wordknights

Violence reared its ugly head in Toronto city and dealt a shocking blow this past weekend. In Eaton Centre, Toronto’s popular downtown shopping hotspot, a man was shot dead and seven others injured. It happened on the night of Saturday June 2nd 2012. This news grabbed my attention which was rather unusual. Why? Well, not just in Toronto but all over the world, our cities been hit with all kinds of violence, crime, ruthless killing – so much that I’m ashamed to admit I often turn a deaf ear to news stories of this nature. Unconsciously I was  gradually being desensitized to accept violence as a norm as I usually  greeted this type of news with my habitual groan “Not again!”

Now all of a sudden this Eaton Square shooting arrested my attention. It woke me up. God forbid that I have let my heart be hardened! I confessed and prayed God forgive me and change my heart of stone to a heart of flesh as God did when He revived the dry bones witnessed by the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel.

I recall when I was a child my introduction to guns and pistols came from western movies and police drama on our TV screens. I grew up in Singapore where it was illegal to trade in guns and firearms. Local gangs and thugs there were but they fought with knives and Chinese kungfu, not with pistols. The stark difference now boggles and scares me that gunshots are not uncommon on the streets and familiar places that I normally frequent and considered safe (as the Eaton Centre). This incident was the first of its kind at Eaton and it happened despite the wired security system in place and security guards on duty. I’ve also read and heard about numerous shooting incidents in schools and college campuses.

Events like these make me wish, pray, believe there has to be an end to evil because the Maker of this world created this earth for good and gave us the assurance it will be so by His precious Word and by the Word Incarnate made flesh in the life of our Redeemer Jesus Christ.

If not hope in Christ and resting my entire trust in God’s Word, what, where,who else can rid this world of violence and vice ? Is there a superman or woman who could fix the problems of our ailing world? Is there a politician fit for the job? Actually many of us can’t even name one we can fully trust.

Do you then place your hopes on education? Or on money and wealth, thinking you can make a happier world for yourself and others if only you had the money to move the world? In the days of my youth, before I knew better, I thought so.

Now I think education is beneficial but I doubt it can solve the world’s woes. A greater proportion of people today have spent large chunks of their lives and finances in pursuit of education, yet it doesn’t take a genius to conclude how much safer or better this world has become, does it? Education, even moral education, won’t eradicate the root of evil, greed and lust.

As for money, I think far from being the solution, the insatiable desire for more money is at the root of many troubles that plague our world – such as, unethical business practices, labor unrest, drug dealers, smugglers, gamblers, kidnappers, robbers, murderers … and the list rolls on…

Let’s pause and ponder on the subject of suicides. I’m amazed at the large number of reported suicides and attempted suicides involving people who are celebrities or their offsprings. Note these people are usually the super-rich and we think they have it all. I guess it’s reasonable if the miserable poor, starving helplessly desperate people of the world turned suicidal but the reality is we have more suicide cases floating on the rich cream of society. Now if this isn’t enough evidence proving that money can never buy happiness!

On a different note, I observe there are well-intentioned people in the world who refuse to give up their faith in human kind and goodness in human nature.They would hope and dream of a world where politicians and clergy work for honesty, transparency, fairness, truth; where society allows freedom of speech and thought, open frank and respectful dialog with people from other worldviews. Honestly I subscribe to these beautiful ideals too but I just don’t believe human kindness nor religious education nor both of these together, will succeed in realizing this ideal society. The problem is every work of human hands, minds and human spirit is unsustainable, albeit they may be birthed with noble intent. Why? The reason is humanity in our world is flawed, chipped , dysfunctional. We have to admit we are fallen imperfect creatures in need of regeneration.

Folks who trust in human kindness include religious devotees of world religions and some Christians too because the truth is not every Christian has crossed over from being a Church-goer to being a Christ-follower. This makes a whole lot of difference.

It is only when Jesus is enthroned and reigns in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit in our individual hearts that professed Christians are transformed into renewed Christians filled with the Spirit. This renewal I believe can happen in a moment of time for some believers while it may take years or in some cases, a lifelong process for other Christians. Why this is the case, God alone knows. I can only surmise. Maybe it’s because God made each one of his creatures unique and different.

Whether our spiritual transformation is instant or progressive, the ultimate goal is the same. The goal is that we can begin to discern the mind of Christ and be effective in witnessing and persuading others of the truth of the living Word of God and the power for goodness of the Christian worldview.

If you share this hope but have been wondering why this seems not to be happening around you, allow me to share my experience. One day in my devotion time, I approached God with this question and was led to God’s Word where I was strongly reminded I must be constantly led by the promptings and leading of the Spirit of God. That’s not a new discovery, you may say. Yes every Christian has heard this preached repeatedly.

This time my focus was drawn to this verse of Scripture:from Paul’s epistle to Romans.
Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”.

Paul explained that those who allow themselves to be ruled and led by the Spirit of God will no longer follow the dictates of their corrupt nature or of the sinful world.

Indeed the master key lies right here in the apostle Paul’s declaration “as many as are led by the Spirit of God.” I know this principle but how am I doing in actual practice?
I decided to do a self-examination and reaching for a piece of paper I wrote this question.
To what degree is my life being led by the Spirit of God ?
I was surprised to discover it was harder than I thought attempting to put down a truthful answer and decided to modify the question by splitting it into several steps which helped make my answers more forthcoming.

