the space we need.

The extent of how much I have been blogging of late scares me, with the amount of stuff going through my mind and how I evaluate each thought. It is not exactly a bad thing, just that I am surprised with the level of brain activity going on.

I am not an extrovert, even though I can talk quite a fair bit in comfortable social situations when I am not under pressure. But after such bouts of extended conversations, I need plenty of time away on my own to settle down and let myself rest, away from the crowd and people. It usually happens at night after a long day. I need my space, and quite a lot of it sometimes. Given the choice, I would choose not to meet with too many people in a day. It can be just too overwhelming. I want to give my peers space as well, respect their time and not flood their schedules, however free they can be.

It works both ways and takes two hands to clap. Mutual understanding is important to properly understand the time space and to respect it. Some would try to dominate the schedules of others, squeezing and stretching every single bit of waking time out of their peers, giving convenient excuses for their clumsy awareness and keep pushing it. Even for couples engaged in a relationship, dating or married, it might be good to give each other some space at times as well, mutually agreeable of course. How can we look at this concept of giving space from a more Christ-centered perspective?

We all belong to God, all of our being belongs to God as well, even our time. We do not own the time that we have, even though we would like to think so, let alone the time that God has given to others. Thus, giving space to others is not merely respecting them, but it is a godly thing to do and respecting God that He is Lord over all. We might want to spend time with our loved ones, but treating their time as your own is selfish and not godly at all, putting God out of the picture. When a friend turns you down for a date, don't feel grumpy and think that he or she doesn't think well of you. Instead, be glad and thankful, that you can be loving and godly by giving them the space they probably need. It is important to draw these boundaries and protect the time that God has given.

tolerance.

I get angry and frustrated over the smallest comments that were perhaps unnecessary, by making some of such comments myself. It made me look petty, grumpy and unapproachable, which adds fuel to the anger. There is a reason I dislike electronic communication, especially text messaging, email, SMS or whatsapp. With electronic communication, save for Skype and voice calls, you take away emotions that can be found in speech when a person speaks using his or her voice, not fingers tapping on a screen. Emotions get replaced by yellow emoticons or colons and brackets. Do they really tell you how the other person is feeling? Besides, with electronic communication, you can choose to ignore, and the other person is either left hanging high and dry and wondering what was said wrongly, or he chooses to ignore as well. You don't get that when you talk face to face, people can't avoid but have to show it all. Misunderstandings will happen less frequently as well, as what you hear is substantiated by what you see–body language.

This beautiful humanly aspect of us is slowly but surely eroding away. It is a pity. We have to pay a price for convenience. There remains a reason why I still write letters to people who really matter to me, I can't write to everyone because I don't have that much time to do so and would not make sense because I don't have so much to tell some people. Letters mean more than emails, especially if the other end of the correspondence is in another place far from where I am. The handwriting tells a lot about how much effort a person puts in to pen the letter and possibly shows some of the emotions as well. It takes some skill to properly write a letter too. If you have a piece of paper, how much of it are you going to fill up, how are you going to fold it, how are you going to divide it?

It's hard to tolerate, very very hard, especially on busy days that I keep getting bothered by these little annoyances when all I want is for everything to run smoothly.

Singaporean in Singapore: The Role of Public Education System in Creating Our Identity

Compulsory public education in Singapore takes at least ten years to complete, from primary through secondary. Those are the greatly formative years of a child, and they contribute plenty to the creation of a national identity of sorts. It is a somewhat common memory that Singaporeans can relate to, even though each experience is unique. The ten years not only impart knowledge, but also teach us what is socially acceptable in Singapore by most Singaporeans who have been through this system. It trains us to be more socially apt, in ways that we are more sensitive to people who might be different. It creates the mainstream Singapore that you and I know. A Singaporean of the main system can tell right away if another is not from the same system almost right away, from the way he or she talks and thinks.

