We Need a New God!

When we declare this wonderful reality – that God Himself is all we need – we may be accused as trite and simplistic, at least, I was. That accusation may prove to be correct unless we show how He actually becomes our life and all in daily practice, and unless those of who proclaim Him alone begin showing Him in our daily walk to be genuinely all we need.

For this to happen require that we have a new God! Now, relax, please forgive me for this overstatement. But there’s a sense in which it really is so. We need to see our God as He is, not as we’re been seeing Him (or make-to-believe who He is). When our view of Him has been corrected, we’ll have quite a different God than we had before.

So many people view Him like the law really is, a hard taskmaster, a universe policeman, an angry grandfather. Some people however view Him from another extreme, an eternal smiling master, always forgiving judge, a never-get-angry father. But we seldom get the balance idea – who He really is – that He is our loving and righteous heavenly Father, God of justice and mercy, always near and yet far from us, to soothe the hurts and wound the enemies, to encourage and warning, to uplift the humble and downlift the proud, He is to transform the believers and condemned the unbelievers. He is known-able and understandable, and yet His ways and His wills are mysteries. He is wonderful and horrible. God of order and unpredictable. Meek and yet powerful. Humble and yet worship-seeker. Sovereign and yet freedom-giver.

To know God as He is, we need to go to the basic – the Scriptures. Sometime our view and idea of God is not from the Scriptures but from other secondary or secondhand source such as devotional books, out-of-context sermons or quotes, movies, etc. Yes, we may also know something about God from those and from nature, art, conscious, reason, experience or collective experience and prayer. But the final, complete, reliable source, of course, is the Scripture. And as we can see, the Scripture is not the end; Christ is the ultimate mean to know God. Jesus said, “You study the Scriptures, because you think that in them you will find eternal life. And these very Scriptures speak about me!” (John 5:39). If you go the Scripture, you’ll know Jesus, and if you know Jesus you’ll know God.

When we have a new God, see God as He is, know God from the Scriptures that “speak about Christ” we’ll have this assurance of our salvation in Him, a genuine daily life with Him and the confidence of declaring this wonderful reality – that God Himself is all we need. Why? Because we know Him. For this to happen we require to have a new God by discovering or rediscovering the Scripture firsthand. For this to REALLY happen, God must move first. To this, Lord helps us. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

12 Advice to Pastors

Picture taken from:
http://blogs.reuters.com/taxbreak/files/2012/10/pulpit-REUTERS-John-Adkisson.jpg

"To aspire to leadership is an honourable ambition"
(1 Timothy 3:1, NEB)

J. Oswald Sanders have 12 advice to pastors:

1. Treasure people who will pray for you every day. 
2. Keep up your spiritual reading. 
3. Trust the sovereignty of God in your life. 
4. Be an early riser and a time miser. Use little gaps to best advantage. 
5. Always have a little more than you can comfortably cope with. 
6. Be willing to step out and do something for which you feel inadequate. 
7. Never lose the desire to grow. On retirement, the Lord has something better. 
8. Watch you attitude toward failure. 
9. Accept the disciplines of God. Suffering tempers us all. 
10. Don’t let finance play a big part in your decisions. 
11. As a pastor, limit your counseling and major on the Word of God and prayer. Keep up your study of the Word. Don’t neglect the Old Testament. 
12. Minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. The secret of the fullness of the Holy Spirit is a yielded life.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Do We Treat the Poor as Our Dustbins to Give Whatever We Cannot Use or Eat?

In the book Mother Teresa: Contemplative at the Heart of the World, she writes,

“Do we treat the poor as our dustbins to give whatever we cannot use or eat? I cannot eat this food so I will give it to the poor. I cannot use this thing or that piece of cloth so I will give it to the poor. Am I then sharing the poverty of the poor? Do I identify myself with the poor I serve? Am I one with them? Do I share with them as Jesus shared with me?

This is the wonderful part of our vocation, that as M.C.s (The Missionary of Charity Sisters, she founded) we have created an awareness of the poor in the whole world. Twenty years ago no one would believe that there were hungry, naked men and women around. Today the whole world knows our poor because of our work. Because they know they want to share.

