I spent most of my Tuesday with a dear sister and her son. In between chatting, I watched her son played and saw the way she related to her son… Being the 18 months old that he is, he had more than just one toy out on that day. And there were times when he was playing with more than just one of them at the same time.

At one time, he started playing with a puzzle… Then, he decided to play with his one-seat train (one that encourages him to use his feet to push/move it around)…

Soon, however, he got off the train and was trying to put the puzzle on the train seat. The puzzle, being bigger than the train seat, and made of wood, of course didn’t fit on the seat!

My friend (who was SO patient with her son! =)) told him that it doesn’t work that way. The train seat is for him to sit on, not for the wooden puzzle.

But oh, her son was SO certain that the wooden puzzle should fit on the train seat! He kept trying and pushing and moving it around and we could really tell that he was really frustrated!! Really really frustrated! He just couldn’t understand why the puzzle wouldn’t fit there! He thought that it was the best way to play with both toys. For the puzzle to be placed on the train seat. So why wouldn’t it fit there?! Why?!

My friend, looking at his frustration, just laughed at him and patiently kept telling him, it doesn’t work that way… And kept repeating what she had told him before…

She really was patient with him. She knew that his understanding was still limited… In his mind, that’s how he wanted the toys to work, and that was the best way to play with them… But of course, it wasn’t…

He gave up after a while! =)

Only to put the wooden puzzle under the train’s back wheel and then making the train’s wheel ran over it – over and over again… My friend said to me – “you can see why most of his toys only last for a month, right?” =)

I smiled back… then quietly said to my friend…

“That’s me….. Trying to tell God – That’s how I wanted it. Things should have happened that way, not this way… I knew it should have happened that way! Why couldn’t He see it?! That was the best way for things to happen! (Of course! Don’t I know better than God?!) I just knew it! It should have happened that way! My way! Not this way… Not His way!… Frustrated, and couldn’t understand why they didn’t happen the way I wanted them to happen…

“That’s so me… forgetting that God is the One who created things with their own purposes, and that compared with God, my knowledge is limited… forgetting that He knows the best ways for things to operate, and how things should function to make sure they’ll last… Even so proud as to not willing to admit that I am limited in my knowledge…

“I’m so like him…”

My friend didn’t expect me to come up with that observation… =) But we were both thankful afterwards for the so many things He had reminded me of that day – not just from my chats with her, but also from how she related to her son, and just from observing her son… =) God is indeed kind…

Recently, a few things have reminded me how much I long for the new heaven and new earth to come… Where sin will no longer rule or have any dominion anymore and where effects of sins will no longer be around either…

I long for that day to come… The day when I won’t have to worry about people anymore – Christians and non Christians – and worry about the grip of sin on them…

The thing is, I know… I’m very clear in my mind that “There but for the grace of God go I…”

**Argh!!!!**

I hate this world! I hate the dominion that sin still has in this world! I know that sin is defeated. And yet it is not yet fully defeated. I mean, we live in a now and not yet time!!! How can it be as good as it gets already?! No way it is as good as it will ever be!!!

Things will surely get better! Not because we will be holier in God’s sight – as He does see us in Christ even now already… But better because sin will no longer be in us. We will really be Christlike then. Perfectly Christlike. And so it will surely be better! It has to be! Because sin won’t be there at all . . .

Saw something today that reminded me there’s more to life than what we possess in life…

I know, you’d probably think that you know that already, right? =) – That there is more to life than one’s possessions? =)

I know that, too, btw! =)

But I do wonder… whether what we actually own… or what we’re chasing after… are really saying to the world, that we do live out our knowledge. . .

Been reading through Leviticus as part of my daily Bible readings…

This is not the first time I read through Leviticus. But every time I read through it, every time I am reminded of how great God’s love for me in Christ is!

I mean, look at Leviticus 6-7, 9 about the sacrifices and all the particulars etc. So much blood was involved in properly relating to God – because God is holy, while humans are sinful! If you think the smell of raw meat (from cutting it up when cooking) is hard to wash off (well, at least it is for someone with a sensitive sense of smelling like me), then imagine being those priests, who had to deal with blood every day! The smell and reminder of death!

And then in Leviticus 8… They actually had some animal blood put on them!

