tml is the bbq session for easter, i pray that everything will goes on well..
i will be the game master, hopefully everything turns out fine..scared. but i am sure that God will provide everything for me and for the participants there. so well.. i am prepared for the worst le bah.. plan ahead is the only thing to do liao..
prayXXXX:)
ha. thought of typing some special wishes down.. before i erased it..
Vic: A special msg for a special person on 200090112. what is the msg? Let's count to reveal! 3. 2. 1.*B'day msg revealing asap. 99.9% completed. completed. ~Happy Birthday to u! MAY u enjoy tis very special day n all ur wishes come true. God Bless you!~
Xiuy: Happy birthday to you.. Happy birthday to meng.. Zhu ni sheng ri kuai le! zhu ah meng ge sheng ri sheng ri kuai le! yao ji de kuai kuai le le! Wish you smile always=D
Euz: Chee Meng, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! May the Lord prosper u in every way and may He grant u the desires of your heart.
Also, was very surprise to saw my ex-best fren. Nick sms me suddenly, happy birthday. glad that he still willing to sms me. i mean we didn't contact so long since at the start of last year liao. abit wierd to suddenly wants to meet also bah. lol..
juz now.. It's really really great to be praying with my sister.. really can sense that presence of God
felt that God really spoken to us about our family.. really really..
felt very heartwarming and touched..
juz 1 to thank God for his wonderful guidance and impt testimony
it's great to be back in to the house of Lord
continue to grow as a christian
continue to keep in my faith and
extend my hands to receive more lost
guide them to the brightest path of THEIR LIVES
family salvation and FBI revolve! awaits!
Sometimes i wonder.. why muz i work finished my 17 days?.. for building fund?.. for my personal pleasure of buying nice outfits to wear?.. or what?..
why muz i stressed myself and work untill so hard that all.. ALL..my collegues asked me to rest awhile.. and my mental system is screwing up becoz of the busi-ness.. hmm.. how.. i think i will strived on bah..
the motivation really comes when i project myself wearing gentlemen' outfits to school and to church.. and how ppl look at me.. actually it's not how ppl look at me.. it's how confidence i am.. really.. i think i need more confidence for that.. haha.. but really.. i feel good wearing clothes that i bought by my own hard-earned money.. :)
it will be great if i bought a pair of Converse fold-over.. a pair of good jeans or a cargo pants.. 1-2 shirts.. 1 slim fit with a slim tie or just a comfort size with cool design.
a bracelet?.. or a ring leh?.. dunno leh.. still thinking.. anyway.. i calculated.. i still have around $200 to invest.. i mean.. willing to invest.. haha.. :)
wow..that's alot to dream of.. now i still go dreaming.. :)
dated 14/3/08 according to my sheet of paper i written. shld be after random day 2 when my head is better.
"Ha. I am back! No more giddyness anymore. I am on the Woo.. bus 52. It droves so extremely fast. Woohoo. Suddenly dunno what to write. Oh. It's so fast. Woohoo. Didn't make the wrong decision. I am holding myself, feeling a bit urgent to piss. But I guess I can hold till Bukit Timah Plaza bah."
i totally forgotten why i need to go there liao..
This random day is one of the afternoon after easter celebration where i meet wany to do the new friends cards.
"It's 14:56 now. The rain is dropping like never before. Sitting in the quite empty bus 80, listen to some emo songs. My heart gradually fallen to nowhere. This rain is just the tears that I kept for myself. Wind was blowing, the raindrops hit the bus stop. I can imagine it to be "Ti-da, Ti-da" but in a faster speed.
Red light to stop, Green light to go. Sometimes, I wonder is really traffic light helping and making our lives easier or not. Cause, with or without traffic light, people still jaywalk when there's no cars. Is Singaporeans patience enough? The answer is no. I, myself is a jaywalker liao. Monkey see monkey do. Not say that we are all monkey (even though many said I am.) It's just the truth that we need to face it lah.
How many accidents that's involved with jaywalkers? And how many are fatal? The amount is so big that it really scares ppl, including me. My head is spinning, maybe I am having split headaches bah. My mind wasn't right this time. Tell you more later when I felt more alright bah."
