I’m Unwilling to Forgive

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13NLT).

I have written more than 300 posts in this blog. I shared dozens of God’s Word to others. I give fairly wise counselors to those who need it. Generally, I’m a good guy and in the eyes of many – I’m a good Christian too. But don’t be fooled (I know you don’t) by my not-so-humble introductions. I make mistakes daily. I’m only a human; a forgiven sinner who still struggle with my fleshly sins as long as I live. Today (at this writing), I had sinned against God by manifesting an unforgiving spirit toward my brother in Christ.

Someone whom I know bang my car with a hard object. I was so furious that I want to give him a good-old-school punch on his face… but I stop once I realized that there were people around me. Externally, pretentiously, I told him its okay. Smile and leave. Internally, in reality, my thought goes wild, ‘Oh Lord, I will pardon him, as what the Bible said, but I never… never!... want to have anything to do with him ever again!’.

Then, a gentle voice speaks to me softly but firm, ‘Is that how you want God to treat you, Richard? What if Jesus says He will forgive you and then never want to have anything to do with you? Will you ever be satisfied? Would you be more joyful by Jesus doing that? Forgive then leave?’ At that moment I was so convicted by my sinful attitude toward my fellow brother in Christ.

It was God’s spirit who leads me to the passage of the Scripture, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others”. Yes, I’ve sinned against God by sinning against other. I was motivated by the clear counsel of God’s Word that I will receive God’s forgiveness only when I am willing to forgive him who has wronged me. I do.

Friends, especially my brothers and sisters – Jesus, our Lord and Savior, said, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15NLT). Lesson learned. Imperfect man encountered with His Perfect Master. Dirt sees Purity. Rebellious meets Love.

I hope my personal testimony here can inspire you, an encouragement for you to forgive those who had sinned against you. THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Hudson Taylor, Mother's Heart and the Kingdom of God in China

“It is in the path of obedience and self-denying service that God reveals Himself
most intimately to His children. When it costs most we find the greatest joy.
We find the darkest hour the brightest and the greatest loss the highest gain.
While the sorrow is short-lived and will soon pass away,
the joy is far more exceeding, and it is eternal.” (Hudson Taylor)

"Dear God, if You should give us a son, grant that he may work for You in China."
(Prayer of Hudson Taylor's parents, before he was born.)

Young Hudson Taylor

Hudson Taylor, a great man of prayer and faith, responded to God’s call to go to China as a missionary. His father had already died. He had to leave his widowed mother to go to China. By the end of his life in 1905, he had been used by God to found the China Inland Mission. There were 205 preaching stations, 849 missionaries, and 125,000 Chinese Christians – a testimony of a life absolutely surrendered to God. Hudson Taylor described something of the cost he and his mother experienced as he obeyed God’s will to go to China as a missionary.

It was difficult for Taylor to leave his mother behind. It was, perhaps, even more difficult for his mother. Hudson Taylor was finally leaving for China. He writes of his feelings surrounding this goodbye:

    “My beloved mother had come over to Liverpool to see me off.  Never shall I forget that day, nor how she went with me into the cabin that was to be my home for nearly six long months.  With a mother's loving hand she smoothed the little bed.  She sat by my side and joined in the last hymn we should sing together before parting.  We knelt down and she prayed - the last mother's prayer I was to hear before leaving for China.  Then notice was given that we must separate, and we had to say good-bye, never expecting to meet on earth again.

For my sake she restrained her feelings as much as possible.  We parted, and she went ashore giving me her blessing.  I stood alone on deck, and she followed the ship as we moved toward the dock-gates.  As we passed through the gates and the separation really commenced, never shall I forget the cry of anguish wrung from that mother's heart.  It went through me like a knife.  I never knew so fully, until then, what "God so loved the world" meant.  And I am quite sure my precious mother learned more of the love of God for the perishing in that one hour than in all her life before.

    Oh how it must grieve the heart of God when He sees His children indifferent to the needs of that wide world for which His beloved, His only Son suffered and died”
(quote from A Retrospect by J. Hudson Taylor. Chapter 8: Voyage to China, pg 24).

Both Hudson and his mother had to pay a high cost for obedience. The price was tremendously sort of heartbreaking but the reward, the blessing God have for His faithful servant was infinitely more valuable. God used Hudson Taylor mightily to reach interior China with the gospel of Christ – all this happened because; By God’s grace He called Taylor. By his parent’s faithful prayers God answered. By Taylor’s obedience God used him mightily for His Kingdom. Amazing! 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP. 

'Keep Green' Wednesday Message: Why should Christians Care for the Environment?

“When you are attacking a town and the war drags on,
you must not cut down the trees…
Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them?”
(Deuteronomy 20:19NLT).

