race.

As long as I'm still breathing, I will spare no effort to make the best change I can make.

And I'll die with no regrets... but the sad truth behind my enthusiasm? Fear.

If you are still reading this, I thank you for your patience. Hopefully my story has somewhat inspired you if you've felt this way at a point in your life. Whatever you are doing or wherever you may be, don't ever stop doing what you believe in, especially if it's for the better of the people around you. Don't ever let the norm hinder your perseverance. Don't ever let your fear of judgment kill your passion. It will be worth it, trust me on that.

May the Lord bless you, O child of God.

Matt

Simplexity: simple, yet complex

Hello!

I haven't had a post in ages and thought this might be a good time to record a few thoughts which I felt would invoke much thinking. These are simple points but they carry much weight both in terms of truth and contemplation, hence the title.

For those who may not know, I have had a rough few months, especially in the workplace. I shall not give much detail about the experience (to spare you the agony of having to read these long stories) except that it was a truly trying period. However, upon listening to today's sermon, it became apparent to me that everything I have gone through is a necessary experience. It is only till now that I could piece everything together and make sense of it.

Note: The following points are not necessarily linked so they may end up seemingly random.

1) Practise what you preach.

Yes, its the grand-daddy of all cliches. There are many variants of it, such as: "Do what you say", "pot calling the kettle black", and so on. However, just think about it a little deeper and you'll begin to realize how words cannot express the sheer validity of such a statement.

This is the biggest gripe of non-believers out there today: 

Christians are some of the biggest hypocrites they have seen.

In all honesty, I do not blame them at all. Well, I used to think the same thing too! But have we stopped to think why is this particularly so in the Christian realm? Interesting, isn't it? To see how this accusation is most commonly applied to Christians all over the world, yet we barely hear the same thing said about people from other religions.

One reason for this is because Christianity makes the some of the boldest claims among the other faiths. Here's one of the biggest claims: "Jesus is perfect, and therefore, he is able to die for our sins and redeem us."

Now imagine yourself to be a non-believer and reading this: you'd probably wouldn't buy it. And why's that? For one, most people have already subscribed to the belief that perfection does not exist in the world (especially in our post-modern era) that they have already dismissed the notion that Jesus was perfect, much less talk about existence of sin and redemption. How will one attempt to even justify Jesus' perfection when 'no one is perfect'?

Of course, there are many more examples to illustrate my point but the bottom line is: a faith with greater claims demand greater scrutiny. And that is one of the most crucial factors when considering why Christianity is subjected to greater persecution. It is because of this that Christianity tends to be challenged to a larger extent than most other faiths and that's causing people to cry out - that we are not living up to what we claim.

It's a sad truth but here's where the thin chasm between a Christian and a non-Christian lie: The inexhaustible ability to live out his faith without compromise but with congruence. 

Essentially, if you claim to love another, then all the more it is important to demonstrate it; sometimes in the most unexpected or smallest ways. Of course, having said that, the claims of Christianity is undoubtedly difficult to live out but for the critics: do understand that in no way Christians claim to be perfect. Instead, we acknowledge that Jesus is indeed an embodiment of perfection itself and we want to strive to be more like Jesus. We will never be perfect, but we can be more and more like him. And if we fail in doing what we say to do, it is simply proof that we are ultimately still human and in the process of growth; and thus seek your forgiveness if we come across as hypocrites. This brings me to my next point...

2) Congruence is key.

Nobody likes someone who holds double standards, especially for a Christian. However, sometimes when a Christian fails to do something he or she is expected to do, at times under circumstances which may go unheard, they are accused by another Christian of being a bad testimony. Is this really the case? 

Say for instance, a Christian is unable to attend bible study or even Sunday service for that matter due to work commitments or family commitments. Do we pass judgment upon, or even scorn in silence at him/her? Or do we celebrate and give thanks for the fact that one of our brothers/sisters is wholly committed to giving his/her best at the workplace and for the family, both of which are things that Christians are called to do? I believe we can sense the former taking place quite often while hardly ever noticing the latter; at best, we just shrug it off and say: "Oh well, he/she is busy, hopefully he/she shows up next time!"

