Here is an update on what has been happening to me over the last few months. Let's just say that the last few months have been out of the ordinary, especially since what happened at the end of January 2009. I thought I'd do this update in a "question-answer" format, i.e. me interviewing myself! So do read on if u want to find out more:
What happened at the end of January 2009?
I got retrenched from my job at the end of January 2009. I was still under probation when it happened, & was told that the company could not offer me a permanent full-time position due to the global financial crisis. A number of people were also retrenched on the same day. (For more details, refer to my post earlier this year: http://daplanetdt.blogspot.com/2009/01/retrenchment-time-to-move-on.html)
Was it a surprise?
To be honest, I was not surprised at all. I could see the retrenchment coming, with work drying up & all that. It was sad & really disappointing that it happened, especially since I've only been at the company for 5 months. But at least I left the company on good terms. They were willing to be my referee, & even suggested that I leave them my contact details (which I said is already on the system), as they might be willing to take me back "in a few years". One of the recruitment agents I dealt with told me that my former manager at the company I was retrenched from spoke highly of me, so it was heartening to be able to get such a positive reference.
Didn't something similar happen many years ago?
Well, sort of, but not exactly. Back in June 2001 (many years ago), I was working with another company (at a junior level). It experienced financial difficulty, so my hours were reduced & they gave me a chance to look for another job while coming in on a part-time basis. I resigned (probably not the wisest decision) as I felt my pride was wounded & didn't want to lose face with people finding out & me coming in on part-time basis. So after a couple of weeks part-time, I left at the end of June 2001. It took me a couple of months to find a job.
That was all in 2001. It's different from what happened recently. Back then, I made the decision to jump before I outstayed my welcome. It may have felt like a retrenchment, but it wasn't. Whereas "now" (in January 2009), I was pushed, so I didn't have a say about losing my place.
What did you do over the next few months since January 2009?
I spent the next 4+ months out of work (from February to early June). That period was a very dark period for me. To be really honest, I consider that period to be the worst period I've ever experienced in my life. Seriously, the worst period of my life. Those few months was very hard & I was pretty dejected for much of that period.
For me, being out of work meant losing a part my "identity" because work had been a big part of my life. It meant losing something which defines me, losing a major reason for getting out of bed. And of course, being out of work meant no income. No work for over 4 months meant no income for 1/3 of a year. Imagine that! It was really hard. I was actually feeling ok during the first couple of weeks in February. Then, I slowly became frustrated & disillusioned, & at times I would be feeling down in the dumps. Actually, there were lots of "mood swings" - one moment I can feel really bad, the next moment I might actually feel relaxed & somewhat glad that I got lots of free time & that I didn't have to wake up before 9am if I didn't want to!
Fortunately, my family & friends were very supportive & encouraging. That kept me going. Besides hanging out with friends, helping some of them out with stuff (e.g. Ben & Faith with their new home) & having a bit more free time to do stuff for myself (not that I did very much!), the only good thing for me over those "empty months" was seeing my football club FC Barcelona playing well & picking up trophies in Spain & in Europe!
On top of everything I've already said, there were a couple of other disappointing aspects of being out of work.
Firstly, it meant that I had to start job searching all over again! (as I've said, I was only there for 5 months when I got retrenched). At times, the prospect of the job search feels more overwhelming that the sadness & disappointment of the retrenchment itself.
Secondly, being out of work meant that I couldn't buy a home. I actually started going out & inspecting some homes during the weeks before I got retrenched. The plan was to wait until I pass probation in February, & thereafter buy a home as soon as I find something suitable & affordable. So much for that plan - I got laid off so I never got the chance to pass probation. Just like that, the plan went down the drain. Instead of house hunting, I have to do job hunting now!
I tried whatever I can to remain positive during all this time. You got to do that, & this is the thing about being retrenched - it's not the fault of the person who got laid off, it's much more a reflection of the company not doing well enough to keep the person. So I keep telling myself - it's not my fault that I'm out of work, it's because the company wasn't doing well.
And how's the job hunting? Did you find work?
Job openings & interviews have been few & far between, thanks to the global financial crisis. The fact that I did get a few interviews at all was somewhat encouraging - people have said that in this climate, to get an interview at all is almost as good as getting a job. But still, the interviews ultimately did not lead to job offer. There was 1 job offer on the cards in May 2009, but unfortunately a change of mind on their part meant that I was back to square one.
But by God's grace, I managed to find a temporary/contract role in the Brisbane CBD early last month (in June 2009) while continuing to look for a permanent position to go on to. In fact, right now, I am still in the contract position, but next week will be my last week.
Any good news coming up on the horizon?
Fortunately, yes! I finally secured a full-time job earlier this month. I will start this new position in the second week of August. Praise God for that.
The start of the new financial year seems to have brought good fortunes for me. Just this month alone, I got a few interviews, almost as many interviews as I had during that 4 months between February & May. To put it another way, I got this full-time job within a few weeks after the new financial year started on July 1. Compare that to that barren 4 months when I got nothing, & had to wait until early June to get that temporary/contract position.
I got the job offer last week, actually, & got the offer letter a couple of days ago. I will be based just minutes outside the CBD. So technically, I actually got 2 jobs right now - the current contract position in the CBD which I will finish next week, & that new job just outside the CBD. Since that job offer, I've been invited to a couple of other interviews, but I turned them down. So yeah, it looks like the job market may have improved a little since the start of the new financial year.
Did you share the good news?
Of course I did! I did send an email to a few people to tell them of the good news. I know I would have missed emailing some people by accident, & sorry if you are seeing this update for the first time. While I don't have loads & loads of friends, I do have more people on my email & Facebook list than I can keep up with - so there would have been a few names I forgot to click when I sent that email out. Sorry again, but I just cannot keep up with everyone. (so hopefully, if they read this blog post, they will be informed about the developments).
Did you do anything to celebrate?
Well, I didn't celebrate by throwing a party, if that's what u mean. However, I did treat myself by buying the Transformers complete collection (17 discs) last week, from JB Hi-Fi in the Brisbane CBD. See a previous blog post.
While at JB Hi-Fi, I manage to bump into a former colleague who was in the same team as I was. He was also retrenched but was laid off much later than I was. He's now working at another company near the CBD. He also told me that in our area, there are now less than 10 people left. There used to be about 40 people, but there was a mass layoff. It's scary & really sad to hear about all this, but that's how extensive the impact that the global financial crisis is making.
What has God taught you during this time?
God taught me (or reminded me) that He really does love & care for His people. God has been really gracious, & He really cared for me all along, even though this was something I couldn't see at times. He really does answer prayers (even mine! haha), & He answers them according to His perfect timing. I hope I have become a better person from the experience God taught me, & I hope I will remember the lessons learnt & always remember that God's goodness is always there even when times are tough.
As I've already mentioned, that period that I was unemployed was really hard for me (though it was also good to have a break). During that period, if I'm to be really honest, I was shown up for not having enough trust & faith in God. I see Job as an example to follow. Those who know the book Job in the Bible would recognise that Job lost a lot more than I did. Job lost practically everything (including the lives of his beloved ones). On the other hand, I only lost work temporarily (4 months is not unusual, given the global financial crisis). Yet Job was way way way more faithful to God than I was. I shall continue to read the book of Job - I've started reading, but am nowhere near finished (coz I've been really really slow & slack in my reading).
But yeah, the challenge & lesson for me was to be patient & really trust & have faith in God even when times are hard. It may be easier to be thankful & faithful when things are going well, but what about when things are not going well?? That was a big lesson.
I thank God for His love, grace & timely provision. I am also really thankful to my family & friends for their prayers, encouragement & support. It is much much appreciated & I thank God that I have such a loving & supportive Christian family & friends.
What then for the future?
Well, from now on, whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, if/when the next major setback happens in my life, I will show more trust & faith in God that I've shown with my retrenchment ordeal. I know I can count on the support of my Christian family & friends. And that's the thing about being a Christian. God that loves & cares for His people. You can always count on His support & provisions. You can also count on the support & encouragement of fellow Christians, when things are not going well; u don't suffer alone. It's just so great when God's goodness is reflected in His people - I've experienced a lot of such goodness & thank God for that! I hope I can return the goodness to my Christian family & friends one day.
Showing posts with label Reflections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reflections. Show all posts
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Ecclesiastes coming up!
Last Monday, when my Clay study group decided on Ecclesiastes as the book that we will be studying next, I was pretty happy. Not only that, something inside me clicked - it's a sort of warm, positive feeling, & it's like something inside me say "hey, wow, that's really good". Strange, that - I can't remember ever being that "excited" over a decision to study a particular book of the Bible. I can't quite put a finger on what caused all those feelings. Maybe it was because one of the Clayers said she liked & was encouraged by Ecclesiastes (which she looked at in her own time)?
So just the other day, I decided to have a read of Ecclesiastes. Actually, I must confess that before I got on to Ecclesiastes 1, I read the "preliminary overview" to Ecclesiastes. Well, it was right there (I use Life Application Study Bible) so I had to read! The "preliminary overview" gave me a good idea on what Ecclesiastes is about, & what I can expect from studying it. Here is my summary in a nutshell of what I gathered from reading the "preliminary overview":
The author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, is trying to teach us that life without God is empty & meaningless. He tells readers of the book that things like knowledge, wealth/money, pleasure, work or popularity will not lead us to find meaning in life. Seeking those things will ultimately lead to disappointment. Instead, true satisfaction comes from seeking a relationship with the Lord, & knowing God's purpose for our lives. All of that was based on Solomon's own experience, & Ecclesiastes reflects on Solomon's personal life journey. He was looking back at his life, & was trying to spare his readers from learning through their own experience that everything apart from God is empty.
The "preliminary overview" captivated & inspired me. It immediately showed me why I had been excited when Ecclesiastes was chosen for our next study. You see, I have been thinking a lot about my life situation, & where my life is heading. More specifically, I have been thinking (& even talking to some friends) about my work & career, climbing the corporate ladder, future aspirations, my future earning capacity, wealth-building ambitions, & how to get there. There's also some other things which I won't elaborate on here. I have also been reflecting on timeframes to achieve various milestones, i.e. thinking along the lines of what I want to achieve in X number of years, what I want to own in X number of years, what I want to accumulate by the time I am X years old. Those are all secular stuff. I have poured so much thought into all those secular things, & so very little thought to spiritual things. As times, I feel like my head is getting "messed up" the more & more I think a lot about all that secular things. Yet I keep thinking about them. But on the other hand, how much thought have I given into how I can read the Bible more regularly, how I can devote more time to prayer, how I can be an encouragement to Christian brothers & sisters, & how I can improve my relationship with God? Not much at all.
All that secular stuff that have been plaguing my mind are exactly the stuff that Ecclesiastes warn against seeking, as they will lead to disappointment & emptiness. That is why I was excited when Clay decided to study Ecclesiastes. Because I feel that here is something that can help change my mind & priorities. Because I feel that here is a book that can come to my rescue, & prevent my head from being further "messed up" by all those secular things. So one could say that given all that I said above, it is timely that we will be studying Ecclesiastes next - because I think I really need to pay heed to whatever Ecclesiastes has to teach. My hope is that Ecclesiastes could kick-start my spiritual life & start afresh. I hope that the book will help me recommit myself to God, & focus on Him & seek Him first instead of pursuing those secular things.
It's going to be very difficult, because it might be relatively easy for me to recognise my issues, but difficult to actually act on them. Because it is so easy to be tempted, & it is so easy to be sucked into not doing what is right. So I hope that tomorrow's study (the first) on Ecclesiastes will be the first step in the right direction. Roll on the Ecclesiastes studies!
By the way, I did read Ecclesiastes 1. It doesn't mean I know a lot about the passage or that I will be able to answer everything about the passage. But what I can say is that the tone of the passage does seem pessimistic. This is meaningless, that is meaningless - looks like it's saying all things are meaningless without God. Things happen over & over again, all of that is meaningless.....Hmmm, well, we can discuss this further at Clay tomorrow, yeah??? And I will see if I can post reflections on the Ecclesiastes studies as I go. We'll see what happens.....
So just the other day, I decided to have a read of Ecclesiastes. Actually, I must confess that before I got on to Ecclesiastes 1, I read the "preliminary overview" to Ecclesiastes. Well, it was right there (I use Life Application Study Bible) so I had to read! The "preliminary overview" gave me a good idea on what Ecclesiastes is about, & what I can expect from studying it. Here is my summary in a nutshell of what I gathered from reading the "preliminary overview":
The author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, is trying to teach us that life without God is empty & meaningless. He tells readers of the book that things like knowledge, wealth/money, pleasure, work or popularity will not lead us to find meaning in life. Seeking those things will ultimately lead to disappointment. Instead, true satisfaction comes from seeking a relationship with the Lord, & knowing God's purpose for our lives. All of that was based on Solomon's own experience, & Ecclesiastes reflects on Solomon's personal life journey. He was looking back at his life, & was trying to spare his readers from learning through their own experience that everything apart from God is empty.
