Jon’s Article published

Are we just to save souls??????? Check Jon’s article published in the ooze. http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=2184

Pathetic Attempts…

A quote that I read from a pastor in the states…a down to earth touching ground and sensitive people I would say.

- my pathetic attempts to live in the way of Jesus-

Not a bad quote at all dont you think? Or maybe for some people they think that they are there already..living the way Jesus did? >:I 

Love God, Love Others. The greatest commandment. Every little changes that is in us is when we practise this commandment. Not just reading it or talk about it. What are are our attempts in moving toward Loving God and Loving Others so far? Loving others is as important as we love God I believe because even Jesus himself said that how will we be recognise to be his diciples?????

John 13:34-35: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Love as we understand are not just feelings….Love involve emotions and actions and words. So being practical in ways to love others and also being practical in our faith are our attempts to try to live in the way Jesus did.

We may try to do different things to follow the way of Jesus. We may ‘fail’ or get discourage while doing it, but at least we were one step closer? Keep trying. But stop trying when the thing that we do is about ourself and ourself and ourself. That is when you feel that when people say out their opinion, you feel attacked personally. That is where and when we should ’stop and stare’….ehehehe…gota love one republic. But yea…we should stop and have time to think over. And analyse others criticism or opinion. And it is not a competion of who is right or who is wrong or who win and who lose, but set our mind to get the work of God done. That is the focus. And when we start to take things personally, examine ourself.

As individuals, what are we doing to love others? I dont only mean christians brothers and sisters. I am talking about the community around you. I am talking about your neighbour. Ok, maybe we dont have time to get to know all our neighbour, but how about people who lives in the next door? Do we even know their name? How are we showing love towards them? How about the people we work with? Can they trust us? Can they count on us? Can they talk to us about anything? Can we be their friends? How about family? Are you trying to improve your relationships with your family members?

As a church, what are we doing to love others? When I say church, I really mean, what are the plans or ways that WE as a CHURCH doing towards people around us? How about our neighbour? The people who lives around the church area? How have we impacted them? How have we impacted the new comers in the church? Often we discriminate and show favouritism in church. Try looking during refreshment time. Oh boy, you gota love the scene shown. Maybe I should take some videos and you all can see it for yourselves on how PATHETIC are we in treating others! It disgust me. What is it with men in tie or men dressing up so nicely anyways? Are the clothes that we wear making it hard for us to communicate with people of not the same ‘level’ as us? Or is our clothes giving us confident and at the same time, making us proud and not touching the ground when we see others? So in this case, is the smart and good clothing a good thing? I am just reflecting on what I see and if you dont see it the way I do, get a papper and list down the name of the people that you talk to during refreshment after church I mean talk……really really talk…taking interest in people’s live….not just asking the same question over and over and over again the same week without even meaning it…for example? People always ask me….Where is your mum? EVERY FRIGGIN WEEK! And they should know my mum is working in BARIO! Pffffftttttt….fakers. Then after asking, they will go… oh ok… ROFL….oh and one famous question every week that I get, (BY THE SAME PEOPLE) where do you work now? ROFL!!!!! Should I go on further to talk about this…? Coz I feel sick in my stomach.

So are we suppose to show love to people that we know only or people around us? I believe it both. And start thinking of ways on how to love people…or at least make people happy. We are in the profession of people matters.

The Jesus Creed as a Table

CHAPTER 4

Only Jon knows how I couldnt wait to go to this particular chapter. LOL. I am into practicality at the moment. I mean I am trying little by little to apply what Jesus did in the Bible now. Sometimes there are times I feel that it is foolish. Something like trying to go into charity. We have fear of giving coz we dont know whether they use the money for charity or not…that kinda thoughts come into my mind at time. But I make it a point now, I will try to get involve in those which I see reliable. And my something that is in my mind after I collected enough money would be to go to Calcuta to help out for a week or two at the place where Mother Teresa served. 

If you have the chance to read Chapter 4 in the book, I can tell you this….You feel like absorbing the knowledge from the book. Or if it is possible, i would cook the book and make it into chicken soup to drink all the knowledge!!! I cant stop admiring this Scot McKnight! I wish I could be like him. ehehehe…

Chapter 4 talks about Jesus at the table. Remember Jesus always eat at the table? yes..this chapter talking about that table.

