Grace, Unity and Perfection

Reorganizing/tidying up my room yesterday. Threw away quite a number of  study 'papers' away.

And I am not done with it. The problem is the endurance to do it into completion.

With somewhat great reluctance or struggle (the inner turmoil- temptation of games etc.) I have decided to come to my blog and evaluate on things that I had been impressed upon me through the week.

The 1st thing on my list would be Grace, that infinite, immeasurable Grace of God. I have learnt of the difference between Miracles and Providence reading on C.S Lewis book, but that would not be relevant to talk about here.

This Tuesday Night-out I had decided to stay in camp despite everyone from my bunk going out. I was basically alone in bunk after my dinner at the canteen. Hence I was able to spent some good Quiet Time reading and praying. And the temptation to 'doubt' came almost immediately, I was semi-asleep when I heard something about me doing Guard duty on CNY day. That alone greatly disturbed my sleep with my mind entertaining many unwholesome thoughts till I almost cried.

Yet, God is good and it turned out that it was not me after all. Apparently, they were drawing lots for duty on that day and since I wasn't present in the office as I did not went out of camp, the last lot for that duty was drawn even before I had to take the last lot. Thank God.

GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Now onto Unity.  These few weeks sermons is somewhere along the line of unity as a body of believers. There's this somewhat jerky and weird feeling. I have seen in camp this week the very problem of standing united as one group/platoon of people. This disunity had arose due to the issue of equality of treatment or fairness of work allocation. It's very interesting to note how we have become a generation of people that is so self-absorbed that the care for others have grown completely cold.

Army for one sense did not help us to work together, and that's purely my opinion. Sometimes I think it's that resentment or jealousy of others not working when I am working on something that deprives me of the comfort they have. It's easy to forgive once. I am beginning to understand the real difficulty to keep forgiving, to keep on showing that Love.

There's like this complain session among the few of us in camp that day about this particular issue of fairness. I expressed to them that unity is of more importance than fighting for equal distribution of work. And this seems very practical in light of how such unity is able to promote cohesion, openness, discouraging backstabbing, gossiping. The most stunning thing is that we will be eating, working, playing, sleeping together for at least one more year. Thus it's wiser to be for unity.

I wonder if each of us in Church is for Unity.

The final one: Perfection. Came across this verse today:

Matthew 5:48 'Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.'

I was wondering how our image of 'perfection' changed as we grow older. For me, it was somewhat drastic after I enlisted in army. An example will give a vague idea. (I dunno if it apply to all, at least it applied to me). When I was younger, I always have to 'consult' or get that confirmation from my parents regarding issues like the cleanliness of my clothes, often checking with them if close-to-expiry food, or food dropped on the table or floor can be eaten. It may sound somewhat foolish, but that how I view things then, when my parents showed me the 'green' about these concerns, there was no doubt on my part to see it as 'perfect' for my use/consumption.
As understanding of things sets in, along with the ability to reason for myself on this issues, there's this sudden bearing of responsibilities. The self washing of clothes and cleaning of my bed/cupboard in army in a way forces me to grow out of this misconception. What is 'perfect' is now 'perfect' by our own better judgement. Yet there this Perfection which was totally different.
We all need to be Perfect in our life. We cannot be on our own.
No one can boldly claim to have live a perfect life. Yet Jesus did. He was Perfect. And the Bible shows quite clearly that this Perfection only comes through Jesus. It's different in that there not really the responsibility to bear for Christ bore it for us on that Cross. There no need for judgement on our part for God is the Righteous Judge.

It seems there this somewhat rocky phrase in our walk during this period of time for many of our Church members. It may be the lack of genuine and quality fellowship between each of us in Church due to the absence of GCSS. I myself am very shocked as well. Today in Church I merely said something like 'tuck in your shirt' to Darren'. And the next time I will be seeing him will be a week later. Oh well.

I would like to end off with this stanza from the song the Choir presented today titled 'Grace Alone'

Every soul we long to reach

Every heart we hope to teach

Everywhere we share His Peace

Is only by His Grace.

 Continue to press on!

Contemplation.

1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

"Instruction, prayer ministry and spiritual disciplines are all important, but unless we have actual models of Christian life to copy, we are unlikely to be able to understand how these factors work out in the details of life."

Quote from miracles by C.S Lewis:
To shrink back from all that can be called Nature into negative spirituality is as if we ran away from horses instead of learning to ride.
There is in our present pilgrim condition plenty of room for abstinence and renunciation and mortifying our natural desires.
These small and perishable bodies we now have were given to us as ponies are given to schoolboys. We must learn to manage: not that we may someday be free of horse altogether but that someday we may ride bare-back, confident and rejoicing, those greater mounts, those winged, shining and world-shaking horses which perhaps even now expect us with impatience, pawing and snorting in the King's stables.

- Posted using BlogPress

Just thoughts.

Good bonding session through dinner at my auntie's house tonight.
2 things that had me from tonight's charity show.