So what's all that talk about living out the values that we are called to?

If a Christian does the things that demonstrate biblical values, sometimes even at a compromise of certain interests as illustrated above; yet receive no praise or encouragement and instead finds himself/herself being badmouthed in return, what will he/she think of the rest of the community? How can we be so shallow to say that these people do not have their priorities right for putting other things before church when these are the very things that God has impressed upon us to fulfill? How warped is that logic!

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying that this is an excuse to condone the actions of people who perpetually avoid their responsibilities and repeatedly give excuses for themselves. I am saying that we need to look into our own actions, especially ones that are directed at others, and reflect on whether our words and actions are aligned with our thoughts and values; and whether we are sending the right message to other believers.

3) We MUST not marginalize non-believers.

I think this one's pretty obvious. Shockingly, not many believers have this mentality. Many believers tend to hold the conscious notion at the back of their heads that when they come across a non-believer, they have somewhat higher moral standards than the non-believer. However, this thought can come naturally with a conscious conjuring and admittedly, I have caught myself red-handed at times with these thoughts. However, it is important to understand that this mentality is complete ABSURD.

Speaking as a non-believer previously, I often looked down upon Christians largely because I had this idea that they saw themselves as 'better' than non-Christians. They seemed to have this need to only mix around with non-Christians and anything that a non-Christian said to them would always be considered as 'bad influence'. This is probably why you see quotes such as "Going to church doesn't necessarily make you a good person". 

In all honesty, that is true. As a non-believer, what made me scorn Christians even more was the fact that I, as a non-believer, could exhibit better moral values and upbringing than they could. So if I, being a non-believer, could be a better person than you so-called Christians, people who claim to be of high moral standards, what does this show? It shows that Christians are even worse people than non-Christians!

It's a sad and harsh truth, and that is why all the more a paradigm shift in thinking is urgently needed. We, as Christians, must see ourselves in no way better than non-Christians for we are all sinners, in need of God's grace and mercy. The only difference should be the fact that Christians are willing to give up their lives for Jesus and to follow in his teachings while non-Christians (many prefer to call them pre-believers) are people equally in need of Christ but just have not gotten to know him yet. 

You know, we could learn a lot from non-believers at times. Just ask around the more experienced church elders and Pastors, they'll have you know that some of the most important lessons on character were taught to them by non-believers!

Lesson: Reach out to non-believers with open arms and give ample weight to their opinions and thoughts. For all you know, you might get to know them at a much deeper level and they'll appreciate you for it. Regardless of whether you'll bring them to Christ or not, the least you could do is to bear a good testimony.

Writing up till this point, I've realized that I have so much more to write but perhaps I shall leave those thoughts for another day. Hopefully my thoughts have given you some insight, even if just a little, and helped you gain perspective, Christian or not.

I truly appreciate your support if you have read all the way to this point. Have a good week ahead and may God bless you in all that you do!

Cheers,

Matt

Reading and Studying The Word: What Is It Really For?

Have you ever felt this way:

You go to church. You know about God. You pray sometimes, well, mostly at meals. You try to read the bible once in a while. You have a small group, perhaps with a few people whom you can identify with and spend time together. You feel that everything's going well for you... unless it doesn't. Never mind that, let's turn to God and pray now, shall we? You do so, you feel better. You are unsure of what will happen but you tell yourself that you do trust God. You seem satisfied. You go on your way to do the things you'd normally do. You're a Christian. After all, you've made the commitment to believe in Jesus, right?

But it does not seem to be enough. Every sermon or elder you come across seems to be driving at you the message of consistently reading God's word, or even to study it to great depth. You cannot comprehend how does one actually bring himself to do that? You smile, and continue on your way. You hear some of your church friends talking about various lectures and sermons coming from the great names... probably people with names you've never heard of and qualifications in areas you'd never even knew existed. You feel that your friends are 'overly-enthusiastic' about the faith, but you're polite enough to withhold that sarcastic comment or joke.