My final questionnaire eventually appeared as follows. If you like, I urge you to try doing this simple questionnaire and I know you’ll be blessed. I found it to be a most rewarding exercise.

MY SPIRITUAL STATUS QUESTIONAIRE
1 Reflecting on the past 15 years of my Christian life, would it be honest to say that I’ve progressed in this journey?
Answer YES/ A BIT/ NO
I think when I became a Christian at first my life was like _________% led by the Spirit of God. Today I believe I am hovering around
____________% mark.
2 I realize that I have much room for improvement and I will press on. But how ? What specific steps should I take ?

3 What changes to my daily schedule and lifestyle will this entail ?

4 Am I willing to make the change ?
Before you answer the final question do consider you have just this one life. In the words of William Penn:
• I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
• Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.
• A good end cannot sanctify evil means; nor must we do evil, that good may come of it…To do evil that good may come of it is for bunglers in politics as well as morals.
—————————————————————————–
To conclude, I pray all Christians become infused with the Spirit of God in order that we be truly living transformed lives, demonstrating attitudes and Christian good works that persuade unbelievers to want to embrace the Christian worldview and the good news of the gospel. Only then, the Spirit of God will sweep with power to cleanse and renew our troubled world.

Bless you and may God’s Spirit grow in you from this day forth.

What are the two big obstacles to our living a fulfilled life?  Psychologists have arrived at this answer and we ourselves know in our hearts that this is true. It’s not the lack of money love, sex, emotional support, friendship – not all these, but our two big monsters really are :  Fear and Guilt. To varying degrees and whatever your age, everyone is troubled by anxieties concerning either our current or future status.

Once upon a time, people used to believe childhood was a carefree time for children had little to worry about. Not so today. Our young generation today are pressured to make the grades in school, whether they get into the course they want to enter, whether they gain respect and popularity among their peers and a host of other anxieties – both real and imagined. Adults have fears of physical aging and health deterioration, inadequate finances, social inadequacy or emotional/spiritual health. In some sense these fears loom even larger today than in bygone days when a good education promised job security and a good marriage provided a woman lifelong security – “till death do us part.”  Not so today. With the stormy unpredictable state of our current world economy financial and job security is tenuous. In the area of personal relationships, love and marriage have become make and break affairs.

It is precisely because of the plagues of fear and guilt many people in western societies pay thousands of dollars to their psychiatrists. I think it is ironical that these same people did not first consider the Good News of the Bible that Jesus Christ offers unequivocal and complete freedom from fear and guilt free of charge. Just reflect on this.

Yet it is particularly in the traditional Christian countries, I see lost people putting their trust in their shrinks while others have deviated to trust in the occult, in séances and mediums. This too is all so ironical. But the big question is: WHY?

I’ve been asking this question for more than one month now and I’ve come to this conclusion. The problem I think lies in people having wrong expectations of Christians and false hopes about Christianity. Quite a significant proportion of new Christians and certainly more non-Christians expect that Christians are somehow better people being sanctified and all that. And many new Christians themselves as well as their family and friends may think they will be instantly transformed by holy baptism.

However the truth is somewhat more complex than this. The process of regeneration and sanctification in a Christian’s progress is continual and lifelong. It is not a cookie-cutter’s job. God is not slow to work as the Bible tells us but He works to His eternal purpose and timeline for each believer. The failure to grasp this fundamental fact has led many to become disillusioned with both the Church and Christianity.

It is imperative that people should fix their eyes on the claims of Jesus Christ and pay attention to what the Bible actually promises instead of looking at the behavior of members of their congregation, church politics and leadership etc. which could create doubts and throw them off the path they should earnestly, patiently pursue by God’s grace.

Personally I find most beneficial to dwell on and constantly be reminded of the compelling claims of Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus personally carried our sins in His own body and nailed them on the cross, thus paying the ransom for our sins to set us free. Why is this so difficult for some people to accept as the plain truth? Is it easier to believe in yourself then, to believe you don’t need a God or you don’t need to be saved? Look seriously at the compelling evidence of the life of Jesus and His claims to be who He is before you reject His Promise and the Good News He brings.

Summer 2011 has swiftly come and gone and the fall colors are outside my window in breathtaking shades of yellow, gold, red and brown. If you have been either simply ignoring or actively rejecting the claims of Jesus Christ, I urge you to reconsider. Consider some of the compelling evidence and claims of Jesus revealed in the Bible because all too soon our lives like autumn leaves will drift, decay and return to dust for as the Bible says : “From dust we came, to dust our bodies shall return.”

Allow me to just point out four claims and Biblical evidence of Jesus Christ’s divinity which I find most compelling.

1)      His Supernatural Birth :  Well, with Christmas being not too far off, let’s just dwell on the miracle of Jesus’ birth. He was as the Bible puts it “Begotten of God and born by a virgin.”