For the Jewish(Pharisees) , the table symbolizes or talk about;

1. Measurement of one’s commitment to the Torah

2. Fellow jews were to eat with those who were pure and were to eat what was Kosher

3. The table talks about Kosher and Purity

4. A wall or to differentiate the observant and the nonobservant

5. Torah and tradition

Jesus’s table symbolizes or talk about;

1. A place of fellowship, inclusion and acceptance

2. embody the Jesus Creed. To love God and others means to invite people to the table.

3. Heals

4. Envision

5. Hopes

Table that heals –  Jesus can heal people. Not only physically but also spiritually and emotionally. The rejected people in the community experienced a inner healing when Jesus invited them to the table. Inner healing, they might feel loved again or they feel accepted again.

Table that Envisions -the table creates a new society and a new vision for the people who were around that table during Jesus time. It was a boundary breaker and a grace giver. They see something to look forward for. 

Table the hopes – there are hope for the people who were at the table. It talks about eternity. The things to come. 

What about us? How does it apply to us here now? Lets put the table as our church, our cell group or fellowship, office, home. What do you think we offer them? Are we offering the healing? Or having visions or hopes?

We can now put together our first few chapters. Jesus teaches that the center of life before God is the Jesus Creed. When the Jesus Creed turns into prayer, it becomes the Lord’s Prayer, when it becomes a story, it becomes the Parable of the Prodigal Son. And when it becomes a society, it becomes the table of welcome around Jesus. (Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight)

The Abba Of The Jesus Creed

The 3rd Chapter of the book talks about the Abba of The Jesus Creed. Referring to the 1st word that Jesus said in the Lord’s prayer.

Abba in another word means Father. Why use father? The book gave the example of the story in the bible about The Prodigal Son.

Luke 15: 17-24

 17“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20So he got up and went to his father.
      ”But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.^[b]‘

 22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

I believe that this is the Abba that Jesus was refering too. The love of the father in the story.

In Jewish custom, when a son disgraces his father through sinful behaviors, runs away from him, and then later returns, the elder of the city take the young man to the village center and break a pot at his feet. The broken pot is a legal act of banishment. (Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight)

The act of the father running to the lost son and also giving him the best robe and ring and throw a party for him is an act of love and he fear ts that the son will be banned from the community. For the father, it is a celebration when his lost son returns. That is how much Jesus loves us.

The word Abba- brings love, closeness, unconditional

The Jesus Creed is to love God and the premise under the Jesus Creed is a promise of truth: Abba loves us (Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight)

Prayer

Since its at the end of the week, I would like to take this opportunity to just say out a few prayer points.

1. For my friend Sight that I am going to send the book to. He is trying very hard to look for God. Pray that he will find God.

2. For my family that is always on the move. (safety)

3. For my friends that I am dealing with everyday in my daily life and also at work.

4. For my plans. I am having some plans in mind on missional. And will start soon…well in fact i am doing it already with Jon supporting me. We are both trying different things now. Being missional – practicing our faith. Like the sharing that we hear today. Practical faith. 

5. For the church. Pray that they will what is necessary and may God give them wisdom and BOLDNESS to do the right thing and remembering that we are working for God not men that they should be afraid of anyone who is holding any high post in the work place.

Feel free to add up the list if you have any for me to pray for. Hope you had a good week, coz I did

-Have a good week ahead-

Praying The Jesus Creed – 2

Chapter 2 is talking about Praying the Jesus Creed. In the book, Scot, compares the shema (the creed) and  the kaddish (Jewish prayer) of  Judaism and also Jesus’s . In the 1st chapter, Jesus changed the Judaism shema from Love God to Jesus’s shema, Love God and Love Others. In the second chapter, Jesus changed the Judaism kaddish (Jewish prayer) to his personally. What we known as the Lord’s Prayer.

Kaddish of Judaism

Magnified and santified be his great name in the world He created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom during your life and during your days, and during the life of all the House of Israel, speedily and in the near future.

Kaddish of Jesus

9“This, then, is how you should pray:
   ” ‘Our Father in heaven,
   hallowed be your name,
 10your kingdom come,
   your will be done
      on earth as it is in heaven.
 11Give us today our daily bread.
 12Forgive us our debts,
      as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 13And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.

My personal view here is that, Jesus didnt forget his root or try to change the view of people to understand His in a way that everyone dont understand, but he tries to change the mind of the people by the familiar and using what the people already know and practises. The Judaism Kaddish is the prayer that as a Jewish they know and when Jesus was asked to teach them to pray, He use the same kaddish but add to it. Same as the shema in chapter 1.

