Night (1958, 2006) by Elie Wiesel, Book Review

Have you read Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning (1946) or Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl (1947)? If you have, then Night will be a good read too. It's a good read because it shows the level of human depravity and the sacredness of life. When Elie was a teenager, he and his family were taken from their home to one of the most horrible places in the memories of Jewish history, the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp. The Holocaust. Nazi Genocide. Mass murder. Infants are being tossed into the furnace. "It is obvious that the war which Hitler and his accomplices waged was not only against Jewish men, women, and children," writes Elie, "but also against Jewish religion, Jewish culture, Jewish tradition, and therefore Jewish memory."

Night is both a fascinating read into the human psychology and theology of suffering but also a horrifying read (especially if you can somewhat imagine what you read) into the face of evil and devilish ideological systems. "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never." But then again, it is a story—or a memoir—of hope and faith too. Read it!

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheHolocaust #HolocaustSurvivor #ElieWiesel #Suffering #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Perhaps you're interested to read my short summary review of Victor Frankl's Man’s Search for Meaning, CLICK HERE

To read my other book reviews/summaries, CLICK HERE

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

5 Great Lessons I Learned from Mud, Sweat and Tears: The Autobiography (2011) by Bear Grylls

Mud, Sweat and Tears: The Autobiography (2011) by Bear Grylls

I love adventure. I love this book. I admire Bear Grylls. The first quote in this book says a lot about Bear's adventurous life, by Pearl S. Buck, "The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible – and achieve it, generation after generation." That is a fit summary for Bear from his early age to who he is now. He "attempt the impossible." He is well-known for Man vs. Wild, Running Wild, Born Survivor and many more TV adventure series. As for his resume, he grows up on the Isle of Wight, taught by his father first-hand to sail and climb, became very active in martial arts especially karate, embarked on the most brutal military selection course on the planet namely the British Special Forces (21 SAS), involved in a horrific free-fall parachuting accident in Africa, but 8 months later become one of the youngest ever climbers (at that time) to scale Everest with the age only 23.

For a man like Bear, you can't list it all. Enough to say that this autobiography is fun to read, action-pack and very satisfying – full of adventures! I finished reading it after an adventure to the interior of Ulu Julau (Sarawak, Malaysia) that took about 3 hours to arrive with muddy and hilly roads, sat behind the truck like riding a roller coaster and expose to haze and under the hot sun. I felt like Bear Grylls a little bit. As a man, the sense of adventure, risk-taking, mud, sweats and tears are what make the man within me come alive. That's why jungle tracking, hiking, marathon, walking a long distance, cycling and riding on the road are my pleasures in life.

Anyway, back to Bear, here are 5 Lessons that I Learned from Bear Grylls, the man who drinks his own urine from snake's skin (I probably left a lot of other lessons, but you have to read the book yourself):

#1 The Power of Risk-Taking. When wrote about the Everest expedition, he said, "Many people find it hard to understand what it is about a mountain that draws men and women to risk their lives on her freezing, icy faces - all for a chance at that single, solitary moment on the top. It can be hard to explain. But I also relate to the quote that says, ‘If you have to ask, you will never understand.'" If you risk nothing you'll gain nothing. Bear failed twice on the SAS selection, but he never gives up. He almost died during most of his adventures. The risk of not seeing his family again, the risk of criticisms, the risk of appearing fool (oh, that's true) are very valid risks that once he overcomes bring greater good in himself and others who inspired by his actions.

#2 The Power of Humility. When writing about his successes, he also shares his failures and weaknesses. He also acknowledges that if not for the people who are closed to his – family, friends and colleagues – he will not achieve anything of value in his life. Many times, it was his friends that saved his life and sacrifice for him to be successful today. "Much of the success of the business side of things, though, is simply the product of great people, great ideas, tidy execution and a sprinkling of good luck." When I watched Man vs. Wild I always think, "Hey, the cameramen are good!"

