Jesus and the Punk-Rocker

Not-so-hardcore-Japanese-punk fashion

As I Googled the word ‘Punk’, there are two basics definitions, 1) “a loud, fast-moving, and aggressive form of rock music, popular in the late 1970s”, and 2) “a worthless person” (often used as a general term of abuse). Punk rock (or simply, punk), as I understand it back then, is more of the message it brings than about the music. “What is punk to you?” I asked a student who doesn’t like to go to church and Christian fellowship but like hanging out with me for a cup of coffee and discussing the latest movies and a bit of music. “I’m not sure,” this guy with a black t-shirt and tight jeans said. I know, it’s difficult to describe it. He paused and then continued, “Punk is me. Punk is you. Punk is the way we show and expressed our anger, love, and passion in life… It’s inside of us… and some may express it through actions, words, clothes, etc. It’s about what you believe, values, and who you are.” I nodded not as approval but as a sign of understanding. “It’s about being an individual. It’s about breaking the status quo! There really aren’t guidelines or rules for punk… everything fuck off! If you don’t like certain kinds of music genres, fuck off, punk is for me.” He smiled. Too emotional I think but I understand.

How interesting, I said to myself. He is bold and authentic, rude but kind, punk, and a bit philosophical. I don’t like his language and I surely won’t listen to some of the songs that he recommended to me. But I do like this man. He knows that I work in a Christian student ministry, but he doesn’t feel uneasy or shy when he shared his life with me. I listened to his stories once per month at least over a cup of coffee, and I would share with him about my own life, the Bible, and Jesus whenever I could. Both of us like punk rock (such as Blink 182, Green Day, Bowling for Soup, The Offspring, etc.), but I’m not sure if he also likes the Jesus of the Bible (maybe He is not sure yet), and it doesn’t matter for now because it’s not about winning another ‘Christian’ but it’s about showing and introduce a person like him to the Person of Jesus Christ. Loving actions, truthful words, continue the prayer.  

In the Bible, after Jesus called Matthew (or Levi), the tax collector to follow him, he then had a dinner in Matthew’s house where “many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples” (Mark 2:15, NKJV). Know this, tax collectors were hated by people because they cooperated with the Roman government. Therefore Jesus’ actions in spending time with sinners transcended the taboos and culture of the day. Jesus may have broken some religious rules and traditions. Jesus, as a spiritual leader, (so the other religious leaders thought) shouldn’t be among the social outcasts of society or even spending time with the publicans and sinners – but Jesus does the opposite! Jesus looked past all that and saw their need. Jesus cares about people and their soul’s eternal destinies. He builds trust and relationships. He shows compassion and sincerity. He showed Himself to others. “Those who are well not need a physician,” Jesus proclaimed, “but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mark 2:17). Jesus came to the sinners (build a relationship) and Jesus called people to repentance (changed life).

Me and the punk guy. Jesus and the tax collector. I’m not Jesus, Jesus is not me. The punk guy and the tax collector (and me) are sinners, but they’re not the same. We’re different. But all of us (and you) have the same need – we need Jesus. So if we are Christians, then we ought to be like (Jesus) Christ since Christians mean a follower of Christ. Follow. Exemplify. Be. Therefore, like Jesus, we should look beyond church building, Christian fellowship, and even the culture of the day to people’s hearts. Jesus showed us that we shouldn’t let cultural norms or even Christian subculture norms of today dictate who we should evangelize and befriend. Punk rockers, tax collectors, me and you need Lord Jesus. The sick need a Physician. Lost sheep need a Shepherd. The sinner needs the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Commenting on John 17:14-19, David Mathis, executive editor for desiringGod.org, writes, “Jesus’s true followers have not only been crucified to the world but also raised to new life and sent back in to free others. We’ve been rescued from the darkness and given the Light not merely to flee the darkness, but to guide our steps as we go back in to rescue others.”

“Even punk-rockers are seeking for the One true God.

Gives us a chance to discover more of Jesus and don't judge us very quickly.

Yes, hang out with us. Our hearts are restless until they find rest in God.

 Tell us (more) about Jesus.

Welcome us, Punk, but you may not affirm our music. We’re okay."

