Are we ready?

“You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Luke 12:40

We always live as if there will be a next day awaiting us. But what if it never comes? 3 and a half months has since passed with numerous earthquakes. Just this week alone in America, there were reports of about 30 hurricanes and it was also raining hail stones. Not to mention the situation in Middle East has never been messier than before. Morality level has dipped so much that it has become a drag to read the paper. In the Bible, Matthew 24 lists down the signs of the end time. As of now, many signs have been witnessed by this generation. Just as the dark clouds gathered, we know very well to discern that it will be raining any time. But it is an irony that what is happening in the world doesn’t seems to be an indication to us that we do not have much time left. Since there is no realization of the truth of the matter, we will also not be prepared for it. It is the same with exam, we will only prepare for it when the date is nearing. But why is it that with all that is happening in this world, we seems to be unmoved? Jesus clearly specified that His return will be unknown to us. But He instructed us to be ready regardless. With the signs pointing to His coming anytime possible, are we ready? Will we have any regrets if He is to come for us now?

The importance of our conscience

“David was conscience-stricken…” I Sam 24:5

The scenario here is one of great advantage to David. Here is King Saul in the cave, the man who is after his life relieving himself not knowing that he was giving David the opportunity to take his life. Putting an end to Saul’s life will finally give David the “break” from this relentless pursue of his enemy. A pursue that makes no sense to him as he did nothing wrong to be pursue for. Many times in life, isn’t this how we feel? We are blamed or wronged for the things that we did not do and the accusations just kept pursuing us. We just grow tired of it and when the opportunity arises for us to jump back at the opposition, we will grab it. Can you imagine what it must have felt like for David? He must be thinking to himself, “Yes, I am finally free from all these burdensome pursue!” But he was conscience-stricken and did not do so. This gives us a picture of how important our consciences are for us. It is our consciences that keep us from doing wrong. It is thus of high importance that we keep our conscience clear. If we allow our conscience to be smear, we will in soon time loose the sensitivity of it. It is the same as the car, if we do not clean the windscreen of the car, it will only get more and more dirty and we will be unable to drive in the right direction and will only get into an accident in time to come. God uses our conscience to speak to us. Keep our conscience clear!

There is a Way

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life."
John 14:6

You say love is just a word, just four letters in a row.

Just a thing that people say, or they never tell you so.
And you use every excuse, to let nobody in.
Now this cloud you bring around, has become your only friend.

And everybody saying that it's going to go away, but it don't go.
And everybody's telling you one day it's going to change,
but you don't know, if it's really going to end.
But there is a way, there is a spark,
there is a hope that you can hold on to.
There is a lifeline come to the rescue,
just like a hand that's waiting for you.
And if you believe in this I promise that you won't be alone.
There is a way, the truth and the life, and the way.

But if love became a man, if the word had flesh and bone.
Would you recognize His face, if He came to bring you home.
You think you're all alone, gotta do it on your own riding solo.
Is there someone you can call, when you stumble and fall?
Cause you don't know, if you'll be getting up again.

There is a way, there is a spark,
there is a hope that you can hold on to.
There is a lifeline come to the rescue,
just like a hand that's waiting for you.
And if you believe in this I promise that you won't be alone.
There is a way, the truth and the life, and the way.

Don't you think your life's worth saving?
Don't you know that love's amazing?
Don't you want to lay your troubles down?
Lay them down.

If I thought love was just a word, I might feel the same way too.
But there's so much more than that, and it's waiting here for you.

There is a way, there is a spark,
there is a hope that you can hold on to.
There is a lifeline come to the rescue,
just like a hand that's waiting for you.
And if you believe in this I promise that you won't be alone.
There is a way,
there is a way,
there is a way.
(Truth and the life and the way.)
Come on, there is a way.
(Truth and the life and the way.)
(Truth and the life and the way.)
There is a way,
there is a way.
(Truth and the life and the way.)
There is a way.
(Truth and the life and the way.)
Ooooh, there is a way back home.
(Truth and the life and the way.)

What Christmas means?

"A timeless truth which will remains in my heart regardless of where I am or what I do because His love remains the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever!"

