Friday, January 29, 2016

Clowney on how Jesus transforms "You shall not steal"

We would have stopped short if we only mention that Jesus transforms "You shall not steal" by giving himself as our treasure. That would be a rather self-centered sermon. We have to also remember that instead of being judged and punished, we now have the privilege of being in his service. For we belong to God, his treasured possession, as we are refined by the trials and testings in this life.

I dont know about you guys, but as a young Singapore who will soon have to deal with the pressures of wedding bills and home mortgage, it takes a supernatural awakening of my spirit to be generous. Every fibre of my being wants to be debt-free and that would mean cutting back on blessing others. Yet once again I am reminded to fix my eyes and my heart on life beyond earth, that the money I supposedly earn is but under my stewardship. What better way to spend it than for the glory of his kingdom, not on my own interests but that of others whom Christ loves just as much as I.



From pages 99-102 and 120-121 of: How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments

"Our inheritance is more than the blessings of glory, more than the new heavens and earth. It is the Lord, who gives himself to us, that we may be one with him. Yes, Jesus Christ does all this in transforming the commandment of property rights, "You shall not steal." He gives himself as our treasure...

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knew that he could keep those whom the Father had given him. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." He added, "No one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one" (John 10:27-30). No one can steal the inheritance of the divine Shepherd. As we are the inheritance, the property of the Lord, so, too, we possess our inheritance in Christ. We belong to Jesus; he belongs to us...


In the power of Christ and his love we can learn not only to refrain from stealing what belongs to others, but to multiply our treasure by clinging to Christ alone. Out of the bounty of that miraculous multiplication of our gifts and treasure, we can amply supply those whom Christ places in our path. Let us shower on those around us the treasure God has given us, not counting the cost, but looking to that treasure that is laid up in heaven for us, namely, Christ himself."

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Thomas on choosing your children's father/mother

This really got me thinking, do I want my kids to be like in future? That made me do some serious reflection on how I am living my life now. Do I want them to inherit my laziness, messiness or procrastination? It is reality hitting me really hard when I realise that I really have to impart character to my children, and I definitely cannot pass on something that I do not have.

In two days I built a shelf to rehouse all the clutter in my room, cleaned the other bookshelves and posted unwanted books for sale on carousell. Now to start wrapping up the other 20 or so brand new books and put them on the to-read shelf. And to build another shelf so as to move all my inventory for my business into my room in a more space efficient manner.



From Pages 126-127 of: The Sacred Search

"If three people applied to babysit my kids, the mere fact that they all wanted a job wouldn’t be what I based my choice on. I’d hire the babysitter who seemed most stable, safe, qualified, and competent. That’s not being selfish or judgmental; it’s being wise, responsible, and protective of my kids.

You get to start protecting your kids before they’re even born. Give them a godly mom or dad. Even better, raise them in a godly family with lots of spiritual support. Most young people completely discount this. I think it should be much more of a factor in your final decision than many people make it.

If the person you love knows you’re a Christian and says he or she’s a Christian too, that means almost nothing. In one sense, it means a lot, in that if they categorically say they’re not a believer, you have no business marrying them. However, I hope you want more than just someone who simply says he or she’s a Christian. Consider marrying a certain kind of Christian, one with a humble spirituality."

Review: Worship by the Book

Worship by the Book Worship by the Book by D.A. Carson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having grown up in a charismatic tradition and having recently discovered the whole new world (yes reference to Aladdin) of reformed theology, I was so very enriched to learn of carefully thought through worship service sequences. Carson's excellent opening chapter on "worship under the word" sometimes were beyond my understanding, but it is going to be something i will refer to, time and time again, so to better catch a glimpse of how worship could be like before we pass into eternity.

When I have to do spring cleaning of my books, this is definitely one that I will keep for a long time. A absolutely helpful resource, especially for decision makers in churches, both old established ones and new church-plants.

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Monday, January 18, 2016

Review: Why Church Matters: Discovering Your Place in the Family of God

Why Church Matters: Discovering Your Place in the Family of God Why Church Matters: Discovering Your Place in the Family of God by Joshua Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Growing up, the most narrow minded and dogmatic people I knew were Christian leaders. It seemed like the higher up the ladder they were, the more unpleasant they were. If going into ministry (or "serving God") meant that I would become like them, I wanted to have nothing to with it.