Some of those days in this year that i have written some of my thoughts down...
random days (1).. happened in one of the afternoon while i am having a pre- easter celebration full fasting..
"I AM TIRED of all the white lies, I AM TIRED of cheating my mum and my gran one way or another. I DUN WANT to hide my identity as a christian anymore. Help Jesus.
The wind is freezing cold. Avoid eating. I came to here. I dunno is the correct choice or not. But it seems to be a brilliant idea. COLD. COLD. COLD. But I know. with you. All things are possible. The weather WOULDN'T be cold anymore.
I FELT ALONE. I FELT LONELY. I AM HUNGRY. But i have my DUTY not to eat. I am not TIRED. But I just feel like hugged my bluster and nap.
Sian. My neighbours spotted me hiding around the corner of the staircase. I Feel so embarrassed."
1st up: I really thank God to be able to give me the time despite of my busy schedule to rest during this sat 15 march so that i can really pray to Him, the Lord during Prayer Meeting.. alone.. but nope.. i met a new fren.. her name is Sharon.. i pray together with her.. thank God.. by His grace i am be able to prayer as a grp with someone i dunno and yet improve on my speaking of prayers..
i rmb at that morning.. i really feel very lerthigtic.. i forced myself to get up at 7am even only with 5hrs slp.. due to the making of the new frens' cards.. i did that untill 1am the previous night.. He really give me a scold.. as in.. he pushes me down to slp and told me "CHEE MENG.. YOU BETTER SLP NOW.." he then give me some sneezes and feverish feelings that making me feel more sick and tired.. i brushes up but still very weary.. that's when xin wei told me that the kids will be going west coast park.. wah.. hot.. weather.. west coast.. me... west coast. thinking tht makes me feel even more sick.. i end up LITERALLY COLLAPSED DOWN on the bed.. with my jacket and the blanket covering me up to the neck.. i slp till 11 plus.. 4 more hrs..
after that i really feel so much better already.. i agreed to meet for pre-service even how early is it.. really feel so sian to get out my house early in the afternoon.. but with his MIGHTY strength.. i managed to pull myself up to go out..
2nd: i 1 to thank God for the sharing of happiness to me.. i really feel THE OVERWHELM OF HAPPINESS SHARED UPON ME when i go out and fellowship with my secondary school long term frens.. glisten inc. and mao's cliques on 14 mar fri and 16 mar sun respectively.. i really can sense His presence where.. the atmosphere is always so light and shiok.. especially 16 mar sun.. i laughed the HARDEST AND THE LONGEST.. totally by His Grace and then can have laugh so long.. i am really amazed by how my mouth comes out with jokes and cold jokes that makes everyone laughed and stunned.. i am TOTALLY shocked at myself on that sunday after cg prayer meeting.. by Your Faith.. i am able to shine to the lost and reach out to the them.. i will continue to meet their needs and help them.. guide them to the path to enter your House!
3rd: i 1 to share my financial blessings that God has set upon me.. even how i have give my building fund inconsistently.. He won't short-change me.. He keeps on sew on to me.. giving me the more than enough cash so that i can fellowship with each and single one of ppl i want to reach out to..from tue to sun (except sat) .. 11-16... 5 days.. i have been consistently meeting them for meals and activities.. i Pray that one day they respond to your Call.. respond to you as their Heavenly Father!
DATED 17 MARCH 2008.. i am going to DECLARE that.. from THIS DAY onwards i will SHARE MY TESTIMONIALS IN HERE.. every detailed one.. :)
so plz look out for these.. SOON.. i will update even sooner than my public blog!
a little commercial break here.. this another book called.. hope.. this wil help you.. to find your own happiness.. (vic see carefully le oh)..
The Shepherd – A modern parable about our search for happiness – Matthew Kelly
In today’s world where appearance is valued more than substance there is a restlessness rampant among us. Deep within one question tugs consistently at our hearts: “ What will truly brings me happiness?” As we wrestle with this question we come to one very potent realization: “There must be more to life…”
Everyone has a theory about happiness, but rarely do you look deep into the eyes of a person who has the peace to back up their theory.