#3 The Power of Being ‘You.' Bear believes that: "Our achievements are generally limited only by the beliefs we impose on ourselves." Bear knows that early in life, he is meant for the wild. Formal school is not his habitat, the school of hard-knock is his nature. He understands himself well and being himself is very comfortable. Nature and accidents might not kill him (so far), but give him an office desk, in a few days, you'll see his corpse! Know yourself and what makes you come alive. "All my life the only thing I've been good at has been climbing and throwing myself off big things," said Bear.

#4 The Power of Faith (in God). Bear Grylls is not writing a Christian book here. This is his autobiography and as such personal life and faith (if any) will always intertwined. When talking about his early years of encounter with God, he wrote, "To me, my Christian faith is all about being held, comforted, forgiven, strengthened, and loved - yet somehow that message gets lost on most of us, and we tend only to remember the religious nutters or the God of endless school assemblies. This is no one's fault, it is just life. Our job is to stay open and gentle, so we can hear the knocking on the door of our heart when it comes. The irony is that I never meet anyone who doesn't want to be loved or held or forgiven. Yet I meet a lot of folks who hate religion. And I do sympathize. But so did Jesus. He didn't just sympathize, He went much further. It seems more like this Jesus came to destroy religion and to bring life." Perhaps what makes him very attracted to nature is because it brings him closer to the Maker.

#5 The Power of Gratitude. This says it all: "Whether it is the wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, family or friends, so often those closest to us are the ones who get the worst of us. It is as if we feel that they are the only ones we can be grumpy with, and we save our best for our guests or work. But this is a recipe for struggle. The smart man and woman save the best for those they love. If we show our loved ones the most gratitude every day, then life will smile on us in return. Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude: three words to help you thrive. Trust me." Gratitude to God, gratitude for life, for family and friends, for everything. Reading Bear's autobiography gave me a sense that he is not alone in his adventures, struggles and challenges. He attracts faithful people around him because he is a man of gratitude.

I would like to end this article with Bear Grylls' favourite quote from his grandmother, Patsie Fisher, "When a ball rolls your way grab it. We so rarely get a second chance (Although miraculously this does sometimes happen, too). And remember that life is what you make of it – and that is what makes the possibilities so exciting." Attempt the impossible!

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Last Lecture (2008) by Randy Pausch, Book Review MUST-READ BOOK

The Last Lecture (2008) by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaclow

“I have an engineering problem,” writes Randy, a former professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction and Design at Carnegie Mellon University, who is now famous for his YouTube video entitled The Last Lecture [check it out, CLICK HERE], “While for the most part, I’m in terrific physical shape, I have ten tumors in my liver and I have only a few months left to live.” How heartbreak, right? He continues, “I am a father of three young children, and married to the woman of my dreams. While I could easily feel sorry for myself, that wouldn’t do them, or me, any good. So, how to spend my very limited time?” To me, that sounds like late Steve Jobs who once said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” Randy doesn’t waste his limited time. He wanted to leave a legacy for others, especially for his children. He desires to give a ‘last lecture’ at the university. “If I were a musician, I would have composed music. But I am a lecturer. So I lectured,” he said.

Carnegie Mellon University has a tradition whereby the organizers will ask selected professors to offer reflections on their personal and professional journeys called The Last Lecture Series (later it was renamed to Journeys series). Randy’s Last Lecture was really his last lecture! When I read this book – for my personal retreat this year, 7-11^th March 2019 at Kundasang, Sabah – I imagined I was among the people who witnessed this historical event. I was hooked and listened to it attentively. “I lecture about the joy of life, about how much I appreciated life, even with so little of my own left,” explains Randy (his mother like to call him Randolph, which he hates very much), “I talk about honesty, integrity, gratitude, and other things I hold dear. And I tried very hard not to be boring.” Not a boring lecture [I watched the YouTube video] and book [I read the book in 2 days] indeed! After he presented his CT scans images of 10 tumors in his liver, he turned to his audience, “If I don’t seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you. I assure you I am not in denial…” He doing his push-ups at the center of the stage and the audience began to laugh and applauded. Not a dying man – not that day – he is a living person who will speak to the crowd in the fresh.

