Monday, February 28, 2011

Prophecies and Life of Christ...

Jesus' coming to the earth was no surprise. Long before Jesus was born, it was prophesied that He would come. Jesus did not come to earh unannounced, He came in the fulness of times.

Jesus was not an American, neither was He an English man. If those who have the thought that Christianity is a western religion, I think you should change your mindset now and update yourself with more relevant information.
Jesus came out of Israel. He was born of the family of David and of the tribe of Judah. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. He was born of a virgin by the name of Mary. Christ awas born a Jew. The time of Christ's coming was specified. Christ was then crucified at the precise time. No one earlier or later could be Christ.
When Jesus was given gall and vinegar on the cross, it was not accidental.

They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
[Psalm 69:21]

It was written in the book of Psalm, the Old Testament of the Bible. Jesus came into this world in the New Testament. And the prophecy where Jesus would be given gall and vinegar on the cross was fulfilled by the Roman soldiers...There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
[Matthew 27:34]

And Jesus would rise again from the dead as being prophecied in the Old Testament.
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
[Psalm 16:10]

One of the disciples, Peter, affirms that this was literally and actually fulfilled.

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
[Acts 2:3]

Jesus' first miracle was performed at Cana of Galilee. That's where Jesus turned water into wine while they were at a wedding banquet. You can click on this link that will send you directly to the passage written in the Bible describing Jesus' first miracle... John 2:1-12
The second miracle was the healing of the Nobleman's son in Capernaum.... John 4:46-54

Continue to read from John 13 - 16 He came to serve, not to be served. In His last six months of life in the form of human likeness, He spent His time teaching, preaching and travelling. In the last week, the Last Supper, the trials and death by the cross took place. Three days later, according to prophecy, Jesus rose again from the dead. Forty days after the resurrection, He ascended visibly and bodily into heaven. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
[Acts 1:10-11]

Miracle is the setting aside of a lower law by a higher law. Lower law is the natural physical law of earth and nature. Only God can do things contrary to this law. Jesus truly performed miracles, then He is God, for man cannot perform true miracles.

*Kindly do not compare God's miracles with the unnatural power from the underworld namely witchcraft, wizardry, spells, charms, hexes, jinxes and everything according to the soothsayers or you can call them fortune tellers.

The Lord Jesus performed miracles not to show off or entertain, but to prove His Deity and cause men to believe in Him, His message and His Person. Jesus performed credible miracles over nature. He stilled the tempest, calmed the wind and water. He even walked on the water. He performed miracles over devils. Jesus performed miracles over disease -cleansed the leper, healed the lame, opened the eyes of the blind, caused the dumb to hear and fevers to depart. Jesus performed miracles over death. He raised the dead contrary to all human law that says a dead person must stay dead. Our Lord's miracles were restrained and are completely believable. His miracles were performed openly in the presence of many witnesses and recorded by divine inspiration for us to read and believe.

This is the kind of life Jesus lived on earth:

  • how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. [Acts 10:38]
  • To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. [1 Peter 2:21]
  • Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did [1 John 2:6]

He served, performed miracles and taught the Will of God for men.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Jesus Is My Best Friend...

I have proudly introduced my best friends. Now, the best of the best of my friends is Jesus~! For the time being, I will stop all my personal posts and I would like to share with you who is this best friend of mine. He can be your best friend, too. A friend who is far more better than any other earthly friend. And He's my Saviour, my refuge and my fortress. He's my strong tower. In Him I put my trust and I shall keep my eyes focus on Him and Him alone.

I'm proud to say that Jesus is my best friend. Get to know Him better :) I would really love to share with everyone about His life history... everything about Him. Come back here more often to get to know Him. He knows what's in your heart before you can even open your mouth to voice out what's in your heart. Everything whispered in closed doors will be shared out loud through the rooftop. There's nowhere to hide from Him but He is a gentle friend who will woo you out from your hiding place. Experience life with Him and you'll find that your life is never the same again. You'll have a changed and transformed life, throwing away your oldself and putting on your newself. Everything about your life will be in order. There's nothing to worry about when you cast all your cares upon Him. Which friend of yours can do that for you?