In The Shepherd, Kelly sorts through the false conclusions, half-baked theories, and endless contradiction which seems to dominate our modern search for happiness, to arrive at the one true source of this happiness we desire. The beautiful message contained within these pages has the power to change our lives. This book can lead us along a rarely trodden path to arrive at the ever-needed truth. If you open yourself up to its message, The Shepherd will guide you to the happiness your heart desires.
Introduction
The human heart is on a quest for happiness. As individuals we are all so unique and different, but we are bound together by our common yearning for happiness. Regardless of our age or the color of our skin, regardless of the land in which live or the land in which we were born, we all yearn for happiness.
In our search for happiness, we often do things that we think will make us happy, but in fact end up making us miserable. Under the influence of self-centered philosophies we often seek happiness through pleasure, possessions, power, or just simply the path of least resistance. Each of these may offer moments of happiness, but they end too soon, having lasted ever so briefly, and our quest for a lasting happiness continues. These moments of happiness are of course real, but only as real as a shadow is real. The shadow of a person is real and wonderful, but it is nothing compared to the actual person. Sadly, so many of us spend our lives chasing shadows of happiness.
The modern search for happiness seems to be governed by greed, lust, gluttony, selfishness, exploitation, and deception. And yet, as these diseased values become more and more the focus of modern lifestyles, people seem to be filled with great discontentment and unhappiness with each passing day.
The great tragedy here is not that we fail to achieve our plan, but rather, that we don’t know that even if our master plan had worked out, we still wouldn’t have the happiness we desire.
Fame, fortune, pleasure, and possessions will never satisfy our deep, deep yearning for happiness. Possessions will lose their glow, wealthy people seem wealthy but they are not happy, they cannot enjoy their wealth. All of them are just illusions that sparkles and shine, and distract us from the true happiness we yearn for deep in our beings. You never can get enough of what you don’t really need.
The Shepherd is a story about a man who has found the happiness that our hungry hearts desire. His simple and peaceful spirit provides a vision of happiness that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom, but may just be that “new vision of happiness” that can rescue us all.
“Get to know The Shepherd, Stop trying to put together a master plan for your life… for your happiness… Instead, seek out The Master’s Plan for your life… for your happiness… Allow Him to lead you, to guide you, to be your companion, your friend, your coach, your mentor… He will lead you to green pastures… He will restore your soul…Your cup will overflow…”
Afterward
… in that moment of spontaneous prayer the Spirit that guides us all led me to pray, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” It was perhaps the first moment of honest and humble prayer in my life. Before that day I had only been interested in telling God what my will was, I had never asked Him to reveal His will.
“God, what do you think I should do?” I call this “The BIG Question.” It is the question that changed my life forever, and the question that continues to transform my life today.
This question should be a constant theme in our spiritual lives. When we are attentive to this question we are happy regardless of external realities, because we have a peace and contentment within. It is the peace that comes from knowing that who are, and what we are doing makes sense regardless of the outcome, and regardless of other people’s opinions. This peace comes from taking into account the only opinion that truly matters: God’s.
Everyday we make dozens of decisions, some of them large and some of them small. When was the last time you invited God into the decisions of your life?
Sometimes I block His voice out because I want to do something I know He doesn’t want me to do. Sometimes I foolishly believe that I know a shortcut to happiness. These decisions always lead me to misery of one form or another.
The will of God is a mysterious thing. In my own spiritual journey I have learned that God reveals His will one step at a time, but this creates a great deal of uncertainty, and we don’t like that. In this modern age we try to control all the elements so that we can have security and stability. If only we could learn to enjoy uncertainty. Uncertainty is a sign that all is well. God is your friend; He will take care of the details.
Sometimes I cannot help but wonder how many of those have actually formed the habit of spending a few minutes in prayer each day. Often people dismiss the message as too simple. It is true that the simple things in life are often the best. It is also true that simple things have a tremendous ability to transform our lives. Simplicity is the key to perfection. I have experienced the power of simplicity in my own life and I invite you to do the same.
I know we can pray anywhere, but there is something mystical and powerful abut entering into the presence of God in His house.
