Angelus' Quote: Count Your Garden by the Flowers, Never Leaves that Fall

Count your garden by the flowers 🌹 Never leaves that fall

Count your days by the golden hours 🕘 Don't remember clouds at all

Count your nights by stars ⭐ not shadows

Count your years with smiles ☺☺☺ not tears

Count your blessings 😇 not your troubles

Count your age by friends 👭👫👬 not years

(by Unknown) #GrowingLeader

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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Angelus' Quote: 92% of Your Worries...

Worry is a natural part of life, in a small dose, it’s helpful. But too much worry can distract and paralyze you. It crowds out the good in your life and keeps you focused on your problems, which only makes them seem worse. It’s like giving a steroid to your mini-minny problems that if you examine at it closely, most of the time it never happens. An old man was asked what had robbed him of joy the most of his lifetime. He replied, “Things that never happened.” I heard someone say it best: Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s trouble.

Consider the things human beings worry about. The average individual’s worries can be divided into four categories (I get this somewhere in a scientific journal): First, there are things that will never happen, which constitute 40% of worries. Second, there are things over and past that can’t be changed by all the worry in the world, and they are another 30% of the total. Third, there are petty, needless worries, which constitute 22%. Fourth, there are legitimate worries, and these are only 8% of the whole.

Now my dear friends, which category of worry is you struggling with right now? Remember: Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s trouble.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: How To Kill A Dragon?

Most of our problems/troubles/failures (what I called 'dragons' of life) that happened to us can be avoided or prevented much earlier. Your boyfriend abused you but because early in the relationship you were blinded by your affection for him, you now actually 'stuck' in this unhealthy relationship. You failed your exams because instead of focusing on your studies, you're busying yourself with ministries, thinking, "I'm doing God's works... God wouldn't fail me." You're lazy coming to Bible Study once a week, instead, you waste your time lepaking with your friends and the end of the day you regret that you lack Bible knowledge and never grow into maturity in Christ... Forever a baby Christian.

What if you walk away from that relationship much early on? You'll be happier today! What if you see your studies as God's calling in your life at that period of time? You'll be successful and more useful in the marketplace ministry! What if you choose to come to Bible Study weekly? You'll create a godly habit, discipline, and will be mature in your thinking and walking with the Lord. But what most of us do on the daily basis? We won't take action. We delayed. We think short-term. This is dangerous. This is nurturing 'dragons' in your life.

So, how to kill the dragon? You don't fight it when it fully grew, you'll be defeated. The dragon will be larger than your life, you'll surely lose. It's too late. If you don't take action now or making the hard decision now or think long-term now - you'll burn in the fire! You must destroy it (face it) while it's still young. Or better, break the egg before it hatching, which means, you have to make decisions and resolutions - having principles of life - before the event began. In short: baby dragon [in all cuteness and innocent as it seems], if left unattended, will become large [fury, dangerous] dragon! Now, it's up to you if you want to take heed of my suggestion...

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Letters to Annie: Be Content and Grateful, Don't Be Trapped by Envy

Dear Annie,

            I miss you… Today I have to remind myself that I shouldn’t be envious of other couple’s intimacy and romance by comparing our long-distance relationship with theirs. I’m sorry because I felt that way. I want to be honest with you. I was struggling about it. Thank God because He strengthen me through His Word: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4). God’s love in us doesn’t make us envy of others. I prayed about it and God have replaced my envious heart, that demonic-inspired envious to contentment and gratitude. It’s true when Charles Swindoll says, “When you worry about what you don’t have, you won’t be able to enjoy what you do have.” For a moment I forget that I got you! I love you! I thank God for every moment that we have together.

            Dear love, because we’re frail, imperfect human beings, we are sometimes envious of others. But God’s Word warns us that envy is sin. Thus, we must guard ourselves against the natural tendency to feel resentment and jealously when other people experience good fortune or great relationships. As believers, Annie, you and I, we have absolutely no reason to be envious of any people or couple on earth [Yeah!]. After all, as Christians we are already recipients of the greatest gift in all creation: God’s grace. We have been promised the gift of eternal life through God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and we must count that gift as our most precious possession. When we trust God and submit our relationship under Christ lordship, obedient to God’s Word – we have the greatest relationship of ALL! The unbelievers should be envious of us instead.

