20140220: "Jesus - Pure & Simple" by Wayne Cordeiro 2 Cor 11: 3

2 Corinthians 11:3 " But I am afraid that , as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" 

Started reading this book by Wayne Cordeiro " Jesus -Pure and Simple" Got this as a gift for my niece last year 14/3/2013 and now took it back to read for myself.

The author wrote "When you cannot remember...when the speaker insists again that you need to stop your bad habits, increase your devotion...when overwhelmed by testimonies of others pray all night , fasting 40 days , raising the dead and leading thousands of people to the Lord on their airplanes rides home...when attend another hyped up conference that promises to be the one that will reduce all your problems ...when someone points a finger in your face and says "thus saith the Lord" but their advice contradicts someone else who shouted a different "Thus saith the Lord"....when your email your mailbox is flooded with a multitude of letters, newsletters and giving requests from a multitude of organizations with 3 initial names.....

It's  time to get back to Jesus

It is time to hear His voice and simplify.

It's time we get back to Jesus, pure and simple

That is what this book I am now reading is about. WOW! 

Listen to this beautiful song ...Let your voice be louder...

Further quote " And the good news is that it's not about doing more or doing less.  Because God created you in His image, the more you become like Jesus, the more you become the person you were create to be.  It is in Him that you actually find fulfillment, not in religious activities (as good as they may be) or in serene settings that give you a needed respite from your harried workplace.  He is not the rest from our labours.  He is the rest in our labours...the closer you get to Jesus, the more at home you will feel in this journey.  God designed it that way...

'You searched the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have eternal life (John 5:39-40). But missing the point may not mean that Jesus is distant.
...It is usually that our eyes are too full to see Him. Our attention is arrested by what commands our lives...this week's desires, today's fears, relationships we want, things we need, or problems we despise......

It's not destruction that causes our greatest concerns...

It's distraction."

So wonderfully quoted by this author.  Distraction.  Focus Blur blur liao....

Umm...is the gospel so complicated? 

Reflections
I love what the Lord Jesus can do and will continue to do in situations that I am often amazed.  Last week visited a 90 year old aunt whom had not seen in the past one year.  Shocked to see her bedridden. Compared to sharing a birthday with another 89 year old church friend this month, it was a sight of two ladies - one still healthy and able to shake her bumps whereas the other lie in pain on the water bed.  

Intended to call on the chinese church to do some visitation as follow ups afterall old aunt had attended some years back before her stroke. And the Lord did something funny.

Wanted to apps to a friend by the name of "A". Somehow the text was sent to another different "A"! of the same name.  But it was all Rom 8:28. Somehow i thot it could not had happened as i was rather sure that I chose the right "A" yesterday.  Nevertheless, it turned out that the "A" was a relative of my aunt anyway and they were currently attending the church. Well, "A" did the arrangement for the church visitation team right on the spot on the same day. I was spared of the co-ordination! LOL.  See, miracle happens even thru a mis-messaging of wat apps! LOL. But yes, God is good!  Did His angels make that switch in the apps addressee ? I wonder!

JESUS! Oh Yeah!

Focus..focus focus...
Like the photo above..the shadow of darkness casted can only be brighten up when we turn our eyes to HIM!
No more shadow of doubt!

20140218: Daniel 12:10 Wicked and Wise Understanding

Daniel 12:10"Many shall be purifed, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of  the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand"

We just celebrated Yuan Xiao Jie - the 15th day of the Lunar New Year celebration (Full Moon) and this year it coincided with the western commercialised Valentine Day. We bade farewell to the Snake Year and welcome the Stable year of the Horse.

But not so stable as it sounds as we entered into a new year with news of volcano eruption in Indonesia, snowstorms in Japan and in the states...and financial turmoil all over the world.

I grew up with my late mum who referred to the lunar calendar more than the english gregorian one.  In the younger days, she celebrated my 'chinese' birthdate rather than my 'english' date of birth.  And I used to wonder why I had "TWO" birthdates" .LOL

Telling the times and seasons on earth - one often follows that of the signs of the shape of the moon - full, half of crescent. The high and low tides of the seas are predicted according to that too.  Kind of fool-proof. Interesting isn't it?

The Book of Daniel - written around 605 - 536 Bc by the prophet Daniel. His name speaks volumes " God is my Judge"

Some personal reflections:

Have you been finding a little hard nowadays to share with others about our Lord Jesus Christ and the faith in Him? I do. But I realized perhaps it  cannot be avoided given the social media of the cases that had been brought to court especially the recent CHC case and the S377. People are more 'aware' now. In Dan12:4 Daniel wrote 2500 years back that there will come a time"  where knowledge shall be increased" and we are in this season where news become almost instantaneous given the social network of messaging platform. Where every citizen can be a net-journalist reporting "Live" breaking news on site anytime, anywhere and anyhow! And the word "Trust" is now the in- word of the season. Whom do we trust in the news?

Conclusion
Daniel 12:10 - the wicked shall not understand. But the wise shall understand.

Understand what?

The discernment of the things and events happening around us. Like watching the stars and the moons - the signs in the sky.

Many shall be TRIED - oh yes....for sure....guess before we can be purified and made white.

Ps 20 is a cry to the Lord for help in times of trouble. He is the fulfiller of all our petitions. Petitions from His children.  We will rejoice in our salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners.

As we enter into the Year of the Horse ,  V7 Some trust in Chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord. Be wise.  Trust in Him. That is all we need. Pure and simple.