He divided his lecture (and his book) into six (6) parts:

Part 1: The Last Lecture. In the chapter An Injured Lion Still Wants to Roar, Randy outlines what happened after he found out about pancreatic cancer, how he accepted the invitation to speak, what he wanted to speak, what are the struggles and why he did it anyway. His interactions with his wife, Jai (pronounce as Jay) and his love for his children really touched me. In his preparation to write his speech, he asked himself, “What makes me unique? ...Cancer doesn’t make me unique… My uniqueness, I realized, came in the specifics of all the dreams – from incredible meaningful to decidedly quirky – that defined my 46 years of life.” And so, in…

Part 2: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams… he talks about how his parents (and mentors) supported and contributed to his motivations to achieved his childhood dreams, namely, 1) Being In Zero Gravity [“Being weightless is a sensation hard to fathom when you’ve been an Earthling all your life”] 2) Playing In the NFL [this is the only dream that he didn’t achieve. My favorite quote in relation to this dream is this: “Even though I did not reach the National Football League, I sometimes think I got more from pursuing that dream, and not accomplishing it, then I did from many of the ones I did accomplish”]; 3) Authoring an Article in the World Book Encyclopedia [you’ll find him under ‘V’ for Virtual Reality article]; 4) Being Captain Kirk [“I seriously believe that I became a better teacher and colleague – maybe even a better husband – by watching Kirk run the Enterprise,” he said matter-of-factly]; 5) Winning Stuffed Animals [This is funny. “The coolest guy was easy to spot: He was the one walking around with the largest stuffed animal… If he had the biggest stuffed animal, then he was the coolest guy at the carnival.” The desire to be cool was what makes Randy won many stuffed animals], and 6) Being a Disney Imagineer [there are many challenges that he has to face in order to be a Disney imagine-engineer but he didn’t give up. He explains, “The brick walls are there for a reason. They’re not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” Yes!].

Part 3: Adventures… And Lessons Learned. There are a lot of stories worth mentioning here. How he met Jai, the incident during their marriage, his relationship with his students and colleagues, his cool Dutch uncle, and many more. One story that amazed me the most is the story when Randy intentionally opened a can of soda, turned it over and poured it on his brand-new Volkswagen Cabrio’s cloth seats in the back. He wanted to deliver the message to his nephew, Christ, 7 years old, and niece, Laura, 9 years old that: “People are more important than things. A car, even a pristine gem like my new convertible, was just a thing.” Unbelievable. Crazily good.

Part 4: Enabling the Dreams of Others. Randy shared about his childhood dreams believing that it is worth to pursue and in return, he wanted to fulfill other’s childhood dreams too. “Enabling the dreams of others can be done on several different scales. You can do it one on one… You can do it with fifty or a hundred people at a time… And, if you have large ambitions and a measure of chutzpah, you can attempt to do it on a large scale, trying to enable the dreams of millions of people.” What’s important for Randy is to give back and to inspire others to achieve their dreams. Leave your legacy. Your life is short.

Part 5: It’s About How to Live Your Life. In this part, Randy explains, “This section may be called, ‘It’s About How to Live Your Life,’ but it’s really about how I’ve tried to live mine. I guess it’s my way of saying: Here’s what worked for me.” This part is very important and practical. Among his wisdoms are: dream big, earnest is better than hip, don’t complain just work harder, treat the disease not the symptom, don’t obsess over what people think, look for the best in everybody, watch what they do not what they say, show gratitude, a bad apology is worse than no apology, tell the truth, all you have to do is ask, make a decision: Tigger or Eeyore, and many more.

Part 6: Final Remarks. There are three chapters in this part: 1) Dreams for My Children, where he writes about what he wants his children to remember about him and give short messages for each of his children. This chapter is very touching and sad; 2) Jai and Me, his personal message to his wife, his hope for her, and what he appreciates about her soon-to-be widow; and 3) The Dream Will Come to You. Why he delivered the lecture, why he writes this book, Randy ends his lecture with this message: “It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you…”

At the back cover of this book, there is a photo of Randy standing by one swing set, holding a smiling Logan with his right arm and sweet Chloe with his left, and Dylan sitting happily on his shoulders. “…It was [also] for my kids.” Randy Pausch died in the same year this book is published, 2008. “We cannot change the cards we are dealt,” he famously said, “just how we play the hand.” Read this book… think about your life… making the most of your time here on earth. This is not a Christian book, but I can’t help but to recall a line in C. T. Studd’s poet that says, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past/ Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Think about it.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Men Who Finished Strong: Joshua and Caleb, Part 4

"The Lord now said to Moses, ‘Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelves ancestral tribes.'"