The "preliminary overview" captivated & inspired me. It immediately showed me why I had been excited when Ecclesiastes was chosen for our next study. You see, I have been thinking a lot about my life situation, & where my life is heading. More specifically, I have been thinking (& even talking to some friends) about my work & career, climbing the corporate ladder, future aspirations, my future earning capacity, wealth-building ambitions, & how to get there. There's also some other things which I won't elaborate on here. I have also been reflecting on timeframes to achieve various milestones, i.e. thinking along the lines of what I want to achieve in X number of years, what I want to own in X number of years, what I want to accumulate by the time I am X years old. Those are all secular stuff. I have poured so much thought into all those secular things, & so very little thought to spiritual things. As times, I feel like my head is getting "messed up" the more & more I think a lot about all that secular things. Yet I keep thinking about them. But on the other hand, how much thought have I given into how I can read the Bible more regularly, how I can devote more time to prayer, how I can be an encouragement to Christian brothers & sisters, & how I can improve my relationship with God? Not much at all.
All that secular stuff that have been plaguing my mind are exactly the stuff that Ecclesiastes warn against seeking, as they will lead to disappointment & emptiness. That is why I was excited when Clay decided to study Ecclesiastes. Because I feel that here is something that can help change my mind & priorities. Because I feel that here is a book that can come to my rescue, & prevent my head from being further "messed up" by all those secular things. So one could say that given all that I said above, it is timely that we will be studying Ecclesiastes next - because I think I really need to pay heed to whatever Ecclesiastes has to teach. My hope is that Ecclesiastes could kick-start my spiritual life & start afresh. I hope that the book will help me recommit myself to God, & focus on Him & seek Him first instead of pursuing those secular things.
It's going to be very difficult, because it might be relatively easy for me to recognise my issues, but difficult to actually act on them. Because it is so easy to be tempted, & it is so easy to be sucked into not doing what is right. So I hope that tomorrow's study (the first) on Ecclesiastes will be the first step in the right direction. Roll on the Ecclesiastes studies!
By the way, I did read Ecclesiastes 1. It doesn't mean I know a lot about the passage or that I will be able to answer everything about the passage. But what I can say is that the tone of the passage does seem pessimistic. This is meaningless, that is meaningless - looks like it's saying all things are meaningless without God. Things happen over & over again, all of that is meaningless.....Hmmm, well, we can discuss this further at Clay tomorrow, yeah??? And I will see if I can post reflections on the Ecclesiastes studies as I go. We'll see what happens.....
Friday, September 5, 2008
Hard to keep sport & politics separate
This weekend sees World Cup qualifying action around the globe in the race to be at the big stage in South Africa 2010. Plenty of matches, promising lots of goals, excitement & drama.
Among the list of qualifying matches are 2 intriguing ties: Cuba v USA, & Armenia v Turkey. Intriguing because the matches had meaning beyond just a sporting contest - the nations involved in the respective ties have a deep history with each other, off the field. In the lead up to the matches, internet articles have been talking about all the history. It seems that it can be difficult to separate football & politics.
This weekend will be the first time in over 60 years that the US soccer team play in the Cuban capital. America still has a trade embargo on Cuba (which has been running for about 50 years), which means that there will be no American fans in Havana to cheer their team on. So that will be a new experience for the US squad. One could say the US team will face hostility from the Cuban fans, given the (non-football related) history between both nations. But then again, another viewpoint is that any hostility from the Cuban fans simply represent normal behaviour of home fans wanting their team to win - it's normal that they would be against the visiting team. Some of the Cuban footballers downplay the political aspect of the fixture, saying that their rivalry has nothing to do with politics & that Cuba doesn't like losing to USA in any sport. The US coach, meanwhile, says he is aware of the extra attention the game is bringing, & wants his team to take the opportunity to show what it can do.
As for Armenia & Turkey, their history run all the way back to era of the Ottoman Empire, & alleged atrocities committed by it against the Armenians. Both neighbours have been at odds over the extent to which the Ottoman troops were responsible for the deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman period. (I'm not taking any sides, by the way). That aside, there have also been various regional & territorial disputes between the nations. I won't go into the details. But anyway, the Armenian president has invited his Turkish counterpart to attend the football match in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The invitation has been accepted, as both nations look to establish relations. Unlike the US team in Havana, the Turkish team will enjoy support in Yerevan. About 5,000 Turkish fans are expected, after Armenia relaxed the normal visa restrictions for the match as a goodwill gesture. This has raised concerns of possible violence between both sets of supporters. Turkey's coach, Fatih Terim, tried to diffuse such concerns by appealing for calm, saying: "This is only a football game, not a war. We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders".
Well, all I would like to say is that I hope all the World Cup qualifying matches (including the above 2) go ahead without trouble. Hope the fans enjoy the action on the field, & not think too much about the political stuff off the field.
Among the list of qualifying matches are 2 intriguing ties: Cuba v USA, & Armenia v Turkey. Intriguing because the matches had meaning beyond just a sporting contest - the nations involved in the respective ties have a deep history with each other, off the field. In the lead up to the matches, internet articles have been talking about all the history. It seems that it can be difficult to separate football & politics.
This weekend will be the first time in over 60 years that the US soccer team play in the Cuban capital. America still has a trade embargo on Cuba (which has been running for about 50 years), which means that there will be no American fans in Havana to cheer their team on. So that will be a new experience for the US squad. One could say the US team will face hostility from the Cuban fans, given the (non-football related) history between both nations. But then again, another viewpoint is that any hostility from the Cuban fans simply represent normal behaviour of home fans wanting their team to win - it's normal that they would be against the visiting team. Some of the Cuban footballers downplay the political aspect of the fixture, saying that their rivalry has nothing to do with politics & that Cuba doesn't like losing to USA in any sport. The US coach, meanwhile, says he is aware of the extra attention the game is bringing, & wants his team to take the opportunity to show what it can do.
As for Armenia & Turkey, their history run all the way back to era of the Ottoman Empire, & alleged atrocities committed by it against the Armenians. Both neighbours have been at odds over the extent to which the Ottoman troops were responsible for the deaths of Armenians during the Ottoman period. (I'm not taking any sides, by the way). That aside, there have also been various regional & territorial disputes between the nations. I won't go into the details. But anyway, the Armenian president has invited his Turkish counterpart to attend the football match in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The invitation has been accepted, as both nations look to establish relations. Unlike the US team in Havana, the Turkish team will enjoy support in Yerevan. About 5,000 Turkish fans are expected, after Armenia relaxed the normal visa restrictions for the match as a goodwill gesture. This has raised concerns of possible violence between both sets of supporters. Turkey's coach, Fatih Terim, tried to diffuse such concerns by appealing for calm, saying: "This is only a football game, not a war. We cannot carry the weight of history on our shoulders".
Well, all I would like to say is that I hope all the World Cup qualifying matches (including the above 2) go ahead without trouble. Hope the fans enjoy the action on the field, & not think too much about the political stuff off the field.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Mark Driscoll, good luck with your ministry
Alright. Readers can tell from a previous blog post that I had big issues with Mark Driscoll from his men’s talk last Thursday. The talk did bring out the worst in me – I reacted in an extreme manner & some readers who know me personally might have seen my “unpleasant side”. Well, a few days have gone, the dust has settled, & at this stage, I still stand by much of the views that I aired.
Everything I said in that post had to do with what I think of Mark Driscoll the person. Now a thought just recently came to me that perhaps it’s a “good idea” to look past Driscoll the person, & find out more about his background – u know, get some idea about what he does, specifically the ministry he is involved in. With that in mind, I’ve done a bit of research (just a bit). I’ve found a few things, & for the rest of this post, I will try to be as objective as possible with what I say.
I found out the following things about Mark Driscoll’s work:
He is head pastor of the church he founded in Seattle, called Mars Hill Church. (well, I already knew that….)
He ministers to young people.
He authored a few books.
He co-founded a network of pastors (Acts 29 Network), which is established to assist church leaders in church-planting efforts.
He writes to the “Faith & Values” section of the Seattle Times.
From what I gather, Driscoll has planted churches at various places, & has reached out to many people. He seems to have some sort of a cult following – lots of people are drawn to him.
Driscoll might well be involved with other things that I haven't mentioned above. But as u can see, he is involved with quite a fair bit. I guess what I want to say is – when it comes to his ministry (as opposed to Mark Driscoll the person), I have nothing to criticize. How can I, since I’m a Christian. True, because of his extremely direct & provocative nature, he has offended some people (with me being the most recent!), & he may continue to offend more in the future. But the bottom line is, his work will continue to plant the seeds of the gospel. From what I read, it looks like God has made really good use of him & God has done wonders through him (churches have sprouted, people have received salvation). It shows that even those who offend or annoy us can be used by God to expand His Kingdom & further His purposes. At the end of the day, as long as Driscoll is serving God fervently & faithfully, & as long as people are won over to Christ, then that’s all that really matters – they matter far more than what I or others think of his personality.
Ok then, what I have to say to Mark Driscoll is: good luck with your ministry. Good luck. Good luck with your work, & all the best with your ministry & whatever your plans are for the future. Yes, u have offended me last week, & you might have offended many others in various places. But when it comes to your ministry, good luck. You might need all the luck u can get – because there’s always the risk that your confronting & provocative nature will not only offend people (some might even react worse than I did last Thursday), it might also actually turn some people away from the gospel. Now we don’t want THAT to happen, do we?
So once again, all the best with your ministry, Mr Mark Driscoll. And hey, a few final words: u are fat. So lay off those doughnuts already….....
Friday, August 29, 2008
Mark Driscoll's talk failed to match the hype
This post is written when the author is in a very foul mood. Please keep this in mind as you read.
The well-renowned pastor from Seattle, Mark Driscoll came to Australia recently to deliver some talks. I attended his talk in Northside Christian College in Everton Park yesterday (Thursday) evening. The event was "300 Men for Jesus", though the turnout was a lot more than 300 men. Refer to this website for more details: http://300menforjesus.com/. The theme was "Burn Your Plastic Jesus", whereby Driscoll's talk was supposed to challenge Christian men to get out of their complacency & be real men for Jesus. Or something to that effect. At the end, I was left somewhat dismayed & disappointed that I even bothered turning up. I'll explain why later.
The evening started on a sour note. At the entrance, when trying to get my name ticked off, I found out that my name was not even on any of the lists of people who signed up. Well, I thought I signed up online (because I did it at church), but obviously something went wrong somewhere. (I've just checked my credit card statement, & cannot see any payment going to the organisers). So, I felt really embarrassed trying to explain that I did try to sign up, but there may have been a glitch online which prevented registration. Freaking fantastic organisation, fellas. If they can't get these registration things right, u wonder what else can go wrong? I was kindly let in for free, but was still very embarrassed about the whole fiasco. And my evening didn't get much better - because after a guy called Phil Davidson gave a decent musical performance (nothing wrong with that), that man Mark Driscoll spoke.
Now, Mr Driscoll spoke from Genesis 1 to 3. He took us back to the start, where God our creator made everything. Here is a blurb of what I got out of his talk (only a summary):
Creation exists to glorify God. God existed right at the beginning & He made everything out of nothing. God made men in His image, & we are made for relationship & are meant to reflect some of God's characteristics. Men are made to rule & God gave men responsibility over creation. After God created Adam, he decided that it was not good for men to be alone, so for that reason he created a helper (Eve). When Eve later committed the sin, God held Adam accountable for that sin. And so it is with us men today - our wives & family members will be held accountable for their sins, & so will we. God made men to lead & gave men responsibility over creation. But many men abdicate responsibility, & they shun leadership roles. A lot of men don't want to lead, & don't want to face the responsibilities associated with leadership - & that is why some women take on leadership roles within the church. So Driscoll challenged the Christian men to be real men, to step up, take responsibility & lead. Work, so that we can pay our bills & support our family. Work because God made us to work, & work so that we give glory to God. Be strong for our family. A real man is one who takes responsibility, & Driscoll urges us to be like that.
Now, let me just say I have no issues with any of the above. It's all Biblical, & he did not misquote the Bible or say anything contrary to the Scriptures. I also will not & cannot question his Bible knowledge, & he obviously has good public speaking skills. That's all fine, fair game to Driscoll, no problems with all that.
But I have a number of issues with the rest of his talk, all of which combine to make me disillusioned & regret that I came all the way to listen to him.
Gripe 1: Driscoll seemed to be too pro-marriage & anti-single/anti-unmarried men
In harping on about how the Bible said it was not good for men to be alone, Driscoll seemed to be bashing the single/unmarried men. He showed favouritism towards married men. That made me very upset, deeply offended & very uncomfortable sitting in the audience. He was attacking me, & he was attacking all the other unmarried men in the audience simply because we are not married. He basically alienated a sizable segment of the audience. Driscoll seems to think that all man should be married. He is saying, hey you single men, what are you waiting for, find a lady to marry.
I mean, was I the only unmarried guy in the audience offended by Driscoll? I certainly hope not, & I'm sure there might be others in the audience who might have been offended, too. By all means, be confronting if necessary, but he went beyond that - he disrespected those who are single/unmarried & rubbed their faces the wrong way, something sadly typical among some married people. And this coming from a so-called respected pastor who many people look up to. A man who claims to follow Jesus, yet had the nerve to come up on stage & show no love towards a segment of the audience (the single/unmarried) who Jesus loves.
