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Psalms 103

8The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

This always comes to mind when I, like a faulty computer program, get stuck in an infinite loop mulling over injustice, halftruths and untruth. Breaking out of it involves asking myself “God has forgiven and forgotten it, why can’t you?”. God has removed it and cast it as far as the east is from the west. Have you? Or is our memory better than God’s? Our strictness bigger? Our mercy smaller?

I’ve been fascinated by a small phrase by Joann in the middle of this paragraph until now since I read it in the afternoon.

“I have walked into that same office many times this year and many times, the news that greeted me is one of great magnitude and gravity. But I know that God walks into that room with me everytime. What a comfort amidst the raging storm to know that God is not only with you but He is the one to command the storm to stop.” – Nov 6th

Like John Yate loves to, this is one of those “phshweeeew..” moments. God walks with me into the exam hall, God walks with me into many moments of “doom” I have felt in my life. Haha.. Where has God walked with you recently? And did you notice and acknowledge him?

1 Corinthians 13:7

Wah, really awe inspiring. Cos me and ZG were reading Joseph and talking about how he reconciled with his brothers and his life so detailed in the way it was recorded down to the feelings and emotions and actions. We were also talking about the stupidity of David in believing Saul had really given up trying to kill him saying “my son my son..” 2? 3 times?. Haha. No, of course I’m not serious (about David being stupid) he was very wise. Which brings me to the verse mentioned above. David was not stupid and undiscerning with regard to Saul’s intention, he had grace, love and wisdom in his actions. Lets see.

Love:

Bears all things
Bears up in spite of all things evil, and is not overcome. This is the idea of beareth. Love bears up against the tide of evil, as the rock against the waves.

Believes all things
Is not distrustful and suspicious.

Hopes all things
Is hopeful instead of despondent, and hopes for the best. How hard for the loving mother to give up hope for her recreant son!

Endures all things.
Endures patiently persecution and suffering. The cardinal quality of fortitude, hardihood, unyielding persistence is meant.

Nice..

Remember the “many opinions, one truth”? hahaha.. I think so many of my questions have been answered over the past week when I did my FBI readings and watched the video. Shall share something so fantastic I found in 1 Cor 2.

1 Corinthians 2

Proclaiming Christ Crucified

1And I, when I came to you, brothers,^[a](A) did not come proclaiming to you^(B) the testimony^[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except^(C) Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3And^(D) I was with you^(E) in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of^(F) the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but^(G) in the power of God.

Wisdom from the Spirit

6Yet among^(H) the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not^(I) a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age,^(J) who are doomed to pass away. 7But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God,^(K) which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8None of^(L) the rulers of this age understood this, for^(M) if they had, they would not have crucified^(N) the Lord of glory. 9But, as it is written,

^(O) “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has^(P) prepared^(Q) for those who love him”—10these things^(R) God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even^(S) the depths of God. 11For who knows a person’s thoughts^(T) except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now^(U) we have received not^(V) the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13And we impart this^(W) in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit,^(X) interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.^[c]

14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are^(Y) folly to him, and^(Z) he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15The^(AA) spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16^(AB) “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But^(AC) we have the mind of Christ.

How wonderful! we can know the secret things of God because we carry his spirit in us! Secret I say, because no man in his natural state can ever hope to understand any part of God’s mind.

So, let us not muddle up the spirits teachings with words and thoughts of our own, praying about clear commands (ouch.. this one hurts) and saying its all in God’s hands when God himself has placed it in our own by giving us clear instruction, instructions we can follow to the letter in the spirit’s power. Instructions that work! No rocket science involved, no genius to figure out, no mystery to discern. Isn’t that great?

Just came back from Daniel and Joann’s place after Ice Cream with YX. Was just thinking of God’s faithfulness and how he’s been there every step of the way. In the many different contexts of our lives. When we sin he’s there, when we’re going through troubles he’s also there. Her surgery on 15th i think. This is one of my favourite songs and it says just that.