Bottom line: 

People put way too much emphasis on that book. Do they really expect you to be reading it 24/7?

How about this:

You follow the word of God very carefully through the day. You do your daily quiet time, spending lots of time making those elaborate notes on what the passage is saying. You go for bible study, prepared! You study in-depth all the chapters and books in the bible. You'd even look up on the historical context at times! You attend conferences and talks by all the professors whom you've read about... after all, you have all their books, don't you? You feel that you really do enjoy reading the bible, and it satisfies that intellectual craving of yours. Maybe somewhere along the way, you might even decide to pursue a formal education in Theology or perhaps in Religious Studies. Seems like the kind of life a well-read disciple of God would have, right?

But it does not seem to enough. Something feels lackluster. You can't seem to shake off the feeling that despite all that you do and read on a daily basis, there's something that is still not right. You feel a certain emptiness, you feel a void, you feel a need to have something fill you up. You don't understand how that other friend of yours from church seem to be walking well with God when you know they probably don't study the bible as much as you do. After all, the more you read God's word, the better a disciple you should be, right?

Bottom line:
You're doing every thing you should be doing, reading, studying, writing; so what is it that I'm missing?

If you've felt any of the above feelings, fret not. There is nothing wrong with you! In fact, it is normal to feel so. However, just because something is normal, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is ideal. So what exactly is the issue that we are dealing with here?

The heart of the problem lies in the lack of a fundamental relationship with God. This results in us shifting between extremes of the spectrum: We either get too distant from His word or we get too consumed by the word itself. The keyword here (which was underlined twice above) is satisfaction. We are comfortable with satisfaction. We look for satisfaction in things. When we become too distant from the word and end up not reading, often the problem comes from within our satisfaction in our salvation. We are okay were mere salvation: we do not crave for more, and neither do we feel the need to. We have become satisfied with our salvation. Conversely, the other extreme lies in a satisfaction that stems from accomplishment. We feel accomplished or enlightened when we study the word, and that gets to our head. Eventually, we learn to become merely satisfied by the knowledge coming from the word without any true relationship with God the Father. 

However, what God truly wants is to mend our relationship with Him. Sin has distorted this relationship between us and God wants for us to reconcile with Him. While it is true Jesus died so that we may gain salvation, it is also important to keep in mind that Jesus died so that we may have a right relationship with God. 

God wants for us to become His children again.

When we have reached the heart of the problem, it is essential to evaluate our standing with God. When we understand what God wants and expects from us, we know what to do in order to achieve that. I personally do not think God expects all of us to gain a PhD in Theology or for all of us to become pastors. I do not think God intends for us to become professors to minister to huge crowds, giving lectures on intellectual religious debates. I feel that these callings are more for the individual. However, I also do not think God enjoys seeing us turn away from His word, merely satisfied with the salvation He has given us.

You see, our relationship with God is really like the relationships with the people around us. When you really do care for the other party, you'd invest time, energy, and display interest. That is a fundamental concept that we have to learn to apply.

So be it studying the word in-depth and attaining higher qualifications in the study of the bible; or being reluctant to spend time reading the word; just remember, it's your relationship with God - you make the call.

Praying for a good weekend for all, peace out.

Matt

A Gift For All, No Expiry Date!

Hello!

Thought I'd share this reflection from reading Luke 19:1-10. First and foremost, I'd have to say, I definitely was not able to draw the complete essence of this passage. The story of Zacchaeus is a very rich passage, filled with a myriad of points for application. Of course, I'm not here to cut and paste a commentary but rather just share my own thoughts and epiphanies.

I realised I was new to this passage. Reading it for the first time, it was intense, simply because this passage felt particularly rich and it resonated within me. But as I'm still in the process of learning how to read the word, I had to begin with some basic observations.