A friend of mine has been consistently making remarks that came across, to me, as jarring and inadequate. Certain comments were unnecessary, yet was thought of by that friend as perfectly normal. It was hard being tolerant and accepting such differences, because I would never expect a Singaporean to say such things or behave in this manner. There, I have to understand one key difference. That friend did not go through the same public education system as the people I know did. I used to consider myself different for having gone through 6 years of school without many Malay friends, coming from a Chinese Christian school followed by another Christian junior college. But there's an entirely different system out there that really sets this real minority group apart from the 'Singaporeans' we all know.

A Singaporean would not comment on the situation in Iraq by saying that "Muslims are killing Christians", but say "The Islamic State Troopers in Iraq are killing Christians". To just say the former is offensive and insensitive, but the latter puts the comment right back into context. The public education system forces us to learn about other races properly, tolerate with them by being sensitive. It is imbued into us without many of us even realising it.

A Singaporean identity? I would say it is sensitivity to other Singaporeans who don't look like us but behave just like us.

of a sore back and much indecisiveness

A couple of weeks before the semester begins, I am starting to take a more serious attitude towards my next 17 weeks. With the sore in my back lingering and keeping me awake at night, I can't help but to think about the modules I am considering to take. 5 or 6, ops or finance, maybe drop usp and do double spec, or stay on in usp and do double spec and do 24MCs for four semesters till I graduate? 

I don't think I was ever so indecisive when it comes to such matters, and it is pretty urgent given that bidding has started and will close in just a few days. At the crossroads, I don't know where to turn. For each one, I roughly know what I have in me to take it on, the pros and cons and what I might face. A sense of uneasiness remains due to the inherent uncertainty of what exactly will come for each option that I ultimately choose to take. 

Hope that I can remain calm enough to pray and make the right godly choice in the end. 

Jittery fear.

I'm scared, seriously scared. The last time I was diagnosed with dengue fever was some 9-ish ten years ago, and the feeling sucked. The high fever now won't subside and I have become a suspected case of dengue fever, again. The drugs are not doing their job and a blood test is scheduled on Friday if the fever does not subside by then.

Lord, help me to take joy even under such circumstances, and remember what Christ has done.

At the finish line.

This year's Tour de France saw plenty of upsets with riders crashing out in the initial stages. And just last night on the 15th stage of the tour, Jack Bauer from Garmin-Sharp lost his lead and a possible stage victory just 50m away from the finish line. He was found in tears on the road beside his bike after finishing the 222km long stage. I could relate to his pain in some ways, but not fully understanding the immensity of the disappointment he had. The feeling must have sucked big time.

But that was just a race and a stage victory at stake. In a race like this, you are not guaranteed of a victory even though it seems like you already have it in the bag for almost the whole race. Christians are in a different race altogether and we are constantly reminded to keep going till the end, if not we may risk being beaten at the finish line by sin. We are promised and guaranteed of a bigger prize than the pride of wearing the maillot jaune, which is eternal life in Christ with God, in his heavenly home.

Are you going to give up and let go of the inheritance right at the finish line and not going till the end? Will you want the eulogy at your funeral to be one that says "He did pretty well for the bulk of his Christian life, being faithful. But he gave up in the end and lost it all to sin." 2 Timothy 4:7 tells us that Paul has fought the good fight, that he has finished the race, and that he has kept the faith. Will you, as a Christian, be able to make such a statement at your end day?

Keep going, dear Christian warriors. Fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. It is going to be a hard fight, but worthwhile, and the victory is in your hands as long as you hold on.

Finding joy in Christ amidst the struggles.

It is stressful to live in a big modern city like Singapore and not hard to understand why. Everything around us is all about efficiency and excellence. Without either one you are deemed to be left behind. Singapore has well caught up with other trends too, with the advent of the internet, sin perpetuates what we see and hear and read. People around us start to dress suggestively, embracing that it is alright. Homosexuality perpetuates the society, condoning it and accepting it, even some Christians do. I face other struggles at home, on being respectful of my parents yet not accepting their pagan religions. With friends, I struggle with tolerating them. Struggle, struggle, struggles. It is such a struggle living in Singapore, on top of the struggles that I already face as a Christian. Maybe it is the latter that made me understand the struggles I am facing.