And yesterday, I read Leviticus 10. It was not the first time I read it, but every time I read, every time I was reminded how holy our God is! How many rules needed to be kept properly in relating to God, so that they wouldn’t end up dead! And also how much obeying and serving and loving God actually went beyond family love, even parental love!

Today, after reading Leviticus 11, I was filled with so much thankfulness to God my Heavenly Father. SO much thankfulness because in Christ, I have been freed from those food laws. It was good for me to be reminded how specific and how thorough God’s laws were. How all aspects of the Israelites’ life were affected by them, including what they can and can not eat! But how all of those laws are no longer binding because Christ has fulfilled them!

I’m not saying it’s good that Christ has fulfilled them so I won’t have to worry about keeping them. That is true. But it’s not really my main point.

My main point is, there were SO much involved in relating to God properly in the OT because of our sins and sinfulness! And I think, sometimes, we take it for granted that Christ had done it all for us! Well, at least I know that sometimes I took it for granted… Taking for granted that even though I didn’t have to pay the price, Christ had to… and He paid it with His blood!

And yet, there are times when I don’t appreciate the reconciled relationship I have with God through Christ as much as I should… There are times, when I look at sins in the eye, recognising them for what they are, and choosing to do them anyway, knowing that Christ has paid the price… And by so doing, I’ve taken His death and His sacrifice for granted – again(!)…

It is impossible to start in your relationship with God without His mercy and grace shown in Christ… It is equally impossible to stay in that relationship without His help, mercy and grace…

I’m very thankful I’ve been brought and kept in my relationship with God through His mercy and grace alone in Christ! =)

Over there, it is very easy for us to talk about our beliefs and what our Book teaches about life etc – as if everything in this life is black and white. It is very easy for us to sit on our high and comfy chairs, passing judgements on all sorts of things…

Over here… things are different…

What do you say to an 80 year old man whose Mum just passed away, telling you in tears that he believes that all religions are the same – that we all are going to the same place? Different paths but same destination? That God is all loving and will surely accept every ‘good’ person irregardless of race, nationality, or religion?

What do you say when a family lost their Dad, and the Mum, Dad and Son usually go to a particular church that usually teaches that the more you give, the more you will be blessed by God – but when the rubber hits the road, this poor family, were told that the church would help them with expenses (buying coffin, burial ground and other things for their dead Dad), but in return, would like them to give the church all the money they get from the ‘white envelopes’ people give them?

What do you say to ‘those who think differently’ around you who know about this and just can’t understand why the church has to do things this way? Sound generous, but why do they have to ask for the money? If they are unwilling to give that much, why not just give a bit and yet not ask for the money (no matter how much they would get from the envelopes, as we do know they prob won’t get that much)?

How are you supposed to think and have respect for the government that you are told to submit to when you read newspapers everyday – you read the promises that the people in the government are making and yet also read that there are more and more poor people who can’t afford to buy rice? When the price of normal rice are so high that people start to buy and eat rice that are usually given as food for ducks and chicken?

And what are you supposed to think, how are you supposed to react, when you learn of people who can’t afford more than one meal a day – and for the sake of their child only ate rice once a day, so that their child can eat three times a day? And how if it is no longer just about people in the newspaper but people you know personally and yet there isn’t much you can do about it?

What are you supposed to think? How are you supposed to react?

Here, you’d better believe what you say you believe in! Here, you’d better be sure that what God says in His Book is the real deal – that there is such thing as a way to heaven through His Son, that there is eternal life for those who believe in Him, that there is such a place as hell… and that we are all sinful, and that this world is in a mess because of our sins… that everything might not make sense, but He is still in perfect control of everything! And that somehow, He is still bringing about His purposes in this messed up world!

Here you’d be given lots and lots of opportunity to test your trust in Him! To see if you really believe that He is dependable, that He is in total control of the world, or if He is only a fairytale and if this whole thing is just a bad joke… Here, you won’t be able to say something unless you mean it…

Otherwise, you can say goodbye to your trust… And you can say goodbye to your relationship with your Lord… and everything… will just be history…

History of a faraway place… of a utopia that you learnt of when you were overseas… when life is comfortable and nice…

[PS: Sorry that I won't allow any comments for this post. As I do believe that as much as you think you might get what I'm saying here... You don't... Unless of course you have been in my shoes... Know everyone has different struggles, and I do appreciate it if you can relate to what I say. But yeah, if you've never been here, I'm afraid, it would come across wrongly no matter how well you meant it... Sorry...]

