Musings

The first sliver of inspiration for this came as I was trying to encourage a friend. Then, it was only a short thought. Then yesterday, as I was just thinking about it, the full revelation of it struck me, so to speak. So here it is.

You know how we always want fire in everything we do? Fire for God, fire for the work we do, fire in our relationships. Fire seems, and is, the life in all that. It is passion. Without it, everything seems like a chore, something we do out of necessity, with no real purpose. So we all keep praying, wishing that there will be fire in all we do. And at times the fire comes, and we celebrate that. However, over time it dies out. Why? What we fail to realize at times, is that fire needs to be tended to, to ensure that it keeps burning. So here is my take.

You know the scientific equation for fire? Let's see it in a new light.

Fuel (God's Word, Revelations, Experiences, etc. ) + Oxygen (Time) + Heat (Holy Spirit) --> Fire

Here's a bit more info on it, and reasons why each is what they are. First up, fuel! Fuel is what keeps a fire burning. It provides the heat something to combust. In other words, it is what feeds the fire. Without fuel, the fire will not have the necessary substance to sustain itself. Likewise, God's Word, the Bible, revelations from God, and experiences form the fuel of the fire. These are what keeps the fire burning. And like fuel also, these things can and will run dry, if we do not keep adding new fuel. This would mean continuing to read His Word, continuing to seek new revelations from Him and of Him, gaining new experiences with Him. A lot of time we run on old fuel. Past experiences, past revelations, etc. And we wonder why the fire is dying. Not to say that it can't feed the fire. God's promises will never be unfulfilled. And so they can and are indeed on going fuel. Yet, we should not be complacent and happy with just what we have. That's one of the tactics the Devil uses to kill the fire. Like an engine (a machine that uses combustion, mind you) thirsts for more fuel to keep running, we should thirst for more fuel to keep the fire burning.

Same goes with relationships, whether it's with friends, family, or any group for that matter. Experiences is the fuel that reinforces what is already there. It becomes a common factor that people have. Common experiences is something that is shared only by those who experience it together. And so it is something unique between the people in the relationship. Let's take for example close friends who do everything together. They can laugh, giggle, cry, and tease each other over experiences that they have had with each other. And they would get all the inside jokes. Those things have brought them closer to each other. Now, someone outside of that group of friends, who may be a casual friend, would not have gone through those same experiences, and so would be lost when they talk about those. Ever been in a situation when some people say an inside joke, and you don't get it because you don't know how it started? That's how it's like because you don't have that experience of how and when it started. And so experiences together are important.

How does this apply to work or the things we do then? Well, if you continue to have new experiences that continue to inspire you and move you to do better, that's feeding the fire already. If you stop doing what you are passionate about, slowly, that passion will fade. As you do what you love to do, you will find greater reason to love it even more.

Next we come to oxygen. As we all know, there is the expression to "fan the flame". This is the act of adding oxygen. Fire only will combust in the presence of oxygen. Cut the oxygen supply, the fire will burn itself out. Oxygen here is time. You need time to make sure it keeps burning. Time can be time to work on the fire, like adding to the fuel (like reading the Bible, seeking God's face), or it could be time to let the heat (Holy Spirit) ignite the flame. It could even be time to rest yourself and recuperate. Never underestimate the importance of time. Without time taken to add fuel, where will the fuel come from? Sometimes it may come just like that, but most of the time the fuel needs effort to obtain, and effort cannot be made without time spent on that. What about time of rest? Seems to clash somewhat with the previous statement? Well not at all actually. Every living thing needs rest, just like how we need oxygen. It keeps you in check and helps you recuperate. Without it, you will be less efficient, and if prolonged, you will probably exhaust the fuel before you refill. And so take time to take a breather. You will need the oxygen. As for time for the Holy Spirit to ignite the fire, we must always remember that all things happen in God's perfect timing. Don't rush things. Do what you can, then chill. Selah, if you will.

Another reason why oxygen is the one used for time, is because it is the component that can be suffocated. Oxygen supply can be cut by choking. Likewise in our life, we can be so busy that it chokes up our time. We run from one activity to the next that there is no time left. This is one way in which the Devil has gotten to all of us. He has deceived us into the mindset of being busy. Too busy. And this even extends to our free time. We get distracted to do other things than refueling or resting. In fact, some of the things we deem as "resting" isn't really resting. They may be fulfilling, lightens our mood, gives us comfort, but they are neither fully benefitial nor restful, and so keeps us tied down by their empty promises of fulfillment.