I challenge you to take a few moments with your God each day. Enter into the classroom of silence. Sit with God and dream some dreams. Once you are in the classroom of silence, if you can muster the courage to ask the big question and the patience to listen to the silent murmuring of your hear, He will lead you. You may not hear any voices, or see any wonders, but He will lead you. Nothing is surer. And then, your life will become a passionate and enthusiastic adventure.
Forget about trying to put together a Master Plan for your life… for your happiness. Start looking for The Master’s Plan for your life… for your happiness.
If you are willing, little by little, step by step, He will reveal a plan, and in that plan your deep gladness will unite with the world’s deep need. Only then will you taste the holy contentment that our very beings never stop yearning for.
Get to know The Shepherd. He will lead you to green pastures… He will restore your soul… You cup will overflow…:)
4 The Danger of Greed
Hans Christian Andersen once told the story about a poor farmer who had a goose. One day the goose laid a golden egg. The farmer was so surprised that he took the egg to the goldsmith’s shop and had it tested. It turned out to be of pure gold. Overnight, the farmer became a rich man, as the goose would lay one golden egg every morning.
Six months later, the farmer who was by then a very rich man, was counting all his cash and drawing up his financial projections. He was so consumed by his future income prospects that he said to himself, “Why do I have to wait to collect my gold daily? Why not take it all now?”
So he killed the goose and opened up her stomach, wanting to take all the gold! We know the rest of the story – no eggs and no more goose! The farmer, driven by greed, lost everything!
The god of greed and materialism is prevalent in every affluent society today, in different ways and through different manifestations but the drive is the same. There is an exaltation of the earthly over the heavenly and the material over the spiritual. Jesus called this god Mammon.
The encounter between Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, and Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, in 2 Kings 5 will show us that we serve God and not Mammon. Prior to the encounter, God dealt with Naaman’s pride. When that pride was laid aside, the power of God was released. Naaman, who had leprosy, was healed. His soul was converted and he acknowleged the God of Israel. He also realized he could not buy God’s blessings. Instead, he had to humbly seek and receive. That was why Elisha refused to accept Naaman’s gifts after the healing. Gehazi, however, had an eye on the reward and the monster of greed began to work its evil.
6 Characteristics of Greed
1. Greed is Hidden
2 Kings 5:20 says, “Gehazi…said to himself…” In other words, Gehazi was greedy in his heart. Greed tends to be hidden. It dwells in secrecy and is often unknown to those around us. The covetousness that is inside is known only to God and to us. If we allow the searchlight of God’s Word to shine into the depths of our souls, we may just see the monster of greed lurking there. Pehraps that is why some of us do not seems satisfied with our current lot in life.
2. Greed Rationalises
Greed will always give us a reason for wanting to possess or accumulate more. It will always find good reasons for us to upgrade our homes or change our cars. Gehazi rationalized that perhaps Elisha had been too easy on Namman. Wasn’t it only right that Naaman gave some money to Elisha? After all, he was a rich man. Prophets, too, needed retirement funds! But who was the money really for? Gehazi himself! This is how greed works in us too! We can excuse it by saying that it is evidence that God is blessing us.
It can be hard to draw the line between need, greed and providence. Greed can be very quickly turn a luxury into a need. We require honesty and discernment to overcome this tendency to rationalize.
3. Greed is Compulsive
Greed can never be satisfied. The more you get, the more you want. In God’s eyes, greed is not a small thing. It is, in fact, tantamount to idolatry! Once we bow our knees to mammon, we will be enslaved. The grip of mammon may be so tight that it is difficult for us to break loose except by the power of God. Jesus said in Mark 10:25, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” But it is not just the rich who can be greedy; the poor can be greedy too. It is not just the rich who can be greedy; the poor can be greedy too. It is not what you do or do not have; it is the condition of your heart and your attitude towards money and possessions.
Let us ask God to set our hearts free from discontentment and greed, and to enjoy whatever He has blessed us with instead of striving for more.