Been thinking quite a bit about the environment, global warming, endangered species and the world’s reaction/response to it…

Thought I should at least make a mention about it in my blog, especially since this year’s Sydney New Year’s Eve Celebration is “The Time of Our Lives” and World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Australia), is the official Charity of 2007 Sydney New Year’s Eve.

I was just thinking about how to put all my thoughts together when I realised that this quote from Calvin & Hobbes might actually portray this whole thing nicely:

“I imagine girls and bugs have a dim perception that nature played a cruel trick on them but they lack the intelligence to really comprehend the magnitude of it.”
~ Calvin

Now I know it’s not a bugs or girls friendly quote. =) But I think it’s a good quote to describe this world’s state of understanding of our problem with nature (global warming, endangered species, etc).

They know that it is us humans, who are the key players in either destroying, or saving this planet/nature.

But the thing is, as much as they think they know what the real problem is – their understanding is actually nothing but a dim perception only – “they lack the intelligence to really comprehend the magnitude of it.”

Why do I say that?

Well, because yes, this world is in a mess – it is in a big mess – because of us, humans! But not just because of our direct actions or inactions to it (nature) or each other… This world is in a mess because we rejected God! Nature is doomed to destruction because we are doomed to destruction!

That is the main problem! If you don’t see that – then you what you really have is but a dim perception of the magnitude of the problem…

If you still don’t get it, let me see if I can explain it to you using an illustration.

Remember the Disney story of Beauty and the Beast? Remember how the servants in the Beast’s castle were under a curse and would stay under that curse as long as their Master (the Beast) was under his curse? And how they would only be (and were) freed from their curse when the curse on the Master was finally broken?

Well, I think that’s a better way to understand nature’s problem! Nature is under a curse because we are under a curse. Its curse is tied in with (and a result of) our curse!

That’s why as much as I support WWF (yes, I do personally support WWF), and as much I respect and appreciate them for all their conservation efforts (and more!), I personally don’t think that they will be able to achieve their mission – “to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature”… not on this earth anyway…

Because there is only one place where humans will live in harmony (again) with nature — there is only one place where the curse will finally be broken — and that is heaven! =)

Went to Lincraft after work today.

When I got there, I stopped to look at some really cool creative art sets near the escalator.

While looking at a really cool engraving tool set, a young clean-looking Anglo guy came from the other direction and stood close to me, after making a brief eye contact. It did cross my mind that it was strange that he was looking at those things, but I thought he was just looking for a present for his nephew or something.

Now I do take my time in looking at craft things, esp since that engraving kit was just so cool(!), so I was a bit surprised to see him staying there for a while. I mean, a guy, in a craft shop, looking at some things intently??? That was just a bit strange… Even my brother – an arty sort of guy – wouldn’t have stopped there for that long!

When it looked like that he started to do some strange / funny thing, I decided it was a bit too creepy for me to stay there. So, I took the engraving set and went to find the things I was looking for.

Now, that was a craft shop. With many isles! In a craft shop – you just don’t follow people around. Unless you two are of the same mind or something! But yeah, not normal – not in a shop as big as Lincraft and not when the other person is a guy…

Anyway, after a while, after realising that he could have been following me (I know, he probably wasn’t. I wasn’t sure. That’s why I said he could have…), I decided that what he was doing was way too creepy and I was too scared to wait around or acted as if nothing was happening.

I know it was broad daylight and even though there weren’t many people in the store, there were at least people there. And so I know it was strange… and I couldn’t imagine what he wanted… But I was scared… really scared…

I actually went out of my way to lose him between the isles and paid for my stuff not in the main cashier and then ran out of the store (yes, I saw him making his way towards the door and looking at me as I tried to make my my way out of the store – the cashier was too slow!)

I knew I would be safe once I got to the street level – since it was only around 5.30pm. But I knew that the area from the shop escalator to the traffic light on the main street was a quiet area and so I wanted to make sure he didn’t get to me before I reached the traffic light. And so I ran all my way there, without looking back even once!