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

I Dare You to Dream... then Do It! (Free Books Inside)

John C. Maxwell, known as expert on leadership; speaker, founder and writer of many books, including ‘The 360 Degree Leader’, ‘Develop the Leader Within You’, ‘Your Road Map for Success’ and ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’, which has sold more than one million copies. He is one of my favorite writers who had inspired and motivate me in leadership skills. Below is his introduction for the book that I want to offer for FREE this month, ‘Dare to Dream… Then Do It: What Successful People Know and Do’:

Everybody has dream deep down inside. What’s yours? Is it to climb the world’s highest mountains? To build a world-class business? To become a senator or even president? (Now, let me contextualize that: to become a people’s representative or prime minister?) To raise a healthy family? To win championships? To fly? If you could do anything, what would it be?

Most people don’t achieve great dreams. They give up. They fall short. They get off track. They settle. Or they dream too small!

When I was in college and imagined my career, my lifetime goals were so small that I achieved them in my second position – within five years of graduating. That’s when I decided to stop setting goals and start dreaming.

Theologian Fredrick Henry Hedge said, “Dreaming is an act of pure imagination, attesting in all men a creative power, which if it were available in waking, would make every man a Dante or Shakespeare.” You have the potential to be a Shakespeare or an Edison or a Churchill or a Curie or a King. Only two things stand in your way: dreaming it… and then doing it.

Have you dared to dream, I mean really dream? If something is within your apparent reach, it isn’t a dream. If you wouldn’t have to stretch beyond what you think is possible, then it isn’t a dream. Bold dreams change you as they change the world around you.

Maybe you’re AFRAID OF BIG DREAM. You don’t want to fail. Nobody does. But safe living leads to regret later on in life. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt said: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

Someone once said, “Don’t let yourself be pressured into thinking that your dreams or your talents aren’t prudent. They were never meant to be prudent. They were meant to bring joy and fulfillment to your life.” What’s worst thing could happen if you pursue your dream and don’t achieve it? You could be where you are now. What’s the best thing that could happen if you pursuit your dream and don’t achieve it? You could find yourself in new territory on the threshold of a new dream.

Maybe you’re LISTENING TO CRITICAL PEOPLE. Some people don’t like to see others pursuing their dreams. The biblical story of Joseph, son of Jacob, is a classic example. Joseph dreamed big dreams. And what was the response of his brothers? They said, “Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him” (Genesis 37:19-20). People who aren’t pursuing their own dreams are likely to criticize people who are.

Maybe you don’t KNOW HOW TO PURSUE YOU DREAM. Successful people know and do things differently than unsuccessful people. That is a fact. If you have experienced a measure of success, you know this to be true. It starts with the way you think and dream, and it continues with how you live.

That is where I desire to help you. I have studied successful people my entire life. I have spent time with them. I have learned from them. What I have learned, I want to share with you. I want you to dare to dream, do it: achieve your dream. I’ve written this book to help you do exactly that.

[Quote from John C. Maxwell, Dare to Dream… Then Do it: What Successful People Know and Do (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2006)pp. 6-8.]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

June 2013 Free Books

I’m giving away for FREE ONLY 3 BOOKS of “Dare to Dream… Then Do It” by John C. Maxwell for this month. I hope and pray that this book may worth helpful and inspire you to achieve your God-given dreams in life. Priority is given to those who had never requested any books from me for the past 2 months. You are welcome to get a copy of this book for yourself by simply do these 2 things:

1. Comment below “Rich, give me one copy___(Your name). My dream is [share your dream with me]!” 
2. And E-mail me at Motivates4life@hotmail.com or send message to my Facebook your real name, phone no. and your postal address. Thank you

Week 79: Dating and New Romance - Go for it!

Introduction to Dating

There are some group of radical people teach that God doesn’t want you to date (what lonely person there are). Here I want to tell you or in other words, I want to encourage – dating. In fact, I think that dating is great and life giving experience. It’s one of the important times of growth, to have fun, to learn about the significant of human interaction and relationship. It’s natural to want a romantic dating relationship. After all, God created us to need other people. He had planted in every human heart the desire to have a healthy wonderful relationship with the other person, and because of that: God made romance. It’s not a bad thing, dating is a good thing unless it is misused.