2)      Jesus wielded power over the forces of Nature as well as the dark demonic world. He stilled a raging storm of wind and waves – “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him!” (Mark 4:41)

Even demons recognized Jesus and knew he had authority over them.”Moreover demons came out of many people, shouting You are the Son of God!” Luke 4:41)

3)      Jesus demonstrated supernatural power over Death and Diseases. Not only were there numerous accounts of his healing the blind, deaf, crippled and terminally ill but He even raised the dead in more than one incident recorded in the Bible – Jesus raised Lazarus back to life (John 11:38-53) and He also gave a grieving widow back her only son by raising him from the dead.(Luke 7:11-16)

4)      Jesus predicted five times concerning His own death and the fact that He would rise from the dead. His resurrection was the most sensational event in all of history and this fact has been attacked by anti-Christians again and again but has remained unassailable. In fact, one British lawyer, Frank Morrison, who was convinced that the Resurrection was a fantasy, set out to expose the myth of Christ’s resurrection. However all his research ended up persuading him against his will that the resurrection of Christ was indeed a historical fact. As a result he wrote the book, Who Moved the Stone? which he originally entitled, “The Book That Refused to Be Written.”

History recorded that the body of Jesus was embalmed with 100 pounds of wet spices and then wrapped in linens, then placed in a solid rock tomb. A boulder nearly 2 tons in weight was rolled by levers to secure the entrance and because Jesus had publicly said He would rise from the dead in three days, a guard of trained Roman soldiers was stationed at the tomb. A Roman seal was affixed to the tomb entrance declaring it government property. However, three days later the body was gone. Only the grave linens remained.The boulder formerly sealing the tomb was found up a slope, some distance away from the tomb.

In Matthew 28:11-15 the Bible tells us that when the guards revealed the mysterious disappearance of the body, the chief priests bribed the soldiers to say that the disciples had come at night and stolen the body while they were asleep. What a ridiculous excuse! Besides there was historical record of Jesus appearing to his disciples and others after He had risen from the dead.

Therefore believe that He is indeed Risen and Alive and know that Jesus also declared He had come “that we might have life and have it abundantly.”  (John 10:10).

            Whenever I feel myself threatened by fear or guilt, I’ll remember the advice of Jesus: “Don’t worry about what you are going to eat or drink or wear. Your Father in heaven loves you and knows what you need… Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ( Matthew 6:25-33)

 The date 2011 August 23 has made a permanent spot in my memory. I was alone at home and just finished entering a new blog post titled “The Futility of the Search for Meaning”. I glanced at the clock, surprised to learn it was past 1.45pm but I’d forgotten about lunch. You know how time is in oblivion when you’re focused on writing! Think I’ll make myself a sandwich, I thought. Suddenly, I felt faint and dizzy! It could be my body reminding me about lunch, I figured.

An unusual sick feeling and nauseating sensation persisted. Then in dismay, I observed the walls of my apartment appeared to be swaying – not alarming because it was swaying gently and it felt like being on a plane flying through a patch of turbulence. So I was calm, although by now, the word “earthquake” sprang to mind. As I was seated in front of my computer, I quickly keyed in the words “current newsflash of earthquake” and instantly, from google search popped up several reports confirming that a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit the U.S.southern state of Virginia at 1.50 pm and the quake tremors were felt as far as New York and Washington, causing people to flee from their homes and offices and the White House in Washington was abandoned in the panic! There was no mention of Toronto in that first newsflash but to me this was adequate explanation. I felt the tremors for less than a minute and that was all! But within the next hour, surfing the net, I read tons and tons of excited reports from people in Toronto and newsmedia confirming that the earthquake tremors proceeding from Virginia were actually felt all the way as far north as Canada! Amazing and scary! But on the positive side, I marvel at the speed and facility we have at our fingertips with digital technology!

Interestingly I soon noticed that because Toronto did not suffer the worst of the quake, the topic of earthquake became a hot talking point giving rise to lots of speculation and people deliberating over  questions like these:

• Christians say God is Love, yet we see natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes which are acts of god, destroying places and taking  lives of people, even innocent children ?

• If God truly loves the world, I think God should simply command and silence the earthquake. Why didn’t He do that?

Wonder what will  be your response to these questions? I asked myself.  This led me to ponder and decide to give time to Bible research and prayer before attempting to address these challenging questions on my blog.

I expect many of you have grappled with these nagging questions too and come to your own conclusions.  So I invite you to share your comments here and they will be uploaded for our readers to view.

The first question, in my opinion, arises from a false assumption that God was the mover that caused the earthquake.  I assert that it  is a popular fallacy to attribute all natural disasters as “acts of God”. The term “acts of God” have most commonly featured in contractual clauses of insurance companies and been accepted in legal circles. There’s nothing wrong with using that term but the problem lies in its widespread use to the extent of being used so very loosely as to become misleading and inaccurate. It’s been used conveniently to describe a situation that can’t be explained by human reason or in the case of a helpless or hopeless crisis. It’s been wrongly used in the circumstance of tragic death or terminal illness.

Although it is within God’s absolute power to act if He so willed, I would like to point out that the Bible has only a few rare isolated examples of God’s wrath manifesting in natural disasters ( the Flood in Noah’s days is one) and these examples in fact carry  much less weight compared to other numerous references in the Bible showing the true nature of  God as being Loving, Kind, Merciful, Patient and Forbearing towards sinners although God hates sin. For the most part, the Bible shows God as a loving father whose affection for us is so deep that He is eager to forgive and cleanse us when we honestly repent and confess Jesus is indeed our Savior who on Calvary’s Cross suffered the punishment for the sins of the world.