As I read thru the Bible this year, I was amazed (not surprise) that God cares very much about all of His creation. We sometime soo self-centered by assuming that we, the human race, are all that God only cares about – that’s what happen when we read the  Bible selectively, bit-here-and-there without really go thru it from Genesis to Revelation to see the bigger perspective of what God was and is doing throughout the history. When the Israelite when to war, God was concerned about the needless destruction of the environment and gave instructions to protect it; “Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them?” He is the Creator; He cares about ALL of His creations – and that include our environment.

During the Sabbath Year, God instructed that “For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, but during the Sabbath year of rest to the LORD. Do not plant your crops or prune your vineyards during that entire year… The land is to have a year of total rest” (Leviticus 25:3-5). Why? Main reason is so that the farmland can rest for the conservation of good, productive land. God cares about the environment.

Well, maybe you’re thinking, ‘Richard, I think you didn’t read your Bible carefully, that’s for the Israelite, ancient Israelite to observe not for us, the modern hi-tech Christian-Malaysians!’

My reply would be, ‘What you’re saying is true, it was especially for the Israelite to observe not us. But what’s remaining relevant today is the principle behind it, that is – The earth belongs to God. God is still the same. Thus, human beings (that’s us) were created to share responsibility for the earth by being a good stewards of the environment’.

Pic from:
www.sesamamu.blogspot.com

In the beginning, God assigned Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground” (Genesis 1:28). Then again, it is written: “The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it” (Genesis 2:15). God wants Adam, our humanity forefather, to tend and care for the Garden of Eden… and you know what? God now expects you and me to care for our little corner of the earth as well. Take care of the environment; be a good steward in this borrowed-earth where we lived in. Be a responsible Christian who care not only for the soul (which is our primary duty to preach the Gospel of Jesus to all mankind), but also care for the physical order that God had created – mainly here – the environment.

God created nature for His glory; “The heavens proclaim the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1), therefore, you should do whatever you can to preserve this testimony for God. THINK BIG. God cares about ALL of His creations. START SMALL. Go to [DoSomething.Org] for some helpful practical steps on how to take care of the environment around you. GO DEEP. Be careful, we should always remember – We worship Father God NOT Mother Nature. WARNING. God will one day judge and “destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth” (Revelation 11:18). 

A prayer to my Friends

 [This post I wrote yesterday... I post it today]

My Father in Heaven,

I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now. I am asking you to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, and strength as they learn submission to Your leading.

Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend’s life. 

Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them the power in You to defeat it.

May You, my Lord and my God, do these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP. 

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[This prayer is taken and modified from Roy B. Zuck’s The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 5,000 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions, Revised and Expanded (page 405-406) ©1997, 2009. Published by Kregel Publications.]

Extra Free Book: "Jesus: the Only Way to God" by John Piper

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6NIV).

If the evangelical church at large was ever too confrontational in its evangelism, those days are gone. In our shrinking, pluralistic world, the belief that Jesus is the only way of salvation is increasingly called arrogant and even hateful. In the face of this criticism, many shrink back from affirming the global necessity of knowing and believing in Jesus. In "Jesus, the Only Way to God," John Piper offers a timely plea for the evangelical church to consider what is at stake in surrendering the unique, universal place of Jesus in salvation.

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[Note: I might not agree with some (minor problems) of John Piper’s arguments in this book. In fact, none of us can agree with one another 100% - and that might also include our unavoidable theological understandings and interpretations. We are human, imperfect and fall short from the true knowledge of God. Yet, I still recommend this book because it is filled with Bible-saturated insights - and thus, make it a good book discover for yourself about the saving faith in Jesus.]

I’m giving away EXTRA 3 copies of Jesus: the Only Way to God - Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved?. If you want to receive this book for your own personal interest or for you to pass it to someone that you know who need this kind of book, a seeker perhaps or a curious gonna-be-lost believer, please by all mean, request this book. 

Do these 2 things:

1. Comment below “Rich, give me one copy___(Your name). I want to read, consider and make decision about who is this Jesus, whom called Himself 'The Way"."
2. E-mail me at Motivates4life@hotmail.com or send message to my Facebook your real name, phone no. and your postal address. Thank you.

Letter to Readers: “God is Holy, You are Not”

[This is one of my rare deep thinking or may I say, sort of heavy sharing from me. Picture me as a man who is dying and want to tell his friends about their only hope in God. And he is happy, joyful if he dies right now and yet very sorrowful that he can’t imagine one lives this life without knowing and believing in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour]

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 Dear readers,

“The LORD our God is holy” (Psalm 99:9)

“Your [God’s] eyes are too pure to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrong” (Habakkuk 1:13).