Friday, February 25, 2011

God Is Good... All The Time...

For many years... yes, years... not months or days but years... I've been complaining that I'll never be able to have friends who can fit into my crazy work schedule. Anybody who holds an office job, probably I won't be able to meet any of them as my working hours are the total opposite. God is so gracious, after hearing my deep lamentation and my ear-buzzing complain for so many years, He found me not only one friend but two. My life is made whole with them by my side. It's as sweet as the mango frozen yoghurt with the chocolate heart to add on to the sweetness. They've coloured my life like how the sprinkles give out vibrant colours to the plain yoghurt. The three of us look like ladies of leisure. We can be seen strolling away at parks on a weekday morning. Having dim sum for breakfast when others are scrutinizing words on the computer screens or getting ready to attend meetings after meetings. The only meeting we have is meeting up with each other. The most important agenda on our list is either to the movies or where to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sometimes our to-do-list is to look for a place so beautiful that we will forget for awhile that we're still in this small little island. Juju is the special one. We squeeze in our meets up in between her lunch time. That's making time for friends. I think Gracie will have to change her name so that she can join our Judith Club... I'm happy to the max... planning for overseas trip... next year maybe... I have to slow down and take a rest from going for holidays.

Broad Reading...

Humbly, I said,"I never cease to amaze myself." While others may find that I don't read that much being a movie junkie, but I do read. I hardly do any review on the books that I've read. The first trilogy I've ever read was written by Stieg Larsson. I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to read his stories anymore as he passed away before these books were even published. The millenium edition has created such a wonderful piece with a mind-blowing storyline. These three books will capture you in a state of wonderment and you'll be transported to Sweden. The books are such page-turners that it's so hard to let go but continue to read till the end. I finished the first book and in less than a few minutes, I was buried in the second book continued by the third book. I may not agree with the social lifestyle portrayed in the book but at the same time, it's a culture that has been described lucidly in the books that makes it sound like it's a norm in Sweden. Those books are just fictions of the author. Don't take everything seriously when you're reading fictional stories, it will corrupt your mind.On the other hand, this writing by Philip Yancey is the one which makes me take a U-turn in my life. It has taught me so much and touched the very core of my heart. I'm greatly moved and would like to make a positive yet drastic change in my life. It's a good book that ought to be read. Have you ever heard of SADD? Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. The way John Ortberg writes, I think he's able to describe a lot of us in such a way that we have nowhere to hide. I do have Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. When I pray, my mind wander off to other places. I can start saying a prayer in the morning and my Amen will come later in the afternoon when I remember where I've left off. God must have felt so left out when I started a conversation with Him and left Him so abruptly to entertain my own thoughts. It's just like you're talking to someone and suddenly that person walk away without saying anything to you. How much it hurts to do that. And I've hurt God in so many ways I'll make sure my mind doesn't wander off again when I'm talking to Him.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Three Judith(s)...

Finally... finally... I've been waiting for so long to have this photo. The photo of all of us together with the same name. It's so hard to meet up at the same time due to work commitment. Today is a special day indeed. We make time to do lunch together somewhere near Juju's work place so that she doesn't have to travel far. Hhhmmm.... we're all BEAUTIFUL~! Haha... I love all our pics together. I hope we can have more pics together in future in somewhere else instead of having the food stalls as the backdrop of the photos. Introducing from left to right: Judith Y. , Judith C. , and Judith L. so we're J.Y. , J.C. , and J.L. I love them both very much. They're both my bestest friends. Irreplacable~!!! I thank God for giving me such great pals. Thank God for creating such wonderful people in this world when the world is decaying away. We have a thing for photography and if you're able to see what's in front of us... yeah... FOOD~!! Just love all the food... everything that's delicious whether they're good food or food that's sinful but tasty... I'm so happy... I spend most of my free time with either one of them. They're such great companion. They're such awesome friends that help you learn the true meaning of friendship. Seriously... all the friends that you have, you'll never know who are your true friends until all of us are put to test... a test from God and He alone is able to sieve through every soul and make you realize who stands firm beside you when you're face with trials and tribulations.