John 3:16 says “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.” 

And Jesus gave many similar messages such as this :

“I assure you that whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and won’t come under judgment but has passed from death into life.”  John 5:24

To the second question, I’d say we are advised to look at the big picture when discussing Life versus Death issues. When we put on our macro lens, we may begin to see why Christians call it the “Good News” and what’s so good or great about Jesus’ proclamation and the Bible’s promises.  It’s the trust and belief that God in His Plan of Salvation has offered to everyone the ultimate and best gift of all – that is, the gift of eternal life, victory over Death  through belief in the power of Resurrection.

Well, think about it. Isn’t this a greater gift than if God just stepped in to deliver some folks out of an earthly disaster like an earthquake –  achieving no eternal benefit at all, except that would just let the survivors  live on and toil or enjoy (depending on their life circumstance)  for some years down the road  until  another crisis hits when Death rears its ugly head again. Truly on this earth, you know very well, no living person escapes inevitable Death whether it be death from natural disaster, human error, terminal illness, cancer, tragic accident or whatever! At best, we hope for ourselves that we’ll be so blessed to one day depart peacefully or what most would euphemistically call “a natural passing away” but Christians will aptly use the term “gone home to be with Our Lord”.Whether you choose to believe or not, the truth is, against Death, the Christian hope is as best as it can get in my opinion.

So countless believers through the generations have embraced this good news embodied in the victory of the Cross. Jesus Christ conquered Death and opened the way to eternal life for all who believe. “He did this to destroy the one who holds the power over death—the devil…”  it says in Hebrews 2:14

The truth is God desires and delights in salvation not destruction. God’s adversary, the Devil is the one who delights in destruction and “holds the power over Death” as the Scripture says. Let’s be clear on this. God is not a weapon of mass destruction but the Devil is. Or more accurately, Sin is the root of destruction. I love these words of  the apostle Paul in Romans 5:12 explaining the origin of Sin and its pervasive effects on our world:   ^“So, in the same way that sin entered the world through one person, and death came through sin, so death spread to all human beings with the result that all sinned.”

On a different note, I invite us to turn from the subject of natural disasters to consider now God’s marvelous and magnificent works in the creation of the world.

Do you know God’s presence can be impressed upon human consciousness in a myriad of ways and it’s likely to be very different from one believer to the next? But I discovered one wonderful way seems to work marvels with all people. I am referring to the communicative power of Nature to arouse even the most unspiritual person.

Try to recall some of your past group leisure tours and sightseeing adventures and you know what I mean. In your tour party, I expect to find not many religious people since tour packages attract by and large leisure holiday-makers in contrast to the pilgrimage or mission goers. Hence I find it quite amazing that even the most unspiritual person can be spiritually moved in a sense when standing before an awesome piece of God’s work. I’ve witnessed this in my travel groups again and again. I observed that even a self-proclaimed atheist was more than a little aroused and quickened in his inner spirit  though  only for a fleeting scenic moment in time!  For indeed, Nature powerfully showcases the divine glory of her Creator! Through Nature God touches all men, whatever their race, culture, religion or belief. As the Bible says:

“Heaven is declaring God’s glory;
the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.”   Psalm 19:1

Speaking of myself, I’m thrilled by mountainscapes that decline into valleys with gushing waters flowing into rivers or simply small streams that finally culminate in a lovely and peaceful lake. I think that’s why I fell for Canada! But others may prefer a very different landscape. I notice that with most people born and grown up in America and Canada, their popular idea of a perfect vacation spot is quite different from mine. It  is likely to be one with exotic tropical palms, sandy beaches and salty seas! Others may simply love the sight and smell of mighty oceans – like people I know who love driving up the Pacific Coast Highway through Santa Barbara to San Francisco Bay and never seem to get enough of that experience. I don’t care much for Pacific rocky coasts and the smell and sound of the ocean but I rather love the sound of gushing waters. Besides my love of mountain scenery,  I enjoy visiting places like Niagara Falls and the remarkable thing is every visit to the Falls turn out for me as exciting as the first.

Before writing this blog, I’m glad I did some soul-searching asking myself why the mountains make such a strong impression with me.  I can now sum up by saying the images of mountains remind me of the character of God and the awesome experience itself inspires my spiritual transformation and growth. Let me explain. Somehow to me, mountains mirror God’s Magnificence, Glory, Greatness, Beauty, Steadfastness and Constancy. It’s like an assuring reminder that He is always there and shall not be moved ! Further, the experience exerts a positive influence in growing Christian character, for example, instilling:

Humility : I always feel small and am humbled when I gaze up at the towering mountains and open skies above and reflect, as the psalmist says:

                “When I look up at the skies, at what your fingers made—
                the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place – what are human beings 
                that you think about them;  what are human beings 
                that you pay attention to them?”                                Psalm 8:3-4  

Peace :   I discover peace on two levels :  peace in the physical sense of  feeling liberated from the  world’s anxiety and stress. On the other hand,  I take a step closer to comprehend the peace that the Bible speaks of : “the peace that surpasses understanding”.  Honestly I often struggle to understand this peace – not to speak of attaining this peace but I can say that experiencing the mountains and highlands in my travels have helped me make some progress, albeit in taking small steps at a time.