(Numbers 13:1-2, NLT)

God is ready to hand over the keys to the Promised Land to the newly liberated nation of Israel. Under the leadership of Moses, He has brought them out of Egypt with the gold and riches of Egypt in the possession. And now they are ready to enter the rich and prosperous land that will be their new home.

God specifically instructs Moses to pick out twelve men, one from each tribe. But He is even more specific than that. He tells them to pick twelve "leaders." And that's what Moses did. He picked men from each tribe who have already proven themselves as leaders – Israel's best and brightest. They weren't rookies; they were experienced generals. These were the men with proven track records and vision for the future. Let's put it this way: Moses wasn't going to pick wannabees or has-beens to go check out the land. For a mission like that you don't sent second-hands – you send in your specialists. Your main men. Twelve of them to be specific… and out of those 12, only 2 finished strong.

Israel waited for 40 years to enter the land because 10 guys who had seen God open the Red Sea for them and their families, and then close it on Pharaoh's army… 10 guys who had seen God work time and time again on their behalf – freaked out because the land contained some very powerful tribes and fortified cities. In other words, the 10 had a greater fear of man than they did of God. And this was after all the mind-boggling miracles God had performed before their very eyes! It was E. Stanley Jones who said, "Fear is the sand in the machinery of life." And it brought these 10 leaders to a staggering halt.

These 10 leaders had a great start. They just couldn't finish. And they delayed Israel's realization of the Promised Land for 40 years. A whole generation perished in the sands of the Sinai desert because these men got sand in their machinery. These were names of the twelve spies: the 10 leaders who couldn't finish strong; Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and Geuel; and only 2 leaders who finished strong; Joshua and Caleb. Of the original twelve, ten detailed. Only Joshua and Caleb had taken the time to develop their moral and spiritual character so that they had the faith and endurance to trust in God when the chips were down. Parents still name their boys Joshua and Caleb today, don't they? But I don't know any parents who want to name their son Palti or Shammua. Those names have been forgotten.

There must have been some very good reasons why these 10 men were chosen to spy out the Promised Land. At least there were some good external reasons. The problem is, no one but God can look into a man's heart. Well, you can bet that each of these 10 men-leaders, if they were around today, would be at church faithfully every Sunday morning and/or Sunday night. He'd be there for Wednesday Bible Study night and Thursday Men's Fellowship. He'd show up on Tuesday for worship practice and teach Sunday school. He would be a tither and serve on the board. Externally, all of these men looked like dynamite! But when push came to shove, only 2 out of 12 had what it took to be real men of God. And the difference was all on the inside – the continuous relationship with the Living God.

You see, it's endurance that separates the men from the boys. It's endurance that determines whether or not a man will finish strong. And endurance is the fruit of godly character. The Christian life isn't a hundred meters run. It's a marathon. It's a long race, and long races don't require speed. They require grit, determination, faith-endurance, and finishing power. As Scripture says, "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith."

In Christian life, it's not how you start that matters.

It's how you finish.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

John C. Maxwell on Leadership #12 Will You Splatter or Bounce?

If only life could become easier with every day of living! But that’s not reality, is it? As you get older, truly some things get harder, but others also get easier. In every stage of life, there are good aspects and bad. The key is to focus on the good and learn to live with the bad. Of course, not everyone does that. In fact, I’ve found that there are really only two kinds of people in this world when it comes to dealing with discouragement: splatters and bouncers. When splatters hit rock bottom, they fall apart, and they stick to the bottom like glue. On the other hand, when bouncers hit bottom, they pull together and bounce back.

Paul J. Meyer, the founder of the Success Motivation Institute, says, “Ninety percent of those who fail are not actually defeated. They simply quit.” That’s what discouragement can do to you if you don’t handle it the right way – it can cause you to quit. Since you will become discouraged at some point, the question is, Are you going to give up or get up?