So if Driscoll doesn't like unmarried men, what then would Driscoll have to say about the Apostle Paul? What would he have to say to John Stott or other famous single Christian men in the world today? These are men who were & are far far greater than Driscoll will ever be. If Driscoll doesn't like men to stay unmarried, why doesn't he round up all the single/unmarried men & have them shot??!! Does Driscoll also not realise that singlehood can also be a gift from God (just as marriage is a gift from God), that some men are called on by God to be single? I mean, some of those called to be single might have desire to marry, but at the end of the day, if God's will is for them to remain unmarried, then they shall remain single. Others remain single for whatever reason (e.g. still looking for the right partner & waiting for God's provision). However, one would have thought these things are lost on Mark Driscoll, judging by the way he bangs the marriage drum.
Gripe 2: Driscoll is arrogant & opinionated
Mark Driscoll was boastful. He went on & on about how he met his beautiful wife in college (or something like that), & how they have 5 wonderful kids. They are all great, fantastic children, one of his daughters is very smart, yada yada yada. It's fine & good to be thankful for being blessed with a great family, but Driscoll went beyond that - he boasted about himself & his family, & put himself on a pedestal. He put himself up, & put others down. He is so full of himself. I wouldn't know if there is a more arrogant & opinionated Christian around, & wouldn't want to meet that person.
Never have I ever had such dislike, even "hatred", for a Christian. So Driscoll thinks he's so great, better than any in the audience just because he has 5 kids? What, does he want a medal for each child? And what happens if he gets child number 6 - is he going to put his hand up for the mayor seat of Seattle? And if he then gets child number 7, is he going to run for the US presidency???
Another thing he ranted about is about the young men in this country who still live with their parents after a certain age (what? 25??). He said these people should move out & be a master of their domain. Who the hell does he think he is, criticising his audience in that manner??? Does he not realise how expensive properties are in Australia? Some people can't yet afford to live out. I guess not - remember, he is from Seattle, where properties cost only a fraction of the prices in Australia. He presumably owns his house, & thinks everyone should be in the same position as him. So he feels that gives him the right to mouth off against those who still live with their parents. He is not qualified to make such judgemental remarks.
This is a man who has such a vastly inflated opinion of himself, a sanctimonious know-it-all. If I were to buy Mark Driscoll for what he's worth & sell him for what he thinks he's worth, I would make a ton of money - I'll be wealthier than Bill Gates.
Gripe 3: Driscoll's talk failed to encourage & inspire me
OK, some people might think my judgement is clouded by the first 2 gripes. But even leaving both those things aside, I still have reason to take issue with Driscoll.
You see, I came to the talk to be edified, to learn how to be a better Christian, to learn how to improve my spiritual walk. I mean, Driscoll has been hyped up by the people at my church as being "all that", as being so good that I have to attend this talk. And I fell for the hype: hook, line, sinker. The way his talk goes is like this: men are not doing X, men should do X. He never elaborate much further. So he says men are not taking responsibility, he would later say men should take responsibility - which is ok, but he should also elaborate more on how men should lead & take responsibility, instead of spouting rubbish about every men should be married or how great his family is.
The "Burn Your Plastic Jesus" thing is meant to be a challenge to the men who carry a convenient idol & live comfortable, unchallenged lives. To repent of that, Mark Driscoll has been invited to "unsettle our complacency and expand our view of the real Jesus". Well, he failed to achieve both objectives with me & has managed to put me offside. I don't believe anything that Mark Driscoll said has had any effect on whatever complacency I might have. Nothing he said has increased my knowledge of Jesus & godliness. Nothing he said has edified me. No encouragement whatsoever was given. I did not learn anything new because there is nothing in his talk (the blue words as summarised in the third paragraph above) that I have not heard before elsewhere. I drove home feeling empty & disillusioned, & I wondered if I would have missed anything had I not come. Felt like I wasted 3.5 hours of my life (including travel time) listening to that man - time which I will never recover. The talk did NOTHING for me. Absolutely nothing!
In fact, I just don't understand why the people at my church like Driscoll so much. They go on about how great he is. And as I said before, I got "duped" into coming to his talk. Well, I found out for myself that Mark Driscoll carries a lot of hot air. I felt that his talk never matched the hype that preceded it. But hey, it's my fault. I blame myself for listening when friends encouraged me to attend this talk. I had been skeptical about the whole thing, but allowed myself to be sucked into turning up. That's ok - we make mistakes, we learn from them & I will never ever make mistakes like this again.
So Driscoll has been preaching that men are made in God's image. Yeah?? But if God resembles Mark Driscoll, then we Christians should really worry.
Still, if people actually like him, that's their decision. I'm not going to blindly follow popular opinion & kiss the ground he walks on. Because having listened to his talk & seen what he's like, there's little about him that I find likeable. I have nothing but contempt for that man.
Having said all the above, for all my ranting & raving, at least I will acknowledge Driscoll never twisted the message of the Genesis passages. And ok, at the end of the day, he is a Christian whom Jesus has loved & saved - so who knows, one day, Mark Driscoll might prove my current opinion of him wrong. If or when that time comes, I will be willing to revise my opinion of him - but for that to happen, he will have to do something really drastic. For now, it appears unlikely to happen.
The well-renowned pastor from Seattle, Mark Driscoll came to Australia recently to deliver some talks. I attended his talk in Northside Christian College in Everton Park yesterday (Thursday) evening. The event was "300 Men for Jesus", though the turnout was a lot more than 300 men. Refer to this website for more details: http://300menforjesus.com/. The theme was "Burn Your Plastic Jesus", whereby Driscoll's talk was supposed to challenge Christian men to get out of their complacency & be real men for Jesus. Or something to that effect. At the end, I was left somewhat dismayed & disappointed that I even bothered turning up. I'll explain why later.
The evening started on a sour note. At the entrance, when trying to get my name ticked off, I found out that my name was not even on any of the lists of people who signed up. Well, I thought I signed up online (because I did it at church), but obviously something went wrong somewhere. (I've just checked my credit card statement, & cannot see any payment going to the organisers). So, I felt really embarrassed trying to explain that I did try to sign up, but there may have been a glitch online which prevented registration. Freaking fantastic organisation, fellas. If they can't get these registration things right, u wonder what else can go wrong? I was kindly let in for free, but was still very embarrassed about the whole fiasco. And my evening didn't get much better - because after a guy called Phil Davidson gave a decent musical performance (nothing wrong with that), that man Mark Driscoll spoke.
Now, Mr Driscoll spoke from Genesis 1 to 3. He took us back to the start, where God our creator made everything. Here is a blurb of what I got out of his talk (only a summary):
Creation exists to glorify God. God existed right at the beginning & He made everything out of nothing. God made men in His image, & we are made for relationship & are meant to reflect some of God's characteristics. Men are made to rule & God gave men responsibility over creation. After God created Adam, he decided that it was not good for men to be alone, so for that reason he created a helper (Eve). When Eve later committed the sin, God held Adam accountable for that sin. And so it is with us men today - our wives & family members will be held accountable for their sins, & so will we. God made men to lead & gave men responsibility over creation. But many men abdicate responsibility, & they shun leadership roles. A lot of men don't want to lead, & don't want to face the responsibilities associated with leadership - & that is why some women take on leadership roles within the church. So Driscoll challenged the Christian men to be real men, to step up, take responsibility & lead. Work, so that we can pay our bills & support our family. Work because God made us to work, & work so that we give glory to God. Be strong for our family. A real man is one who takes responsibility, & Driscoll urges us to be like that.
Now, let me just say I have no issues with any of the above. It's all Biblical, & he did not misquote the Bible or say anything contrary to the Scriptures. I also will not & cannot question his Bible knowledge, & he obviously has good public speaking skills. That's all fine, fair game to Driscoll, no problems with all that.
But I have a number of issues with the rest of his talk, all of which combine to make me disillusioned & regret that I came all the way to listen to him.
Gripe 1: Driscoll seemed to be too pro-marriage & anti-single/anti-unmarried men
In harping on about how the Bible said it was not good for men to be alone, Driscoll seemed to be bashing the single/unmarried men. He showed favouritism towards married men. That made me very upset, deeply offended & very uncomfortable sitting in the audience. He was attacking me, & he was attacking all the other unmarried men in the audience simply because we are not married. He basically alienated a sizable segment of the audience. Driscoll seems to think that all man should be married. He is saying, hey you single men, what are you waiting for, find a lady to marry.
I mean, was I the only unmarried guy in the audience offended by Driscoll? I certainly hope not, & I'm sure there might be others in the audience who might have been offended, too. By all means, be confronting if necessary, but he went beyond that - he disrespected those who are single/unmarried & rubbed their faces the wrong way, something sadly typical among some married people. And this coming from a so-called respected pastor who many people look up to. A man who claims to follow Jesus, yet had the nerve to come up on stage & show no love towards a segment of the audience (the single/unmarried) who Jesus loves.
So if Driscoll doesn't like unmarried men, what then would Driscoll have to say about the Apostle Paul? What would he have to say to John Stott or other famous single Christian men in the world today? These are men who were & are far far greater than Driscoll will ever be. If Driscoll doesn't like men to stay unmarried, why doesn't he round up all the single/unmarried men & have them shot??!! Does Driscoll also not realise that singlehood can also be a gift from God (just as marriage is a gift from God), that some men are called on by God to be single? I mean, some of those called to be single might have desire to marry, but at the end of the day, if God's will is for them to remain unmarried, then they shall remain single. Others remain single for whatever reason (e.g. still looking for the right partner & waiting for God's provision). However, one would have thought these things are lost on Mark Driscoll, judging by the way he bangs the marriage drum.
Gripe 2: Driscoll is arrogant & opinionated
Mark Driscoll was boastful. He went on & on about how he met his beautiful wife in college (or something like that), & how they have 5 wonderful kids. They are all great, fantastic children, one of his daughters is very smart, yada yada yada. It's fine & good to be thankful for being blessed with a great family, but Driscoll went beyond that - he boasted about himself & his family, & put himself on a pedestal. He put himself up, & put others down. He is so full of himself. I wouldn't know if there is a more arrogant & opinionated Christian around, & wouldn't want to meet that person.
Never have I ever had such dislike, even "hatred", for a Christian. So Driscoll thinks he's so great, better than any in the audience just because he has 5 kids? What, does he want a medal for each child? And what happens if he gets child number 6 - is he going to put his hand up for the mayor seat of Seattle? And if he then gets child number 7, is he going to run for the US presidency???
Another thing he ranted about is about the young men in this country who still live with their parents after a certain age (what? 25??). He said these people should move out & be a master of their domain. Who the hell does he think he is, criticising his audience in that manner??? Does he not realise how expensive properties are in Australia? Some people can't yet afford to live out. I guess not - remember, he is from Seattle, where properties cost only a fraction of the prices in Australia. He presumably owns his house, & thinks everyone should be in the same position as him. So he feels that gives him the right to mouth off against those who still live with their parents. He is not qualified to make such judgemental remarks.
This is a man who has such a vastly inflated opinion of himself, a sanctimonious know-it-all. If I were to buy Mark Driscoll for what he's worth & sell him for what he thinks he's worth, I would make a ton of money - I'll be wealthier than Bill Gates.
Gripe 3: Driscoll's talk failed to encourage & inspire me
OK, some people might think my judgement is clouded by the first 2 gripes. But even leaving both those things aside, I still have reason to take issue with Driscoll.
You see, I came to the talk to be edified, to learn how to be a better Christian, to learn how to improve my spiritual walk. I mean, Driscoll has been hyped up by the people at my church as being "all that", as being so good that I have to attend this talk. And I fell for the hype: hook, line, sinker. The way his talk goes is like this: men are not doing X, men should do X. He never elaborate much further. So he says men are not taking responsibility, he would later say men should take responsibility - which is ok, but he should also elaborate more on how men should lead & take responsibility, instead of spouting rubbish about every men should be married or how great his family is.
The "Burn Your Plastic Jesus" thing is meant to be a challenge to the men who carry a convenient idol & live comfortable, unchallenged lives. To repent of that, Mark Driscoll has been invited to "unsettle our complacency and expand our view of the real Jesus". Well, he failed to achieve both objectives with me & has managed to put me offside. I don't believe anything that Mark Driscoll said has had any effect on whatever complacency I might have. Nothing he said has increased my knowledge of Jesus & godliness. Nothing he said has edified me. No encouragement whatsoever was given. I did not learn anything new because there is nothing in his talk (the blue words as summarised in the third paragraph above) that I have not heard before elsewhere. I drove home feeling empty & disillusioned, & I wondered if I would have missed anything had I not come. Felt like I wasted 3.5 hours of my life (including travel time) listening to that man - time which I will never recover. The talk did NOTHING for me. Absolutely nothing!