 Joy :       It’s uplifting for me to meditate on the fact that God is far greater than even this Mighty Rock, Refuge, Fortress and Strong Tower before my eyes and it is God who holds my life and future in His Hands. That’s reason to rejoice !

 “Because all things were created by him: 
   both in the heavens and on the earth, 
   the things that are visible and the things that are invisible. 
   Whether they are thrones or powers, 
   or rulers or authorities, 
   all things were created through him and for him.”   Colossians 1:16

All Bible quotes are from the Common English Bible

Now I recall I’d skipped breakfast that morning and so was famished at lunchtime. To add to that, it was my first visit to this restaurant which my friend declared was her favorite and by the looks of the dishes the waitress just laid before us, I predict it’s going to make it to my favorite list too! So God knows at that particular moment, my flesh reigned. No wonder I missed the golden opportunity altogether as my mind was only on the food and my heart was in sympathy with my growling stomach!

Next time you hear this kind of self-pitying remark, remember to seize the golden opportunity to share this message. I could have kicked myself for not doing that and only realized later that I’d missed a great opportunity to share my own convictions about the purpose of life with someone who needed to hear. Anyway, I’m sending her this blog now and I pray she’ll disgest some of its contents.Better late than never!I’m certain many of you would have heard something like it. As we were chatting over lunch, my friend moaned:
“Do you know I’ve no life! It’s just work, work and more work. Work piles up endlessly in the office, then back home, housework is just as bad – maybe worse! Then there’s the children’s programs and schooling to attend to. In the end, for me, no life! Except escape on a holiday – but then, when I return, I find there’s more work to catch up. So what’s the solution?”

Hours laters when I was back home, her words and question resurfaced and I just couldn’t dismiss it from my mind. I began to think why I never experienced the same negative thoughts about my work and my life as my friend has. It’s not that I don’t have much share of troubles and difficulties in life for those who know about my life, will admit it’s to the contrary. But although pressured, I am not defeated. I’m not a workaholic either. However I feel bored easily and I find work can be stimulating when it is challenging. One root cause of my friend’s woe, I think, is the way she views life and work as existing in separate compartments. Nothing is further from the truth! Work is part of life! So is our family! And friends and our community!

I think the biggest fallacy which is becoming increasingly popular in our day is the false notion that “having life” equates with personal enjoyment and selfish pleasure. Nothing is further from the truth! The root of this fallacy lies in placing “I” at the centre of all things. Do you realise the moment you take “I” out of the centre, everything changes! And I realise,  “Thank God! Now I know why I don’t feel negative about life and work. Because I’ve chosen to put God at the centre! And because of this I am blessed! Amen! ” Therefore conversely, the inevitable fate that awaits people who reject God or even doubt the existence of God is wrapped in a bundle of despondency and futility. They will grapple hopelessly in the search for life and its meaning but miss it altogether.

For how can anyone define “meaning” apart from its “source”? Everything that means something derives its meaning from its origin or source, doesn’t it? A spade is simply a spade because the one who first created it designed it for that very specific purpose. So it is with every word in our vocabulary and every object in existence which derives its meaning from its source.

Hence, how can one find “meaning in life” then apart from its source?

I love these words the Bible puts in the mouth of Job in chapter 12, verse 9-10 Book of Job :

“Who among all these does not know

That the hand of the Lord has done this

In whose hand is the life of every living thing

And the breath of all mankind.”

I leave you with these words and thoughts.

May the meditations of my heart and the words in my blog be a blessing to all my readers, friends and loved ones.

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I moved into a new place three months ago and am still recovering from the hassle and stress of the moving experience which included the packing, and unpacking, opening the wrong boxes anxiously hunting for misplaced items – and worst of all, forgetting where I put this or that  but I could swear I saw it yesterday, forever facing little irritations like: “Where’s my scissors? It should be somewhere near – didn’t I just use it to snip off a price tag?”

Another interesting observation I made from our move experience is this : It’s not hard finding a comfortable new home but it’s much harder finding a new church you feel comfortable with. To tell you the truth, I’ve gone to four different churches this past three months and now cut down to two.

The problem is not because there aren’t enough churches in Toronto but I think it’s the opposite. It just struck me that in Toronto, like in Singapore, New York, London and other major cities in the world today, Christians will have this problem – I call this “Spoilt for Choice”. Well, I’m not denying having the privilege of choice is a good thing but what I’m saying is, having too many choices can be tricky and adds unnecessary stress to our daily living.

Imagine what life used to be for people who lived in a village in the pre-industrial days, made a livelihood out of farming, enjoy gardening and getting excited about attending church and meeting other folks in their village church every Sunday. Only one village church – where they used to attend Sunday school with their parents and grandparents ! Everybody knew everybody. There were no acquaintances – only friends!

This sounds like a fairytale to our ears! So unreal! Let’s face the reality but be awakened to potential negative influences that can spoil our lives.