            Rather than succumbing to the sin of envy (like I was), we should focus on the marvellous things that God has done for us. And we must refrain from preoccupying ourselves with the blessings that God has chosen to give others. Dave Ramsey wisely said, “Contentment comes when we develop an attitude of gratitude for the important things we do have in our lives that we tend to take for granted if we have our eyes staring longingly at our neighbour’s stuff.” Our relationship is unique from everyone else. So we shouldn’t compare and envious of others. We must start counting our blessings and let others count theirs. It’s a godly way to live!

I surely learned this: feeling of envy will rob me of happiness and peace.

I will not allow myself to be robbed! You too, okay? We’re unique couple :)

You’re God’s gift to me,

I love you so much,

Richard

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Reminds Us to Be Ready for Anything (He Will Be with You)

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking – it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”
(Matthew 10:16-20, NLT).

[You may want to read Jesus Commissions the Twelve: Responsibility to bring the Message and to Care for the Messenger. Click Here]

The key instruction in this passage is “Beware!” battles lay ahead, and the apostles needed to be prepared – shrewd, harmless, and ready for anything. They would need to be unafraid of conflict but also able to deal with it with integrity. Jesus warned them that the Gospel would not be warmly welcomed in all places (even in the “synagogue” which was the common place for worship, they will be persecuted).

At times the disciples would face outright antagonism. This would be more than mere differences of opinion or unfriendly families and communities. The opposition would come from religious and authorities (like we, Malaysian Christians, are ‘mildly’ opposed). The apostles would be arrested and could face harsh punishment simply for believing in Jesus and telling others about him. But these persecutions would provide opportunities for presenting the Gospel. Later, the disciples did experience these hardships (see Acts 5:40; 12:1-3; 22:19; 2 Corinthians 11:24). Interestingly, the word “martyrs” comes from the Greek word for witness or testimony.

Jesus said, “Don’t worry about how to respond or what to say.” Some mistakenly think this means believers do not have to prepare to present the Gospel because God will take care of everything. The Bible says, however, that we are to make carefully prepared, thoughtful statements (Colossians 4:6). Later one of these commissioned men, Peter, would write, “If someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15). Jesus was telling his followers to prepare but not to worry. He promised special inspiration for times of great need. Be encouraged.

Jesus warned the apostles to focus on their mission and turn their defence into a testimony of faith. We must assume that as we live for Christ and tell others about him, we will face persecution (physically or mentally or socially or all of these and perhaps more. But spiritually we will be empowered and strengthen by God). At those times, we can thank God for the opportunities and remember that Christ has “overcome the world” (John 16:33) and in him we will too. 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Both Jesus and Criss Angel walks on the Water, but the One is the Lord of Miracle and the Other is only a Magician (Reflection on Mark 6:45-52)

After the miraculous feeding of the multitude, Jesus “made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida, on the other side of the lake, while he sent the crowd away” (Mark 6:45, GNB). I wonder, what was the reason behind this sudden decision? Apostle John gives the answer: Jesus wants to avoid the people who intended to take him by force and make him a king (John 6:15). Jesus is not like any other religious leaders. We cannot “make” him a King, he “is” the King. The people’s idea of Jesus is totally wrong because they were desperate and need king to overthrown the Roman government, a political and military leader king. But that is not what Jesus came to do. So Jesus hurried his disciples away to prevent them from being influenced by this mistaken enthusiasm. I think if Jesus “went away to a hill to pray” (6:46), withdrew himself for an extended time of solitary prayer was an indication of how seriously he viewed the situation.