[Taken from The Difference Maker: Making Your Attitude Your Greatest Asset (2006) by John C. Maxwell. Published by Thomas Nelson Inc.]

Make the decision to get up and bounce back today.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Promised Blessings (Long-Term) not Without Difficulties and Pain (Short-Term)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12, NIV).

Jesus described “persecuted because of righteousness” blessing by expanded to “persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you,” which adds up to a thorough rejection. This is news we don’t want to hear. Do we really want to follow Jesus into a life of blessing that also promises difficulty and pain? Jesus instructed those considering becoming his disciples to count the cost (Luke 14:28), and he provided a clear idea of what that cost might be. There will always be some who decide the price tag for spiritual maturity and God’s blessing is too high.

Jesus helped by giving us a more long-range view. Costs and rewards may be present or future. One choice may yield great short-term rewards followed by long-term regrets; another may be difficult at first but generate years of great reward. Jesus applied the principle to all of life. He warned that the immediate results of following him may be hard, but the reward of heaven will make the hardships worthwhile.

If we read through the first seven “Blessed” (Matthew 5:3-9) with costs in mind, we discover that each one requires an uncomfortable investment, beginning with coming clean about spiritual poverty. Repentance (mourning) may not be a cost we’re eager to bear. Humbling ourselves will take a toll on pride, and longing for justice will be frustrating in a fallen world. Mercy will cost us our strong desire for revenge. And the desire for purity and peace will be costly to our tendency toward self-centredness. But Jesus has promised that God blesses those who make the difficult investments in his way of living. God will bring lasting satisfaction into your life as a long-term result.

Think about this: Jesus was certainly speaking with the end of life in mind;

Much of the blessing from the “Blessed” will come to us in eternity.

Yet there are clearly lifelong benefits that come to us on our present journey with Jesus.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

10 Worst Current Offenders of Religious Rights in the World (and Some Stories from Malaysia)

"Two-hundred million Christians currently live under persecution. 

It’s absolutely on the rise” (Jeff King, president of Persecution.Org). 

“All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”

(Apostle Paul to Timothy just before he was beheaded, 2 Timothy 3:12)

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” (Tertullian)

According to the organization, International Christian Concern (ICC), the ten worst current offenders of religious rights in the world are:

1) China – The communist government has intensified repression against Christians by raiding unregistered private homes and house churches, imprisoning the leaders, imposing harsh fines, confiscating property, and publicly slandering house-church leaders.

2) Sudan – The militant Arab-backed regime in Khartoum is using every method possible to repress non-Muslims. Over 25% of the population of Southern Sudan is Christian. Suffering the most are the Christians of the South and Nuba Mountains. Arab forces continue to enslave children, rape women, violently attack and bomb villages, and withhold food and medicines. There is also evidence of the use of chemical weapons. More than two million people have died in Sudan over the past ten years, mostly non-Muslim black Africans. Every attempt is made to force Christians to become Muslims.

3) Saudi Arabia – Perhaps the most oppressive of all countries when it comes to Christians practicing their faith. The practice of the Christian faith and the public display of any Christian symbol are forbidden. Christian workers from outside the country are forbidden from praying or holding Bible studies in their homes. Evangelism and conversion to Christianity is punishable by death by beheading.

4) Burma (Myanmar) – The government of Burma has been involved in a brutal campaign to eliminate Christians and other minorities. Suffering the most are the Chin and Karen people. Buddhist monks backed by the military have been entering villages and forcing Christians to recant their faith. Buddhist leaders recently declared all Christian radio programs a threat to Buddhism and published a document suggesting how to eliminate Christianity from the country. Many Christians have been killed or forced from their homes.

5) North Korea – In May 1999, the government issued an open warning to all citizens that missionaries are “tools of imperialism” and must be “ferreted out.” The number of believers in North Korea has dramatically reduced as a result of years of harsh persecution. Between 1987 to 1992, former prisoner Soon Ok Yi says she witnessed monthly executions of Christians.