People living in US and Canada have far more choices than elsewhere in the world. Growing up in Asia and in a very small country, Singapore, I feel the vast difference! Well, I did say that there are lots of churches to choose from in Toronto as in Singapore. OK, that’s true for churches. But when you consider the rest of things, the choices you can find in Canada far supercedes any place in Asia. Generally speaking, the bigger the country is, the wider the choice.

In Canada, every day I’m confronted with multiple choices when it comes to even simple daily decisions like:

Which route should I take to get to my destination faster?

Which supermarket is giving the best deal for my groceries?

PS. In a small city like Singapore, there’s usually only one obvious route to your destination and no other that makes a viable difference.

Yes, I can treat this subject lightly or otherwise. In fact the problem of being spoilt by choice has permeated and eroded all pillars and corners of our society and will continue to do so. Look, today the field of choices are so wide open that people are permitted choice in all these areas, for instance :

– Single women can choose to impregnate themselves, have a baby with help from a sperm bank.

– People can choose what they feel is their sexual orientation

I sense that too much choice and leeway given in this generation is probably a major root cause of many of our social woes.

It’s naturally human nature that people everywhere love to be given choices and options. Truly, this is the undergirding foundation upon which our practice of Democracy and conduct of Elections rest.

My take on this today is :

Let’s be mindful of the “burden of choice”. And remember, we can be very spoilt by choice !

A dear friend who is more than a dear friend – more accurately I’d say a very rare and dear friend for our friendship dates back to our early schooldays, emailed me this heartbreaking piece of news:http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/singaporeans-dying-away-home-134247626.html#more-id

I invite you to read it and share with me what you think. As for me, I was deeply affected by the article not because it’s fresh news to me because it really isn’t since I already was aware of this devastating situation in Singapore. But I was deeply moved to read about it and my worst fears are being confirmed as I figure that to make the headlines and draw 2K recommendations and more than 700 comments and responses from Singapore yahoo readers, this situation must have much worsened since I witnessed it myself four years ago!

The Canadian summer sky has finally broken through fiercely and relentlessly and I can’t help being amazed at how completely it has wiped out the memory of winter. At the same time, I know nothing will ever wipe out the fond memory of my beloved Mama who departed from this life exactly four years ago come Aug 16th after battling deteriorating health and inevitable old age. Mama was tiny in stature but sprightly and full of zest for life until then. Now I confess this has become a very sober warning to me ever since her departure. However now let me get back to the current news topic. Reading the article reminded me of the enormous distress and difficulty I went through to locate a decent nursing home for my Mama when the hospital would not have her any more after 6 weeks in the hospital and endless medical tests, they finally declared she’s just marking time and treatment-wise there’s not much more doctors can do for her. However they emphasized that her lungs and heart remain very weak and she has to have supply of oxygen at hand and nurse monitoring round-the-clock, they advised she should go to a nursing home and handed me a list of the approved/registered nursing homes to consider.

Without further ado, I embarked on my tour of 6 well-reputed Singapore-registered nursing homes. The tour was for me a big eye-opener to say the least. I must add that the 6 homes I shortlisted were ones I had either read or heard about and had some reputation. Two of them I remember I’ve supported their “Flag Days” certainly more than once although I’ve never visited their facility. And after the visit, I vowed I’ll not ever support their donation drives again! I found the atmosphere stifling, the living space very cramped and crowded, the bedroom tiny, plain, barely furnished, with a teeny window which lets in not much light. It’s really not much better than a prison cell, in my opinion. My husband who accompanied me on the visit remarked: “Oh, no! Definitely not here. If she stays here, she’ll wish she were dead!” And I totally agreed.

As I mentioned, these two are registered and reputable Singapore nursing homes. The only nice thing I can say is they maintain a degree of hygiene standard – the floors, walls, tables, chairs and toilets look like they receive regular cleaning which is not what I can say for some of the other homes I visited. But these two accomodation cost (three years ago then ) was $2,300-$2,500 monthly for each patient to occupy a shared little room with 2 beds! By the way, this is only the cost of accomodation and meals. Any medicine or treatments at additional charges of course.

After two days of relentless hunting, I found one which we felt confident wouldn’t kill my Mama. It’s still a far cry from home but what can we do? This one provided at least a minimum decent living environment. The bedroom is slightly larger than the others but it has wide windows and is bright and airy, most important I thought. Downstairs they have a small garden plot and a solarium at the centre of a sitting area or lounge. Best of all, we like the smiles and cheerful looks of their staff compared with many we noticed elsewhere who manage their place like prison wardens or army officers!

Yes it is shameful and embarrassing to say the least that over there in Singapore after blowing her trumpets about adopting all manner of “Best Practices” and boasting about having the “Best government” in justifying paying out the highest ministers’salaries in the world,
the less privileged citizens are deprived of even the basic welfare to enable them to grow old gracefully and die in their homeland. How do you define “Good Government” or the basic responsibilities of any government for that matter. If not by the reports and feedback of your own citizens ? I think it’s time Singapore wakes up and not simply boast when Singapore is rated among the top in some international polls that are based on quantitative measures, counting earnings of top earners in dollars and cents, totting up dry statistics and numbers. The measure of good government surely has to take into account qualitative factors as much as quantitative. In this case I’m not asking for charity – please don’t be mistaken! I’m pleading for basic human dignity for all, rich and poor, able and disabled, skilled and unskilled –  in a land of plenty.