“When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, while Jesus was alone on land. He saw that his disciples were straining at the oars, because they were rowing against the wind; so sometime between three and six o'clock in the morning he came to them, walking on the water. He was going to pass them by, but they saw him walking on the water. “It's a ghost!” they thought, and screamed. They were all terrified when they saw him” (Mark 6:47-50, GNB)

When you read Mark chapter 1 to 6, just six chapters, you’ll noticed that Jesus is showing his power and authority over the evil spirits and demons, over sicknesses and diseases, over the Sabbath and religious rules, over life and death, and over the nature – waves and storms – and particularly here, over the sea. All of these supernatural power reveals Jesus’ divine identity, his Lordship. I read, for the Jews (as most ancient peoples), the sea was considered to be the dwelling place of demons. Plus, some of the commentators writes that there was a local rumour that the last thing a boatman saw before drowning in the lake Galilee was a ghost on the water. Now I know that when the disciples ran into a storm and saw something or rather someone walking on the water, they screamed, “It’s a ghost!”

I once watched a video on how Criss Angel, the Mindfreak magician, demonstrates his ability to walk on water. It was amazing. But magic is magic, no matter how amazing it is, it can be explain. Of course he didn't literally walk on water. I then watched another video of Val Valentino, the Masked Magician, performing his own version of walk-on-water illusion and explaining it at the end. He used plexiglass. Jesus walks on the water. How to explain this away? That Jesus also used plexiglass? Funny. Ha ha. That Jesus actually walked on ice? Nonsense. That Jesus was simply walking by the seashore, it was dark and the disciples mistook him to be actually walk on water? Now, the disciples are slow in learning but they are not stupid. They were terrified, remember? (If Jesus walks by the seashore, why would they be terrified?). Thus, Jesus is walking on water.

“Jesus spoke to them at once, ‘Courage!’ he said. ‘It is I. Don't be afraid!’ Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind died down” (Mark 6:50-51). The lesson in Mark 4:35-41 relearned again here. The disciples’ terror here shows their lack of faith. Once more Jesus had to rescue them when their faith failed. They have seen Jesus commanded the wind and the storm, now they saw Jesus trampled the sea underfoot. They have heard Jesus’ questions “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (4:40), now they listened to Jesus’ assurance statement, “Courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!” They were “completely amazed, because they had not understood the real meaning of the feeding of the 5,000; their minds could not grasp it” (Mark 6:50-51), now If they do, they wouldn’t have been so amazed at Jesus walking on the water and calming the wind.

Here are some questions for us today:

Jesus is King, but is he the King and Lord of your life?

Jesus have power and authority over everything, have you entrusted your life to him?

Jesus is the Lord of Miracle not a magician,

are there any ‘storms’ in your life that you want Jesus to calm down?

Jesus is God, do you need more courage and faith to face trials and temptations in your life?

Jesus feed the five thousand, walk on water and calming the wind,

do you still don’t understand His divinity as the Son of God?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus talks about People’s Attitudes toward God and His Word (A Reflection on Mark 4:3-20)

To know the setting of this parable, we must know what is a parable (click HERE A Reflection on Mark4:1-2). A parable, in the simplest meaning, is a simple story drawn from ordinary nature or everyday life which conveyed spiritual truth. In this instance, Jesus talked about four kinds of soil to illustrate four kinds of attitudes toward God and His Word. I think Jesus probably told the parable as He and His followers were looking at the sight of an actual sower at work on the hills above the lake (4:1). Just my assumption.

“Listen! Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up” (Mark 4:3-4, GNB). Actually, this parable is self-explain in Mark 4:13-20. The sower is the one who sows God’s Word. Some people are like the seeds that fall along the path or hard-packed roadside soil that represents someone with a hardened heart. The Word doesn’t even have a chance to take root – and as soon as they hear the message, Satan or “the birds” in the form of temptations, resistances and stubbornness comes and takes or “ate” it away.

“Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn’t deep. Then, when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up” (Mark 4:5-6). Some people are like the seeds that fall on rocky ground that represents someone with a shallow heart. They hear the Word of course and “receive it gladly.” They will follow the shout ‘Amen’, ‘Halleluiah’, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ and jump up during praise & worship and even take notes during Bible Study, probably pray speaking in tongue too and always attend church services and fellowship. I know people like that. But sadly, the Word doesn’t sink deep into their hearts – only on surface level – and therefore they are very fragile in faith. So when “the sun” in the form of trouble or persecution comes, they “dried up” give up at once.

“Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants, and they didn’t bear grain” (Mark 4:7). Some people are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes that represents someone with a crowded heart. They are no doubt are interested in the Word but the worries about this life, the love of riches, and all other kinds of desires crowd in and choke the Word. I know people who always make excuses such as ‘God will understand why I have to go to work but not to church’, ‘It doesn’t matter if I read the Word or not as long as I’m sincere. Beside I have many things to do’, ‘I want to be rich! If I get rich I will give more to God’, ‘I don’t want people to think that I’m too religious’ etc. All of these choke out love for God and His Word and so they “don’t bear fruit.”

“But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants sprouted, grew, and bore grain: some had thirty grains, others sixty, and others one hundred” (Mark 4:8). Some people, very glad to know, are like seeds sown in good soil that represents someone with a receptive heart, who cultivates an openness to God and His Word. The Word can grow and “bear fruit” because they not only hear the Word but also accept it wholeheartedly. They are receptive to God and His Word. I know that whenever I share the Word at campus fellowships most people will go back home empty handed (even some of the leaders too) but I trust and believe that someone in the group – two or three students – are receptive to the Word and really allow God to speaks and transform them through His Word. I can see that they will grow into maturity in faith much faster than everyone else.

As a closing, we must remember that a farmer “the sower” is NOT responsible for making the seeds grow into plants. “The sower” is only responsible for preparing and maintaining the soil. God has endowed “the seed” with the capacity to grow into a fruitful plant all by itself; “the sower” can only manage the conditions of the soil. Similarly, as God’s followers – you and me – are responsible to cultivate the soil in our own hearts. Are we hardened our hearts? or having a shallow heart? or are our hearts too crowded? or do we have a receptive heart to God and His Word? (Ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate your heart). We prepare the soil and God will produce unbelievable growth!

“Listen, then, if you have ears!” (Mark 4:9)

Don’t try to apply this parable to others without first of all applying it to ourselves.
Think it through, search our own hearts and respond accordingly. God be with you.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

God is Making Violins, There Will Be Concert in Heaven

Do you know? The difference in the musical tone of a violin depends mostly on the quality of the wood it is made of, even more than how it is made. The best violin maker in the world cannot make a good instrument from poor material.

Once I read about a famous violinist who always made his own instruments because he wanted to choose a special kind of wood. He shunned the forest but went instead to the mountains. There at the top of the cliff exposed to all the storms he obtained his trees. He knew the severe weather conditions toughened the wood and produced a quality of grain and resiliency that could be developed in no other way. In fact, he used only the wood from the side of the tree facing the wind!

When I thought about what I've read, I understand that like the wood that will be used to make violin it is true also that we will become a “special kind of wood” when we went through adversities and troubles in life. By storm of adversity, our loving Father prepare in us the music of heaven. Not just in the making but in the tuning God is perfecting us into the likeness of His Son. “Men think God is destroying them because he is tuning them,” writes Henry Ward Beecher, “The violinist screws up the key till the tense cord sounds the concert pitch; but it is not to break it, but to use it tunefully, that he stretches the string upon the musical rock.” God will shape you, He will fine tune you, because He is preparing in you the music of heaven. I tell you, there will be concert in heaven!

Read Book of James Chapter 1 verse 1 to 13

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Family Misunderstood Him (A Reflection on Mark 3:20-21)

“Then Jesus went home. Again such a large crowd gathered that Jesus and his disciples

had no time to eat. When his family heard about it, they set out to take charge of him,

 because people were saying, ‘He’s gone mad!’” (Mark 3:20-21, GNB).

People still following Jesus wherever and whenever he went. He had healed the sick, exorcised evil spirits, spoke with authority, forgave someone’s sins, breaking the religious man-made rules – and choosing the Twelve apostles. All of these had caused people to forms opinion about Him. Anyone who had been close to Jesus for quite a long time will eventually must come to some sort of verdict about Him.

The first verdict we read here is: “He’s gone mad!” or “He is out of his mind!” (NIV) The first thing I observe about Jesus (and His disciples) is the kind of pressure He often lived under until He “had no time to eat.” The first group of people who misunderstood Him was His own family members. These three matters alone (not to include many other things to follow) would have been hard for the humanity of Jesus to bear.