4. Greed is Deceptive
Gehazi was so overcome by greed that he ended up lying to Namman and Elisha. In the same way, greed can cause us to scheme and deceive. If a Christian businessman is greedy, he is not above lying to close a deal or scheme for a break. Mark 8:36 tells us, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
5. Greed Distorts
If greed enters our lives, it distorts our value system. The difference in the value systems of Gehazi and Mary (Mark 14:3-9) is the difference between greed and love. Greed is calculating whereas love is extravagant.
6. Greed Destroys
Isn’t it ironical that what Naaman lost. Gehazi ended up having – leprosy! Gehazi’s heart was greedy. He schemed and finally body became corrupted. 1 Timothy 6:9 says, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.”
A man who is lost at sea finds water all around him and the temptation to drink is great. But the more he drinks, the thirstier he becomes. It would be suicidal to drink sea water. The only thing to do is wait for the heavens to open and the rain to fall.
Greed always leads to destruction; Gehazi was destroyed by leprosy.
CHOOSE CHRIST
At the start of this chapter, we talked about the goose and the golden eggs. We are all at different stages of our lives, and may fit into any of the following categories:
More golden eggs: Some of us have reached the stage of being able to share some golden eggs with others. Perhaps God is challenging you to increase the number of eggs you are giving away. This is particularly important if a church is moving into a new phase. If your church is entering into a building and expansion phase, there is a need to increase the staff strength for growth to be sustained. To have a more organized church with better infrastructure, everyone would have to contribute more in terms of time, treasure and talent.
Some golden eggs: There may be others whom God is challenging to confront materialism and greed. The best way to dethrone greed is to be generous. Go in the opposite spirit! Give like you have NEVER given before.
The golden goose: God may be challenging yet others to take an even greater step of faith. He is not only placing a demand on your golden eggs, but he is also asking you to surrender the golden goose. In other words, you are to surrender your wealth as well as the opportunity for future income through your career by serving Him full-time in the ministry.
If you sense that you have a call upon your life but find it so hard to give up what you have, know this: You will never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. Whatever you may feel that God is asking you to do – be it to surrender more of your golden eggs, surrender some of your golden eggs or surrender the goose that lays the golden eggs – do not fear because you will be surrendering your resources to the One who gave them to you in the first place.
What Gehazi was to Elisha in the Old Testament, Judas was to Jesus in the New Testament. Both of these men had the opportunity to become great in the kingdom of God but they missed it because their hearts were gripped by greed. Let us resolve not to miss God’s best because of greed but to pursue Christ with all heart, mind, soul and strength.
3 The Delight of Giving
The Bible puts it this way in Matthew 6: 21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Perhaps this is why money is the most talked about topic in the Bible. One Bible scholar estimated that there are 5,280 verses on the subject of money alone. The number of references on money far exceeds that on heaven, hell, salvation and prayer. Sixteen out of 38 parables refer to money and possessions.
This is misquoting 1 Timothy 6:10, which says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief.” The root of evil is not “money” but the “love” of money.
When the Bible talks about giving in terms of money, it always speaks of tithes and offerings. The principles of giving are found in the Old Testament and then carry over into the New Testament.
Tithing
1. The Progression of Tithing
When we tithe, we are recognizing that God is the Sovereign Lord who owns everything and we are but stewards of what He has given us. Tithing is mentioned 10 times in the New Testament; each time, Jesus did not do away with tithing but took it to a new dimension under grace. He challenged believers to go beyond the legalistic righteousness of the Jews.
Under the Law, the tithe was the ceiling. However, under grace, the tithe was the floor! The tithe is the starting and not the ending point. It is the least that we can do, out of gratitude for what Jesus has done to set us free.
2. The Place of Tithing
In Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…” The storehouse originated from King Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 31. It refers to the Temple of the Lord. In the New Testament, the storehouse would be the local church – the place where God has chosen for His Name, the place where you are spiritually fed.
3. The Purpose of Tithing
Under grace or the New Testament, we are compelled by love to give, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 13:3,”If I give all I possess to the poor ad surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
6 NEW testament principles of giving
1. The Principle of Proportion
1 Corinthians 16:2 says, “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income…” The general principle is this: “To whom much is given, much will be required” and “Give as the Lord prospers you…” The most basic proportion would be the tithe or 10 per cent.