The first time I understand from the Scripture that God is holy, righteous, and pure; I have a hard time to digest it. My heart was willing to believe, but my mind is too small to comprehend it. But when I checked myself deeply – I found out that the main hindrance of it all is the heavy realization, God’s Spirit conviction, of my own sin and weaknesses. I scarcely grasp the overwhelming perfection and holiness of God. I can’t imagine anyone being absolutely perfect, none… but God alone. “God is holy”.

“God is holy”, means He is separated from sin. God is absolutely pure, without flaw and without blemish at all! When Isaiah saw a glimpsed of God’s holiness, he was overwhelmed by his own sinfulness. He saw angels (winged creatures) around God’s throne continually cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Isaiah understood; me, (and I hope and pray you too), will understand the depth of our sin once we understand the holiness of God. “God is holy”; we are not. Therefore any good works or sincere-believe or mere trust-in-oneself is useless to bridge our great chasm between us and God. Sin deserves punishment, condemnation – eternal fire of hell!
Is there any hope for us?

Leviticus 19:2, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy”.
God ask us to be holy – how?

God never ask what He cannot provide. God will not convince us of our sin if He doesn’t cause our heart to long for Him – and not giving the Answer to our greatest need; righteousness before God. If the price of sin is eternal fire of hell, the grace of God through Jesus Christ is eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast”.  By who’s grace? Through faith, who? According to God’s own Word, that saving Person is Jesus. Only Jesus is holy, only Jesus can take away the sins of the world (for He is the Son of God), only Jesus can bridge the great chasm between us and God.

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood —to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished” (Romans 3:25).

“In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7, on the bracket mine).

This is the Message what the churches should promote. This is the Message what every preachers of God’s Word should preach. This is the Message that every single believer of Jesus Christ should proclaim! Jesus is the only way to God who is holy. None of us can come to God and say what I often heard from ignorance people, “I know I’m not perfect… I hope God will forgive me of my sin.” If you are not perfect then, how can you be reconciling with God who “is holy”? Jesus, only Jesus can makes you ‘holy’ (as if you’re holy) before God. If you come to Jesus in repentance and ask Him for forgiveness through faith in Him – He will surely forgive you (not ‘hope God will forgive’ you – but resounding He will!). 

Think about it my friends, and make your decision today - your eternal life is at stake.

God be with you.
Regards,

Richard

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Fasting from Speaking

A woman said to John Wesley, “I think I know what my talent is.” “What is it?” “To speak my mind” Wesley replied, “I don’t think God would mind if you bury that talent.”

Getting along with someone, I’ve learned, involved not only doing things to strengthen our relationship, but in a long run – it is also by avoiding things that hurt others. Consciously, try avoid hurting others especially with our tongue. The Psalmist prayed, “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and keep my lips sealed” (Psalm 141:3NLT). Phones, voice-mail, and face-to-face conversations, words comprise a large part of our lives. So the kinds of words we use are important. Therefore it is wise to pray the prayer of the Psalmist for the thing most frequently opened by mistake is the human mouth. With God’s help, take control of it and sealed it whenever possible.

I ask you: How many marriages or friendships that you know have been destroyed because of criticism and foolish tongue that utter words out of control? How many relationships have broken down because of gossip or words spoken thoughtlessly or in anger? ‘A slip of foot you may soon recover from, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over’. Billy Graham comment, “A harsh word can’t be taken back; no apology can fully repair its damage.” (Read the Book of James chapter 3 to know more about how damaging our tongue can be).

But tongue can also be used for good – and that’s why I suggest fasting from speaking to evaluate, to re-cover, to redeem, to guard our tongue, and to use it for good instead of evil. Sometime (I never regret) it’s best to keep silent when we really have nothing to say or particularly if our words will only make things worse. I know it’s hard to take control of what we say. And I know, my dear friends, that to keep silent for a period of time in tempting moments is extra hard and very challenging. Ask God. Just like the Psalmist, to “take control of what I say, O LORD, and keep my lips sealed”.

Enjoy the nature

May I suggest? Take a half day off from speaking. Let your family members, classmates, roommates, and friends, those who close to you know about it. Or refrain yourself from giving any unnecessary responds during conversation (especially, when nobody is asking you to) and just listening or try to get away from people to a solitude places where you can just enjoy nature, birds singing, wind blowing alone (if you’re in Kuching, I recommend you to go to Mount Singai, Bau). Do whatever it take to fast yourself from speaking. Don’t make it legal methods but try to do it in a joyful spirit – a heart to learn about yourself and take control over your own tongue.

The Bible says, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:29NLT). Use your tongue to comfort, to instruct, to correct and to encourage others. (Even if you have to rebuke others for the sake of the Truth, do it in love that God’s give). Use it to praise God, to pray to God, to sing to the Lord, and to witness for the Lord. Fasting from speaking is one of the ways for you to achieve these fruits. Above, God will be Glorified in your life.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

NOW. Take time to fast from speaking… it is good for your soul.