He’s Been Faithful

“But you say, ‘What a weariness this is…”

Malachi 1:13

This verse stuck out and its essentially a complaint thats heard often. Just yesterday I said “oh man.. I woke up so early today, tomorrow have to wake up early for church.. and monday 6 something wake up go school.. sian”

You can read the rest and see what God says.

Malachi 1:14 of the YH paraphrased version says “Cursed be the cheat who has alot of time, and signs up for alot of things and service in church, and yet spends his time on other things until he is very tired and does not servce with his heart soul and strength. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.”

I was ambushed by a book this afternoon. It was entitled “God is Not Great” and I cease to be captivated by their arguments which are summarised as such.

• God is not fair
• God is a mass murderer
• Human reason PWNs all (cos we all know that we’re the smartest beings on earth and we make no mistakes in our reason. THATS why the whole world agrees on everything and there are no wars)

Those are the most common bunch.. And today in my “everyday in the word” I read Psalm 145 which is

Psalm 145 (Listen)

Great Is the LORD

A Song of Praise. Of David.

145:1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

I added an RSS feed for the bible in one year. Haha.. This way it just piles up in my reader until I read it. I haven’t read the bible entirly before. Perhaps this will really be the first time I am successful. Anyone want to join me for a chronological read through?

Was reminded of this today. I never read her entire book but Ms Khun’s first chapter on the misty flats has never been forgotten.

The Misty Flats

To every many there openeth
A way, and ways, and a way.
And the high soul climbs the high way,
And the low soul gropes the low,
And in between on the misty flats
The rest drift to and fro.
But to every man there openeth
A high way and a low -
And every man decideth the way his soul shall go.

- John Oxenham

This place has really taken a holiday man. I could never have imagined I would be this busy during holidays! With what you ask? I’m not sure.. its just.. I guess when I have the time, these things (blogging and general online activities) suddenly take a backseat. I’ve been house-sitting when my mom goes out, helping out at (read: slacking) at pastor’s place. Its quite funny actually cos there’s nothing much I could actually do other than just be around and carry stuff here and there abit. Most of the time is spent just spending time together talking and messing with his things. I’ve to rest more I guess, and read too. Anyways, I came across this funny picture from last year.

I think I did it when I microwaved an egg and covered it thinking it would prevent a mess – obviously I was wrong cos the explosion was so strong the cover flew off.

That was utterly unrelated. Anyway, I had a few fruitful talks this week. Daniel on Sunday, pastor on most other days and Jonathan today. It was not really the talks or its contents that were edifying, it was the realizations about myself that I gained after thinking about what they/I had said and viewing firstly in the context of being a church member and then in the context of supposedly being bible believing Christians. When I look at these two, really the Christianity I live is so shallow, as with so many others around. How much we obsess about people around us really suprised me greatly and I became very conscious of it in my own talk and in others this week. Surely when we are judged we stand alone.

Lastly, although I’ve been with people this whole week, I’m feeling quite lonely already cos theres nothing much to do with myself. Now its the end of another week and I’m just.. here. I really want to go out lim kopi but theres nobody to go with me. Sitting down and doing some reading would be nice.. I keep falling asleep when I read myself, even after 3 chapters of the bible I’m so tired I doze off sitting outside the house where its bright and green with all the plants.

William seems to be busy. Gone are the days where we were all slackers, free at a moment’s notice. Haha.. I wonder if growing up really catches up with you and your friends so much so that its not so simple to just call each other and go out for coffee. Really as one of my GP essay topics put so rightly: youth is wasted on the young.

I’ve decided I want a canon G9 so I’m going to start saving for it. Thats a funny thought cos I can just buy it outright with the money I have. Still, I feel I’ve lost the art of saving. When the money in my bank account reaches a certain (undisclosed) amount I’ll just ask my bro to buy it from the states if the warranty covers it.

Thats all for now. Maybe I’ll sleep early today. hahaha.. who am I kidding..