They arrived!

A month ago, I purchased ten Bibles and shipped them to Nigeria to help a Christian brother out.  I blogged about it and shared how hard it was for me to do so.

The Bibles took a month to get to Nigeria.  Since I ordered it, I often wondered if they would get there.  Because you never know if they shipped it to the wrong place.  Or hold up in customs.

As I continued to live my busy life in Singapore, this morning I received a pleasant email....

Dear Brother Cliff, 

Greetings in Jesus name. I am happy to let you know that the bibles you sent have arrived. What a great Joy! They are very precious types.  I am short of words but I want to tell you that this bibles are greatly appreciated. We paid some charges to collect them. God is aware of this great service and hand of fellowship you have extended to us and great is your blessings. Tears of joy flows out of my eyes as I opened and saw the wonderful bibles. I wish I could see you face to face to shake your hands but I know we shall meet in Heaven if not here on earth. We spent much time interceding for you and your church yesterday evening in our evening Bible Study. We are greatly blessed, Glory to God! 

The brother was thankful and grateful.  He shared about his ministry and helping Muslim neighbors (despite some other churches don't want to help the Muslims as they killed Christians).  Yet because of Jesus said, you shall love your neighbours as yourself, the brother and his church continued to offer help in cleaning up debris after the flood.

To love our neighbors.  Here comes a bit of a rant.  Or frustrations at times.  We talked about it.  But how often we love those who are our friends. Last Sun, the preacher shared if you can't even love those who love you, there's something wrong with you.  We shouldn't get a medal or an award because we love those who love us.  That's just normal.  He went on preaching about to love those who are marginalize and who you do not really care.

And this message, I also preach often when I shared.   Back in my church in Canada, I often told the kids to love those who hate them.  Like those who bully them at school.  Or the person in class that no one wanted to talk to.  Yes, we can make up excuses and say it is hard and sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, disobey what Jesus taught.

But reading this brother's email.  Where he live so far away from me, brought me much encouragement and hope.  To which I wrote a heartfelt email back:

Hi Brother,

Praise the Lord for He provides more than abundance in what I need. I am so happy and joyful to get up this morning and read your email.  To hear that you receive the Bibles make me joyful. I pray that you will continue to strengthen the brethens around you as you teach them the Word of Truth and obey them in everything in Christ. I am so thankful to be part of this and to help your ministry grow.  I do not think I am special in this manner, as I struggle whether or not to buy the Bibles.  Then I realize this is a worthy investment.  Since I ordered the Bible last month, I often wonder when it will arrive and whether you will receive them. I am glad you have them in your hands. 

I thank you for sharing how your church love your Muslim neighbors and helped them in their needs. I, too, advocate and preach to love our enemies and to bless them.  As Jesus has said in Matthew 5:43-48.   Of course, this is not easily done. But our lives, living in the Kingdom of Heaven, is to act to bring the Good News. And yes, many will focus mainly within the church.  Those of us who see the greatness of His Kingdom will be able to open our eyes and our hearts to see those who are in need and reach those who Jesus desire to reach. 

I hope this will encourage you to continue to live in His Faith and by His Grace, strengthen you in all that you need. I, too, in Singapore, reach those who are marginalize and those who are on the outskirt of society.  Not because I am qualify to do so.  But because Jesus commanded us to go and seek the lost, preach the Good News and restore them back to Him. 

You never know if I will come and visit you. My girlfriend (soon to be my wife as we are getting marry later this year) have a big heart for Africa.  The church I attend to have a ministry in Uganda as well.  Who knows, maybe in the future, I will come and see you. 

Take care and God bless!!

Read the Word.  Live on them.  Then preach others to follow Him.

Bible is inerrant

Lesson from today's class.

The Bible is inerrant.  That is the Bible contains no error.

However, the person who interpret the Bible is not inerrant.  

One more reason why we should study the Scripture to say what it is trying to say instead of us trying to put ideas into the Scripture....

Debts and debtors

I was reading Matthew 6 this morning....the Lord's prayer...

9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
   " 'Our Father in heaven,
   hallowed be your name,
10  your kingdom come,
   your will be done
      on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12  Forgive us our debts,
      as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13  And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.' 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 5:9-15

---

I was particular interested in the debts and debtors.  In verse 12, Jesus first tells us to ask the Father first to forgive our debts.  This is what we owe to God.   The second half is when we forgive those who OWE us.

Only when God shows us how He forgives our sins, then we can start to forgive others.  (Jesus speaks about the similar issue in Matthew 18:21-35 -  The parable of the Unmericful servant.


Based on wiki, a debtor is an entity that owes a debt to someone else. So my debtors are those who owe me something.

Is Jesus here only talking about money? Perhaps.  But probably a lot more than that.  Because in the first half of verse 12, He uses the same word debts to describe what we owe to God (and we owe God more than just money!).  In verse 14 and 15, Jesus explains further about debts and debtors. 