Having Christmas at a different place doesn’t really make Christmas any different I supposed. That is if the meaning of Christmas has a special place in your heart. Sad to say, it didn’t snow since the 9th of December so I didn’t get to try out what it is like to have a white Christmas. I did go out for a walk in the afternoon to feel the winter breeze and the ambience of Christmas. The Christmas lightings at Shibuya, Daikyuyama and Shinjuku were pretty but it was still a little disappointing. To add to it, Christmas day isn’t a public holiday here in Japan.

I spent this Christmas Eve having dinner with my host family and close friend's family after which, we attended a church service. After all, Christmas is a time of sharing and most importantly, the day of remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ who being God was born in the form of the human being to be with us which explained why He is also called Emmanuel. This is so that many through Him can come to have a loving relationship with God. For it is through Christ that Many Are Saved which explains why it is known as Christ.M.A.S. For it is written:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him (Jesus) should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

The existence of Christ is not only written in the Living Word of God, the Bible. It is also recorded in the books of history. However, what draws me to Him is that Christ came down to die for us, sinners so that His blood can cleanse us from all our sins. Not because we deserve it but solely because of His unconditional love for us. To me, this is already beyond what I can image for the love shown is indeed the greatest love ever exhibited!

As a friend, this is my way of sharing my love with you and to give you my best wishes that you too may come to a loving relationship with God! May the peace of Christmas be with you next Christmas wherever you are and whatever you do. God bless!

P.S. The above is written on Christmas of 2002 when I was in Japan. Hope you had a Blessed Christmas!

The First Snow

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” Psalms 19:1-2

I couldn’t really remember what I was doing then but I knew I had a busy day. I was rushing from one place to another as I had two appointments side by side. It was good to be able to reach home before it started pouring. By the time I was home, all I wanted to do was to have a good hot shower as I could feel the fatigue after traveling out in the cold weather. I thought I will sleep earlier than usual but I didn’t as the weather forecast reported it will snow in the middle of the night. But the truth is the weather forecast reported the same yesterday and it didn’t. Once bitten twice shy? It didn’t work on me as I foolishly sat by the side of my bed reading at 1 plus in the middle of the night in the hope of catching the first glimpse of snow.

In the stillness of the night, out of a sudden, the mobile buzzed. It was my phone’s message tone. It was a message from my friend asking me a question, “Have you seen snow before?”. I rushed to the window and to my delight saw white little fakes flowing down from the darkness of the night. The first snow I got to see in life.

I can’t help but to open the window so as to get a better view of the snow from heaven. It was freezing cold indeed but I couldn’t care less anymore as it was snowing. A view or should I say an experience I have never ever had before as I grew up in Singapore. I stretched out my hand to reach for the white flakes that were falling slowly to the ground. Those that landed on my hand melted eventually but those that were left on the sleeve of my sweater took a while before it melted away. I reached for my camera to try to capture the scene but it was just too cold that the camera lens had frozen. So, all I can do was to give up and enjoy the beautiful sight of seeing the pure white snow flowing down in the midst of the darkness. There was just peace and serenity in the midst of it all.

I woke up to the morning light and the very first thing I did was to rush to the window to see if the snow had stopped. To my surprise, it had not but the scene before me was even much more graceful as the rooftop of the houses had been covered with layers of white snow. The snow continued to flow shiftily to the ground in the midst of the sunray. It was totally different from the night, as the day drew a picture of heavenly grace. Like angels with wing dancing in the midst of the clouds. At that instance, I cannot help but to stand in awe of the creation of God! It was then I realized, “How wonderful indeed it is to be alive!”.

It is not even the mid of December and it is known in Tokyo that it will only snow in January. It has really been years since it snowed in Tokyo in the month of December. However, miracles do happen. Even if it is a short while, a miracle is still a miracle to those who bear hopes and believe.

It snowed for a day in Tokyo, on the 9th of December in the year 2002. This is the day which I got to encounter my first snow.

An Eye for an Eye?

"If it is always an eye for an eye, then we will never get out of it, WILL WE?"
Mr. Michael Puhaindran, whose wife was a victim
of a Terrorist Attack

"Vengeance for Vengeance, will only continue in a vicious cycle."

-In Forgiveness, There is Healing-
ray or rei

In the Stream of Dalylight

What do you see when you look into the still water?

Learn to Still your Heart
Take Time to Reflect

How do you Treat others?