Why did I title this post giving the idea of joy even though I face so many struggles? Some people would say that they would rather give up than to fight on, for it is not worth it. And with that, they go back to their old ways as though they have never known Christ before. Where is the joy? I have to admit that even as a Christian, I do have thoughts of giving up sometimes. I am human with emotions built into me, and I have my down periods too. But the higher assurance that I have keeps me going. 

I believe that Christ died for my sins so that I can be reconciled to God. It is not because I deserve it that Christ had to die, but because I do not and did not deserve it, yet Christ died for me. Doesn't quite make sense because it seems a bit too good to be true. My joy is not found in earthly pleasures, though I know that they can keep me happy for temporary moments, like a good cup of coffee or a good meal, or even spending some time sharing with a friend and catching up. Some people may find temporal joy in other things, depending on what interests them. But these fleeting joys don't stay for good. We may fall back to our sorrow and struggles again soon after. Jesus promised true eternal joy to those who believe him.

To frame the concept of joy properly in our minds, we have to think out of the worldly ideas of joy, those that are not enduring. What we truly need is a right relationship with our creator, God. It is only when we are made right with him that we can be with him, back to the source of true joy. And the only way to be made right is by believing in Jesus! 

It is thus a sincere prayer to focus on Jesus, and the true joy promised. Not the little fleeting temporal joys that the world promise, for they fade away. Even in all the struggles and problems that we face, none of these things will take away any bit of the joy promised. Stand firm in Christ. 

the world around us

It is saddening and heartbreaking to hear of news after news of death of large numbers of people due to armed conflicts. The war in Gaza is a good case. And just last night, the shooting down of MH17 over Ukraine with a ground-to-air missile, killing all passengers and crew on board. My condolences goes to the victims whose lives have been claimed. The world around us is filled with such news everyday, where people kill other people, innocent or guilty. It is a world where human relationships are broken.

I pray for those whose loved ones have been lost in these tragedies. May God be with those affected.

Redemption.

A life once lost,
In darkness and death.
Cut off from God,
Cost of rebellion.
No hope of heaven,
Taste not of joy.

Holy Son of God,
Guiltless crucified.
A death undeserved,
For one undeserved race.
O what wondrous deed,
Such that we be saved.

No room for sin.

Finally back at home from work and totally worn from the 13-hour shift. It was a hard day at work, with the stress of having to face customers and always put on a smile, and fighting the temptation to sin.

While I kept myself occupied with some thoughts on my mind and trying to sort out why are things being done by certain people in a particular way, I was slowly being worn down by fatigue. When I get tired, I become grumpy and become inclined to behave and respond in an unpleasant manner.  I become not Christ-like at all. Does being tired give concession to behave as such? No, even though it is hard.

Fighting at work.

Slightly more than a month ago, I started working at one of the most 'hipster' coffee joints in Singapore. At that point, the only thing that drew me there was being able to work in a specialty coffee place under a Christian boss. Sounds good, doesn't it? The cafe culture is indeed growing in Singapore and I have learnt a great deal about coffee. Day by day, I start to realize that there's something about the hipster culture that makes it a constant battle against sin at work. The workplace has turned itself into a battlefield whenever I am on shift.

You see, somehow, hipsters love to dress in clothes that have either too little cloth such that their midriffs are exposed or become a tad too body-hugging, or too much cloth such that they are too baggy and the holes are greatly oversized, exposing more skin than a properly fitting set of clothes. In either case, it makes it particularly hard to tell myself to look away for the sake of purity. It becomes a lot worse when the place I work is where hipsters gather.

This was actually the least of challenges to my Christian life I expected at work. As much as it is hard, it is of utmost importance to strive towards holiness. Jesus warned of the sin of lust, and that if one eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. That is what we are expected. How about just steal a glance? No, for I do not know what will escalate from that and by no means will I tempt the devil. For the Christian ladies among us, I plead that you help your fellow brothers in Christ by covering as needed. Again, it is not only the woman's responsibility. Guys, if it causes you to stumble, it will be helpful to make it known to the ladies so that they know. It takes two hands to clap. Keep fighting.