I was thinking some deeper issues and certain incidents when I was holding grudge against someone.  Perhaps someone from church who wronged me or talk behind my back.  They owe me plenty...not money...(usually pride and ego)...

I remembered a while back I was having lunch with a bunch of friends.  I left early and realized I forgot something.  As I walked back in, I heard someone said..'hey do you know if Cliff is dating.....'

One of my pet peeves is when someone talk behind someone about relationship.  It will be fine if they ask me in person.  The conversation died down very quickly as they saw me.

It is little incidence like this when we need to forgive first.  Forgive even they (the 'wrong' party) haven't apologize yet.  Forgive even when I don't feel like it.  Forgive even if I am 'right'. (I am using right and wrong loosely because at certain times being right is just a perspective...)

So often we read, study and hear about how God forgives us so freely.  Yet when it comes to our turn to do the same, we just think it is unfair, not right or our situation is unique.  God didn't wait until I realize I have wronged Him then He comes with full forgiveness.  I was forgiven while I was His enemies....

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Romans 5:10

Our situation is unique.  God loves us so much He forigves first.  Perhaps when we truly learn the meaning of forgiveness and reconciliation...we won't have so much problem with our brothers, our sisters and our neighbours...

Sunday Morning Reflection

Note: I notice I say 'you know' and ehh a lot.  :D I am also using a NASB bible. In this blog, I mostly use NIV translation.  At least the river scene is nice!

The sermon I was reflecting is from Tim Keller -> http://download.redeemer.com/sermons/And_Kissed_HimF.mp3 [4 min 30 sec into the sermon]

If you stand praying and holding anything against anyone, forgive him.  Right there.  That's what this parable is illustrating ...we stand on our porches.  Well, she started it.  He started it.  If they want to make it right, fine I will make it right.  No.  You don't wait for someone to do something.  You forgive.  You reconcile.

The passage I was quoting from:

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Mark 11:25-26

I was reflecting on this during my afternoon ride.

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 

"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." 

Matthew 18:15-19

As far as I know, Jesus never treated ill toward a pagan or a tax collector.  In fact, he called one of them, Levi, to join him.  He considered them as lost when the Pharisees asked Him why did He spent all the time with them (sinners and the tax collectors) [Luke 5:30].  He commanded the centurion (definitely a pagan as he would be a Roman citizen) as having the most faith in all of Israel (Matthew 8:10).

[Added:  Question: How does the bounding of heaven and earth relate to forgiveness and church discipline?]

Side note:  this is one of the rare verses Jesus uses the word, church.

What's more interesting is in the rest of Matthew 18, Peter asked Jesus how often should he forgive his brothers?  Not just seven times.  But seventy seven times.  Then Jesus went on to use a parable to illustrate the mercy of God and the expectation of those who receive His mercy.

This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.

Matthew 18:35

Relating with the Bible

A few years ago, one of my friends asked another friend who recently became a Christian the following question:

"Isn't the Bible just fill with stories and fairy tales to convert people?"

He answered in a very sincere manner. That if the people put the Bible together to convince people, there will be many things that they don't need to put in it.

On the way drive home from prayer meeting tonight, I reflected on the authenticity of the Bible. Sure I can pull out historical references to prove the Bible is reliable. For me, what even more compelling is how I can relate with the characters in the Bible.

Like Moses...

...not confidence of his own skills, talents and age when God told asked him to go back to Egypt and free his people.

"O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

(Exodus 4:10)

Oh Lord, how often I see the frail (failure) of my own abilities and question the task You bestowed upon me. What qualifications do I have to lead or go? I have no knowledge or the Bible or the gospel. I cannot speak well to convince others about You or win over arguments. I cannot deal with people.

Or Gideon...

...who constantly ask for signs to confirm that You are with him. Like here when You first spoke to him:

"If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you."

(Judges 6:17-18)

Or here to confirm Your promise that You will deliver the Israel from the Midianites:

"If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised-look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said."

(Judges 6:36 b- 37)

And a second time for confirmation:

"Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew."

(Judges 6:39b)

Oh Lord. How I keep asking You for signs after signs. Yet like in Judges, You never despair or grow impatient of me. In fact, You even show me signs like You did with Gideon and tell him to sneak down the enemy camps and see how You will delivered them to Gideon and his three hundred men.

Or Peter...

...after reinstated by Jesus. When Jesus command him that he will be led where he didn't want to go. His first response was point to the other disciple and asked,

"Lord, what about him?"

(John 21:21 b)

Oh Lord, how often I asked what about the other brother or sister when You gave me a task. How You treat him have nothing to do with me and nor my concern.

And finally a criminal...

But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

(Matthew 23:39-43)

O Lord, how Your innocent Son has to die on the cross for us. For of all the faults, I deserve none of your blessings. How gracious of You to clothe me in Your mercy and forgiveness. May I be like the criminal, exulting Your Name to my very last breathe. For You will remember me when I come to Your Kingdom.