Last Thursday night after a day of hard work on the project I am on, I got on the bus and right at the end at the last row of seat was a man seated like a king. He was sitting with such strive in his posture with the body straight up, his eyes gazing, two legs spread wide apart that the 2 seats besides him were left empty. Not because people do not want to sit but only because he was seriously hoarding the other 2 seats with his legs. Then I reflected on myself, “Do I live in a way that there is no consideration for others?”

The bus went by a petrol station and I saw a man with his hand tucked on his hips supervising 4 Indian car washers who were polishing his BMW. Never have I seen in a car wash that there are 4 car washers needed to attend to a car. Then I asked myself, “Just because we are paying for the service of others, does it gives us the right to lord over them?”

After which I recalled about my friend who in the afternoon did a heroic act not out of pride but selfless sacrifice. As we walk pass a large canal (picture of the canal can be found on the right of the blog titled “Can you see it?”) and to our surprise, there was a dog in it. Without a thought, he just climbed down from the side ladder of the canal and proceeded to rescue the poor dog out of the puddle of dirty water the dog was in despite he having to go to a class later. Then I pondered to myself, ”How many of us will go out of the way to the extend of dirtying ourselves to help others?”

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13

He, who made the above statement did exactly as what He had said as He laid down His life for all mankind 2000 years ago.

Do you know Him? Do you know He really loves you?

What is IT?

"There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death."
- Proverbs 16:25 -

Many times in life, we think we got IT?
But have we really got IT right?

A chapter of Proverbs a day
Keeps the Foolishness away
rei or ray

the Poster & the People

FEEL IT
TASTE IT
LIVE IT

is this REALLY ALL to IT?

The Brevity of Life

“Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:4

One of my friend was diagnose with a heart problem – “Wolff-Parkinson-White” last week. It is genetic and causes rapid heartbeat. Life still pretty much goes on the same except that there is a risk of sudden death which is relatively low (incidence of 0.6%). However, being me, I started to put myself in the shoe of my friend and asked, “How will life makes a different then?”

Living in a considerable blessed and safe country, do you find that many of us have actually taken life for granted? Just last week, there was the news of a gentleman who got married and the following day after marriage, he was found dead at the hotel lobby. The gentleman happens to be one of my acquaintance’s friend. Small world, isn’t it? It is a tragic in which no one would have expected it. It only goes to show that life is just so vulnerable as the next instant anyone of us can be gone! The question then lies with, “How many of us live as we are living each day as our last?”

I have to come clean and say that I yet to fully grasp it daily and thus, should I have to live with the consciousness of a heart problem, perhaps I might? But must we really resort to such a situation to be so? You might ask, “Is there really such a need?”

Supposed we live as such, many of us perhaps will no longer be caught in the rat race of the city life? Or no longer let the petty little issues of life bother us? Or learn to treasure others in a greater extent? Most importantly, we will start to see things in the light of eternity?

Living this life is important but preparing for the next is perhaps more important. Not being prepared and having the mentality that you will always have a next day, putting off decision after decision is as good as gambling because the truth is life can be taken away in a blink of the eye. Why take the gamble then?

At the end of it, all of us still have to ultimately face this question which we all tend to avoid – “Are we ready when the time has come to depart from this life?”

Are you?

Take Time

How many of us will Take Time to
Reflect rather straightaway
React through life's journey?

Have you taken time to reflect?

Serenity

When was the last time
you took time to
Be Still
&
enjoy the Serenity of Nature?

The Night I got Lost - Japan IV

On the last night, we had my departure dinner with some of the close friends (mainly the older folks) at my host family’s place which I was staying at. In the midst of dinner, I rushed off to the supermarket to buy some peaches for my family and partially because I wanted a walk. On the way back, I was talking to God (praying), “Are You sure You want me to come to this country? This is a hard ground and I can really fall big time any moment in this country.” Having been there for 5 days, it was quite obvious to me that the Japanese are just difficult to reach due to their culture which is traditional yet I may just also get caught in immorality (if I am not careful) as they are also liberal in many ways. As I continued in my prayer stroll, I started to realize I might not be in the right route back. Yes, I was lost! There was a low wall right beside the path I was on without any house build in it (which means I will have a view without any obstruction) and my first instinct was to peek over it to see where the house is. Well, the next moment when I peeked over, the 1st place I saw was actually a CEMETERY!