We all struggle in prayer. I struggle in my prayer life. It can be very boring and dry at times. And sometimes after praying I tend to ask myself, what did I pray or say? I dont remember myself. Its just a thing that I have to do. But for some others who are serious in prayer also admit that prayer can be a boring thing to do. I am not going to tell about ways to make your prayer life exciting or anything.

But Jesus gave us a good example of prayer. I believe we should follow. The Lord’s Prayer is not a prayer of intercession but it is prayer of enlistment (Scot McKnight)

Enlistment=to secure the support and aid of: employ in advancing an interest: to win over

Again, the Lord Prayer’s is what happens to Jesus Creed when it turns into prayer. But it is the Jesus Creed ultimately that is the design of God for our lives. We are made to love God by fillowing Jesus and to love others. (Scot McKnight)

Post a question to ourself. What are we doing as individuals? What are we doing as a church? How have we impact the community around us? Dont have to go far. How have we impacted our neighbour at our residential area? How have we impacted the people who live near the church? What is the church doing in line with Jesus Creed so far?

Here we can see how a creed can affect our lifestyles. How is our lifestyle? Is it a ME ME ME lifestyle? If it is, we should change. An we all know that change is not instant. So start now. Let Jesus Creed be the design and the guidelines of how we live our life.

-Pray for what you Abba wants; pray for what others need; and when done praying, live out the Jesus Creed-

We talk alot, so in this case, the quote action speaks louder than word is appropriate.

God Bless

The Jesus Creed

The Jesus Creed is the first chapter in the book. It talks about Jesus Creed. What is a creed? These are the definition that will help us to understand what creed is.

1.	any system, doctrine, or formula of religious belief, as of a denomination.

2.	any system or codification of belief or of opinion.

3.	an authoritative, formulated statement of the chief articles of Christian belief, as the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, or the Athanasian Creed.

1. A formal statement of religious belief; a confession of faith.
2. A system of belief, principles, or opinions: laws banning discrimination on the basis of race or creed; an architectural creed that demanded simple lines.

From my iphone:  – a brief authoritative formula of religious belief

- a set of fundamental beliefs; also : a guiding principle

As individual, we have different thoughts or ideas on what we hold onto in our belief. We have different ‘motto’. Il just copy the it from the book.  (Scot McKnight).

Thomas a Kempis – He wants to be in complete union with God.

Brother Lawrence – He desires to converse with God constantly.

John Woolman – He strives to do what was right in every situation.

J.I Packer – He longs to be fired with holy zeal for God.

Richard Foster – He craves the grace of inner spiritual transformation through the spiritual diciplines

Dallas WIllard – He hungers, in this physical existence of ours, to be like Christ

John Otberg – He pines to morph into the image of Christ.

Rick Warren – He thirsts for a life driven by God’s purposes.

They have a target or they have an idea on what is spiritual. Its like their motto in life kinda thing i would say. Their longing.

Jesus – ” Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all you strength.

- ” The second is this: ” Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.

If we look at the bible, Jesus story or life revolves around people. He hold tightly to LOVE GOD LOVE OTHERS. Not neglecting either one of it. Not only loving God. But also loving people around him. What about me? What about us? Are we doing the same?

We know that God is love.

Love when working properly, is both emotion & will, affection and action. (Scot McKnight)

We cannot say that we love someone and not show it or not doing anything about it. Love is not only emotion but also action. Love produces action.

Making the love of others part of his own version of shema shows that he sees love of others as central to spiritual formation. (Scot McKnight)

Shema is the Jewish Sacred Creed. So Jesus changed the shema and make it his own but adding Loving others. And Jesus live his life around the shema that he recite everyday.

What about us? How or what is our target in life? How do you want to live your life? Right now I am trying to follow the way Jesus live. Will I fail? yes i will. But I wont give up. Coz that is how we should live. As akward as it will be, or as stupid as it will look like, I dont know about you, but that is the life that I want to life. Jesus Creed. Love God Love Others. Have we shown that to the people around us. I didnt say friends only, but people around us. Have we? I like a quote from a pastor in facebook that i know of, my pathetic atempt in following Jesus. Cool huh? God Bless.

Jesus Creed

This is a great book that everyone should read. But I am done with just reading. This is a good book that we all should be reading and also try to practise and apply in our daily life.  One of the chapter that really encourages me and really open my eyes was the chapter on Jesus Creed as a Table. Wow. I honestly dont know how to summarize it, well actually, I dont want to summarize it. Coz the whole thing is so good to be quote little by little. If you got a chance please read the book. I borrowed the one that I am reading from Jonathan. I am buying on at the end of the month so if you want to read it and dont have cash to buy it, you can come and borrow from me. (with one condition, take care of the book) But those of you who have cash by all mean, it is a good book to invest your money in. I’ll post according to the chapter coz, everything is related and there will be sooooo many things to write coz there are so much things to be talking about and also revealed.