What we know about Zacchaeus:

• He was a chief tax collector, and hence, was rich (much focus on his life was placed on wealth)
• He sought Jesus when he came (to the extent of climbing a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus)
• Hurried to receive Jesus, and accepted him with joy
• Widely known as a sinner to many (he was an infamous sinner)
• Made amendments to his ways by giving to the poor and restoring the wealth of those that he had defrauded (renounced his love for wealth and acknowledged his sinful nature, repentant)
• Had salvation pronounced upon him (on the account of being a son of Abraham)

Here are some notable points I'd like to elaborate on:

1) Jesus did not discriminate against sinners; in fact, he came to seek and save them.

"Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today."

Luke 19:5

Jesus called out to Zacchaeus. He hadn't run into him by chance. Jesus told him to come, for he must stay with Zacchaeus. It was intentional. Jesus had sought him.

"He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."

Luke 19:7

Zacchaeus was a well-known sinner among the people. Yet, in spite of that, Jesus chose to stay with Zacchaeus. Jesus showed no discrimination towards him for the fact that he was a sinner.

"For the son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

Luke 19:10

This verse makes it clear that Jesus' targets were not the righteous but the unrighteous sinners. Jesus did not show unfounded favour to the righteous, he came to tend to the needy, the lost and the sinners. He came seeking them with the intention of saving them. 

Similar to Jesus' attitude towards how he treated sinners, we ought to see others equally. It is important to question ourselves if we bear in our hearts unfounded discrimination towards certain groups of people: people of undignified background, social status, financial status; people of undignified vocations; people with sinful habits and difficult attitudes to deal with. If Jesus had the humility to sit down with sinners and eat, drink and live with them, what excuse do we have for refraining from showing kindness and love to them? Jesus did not discriminate against us, neither should we towards others. We ought to show kindness to and fellowship with not just the righteous people in our eyes, but also those deemed unrighteous - for they are the people whom Jesus came to seek and save, and hence, that is also what we are called to do.

2) Zacchaeus' willingness to repent and accept Jesus.

"So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully."

Luke 19:6

When Zacchaeus was called, he didn't just respond normally. He hurried down to receive Jesus, and with great joy at that. Zacchaeus' behaviour models the ideal posture for our hearts: that of pure joy, and softened, ready to receive Jesus.

"And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."

Luke 19:8

Zacchaeus' had taken it upon himself to make amendments for the sings that he had committed. That of the love of wealth, as well as the people he had defrauded. In doing so, he does two things: he acknowledges his sin (by restoring the wealth of those he had defrauded, he confesses his sins against them) and renounces it (by redistributing his wealth, he renounces his love for it).

Zacchaeus' attitude was one of genuine repentance. He gave up his wealth (which was known to be important to him) willingly, acknowledging his sins and turning away from them. And this he did after he had sought Jesus. Subsequently, Jesus pronounced salvation upon him on the account of being a son of Abraham. What a turn around change for a tax collector!

God has shown, through this passage, his purpose for Jesus and in that endeavour, He has also impressed upon me that our attitudes towards the people around us as well as our attitudes toward Jesus should mirror this passage: Seek Jesus, ask for forgiveness from my sins and act on turning away from sinful ways. Seek out others who are needy and lost; do not look down on them but rather edify them.

I suppose I'll have more to add on in due time but this has been a sufficiently vibrant reflection for one night. Oh how amazing is God's faithfulness and His purpose for us!

Matt

Food For Thought: TRY READING THIS IF YOU CAN!

Try reading this if you can:

Isn't this amazing? It is simply because our mind processes these words not by every letter on its own but as a whole that we are able to understand what we read even though the letters are all scrambled up. But what's the key point of all this? 

This is it:

We understand things in their entirety and not by their parts.

Essentially, that is how the human mind works, but there is much more beauty to this than meets the eye. The same principle can be applied to understanding the world around us!

"The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible."

 Albert Einstein, "Physics and Reality" (1936)

How true is that! It's simply mind boggling to know that we can understand the world around us, how it works and what it does... despite the fact that we are simply of small part of this entire colossal ecosystem! Think about it: We are humans, but tear us down to the molecular level and you will realise we are nothing but dust. You may cut open a human brain but you will see no mind. You may detect chemicals in our brain but you will find no thought. Yet, despite all this, we are complex creatures, capable of thinking complex thoughts, understanding complex feelings and conjuring complex ideas. Isn't this the amazing work and design of God, our creator?