6) Indonesia – Christians have come under increasing attack from Muslims. Over the past four years, at least three hundred churches have been destroyed. In East Timor, nineteen priests and seven nuns have been reported killed since September 4, 1999. Christians are victims of a carefully-planned Muslim holy war that has resulted in hundreds of deaths and destruction to scores of churches and property.

7) Vietnam – The Protestant denominations continue to face persecution and the communist government destroys places of worship. Thousands of Christians have suffered ill-treatment, aimed at forcing the minorities to give up their faith.

8) Turkmenistan – All religious groups fewer than five hundred members are required to register, limiting religious activities to only the Orthodox Church and Sunni Muslims. Evangelism and conversion is strictly forbidden. On August 4, 1999, Shagildy Atakov of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Turkmenbashi was arrested on false charges following his conversion to Christianity. He was beaten, fined $12,000, an amount impossible to pay, and sentenced to four years in a labor camp.

9) India – The rise in Hindu nationalism has resulted in over one hundred acts of violence against Christians since June 1998. This is more than all the year combined since India’s independence fifty years ago. The escalation of persecution against Christians made headlines after Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were mercilessly burned alive. Catholic priest Father Arul Doss was killed by a gang armed with bows and arrows.

10) Egypt – Conversion of Christian girls to Islam is often coerced. Poor Christians are offered incentives to convert (this reminds me of my people at rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak). One Egyptian organization claims that it has documented 218 cases of abduction. Muslims, however, are forbidden to become Christians. Churches cannot be built or repaired without special permission, but the construction of new mosques continues to flourish (Egypt cases sound like in Malaysia).

Upcoming nation that may list in the Top 20 worst offenders for the next few years is Malaysia. Here are just a few examples of persecutions in my country:

In early 2009, Home Ministry of Malaysian government banned the use of “Allah” in the Catholic Church’s weekly paper Herald. Since then, Malaysia has seen the ongoing dispute and increasing tension over whether Christians could use the word “Allah”, which even led to attacks on three Christian churches in 2010.

The Islamic authority in Malaysia, Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), seized over 300 Bibles from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and arrested several staff members in January, 2014.

In May 2014, a controversial seminar promoting the idea of "threat of Christianization" was jointly organized by the largest public university in Malaysia UiTM and the Selangor Islamic Council (Mais). However, facing questions and concerns, the public university UiTM has kept mum over why academic authorities were willing to tolerate and even promote a certain religious agenda. It was reported that the seminar was promoting a bigoted view without inviting any Christian speaker; and an Indonesian Muslim speaker said “Christians were betraying God unless they became Muslims.” Christians expressed concerns over increasingly difficult inter-faith discourse in Malaysian society.

In August 11, 2014, the dream of the Caliphate spreads to Asia, raising fears of violence in Indonesia and Malaysia. International Christian Concern (ICC) noted at least 20 Malaysian nationals are recruited by ISIS in Syria to fight the jihad. The article reports that both Malaysia and Indonesia have warned that those followers of ISIS are “ready to strike their countries of origin” and the goal is to “erase secular and pluralist constitutions in order to introduce Sharia-inspired rules.”

There are many more stories untold. Why I compiled and write all these? Because people need to know the truth! If there are people asking me to shut up, I will reply like Peter and John before the Council of religious leaders: “You yourselves judge which is right in God’s sight – to obey you or to obey God. For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20, GNB). Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Resources:

1. Robert J. Morgan’s Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publisher, 2007). Pg. 761-762

2. From the website: www.persecution.org

3. From the website: http://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-dream-of-the-Caliphate-spreads-to-Asia,-raising-fears-of-violence-in-Indonesia-and-Malaysia-31864.html

Recommended books to read:

1. Book of Acts (or The Acts of the Apostles) in the New Testament Bible. Any translations will do.

2. (New) Foxe’s Book of Martyrs by John Foxe. Buy the new and updated version – more understandable modern language.  Published by Bridge Logos is awesome!

Stand like a Horse

“Let nothing come between you and God;

let God come between you and everything.”