God is just God. He does not look at what we give but at what we keep. In Luke 21:1-4, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth, ” he said “this widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
2. The Principle of Priority
Paul exhorted believers to set aside an amount for God first. In other words, let God have the firstfruits. If we are paid monthly, then set aside what we want to give God first before anything else. If not, we may end up giving God our leftovers.
***Malachi 3:10-12 says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,’ says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
3. The Principle of Purpose
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 tells us, “ Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Let our giving be done purposefully. Let it be planned and predetermined. Do not tip God! Before you go to church, prayerfully decide what you want to give. Prepare the offering. Give purposefully as an act of worship.
4. The Principle of Privacy
Matthew 6:1-4 says, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven …… when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Giving is so self-effacing that after you have given, forget about it! Do not keep an account of how generous you have been. Do not even brag about what you have given. Keep your giving private!
5. The Principle of Privilege
We must recognize that giving is a privilege! We give because we receive so much from the One who, for our sake, became poor, so that through His poverty, we might become rich. Giving then is no longer a sacrifice but a joy. We are no longer bound to give tithes and offerings. We are morally bound to give out of a heart of love and gratitude.
6. The Principle of Profit
Luke 6:38 tell us, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” God is no man’s debtor. We cannot outgive God.
2 A Biblical Perspective on Wealth
There is something powerful, intriguing and mystical about money. For money, one man could kill another; a son could sue his father; a woman could violate her body; and a man could even sell his soul. This is perhaps the reason Jesus spoke more about money than almost any other subject during his ministry on earth. The Holy Bible is the best economics book of all time. Everything does changes, but the principles of God do not change and blessed is the man who applies these principles in his money management.
From Old Testament of the Ecclesiastes, we will see what King Solomon noted about the world of money.
4 observations about wealth
1. The Materialistic Grip of Wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:10-12)
Wealth has a way of gripping man. Even Christians can be seduced to bow our knees to this false god of Mammon. Its grip can be so strong as to make us act irrationally. When materialism has done its worst, it will make slaves out of us. Materialism can never be satisfied. The more you get, the more you want.
The wise man said in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” Referring to the materialistic grip of wealth, Jesus said in Matthew 19:23, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
2. The Danger of Hoarding Wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:13-17)
There is danger in hoarding wealth – you will lose it, not once but twice! You could lose it before you die, and you will definitely lose it when you die. You may have the ability to accumulate great wealth but you cannot find your security in money. You could lose it in a moment. One wrong decision and it is gone! Even if you do not lose your wealth in this life, you will definitely lose it when you die. In Luke 12, Jesus said to a rich man “You fool… ” Put simply, a fool is someone who disregards God. In Psalm 14:1, we read, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
Isn’t it true what the wise man said in Ecclesiastes 5:15, “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs.” The Bible puts it differently, “Naked you come, naked you will go.” Wealth is temporary.
Think about this:
Money can buy medicine but not health.
Money can buy you a house but not a home.
Money can buy you companions but not friends.
Money can buy you entertainment but not happiness.
Money can buy you food but not appetite.
Money can buy you a bed but not sleep.
Money can buy you a crucifix but not a Saviour.
Money can buy you a good life but not eternal life.
3. The Delight of Having Wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20)
The wise man went on to say that despite the dangers inherent in having wealth, it could still be a gift from God. Wealth can be a blessing from God, to be enjoyed by man. When we see our wealth as a gift from God and not something we have acquired by our own hands, we will not fight to keep it.
We must learn to have an “open palm” approach to riches. Hold every blessing that God brings to you with an open palm. Enjoy the blessings while you have them without desiring to possess them. Then, if God should choose to take them away, He need not pull your fingers apart! This way, it would be a delight to have material possessions.