If you look at the world by its pieces, they make little sense on their own. But take everything and piece them all together, it will leave you standing there marveling and in awe of God's beautiful creations! If you look real close, you WILL see God's creative design in everything!

The Splendor of His Creation

Matt

"Commandments: More Than Just Instructions" - On Reading Deuteronomy 5

Hello :)

When Moses declared the laws and decrees to all Israel, he proclaimed the Ten Commandments, and told the people to be careful to follow them.

Today, these commandments probably aren't taken with the same weight as you would expect during Moses' time. However, it's purpose and value still holds its significance. In discussing these commandments, it is common to fall victim to following the laws blindly without exercising wisdom. Take the Pharisees for instance, they studied the law more than anyone else, and upheld these commandments to the highest degree; yet they fell short of following them wholeheartedly for they did not understand God's intentions.

How can one follow a commandment with his heart if he does not understand its role? 

Obedience, without meaning and love, is drudgery.

That being said, what do the commandments really mean, then? What is its significance?

Well, simply put, in my interpretation, I think that the commandments form an instruction manual. For what, you might ask. The Ten Commandments are simply instructions to teach us (and the people of Israel) how to love. I won't go into detail the commandments themselves for I do not fully know all of them myself. Essentially, the people had to be taught love. They needed to understand what it meant to love God and His people - by obeying His commandments! If we truly loved God and our brothers and sisters, then these commandments become anything but a checklist of drudgery and restraint.

Today, we have a seemingly easier commandment to abide by: To love God and to love our neighbour. We follow this because Jesus told us so. However, if you'll dig deeper, you'd realise that this is really no different from the Ten Commandments. Let me illustrate:

                           Love God                                                    Love Your Neighbour

              I am the Lord, your God                                    Honour your Father and Mother
              No other gods before Him                                                Do not murder
             Do not worship any idols                                          Do not commit adultery
       Do not misuse the name of your God                                      Do not steal
    Observe the Sabbath by keeping it holy             Do not covet anything of your Neighbour's
              
Like Jesus said: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17)

But that's not all! These commandments are more than mere instructions! They are God's tools for us - to guide us onto the path He has set for us! 

Deuteronomy 5:33 says: "Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." God wills for us to follow His commandments not just to teach us how to love but also to prosper us! How great is that! The way I see it, when we obey His commandments, we learn to love Him and the people around us. We become more like Jesus. We better our relationship with God as well as with our brothers and sisters. We become more persevering, more forgiving, more caring, more loving, more humble, more devoted, more dedicated, more patient, more assured... the list goes on! Isn't it wonderful, how following His word can lead to inner transformation in us? I think it's beautiful, to say the least.

If you're reading this, I implore you to renew your commitment in following His commandments and His word. Always remember that these words aren't simply rules to follow; they are God's instruments that will teach us love and prosper us! Let it take effect today!

Matt

Treatment, Not Painkillers!

Hello! 

Just a short post to share a little epiphany :)

Recently, I had suffered a pretty bad back strain and I could not straighten my back. This led to me having issues lying down (which meant pretty bad sleep) as well as some difficulty breathing. After visiting the polyclinic, I was given painkillers, which was not to my surprise. However, I was led to question: "What really is the point of administering painkillers? Why not just get to the root cause and treat the problem?" I suddenly drew a parallel of this to the forgiveness of Jesus.