The final and equally vital component, if not more than the others, is heat. For our version of the equation, it is the Holy Spirit, God. Without Him, all things are in vain. He ignites people to be on fire for Him. We on our own cannot do what He wants us to do. We burn out, at best smolder. It is when heat (power) from God comes and fills us, then only will real flames be made. And so never leave out the Holy Spirit in all we do. On the contrary, God should be the focus, the reason we do things in the first place. The Devil has used this too to kill the flame, by putting so much in our sight that it blocks our God. All we have is God, and all we will need is God. Work on your relationship with Him. It will be worthwhile, I guarantee.

So, there is my take on the subject of fire. Remember, fire only can happen when all the components are there. Without any one of them, the triangle is incomplete. Without fuel, there is no substance. Without oxygen, there is no continuation. And without the Holy Spirit, there is no ignition and power. Keep in check to work on all. Don't let the Devil stop any of these in your life. Will be hard work, but we can do it, through Christ who strengthens us. May your fire burn bright, like the sun in the sky, and shine for all to see, guiding them, and to propel you further. Amen.

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I was going through some videos of Israel Houghton's songs unplugged, from a suggestion of a friend. And so going from one song to another. And in these unplugged settings, Israel talked about the background and message of his songs. So came to the song The Power of One. And as I was listening to the background of the song, the message of it really hit me. And then listening closer to the lyrics, there is just such a wealth of treasure in them. Here, check it out.

What if it all depended on me
To change the world, to change the world?
What if my only responsibility was
To change the world, to change the world?

Let me be the one to start a revolution
Let me sing my song to the people of the world
It all begins with one

What kind of love can conquer disease
And change the world, change the world?
What can I do to make poverty history
And change the world, change the world?

Let me be the one to start a love revolution
Let me sing my song to the people of the world
To the children of the world

It all begins with one, the power of one
Joining the hundreds of millions of people believing in
One, the power of one
Don't hang around, stand up or sit down and believe
We can change the world together
We can change the world together

So please don't close your eyes, please don't turn away
Let your voices rise, put love on display
And make a difference now
I believe you and me can make a difference now

O-o-o-oh O-o-o-oh O-oh
It all begins with one, the power of one
Joining the hundreds of millions of people believing in
One, the power of one
Don't hang around, stand up or sit down and believe
We can change the world together
We can change the world together
We can change the world together

O-o-o-oh O-o-o-oh O-oh
It all begins with one
O-o-o-oh O-o-o-oh O-oh
It all begins with one

Seems like it's just the season of things. We all think and talk about impacting the world and what not. Big dreams are born. And always with it, some of us, including myself, have doubts and fears. Like Israel said, we wonder how are we supposed to impact the world when we don't have passports, we have never crossed the ocean. Where is the finances going to come? Are we good enough? We can't speak in front of crowds. And so many more fears. But you know what? In the words of Israel, "Sometimes you don't have to cross the ocean to change the world. You could just cross the street. You could just cross the room and make a difference is somebody's life."

This whole song is about the power of one. The power of one person to do something where they are. The first line of the chorus says it all begins with one. It starts with one person, accepting the call over his or her life, and then setting out doing it. You never know how much your one act will do. But if you never take that step, you would never know.

More importantly, it's not just us doing things. The chorus says one joining with the hundreds of millions of people believing in One. It is about that One. The power of One. The One up above who gave us the power to do all things. Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." It is His power that we show, when we are available and obedient to follow. It is by Him that we have the strength and power to achieve, not by our own.

And another point on the power of one. It is the power of unity. Being together as one body, one unit. Changing the world is not a one man effort. There is only so much you can do. But when we come together as one, manifesting the power of the One, we can change the world indeed. Notice that the chorus says one, joining the hundreds of millions of people believing in One. That's our unifying factor, Jesus. We are unified because of what He has done, that should be our main cause, the focus. And also notice that the chorus says that we can change the world together. It is a collaborative effort. Each of us, playing our part in God's plan, using our unique gifts and talents, to eventually change the world with His love.

The pre-chorus sings let me be the one, to start a revolution. I like the version Israel sings in the live video, let me be the one, to start a love revolution. Will you be one? Will you join the hundreds of millions of people believing in the power of One? We can change the world together. Let's believe it. Be part of the movement.