I was caught in shocked for a little while but shortly after, I answered, “Yes Lord, I got the message! Wherever You call me to go!” I was reminded of the fact that every second of the day, people are dying and it doesn’t matter if the people are hard to reach or not. My role is to be the messenger that brings the Good News of Jesus Christ who saves us and gives us the love and hope which the world is looking for. Most importantly, what matter most is everyone is precious in the sight of God and He loves the world!

I am actually quite uncertain when God would have me go to Japan and if that is where He would have me go in time to come. It might not be Japan initially but I should continue to press on to share the Good News be it in Singapore or any part of the world.

For my family in Christ, do we really see the people around us as God do? If we do what are we doing about it?

For my friends, do you know that God loves you?

Ape to Human?

(The above is a picture of one of the smallest monkey - Philippine Tasier)

Last Friday there was an article on the linkage of ape evolving to human. This discovery was founded about 150 years ago on a research by trying to study what happened millions of years ago. However, think with me, “Does it make sense to you that a man born 150 years back will be able to trace back to what took place in the beginning when he wasn’t there?”

If we, human beings are really from apes, why aren’t gorillas and chimpanzees turning into human beings today when we are facing the population “aging” problem in our world of today?

Shouldn't we be going about being even more busy with our monkey business then?

Common sense?

A rainbow in Paris

If you want the rainbow,

you have to first bear with the rain.

The Unease of the Funeral – Japan III

Being 92 at the age of the grandmother’s death, it will also mean that her family members are also of certain age as Japan is also heading into what we call the “aging population” in which by 2015, it is projected that there will be 1 in every 4 Japanese citizens being 65 years or older. Thus, about one third of the people at the funeral were perhaps in their late 50’s to the 70’s. The unease in the body language portrayed and lack of peace on the face can be clearly seen in the faces of many as they too have to face the eminent of the future which awaits them – Death.

It is always when the death of someone close occurs that we too are reminded of the final appointment – Death, which all of us will inevitably attend to. Looking at those elderly folks during the funeral, my heart goes out to them as death seems even more real for them. However, the truth is death can knocks on our door and visit us anytime of life. Age is not a guarantee of the length of our life which we will live but just a mark of how long we have travelled through this temporal world.

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” James 4:14

Since young, I questioned about life after death as I ventured into the possibilities of what might happen after we die: Will we just vanished and disappeared into non-existence? If so, why did man have the concept of spirit then? How did man also have the concept of heaven and hell then?

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Ecclesiastes 3:11a

In and out of ourselves, we know that life doesn’t end at the very last breath of our life. I am clear of my eternal destination and thus, have found peace in the face of death through Jesus. How about you?
http://y-jesus.com/index.php

Mere Coincidence?

One creepy Dust Storm,
One devastating Typhoon
and
Two Earthquakes plus
One Tsunami!
All in One week!
- Heading of last week News Article -

"We have the tendency to think, but not to act.
We have a tendency to feel, but not to act.
If we go on thinking and feeling without acting,
we soon are Unable to Act."
~ C.S. Lewis ~

How have the recent events happening around the world
affects you?
ray or rei

Is this for Real?

Can Pigs Fly?

Well, there's Swine Flu~!

The Formality of Funeral – Japan II

Japan perhaps has got the most formal funeral ever in the world besides the States. The moment I touched down from Japan and reached my host family home, I had to wash up and get changed in the black suit which I brought along. Not long after, the “Okuribito” undertaker came and the grandmother was send to the funeral parlor. The parlor was nicely decorated and all who attended had to be in formal attire. The usual routine will then be performed and at the end of it, the MC recited a brief story with a background instrumental music of the Carpenter’s song – “We only just begun” started playing. The visiting guests are also handed a gift bag for the 1st night which is the wake. After the wake, the guest then proceeded to the 2nd floor in which a dinner reception is served.

The next morning we had the funeral which the final routine is performed and flowers and gifts were placed into the coffin as people said our final “Goodbye” in which the body is then sent for cremation.

“For dust we are and to dust we will return.” Gen 3:19

Ever wonder why when the body is cremated it will be become ashes? Simply because we are made of dust.

I often questioned why so much effort has to be labored in the departure of a person be it in our cultural in Singapore or in any other countries alike? Why do we not put in more effort to show our concern in the life of others while they are still alive then?

Is there something you have not tell your love ones today?
This is my most important message to you today:
http://www.harvest.org/knowgod/