The other day, a group of Hindu school children came from very far. They had won prizes in a contest at school and had asked the headmistress to give them money instead of the prizes. Then they said, ‘Now, take us to Mother Teresa. We want to give this money to her poor people.’ How wonderful it was that they did not use that money for themselves! Because we have created this awareness the whole world wants to share with the poor.

Whenever I accept money or an award, I always take it in the name of the poor, whom they recognize in me. What am I? I am nothing. It is the poor whom they recognize in me and that they want to give to, because they see what we do. Today people in the world want to see. Why is our congregation spread all over the world today? It is because people see what we do: feeding the hungry Christ, clothing the naked Christ, taking care of the sick, the dying, the leprosy patients (she was referring to Matthew 25:34-36). Because they see, they believe. How sad it will be if we are not sincere in what we do.

Our poor people suffer much, and unless we go with joy we cannot help them. We will make them more miserable.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

8 Kebaikan Apabila Kamu Mengawal Penggunaan Media Sosial

Ramai orang beranggapan bahawa dunia mereka akan hancur jika mereka tidak menggunakan media sosialwalaupun hanya setengah hari. Media social seperti Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blog dan sebagainya, banyak mengambil masa kita dan ada yang percaya bahawa semua ini sangat penting. Hey, dunia tidak akan berakhir jika kita tidak menggunakan laman media sosial! Malah, banyak kebaikkannya jika kita tidak atau boleh mengawal penggunaannya. Di sini saya mendapati sekurang-kurangnya ada 8 kebaikkan:

1) Kamu boleh lebih fokus tentang kehidupan kamu berbanding dengan kehidupan orang lain. Apabila kita tidak ‘menjaga tepi kain’ orang – tentang kehidupan dan pencapaian orang lain, contohnya – dan lebih fokus tentang kehidupan peribadi kita sendiri, kita akan lebih mudah menerima baik buruk diri sendiri (dan menyerahkannya kepada Tuhan) tanpa perlu membuat perbandingan dengan pencapaian orang lain.

2) Kamu boleh lebih fokus untuk berinteraksi dengan dunia realiti di sekeliling kamu. Apabila kita kurang atau tidak seringkali memeriksa telefon pintar untuk mengetahui perkembangan di dunia digital, kita akan lebih fokus untuk bercakap dengan orang di sekeliling kita. Apabila kita berkomunikasi dengan orang lain secara bersemuka, banyak perkara yang kita dapat belajar (secara mendalam) berbanding dengan perkara-perkara yang dikongsikan di dunia media sosial.

3) Kamu tidak perlu risau samada ada orang telah memberi komen atau respon di Twitter atau menekan butang “like” di laman Facebook kamu. [Tidak perlu saya huraikan]

4) Kamu tidak perlu berinteraksi dengan orang yang kamu tidak suka. Oleh kerana kita pernah bersekolah atau pernah berkawan dengan mereka dahulu, ini tidak bermaksud kita masih lagi ada persamaan dengan mereka. Atau mungkin kita sudah berubah sekarang sehinggakan kita tidak lagi sesuai untuk bergaul dengan mereka.

5) Kamu tidak perlu lagi merasa janggal atau sakit hati dengan orang yang selalu meluahkan perasaan dan menunjukkan gambar yang tidak sesuai di laman media social. Kadang-kadang perkara seperti ini tidak perlu kita tahu... merosakkan jiwa dan minda sahaja!

6)  Banyak perkara dan kerja yang kamu boleh siap. Sentiasa memeriksa laman media sosial waktu pejabat atau semasa melakukan kerja banyak mengambil masa kita. Sebaliknya, apabila kita tidak atau mengurangkan masa untuk media sosial, banyak kerja atau perkara dapat dilakukan.

7) Kamu akan memiliki hidup kamu kembali! Apabila kita tidak membenarkan laman media social untuk mengatur dan mengawal hidup kita, kita akan beroleh hidup. ‘Hidup’ di sini bermaksud fikiran dan hati kita. Tidak perlulah kita khuatir tentang apa yang akan dikongsikan oleh orang lain di laman  media sosial. Kita sekarang mempunyai lebih masa dan fokus untuk mendengar dan berbicara dengan orang lain di sekeliling kita. Kita akan menpunyai hidup yang aktif dan bukannya pasif menunggu ‘hidup’ datang kepada kita melalui laman media sosial.   