I LOVE YOU BOTH~!

Donkey's Unwise Wisdom...

My lovely pet donkey speaks again. I feel like sitting down and have a long talk with donkey. I don't know whether to praise donkey now or just look at donkey in total silence. Donk, does it sound right to say,"When the world cast a shadow on you, just enjoy the shade before it fades." Just enjoy the shade? If you've gone through what I'm going through now, I don't think you'll sit down and do nothing and just enjoy the shade. I know what I want to do with you now. *whacks Donkey on the head with the Bible* Are you teaching people to wallow in self-pity and enjoy the feeling of being stuck in the mud and drown in their own tears when trouble comes their way? Here, Donk... take this Bible... I'll do some reading with you. Turn to the book of James. Do you know where the book of James is? It's in the New Testament after the book of Hebrews. Look at Chapter 1 regarding Trials and Temptations. See that? Keep your eyes focus on verses 2,3 and 4. Now, read it out loud together with me.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. [James 1:2-4]

Consider it pure joy doesn't mean sitting down and doing nothing. When you're face with trials and tribulations or how you term it, when the world cast a shadow on you, rise up to the occasion and walk closer to God. Your relationship with God will be stronger and you'll have a different perspective about the Lord, whom you call Abba, Father. That is pure joy. It's like going through the refining process. You'll come out a better person instead of just being the same old person who has learn nothing out of a situation. Learn something good and impart into people something that's more meaningful, Donk... *shakes head... my Donkey sounds more and more hopeless*

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Penang is Green...

I've always introduce Penang as a food haven. A place where you can expand your waistline and bring damage to your weighing scales. Or other than that, you can burn a huge hole in your pocket after doing some frenzy shopping in all our shopping malls. Those are the only two things that I can think of at the mention of Penang Island. Now, I have a different view of my own sweet and lovely hometown. Penang is certified green. The thick lush greenery can't be more satisfying. The entire are of Botanical Garden gives you a feeling that you're in another country. A feel of autumn minus the chilly wind of course. The shades by the humongous trees really give you a natural umbrella shade. The wind is quite cooling at some point of time. Just enjoy having a leisure walk. A jog will be good for the pumping heart, too. I choose photography instead of exercising. If you don't really like walking on flat land with some steep part, you can head down to Youth Park which is just a few minutes drive away from the Botanical Garden. Hiking on jungle trail :) and then the great scenery from the top. It will take you breath away. Such mesmerizing view. I can just sit there on the rocks and stare into the open view shaded by the clouds. The Metropolitan Park has a good view too although the place is rather small. :) I feel like I'm in another country. Let me think of Melbourne when bro was driving through the jungle to get to the 12 Apostles. I will never forget that. Never in my life will I ever forget that. There are small zones to walk around where they plant fruit trees. The fruit trees are just starting to grow. Maybe in another few years it will start to bear fruits. From the map on the board, I thought I'll be walking half of Penang Island until I saw such small zoning areas. Takes less than 3 minutes to finish one round. Then you can rest. Well... that's the best way to rest on a table. I can't think of any better way to rest. Hiking again this weekend and also Thursday morning. Yippee~!

A Sleeper's Satisfaction...