The Problem of Human in Dating

Here are the problem that you and I both should take note of: “because dating is a human exercise, it can be a tightrope fraught with danger. You will be dating imperfect people, and some of them are more imperfect than others. In addition, you are not perfect either, so that complicates the picture. That is why you need to approach dating, with all of its strong passions and promises, with a great deal of thought, prayer, and wisdom. If you do, God can make a way for you to grow in your dating life.”* We are imperfect being, but behold, God is. In our pursuit of dating, it is important for both of us to surrender to God our whole life and pray Psalms 31:15: “My future is in your (God’s) hands.” Guide us, Lord.

Most Significant period: Dating

Dating is good, I say it again. By experienced it; you can learn from your past mistakes, you can learn what kind of people you like and don’t like, who will you love and not love (in term of male-female relationship), who you become and as a whole affect your entire life. This may sound very ‘you, you, you’ and seems to neglect ‘others’ and ‘God’, someone may say. Not so! – I believe that unless you know yourself, be true to yourself – you can have more genuine (masked off) relationship with ‘others’. A good genuine, non-plastic relationship with others pleased God. Many more I want to write… but let’s get started! Are you ready for dating?

12 Rules to Dating and New Romance

In their book God will Make a Way, Dr. Hendry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend have come out with 12 Rules for how you should approach dating. Below are the 12 Rules with my summary:

1. Begin with pursuing God and become the healthiest person you can become.

By paraphrase Matthew 6:25-34, they write, “Don’t worry about who you will date, where you will find that person, and so on. Don’t the birds figure it out? God leads them to other birds, doesn’t he? He puts the flowers in nice gardens, doesn’t he? He knows you need a social life and a satisfying dating experience. The real thing to worry about is this: Seek him and his righteousness, and good dating will follow as a fruit. Don’t worry about your future dating life, for it will take care of itself. Instead, worry about where you are with your spiritual growth today, and who you are becoming today, and what your dating looks like today. Seek him and become who he wants you to be, and your dating life will take care of itself.”

Before dating or anything else: “Seek first (God’s) his kingdom and his righteousness”. Dating begin, my friends, with you being in a process of becoming the most complete, honest, loving, responsible, satisfied person you can be. God first, dating later – it’s the most loving formula don’t you think?

2. Get your relationship needs met outside the dating context.

Allow yourself to get close enough to how you feel ‘without a man/woman’ to know who you are when you are on your own. Could it be the feeling of loneliness etc.? The writers suggest what we should get a place where our life can be full without a man/woman in our life. How? Perhaps by let other supportive people (family and friends) get close to us, to know our heart. Find someone to share your life, as opposed to a desire to get a life from someone. Place yourself out of the need zone. “If you are already loved, you will not be clingy and needy. You will make better choices when it comes to dating.”

3. Learn your patterns and work on them so you do not repeat them.

Take responsibility for your actions. See yourself as an actor instead of victim who is acted upon. We must understand that we have patterns in our dating life that need to be take note of. For example, “I have a tendency to get involved in relationships that are ……………. or ……………..”, these are your patterns. Begin to see your patterns. Do something about them before they cause serious problems in due time. “Unfortunately, a lot of people go through sad things over and over again because they don’t recognize the unhealthy patterns in which they are engaged, and thus they are destined to repeat them. Yet, as James says, when you go through trials, seek wisdom from God and persevere in the process, and then you will become complete (James 1:2-12). The though dating scenario will be in your past, never to be repeated.”

4.  Date according to a few nonnegotiable values.

Many people end up in bad relationships because they lack of purpose and don’t have a clear idea of what values they want to guide their life. The writers suggest that we should know what kind of people and situations you want to avoid, as well as those you want to cultivate.

“As you think through your list of what to avoid, remember what David said in Psalms 101. He said that he would have nothing to do with people who exhibited the following:

·  Vileness – someone who is worthless or destructive

·  Faithlessness – a derelict, or one who turns away from faith

·  Perversity – someone whose views are distorted and false

·  Slander – someone who speaks evil of others

·  Evil – someone who causes calamity and distress, someone who is wretched

·  Pride – someone who is arrogant and holds him- or herself above others

·  Deceit – someone full of betrayal and treachery

·  Lying – one who is untrue and a sham

You get to choose who you date. “You can’t pick your family or determine many of the other things that happen in life, but you can choose the person you date… be in charge of the things that are important to you.”