Some people treat the forgiveness of Jesus as painkillers (myself included). When we feel the pain and the guilt, we are told that if we confess, we will be forgiven and be made righteous by the blood of Jesus. We do so. We confess, we seek forgiveness, we ask God to strengthen us. And then when we feel less guilty and slightly better about ourselves, we make the same mistake again without much consideration. The pain is gone temporarily but it comes back. The problem remains untreated. What I see is a vicious cycle. Is this really the way to go?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that everyone's like that; well, in fact I don't even know anyone but myself who's like that. After all, we wouldn't possibly know, would we? But the point is clear - the forgiveness of Jesus should be taken seriously with gratefulness and thanksgiving. This is to say, having received grace and mercy from the Lord, we DO NOT make the same mistakes again. Yes, it's easier said than done, I know. However, you are not going through this alone! God is with you! He has already promised to deliver you from sin if you will trust in Him! If you'll choose to abide in Jesus, you WILL overcome sin! 

Brothers and Sisters, the walk with God is undoubtedly one of the toughest walks in life, I will not deny that. But let us also recognize that God is with us in this journey! Let us remember to repay God's forgiveness with repentance and obedience. That's really the least we should do. The forgiveness of Jesus is the cure of sin, not a painkiller! 

If you're feeling the same way as I do, I implore you to renew your commitment to God with me! Let us continue to persevere with an iron will, let us overcome sin once and for all! This, we do by living our renewed lives for God and by abiding in Jesus. Because He lives, we are forgiven! Let us honour this! :)

Lord, I pray that all who read this will find a renewed spirit in following and obeying you. Grant them the strength to overcome their sin, and continue to work in their lives and transform them. Lord, continue to forgive them as they continue to persevere. May they come to know you more each and every day and delight in your glory evermore. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen!

Take care and have a good week ahead!

Matt

Top 5 Common Misconceptions About Christians

Shalom!

It's been awhile since my last post, largely due me putting it off for quite awhile (being busy amongst other things). It's great to be back and writing once again, and I'm ready to start posting much more regularly now. To begin, I will just share briefly my views on a topic which applies to me before my journey in Christianity.

To put things in perspective, before becoming a Christian, I never really did understand their beliefs, the reasons behind all their practices and why they were so persistent in spreading their religion. Actually, for that matter, I barely knew anything about religion. It's probably because I grew up in a setting where religion is taboo and I was taught to never be involved in anything religious nor to speak about it in public. Consequently, I found myself with my preconceived notions about religion, in particular Christianity, as it seemed to be a widespread faith - and I was cynical about it. As such, it was common for me to avoid them or keep a distance from someone when I find out that they are Christians. How naive and wrong I was to do such a thing! There I am, barely knowing anything about their faith, and already discriminating against them. It was a classic case of stereotyping. However, having been a Christian for more than a year, it is apparent that I encounter the same responses towards myself at times, and I'd just like to share a little about the common misconceptions people have towards Christians, so that we'd be better understood :) Do note, too, that all these are simply my personal opinions and that some points may not gain the same consensus from another Christian.

So here we go, the top 5 misconceptions about Christians:

1. Christians are perfect.

The biggest misconception of Christians today. You see, Christians are simply like everyone else: in the sense that we are all sinners. However, in believing in Jesus, Christians embark on a redemptive journey of turning away from their sin: first by seeking forgiveness from the Lord, then by abiding in Jesus and relying on God to work in them, removing them from the bondage of sin. 

This does not mean Christians are perfect by any measure. We will still fumble, we will still fail, we will make mistakes, we will revert to our old ways at times - after all, we are only human. However, for the very fact that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, his blood becomes the cloak that covers our iniquity in God's eyes. You may think: "How is that fair?" Well, that's why it's called 'grace'. 

To sum up: Perfect? Nope. Sinner? Yes. Deserving? Nope. Forgiven? Yes. Saved by our own efforts? Nope. Saved by God's grace? Yes. Loved by God? YES.

2. Christians are weak, and therefore, seek Christianity as a crutch in life.

Yes, and no. Well, that kind of depends on what your understanding of weakness is. Christians acknowledge that as humans, we are weak in the sense that we cannot rely on ourselves and we need God's grace, mercy and strength in every instance of our lives. 