Sleeping on a bed of roses and flowers I know not of their names. I've never have anyone give me bedsheet as a Christmas pressie. I've never imagine taking bedsheet as a Christmas pressie. Find it surprising and simply wonderful instead of the usual photo frames and keychains. This kinda special gifts can come only from the creative and innovative and spectacular friend. It's from you Judz~! Recognize that? I have my big head dog do some inspection. Sniffing around searching for unwanted gadgets hidden among the flowers. Maybe you have some recording bugs stitched neatly in between the fine thread count. The sniffing took some time as the dog has to sniff in between all the flowers and under the leaves. Finally, it is certified clean and free from any sorts of bugs. The cock-eyed cow wanted to graze on some fresh grass. To its disappointment, there's not even a single leaf of grass to eat for supper. The cow became upset then chose to sit on the flowers. I can't force the cow to eat the flowers. It's against the grain of nature to make a cow eat flowers. The cow sat on the flowers then decided to leave some cow dung as a token of thank you in a sarcastic way. What was meant to be bad turned into something great. The fresh dung became somewhat a fabulous fertilizer for the roses and out of the red, a huge strawberry grew. It's so big it will take forever to finish. The gigantic strawberry is so soft that I made it into my pillow. A pink rabbit scratched its way out of the burrow. It's so happy to be surrounded with beautiful and heavily scented roses. The rabbit lay still to enjoy the softness of the roses spread. Finally, the mistress of the bed take over the bed. I've never slept on such comfortable bedsheet. It's crazy enough to blog about bedsheet but the fine thread count really makes it wonderful. Now I know why people will spend RM700 on bedsheet. I'll have to upgrade all my bedsheet after this.

Monday, February 21, 2011

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.: (F)ight for you. (R)espect you. (I)nvolve you. (E)ncourage you. (N)eed you. (D)eserve you and (S)tand by you.
To experience all of that, I will boldly say that not everyone has the opportunity to go through all that with a friend. I, on the other hand, have been blessed beyond words when I have gone through all those with not only one friend but a handful of friends. What more can a person ask for in this life? Cheers~! This is my bestest friend. Forget about English grammar for a moment. The word 'best' can only be used by one person and best is already the superlative for good. So what other word to be used to describe better than best? I have more than one but I still regard them as my best friend. This is Juju... my travel buddy, my eating pal, the person my camera is attracted to in both assets and liabilities. She is more than what the acronym of friends stand for. To put into words, I don't think my vocabulary is wide enough to describe how great is she as a friend. *giving you a big wet sloppy kiss*Ahh... introducing the accidental friend from the neighbouring badminton court. Eventually, I shifted to her court and we become movie buddies, camera-crazy buddies, sms-pal and small little outing yuppies. No doubt we've known each other for a short time, we became instant best friends. She's simply being herself... that's Judz... *hugs* Oh, Gracie... Gracie... she comes like the wind. Dropped down from heaven and before I know it, we're friends. Anything in common? There must be something in common. Movie freaks? Music? Clothes? Oh... oh... I know... we both love our freedom and not being tied down with office hours. We're our own bosses... God is so good, I know you'll agree on that~! The lesser the working hours, the better. How I wish we can be lady of leisure like Judz. My bunny... no face shown... privacy. He's everything I'm not. I'm a tornado while he's a calm wind. I'm a popping jack-in-the-box while he's the statue of Liberty. He holds on to me while I have to hang on to him while rocking the boat at the same time. I rock the boat all the time while he's the anchor of the boat.
Indeed, they fought for me in my darkest hours. All of them fought for me when I was about to drown due to my own mistakes *shedding tears* I won't know what to do without any of you. Through the incident, I've known who my real friends really are and nothing I can say or do will be able to show how much all of you mean to me. No words from the dictionary can describe how much impact all of you have put in my life.
Respect. I don't know what to say about this part. I think all of you respect the way I choose to live my life. On the other hand, I respect whatever thoughts you have on me.
Involve me. Yes, I totally feel accepted. Acceptance is a better word just that there's no letter 'A' in 'friends'.
Encourage. Double yes *nodding my head furiously* I've never really know how to encourage a person until I've seen how all of you encouraged me with words of wisdom and I'm totally encouraged. Completely amazed by how fabulous and fantastic encouragers all of you are. *triple hugs*
Need me. :) I already feel highly accepted and deeply encouraged.
Deserve me. To go deeper into this, I feel that I don't deserve any of you. I'm so blessed to have everyone of you as my friends.
Stand by me. Experienced that. Through thick and thin. Happy times and my worst moment in life, you are all by my side, holding me up in prayers are better than anything else in the world. Not to forget, my best pal since I was 14 but she left me for Singapore when she was 15. Our friendship is still as strong as it used to be. My down-to-earth friend. I've never met anyone like her at our age. She's wise beyond her age. Have to learn it from her. Love you, AYGC~! *Squeal~!* I've known her at the age of 7. We became really good friends when we were 10. 20 years of friendship. Oh, no... sound so old.... but we're still young. We'll never run out of topic to talk about. I'm glad we meet up on your short trip back here.
P.S. Thank you Donkey for letting me 'steal' your shoutout. You would have been an awesome friend yourself if you have stayed on.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