5. Expend your tastes

Go out and date! Anyone who was not dangerous (be precautious, but not too picky). “Be open to going out with people whom you would normally not have on your list [positives side of the above (no.4) lists]. Date to learn. Date to have fun. Date to have meaningful interactions with human beings. Look at each situation as a chance to get to know a person and find out something about yourself.”

6. Be yourself, from the beginning

“In the begging, dating is a lot about looking good, trying to impress someone, and putting forth your best foot. There is nothing wrong with that, as after you know someone better, you are more comfortable allowing yourself to be seen for who you are… so when you date, be yourself. Be who you are and give the other person the freedom to do the same.”

7. Don’t put up with bad behavior, and set good boundaries.

“Many people put up with a lot of disrespect in dating and then wonder why they are in a problem relationship. Remember, you will get what you tolerate. You are always training someone how to treat you…” Of course be able to overlook an offense for example, or don’t get so bend out of shape over little things etc. “However, if someone has a pattern of not being respectful, then don’t put up with it.”

8. Take your time.

I have seen and heard, very often that those who move into a serious relationship too quickly, they crumbled very quickly too. Slow down will ya? “What’s the rush? Why can’t he or she enjoy just getting to know you as a friend first? ...Get to know his or her friends, values, family, faith – everything you can know about someone. You have to make sure that you are not indulging your hormones or fantasies when you open the door of your heart and get serious with someone.”

Take your time, and keep your life in the process.

9. Stay connected

Don’t neglect your friends after dating! Stay connected with your family and friends. Allow your friends to be your spiritual family and depend on them for input. “Your friends can see things that you can’t, because they are not emotionally involved.” Stay connected before, during and after dating. They are your strong base in your process of making better decisions.

10. Get active

Don’t just wait on God to bring the person to you. It’s true that God will guide you to someone, God provides, yes, but he also wants us to be doing our part of getting out into life and being in the real world. We have to be ‘out there’ in all areas of life if we want to date. Take some action. For example, network with friends and family. You may find someone special out there.

11. Look in the Mirror

“If you are taking steps to meet new people and no one is showing interest in you, ask yourself why. Maybe there is something about your personality, or behavior, or the way you come across to others that you are not aware of that is getting in the way.” Ask feedback from your friends. Be patient and work on it… you may find some good things happening in the process.

12. Keep yourself pure

“God has told us to honor sex as something holy and keep it confined to the marriage relationship.” Sex outside of marriage can set you up for a lot of misery and can cause you to lose out lot of good things. Believe me, I tell you.

A Kind of Dating you can’t Miss!

Again, your relationship with God must come first. When it is right, the Lord can lead you into wonderful, exciting, fulfilling friendships and dating. Start dating with God, with faith in passionate love and wholeheartedly. Spiritually fulfilled is more important than life partner – but isn’t it great if you can balance both? Ha2 (laugh). You’re ready to date… go and have fun!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

.......................

Main reference:

1. God will Make a Way: What to do when you don't know what to do by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. Published by Thomas Nelson (c) 2002. Page 101-119.

Week 77: Set Goals - Know Where you are Going

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” (C.S. Lewis)

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal.
The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” (Benjamin Mays)

You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning with a purpose. Too often, people wake up just to do the same thing over and over again. Those who don’t know where they are going is like someone who is carrying a basketball and don’t know where the net is. No wonder I often came across posts on Facebook saying, “I’m boring!”; “Don’t know what to do…”; “I’m wishing for miracles to happen” etc. Readers, goalless life leads to confusion and emptiness. You might do something or many things, but it won’t be fulfilling and it doesn’t give you any long-term satisfaction. It would be dull, robot and directionless. Without goals people just wander through life.

I asked a fellow friend one day, “So, after you graduated where do you plan to work?”

He stared at me and said, “I just go with the flow… I don’t know. I just trust God will guide me.”

“Well,” I replied sarcastically, “just so you know, God won’t filled the job applications for you~” 

[After 3 days we become friend again]

Having goals in life is very important. Goals keep you focused on your primary mission and determine how you conduct your life. As I focusing on my personal goals daily – Its change the way I think and the way I set my priorities. Its determine the books I read, TV shows that I watch, the questions I ask, the words I speaks, the people I intentionally want to spent time with, and the many investments in term of financial, time and energy I’m willing to sacrifice. William P. Merrill writes, “Unless you give yourself to some great cause, you haven’t begun to live.” Goals shape the way you live each day.