Let your voices rise, put love on display
And make a difference now

It all begins with one

It all starts with The One, and us choosing to follow Him.

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I was reading a book a friend passed to me a few days back, when a thought struck me... again. It was something that had been on my mind for quite some time already (and yes, I have only come around to putting them down now).

The book I was reading was a fiction book. The type you would read for leisure. Then the thought that had been making many circles in my head, came round again. Well, it goes something like this: "Funny isn't it? I can use whatever free time I manage find to do everything that's "leisurely" and not find time for what's important."

Now, if you're wondering what that thought was about, let me illuminate you. I've been rather free now, and so I have loads of free time on my hands. And with that much free time, I can do a lot of things that would be worthwhile. Things like spending time with God, reading His word, reading up books that matter, getting back to writing (or typing). Basically, activities that would be more productive, and sow into my spiritual and intellectual life (physical isn't something I do often). But with that said, I have pretty much found ways to use that time to do everything else, than those that I have mentioned above. Things like sleeping for long hours, reading leisurely books like I've mentioned earlier, going on Facebook, et cetera. Don't get me wrong. All these things aren't bad. They do provide some much needed relief in life. But these things aren't the important things in life, much more eternity.

So funny isn't it? That I can somehow use up all that time, doing things that can wait, rather than the things that matter. And making the things that really matter wait. And I'm thinking that I'm not the only one. Lots of times we as people, have somehow negated the importance of really important things, and chose to live for things that aren't all that important. Ask yourself truthfully, how many times have you put off something really important, for something less important, because you didn't feel like it and decided that it can wait? For me, I think there's too many instances to count. And yet, we do it again, and again, and again. Quite a hint of our priorities, ain't it? And to make matters worse, I realise it, like the aforementioned "thought" above. And yet, I have not done much about it. I still go about putting off the important things. I still have not come around to doing the important things with the time I have. Frustrating, yes. But put into action? Not yet.

And so it is with a much heavy heart, that I say I need to set things right, only to know that I will do it all wrong again. However, I believe there's hope. I believe that Man is not too weak-willed to not be able to change his ways. However shall I achieve this? I suppose the first step would be putting desires into action. I desire to do the important things. Now is to add will to it, and to choose to do them. Wish me luck and encouragement. Better get moving, or else I'll never move.

P.S. Yes, there has been another long hiatus. Sorry about that. Things have been hectic before this. And after that has ended, I couldn't really get myself to write again. Pretty much have to kick myself into writing this, finally. But now I am back, hopefully for good. Some ideas and topics on my mind. Will put them to screen soon. Anyways, thank you for being patient, whoever that's still reading this blog of mine. Love you =) (Still a little awkward saying it, though it is getting easier to say)

Ele Musael

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Finally watched the Book of Eli. Pretty okay movie. A little bit of background.

*Spoiler warning. If you don't like spoilers, please watch the movie first before reading the following post*

A world wide war had broken out 30 years before the time of the movie and left the world desolate, with sporadic human life left. Civilisation has regressed. Many cannot read. There are those who only think of survival by any cost, including killing each other for food. The story is revolves around one man, Eli, who found the last Bible left on earth. His task on earth was to head west on the North American continent. At the end of the movie he  reaches Alcatraz Island, where there is a printing press, so that they may reproduce the Bible. He didn't know that part of course while on his journey, and only walks by faith to the west. Along the way he meets a girl named Salora who befriends him and follows him on his journey, as well as another man named Carnigie who intends to rule over whatever population is left. To achieve his plan of total domination, Carnigie wants to obtain the Bible, so that he may use it to get others to believe and follow him. He chases Eli in order to obtain the Bible, which in the end he does succeed, although he is unable to use it due to the version of print the book was in (can't give away everything now, can I? =). Eli then makes the journey to Alcatraz and because he reads the Bible he has everyday, he is able to recite the whole Bible for print. With that, his task was complete and he passed away peacefully.

Now, on one occassion as Carnigie is trying to obtain the Bible from Eli, Carnigie caught both Eli and Salora. Carnigie then treatens to kill Salora if Eli does not hand over the book. Eli then reveals where he hid the book and Carnigie succeeds in getting his hands on the Bible. He takes Salora back with him but she manages to escape along the way and catches up with Eli, who continued on his journey without the book in his possesion. Salora blames herself for the lost of the book, when Eli says a line that really struck me. He said, "In all these years I've been carrying and reading it everyday, I got so caught up in keeping it safe I forgot to live by what I learned from it." Salora then asks what is it he learnt and he replies "Do for others more than what you do for yourself."