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Reader Comments

Moreen Ng writes: Very refreshing indeed Nellie. I do agree that as for choices you do get them a little better over there as it is a relatively bigger place, like Vancouver which I love.. But to me it does not really matter as long as we make do with what we have and are contented with what is available. I do concur with you about the state of aged homes in S’pore. I have personally visited them and I think you have it better over there. It is really expensive to send a loved one here so how could a poor or middle class family afford it?  I feel that the government’s top priority should be to look into the needs of the ageing population instead of rewarding themselves with fat salaries, bonuses and pension. This is my main misgiving about the government despite all the improvements in health, education, housing etc. I suppose it boils down to ‘care and empathy’ the human qualities we should exude.
As for my spiritual growth I think I need to put a concerted effort to build a personal relationship with our Father.

July First is Canada Day
For 2011 that was yesterday
Cities were lit up with fireworks display

Free entry to museums and such places drew many gazers
Restaurants, cafes and pubs brimmed with familiar and new faces
Thank God for sunny and clear skies in most places

Alfresco dining was in full swing
The summer partying and drinking
Went on till late in the evening

Though some pedestrians complained it was too hot
I think that’s because these people walked around a lot
The Canada Day freebies were too good to miss they thought

Let’s get smart and escape to the public parks
Enjoy the open-air concerts and summer programs
Over there it’s cool and you still have hours before it gets dark

Having a longer day is the best thing about summer
You have much more time to spend on whatever
How I would love for this to go on forever.

These past weeks I noticed the shops have been busy pushing out “Father’s Day Gifts” to the extent that my mailbox downstairs has been overflowing with promo junk mail. In my usual fashion, I would quickly dispose of the bulk of them while mourning the wasteful death of trees and wishing more businesses would just go paperless and advertise online! However, this weekend while dumping my junk-mail, I found my thoughts turning to ponder on the personal relationship believers claim as God’s children and examine whether in fact I really understand or appreciate the Fatherhood of God and the Father’s Heart. If I think I do, then I ask myself whether my life is demonstrating this? If not sufficiently so, why not?

After this deep reflection, I have to admit that my appreciation of God as My Father is way below the scale and I need to grow in this respect. I suspect even among believers I’m not alone in this spiritual condition. Somehow I am convinced in my mind that I’m God’s child and I’ll go home one day to my Father’s house. This is more of an intellectual or theological understanding that’s all. Somehow, I have not fully grasped the reality of the Father’s relationship as it applies to me in my daily walk in my life on earth.I don’t know about you but certainly, I know I have not embraced that reality in full.

To live in the full understanding that I am His child and He is my Father would have to mean I will depend on my Father to provide all my needs like a child coming to daddy with open palms. It will mean I trust my dad’s decision has always my best interest at heart. If he has refused to grant my requests, he has a valid reason and it is in my best interest. Moreover, before I enter into a major decision, as a child, shouldn’t I first confide in and consult with my father and seek his opinion ?

I must uphold the above if my relationship with Father God is alive, wholesome and strong, do you agree? Perhaps it is to underscore the supreme importance of this foundation of Christian faith, Jesus responded to his disciples asking how to pray by teaching the prayer “Our Father” commonly known as “The Lord’s Prayer”.

But the weakness of our flesh, the strength of our self-will, or some negative experience we had with imperfect earthly parents and a host of other causes, do prevent most of us from attaining the fullness of a vital and life-renewing relationship with our Father. The unfortunate result is we have yet to experience the total blessings from living as a child of God. It is vital that we recognise our need for God to be Our Father as well as being God, King and Lord of All.

I feel I should at this point share with you a “Fathers Love Letter” reproduced below. This letter made such a big impact from a small beginning in Canada that it became the mustard seed that grew a ministry that touched countless lives, drawing people who didn’t know the Father to Him and helping Christians to live truly as God’s children.

The Father’s Love Letter

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don’t know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I’ll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

Father’s Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications
© 1999-2011 http://www.FathersLoveLetter.com

Read Father’s Love Letter In 90+ Other Languages. To learn how this ministry started go to website: http://www.FathersLoveLetter.com

From Easter to Pentecost! That’s how long it has taken me to confront five seemingly simple questions! Certainly this is the main reason I’ve not updated this blog since my last message at Easter. I confess when I put forth those questions to you my dear friends and to myself of course, I had not expected the difficulty I was going to face grappling with these five seemingly simple questions. In fact, I gave the promise to share my answers to the questions on this blog.
Well, unless you have taken these questions to heart, I bet now you won’t remember what they were, so let me recap. I concluded my last blog entitled “Soul-searching this season” with these five questions:
1 Why do I welcome Jesus into my life?
2 Why am I drawn to Jesus?
3 What do I want from Jesus?
4 What if I don’t get what I want from Him or what if Jesus wants something from me that I’m unwilling or reluctant to give?
5 Will I also, like the crowd in Jerusalem, turn my back to Jesus?

