Memorial, Frustration, Salvation...

I'm starting to wonder if my parents are really humans afterall... I went for my friend's memorial yesterday night... And the venue was my high school... As Joe said, we've never been there for quite some time and this time that we're here it's for a sad reason... How shocking... I couldn't even recall the way to get to my school... Well, reminiscing memories aside...

The memorial was good... A lot of people attended including a few teachers... Personally, I kinda liked Mrs Meagan Lim's speech... She said that during Form 3, she gave Bryan lots of work to do as he was the class monitor... And now Bryan has given her the toughest homework she has which is to give an eulogy speech... Initially, she refused to do it because she knows that she will cry and won't be able to finish it, but in the end, she gave the speech because she wanted to complete the task that Bryan gave... It was so touching!!!

And it's just amazing to see how a simple action can bring so many people to remember a great man... Put this into Jesus' death and resurrection you'll start wondering why people deny it... How can someone accept historical facts from ancient Chinese history to Liverpool FC being sold and reject the one and only historical document that will bring unbearable consequences- the Bible!!!

Well, this morning when I woke up, my parents asked me how was yesterday... I told them about it then they started asking me about his results and his performances which I don't really know, then my dad started yelling... Just because I seem to be normal doesn't mean I don't need to be consoled, and if you don't want to console me then fine but not yelling at me!!! More over, yelling at me just because I didn't find out about his results??? WTH is wrong with you?! A man died and you're asking about his results?! Mind you, I had problems talking to his parents yesterday night and how am I supposed to ask about other stuffs?! It's just so absurd!!!

While I living on with my day, I think I finally understood why religions that promote salvation based on works are so sellable!!! Even for me, I really wanted it to happen so that I can bring my friend back to life again... But then, come to think of it, do you really think you can do ALL the works and save a life?!

In Luke 10, a lawyer asked Jesus what can he DO to INHERIT eternal life... The question itself is already contradicting... If you're gonna inherit something, you definitely don't and can't do anything!!! But Jesus didn't shoot him down, Jesus asked him about the law since he was a lawyer... The lawyer stated the 1st commandment and loving neighbour... Jesus asked him to GO, AND DO LIKEWISE... Obviously, Jesus knows the inconsistency in the lawyer's question, but he gave this reply, to ask him do it... So, is Jesus saying that you can do something to inherit eternal life??? NO!!! It was actually a challenge to the lawyer because Jesus knows that he can't do it... Man, the 1st commandment- Deut 6:5 Love the Lord your God with ALL your Might and ALL your Soul and ALL your Heart... Notice the word ALL??? If you think that Christianity is just another moralistic religion, I challenge you to GO and DO all the ten commandments!!!

So if you were to save yourself based on works, I'd reckon you to just kill yourself and not even try it because within 1 minute, you'll be exhausted and frustrated at the same time!!!

Again, thank God for the Cross and knowing how incapable we are of saving ourselves...

God bless all of you...

Are we so dull...

Are we so dull??? How often have missed the plot of something which is bigger than what it seems to be??? How often that we do things for the sake of doing and had no means of doing it(which questions the reason for doing it)??? See, when you don't even know why you're doing what you're doing then there's no point of doing it, because you have just lost the purpose of executing your actions to do it...

In John 6, the Jews were looking for Jesus because they wanted more bread which in the previous verses He provided them... Jesus was trying to show them something but all they saw was the miracle and by them seeking Jesus just for the bread totally makes it clearer of how foolish they were... And then it goes on with Jesus telling them He is the bread of life since they wanted the bread so badly... But in the end after Jesus explaining everything, all that they can understand was the last sentence or maybe the last part of 1 whole big chunk of text... It's just like watching a movie with the only the starting and ending...(though some movies are pretty predictable, but hope you get my point) If you watch a movie like that, might as well you just watch the trailer because most probably the trailer already has all the movie has to show...

So my point is, how often do you question your actions??? But before that, let me throw you a challenge, what's your purpose of having life on earth??? This is the BIGGEST question you should answer!!! Seek the truth and it shall set you free(from sin)...

May the LORD help you to come to a point of realization...

Reasons for me to study...

I found the reasons for me to study already!!!

1. So that my parents cannot find fault in me

2. So that I can go to church peacefully

3. So that I can continue to do campus ministry next year and hopefully the following year as well

4. reasons 1,2,3 = ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!!!

Please remind me of these reasons if you see me slacking, thank you!!!

God bless...

Contentment and Total Depravity...

What does it take to satisfy someone or maybe yourself??? Is it being the top student??? Is it being the top dog in your job??? Is it having a whole bunch of titles added before your name??? Is it having a wife with a few kids and a happy family??? Is it having all the money in the world and relax in your bungalow??? Is it knowing that you have eternal life in heaven??? Or is it knowing that Jesus died for your sins???