In fact, I just don't understand why the people at my church like Driscoll so much. They go on about how great he is. And as I said before, I got "duped" into coming to his talk. Well, I found out for myself that Mark Driscoll carries a lot of hot air. I felt that his talk never matched the hype that preceded it. But hey, it's my fault. I blame myself for listening when friends encouraged me to attend this talk. I had been skeptical about the whole thing, but allowed myself to be sucked into turning up. That's ok - we make mistakes, we learn from them & I will never ever make mistakes like this again.
So Driscoll has been preaching that men are made in God's image. Yeah?? But if God resembles Mark Driscoll, then we Christians should really worry.
Still, if people actually like him, that's their decision. I'm not going to blindly follow popular opinion & kiss the ground he walks on. Because having listened to his talk & seen what he's like, there's little about him that I find likeable. I have nothing but contempt for that man.
Having said all the above, for all my ranting & raving, at least I will acknowledge Driscoll never twisted the message of the Genesis passages. And ok, at the end of the day, he is a Christian whom Jesus has loved & saved - so who knows, one day, Mark Driscoll might prove my current opinion of him wrong. If or when that time comes, I will be willing to revise my opinion of him - but for that to happen, he will have to do something really drastic. For now, it appears unlikely to happen.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Staff review was better than expected
My annual performance & salary review went fairly well. Fairly well, but not excessively well. Nevertheless, it was better than I had expected, for I had walked into the meeting room, with low expectations. I deliberately set low expectations to minimise any potential disappointments. In the event, on the whole, things turned out better than I thought possible.
My boss/director & manager were both present. We talked about how the past year went by, especially my performance during that time. The boss & manager were both complimentary towards my work, by my commitment & dedication, by how well I seem to get along with everyone. Both were pleased by my contribution to the firm. My boss also talked about my future role within the firm - he said he sees me as a key member & quickly touched on how my role will evolve. It was nice to get all those compliments, but I do wonder if they (especially the boss) are saying those things (including the spiel on how my role will evolve) just to get me to want to stay at the firm. Anyhow, I'm not sure if my role will really evolve the way my boss talked about, & even if it does, I think it'll be a long time before it happens. I can't wait for that long....
I narrowly missed out on the annual bonus, but I wasn't surprised by that, because I had a feeling I would miss the annual billing target. I wasn't able to meet that target thanks to the tardiness of some of my clients - they don't respond to information requests quickly enough, so that meant I couldn't complete their work as quickly as I would like, & that meant I couldn't bill them by the billing target cut-off date, so at the end I was just under the billing target. However, I got an unexpectedly high increase to my base salary. The size of the pay rise took me completely by surprise, & I did my best not to look shocked. I was told the pay rise was done in consultation with the other directors, taking into account my performance & overall contribution to the firm. My director did say that he can't guarantee similar pay rises in future. Fair enough, I completely understand that.....
Well, it's nice to be rewarded that way, & it's nice that all my hard work was recognised. However, the work-related issues that I raised were played down or "brushed aside". The issues mainly relate to the client tardiness & certain type of work I've not enjoyed but have been compelled to do for those tardy clients. It's as if the issues I raised were not significant enough to warrant further attention. Anyway, I guess I'll be pretty justified if I were to look elsewhere for something that will give me more satisfaction & opportunity to progress my career....
Overall, I'd say my review went pretty well. I left the room trying my best to put a straight face, so my team mates will not be able to tell what I felt about my review. It didn't work. Wei & Murray could tell, from my behaviour during the rest of the day, that I had a good review. They guessed that I did get a pay rise & that I was happy with the scale of the pay rise. I tried my best to play things down, but wasn't convincing - I wasn't a good enough actor...hehehe....
Anyway, I just want to say I'm thankful to God that the review went reasonably well & thankful for the unexpectedly good pay rise. I hope I will be able to use the money wisely for His Kingdom, & I hope that God will ensure I am humble by reminding me that all good things come from Him.
My boss/director & manager were both present. We talked about how the past year went by, especially my performance during that time. The boss & manager were both complimentary towards my work, by my commitment & dedication, by how well I seem to get along with everyone. Both were pleased by my contribution to the firm. My boss also talked about my future role within the firm - he said he sees me as a key member & quickly touched on how my role will evolve. It was nice to get all those compliments, but I do wonder if they (especially the boss) are saying those things (including the spiel on how my role will evolve) just to get me to want to stay at the firm. Anyhow, I'm not sure if my role will really evolve the way my boss talked about, & even if it does, I think it'll be a long time before it happens. I can't wait for that long....
I narrowly missed out on the annual bonus, but I wasn't surprised by that, because I had a feeling I would miss the annual billing target. I wasn't able to meet that target thanks to the tardiness of some of my clients - they don't respond to information requests quickly enough, so that meant I couldn't complete their work as quickly as I would like, & that meant I couldn't bill them by the billing target cut-off date, so at the end I was just under the billing target. However, I got an unexpectedly high increase to my base salary. The size of the pay rise took me completely by surprise, & I did my best not to look shocked. I was told the pay rise was done in consultation with the other directors, taking into account my performance & overall contribution to the firm. My director did say that he can't guarantee similar pay rises in future. Fair enough, I completely understand that.....
Well, it's nice to be rewarded that way, & it's nice that all my hard work was recognised. However, the work-related issues that I raised were played down or "brushed aside". The issues mainly relate to the client tardiness & certain type of work I've not enjoyed but have been compelled to do for those tardy clients. It's as if the issues I raised were not significant enough to warrant further attention. Anyway, I guess I'll be pretty justified if I were to look elsewhere for something that will give me more satisfaction & opportunity to progress my career....
Overall, I'd say my review went pretty well. I left the room trying my best to put a straight face, so my team mates will not be able to tell what I felt about my review. It didn't work. Wei & Murray could tell, from my behaviour during the rest of the day, that I had a good review. They guessed that I did get a pay rise & that I was happy with the scale of the pay rise. I tried my best to play things down, but wasn't convincing - I wasn't a good enough actor...hehehe....
Anyway, I just want to say I'm thankful to God that the review went reasonably well & thankful for the unexpectedly good pay rise. I hope I will be able to use the money wisely for His Kingdom, & I hope that God will ensure I am humble by reminding me that all good things come from Him.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Radio talk: Citizenship in heaven
Once again, on the way to church this morning, I managed to catch the Sunday morning talk by guest speaker Andrew Hambilton on FM 96.5. Summary is below (I had the benefit of hearing the talk a second time on the internet); any mistakes/ambiguities are mine.
The talk is about heavenly citizenship & what is it like to be part of God’s kingdom. Andrew had gone along to his friend’s Australian citizenship ceremony a few months ago. As he reflected on the ceremony, Andrew realised how he takes his own citizenship for granted. For him, he is citizen by birth, but for his friend Dean, it was a matter of a transfer of allegiance/loyalty from his country of birth to his newly adopted country. Andrew talked about how having citizenship mean celebrating the unique values of the nation, actively live those values, demonstrate them & share with others.
Andrew then moved from talking about earthly citizenship to heavenly citizenship. He said just as there are some values which make us uniquely Australian, there are also some values which are heaven’s values, i.e. values which characterize citizens of heaven. He implores his listeners to consider what these heavenly values are & make a commitment to them – that is, a commitment to actively live by those values & demonstrate them to others. Those who become Christian become a citizen of heaven. They become adopted to God’s Kingdom. They transfer their allegiances/loyalties to that Kingdom, & embrace that Kingdom’s values. That should mean Christians should think & act in a different way. Jesus’ words in the gospel of Mark invite people to become citizens of God’s heavenly Kingdom, & enjoy the benefits of that citizenship now (Mark 1:14). The gospel of Mark does talk about what the Kingdom is like – it is different from earthly kingdom. Citizens of heavenly kingdom should think, act, speak & behave in a way that reflects the values of heaven.
Andrew then outlined 3 qualities/characteristics of a citizen of heaven. First characteristic is passion. Heavenly citizens are passionate. Passionate about God, about people, & about life. Jesus said in Mark 12:30: Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your mind & with all your strength. Jesus also said love your neighbours as yourself. All your heart, all your mind, all your strength – that is passion. Be passionate about God, & passionate about others, including ourselves. Jesus calls us to be truly passionate about God, because we believers are ruled by ruled by a God who is passionate about us.
Second characteristic is generosity. Heaven’s citizens are generous with their time, talents & treasures/belongings. Mark 12 has the story of a widow who gave a few coins to her church offering. It wasn’t much, but she gave everything she had. Jesus recognized this over others who apparently gave more than the widow, but what they gave was only a fraction of their wealth. We can at times be stingy with what we have. But being a heavenly citizen involves changing our thinking, & recognise that everything we have really belongs to God. He made everything, so He owns everything (see Psalm 24:1). Be generous with what we have.
Third characteristic is being wise investors. Heavenly citizens invest their life into something that lasts & leave a legacy. They value what God has done for them, & try to please God by investing their life. In Mark 15, we read that Jesus gave His life so that we can live & have a great future. The gift of Jesus’ life is a valuable gift & that requires appropriate response from us. Gifts that we value, we cherish & handle it wisely – the way we do this reflects the value we place on the gift & also the giver. So it is with God’s gift – how we use our life shows how much we cherish or value God’s gift. Heavenly citizens value that particular gift, & invest their lives in a way that show their appreciation of the gift.
Andrew said that earthly citizenship test often involves testing how much people know about their new country. Heavenly citizenship test is different – it has a lot more to do with who you know, rather than how much you know. Andrew referred to Revelation 21:27 – only those whose names appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life can be citizens of heaven. It is entirely up to us whether we choose to become a citizen of heaven. Will we choose God’s invitation to heavenly citizenship? If we do, then being a heavenly citizen has great privileges, much much better than the privilege of being citizen of any earthly nation. One such privilege is freedom. Freedom from all the things that enslave us & hold us back (fear, trouble, drugs, pressures of life, etc). We find freedom in Christ. Another privilege is forgiveness. Because of forgiveness, there is no longer a need to be ashamed of all the bad things which happened in the past. Another privilege of heavenly citizens is a future. Where we go in the future (heaven or hell) depends on who we give our allegiance to now. If our allegiance is with God & His Kingdom, then we will have a great & secure future.
Andrew implored listeners to embrace the gift of heavenly citizenship & commit to live out its values, to demonstrate them & share them with others. He encouraged us to be passionate, be generous & invest our lives wisely – so that when others look at us, they will know that we are citizens of heaven.
Reflection:
Hmmmm......let's run through the 3 characteristics.
Generosity - I think I'm ok with that. I do what I can to help people out, in terms of giving of my resources, time, etc.
Passion - yeah well, certain things I'm pretty passionate about. I wish I could honestly say I have passion about my faith. Sad, but it's true, I lack the zest that other Christians have about God, the Bible, etc. I hope God can help me out in that regard.
Wise investor - well, based on the description above, I can't say I qualify as one. I'm not very good at spending my time wisely, on the things that matter in eternity.
Thus, my score is 1 out of 3. Thank goodness God doesn't impose exam scores on His people. And thank God for His Son, that we believers have our citizenship in heaven.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Radio talk by Phil Campbell on greed
On the way to church this morning, I heard a talk on the radio (FM 96.5) delivered by Phil Campbell. The topic of the talk was greed. I remembered Phil from last year's Men's Training Event. He was a very good speaker (I'm sure those who attended MTE would agree). His radio talk this morning was rather enjoyable. I don't think I remember exactly everything that was said (selective memory retention, is what it is), but I hope this post covers the gist of the talk.
Phil Campbell's talk was on Luke 12:13-21. The passage talked about the parable of the rich man. Phil emphasized Luke 12:15: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions".
Phil said that the passage warns us against greed. He referred to inheritance as one situation in which greed can manifest itself. He gave an real-life example of a man & his sister who both inherited some things (jewelry or stuff like that) from their mother's will. The sister would insist that she inherit those things which are of better quality. That sort of "me first" mentality is greed. The person thinks he/she should be number one & scramble to get as much as he/she can get.
Time & time again, Phil implored his listeners to be on our guard against greed. He mentioned that the world does encourage greed, this desire to get & accumulate more. Phil said that the problem with greed is that it reduces life to less than what it really is. There is very little point in accumulating treasures on earth, things which we cannot take with us when we move on from this world. Instead of focusing on those things, we should focus on things which are more permanent. Jesus in the passage was warning His audience to be on their guard against greed, & seek the kingdom of God instead of material things. Phil encouraged us to do this - to seek the things of heaven instead of focusing on accumulating earthly possessions.
Reflection:
I'm glad I got to hear Phil Campbell's talk, & I managed to do so because I left home a little earlier than other Sundays (so I won't be too late picking up Mark & Chris H). The timing was interesting - Phil Campbell's talk came on the radio so soon after I started the car & left home. It's almost as if God had planned on me listening to the talk. And probably with good reason, too. It's because I think I at various times & at various degrees, do struggle with greed. There are lots of things around me which can potentially tempt me & foster greed. I see them on the internet, in the financial newspapers, investment magazines (which I subscribe to!).