You see, Eli actually has a line that he repeats to himself over and over again. At the start of the movie, a couple was attacked, robbed, and killed by a group of motorcycle henchmen for Carnigie. Eli looks from a safe location and says, "Stay on the path. It's not your concern." over and over again. Later on the road there is a scene where he is walking along the road, repeating those same lines. So you can see, that he was pretty much about his own business only, caring only for his task. And now he realises that he should have been living by what he learnt, to help others, to sacrifice to help others, and not just be focused on the task that you forget and neglect other people.

Now, I think we all face that too don't we? We are in many ways like Eli. We have the privilege to read the Bible, and I do hope many of us do so. But if we're just reading from a book, without letting it sink into our hearts and change the way we think and live, what use is it? Are we also like Eli in that we get so caught up doing the work, what is necessary, that we forget to live by the what we learn? Can we take a minute to think for others, to help others, or are we too busy doing "work" to do that? Do we avoid sacrifices to help others? Are we too focused to look left and right to those who need our help? Do we ignore them when we do see their need, saying it's not our concern?

So think about it. We're supposed to be people of the Book. Do we live by what the Book teaches then? Or are we too caught up to live so?

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I'm sure you know how we are always afraid of the unknowns. We all fear the future because it's just this huge black hole before us. The world is dark, like a cave, and we can't see where to go, not knowing what lies ahead. We often worry and fret about tomorrow because we just don't know what to expect. Yes, sometimes it can be very predictable especially when it comes to routines in life, but there are always areas that we can never fully be prepared for. That is why Man came up with the idea of insurance. A safety net just in case something bad happens.

And then God comes into the picture. With Him, life is a little less of a gamble because He comes and shows us the way. He lights up the darkness before us, revealing the paths and steps we should take. With Him, we have assurance that we have a future, a sure path that we can take and not just jump blindly.

But even then, if you notice, God doesn't always light up the full path. He mostly just illuminates the parts directly before us, like a few steps ahead. It's like us holding a torchlight. The light only reaches a few steps or metres ahead. Things beyond that is still dark. We can't see beyond that which is just around us. And that becomes a frustration a lot of the time. We want answers, yet God seems to be deliberately holding information, forcing us to walk by faith, taking things every few steps at a time. But so many times, we are afraid to take those steps. We want to see more ahead before we embark on the journey, forcing us to remain stagnant there in the same spot.

This is where we need to step out, and exercise our faith to take the first steps. You see, although a torchlight only has a limited throw of light, that distance travels with us as we move forward. With every step, another step get illuminated. So if we take five steps forward, a further five steps will be illuminated. So here, we need to take the first step with God too. He'll light our path to what He deems fit, and as we move forward, He'll continue to light up more and more of our path ahead. So will you take that first step of faith?

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Heard this awesome song today. And I totally love it now. There’s so much meaning in the lyrics, and the arrangement and music is really nice. Here, listen first. Then we dwell deeper.

Hello my friend
I remember when you were
So alive with your wide eyes
Then the light that you had in your heart was stolen
Now you say that it ain't worth stayin'
You wanna run but you're hesitatin'
I'm talkin' to me

Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
‘Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found

So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it
There's a girl on the streets, she's cryin'
There's a man whose faith is dyin'
Love is calling you

Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
‘Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found

Why do we go with the flow
Or take an easier road?
Why are we playin' it safe?
Love came to show us the way
Love is a chance we should take
I'm movin' out of the way

Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
‘Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
(Stand out)
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
(Stand out)
‘Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found

So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it...

Verse 1:
True isn’t it? We always start out in our walk with God full of passion. We feel so gung-ho, like we can go change the world for Him. But after time, things get in the way, and we lose that fire. So many times we want to leave, just give up. But somewhere deep in your heart you know it’s real, God’s real, and hesitate to leave it all. I know I’ve felt that way.