Answer to Q1:
I am convinced that Jesus is as He claimed “The Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Q2 Why am I drawn to Jesus? (Mmmm….I find this one extremely challenging!)

Answer: I was deeply drawn to Bible stories about Jesus’ miraculous conception, circumstances of His birth, His teaching, parables and revelations about Our Father in Heaven and the Kingdom of God which fascinated me as a child although it was far beyond my comprehension, they made an indelible impression in my young mind.

Later as a teenager, what touched my heart most was the personality of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Gospel accounts – His gentle nature and infinite compassion towards the sick, the frail, invalid, disabled and towards those in captivity and hunger. I used to be very impressed learning that Jesus really cared so much for both the spiritual and physical condition of people that He would perform miracles to feed the hungry and with merely a few loaves and tiny fishes, He produced more food than the people could take after eating to their heart’s content!

Years later in my adult life, what drew me closer to Jesus was the growing personal conviction about Sin. This was a great big leap for me in my Christian walk because during my younger days, although I thought I believed in God and Jesus in a general sort of way, I used to have doubts and many questions one of which was doubting the theology of original Sin. In my immature understanding, I used to reflect if God was not being totally unfair to condemn the entire human race just because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve?
For a number of years in my early adult life, I also did put Christ on the shelf and pursued my own interests and career not really as if He didn’t exist but more like these things wouldn’t be of interest to Him – so I thought! It was only after going through some hard knocks in life that I came to admit and confess my need for Him and realize Christ is indeedWorthy, more than deserving to be enthroned in my life, to take His rightful place as Lord of All!

Q3 What do I want from Jesus?
Answer: Firstly, to be reconciled to God and be redeemed from all my sins. Also, to learn from Him how I should live and pray for the strength and grace to abide in Him. Further, I want to know Jesus and my Father in heaven more intimately and find my place and purpose and His Will for my life.

Q4 What if I don’t get what I want from Him or what if Jesus wants something from me that I’m unwilling or reluctant to give?
Answer: I believe Jesus knows me much better than I know myself and He would not put me to any test to see me fall from grace but that He came to save the fallen. So I trust that when I’m put to the test, He knows exactly what it takes to bring me through to the point of voluntary submission, willingly and happily then will I surrender to His demand. This reminds me of Jonah. Jonah’s experience does assure me that as I’m just pint-size in comparison, this question of my rebellion may not arise at all?

Q5 Will I also, like the crowd in Jerusalem, turn my back to Jesus?
Answer: What I said in answer to Q4 applies here as well. Besides I think , unless I’ve gone bonkers, there is little likelihood of my turning back on Jesus because to turn back would be to reject in entirety Truth, Life and what I believe.

Each of us go through a different spiritual walk and will respond differently to these questions. How about you?
If you feel disposed to share your response, I invite you to post them below- Click on Comment and enter your post.

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
C S Lewis

It is at this time of the year I believe Christians are reminded most poignantly of the crucifixion of Our Lord while also moved in awesome wonder by the power and victory of Christ’s Resurrection on the third day after. I don’t know about you but ever since the movie “The Passion” hit the big screen, at this time of the year, I find myself remembering scenes from the movie : the excruciating suffering that Christ endured on the Cross, the blood and sweat that trickled from his head, the stripes inflicted all over his body…. and on the third day, the empty tomb – I can see the graveclothes that wrapped his corpse were left behind like a chrysalis after the butterfly has flown! Perhaps it’s true that a picture speaks more than a thousand words ! And so I confess that just as Cecil de Mills’ “Ten Commandments” on the big screen helped bring alive Moses and the Book of Exodus in my mind, the movie “The Passion” does help bring home the last days of his life on earth and especially his last words breathed on the cross “Father, forgive them – for they know not what they do.”

As I pondered over these last words of Jesus, I believe I suddenly grasped an important truth which may seem obvious but yet can elude us. It dawned on me that unless I can truthfully put myself among the “them” and “they” Jesus spoke of, I will not be fully indebted or even grasp the significance of His Crucifixion. The “them” and “they” that Jesus spoke of, on the surface, referred to the Jews there and then who demanded and shouted to Pontius Pilate : “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Yet, think about it: these were the same people who on Palm Sunday welcomed Jesus as their King when He entered Jerusalem in triumph just a week before! However when they realised Jesus was not going to deliver them from the Romans, they turned their backs on him. The thought came to me that indeed I should likewise challenge myself with some soul-searching questions as we approach Good Friday and answer these questions honestly:

Why am I welcoming Jesus into my life?
Why am I drawn to Jesus?
What do I want from Jesus?
What if I don’t get what I want from Him or what if Jesus wants something from me that I’m unwilling or reluctant to give?
Will I also, like the crowd in Jerusalem, turn my back to Him?

My dear friends, I hope you will be likewise challenged by these questions and I welcome your remarks. You may post your comments on this blog. Your input will certainly help me as I meditate seriously on these questions and attempt to put down my thoughts in writing my next wordknights message. Meanwhile, May God Bless You ! Have a good week ahead. I’m writing from Toronto and looks like we’re heading for an unusually cold week ahead- this is supposedly the season of spring but it suddenly turned to look more like winter this morning !