Goals give you strength and endurance. Added with hope, goals can keep you going when everything seems to ‘black-out’. Cecil B. de Mille says it well, “Most of us serve our ideals by fits and starts. The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly.” Goals with burning desire, however, can go much further. It is like a ‘drug’ that can boost your physical power, energy, and enthusiasm needed to accomplish your goals. But as it is important to write your goals down (both short-term & long-term goals) and to really determine what you want; never ever forget that goals are remain a dream unless it is a dream being acted upon. You got to aim for a goal and start on your way; act upon it!

In closing, I want to ask you; what are your goals? What is it you want to have accomplished? What are your God-given talents and skills that you want to sharpen (or discover)? What about your future career or relationship? Or could it be surrendering your life to Christ, establishing a relationship with God, getting a promotion at work, getting out of debt or spending more time with the family? Whatever it is – set your goals! Hey, God is sovereignty in control of our today and our tomorrow, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set goals for yourself.  The Apostle James taught us to make plans with the qualifier "if the Lord wills" (James 4:13-17). Therefore, as you sets your goals in life, bare this word in mind:
All goals are subject to change and to the perfect will of God. I will surrender my future to Him alone.

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you” (Psalm 37:5)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Set goals!

Week 76: Witness - Share and Live the Good News!

“How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15)

“O Lord, gives me souls, or takes my soul!” (George Whitefield)

One day, a student mentions in casual conversation that he enjoyed a kolo mee (famous noodle at Sarawak) at a new stall and think that I would like it too. A friend overhears me and another friend discussing whether or not to see movie Journey 2 and tell us that it was great. Both of these people are witnesses. They were witnessing. To witness is to tell about something you have experienced. The Gospel is like that; it is not just about a story to read but a story to experienced – and thus, to witness. The word ‘gospel’ is derived from two Anglo-Saxon words ‘God,’ meaning ‘good,’ and ‘spell,’ meaning ‘tidings’ or ‘history’. The ‘Gospel’ means the ‘good news’. And the Good News, my brothers and sisters, is meant to be share.

Share the Good News!

The very last thing Jesus told his disciples was, “you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Jesus was talking to His disciples before He went back to His Father. Even though Jesus was talking to His disciples, He was saying these words to us too right now – Personally, as you read this, to you. “You will be my witnesses” is both co-operate and personal privilege & responsibility. You can be a witness by telling others about Jesus and how His love has helped you. Being the receiver of this wonderful Gospel is not about getting into some exclusive-selected few-closed-door group. It is about experiencing something so wonderful (your personal encounter-relationship with the Living God, Jesus Christ – what can be more wonderful than this?) that you can’t wait to invite others to experience it too.

Share the Good News!

Anyone who follows Jesus has a story to tell. You have a story, a ‘redemption story’ about how God has found and rescued you from the bondage of sins. We has been set free, released, redeem, forgiven, made new and inhabited by the Holy Spirit. These stories of God’s work in your life are meant to help others to experience their freedom in Christ too. You should be ready to tell your story of how you come to know and learn to love Jesus. You don’t have to cook-up stories to make it more amazing, just share it from the heart. No story is boring when it begins with the greatest story of all – the Gospel, the Good News.

Sharing this good news requires no strategy or program or steps. The wise thing to do is to ask God to give you opportunities each day to tell about – and to show – God’s love. Be discerning whenever the Spirit prompts you to open your mouth and heart to share the Good News for the sake of others. Who knows? Perhaps after sharing your own story you might win a soul or two for the Kingdom of God. Daniel 12:3 says “Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.”May you shine!

Share the Good News!

By the end of the day, it was not up to us to convert anyone. Sharing we must, telling we should, guiding we ought but don’t force anyone to convert. Apostle Paul, the great evangelist, in 1 Corinthians 3:6 writes, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” Remember, God is the one who draws people to Himself. The most we can do is to ‘planted’ and to ‘watered’ the seed– the last call is God’s.

“Witness to the life-changing Jesus”, writes Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, “happens on the job and in the everyday comings and goings of life. The litmus test for witness is not simply by the ability to explain the good news. It is the way you live the good news.”

Therefore, Share and Live the Good News!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.