Chorus:
It's an encouragement and a challenge at the same time. For one, keep the faith, don’t give up on it. It’s for you. Then at the same time, it’s for others. People do observe you, look up to you. And they are looking to you to see what you would do, and if you would reach out to them. A lot of times we forget that. We forget about how people need other people to believe in something. To be honest, many people are searching for God. They may seem to deny it, down play that fact. But deep down inside, we’re all hurting, and we all want to find God. And they will look to His followers since they supposedly know Him. They want to know if you will really be like Jesus and reach out to them, welcome them. They want, maybe even need, someone to show them Jesus, be Jesus to them, besides just showing the way to Jesus. Now that would indeed be a reason to believe. What are we doing about it? We read and hear of so many people loosing interest and rejecting God because of what His “followers” are doing, treating them. Where do you and I stand in this? Will we rise up out of that self-centred mentality and be Jesus to these people? When we do that, we will definitely stand out, because we’re different when we follow His footsteps. And when we bring Jesus to these people, “that’s how the lost get found.”

Verse 2:
Love the question. Will we take it if the chance arises? To be different and help others out of love? Like the lyrics say, people are hurting, for various reasons. Love is calling out to us to do something. We who have known Love need to bring that love to others.

Bridge:
A question we should ask ourselves perhaps? Seems like we always take that road, to not live out loud. Many reasons we can give. I think we can just condense it all into one word, selfishness. Being too preoccupied with “Me” we don’t see them, or what God sees for the matter. We even make God revolve around “Me” sometimes. Our conversations with Him are about “Me”. The second part of the bridge is so true. Love came, so that we may know Love. Jesus came and showed us the way to God, prepared the way so we may know Him. And that should be what we are doing too. Showing others the way to Love by showing love.

So, like how the song ends, when you get the chance, are you gonna take it? We have the opportunity to change our world, however small it may seem to us now, it’s still a step taken. Will you and I live our faith out loud?

(Live it out)
(Live it out. Live it out)
(Oh yeah)

Imagine this
I get a phone call from Regis -
he says "Do you want to be a millionaire?"
They put me on a show and I win with two lifelines to spare

Picture this I act like nothing ever happened
and bury all the money in a coffee can
Well, I've been given more than Regis ever gave away
I was a dead man who was called to come out of my grave
I think it's time for makin' some noise

Wake the neighbours, get the word out
Come on, crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout
This is life we’ve been given, made to be lived out
So la, la, la, la, live out loud
Live out loud, yeah

Think about this
Try to keep a bird from singing after
it's soared up in the sky
Give the sun a cloudless day and tell it not to shine

Think about this
If we really have been given
the gift of life that will never end
And if we have been filled with living hope, we're gonna overflow
And if God's love is burning in our hearts, we're gonna glow
There's just no way to keep it in

Wake the neighbours, get the word out
Come on, crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout
This is life we’ve been given, made to be lived out
So la, la, la, la, live out loud
Live out loud

Everybody
La, la, la...la, la, la, la...la, la, la, live out loud
(I wanna hear everybody sing)
La, la, la...la, la, la, la ...la, la, la, live out loud (loud, loud)

Every corner of creation is a living declaration
Come join the song we were made to sing

Wake the neighbours, get the word out
Come on, crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout
This is life we’ve been given, made to be lived out
So la, la, la, la, live out loud

(Wake the neighbours) Get the word out (get the word out)
Come on, crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout
This is life we’ve been given, made to be lived out
So la, la, la, la, live out loud

La, la, la... la, la, la, la... (Live out loud)
La, la, la, live out loud (Yeah yeah)
La, la, la... (Wake the neighbours)
La, la, la, la... (Get the word out)
La, la, la live out loud
(I want to wake the neighbours, I got to get the word out)
La, la, la... (Wake the neighbours)
La, la, la, la... (Get the word out)
(We got to get the get the word out, about His love...)

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When you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Billy Crystal, When Harry Met Sally

Came across this quote in Reader's Digest the other day. And as usual, it's gotten me thinking. We all do want love don't we? And as young people, we especially want to be loved by that special someone. As we grow into adulthood, we begin to be attracted to people of the opposite gender. Our bodies begin to change and hormones begin to rage. Suddenly, girls don't seem so disgusting anymore for guys, and guys aren't gross anymore for girls. Funny isn't it? Guys used to hate girls and girls hated guys. Then they grow up and now they cannot keep their eyes off each other.

Our need for love sometimes leads us into thinking things too much. Some people I've met are just so obsessed with getting a girlfriend or boyfriend, that it just seems like that's the only thing on their minds. I know, it's part of growing up to want to find that special someone. Even I want that too. But why let loose and run wild? Why let feelings and hormones be the thing in control of your life? Why run the risk of messing a decent relationship or friendship up just because you want to have a romantic relationship, and possibly loose even that friendship in the process? Not everyone you're attracted to is supposed to be that special someone. Why not wait for the right one, the one God has intended, and not try out with everyone, only to find that they are not the one? Why pick up so many sour memories in the search of sweet memories?