  So maybe il post it every morning on each chapter on what I learn. Il use it as my daily devotion book. Reflections from all of you would be appreciated. Be blessed as I have been blessed.

Tear down Jeremiah 1!

We always hear the preacher or a youth leader quoting Jeremiah 1 to encourage the young people to rise up and also to boost confident in God that God can use the young people. Do I have doubt in God being able to do that or the capability of a young people in doing that? Not at all. But are the people who quote that ready to see the young people rise up to be the person whom they are suppose to be in their generation? Or the older generation pulling down the younger generations to follow their old methods or ideas or ways or thinking? Is it wrong? I have no doubt that whateva methods being used before is successful. However, same methods wont be able to be use twice coz we will be dealing with different people from different time zone. Are we doing our home work in leading people around us?

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew ^[a] you,
       before you were born I set you apart;
       I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

 6 “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”

 7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

Lets look closer to home. Why are we building up the young people? Some vision that I know, To equip and make the young people a dependle youth and something something….basically to makesure that the youth will not be blown by the wind when they are facing the world in their faith. We also hear that alot of leaders, not only in church says that the young people our future leaders…..Sounds great isnt it? But seriously, after things happen, after I see how a young man voice up their opinion, they are being condemned and also attacked and also being said to be a rebel and stuff. And this is what someone said. “The leaders have a proven track record in leading, they have position in their work. What do you have to prove or support you?”After hearing that, all I could think of is all the things that we preach, the leaders preach, the youth leader preach are NONSENSE! Cmon…..God can use a little kid…God can use a nobody….God can use anybody….God can use you….everyone here….God can use the young people…. God looks at your heart…. God look for people availablity not ability..those are just mere words….. Have we talk too much and not practising it or are we expecting others to follow what we say only? Is this not a time where all of us who talk speak to people or present ourself to people or as leaders recheck our speeches or sermons or what ever it is that comes out from our mouth? Coz you know there is this pastor from a different church from facebook that I know, have this quote..Let my words, like vegetables; be tender and sweet, for tomorrow I may have to eat them. Is that not very true? I am not just talking and not doing anything. I know that I am learning how to practise what i know and learn and not only to digest it in my head. I know alot of things already. Its time for me to act. Am I judging others who are not acting? Not at all. I am just encouraging all of us to DO IT. Dont just preach it….DO IT! 

So what happen to the young people are todays leader? Where are the old leaders that is suppose to guide and mentor the young people? Do you even have any names in mind of who is going to replace you? Oh…maybe another old leader…in the company that I work in, employee above 50 years old, no longer do the work..but they are the one who supervise and give advise and be there to teach the young employee….What is our church doing? Pushing all the young people away..Dont wear this…cannot wear this…cant dance like that… you have gota be kidding me.

Till then, please dont give stupid hope to young people….coz they can do nothing and know nothing. And the discussion with the elder people would be, they are right and you are wrong…LOL…is that even a discussion?  In a company, managers should be send for training when they are obsolete. I believe that is what our leaders are lacking of….hmmm..wait..no no..they are not lacking of training and knowledge…they have it all….just that they are not acting it out yet…. some respected people that I know, now is just a yes man….no opinion of their on…prob a church should be filled with goats and sheeps. They wont say anything. They will listen to everyword without question. Fill em’ up!

 

-Peace-

World Hunger Relief Week

   Jon and I went out to eat lunch in KFC, Boulevard today. While eating some of the staff came with a basket and also this brochure below and a bangle. It cost RM2 to buy on and at the same time to support the campaign that they are doing. I just want to encourage us all to start giving to the needy and also start being sensitive to the need around. RM2 for 1 bangle. Thats not so bad. Just go to KFC or Pizza Hut to get it.

I have been blessed by a blog by Allan Bevere the post on have Church mistaken charity with mission. After reading, it really insipre me to act upon what I have read and also learn. I guess that is what all of us are lacking. We dont act on what we learn. It is not easy but it is time that we act. And again I emphasize on random act of kindness. Please dont just help because we have a motive behind but help out of love that God has put in us. You can read another blog about this too here.

Above all, lets learn to step out and act on the rusty knowledge that we all know. Lets show the people around some love.

  This is mine. Where’s yours? GBU