4. The Grace to Enjoy Wealth (Ecclesiastes 6:1-3)
A man may have wealth but is unable to enjoy it for a number of reasons, such as poor health and bad relationships. Let us remember that God is the one who gives us the grace to enjoy the wealth that we have, be it little or much. Indeed, it is by God’s grace that we are able to enjoy even a cup of coffee. Many of us constantly complain that we do not have enough, when we should be thankful for what we do have.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things that God has blessed us with. Unfortunately, when we are gripped by greed and materialism, we turn God’s formula around. Then we put 10 per cent of our resources at God’s disposal – provided we even tithe – and retain 90 per cent for our own parting and entertainment and to maintain our standard of living. God’s kingdom is not one about just food and drink, but also about love, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost; it is a kingdom where the rich would share with the poor and all have enough for joyful, contented living.
1 The Master and the Steward
Money is a tool that can be used for great good or great ill. So preached John Wesley in a sermon went on to give us three simple rules concerning money: Gain all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. This is good counsel coming from a man skilled in the discipline of stewardship.
Having money can be intoxicating. It is almost addictive. The more you have, the more you desire. Money has the ability to hold us in its grip. And when it does, it can make us do things we do not want to do. It can cause irrationality. No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 6:24
- “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
Notice closely to the above quote, our Lord did not say, “You should not…” He was also not giving friendly advice like, “You must not…” but He was, in fact, stating an impossibility- “You cannot…” It is simply impossible for us to serve both God and Money. In the end, we either serve God or end up serving money.
Theology of stewardship provides a pivot to hold the two extreme views, poverty theology and prosperity theology. What we possess as Christian is a privilege rather than a right. We have a stewardship responsibility to mange all the above faithfully and wisely, according to the will of the Master.
In the end, the true measure of godly success is how faithful we have been in administering with wisdom what God has entrusted to us; be it little or much. Our goal is to be able to hear the Father say to us, as the master said to the servant in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:21), “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
*Wesley’s sermon on Luke 16:9 can be accessed at
http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/serm-050.stm
Introduction to the 2nd book i am going to share with you.. it called
God own$ - Manage money the Biblical Way - by Benny Ho
“Building from the biblical perspective of Old Testament foundations to New Testament principles, the book is full of solid theology, practical wisdom, powerful illustrations, memorable quotes, great jokes and if applied, life-changing truths – this book is going to bless you!”
- Steve Findley, Senior Pastor, Community of Praise Baptist Church, Singapore
Forward
In his book God Own$, Benny HO examines the effect of wealth on both Christians and non-Christians. He has explained very clearly how a Christian can control money without being controlled by it. Why is money never enough for those who have already amassed millions? Unless we believe and acknowledge in both our thought and deed that God is the owner of all our resources we will not find the answer to the problems that wealth and possessions bring to our lives.
Some Christians deprive themselves of the pleasure of eating a sumptuous meal or having an expensive holiday, and yet they are unable or unwilling to share their blessings with those who are less privileged. Some are always in financial difficulty in spite of the few hundred thousand dollars they earn every year. In this book Benny gives the reasons for many people’s financial struggles based on his own experience and from the many years of counseling individuals in the financial services industry.
Benny offers his advice on how we can deal with greed, which is a constant enemy of contentment and which often ruins our ability to enjoy what we already have. He shows his unique ability to communicate the wisdom of God’s Word so that readers will find practical help in the course of handling their finances.
God’s definition of success is faithful stewardship. How can we move from ownership to stewardship? God wants us to enjoy what He has given us. If we take His Word seriously and apply it to our daily living, we would have a quality of life found not in the arts of culture, but in having a personal relationship with Him and through employing the resources He has given us for His glory.
- Benny Ong, Founding Director, Life Planning Associates Pte Ltd, Singapore
Author Preface
I write this book for a few reasons:
1) God, by divine appointment, allowed my life to be closely associated with some Christians who are outstanding bankers and financial advisers. My interaction with them has taught me so much about both the good and the bad of money.
2) But the most compelling reason I wrote this book is that I felt the burden from God to lovingly call us back to a balanced and biblical view of money and to challenge us to view money as a means to abundant living and a tool to serve the purposes of God. It is out of this sense of prophetic burden that I present these thoughts to you.