Not that I'm downplaying love. I mean, if you really do find the one, and your relationship is strong, then by all means, go for it. We need real love stories. But we get so caught up with what we perceive as good love stories, those portrayed in the media, in novels, movies and on television, that we forget what love really is. Is it really love that we're experiencing? Or is it just mere emotions?

Young people can be very rash at making decisions. I am no exception. A lot of times we just jump in, not really thinking about the consequences. And sometimes that just brings us a lot of unnecessary hurt and pain. Yes, we get attracted to people and think they are the one right away. But is he or she really the right one? How can you be so sure? Have you really checked it out with others, with God? Or is it just our longing for love and we convince ourselves that she's the one. Like the quote says, we want the rest of our life to start now, as soon as possible. We want things quick. But that's where danger lies in relationships. Too often we just jump in too soon that we don't have the foundations set properly. Relationships need investments. It needs time to work on. Have we spent enough time and effort in the relationship so that it will last? Or are we being selfish, wanting it quick for ourselves, our satisfaction?

Why settle for something now, something that isn't the best, when we can wait for the best? The English phrase says, "Good things come to those who wait." And this especially holds true when it comes to relationships. God has great plans for your future (see. Jeremiah 29:11), especially in the area of relationships. In fact, God made relationships. He was the one who established marriage and the union of man and woman (see Genesis 2:18-25). Check out Song of Songs too. You'll be surprised what's in there about love between man and woman. Peculiar at times, but you get what they are saying. What's most important, is that God has His best interest for you in your relationships. He wants you to have the very best. Proverbs 18:22 says "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord." I want a good wife. She's a good thing =) There even is a passage in Proverbs about what to look for in a wife. Check out the whole of Proverbs 31. Now that is a girl worth fighting for. Very capable, loving, kind, cares for the family and household, wise, and most importantly, loves God. I would love to have a wife like that and love her with all my heart.

So why rush into things again? Take your time to get to know people. Why jump straight into something that big with eye's almost shut, when you can get there more slowly and surely, in one piece and not pieces? Heed the advice Songs of Songs. Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires (Chapter 2 verse 7). I'm going to wait for the one God intends for me. And when that time comes and God reveals her to me, I pray for the faith, strength, courage and tenacity to pursue her with all I've got, and the love to love and cherish her with all my heart, just like how God loves her. In the meantime, I'm going to get to know more people and build genuine and honest friendships and relationships. What about you? =)

Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut after.

Benjamin Franklin

On the way into this world, our soul was born in two
Searching for you, I been searching for you
Where ya been, where ya running to
Where ya got to go, what ya got to do
Don't care where we're going, just wanna be with you
Put your head on my shoulder, tell me what you've been through
When I lose my focus, you remind me of the Truth
Lift us up to the heavens, for a birds eye view

One woman for me
Other half of my soul, you're my queen
One woman for me
Other half of my soul, roots of my tree

We could forget about Galus for a while, our troubles for a while
Sometimes I look at you and just smile, sit in the park and just laugh all day
Sometimes I just lose it with the things that you say, waiting by the subway
But we missed the train, well take the next one if you can pull me away
Keep me cool down to earth, and no anxiety
Stay modest with the humble heart always

One woman for me
Other half of my soul, you're my queen
One woman for me
Other half of my soul, roots of my tree

We don't need no umbrella when we're walking in the rain
Sunlight or clouds, it's all the same
Don't need no umbrella, when we're walking in the rain

So smart and sharp, oh so lovely
And a beauty shine bright, yes you're there for me
Keep the ways of our fathers, how it use to be
Moving forward, don't mean erase our history
Look to your ways, and see a girl who wants to do the right thing
Dedicated to a life, bigger than you or me
Build a temple in our hearts, for His Majesty
Stay simple, serve God, and keep our deeds clean

One woman for me
Other half of my soul, you're my queen
One woman for me
Other half of my soul, roots of my tree

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Some people seriously ask, "Where is God?" Maybe a better question would be "Where isn't God?" His fingerprints are all over our world. Or maybe it's His world, and they're our fingerprints.

Rob Bell, Nooma 03 Trees.