Understanding the sovereignty of God and our helplessness

There are a million and one things that I struggle with day in and day out. I ask myself plenty of questions almost all the time, seeking to find the answers to each of the questions. I get worried about things happening around me, the people I know who have yet to hear of the gospel or received Christ, and about things that are going to happen. Once in a long while, I get so overwhelmed by them that I can't help but breakdown and hide away in a corner. I used to refuse to talk to anyone about it, for the fear of being looked upon as a person who can't handle himself properly. The me-centered way of living is painful, for I can never get out of my helplessness if I depend on my own strength. It was only after talking to close friends about it that I realize I am not the only one struggling with so many things. That was comforting. I am not alone.

Turning to the bible and reading it, both the Old and New Testaments, it just overflows with God's sovereignty. God is sovereign over creation and every of our emotions. He is King over everything. God is always with His people. Those who are with Him are not and will never be alone. A realization that I am helpless and need God is perhaps one of the best things that I know, and that the Christian life will be one that is hard but God is still with me is absolutely encouraging in keeping me going on in this struggle. Christian friends are placed around me for good reasons and relating to them has allowed me to understand that we are all in this together. These are the people who understand what I am going through and push me back in the right direction again.

A life showing conviction of faith in Christ is one that is assured of salvation and looking forward to the end day to be with Him again. Emotions are not wrong and not signs of weakness, but an indication that we are just humans. God is sovereign, and those who trust in Him are well taken care of.

The Problem of Lust

I am writing this post, about lust, not from the perspective of a person who has conquered lust for good and has stopped struggling with it. By God's grace, I am able to cope with it not through my own feeble strength. If I were to rely on myself, I would fail over and over again. Thanks be to God who has captured me by something that is far better than gratification of the flesh can provide.

Lust used to be something that controlled my life. I have fallen prey to it countless times, before I became a Christian and even after. To put it in a clearer manner, lust is referred to as "sexual immorality" in the bible. Lust is a sin because it puts the passion and desire to gratify the flesh before God, and God has made clear instructions to us how we should view sex. With our perverse intentions, we make what is meant to be enjoyed within a marriage something that draws us away from the glory of what Christ has done and into sin. In Matthew 5:28, "everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart". Lust goes beyond what the body does, it happens at the heart, which guides our actions.

It should come to a Christian, who has read the bible, fairly easily to understand the severity of the problem of lust. Paul tells us to flee from sexual immorality in both 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Thessalonians 4. In Colossians, Paul tells the church to put sexual immorality to death. In other parts, even the Old Testament, lust and its related action, adultery, are condemned by God. It is not that God hates sex, but that He hates sin. The number of times the problem of sexual immorality is raised should be a good enough indicator of the seriousness of continuing in it.

The problem with the world today is that it adds fuel to the immense fire. We see sex everywhere, not in the way it is meant to be portrayed. Movies, TV serials, music videos and advertisements, more often than not, cheapen sex and convey the idea that you can have it with anyone and any time. Sex sells. Also, the connectedness of many people to the Internet adds to the prevalence of pornography and the ease of access. The worldly view is that sex is casual and chastity is an ancient concept no longer applicable. The bible's view, and rightly so the Christian's view, is that sex is beautiful and should be enjoyed within marriage with one partner, and chastity is to be held on to ever so tightly till the wedding day. If one is to be single for life, may that one be a virgin for life.