It is my prayer that this simple book will contribute towards the raising of a Church that walks free from a scarcity mentality and lives with an abundance mentality because we serve a God of generosity and abundance! Amen. - Benny Ho
God put me to test again.. to testify me.. whether i can get over her again.. why.. why let me see this infront of them.. i dun want.. set me free.. i want to be free.. crying silence-ly.. wiping tears.. why i need to do that everytime.. do that ever since sept 1.. why.. tell me.. can someone answer me.. i need help.. i need God's strength.. i need..
now i trying to fake it.. answer all my frens msn reply.. trying.. to help them. .give them warmth.. and yet.. i can't help myself.. what is this..
i shall not blame God.. i shall have faith in God..
seeing that really really.. i dunno.. all my deep thought.. underground thoughts all push up to the brim of my throat..
i am faking my "haha" in my msn.. i need to try means to reach out to the lost ones.. i can't fail.. no matter i am sad or not.. i need.. i NEED to.. God.. SAVES ME!!
To vic: ha.. now i am listening to JJ 1st album.. for the 1st time i am listening the entire album.. juz now u asked me how to do.. how to react with him..
for my case.. if i were really u.. if he is so WILLing to give u the warmth and the love.. if he is WILLing to protect and care for u.. why not.. juz give him a chance and consider.. if u are still unsure abt that.. juz choose a good quiet time.. ask him slowly.. not that time when he is joking around of course.. maybe during home calls or not.. (option 1)
or maybe.. u can juz go out with home.. 2 of u2 only.. like that u2 can understand each other better.. understand is really the key to everything.. go out a few times.. go far far de loh.. like go eastpoint.. or harbourfront mall.. those ulu ulu.. ur frens won't meet dao u2 de loh.. like that u2 can really really enjoy the day.. maybe after these understanding.. u WILL be able to make a better decision.. somemore.. holidays mah.. pick a few days along these few weeks to go out with him loh.. understand.. ?.. haha.. (option 2)
it's really unworth it to wei le all those rumours to break this friendship with him.. someone who is WILLing.. who can WILLing to chat with u.. consider bah.. my best plan is option 2 lah.. since there's time.. there's chance.. things will turned out well enough de.. WILL they?
haha.. enough of mocking at you liao.. i WILL stop now.. haha..
best wishes...
hope you will find your happiness..
with regards,
meng.
posts no.20.. yup.. a sad and happy ones.. i really dunno what to say.. before that i hold my tears.. and now my sis asked me to jia you.. i really.. i can't stand it anymore.. tears run down my eyes while i was typing now.. wah.. really very emotional now..
tonite is really a emotional one.. 1/2 hr before.. she bring out the iron mumble out "i can't stand this kind of ppl" (wo kan bu qi zhe zhong ren).. i noe she didn't mean me.. but i test her and say.. "oh.. kan bu qi wo oh.. ".. i trying to let her realised her faults and yup.. she say as usual.. that she didn't mean is me.. juz some usual say.. that.. .it's becoz of some reoccurance incident she thought when she is ironing..
actually the thing starts when she was shifting the iron to the living room saying there's not enuf space for her to iron in the master bedroom.. it was very packed (with my used papers).. so i juz rub some salts on to the wound.. and bring all those carton out of the room.. and make way for her loh.. haha. or course i did it with a soft voice "oh kan bu qi wo oh.. bu yong jing"...
then she noe that she was at fault.. she apologised.. as i told u from the very recent post.. scroll down.. this thing has been stirring around already lah.. not that if my mood today is like last few daes.. wah.. i tell u... gone case.. my mum will be busy comforting me.. while i cried out loud and scream out loud.. and for that birthday incident.. i cried untill i am out of breathe.. that's how serious it is.. so i noe learning to control on my temper already.. it has been better.. as i have controlled well ytd.. simply ignored her ytd.. today i juz 1 to let her noe.. no hard feelings.. juz that to want her to stop all those nonsense before ppl around her think that she is crazy.. yup..
but her last words really touched my heart.. "u are my brother.. i won't doubt you!" .. wah.. tell u.. i almost cried out loud.. but i hold back my tears.. really that touching.. haha.. yup.. juz 1 to say that.. today i finally did it.. control my temper and to manage this situation well enough without been angered.. thank God.. with this faithfulness. .i will move on..