The truth is neither of these can satisfy one's self... Well, you might deny it, but as a fellow sinner, I can tell you there shall never be a limit in what we want!!! Maybe it's due to our imagination that triggered all these cravings... Still want to deny??? Take Adam for example, pre-Fall, he was the perfect man, he even lived under God's rule and had everything, the whole world in fact... But, as you know, he ate the fruit... He was trying to seek knowledge outside of God because the snake told him that he will have the knowledge of good and evil if he eats it...

Post-Fall, I feel that we don't even deserve anything!!! We are so sinful that we can't even be a moralistic person, how do you think you will even fare in God's standard??? You don't think that we're all immoral??? Try this, how often have you said thank you??? I bet you say it almost after every few sentences, but what I'm trying to ask you is in so numerous times of saying thank you, how many of it were just to be polite and how many of it really stem from a thankful heart??? Get what I mean now??? Still not satisfied of my claims???

Try this one, whenever you manage to help someone, after helping him/her, they'll thank you(not sure if they really meant it or not though), few days later you bump into that person again, but he/she JUST says hi or might not even bother to look at you... What comes to your mind??? Wished that you never helped them??? This is all because we do things with an expectancy whether it may be big or small... My point is, in whatever we do, we already have a motive for doing it - which is to want something back... Now, tell me on what account can you still say you're a good person now...

We're all so sinful that we can't even live to our own standards, how can you say that you're not a sinner before God?! Because of our extremely sinful nature, we don't even deserve to breath the next breathe... Just imagine you're already drowning in the deep blue sea with sharks, struggling to gasp for air, but you're still thinking of which shirt you'll be wearing tomorrow... Absurd??? But this is the true reality of our sinful nature...

Henceforth, the five points of Calvinism- TULIP, fits in nicely...

God bless...

Bryan...

I really don't know what to say right now... Just feel so shocked and numb... Bryan Chiel Yee Hao, my high school friend whom I know since Form 1 left me... And it was a tragic hit-and-run accident...

LORD, why do you have to do this??? But again, who am I to question You, for You made him and me... I just hope that he served and glorified You with his 20 years of life...

Even though I'm not that close to him, but I can still remember his face vividly... Even though we didn't talk much after Form 1, but I still see him as a good friend because he was a good and smart man... Even though, I've never seen him since we left high school, I still remember him for who he was... Even though he is no longer here now, he dwells inside me now...

He was like a brother to me, his kindness, his size, his sportsmanship, his basketball talents, his intelligence, his charming smile, his bald hair, his manly voice, everything seems to be showing up in my head now...

I really want a time machine to go back to Form 1 and share the gospel with him in order to destroy the guilt that I have now!!! Why didn't I know the gospel earlier?! Though I'm not sure if he needed to hear it but that's all I can do and could've done...

Bryan, you have truly been a great friend who made a mark in our lives...

http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x74676263/Police-investigating-fatal-accident

I shall never forget today-the day when a good man whom I know of has left me...

LORD all I can hope for now is that you will have mercy on this kind soul even if he didn't know you...

Goodbye dear friend...

Christian and politics???

If you're a Christian and you have time to kill, just click the link below:

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2010/9/19/lifefocus/6880606&sec=lifefocus

Can Christian and politics work together or are they mutually exclusive or they depend on one another???

Tell me what do you think about it after that...hahaha!!!

Awesome holiday!!!

It's been a good holiday until now!!! So happy throughout these few days(since Friday), because I've learnt a lot about God!!! Went to Word Works on Isaiah on Friday and Saturday... I feel so joyful reading Isaiah now... Really need to admit that I was so lost when I first read Isaiah before the conference but it all makes more sense now...

Then, enjoyed Evangelistic Sunday though I really have no idea how to talk to RC... Thank God for pointing out my problem!!!

Went for Don Carson's conference at Tropicana on Monday and Tuesday... Understood the parable of Good Samaritan PROPERLY!!! I emphasized on the word 'properly' because there was this pastor that came to CF on 1 Friday and he misused that same text and it was heretical just by listening and reading the text even though I have to admit that I got the text wrong after reading it myself... The worst thing was, he ended by 'don't preach the gospel...' This shows how sad Malaysia is now, so much more work to do!!!

After understanding it properly, I had a great rebuke from the sermon... How often do we justify ourselves??? Thank God for the cross, people!!!

Lastly, just wanna quote John Newton which was mentioned by Carson: "I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am..."

LORD, please open up more eyes and ears to come to you!!!