1. Its now 弟子规 instead of the San zi Jin they teaches in school. Wisdom adapted from the great sage, confusious. It might just be that flawed in it's truth. (lies always contain elements of truth, haha)

2. 新谣, singapore songs is really unique, that swing and carefree feeling. The style of music that truly reflects needs to run to it's intention. I am still in the midst of reconciling music of the 'world' and 'church'.
- Posted using BlogPress

'With pride I lead'

It's been awhile since I had a proper post. I figured it's about time I do so.

Any sergeant in the army would have said the creed that pledged them in. 'with pride I lead' is one phrase inside this creed.
I am not going to comment on the creed or the use of the words (the officer's creed contains more gross phrases). My intention is to draw some illustration from 'pride' and 'service'.
The issue of 'pride' has been bothering me for quite awhile. It seems that maturity and increased understanding also builds up this egoistic bubble of 'pride'.
How then is it possible to stay humble instead of being proud (since pride often leads to haughtyness)?
The Bible teaches time and time again that true service is all about humility and 'submiting to one another'.
The problem now is how to handle the knowledge and wisdom. Many a times you might have heard pastors and leaders of the church praying for God to 'speak' instead of themselves. It is thus so, that we always remember it is God that gives wisdom.
The difficulty then is how to stay 'humble' and rooted as one starts serving and leading. I presume there's an even greater hurdle if the first is not dealt with.
I shall stop at here. There only this logicial solution to pride.


Had been quite busy with 'living my life' this few weeks. Kinda scary when I realize that I am slowly neglecting on the 'horizontal' relationships when my 'vertical' one is not been faithful. It seems the 'snorts' and 'grunts' of army is slowly finding it's way to my life. Praying for a more fruitful walk.

Discernment is the key

This had me thinking for quite a bit about the presentation of the Gospel. This video apparently was created by Avanti Ministries. There seems to be many truths inside. Many watered-down gospels that appeals to the crowd is slowly sipping and finding their ways to dilute the Truth behind Salvation and strip God’s Word of it’s entirety.

So it better to be vigilant and keep watch.

The key take-away point which sort of goes in line with what has been in my mind these few days is:

"Are we getting too busy talking about God that has made us failed to actively engage God?"

Many many thoughts went through my mind as this week goes by. But I guessed I was humbled as I wrestled with knowing in my own understanding and God's wisdom.

It's amazing how things had turned out.

Book reading

Had been embarking on this book which I borrowed from the library recently, and the many free time inside camp had also allowed me to really take time to go into the depths of  it.

I must say that this book sure covers quite a great deal of things. There's this chapter about becoming God that I had just read that really was quite interesting and thought provoking. The rest of the chapters talk about virtue and the likes of it.
"The chapter starts by summing up what the different sections of the bible, sort of like the 10-step thing Ze gang was telling me that was taught in FBI. There's the 'creating space' talking about creation and God's plan for human., then there the 'fallen from grace' which dwells on how men have fallen because of the disobedience of Adam, then there the 'frail hope' talking about the story of how God had placed faithful men along the way, but yet none met up to the standards God wanted. The last section was 'Return of the King', (makes me think of Lotr), which basically shows how Jesus Christ came and became that Man, sort of like the second Adam.
The chapter then points to how we ought to grow in Christ-likeness as believers."

Many many more really good idea this writer wrote down on the book, just to share some:
"Disciples are made through disciplines" "There needs to be a dependence on the Holy Spirit. God likes to work through us"

"Instruction, prayer ministry and spiritual disciplines are all important, but unless we have actual models of Christian life to copy, we are unlikely to be able to understand how these factors work out in the details of life." For this statement, I like how the book talks about the ministry of Jesus with his Twelve. It's real and practical.

On fasting- "Occasional deliberate practice in saying no (to food) is a vital component of a focused life in an indulgent society".

On forgiveness- "To say that you have forgiven someone is not the same as excusing someone" "Forgiveness involves penitence, prayer and then personal contact"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Peter 1:5-7
That's about all, great time to learn and grow by reading. Thank God for such time. I going to read C.s Lewis book after I am like quite done with this.

In prayer and in submission as to the plans God has for me this year, many things I hope I could accomplished, but I know it's not possible if God is not even in the picture.

Onwards to 2010

It's funny but I am like still very alert mentally after like one whole night of thanksgiving, soccer, fellowship and eating.

There are just too many things in 2009 to talk about, to see that God has been part of it all, and to be thankful for Him enabling it.
Humbling to know that what I know in terms of 'spiritual depth' is this that small dent on the ground as compared to the deep wells many faithful men had.
Praying that I would get over this reluctance to get things done, to the point that people still have to 'push' you on in a sense. I guess it's about how 'active' my faith is, by actually exercising it on others and on my life. Things like going the extra mile to share 'Christ' with people, spending time to be in fellowship and encouraging brethren. These had been a very heavy burden on my heart as 2009 drew to a close.

2010 is a new year with the very same promises from God. "Exercising towards Godliness" still will remain as the title for my blog, for that to me is really a good reminder that I need to constantly strive to be more like Christ, only possible by discipline supplied by Love from Above, and supported by prayers and accountability of brethren. It's not going to be a lonely walk towards this pursuit, for God never meant it this way, I hope this new year will be one that I can bring people and be with them for this 'great workout' towards spiritual fitness.

Remembering to run with patience this race :) For Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.