Even after I got on the bus (the first bus I could get that I knew would go towards ‘home’ anyway), I was still feeling really scared…

I was thinking… I can’t believe how scared I was of him… Honestly, that was the first time, I think, I felt so scared in the middle of the city… over my 10 years living in Sydney.

I know he didn’t actually do anything. Yes, he acted very suspiciously. And it was just too much of a coincidence for him not to have been following me around…

But as I sat there on the bus… I couldn’t help but think… What a sinful world that we now live in… In an ideal world, in heaven, there won’t be concern like this…

(Of course it did cross my mind that I probably watched too many crime movies / tv series, too! =P)

But yeah, it wasn’t those thoughts that sadden me most… It was the thought that I ran SO fast from him just then! I didn’t even looked back… Just wanted to make sure that I got away from him as soon as possible, making sure that he would not get hold of me. Just because I think he could be planning something harmful…

But then, have I been treating sin and the devil in the same way? Have I been doing what the Bible’s been telling me to do – to flee from the devil and from sin?

Shame on me for fearing the harm that that man might do more than the harm that I know sin and the devil will definitely do to me if I don’t flee from them!

Shame on me, for not fleeing as vigorously from sin and the devil, as I did from that guy…

A wise person once said that we need to always be careful and still be critical in reading books written by “people with big names” – like Spurgeon or Carson or Edwards or anyone else. We need to always remember that even though they have much good things to say, it is still a good idea to check if what they say is in line with the Bible or not.

So, whenever I post a quote here, please do keep in mind that they are not from the Bible and so they are not foolproof. =)

Having said that, here is another story I found interesting from Spurgeon. He has a strong stand on “worldly entertainment” – and the context of his particular sermon from which this quote is taken is “theatres and their performances”. But I think the story itself is interesting, as it still can be challenging in the way we sometimes view worldly pleasures or even sin… not necessarily just in the case of modern equivalent of theatres, i.e. movies or play, but I believe, in many other things, too.

Anyway, here it goes…

‘How far may we go in conformity to the world?’ is a question that is frequently asked. Have you never heard the story of a lady who wanted a coachman? Two or three called to see her about the post, and, in answer to her enquiries, the first application said, ‘Yes madam, you could not have a better coachman than myself.’ She replied, ‘How near do you think you could drive to danger without an accident?’ ‘Madam, I could go within a yard of it, and yet you would be perfectly safe.’ ‘Very well,’ she said, ‘you will not suit me.’

The second applicant had heard the question upon which the other had been rejected, and therefore he was ready with his answer, ‘Danger! madam, why I could drive within a hair’s breadth, and yet be perfectly safe.’ ‘Then you will not suit me at all.’ When number three came in, he was asked, ‘Are you a good driver?’ ‘Well,’ he replied, ‘I am careful and have never met with an accident.’ ‘But how near do you think you could drive to danger?’ ‘Madam,’ he said, ‘that is a thing I never tried; I always drive as far away from danger as ever I can.’ The lady at once replied, ‘You are the kind of coachman I want, and I will engage you at once.’

Get such a coachman as that yourself to guide your own heart and lead your own character. Do not see how near you can go to sin, but see how far you can keep away from it….

2 Cor 6: 17 – “Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,”

From “Classic Counsels, Places of Entertainment – Discernment in the matter of amusements” by Spurgeon.

Compromising sin, compromising Christ

Something worth reading and pondering:
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/457702672.html

Once you compromise sin, it’s only a matter of time before you compromise the gospel of Christ…

Just watched the new Jetstar ad on tv. I think it’s about choosing your seat when you make your booking or something… But the thing that caught my attention was the slogan… “It’s called choice. We like choice…” or something like that…

It’s true, isn’t it? We humans do like choice… we like options, and we like the control we have in choosing something over another…

Some people seem to think that they have a choice over what they want to believe about the afterlife, too… or about life in general… “It’s ok for you to choose that one, but I rather fancy this one, so please leave me alone with my choice, thank you very much”

We like to be God, don’t we? We like making decisions and having the final say…

Truth is, God does not like having rivals… The true God that is…

And worse still, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the only way to the Father, to God, to heaven.

So, we might like choice… but we don’t always have a choice over everything… Some things are beyond our control, like life… and death…