For example, I read about top performing managed funds during a given period of time. I will think: "Wow, I wish I got money to put into those shares or managed funds. Then in X number of years, my investments will grow, my stocks will rise & I will have more money! Money, money, yeah, yeah!". Sheer greed - & this, despite the fact that I already got a portfolio of investments already. I remembered having a chat about this particular struggle at BLT 2006 with one of Fayette's friends, Chris (different one from Chris H). Though I don't look as much or as obsessively at managed fund prices anymore, it'll be dangerous to think the problem is completely gone.
Anyway, I pray that God will help me be watchful against greed, & that I will look to prioritise building my relationship with Him, instead of building up material wealth or possessions. It won't be easy at all, as I think I can be susceptible to be tempted by the things around me (it's possibly one of my weaknesses). But I pray that God, with whatever ways He has, will strengthen my heart to want to seek His kingdom first, & to remember the warning in Luke 12:15.
Phil Campbell's talk was on Luke 12:13-21. The passage talked about the parable of the rich man. Phil emphasized Luke 12:15: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions".
Phil said that the passage warns us against greed. He referred to inheritance as one situation in which greed can manifest itself. He gave an real-life example of a man & his sister who both inherited some things (jewelry or stuff like that) from their mother's will. The sister would insist that she inherit those things which are of better quality. That sort of "me first" mentality is greed. The person thinks he/she should be number one & scramble to get as much as he/she can get.
Time & time again, Phil implored his listeners to be on our guard against greed. He mentioned that the world does encourage greed, this desire to get & accumulate more. Phil said that the problem with greed is that it reduces life to less than what it really is. There is very little point in accumulating treasures on earth, things which we cannot take with us when we move on from this world. Instead of focusing on those things, we should focus on things which are more permanent. Jesus in the passage was warning His audience to be on their guard against greed, & seek the kingdom of God instead of material things. Phil encouraged us to do this - to seek the things of heaven instead of focusing on accumulating earthly possessions.
Reflection:
I'm glad I got to hear Phil Campbell's talk, & I managed to do so because I left home a little earlier than other Sundays (so I won't be too late picking up Mark & Chris H). The timing was interesting - Phil Campbell's talk came on the radio so soon after I started the car & left home. It's almost as if God had planned on me listening to the talk. And probably with good reason, too. It's because I think I at various times & at various degrees, do struggle with greed. There are lots of things around me which can potentially tempt me & foster greed. I see them on the internet, in the financial newspapers, investment magazines (which I subscribe to!).
For example, I read about top performing managed funds during a given period of time. I will think: "Wow, I wish I got money to put into those shares or managed funds. Then in X number of years, my investments will grow, my stocks will rise & I will have more money! Money, money, yeah, yeah!". Sheer greed - & this, despite the fact that I already got a portfolio of investments already. I remembered having a chat about this particular struggle at BLT 2006 with one of Fayette's friends, Chris (different one from Chris H). Though I don't look as much or as obsessively at managed fund prices anymore, it'll be dangerous to think the problem is completely gone.
Anyway, I pray that God will help me be watchful against greed, & that I will look to prioritise building my relationship with Him, instead of building up material wealth or possessions. It won't be easy at all, as I think I can be susceptible to be tempted by the things around me (it's possibly one of my weaknesses). But I pray that God, with whatever ways He has, will strengthen my heart to want to seek His kingdom first, & to remember the warning in Luke 12:15.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sister & brother-in-law's 1st anniversary
Today, Val & Andrew celebrate the first anniversary of their marriage! Woo hoo! Congratulations to them!! They are away for their anniversary, no doubt having such a great time.
I can't believe how quickly time passed. It's been exactly 1 year already. We were having a ball this day last year, celebrating their union. Some relatives & family friends from interstate & overseas came to Brisbane to celebrate that occasion. I still remember, with much fondness, pretty much everything that happened on the wedding day. It was a great great day, one to cherish. And I pray that God will continue to bless Val & Andrew, their marriage & their future richly.
I can't believe how quickly time passed. It's been exactly 1 year already. We were having a ball this day last year, celebrating their union. Some relatives & family friends from interstate & overseas came to Brisbane to celebrate that occasion. I still remember, with much fondness, pretty much everything that happened on the wedding day. It was a great great day, one to cherish. And I pray that God will continue to bless Val & Andrew, their marriage & their future richly.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Reflection on 2007
It's the last day for the year, so I think it's a good time to reflect on the year 2007. For me personally, 2007 has overall been a very good year. And I think my family members are likely to view the year as being a good & memorable one, too:
My sister got married in a wonderful God-centered ceremony at the end of March. So, she gained a good godly husband.
My parents gained a son-in-law - & me & my 2 brothers gained a brother-in-law.
One of my brothers has just graduated from medicine.
The other brother got baptised in April.
So, I thank God for those great things which have happened to my family members. Besides that, there are also other things which I am thankful to God for:
# For blessing me with friends, including friends at church & my Bible study group.
# For all His blessings on my friends & loved ones, & for taking good care of them.
# For the people involved at various activities for my church & Bible study group, which include preaching, Bible study leading/facilitating. Also, thank God for looking after those who have gone away on short-term missions trips & for blessing the time they had.
# For growing & maturing my Christian brothers & sisters.
# For all the fellowships I have had with my Christian brothers & sisters.
# For my cousin-in-law's salvation.
# And for various other things which have currently escaped my mind! (Haha, not a bad idea to insert a "catch-all" point, eh??)
Okay, I've talked about memorable things for my family members. What about me? Well, I started a blog - this one. Actually, 2 blogs - but the other one being a photo blog (at Multiply). Besides that, I have also rekindled my passion in reading crime fiction novels, so I may include book reviews/reflections on this blog in the future.
Apart from blogging & getting back to crime fiction reading, there hasn't been that much about me that has radically changed.
Physically, I'm still the same. Whether that's good or bad, I'll leave it to others to decide!. Spiritually (including my relationship with God), it's been so-so, not much has changed (haven't backslided, but haven't grown exponentially either). Again, I'll let my friends judge me on that. One thing I can definitely say is that I've become more & more interested in learning more about missions, hence why I've been attending the various Missions Encouragement Meetings. I will continue to attend MEMs as often as I can. And may God continue to grow my interest & knowledge of missions.
I also realise that some people may not look on 2007 quite as fondly as I would. I can think of at least 1 friend who has not found 2007 quite up to expectations. I hope & pray that these people will have a better year next year, trust that God knows what is best & trust that He will continue to bless them.
Again, this year has been pretty good for me. As we head into 2008, the one cloud in my horizon (not that this is meant to be negative) is that I'm uncertain as to what lies ahead for me in the new year & beyond. In relation to that, I hope I am able to put more faith & trust in God & less on myself.
To finish up, I shall leave with a Bible passage which Pastor Mun included in the most recent church bulletin. That passage is Proverbs 3:5-6. Here it goes:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, & He will make your paths straight."
I hope to take this passage with me into the new year & beyond.
My sister got married in a wonderful God-centered ceremony at the end of March. So, she gained a good godly husband.
My parents gained a son-in-law - & me & my 2 brothers gained a brother-in-law.
One of my brothers has just graduated from medicine.
The other brother got baptised in April.
So, I thank God for those great things which have happened to my family members. Besides that, there are also other things which I am thankful to God for:
# For blessing me with friends, including friends at church & my Bible study group.
# For all His blessings on my friends & loved ones, & for taking good care of them.
# For the people involved at various activities for my church & Bible study group, which include preaching, Bible study leading/facilitating. Also, thank God for looking after those who have gone away on short-term missions trips & for blessing the time they had.
# For growing & maturing my Christian brothers & sisters.
# For all the fellowships I have had with my Christian brothers & sisters.
# For my cousin-in-law's salvation.
# And for various other things which have currently escaped my mind! (Haha, not a bad idea to insert a "catch-all" point, eh??)
Okay, I've talked about memorable things for my family members. What about me? Well, I started a blog - this one. Actually, 2 blogs - but the other one being a photo blog (at Multiply). Besides that, I have also rekindled my passion in reading crime fiction novels, so I may include book reviews/reflections on this blog in the future.
Apart from blogging & getting back to crime fiction reading, there hasn't been that much about me that has radically changed.
Physically, I'm still the same. Whether that's good or bad, I'll leave it to others to decide!. Spiritually (including my relationship with God), it's been so-so, not much has changed (haven't backslided, but haven't grown exponentially either). Again, I'll let my friends judge me on that. One thing I can definitely say is that I've become more & more interested in learning more about missions, hence why I've been attending the various Missions Encouragement Meetings. I will continue to attend MEMs as often as I can. And may God continue to grow my interest & knowledge of missions.
I also realise that some people may not look on 2007 quite as fondly as I would. I can think of at least 1 friend who has not found 2007 quite up to expectations. I hope & pray that these people will have a better year next year, trust that God knows what is best & trust that He will continue to bless them.
Again, this year has been pretty good for me. As we head into 2008, the one cloud in my horizon (not that this is meant to be negative) is that I'm uncertain as to what lies ahead for me in the new year & beyond. In relation to that, I hope I am able to put more faith & trust in God & less on myself.
To finish up, I shall leave with a Bible passage which Pastor Mun included in the most recent church bulletin. That passage is Proverbs 3:5-6. Here it goes:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, & He will make your paths straight."
I hope to take this passage with me into the new year & beyond.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Sermon on Colossians 1:15-23 - some notes
OK, my notes on Pastor Steve's sermon on Colossians 1:15-23 a couple of Sunday's back may seem sketchy to some readers. And it's most probably my fault (should have paid more attention & not let my mind be distracted by internal thoughts on other things).
But anyway, Pastor begin by saying that a lot of writers who claim to be Christian write materials which effectively say "Jesus, come follow me". A lot of people ask the question - Jesus, what can you do for me? It shouldn't be like that. It should be the other way round. The passage in Colossians is all about Jesus; Jesus is mentioned a dozen times. The invisible God, whom we cannot see, is made visible here. So, no longer can we ignore God & say He is not really relevant. He gave Jesus authority over this world, & we are to do what Jesus commands.
Jesus not only has authority over this world, He died to achieve salvation for this world. Pastor reminded us, & referring to the passage, that Jesus' death has paved the way for the world to change. Because He has achieved salvation for us believers, we are to live in line with that. We once rejected God & want to do things our way & marginalise or exclude God from our lives. But Jesus achieved salvation for us, & so reconciled us to God. Therefore, we are to continue in our faith.
Jesus Christ, Lord of creation, restorer of all things, Saviour of our lives. Since Jesus is all that, what then are we to do? As mentioned previously, we are to continue in our faith. We are to consistently attend church & not neglect meeting up altogether. Pastor then left us with a challenging question: What are we captivated by? Whatever it is we are captivated by shapes our lives. Pastor was basically saying that since Jesus has done so much for us, are we captivated by Him?
Reflection:
Am I captivated by Jesus? I'd say "yes" in the sense that I'm aware (from the Bible) of all the things that Jesus achieved while He was on earth, many of which only Jesus was capable of doing. Certainly in the case of His death & resurrection on the cross, only Jesus was capable of doing that, because He is the Son of God. So, from me, there is the awareness of all that Jesus has done & acceptance of who He is. Being surrounded by fellow believers at church & my Bible study group, I'm often reminded to focus on Jesus & what He has achieved on the cross. So yes, I am certainly captivated by Jesus.
But, in all honesty, at the same time, I'm also captivated by other things. I'm captivated by the things of this world. I watch football on TV & also clips on YouTube, & so am captivated by footballers, & their skills & all that. I'm captivated by materials I read on money, investments etc., & start thinking of what I can achieve in the future when my earnings go up & I start looking at various money making ventures/opportunities (e.g. share trading).
And, believe it or not, sometimes I'm captivated by my personal delusions of grandeur, of my perceived level of ability. I tell myself: "wow, look - I can do this, I have done that". And thump my chest & feel self satisfied.
I realise I should be more captivated by Jesus & less captivated on other things. Wow, it seems whenever I listen to sermons, I get reminded of the areas in my walk that I'm deficient in. I pray that God will help me overcome those spiritual deficiencies. But then again, I always talk like that. Remember DT, MTE talk by K Birchley - wisdom is more walk than talk. Or to modify for myself, wisdom is more walk than blog.
But anyway, Pastor begin by saying that a lot of writers who claim to be Christian write materials which effectively say "Jesus, come follow me". A lot of people ask the question - Jesus, what can you do for me? It shouldn't be like that. It should be the other way round. The passage in Colossians is all about Jesus; Jesus is mentioned a dozen times. The invisible God, whom we cannot see, is made visible here. So, no longer can we ignore God & say He is not really relevant. He gave Jesus authority over this world, & we are to do what Jesus commands.
Jesus not only has authority over this world, He died to achieve salvation for this world. Pastor reminded us, & referring to the passage, that Jesus' death has paved the way for the world to change. Because He has achieved salvation for us believers, we are to live in line with that. We once rejected God & want to do things our way & marginalise or exclude God from our lives. But Jesus achieved salvation for us, & so reconciled us to God. Therefore, we are to continue in our faith.
Jesus Christ, Lord of creation, restorer of all things, Saviour of our lives. Since Jesus is all that, what then are we to do? As mentioned previously, we are to continue in our faith. We are to consistently attend church & not neglect meeting up altogether. Pastor then left us with a challenging question: What are we captivated by? Whatever it is we are captivated by shapes our lives. Pastor was basically saying that since Jesus has done so much for us, are we captivated by Him?