The Fear of the Lord...

Fear of the Lord means piety. It is used to express our religious duty toward God. It is essential but not inherited. Lack or absence of this fear can only bring sin, disillusionment and end in tragedy.

"Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'
[Deuteronomy 4:10]

It is something that we must be taught to children and people that each generation may learn to fear the Lord. Fear is the thing that God requires from each one of us. It is a purpose of creation.

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
[Ecclesiastes 12:13]

The two purposes of man according to Ecclesiastes 12:13 are:
  • Fear God
  • Keep His commandments

Things that we are not to fear:

  • We are not to fear idols or other gods "The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. [2 Kings 17:38]
  • We are not to fear man. We are to fear the Lord only. The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. [Proverbs 29:25]
  • We are not to fear earthly calamities for they signify the near return of our Saviour
  • The true believer does not fear future punishments but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. [Hebrews 10:27]
  • We are not to fear 'fear' "Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack [Job 15:24] casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. [1 Peter 5:7]

In both the Old and the New Testament, we are asked to fear God...

  1. "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. [Deuteronomy 13:4]
  2. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. [1 Peter 2:17]

Description of the fear of the Lord:

  • It is a hatred of evil "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. [Proverbs 8:13]
  • It is wisdom The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. [Psalm 111:10]
  • It is a treasure Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it. [Proverbs 15:16]
  • It is a fountain of life The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. [Proverbs 15:27]

  • It is clean The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. [Psalm 19:9]
  • It endures forever
  • It is godly Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe [Hebrews 12:28]
The motives that cause us to fear God:
  1. The holiness of God Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." [Revelation 15:4]
  2. The greatness of God "For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. [Deuteronomy 10:17]
  3. The goodness of God "Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. [1 Samuel 12:24]
  4. The forgiveness of God But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. [Psalm 130:4]
  5. The wondrous works of God
    "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever." [Joshua 4:23-24]
  6. Coming judgments and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters. [Revelation 14:7]
The fear of the Lord is necessary:
  • To worship But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You. [Psalm 5:7]
  • In service Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. [Psalm 2:11]
  • To keep us from sin Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." [Exodus 20:20]
  • To good government "The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me,'He who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God, [2 Samuel 23:3]
  • For administration of justice "Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe." [2 Chronicles 19:7]
  • For the perfecting of holiness in our Christian lives Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. [2 Corinthians 7:1]
The results of fearing God
  • It brings pleasure to the Lord The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness. [Psalm 147:11]
  • It causes the Lord's pity to increase upon the child of God Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. [Psalm 103:13]
  • It brings acceptance with God but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. [Acts 10:35]
  • It brings the mercy of God But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children [Psalm 103:17]
  • It brings blessings Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. [Psalm 112:1]
  • It brings confidence In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. [Proverbs 14:26]
  • It brings separation from evil How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. [Proverbs 16:16]
  • It brings Christian fellowship Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. [Malachi 3:16]
  • It supersedes the fear of man "You are not to say, 'It is a conspiracy!' In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. "It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. [Isaiah 8:12-13]
  • It brings answered prayer He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. [Psalm 145:19]
  • It brings long life The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. [Proverbs 10:27]

Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. [Psalm 86:11]

Psalm 86:11 taught us God's way so that we can walk in His truth and unite our hearts to fear His Holy Name.