Fast forward a few years, a loving pastor from another church mentored me from the days that I was anti-Christian, to today when I am a final year Bachelor student in Bible School. I still struggle to see why going to church is important, but have continually allowed the Word of God to speak to my heart. Gradually I am softening to the wrongdoings of others, past and present, and am having to have a mindset shift of becoming part of a Christian community again. Thom Rainer's "I am a church member" was especially helpful - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I read through Harris' book in one sitting. I found it easy to understand, not too complexly theological; just the right mix for the general lay person. Harris proposition is to call those who affirm to be Christians to stop dating churches; get married to one with wholehearted commitment and service!

I resonate thoroughly with his affirmation of "what matters most" (pgs 72-87), even I seek to settle down and commit to a local church with my soon-to-be wife.
1. Is this a church where God's Word is faithfully taught?
2. Is this a church where sound doctrine matters?
3. Is this a church in which the gospel is cherished and clearly proclaimed?
4. Is this a church committed to reaching non-Christians with the gospel?
5. Is this a church whose leaders are characterised by humility and integrity?
6. Is this a church where people strive to live by God's Word?
7. Is this a church where I can find and cultivate godly relationships?
8. Is this a church where members are challenged to serve?
9. Is this a church that is willing to kick me out?
10. Is this a church I'm willing to join "as is" with enthusiasm and faith in God?

I doubt I could come up with a better list. And I especially found much of the commentary on each of the point very useful, these few pages would make the price of the book more than worth it!

As a student whose area of interest happens to be ecclesiology, Harris' following advice is a sober sober reminder, "Please don't join a church because you think God has called you to overhaul it! Humbly recognize that you have your own sin to deal with and that you won't succeed anywhere as a self-appointed leader." (p85). Amen to that!

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Sunday, January 10, 2016

Review: Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction

Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction by Gary L. McIntosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At the date of this review (in 2015), I understand that all students at Evangel University are required to read this book as part of their first year in seminary - that's a huge stamp of confidence from the student development/leadership department of the importance of the topic and how useful the book is. Churches and Christian Organisations would find this book a good starting point in leadership development and training of their leaders.

Many of us are aware of how gifted and talented we are. And this book will provide a sober reminder and a reality check to warn us how so very close we are so prone to falling and ending up in ministerial failure, not in spite of but BECAUSE of these very strengths that we have. Alongside with Thomas' Sacred Pathways, I use Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership (compiling the questionnaires at each chapter into a single MCQ Test) as a starting point for my christian friends to better understand their leadership gifts (and the respective pitfalls). I have done the test thrice (2013, 2014 and 2015), plotted the results on a graph and appreciated how I had evolved over time. I barely could find a single boring page in the book as the content was engaging to the point I devoured page after page. The real-life illustrations of each Dark Side of leadership perfectly made clear the propositions and substantives the authors attempted to convey. The material was highly accessible, extremely practical and very relevant.

I highly recommend this book for staff working in executive positions for both in Christian and "secular" organisations.

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Monday, January 4, 2016

Review: When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box

When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A masterpiece. I read it in a day, though not in a single sitting. As a bible school student, I gravitate toward more theologically "deep" and "scholarly" titles. This I have to admit was a pleasant surprise (partially because I've read his "The Life You've Always Wanted" and found it to be so-so.

I am so thankful to Ortberg for reminding me what on earth should I be doing with my life, even as I am embarking on a new journey in life that would kickoff the start of a career (and involve financing the purchase of a new house). It is so easy to be caught up with the truly temporal things of this world, acquiring material goods and objects, even to give one's life in the pursuit of attain greater wealth, recognition, power, maybe even friends. I would not be able to do justice to John's brilliant narrative if I were to try and summarise the key points, but I do highly highly recommend you purchase it (or borrow it from a library) and let the Holy Speak to you through it!

Ortberg skills as a master storyteller is evident in this book, with the many illustrative stories to keep the reader interested on his various theses. I enjoyed the book so much that I promptly ordered 2 more to keep as would-be gifts when the occasion arises! Almost everything in this book I thoroughly agree with, the only thing that i would be hesitant to endorse would be that solomon was the author or the book of Ecclesiastes.

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