Reflection:
Am I captivated by Jesus? I'd say "yes" in the sense that I'm aware (from the Bible) of all the things that Jesus achieved while He was on earth, many of which only Jesus was capable of doing. Certainly in the case of His death & resurrection on the cross, only Jesus was capable of doing that, because He is the Son of God. So, from me, there is the awareness of all that Jesus has done & acceptance of who He is. Being surrounded by fellow believers at church & my Bible study group, I'm often reminded to focus on Jesus & what He has achieved on the cross. So yes, I am certainly captivated by Jesus.
But, in all honesty, at the same time, I'm also captivated by other things. I'm captivated by the things of this world. I watch football on TV & also clips on YouTube, & so am captivated by footballers, & their skills & all that. I'm captivated by materials I read on money, investments etc., & start thinking of what I can achieve in the future when my earnings go up & I start looking at various money making ventures/opportunities (e.g. share trading).
And, believe it or not, sometimes I'm captivated by my personal delusions of grandeur, of my perceived level of ability. I tell myself: "wow, look - I can do this, I have done that". And thump my chest & feel self satisfied.
I realise I should be more captivated by Jesus & less captivated on other things. Wow, it seems whenever I listen to sermons, I get reminded of the areas in my walk that I'm deficient in. I pray that God will help me overcome those spiritual deficiencies. But then again, I always talk like that. Remember DT, MTE talk by K Birchley - wisdom is more walk than talk. Or to modify for myself, wisdom is more walk than blog.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
MTE Session 5 - Perfect Peace
Summary
Keith Birchley did the fifth & last session for this year's MTE. He covered James 3.
He started by talking about paradigm shifts, which is a sudden change in the way one sees something. Shifting paradigms, says Birchley, is fun once you get over the shock. What we see is predetermined by what we prepare to see. What we see if often a product of what we prepare to see. If we change the paradigm, we will change the way we see the church.
Birchley made a few points:
#1:
Wisdom is more walk than talk.
It is more behavioural than intellectual. James 3:13-18. We are countering the idea that wisdom is all about ideas/intellect. "Pretend" wisdom (i.e. wisdom not from above) creates trouble (see v 14 - jealousy & selfish ambition; v16 - disorder & every evil thing). What wisdom from about is like is the complete opposite of earthly wisdom (v17). God given wisdom is pure & from above.
So, we are not to assume that someone is wise if they know a lot of stuff. Something can be accurate, or sharp & discerning, without being wise. What all that represent is not true wisdom. A thing is not true wisdom if it leads to a trail of destruction (Look at the fruit of the thing to decide whether the thing is or is not true wisdom). Wisdom is defined by the walk behind the talk.
#2:
Quarrels are more internal than external.
It is what is going on inside that creates what is going on outside. James 4:1-3 starts & ends in "pleasures". Pleasures drive desires which in turn drives quarrels & conflicts. Pleasure seeking drives adversarial acting. A person who is a perpetual arguer is pleasure seeking.
James 3:14. Motive is extensive in poisoning.
The best idea in a meeting of leaders is not necessarily wisdom even if it is intellectually the best idea or accurate by any objective criteria. That is because wisdom is more walk than talk. Ideas may be right but motives can be wrong. Pause before you push the "send" button - if there is any doubt as to your motives.
The great conflicts are within people, not between people. The real disagreements are within. Thomas Cranmer's anthropology states: "What the heart loves, the will chooses, the mind justifies".
#3:
Maturity is giving to the right jealousy, humbly submitting to the Lord's jealousy for us.
Birchley referred to James 4:4-10, also Exodus 20:3 (no other gods), Exodus 34:14.
Growing up is giving in to God's jealousy. Birchley referred to James 4:7 & 8. We are to resist those things of the devil, resist the devil by not fostering divisive ambition & resist destructive behaviour. God's pure & holy jealousy for his people.
Keep in mind that God is jealous for our unity. He wants us, therefore we should clean up our act.
Men like to fight. We like fights. We rejoice here together (in MTE), applauding each other's ministries.
Birchley then recapped the above:
Reflections
Keith Birchley did the fifth & last session for this year's MTE. He covered James 3.
He started by talking about paradigm shifts, which is a sudden change in the way one sees something. Shifting paradigms, says Birchley, is fun once you get over the shock. What we see is predetermined by what we prepare to see. What we see if often a product of what we prepare to see. If we change the paradigm, we will change the way we see the church.
Birchley made a few points:
#1:
Wisdom is more walk than talk.
It is more behavioural than intellectual. James 3:13-18. We are countering the idea that wisdom is all about ideas/intellect. "Pretend" wisdom (i.e. wisdom not from above) creates trouble (see v 14 - jealousy & selfish ambition; v16 - disorder & every evil thing). What wisdom from about is like is the complete opposite of earthly wisdom (v17). God given wisdom is pure & from above.
So, we are not to assume that someone is wise if they know a lot of stuff. Something can be accurate, or sharp & discerning, without being wise. What all that represent is not true wisdom. A thing is not true wisdom if it leads to a trail of destruction (Look at the fruit of the thing to decide whether the thing is or is not true wisdom). Wisdom is defined by the walk behind the talk.
#2:
Quarrels are more internal than external.
It is what is going on inside that creates what is going on outside. James 4:1-3 starts & ends in "pleasures". Pleasures drive desires which in turn drives quarrels & conflicts. Pleasure seeking drives adversarial acting. A person who is a perpetual arguer is pleasure seeking.
James 3:14. Motive is extensive in poisoning.
The best idea in a meeting of leaders is not necessarily wisdom even if it is intellectually the best idea or accurate by any objective criteria. That is because wisdom is more walk than talk. Ideas may be right but motives can be wrong. Pause before you push the "send" button - if there is any doubt as to your motives.
The great conflicts are within people, not between people. The real disagreements are within. Thomas Cranmer's anthropology states: "What the heart loves, the will chooses, the mind justifies".
#3:
Maturity is giving to the right jealousy, humbly submitting to the Lord's jealousy for us.
Birchley referred to James 4:4-10, also Exodus 20:3 (no other gods), Exodus 34:14.
Growing up is giving in to God's jealousy. Birchley referred to James 4:7 & 8. We are to resist those things of the devil, resist the devil by not fostering divisive ambition & resist destructive behaviour. God's pure & holy jealousy for his people.
Keep in mind that God is jealous for our unity. He wants us, therefore we should clean up our act.
Men like to fight. We like fights. We rejoice here together (in MTE), applauding each other's ministries.
Birchley then recapped the above:
- Wisdom is more walk than talk.
- What is going on inside creates what is going on outside.
- Maturity involves not spending too much emotional energy with jealousy towards each other.
Reflections
- Phheewww. I marvel at Birchley's talk & his style. It's pretty deep (I hope I haven't misrepresented his talk). I think Birchley is a really wise man & though I don't know him well, I certainly get the impression he is more walk than talk. Which is more than can be said about myself! (even if I sometimes delude myself into believing I'm wiser & cleverer than I actually am). Me, I'm "all talk & no action". When it comes to applications, if I'm not trying to get out of discussion, I will talk about it during Bible study, but hardly get around to doing them. So when people ask "how's your applications, DT?", I got no answer. I should really take applications more seriously.
- With maturity, it is my selfishness (with my time) & my self-centeredness that prevents me from giving in to God's jealousy. I need to remember that God is a jealous & personal God who loves & really cares about me. It's not a matter of "God is up there, I'm down here. I do my thing; if I really need His help, I call Him". I need to get God much more involved in my life & rather than marginalising His involvement. So, I should, as Birchley say, clean up my act. Do some things to get God more involved, such as spending some more time reading & reflecting on the Bible, & set aside some time for prayer. Ahh, look at that - Bible reading & praying more often. Doesn't that look familiar - how many times have I already got that as my applications?!!
- Birchley has been saying: "Wisdom is more walk than talk". Final thought on this: after all my MTE posts, perhaps someone might want to remind me that "wisdom is more walk than blog".
MTE Session 4 - The Man who would sacrifice anything to get what he wanted
Summary
Phil Campbell's session is based on Judges 9-11.
He started by referring in passing to Judges 11 & 12, which considered that passage to contain an account so sad that he dislikes speaking about it, as it shows the foolishness of one of the greatest of the judges, Jephthah - another man behaving badly.
Here, we see another "judge-cycle". Things in Israel were getting worse. But this time, when they cried out to God, God was "cynical". They repented, & then God could not bear Israel's misery any longer. Into the picture step Jephthah. He is one of those guys who want to win at all costs; he would give anything to guarantee a win. So, he made a vow to God (even God already had planned to save Israel) in exchange for victory against the Ammonites. Jephthah would sacrifice anything to make it to the top. The deal was that he would sacrifice as a burnt offering the first person to greet him when he returned. Jephthah did get the win - God kept His promise. OK, so he got what he wanted. When he returned home, the person who greeted him turned out to be none other than his daughter (the only child of his). So she had to be sacrificed! Jephthah didn't have to do the deal in the first place (God already planned to save Israel), but he did. So at the end, he got what he wanted - at the cost of his daughter's life. He was willing to sacrifice anything (even the life of a loved one) to win.
The real king of Israel is different. He sacrificed Himself for others, instead of sacrificing others for Himself. James & John (in the New Testament), like Jephthah, wanted to make it to the top (see Mark 10:35). They didn't know what they were asking for.
Those who want to be first in the Kingdom of God must be slave for all. Do not come to be served, but to serve. Serve others, instead of ruling them. Sacrifice yourselves, instead of sacrificing others.
Campbell then referred to recent headlines in Australia where 12 men, including a Presbyterian minister, were caught with obscene children images. He implored us to not sacrifice our children & let our kids suffer. Be a man & turn yourself in. If we are not to be men behaving badly, then maybe it is time to evaluate & make some changes.
Reflections
Hhhmmm. For me, in relation to my career & my money, I wonder: what will I sacrifice to build my career & my money/"wealth"/investments? I have "grand" future plans for my career & building my money/"wealth" investments. The story of Jephthah comes as a warning that there's a limit as to what I should give up to get something - it would silly & unwise to sacrifice something more important to get something that is not that important (or not important at all). Is it wise to sacrifice whatever spirituality I have to gain the things of this world? So, will I get sucked into sacrificing my time & money in the future, as I climb the corporate ladder (should I even climb this ladder?) or look to build on what assets I accumulate? Time which may be better spent doing things for God's kingdom than for personal gain. We shall see.
Phil Campbell's session is based on Judges 9-11.
He started by referring in passing to Judges 11 & 12, which considered that passage to contain an account so sad that he dislikes speaking about it, as it shows the foolishness of one of the greatest of the judges, Jephthah - another man behaving badly.
Here, we see another "judge-cycle". Things in Israel were getting worse. But this time, when they cried out to God, God was "cynical". They repented, & then God could not bear Israel's misery any longer. Into the picture step Jephthah. He is one of those guys who want to win at all costs; he would give anything to guarantee a win. So, he made a vow to God (even God already had planned to save Israel) in exchange for victory against the Ammonites. Jephthah would sacrifice anything to make it to the top. The deal was that he would sacrifice as a burnt offering the first person to greet him when he returned. Jephthah did get the win - God kept His promise. OK, so he got what he wanted. When he returned home, the person who greeted him turned out to be none other than his daughter (the only child of his). So she had to be sacrificed! Jephthah didn't have to do the deal in the first place (God already planned to save Israel), but he did. So at the end, he got what he wanted - at the cost of his daughter's life. He was willing to sacrifice anything (even the life of a loved one) to win.
The real king of Israel is different. He sacrificed Himself for others, instead of sacrificing others for Himself. James & John (in the New Testament), like Jephthah, wanted to make it to the top (see Mark 10:35). They didn't know what they were asking for.
Those who want to be first in the Kingdom of God must be slave for all. Do not come to be served, but to serve. Serve others, instead of ruling them. Sacrifice yourselves, instead of sacrificing others.
Campbell then referred to recent headlines in Australia where 12 men, including a Presbyterian minister, were caught with obscene children images. He implored us to not sacrifice our children & let our kids suffer. Be a man & turn yourself in. If we are not to be men behaving badly, then maybe it is time to evaluate & make some changes.
Reflections
Hhhmmm. For me, in relation to my career & my money, I wonder: what will I sacrifice to build my career & my money/"wealth"/investments? I have "grand" future plans for my career & building my money/"wealth" investments. The story of Jephthah comes as a warning that there's a limit as to what I should give up to get something - it would silly & unwise to sacrifice something more important to get something that is not that important (or not important at all). Is it wise to sacrifice whatever spirituality I have to gain the things of this world? So, will I get sucked into sacrificing my time & money in the future, as I climb the corporate ladder (should I even climb this ladder?) or look to build on what assets I accumulate? Time which may be better spent doing things for God's kingdom than for personal gain. We shall see.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
MTE Session 3 - The Men Who Refused to be Men
Summary
Phil Campbell's session is based on Judges 4-5.