However, it is absurd to claim that Christianity is a crutch in life. Being a Christian and going to church does not make us feel better about ourselves. We do not seek Christianity simply because it paints this pretty picture of the world and our future for us, we seek it because we acknowledge our creator. We do not go to church so that we'd feel like we're good people. We go to church to worship the Lord, to give thanks and acknowledge His power, to sing His praises, to listen to His word, to edify one another in the community, to love each other. Does that make us good people? Not necessarily. Does it set the environment for following God's commandments? Definitely.

Some may think that Christians rely on prayer to be 'blessed'. They feel that Christians ask for things in prayer, such as prosperity. Well, prosperity has to be clearly defined here. We do not seek for riches, nor do we seek what the world knows as success. We seek for spiritual prosperity, we seek for guidance in our endeavors, we seek for safety and good health, we seek for freedom from sin. That is why John 15:7 - "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you." is one of the most misquoted verses from the bible. Too little attention is given to remaining in Him and His words remaining in us. If one truly scrutinizes the meaning of these words, then the morality of asking from God maintains its integrity in entirety.

3. Christians are people of blind faith.

Just because someone believes in God, it doesn't mean he does it out of blind faith. For Christianity in particular, many opine that the beliefs of Christians are absurd. But is it, really? The history of the Gospels and the life of Jesus Christ is historically secured and credible. Though not to the point of 'certainty' (as nothing in history can be labelled as certain) but at the very least, to the point of 'beyond reasonable doubt' - that is, to refute the claim that the gospels are credible and historically secured is simply unreasonable. 

Another common misunderstanding is the assertion that Christians are 'anti-science'. That's laughable. If anything, Christians are more 'pro-science' than some scientists claim to be. In the first place, the term 'science' comes from the Latin word 'scientia', which means knowledge. Science ought not to be confused for naturalism! Who ever said that knowledge comes only from what can be explained by the natural? The supernatural is just as 'scientific' as the natural. Moreover, the beliefs that Christians subscribe to are scientifically sound. Biblical records of historical events and how things of this world came about can be supported strongly by many fields of science: molecular biology, homology, archaeology, paleontology etc.

God is the ultimate scientist and Christians know this by FAITH - Fully Assured In The Heart

4. Christians who reach out to non-believers are merely interested in seeking converts.

That is a huge claim here, and one that even I used to think. However, speaking from personal experience, it does take a lot of love and concern for a Christian to continuously reach out to a friend / family member / co-worker in spite of rejection. It is no easy feat to try to reach out to someone, to try to love them and end up getting rejected time and time again (does this bring Jesus to mind? :D). As someone who has been introduced to the faith by a fellow friend, I have to say, I am eternally grateful to her for not giving up on me and showing me the love that I yearn to show to others. 

From my knowledge, Christians spread the gospel and reach out to others for two simple reasons: The Great Commission and The Good News of Salvation. To simplify, firstly, to spread the gospel is our duty to God; next, we share the gospel so that more people may be able to receive the gift of salvation that is Jesus Christ. I'll be honest, if your Christian friend is continuously 'pestering' you to consider the gift of salvation and keeps sharing about Jesus, you have a true friend right there, mate.

5. Christians are prudes.

Absolutely false. Christians do not hate sex nor do they hate anything to do with sex. Sex was created by God! In fact, Christians hold sex in such high regard, they reserve it for a time that worthy of such an act of intimacy - marriage. That is why pre-marital sex is frowned upon: the gift of the body is the most intimate act known to us, and to simply give it away without the most intimate form of relationship is an insult to sex. 

On the topic of purity however, of course, Christians may not always be pure (See point 1). We too are people with sexual urges and feelings, we too feel things other people feel. But if our thoughts or our acting upon these feelings are immoral, it is a clear sign that our sexual sign is interfering with our walk with God. In this case, abstinence is essential to prevent ourselves from committing sin. 

Sex is a gift from God, it is our duty to give it utmost respect.

Well, I hope that my short post has given some people an interesting outlook on the lives of Christians and the rationale for some of the things that we do. If you have an interesting point to note, do leave a comment to share your views :)

That's it for now, may everyone have a blessed week ahead!

Matt