As a Christian full-time worker I can identify with Jesus’ situations, though not fully. There were times when ministries works at hand take priority over an empty stomach. Sometimes dealing with people’s needs, meeting people and doing ministry preparations consumed lots of time and energy that I not just have no time to eat, but often forget to eat! My mother once told me that “You’re crazy! What is your job actually?” Because she observed that I always come back home at odd time, work during weekends, stayed many nights at camps, stayed up until early morning, went to campuses and mission trips, traveled by land and air going here and there. “You’re crazy!” she said. And this is my mother, you know. Well-meaning concern but no matter how much I tried to explains, she always misunderstood my works.

Now come back to Jesus…

His family were also misunderstood Him. Out of their genuine concerns, they really want “to take charge of him” because they were worried for Jesus’ well-being (“no time to eat”) and Jesus’ reputation (“people were saying, ‘He’s gone mad!’”) A lot of people all over the country followed Him, always confronting with the religious authorities, and remember this also – He choose nobodies, outcasts, middle-class, ordinary people as His apostles. These were the madness that everyone was taking about! These were reasons why His loved ones care so much. These matters had taken His security and safety away from Him.  The people don’t understand Him. His family doesn’t understand Him. I think His newly appointed apostles also don’t understand Him fully. I, honestly, sometime don’t understand why He does what He does and said what He said! 

We all are guilty of misunderstood Jesus one way or another. Perhaps, we also had misunderstood people in the same way. And that’s okay, it’s human. See, Jesus doesn’t rebuke His earthly family for thinking that way (only don’t accuse wrongly like the teachers of the Law later). As closing, ask yourself these two questions: 1) Have you ever been misunderstood by those who closest to you because of your commitment to Jesus Christ? (Remember, Jesus understand). 2) Have you misunderstand Jesus and make impossible demands upon Him in spite of your outward relationship with Him? (P.s.: Don’t try to assume Him)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

J.I. Packer on Trials and Troubles of Life

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

(Psalms 46:1, ESV)

“A faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted.” (Warren Wiersbe)

In his classic and I highly recommended book Knowing God, J.I. Packer writes: “We should not, therefore, be too taken back when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging things happen to us now. What do they mean? Why, simply that God in his wisdom means to make something of us which we have not attained yet, and is dealing with us accordingly…

It is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy the greatest, when the cross is heaviest.”

Packer then suggests two ways of handling the trails of life when we cannot, for the moment, see God’s purpose in them. “First, by taking them as from God, and asking ourselves what reactions to them, and in them, the gospel of God requires of us; second, by seeking God’s face specifically about them. If we do these two things, we shall never find ourselves wholly in the dark as to God’s purpose in troubles.”

[Quote from: J.I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1973), Page 86-87]

I hear your soul whispers, ‘Easy for you to say...’

I reply, ‘No, it’s definitely not an easy task.

God asked us not for an easy life but a faithful life, trust Him’

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Don't Waste Your Illness

“A sickbed often teaches more than a sermon” (Thomas Watson)

“A faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted” (Warren Wiersbe)

While illness is a hardship every person wishes to avoid, it comes sooner or later upon us all. The Bible teaches that suffering is not to be wasted. “What circumstances could have rendered the Word of God sweeter and the presence of God so real, the help of God so precious?” asked Hudson Taylor about a difficult period in his life.

Several Scriptures point to special blessings that can come from periods of illness, including:

Awaken to us the sweetness of Scripture (Psalms 119:50, 71, 92, 143)

Driving us to prayer (Isaiah 38:1-2)

Deepening the prayer lives of others (James 5:13-15)

Leading us to spiritual introspection (Psalms 119:67)

Humbling our souls (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Developing the qualities of patience and endurance in us (James 1:2-4)

Developing maturity (Romans 5:1-5; Isaiah 48:10, Hebrews 2:10)

Enabling us to empathize and comfort others

who will later go through the same thing (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Heightening our desire for heaven (Job 19:25-29; Romans 8:18)

Providing an opportunity for us to witness to others (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Glorifying God (John 11:4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

[from Robert J. Morgan, Preacher’s Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 741.]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.