He referred to the 1990s British sitcom, Men Behaving Badly. The lead character in that show epitomised the typical guy - too much beer, no commitment. We laugh, but sometimes the men behaving badly are not funny, especially those in our lives. We behave badly (selfish, lazy, cowardice), just like the men of Israel. The book of Judges takes us to the low point of Israel, where the prevailing attitude is "anything goes".
Back in those times, Israel was living the "deadly cycle" where they commit evil, get punished for it, repent, God sends judge, God saves, then they revert back to committing evil again. And so on & so goes the cycle. That is like people today, who only repent when everything gets taken away from them.
In the passage, we see Judge Deborah calling Barak to lead the troops to take on Sisera & his Canaanites, telling Barak that God would be be with him. But that would not persuade Barak. Put it simply, Barak he refused to be a man. At the time, Israel was corrupt. Until Deborah came, nobody was saved. Not a man among them did anything about it until Deborah came. So Deborah set an example in leadership which none of the men at the time could live up to.
Where were the men of Israel? It was hard to find a real men in Israel, a man who would take a stand for injustice or take a stand against the odds. Campbell referred to a quote by Franklin Roosevelt: "Courage is not absence of fear; it is doing what you have to do despite the fear.
Jesus alone is doing something Israel needed. Here is a real man; here is a perfect man. John 19:5 - Here is the man! Here at last is the man who is prepared to pay the price for His people. Criticism should be for men of God who refuse to be what men of God should be. We should be leaders in costly & inconvenient way, not to take a step back & let the women do the work.
Too many young Christian guys are too scared to commit, just like the guy in Men Behaving Badly. And it seems that in marriage, it is the guys who do not want to do the steps to make things work when things go wrong. In The Simpsons, Marge is the one who wants to get the kids to church whereas Homer wants to stay at home.
We should be men, not mice. Men who are confident in God's victory. We should take the lead as real men - courageous, faithful, strong. God wants courageous, faithful men. That is what God wants most. We are called to give ourselves up for others, just as God gave Himself up for the church.
Reflection
Phil Campbell's session is based on Judges 4-5.
He referred to the 1990s British sitcom, Men Behaving Badly. The lead character in that show epitomised the typical guy - too much beer, no commitment. We laugh, but sometimes the men behaving badly are not funny, especially those in our lives. We behave badly (selfish, lazy, cowardice), just like the men of Israel. The book of Judges takes us to the low point of Israel, where the prevailing attitude is "anything goes".
Back in those times, Israel was living the "deadly cycle" where they commit evil, get punished for it, repent, God sends judge, God saves, then they revert back to committing evil again. And so on & so goes the cycle. That is like people today, who only repent when everything gets taken away from them.
In the passage, we see Judge Deborah calling Barak to lead the troops to take on Sisera & his Canaanites, telling Barak that God would be be with him. But that would not persuade Barak. Put it simply, Barak he refused to be a man. At the time, Israel was corrupt. Until Deborah came, nobody was saved. Not a man among them did anything about it until Deborah came. So Deborah set an example in leadership which none of the men at the time could live up to.
Where were the men of Israel? It was hard to find a real men in Israel, a man who would take a stand for injustice or take a stand against the odds. Campbell referred to a quote by Franklin Roosevelt: "Courage is not absence of fear; it is doing what you have to do despite the fear.
Jesus alone is doing something Israel needed. Here is a real man; here is a perfect man. John 19:5 - Here is the man! Here at last is the man who is prepared to pay the price for His people. Criticism should be for men of God who refuse to be what men of God should be. We should be leaders in costly & inconvenient way, not to take a step back & let the women do the work.
Too many young Christian guys are too scared to commit, just like the guy in Men Behaving Badly. And it seems that in marriage, it is the guys who do not want to do the steps to make things work when things go wrong. In The Simpsons, Marge is the one who wants to get the kids to church whereas Homer wants to stay at home.
We should be men, not mice. Men who are confident in God's victory. We should take the lead as real men - courageous, faithful, strong. God wants courageous, faithful men. That is what God wants most. We are called to give ourselves up for others, just as God gave Himself up for the church.
Reflection
- I'm very much a man who behaves badly. Sometimes, very very badly. To the tune of John Cena's song, I'm a bad bad man!
- Sometimes, I also have the attitude of "anything goes". Guess I would fit perfectly into Israel had I been alive back then.
- Campbell's comment that men of God should "lead in a costly, inconvenient way" does not sit easily with my often prevailing attitude of "I do what I want when I want". To lead in a costly & inconvenient way involves sacrificing our time.
- One area I can "lead in a costly & inconvenient way" & "take the lead as real men" is with my role as an events coordinator in my Bible study group (Clay). The other events coordinator is Melina. As the male coordinator, I should be the one stepping up & taking the lead. I feel I'm slowly getting into this (especially with preparations for Clay's Dialogue Meeting next month), although whether or not I'm actually doing this would be best ascertained by talking to the other people in Clay ;)
- I pray that God would change me so that I am able to lead effectively in the roles I have within church & Clay. I still dread the word "lead" & often question whether my current roles in church & Clay really involve leading, as I don't really see myself as leader. Nevertheless, Campbell's talk highlight God's desire for men of God to lead like real men & lead in a courageous, faithful way. I pray that God would instil in me a desire to lead for Him & be a real man of God.
MTE Session 2 - Perfect God
Summary
One of the ways to discover ourselves it to look away from ourselves (i.e. not focus on ourselves) & focus on others. For Christians, that would be God. Birchley referred to James 1:17, & he had 4 things to say:
#1:
God gives every good thing. Every good thing we get comes from Him. He has a monopoly on goodness. Whenever we see goodness, we owe God a debt of gratitude. If God gives every good thing, we are to be "thanksgiving junkies".
#2:
God gives only good things. Something wrong happens, we blame someone else & possibly shame them as well. Some Christians doubt God's goodness.
Every good thing comes from above. God does not have inferior stock; He is incapable of giving second best. Because God gives good things only, we are never to doubt Him. It is better to doubt our perception than to read negativity into God's intention.
Never doubt God.
#3:
He is the Cosmic Father. The Father of Lights. The one above is the one who rules the world.
The God of the Bible is the one we should truly fear as we love Him. Fear is tempered by love & also intensified by love.
#4:
He is utterly consistent. No variation or shifting shadow. He is constantly here. It is because of His determination to give every & only good gifts that He is consistent. He is determined to be generous. So, why should we not utterly be consistent in a similar way? Be consistently obsessed with other's needs ahead of our own & be inflexible with being generous.
Jesus is concerned with our lack lack of consistency & integrity when God is Himself consistent & has integrity. If God is all consistent goodness, it does not make sense for His children to be double-minded.
Consistency is to be accompanied by integrity. A consistency that begs for integrity. Our consistency is to flow from a deep appreciation of His.
Reflection
One of the ways to discover ourselves it to look away from ourselves (i.e. not focus on ourselves) & focus on others. For Christians, that would be God. Birchley referred to James 1:17, & he had 4 things to say:
#1:
God gives every good thing. Every good thing we get comes from Him. He has a monopoly on goodness. Whenever we see goodness, we owe God a debt of gratitude. If God gives every good thing, we are to be "thanksgiving junkies".
#2:
God gives only good things. Something wrong happens, we blame someone else & possibly shame them as well. Some Christians doubt God's goodness.
Every good thing comes from above. God does not have inferior stock; He is incapable of giving second best. Because God gives good things only, we are never to doubt Him. It is better to doubt our perception than to read negativity into God's intention.
Never doubt God.
#3:
He is the Cosmic Father. The Father of Lights. The one above is the one who rules the world.
The God of the Bible is the one we should truly fear as we love Him. Fear is tempered by love & also intensified by love.
#4:
He is utterly consistent. No variation or shifting shadow. He is constantly here. It is because of His determination to give every & only good gifts that He is consistent. He is determined to be generous. So, why should we not utterly be consistent in a similar way? Be consistently obsessed with other's needs ahead of our own & be inflexible with being generous.
Jesus is concerned with our lack lack of consistency & integrity when God is Himself consistent & has integrity. If God is all consistent goodness, it does not make sense for His children to be double-minded.
Consistency is to be accompanied by integrity. A consistency that begs for integrity. Our consistency is to flow from a deep appreciation of His.
Reflection
- Am I a "thanksgiving junkie"? Probably not as much as I should be. I mean, I am a junkie of junk food, football, bludging, procrastinating etc. But a junkie of "thanksgiving"? I can't say I am. As I reflected back in June, I don't praise God enough for all that He has done for me, & consequently I don't give Him enough thanksgiving. One more thing for me to change!!
- I need to remember that God gives me good things & therefore never complain or have an attitude of dissatisfaction with whatever I get. For example, I should never compare myself to others & say "I got this, but he got that, so why can't I have what he got?". What I get is from God, & hopefully I never doubt God's intention with what He gives me. Again, I should never compare.
- Also, following on from that, it's comforting to know that God loves me & knows what's best for me. So, really, I should leave my future plans in His hands & not get hung up about the future's uncertainties. That is easier said than done, as my mind is always thinking about my future plans without necessarily including God in my thinking of those plans. I should let God take control, knowing that He gives only good things.
Monday, September 17, 2007
MTE Session 1 - Perfect People
Summary
Keith Birchley started by asking the question: What are Christians after - maturity or perfection? He referred to Bennett who suggested that the answer is both.
"Perfection" seems to be very close to James' heart. It is mentioned 7 times & the theme trickles right through the letter.
James talked about being perfected in holiness, having a heart being predisposed to living in God. The obligation for holiness remained; indeed, it is even intensified in the letter. God is more than mature; He is perfect. Perfection is more than just maturity. We are never told to be omnipotent or omniscient, but we are told to be holy, because we were made to be perfect. It is the essential character of our Holy God.
Birchley then referred to James 1:2-3 (the trials of life). He made several points:
Have we reached a place where we can have joy in the trials of life?
Have we reached the place where we can have a settled conviction to have joy in the trials of life?
Have we reached the place where we are not surprised much by life's trials?
Have we reached a stage where we expect testing rather than "grin & bear it"? Do we expect testing?
Birchley then introduced different "trial-processing" profiles that any person could fit in (I doubt I got every spelling below correct, but anyway, here it is):
Reflection
Keith Birchley started by asking the question: What are Christians after - maturity or perfection? He referred to Bennett who suggested that the answer is both.
"Perfection" seems to be very close to James' heart. It is mentioned 7 times & the theme trickles right through the letter.
James talked about being perfected in holiness, having a heart being predisposed to living in God. The obligation for holiness remained; indeed, it is even intensified in the letter. God is more than mature; He is perfect. Perfection is more than just maturity. We are never told to be omnipotent or omniscient, but we are told to be holy, because we were made to be perfect. It is the essential character of our Holy God.
Birchley then referred to James 1:2-3 (the trials of life). He made several points:
- The Bible passage encourages us to rejoice in trials. Experience pure joy, i.e. joy supremely (it is not joy at the expense of anything else, & it is not joy exclusively).
- Consider it all joy when we experience trials, i.e. have a considered state of mind, & be like that at all times.
- Joy when you encounter various trials ("when", not "if"). Be prepared spiritually. Be prepared for trials so they do not catch us off-guard.
- The trials mentioned refers to all kinds of trials. It is not limited to Christian trials. On this, Birchley said we should be surprised by the absence of trials, rather than their presence.
- James is not concerned with the trials in themselves, but rather our response to the trials.
Have we reached a place where we can have joy in the trials of life?
Have we reached the place where we can have a settled conviction to have joy in the trials of life?
Have we reached the place where we are not surprised much by life's trials?
Have we reached a stage where we expect testing rather than "grin & bear it"? Do we expect testing?
Birchley then introduced different "trial-processing" profiles that any person could fit in (I doubt I got every spelling below correct, but anyway, here it is):
- #1 Raging revolutionary: The person who is quick to take offense, & lacks mature knowledge about realities of life.
- #2 Pessimistic pattunglum: The person who regards every year as a bad year, completely loses it in terms of perspective & lose sight of joy.
- #3 Naive ned: The person who is sucked in for the Xth amount of time, never learn from the same lesson, forgets or never comes to grips with life's realities.
- #4 Active denial: The person who lives in quiet desperation; very private person, but can also be very sad & miserable; lacks an active, considered assessment of life.
- #5 Stiff upper-lip: Stoic person, unemotional, lacking engagement of real issues.
- #6 Grin & bear it: The person who picks any 1 of the emotions listed above, & bear it.
- #7 Realistic survivor: The person who acknowledges the realities of life faced, & gets on with it.
Reflection
- It 's been a while since I had any really significant trials. I do come across trials every now & then, but they are not all that huge. Though I enjoy my present state of sheer comfort, I am not sure if that is helpful in preparing myself for trials when they do come. I hope I can remember the James passage to remain joyful when I encounter trials in the future.