8) Kamu ada masa untuk berdoa dan membaca Firman Allah. Kurang berdoa dan membaca buku terutamanya – Alkitab –adalah satu masalah yang besar terjadi dikalangan orang muda sekarang kerana banyak masa terluang digunakan untuk media sosial (ada membaca, tetapi membaca bahan yang tidak berfaedah untuk kehidupan orang Kristian). Apa yang sangat diperlukan sekarang ialah orang Kristian yang tidak mudah terpengaruh dengan isu-isu yang remeh-temeh dan mula melihat dan melakukan sesuatu yang boleh memberkati orang lain di sekeliling kita. Yesus berkata, “Kasihilah Allah” dan “sesamamu”, “utamakan dahulu kerajaan Allah” dan “merenung Firman-Nya siang dan malam” (bukan laman media social).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Servant Leadership is More about Character than Style

A Palestianian shepherd

“Servant leadership is more about character than style” (Ken Blanchard)

In his book, Servant Leadership, Robert Greenleaf defines two kinds of leaders. Strong natural leaders are those who try to take control, make decisions, and give the orders in any situation in which they find themselves. They have a need to be in charge. Strong natural servants, on the other hand, will assume leadership only if they see it as a way in which they can serve.

You would think that natural leaders would use a directive, autocratic style while natural servants would use a more supportive, participative style. This assumption falls short because it confuses style with character.

I want to be led by strong natural servants because they are willing to use whatever leadership style – directive, supportive, or some combination – best serves the needs of those they lead. Remember that the primary biblical image of servant leadership is that of the shepherd, because the flock is not there for the sake of the shepherd; the shepherd is there for the sake of the flock.*

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

*taken from Ken Blanchard’s The Heart of a Leader: Insights on the Arts of Influence.

Our Doings are the Reflection of Our Thinking and Theology

A kid was asked to do an assignment,
"If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?"

Like it or not, people will judge us by our actions. Small acts of kindness are not insignificant gestures, they are thoughtful expressions which say, without verbalization, “God loves you.” Unfortunately, to many, small acts of kindness are becoming a lost art. Don’t let this happen. Be the one who still place on importance on small acts of kindness which make others feel important in the eyes of God and you.

It is good for us to know that people are not so interested in hearing us expound on our particular philosophy of life or our theological knowledge on everything. I’m not saying that all of these are not important – it is! – But first people are more interested in seeing how our beliefs and convictions are working.

Our actions are reflections of our thinking and theology. If others see that we are joyful, self-control, patient, kindness, truthful, they will ask what we are doing to make these things happen. How God have changed your life. There is not need to be “preachy” because, as the saying goes, “More truth is caught than taught.” Religious people may talk about peace, love, faith and their great happiness in religion, but all we have to do is look at their lifestyles to know just how well it is working. Lord Jesus puts it this way about the false prophets and those who claim their pious religiosity: “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16, 7:20). Are you exercising your faith now?

The Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Use Plain Language

We simply cannot communicate with others unless we learn how to use plain language. Something definitely lacking in our ability to communicate if what we says cannot be understood by a child (I still have this difficulty though). Now this may sound ridiculous, but is it true. In my early years as a Christian staff worker, I discovered that the effectiveness of my Bible Study with students was directly related to how simple I could make complicated, hard teachings easy to understand (or at least help them to think systematically about it).

The burden of holding someone’s attention, whether it be an audience or individual, falls on us. And no one will pay attention to what they don’t understand. I observe that many passionate first-time urban Christians when they go to rural area for mission trip cannot communicate with those on a lower knowledge level because they have never learned or been taught how to make Bible teachings simple enough. If someone fails to understand us, it does not necessarily mean that they are stupid or rebellious. More than likely, we have not explained our point clearly or simply enough. Not being simplistic but plain and simple.

Read the Gospel’s stories and you’ll noticed that Jesus doesn’t communicate the truths in a King James’s language, He talked in plain language – the contemporary language of the people. He speaks great truths in everyday language and parables. Let’s learn lesson from Jesus and use simple stories, demonstrations, parables and examples to convey what we mean, what God mean. In communicating Biblical truths we must rely on the Holy Sprit to open people’s hearts and their mind’s eyes to accept and understand the truth. But it doesn’t mean that we’re not responsible on how they received it. We must, by all cost, learn to use plain language so that people can genuinely respond to Jesus’ work on the Cross and says, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.