(Unknown)

“Stand like a horse,” my secondary school teacher told me. I don’t know exactly what she meant by that. Maybe because I’m a skinny and weak kid I assumed she told me to be strong. Horse is not just strong but as I think about it now horse also represents stability, stamina, obedience and immoveable spirit. I’m not a feng shui guru, but in the matter of principle and spirituality, ‘Stand like a horse’ for me, mean stand for a conviction. (Do you know that horse can sleep standing up? Even while sleeping a horse can still standing up.)

It is important that people know what you stand for. It is equally important that they know what you won’t stand for. I read about Martin Luther the Reformer, in his loneliness, on his way to the Diet of Worms to appear before King Charles V and the Roman Prelate and all the princes assembled around, said,

“My cause shall be commended to the Lord for He lives and reigns who preserved the three children in the furnace of the Babylonian king. If He is unwilling to preserve me, my life is a small thing compared with Christ. Expect anything of me except flight or recantation. I will not flee, much less recant. So may the Lord Jesus strengthen me.”

Martin Luther did not say, “So may the Lord Jesus deliver me.” He did not say, “So may the Lord Jesus make it easy for me.” He actually concluded his response with the words, “Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God.”

“Here I stand” what a conviction! Conviction is more than just a belief; it is a commitment to a belief. What you think, say, and do shows the level of your conviction. Convictions prepare you to effectively live a life of faith and to defend your faith when necessary. Keep your convictions sharp, and your life will be a great story of faith in God. In your conviction – stand like a horse!

Happy Chinese New Year 2014

May the Year of the Horse reminds you of your faith in Christ

Stand firm! Stand like a Horse!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

"God Washed Her Brain"

“You must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today… Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, NLT)

In his book How To Be Born Again, Billy Graham tells of a missionary who was imprisoned by the Japanese in China. At this concentration camp the penalty for owning even a portion of the Scriptures was death; however, a small Gospel of John was smuggled to her in a winter coat. At night when she went to bed she pulled the covers over her head and, with her flashlight in hand, read a verse and then put herself to sleep memorized the entire Gospel of John.

When she went to wash her hands she would take one page at a time, dissolve it with the soap and water, and flush it down the drain. “And that is the way,” she said, “that ‘John’ and I parted company.”

This little missionary was interviewed by a Time reporter just before the prisoners were released and he happened to be standing at the gates when the prisoners came out. Most of them shuffled along, eyes on the ground, little more than automatons. Then out came the little missionary, bright as a button. One of the reporters was heard to ask, “I wonder if they managed to brainwash her?”

The Time reporter overheard the remark and answered, “God washed her brain.”

Billy Graham wrote: “Like Joseph storing up grain during the years of plenty to be used during the years of famine that lay ahead, may we store up the truths of God’s Word in our hearts as much as possible, so that we are prepared for whatever suffering we are called upon to endure.”

Do you memories the Scriptures in your head as well as in your heart daily?
Do you obediently let God “brainwash” you with His Word and His Spirit?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Keep Going Day by Day

“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ” (Billy Graham)

To come to a point in our Christian lives where it is difficult to keep going does not mean that the Christian faith does not work. Instead, it means that God is taking us down the same road that many of the Bible’s heroes of faith had to experienced, to test out and to strengthen their faith and commitment. That’s why Bible reading and study, especially on the Biblical characters is very beneficial and encouraging to do. Each character like Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, Samuel, Josiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter etc. shows us that Christian faith does work and God can use our uniqueness and weaknesses for His divine purposes.

God may be revealing to us further areas in our lives that need bringing under His control, and sometimes that change in life may be painful! God may be starting to change some of those deep-seated attitudes that are displeasing to Him (Oh, mine are many!), and to teach us qualities that we will need in His plan for our lives. Some of us, like Apostle John, will learn quickly and easily and will know the joy of full commitment. Others of us will be more like Apostle Peter, submitting to the correction again and again, having to learn every lesson the hard way! [On personal note, I’m more of a ‘Peter’ than ‘John’]

One thing we can be sure of is that God will never give up on us. He will not leave us alone or lead us to become a failure, but will constantly use circumstances and the influence of His Holy Spirit to build up Christ-like attitudes in us. Our part is simply to keep going day by day; to learn His lessons, accept His discipline, and rejoice in His love. I’m writing this to genuine Christ followers out there: God will never leave you alone.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.