- With the "trial-processing" profiles, I can see myself fit a few of those, depending on my mood & the situation/circumstances I happen to be in. For example, if my mood is particularly bad, I would be #1. When I'm in better mood or more placid, then I see myself being #5 or #6. The ones I don't see myself fit in would be #3 & #7. I don't consider myself naive in the way described. And at the same time, I'm not a "realistic survivor" - I usually have a whinge when something goes wrong (which would probably make me #1), rather than immediately acknowledge that I just have to get on with things. If I don't whinge openly, I will sulk in silence & continue the negative disposition on things (shades of #2). Or I might deny that I have any problems (aka #4) & maybe try to portray the facade that "all is well" (like #5).
- At this stage, I don't think I can answer any of Birchley's challenging questions in the affirmative. I mean, it's possible & quite easy for me right now to say: "Oh yes, I expect trials, I expect testing, I'll be right". But when the trials actually come, will I be able to be joyous, will I be able to be all those things? I can't say "yes" or "no" until the trials do come in the future. Then, it is hoped that I remember this talk & what the book of James has to say on how we believers ought to react to trials & tribulations.
Men’s Training Event (MTE) 2007 – general reflection
It all started on a Friday evening a few months back. I was at church, waiting for the Clay study to begin. Pastor Steve handed me a brochure. I looked at it & then exclaimed: “The Perfect Man? Huh?” Pastor Steve’s response was something along the lines: “Yes, DT. The Perfect Man. I want you to try to be a perfect man.” To which I would have said: “Oh, I dunno about that”. I did chuckle a bit; I didn’t believe being “the perfect man” was an attainable goal for me. I remembered Pastor smiling & nodding his head, his way of affirming what he said to me earlier.
The brochure I was given is a Men’s Training Event (MTE) brochure. MTE is an annual convention held at The Tamborine Convention Site at Mt Tamborine, where Christian men get together to study, learn from, & be challenged & inspired from the Bible. It runs from Friday evening/night to Saturday evening (i.e. just 1 night stay). It started in 2001, which I did attend. I also attended MTE the following year (2002), & somehow managed to miss out on the next 4 conventions (between 2003-2006) before making my return this year (which means this year’s my first in 5 years). As I alluded above, the theme for this year is “The Perfect Man”. Pastor Steve has been encouraging me to attend MTE. And I did. And I’m glad I did.
There were 5 sessions, all made up of talks. This was a little different from the last MTE I attended in 2002, where (if I recall correctly) we had a mixture of talks & workshops. For me, the talks were really intense & challenging. Very very intense! All 5 talks were delivered by 2 speakers - Keith Birchley (who works on University of Queensland with Evangelical Students) & Phil Campbell (pastor at Mitchelton Presbyterian Church). Birchley's talks were drawn from the book of James, whereas Campbell covered the book of Judges. Both have contrasting styles. Birchley's style was more elaborate, prim & proper, & "formal". Campbell's was a bit more "laid back" & less "formal". That's not to say 1 is better than the other. It's just that both present the talks differently, which is good as we get exposed to different styles. Those who were there at MTE might know what I mean.
Ok, that's the talks. What about the rest? Campsite was ok, not bad. Food was allright - well, breakfast was great, lunch not so. Morning & afternoon teas were adequate. As for sleep, well, I didn't sleep well (only 1-2 hours!). I think it's mainly because of the loud snoring on the scale of "construction worksite equipment" (& I won't name names in this regard). But maybe it's also because I wasn't feeling tired so had no inclination to sleep. Maybe also because something's subconsciously bothering me. I dunno, & anyway, it's already passed, & it was only for 1 night....
I managed to purchase a book from the book stall - it's called "Disciplines of a Godly Man" by R Kent Hughes, & it comes with a complete study guide. The book was highly recommended by a few people, including Pastor Steve. I made jokes at the book title with a couple of people, saying that I'm not that godly so I have to get myself up to a godly level & only then I will use the book to discipline myself.
Well, as I said, I was glad I attended this year's MTE. I've been challenged & left with many things to think about. People have asked me about MTE, what was it about. So, over the next few posts, I will try & summarise the talks so they (if they visit my blog!) will get an idea. I will also put in some personal reflections from each talk. Like I said, they were intense & challenging. Watch this space, read my subsequent posts & u may find out why.
The brochure I was given is a Men’s Training Event (MTE) brochure. MTE is an annual convention held at The Tamborine Convention Site at Mt Tamborine, where Christian men get together to study, learn from, & be challenged & inspired from the Bible. It runs from Friday evening/night to Saturday evening (i.e. just 1 night stay). It started in 2001, which I did attend. I also attended MTE the following year (2002), & somehow managed to miss out on the next 4 conventions (between 2003-2006) before making my return this year (which means this year’s my first in 5 years). As I alluded above, the theme for this year is “The Perfect Man”. Pastor Steve has been encouraging me to attend MTE. And I did. And I’m glad I did.
There were 5 sessions, all made up of talks. This was a little different from the last MTE I attended in 2002, where (if I recall correctly) we had a mixture of talks & workshops. For me, the talks were really intense & challenging. Very very intense! All 5 talks were delivered by 2 speakers - Keith Birchley (who works on University of Queensland with Evangelical Students) & Phil Campbell (pastor at Mitchelton Presbyterian Church). Birchley's talks were drawn from the book of James, whereas Campbell covered the book of Judges. Both have contrasting styles. Birchley's style was more elaborate, prim & proper, & "formal". Campbell's was a bit more "laid back" & less "formal". That's not to say 1 is better than the other. It's just that both present the talks differently, which is good as we get exposed to different styles. Those who were there at MTE might know what I mean.
Ok, that's the talks. What about the rest? Campsite was ok, not bad. Food was allright - well, breakfast was great, lunch not so. Morning & afternoon teas were adequate. As for sleep, well, I didn't sleep well (only 1-2 hours!). I think it's mainly because of the loud snoring on the scale of "construction worksite equipment" (& I won't name names in this regard). But maybe it's also because I wasn't feeling tired so had no inclination to sleep. Maybe also because something's subconsciously bothering me. I dunno, & anyway, it's already passed, & it was only for 1 night....
I managed to purchase a book from the book stall - it's called "Disciplines of a Godly Man" by R Kent Hughes, & it comes with a complete study guide. The book was highly recommended by a few people, including Pastor Steve. I made jokes at the book title with a couple of people, saying that I'm not that godly so I have to get myself up to a godly level & only then I will use the book to discipline myself.
Well, as I said, I was glad I attended this year's MTE. I've been challenged & left with many things to think about. People have asked me about MTE, what was it about. So, over the next few posts, I will try & summarise the talks so they (if they visit my blog!) will get an idea. I will also put in some personal reflections from each talk. Like I said, they were intense & challenging. Watch this space, read my subsequent posts & u may find out why.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Reflection - Six Steps to Encouragement
Clay St Lucia finished the “Six Steps to Encouragement” series of studies a few weeks ago. I had been meaning to post my reflections earlier, but couldn’t get around to it until now – which probably means that my thoughts are a tad fuzzy….
But anyway, “Six Steps” talks about how it is possible for us to use words to encourage others, whatever the context may be - 1 on 1 conversation, group conversation etc. “God’s words changes us: through us, it can change others, too”. This was regularly emphasized throughout the series.
For me, there were some points to come out of the series (or at least, it's my attempt to summarise the points that came out):
Session 1 (God's word is powerful & true)
## God speaks powerfully. He speaks to us via the Bible, & we can trust God’s word.
## God speaks powerfully in 5 ways: to create, to judge, to save, powerfully to show us Himself, & to change us.
## God's word sustains creation & judges those who reject Him.
## It is the power of God that saves, not our failure or success to live up to the gospel's standards. We are called to be messengers of the gospel.
Session 2 (God's word changes us)
## God's word is eternal, stands firm through time & endures always. God is faithful throughout all generations, & that means we can trust in God's word & use God's word to encourage others.
## We should be careful that the words we use to spread the gospel do not distort the truth. We can use different means of spreading the gospel depending on our audience, but must never ever compromise the truth of the gospel.
## Even in the face of the opposition, we should remain bold to speak the gospel - because God is on our side. (Someone during the study - possibly Ray Fong - came up with the catchy line "it is gold to be bold").
## Telling the gospel is fine & good, but we should also live the gospel.
Session 3 (Through us, God's word changes others)
## God controls Christian growth. We have a role to play in that growth. It's not that God needs us (he doesn't), but that He chose to work through us. Our part is the "planting & watering" of the seed. God uses us to speak His word & bring life & salvation to others.
## Therefore, how we think of our role in Christian growth is important. If we think too highly of our role, we may forget to rightfully acknowledge God. If we don't think highly enough of our role, then it may result in us being less productive (& perhaps complacent) in doing God's work, & not caring for others as much as we ought to.
## God's word can be spoken via many ways - 1 on 1, small groups, etc. Ultimately, the way we decide to speak is irrelevant. It is the fact that we speak that matters. That was apostle Paul's approach. Nothing was going to hold Paul back from getting God's word out to the people, & he did not care how it was done so long was it was done. Paul did not twist God's word & he did not change the word to suit people.
Session 4 (What to say)
## God's word sets out the basis of the truth that we speak - all the info we need is in the Bible. If the person we speak to can see the truth in our message, then our inadequacies (whatever they might be) may be overlooked.
## There are various reasons that the content of the Bible does not enter our conversations that much. One of the reasons may be that we don't feel that we know enough about the Bible to talk about it. A solution (perhaps a tad obvious) to this would be to learn the Bible - know about something before talking about it. On top of learning, putting what we learn into practice.
## When someone goes through a hard time or is suffering, words may not be all that helpful even if true or valid. Acts of comfort (e.g. a hug, just being there for the person suffering) may in those circumstances be more appropriate/helpful than words. Should we be suffering, our solace would be in Christ & we should know that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Session 5 (How to say what we say)
## The Bible tells us how we rebuke others - do it gently & lovingly. By rebuking in a loving way, the other person would be more inclined to appreciate what we have to say. Also, bear each other's burdens.
## Our motivation for rebuking others should be love. In rebuking, we should bear in mind that we are all sinners.
## There are 5 ways to speak wisely & well:
(1) Base your advise on the gospel. Speak words of grace. Avoid legalism. Avoid anything that suggests that we have to do things to please God.
(2) Be specific. God is the boss of this world. Be observant & learn. Look, see, understand the world we live in, then tie it with knowledge of God.
(3) Be humble. Ultimately, only God knows where wisdom is to be found.
(4) Deal with important issues. Talk about stuff in light of God's kingdom.
(5) Know what not to say. No slander, foolish jokes etc. Listen well. Have "other-person" centeredness.
Session 6 (The place of prayer)
## God is powerful & only through Him are all things possible. So, our prayers should reflect this. Our prayers should acknowledge that only God causes growth, that things are possible because of Him. We should feel privileged that God would even consider us to be a part of His process.
## When it comes to encouraging others, the things we should pray for include: thanking God for the people; wisdom & understanding of God's will; prayer for strength; giving thanks that the gospel is bearing fruit in the lives of people; pray that the gospel will continue to bear fruit.
## When we pray for others, we should focus the prayers on the person & their growth in God, rather than focussing the prayers on their problems.
General (can't remember which session these points came from)
## We believers have had the privilege of hearing God’s word & be encouraged by it. So, we in turn should speak God’s word to others. God chooses to use us as His medium to spread the gospel – we help spread the gospel by telling the gospel to others, so it is possible for our words to change the lives of others. But we are not to just tell the gospel, we should also live the gospel.
## The way we speak & what we speak can be encouraging to others, more so if what we say is based on the Word of God.
At the end of session 6 (the last session, the big, concluding application to question to the "Six Steps to Encouragement" series was posed.
The question is: What specific action will I take in response to the course?
I joked with my small group (Winston, Suzanne, Ray Fong, Mario) that I learnt nothing from the series, & that I know less than I did when I begin the series. Of course, it's completely untrue.
I've learnt quite a few things, & I found the studies & videos to be concise, & not too difficult to follow.
I did promise my small group that I will blog on my reflection on "Six Steps to Encouragement", specifically talking on that application question. Well, I guess some things I can do in response to the series are:
--> Get in touch (via email) with my Malaysian non-Christian friend who is based in North America (he should still be there). I previously did broach the subject of Christianity to this friend, as I found out that he visited my church in Malaysia at least once since I moved to Australia. He's told me that he's not a Christian. Being based in North America, he may have already been exposed to the gospel or come in touch with Christians over there, & he may have visited some churches. My hope is that if he's already done this, I will be able to encourage him to attend the church regularly.
--> Look for opportunities to fit the gospel into my conversation with non-Christian friends.
--> Ask God for wisdom in knowing what to say when presenting the gospel to non-believers, & also for wisdom to be able to stick firmly to the truth of the gospel regardless of the style or method that I use to communicating the gospel.
--> Be more edifying in my conversations with friends. The words I speak should build & encourage others. This is not necessarily always the case, as some of my friends may attest!
So, that's my 2 cents with the "Six Steps to Encouragement" series. Hopefully, I can put the above action points into practice. Please pray for me; pray that I will reflect on the above, be inspired by the gospel, be spurred to grow, & be an encouragement to my friends & others people I meet. That is, encouragement because of who God is & what He has done through His Own Son. Must remember that!
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