Was just watching this video today. Just felt that I should get myself fed. And so I opened the video. Was at the third one, Trees. And man, it is a good video. Talks about how Christianity should be about living life now, and not just a ticket to a better place after the now has passed. Good stuff, you should go watch it.

The quote above is a line from the video. Rob Bell opens the video with a question, of whether our world is supposed to be the way it is now, or is there something wrong. Then he goes on to say that most of it, is actually our choice. And if you think about it, it’s true. God have given us the choice to live how we want to live. Lots of problems we see now is because we have chosen to live the way we want, not the way He made us to be. Earth’s problems like global warming, deforestation, extinction? Man’s unscrupulous works to make our lives comfortable at the expense of others, the earth, animals and plants. Then there’s social issues in humanity. Poverty, hunger, slavery? Also Man’s unscrupulous acts to benefit themselves at the cost of other people’s lives. To live comfortably, exploiting others so selfishly. Injustice, corruption? Again, Man’s unscrupulous ways to pervert justice to fill their own pockets. Again and again, you see the selfishness, the self-centeredness in all this. Living life for ourselves.

I think Rob Bell put it rather poetically and succinctly when he said, “maybe it’s His world, and they’re our fingerprints.” We’ve put our fingerprints all over His creation, meddling with it in so many ways we shouldn’t. Who gave us the right to abuse another person, a fellow human, for our own gain? Is it right? Then what about the environment and the whole of earth? In Genesis 1:26, God gave us dominion over the earth to take care of it, not to exploit it beyond boundaries. Genesis 2:15, The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. We should be taking care of it responsibly, not unscrupulously.

So let’s ask ourselves, what have we been doing with what He’s made for us? Are we doing the right thing with it? Or have we been too preoccupied with ourselves in all this that we neglect our duty to Him and His creation. Like Rob Bell said, our faith in God and relationship with God, shouldn’t wait for the next life, the New Heaven and Earth after the end of days. But it is for now, in the reality of God now.

Followers of Jesus are people who are committed to partnering with God to make this world, the world that we all live in, the kind of place that God originally intended it to be. In Jesus precise words, we’re learning to love each other as we love ourselves. A follower of Jesus is somebody who’s living, and they're never going to stop living.

And to Rob Bell’s hope for the viewers at the end of his video, to it I say, “Amen....”

P.S. To those who don't have the video, here it is on YouTube, with Portuguese subtitles. Part 1. Part 2.

P.P.S. For Victorians of Victoria Institution KL, yes I know, I've used the word unscrupulous many times. It's the perfect word la. Reminds you of someone right? Hahaha.

P.P.P.S. And to KBU students, I think I'm getting someone's habit of saying, "Ask yourselves a question." , just it's ourselves. Hahaha.

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A vessel that's full can only receive so much. But a vessel constantly emptied for others can be filled many times over....

Ele Musael

We all want to be blessed. It’s a natural thing to want good things to happen to us. And it’s perfectly fine to ask for good things. In fact, God promises us that if we follow His ways, He will bless us.  Psalms 20:4 He will give you your heart’s desire and carry out all your plans.” And so there’s nothing wrong with blessings.

However, sometimes, we just want to take and keep taking. A lot of us have come into this culture where we never give back and bless other people. We just want to stay at the receiving end of blessing and never be on the giving side. We have become selfish. We take and take, and ask for more. And so we become fat, spiritually fat from just taking in all the blessings. Sometimes even physically fat, financially fat, and all the other ways we can be fat. Instead of outreach we  in-reach.

Sometimes, God blesses us so we can bless others. There is not greater joy, than to bring joy to others. Sometimes, after just being a receiver of blessing, we wonder where all our joy went. What we don’t realise is, that perhaps we have abundance, to give to those who do not have that. Ever wondered why the church now isn’t as vibrant or as powerful as it was in the times of Acts? Maybe it’s because we have not been doing what they have. Some things we do, like meeting up, studying the Word, encouraging one another, praying for one another. But one crucial thing that, I feel, we are not doing is to provide to the needs of those around us. The people of Acts always provided for the needy of their time. Acts 4: 34, 35 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. The task of providing to those in need was given so much weight, that the twelve disciples appointed seven people, who were full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, to carry out that task, so that the twelve can concentrate on the spiritual needs of the people.