It is crucial for a Christian to view sex in the way the bible perceives it, which is the way God wants it. By understanding the intent, we would not perverse it. Besides, what is more attractive than lust? Lust gives you instant gratification, which dissipates in a matter of minutes, and coming back each time stronger than before. By the time you realise it is taking over your life, you have sunk deep into it. But that doesn't mean that it is the end of the world for you. It just means that it is time to wake up and turn to something that will truly satisfy you. You see, the bible tells us that we are all sinners, and we rightly deserve to die, and be cut off from God forever. In other words, when we die, we are really dead, for good. All hopes of going to heaven, where the world wants to end up in (save for some who insist they deserve hell) are dashed for good. No chance at all. But God, in His loving kindness, gave His one and only son, Jesus Christ. Why? So that he will go to the cross to die for our sins, paying the penalty even though He did no wrong! Did you get that? Christ, who did not deserve to die, died so that we can be made right. He conquered death once and for all by rising from the grave and joined God in heaven. But God did not do that for fun or to mock at our inability to help ourselves get back to Him. He did that so that all who believe in Jesus Christ can be counted right with him and get to heaven and enjoy eternal life! ETERNAL LIFE! NO MORE DEATH! That is the good news of the bible, it promises us a life that will not fade away like the gratification we get from lust. So look to Christ, look to Christ, not lust. When you truly believe in that, it doesn't mean that you will not struggle with lust any more. It means that you understand what you are truly living for, and your inclination will not be to lust. There are plenty other sins to pray for help to fight against, let not lust be the one that allows other sins to grow under the impression that lust is the only sin.

Keep going in Christ, keep fighting and believing.

Romans 6:1-11

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:1-11

May those who are in Christ remind themselves of their identity in Christ, and be committed to turn away from a life of continual sinning.

What is the gospel?

Just four words, "What is the gospel?"

I have to admit that even though I keep saying preach the gospel, preach the gospel, I feel as though I am saying it just out of convenience by using a familiar jargon commonly understood by other Christians. Often, as Christians, we tend to dilute the gospel and take things out of it, or add to the gospel by putting in things that do not belong. We have no excuse to do so out of convenience, or out of our desire to please other people. The bible constantly warns against people who preach not the one true gospel. Taking any part out or adding anything else to it is serious, and no one would be spared if they do so, not even angels or the apostles (Gal 1:8-9).

In Paul's letters to the churches, he constantly warns them of false teachers who preach a gospel that is not of Christ. Back in the first century, the Jewish leaders who kept the law insisted that Christ isn't enough, and Christians need to follow the Jewish laws as well in order to be counted righteous. Paul warns the Christians of these teachings and labelled them as "false teachings", and reminds the Christians to only follow the one true gospel. There is only one true gospel.

The gospel message is at the core of the Christian faith and shapes the entirety of our Christian lives, which are lived as a response to having received the gospel. What then, is the gospel? Trying to explain the gospel in its entirety will take some time, from talking about our sin to Christ's saving acts on the cross, from our very wretchedness to God's grace, and that we are counted righteous through faith in Christ Jesus alone. Despite its importance, Christians often lose sight of it and become more concerned with the peripheral rules and expectations. Paul Tripp, an American pastor and author, spoke in an interview on Theology Refreshed by Desiring God about preaching the gospel to yourself. According to him, it is essential for Christians to remind themselves again and again the gospel message, because that is what will shape the way they live as Christians, not living godly lives for the sake of it but as a right response to belief in the gospel. The gospel message is the foundation of godly Christian living.

The Gospel is called the ‘good news’ because it addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings, and that problem is simply this: God is holy and He is just, and I’m not. And at the end of my life, I’m going to stand before a just and holy God, and I’ll be judged. And I’ll be judged either on the basis of my own righteousness – or lack of it – or the righteousness of another. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus lived a life of perfect righteousness, of perfect obedience to God, not for His own well being but for His people. He has done for me what I couldn’t possibly do for myself. But not only has He lived that life of perfect obedience, He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice and the righteousness of God.

Dr RC Sproul 

Being at the core, the gospel is and should be the key message for reaching out to non-Christians as well. Telling the gospel gives a complete picture about God's love and His grace even in our utter disobedience to Him. Therefore, it is vital for Christians to know what the gospel is, if not there is no way that we can talk about the gospel in entirety and truth.

Thankfully, many authors and publishers have helpfully put together some books and resources that will help us to understand the gospel and keep our eyes on it, by telling us the gospel message. Of course, the best read to understand the gospel is still the bible. Here are the links to some of the resources that you may find helpful. Go and hear the gospel.

1. 9marks Ministry
2. Ligonier Ministries
3. 2 ways to live
4. DesiringGod.org