What about us now? Yes, we do care for the needs of others in some ways. We do pray for the needy. We do help out here and there. But I feel we can do more. We can play a more active role than we have. All this time we have been mainly passive. And because of that, we are not making that active impact.

We also talk a lot about desiring what God desire. To have on our heart, what His heart is for. Now, didn’t Jesus say that we should love our neighbour as ourselves? What would that also imply? Love should result in action, should it not? And one way love shows itself is through our giving. We have so much in so many ways. We have time, talents, and for some, financial blessings. Where are those going to? Are we making good use of them? What have our mindsets become? We have become lazy, when it comes to reaching out to others, being active in our giving. And it is bad for us. Proverbs 21:25, 26 The desire of a lazy person will kill him because his hands refuse to work. All day long he feels greedy, but a righteous person gives and does not hold back. Now, take a moment. Where do you stand? Where do we stand?

You know, there are many times we fear letting go of things we have so much. We worry and fear that when we give, we won’t have enough. And because of that, we hold on so tightly to what is in our hand. But like I have said, if we just keep what we have to ourselves, we will eventually become a full vessel. And when something is full, it can no longer take anymore. Just like a cup, our hands have a limit to what we can hold. By just holding on because we are afraid of losing what’s in there, we eventually won’t have space to take in anymore. But if from our abundance, we give to others, emptying our vessels for others, we create room for more, to be filled again. And again. And again, with greater measure and greater things.

I’ll end with this verse from Proverbs 11.

23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good;the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,and one who waters will himself be watered.

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I’m currently reading a book called the Love Revolution by Joyce Meyers, with contributions by John Maxwell, Tommy Barnett, Paul Scanlon, Darlene Zschech and Martin Smith. Sadly, I’m not done with the book yet. So many things to learn from, and just let it sink into my heart. When I’m done, and you’d like to have a read, let me know if you know me personally. I wouldn’t mind letting you have a read. Even better if you get one yourself of course. But borrow from me if you like.

I was going through the section written by John C. Maxwell, when I chanced upon this interesting story. And I’d like to share that.

Years ago I came across a piece about someone who fell into a pit and couldn’t get out-and how others treated that person:

A subjective person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.”
An objective person came along and said, “Well, it’s logical that someone would fall down there.”
A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into pits.”
A mathematician calculated how the individual fell into the pit.
A news reporter wanted an exclusive story on the person in the pit.
A fundamentalist said, “You deserve your pit.”
A Calvinist said, “If you’d been saved, you’d never fallen in that pit.”
An Armenian said, “You were saved and still fell in that pit.”
A charismatic said, “Just confess that you’re not in that pit.”
A realist came along and said, “Now that’s a pit.”
A geologist told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.
An IRS worker asked if he was paying taxes on this pit.
The county inspector asked if he had a permit to dig the pit.
A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.”
An optimist said, “Things could be worse."
A pessimist said, "Things will get worse."
Jesus, seeing the man, reached down and took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

Take a moment and think about it. Compare what everyone and Jesus did. I’m sure all the other people had good intentions and wanted to help the poor man, though some we don’t see how it’s helping (like the Pharisee). But was all that they did what the poor chap needed? Jesus on the other hand saw the need, and delivered what that man needed most.

In our own lives, what are we doing when we see someone in need? We feel for the person at times, but then what do we do? I’ve found that we’re very free with advice sometimes, and we can go on talking and talking, giving loads of advice (which are good advice sometimes, while sometimes it could also be useless). But, ask yourself, does the person really need so much advice? Is it what the person really need? Perhaps it is actually something else, something more practical. Something that involves sacrifice and work. One reason I think we gravitate to just giving advice is because it’s free. There’s not much sacrifice and work with giving advice. But to care for the injured like the Good Samaritan in Jesus’ parable costs us. It cost the Samaritan his time tending to the wounds, the comfort of riding his animal, and money to pay the inn keeper, as well as the resources like oil and wine to clean the wounds. And in our own acts of trying to help others, it will probably also cost us something. Time, talents, effort, money, possessions, any of these. Time in just being there for people, listening to them pour their heart out while being silent listening, just assurances that we're listening and not giving advice not needed. Making people feel appreciated with a word of encouragement or a small gesture of thanks. Or it could be projects that will involve more than just one of the above, with time, effort and money invested.

Let’s ask ourselves a question. Are we really helping others with what they really need? Or are we just beating around the bush doing what we think is helping them, when what they really need is someone to reach out their hand and help them out of the pit?

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