In my country, inter-religious marriage is common thingy. I believe other countries do the same. We have different races and religions marry each other because love holds no boundaries. My wife and I are in different religion. She is in Buddhism and I am born again Christian. We have been married some 10 years by next year and we have 2 beautiful girls God has blessed us.
She is serious readers, those people who usually over read with all kind of books. My house in no time turns into a bookshop. Another thing of my wife is she loves creative things such as baking, arts and crafts and writing. As two human being, we have different views in politics, life, way we bring up our little angels, religion, etc….. Talking about religion she has been supportive in my Christian ministry like cooking for cell group, fundraising for church, helping fellow cell members in other issue or even disciplines my angels to pray before sleep. She sometimes questions some teaching about Christianity and compare with real life and her religion. She would sometimes discipline me and remind me about what the bible teaches. I think is a healthy thing to have a wife as understanding and tolerance like her. During Chinese celebration Buddhism will offer food to their Gods and my in laws knows I will not partake any prayed food. They would separate those foods for me. In return, I help to ferry them to their Buddhism celebration. I believe we have a sense of tolerance of own believe and respect of each other religion.
If the world we live in practice like what we do we are in near heaven. However, the reality of religion tolerance is worst than you can imagine. Why tolerance is so difficult to practice. We see that the world has no religious tolerance and we admit it is one major issue constantly challenge by all leaders of this world seeing in mainstream news or television how leaders solve their religion differences by declaring war, killing each other, ethnic cleansing, community caste or even holocaust. How man make it easy way to achieve supremacy in religion and easy way to expect other to follow what they want others to believe. But really does God expect man behave or take the course of action to be that way? How did God handle tolerance?
There are many issues required tolerance and self restraint for us to leave peacefully. No different in Jesus life but the different is He is omnipotent and the level of tolerance He up hold is wisdom.
Let’s look at John 3:17. "For God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." Similarly, in the book of Romans, Paul mentioned the same theme: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Christianity does not carry a message of intolerance or condemnation, but a message of reconciliation and salvation.
Let’s look at how Christ exercised tolerance in ways that amazed the people. There is one instance He encountered during His years of ministry. A woman "caught in the act" of adultery was brought to Him. It was all a ploy. Christ had said He came to fulfill the law. Jewish leaders thought they knew the law, so they decided to confront Jesus with a "simple" case. Under "the law," a woman "caught in the act" had to be killed. (Keep in mind that the people doing the "catching" took her to Christ. They didn't bother following their own interpretation of the law.) In ancient Roman time Jerusalem under Roman empire applied Roman law. Roman laws allowed people to be executed, but only for reasons allowed under Roman laws. Capital offenses under Jewish law didn't count. So what is the ploy? If Christ followed the Jewish law, He would violate Roman law and could be executed for that offense.
Christ demonstrated the message that God had shared since the days of the prophets. "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" How Christ turned the tables on His antagonists and made them the Jewish Leader their failures to act justly. To the woman Jesus showed mercy. As she turned to walk away, He told her to go and sin no more. It is another way of saying "walk humbly with your God."
Today's social activists seem to have lost the message and direction to take. Ponder and emulate exactly the same way that Jesus addressed the woman caught in adultery. He would act justly and show mercy. He would tell the person to go and sin no more. He would leave a message of love and tolerance.
Where is tolerance? It is not in today's social activism. It is in the Christian walk and way of life. If God is not tolerance with us imagine we will be wipe out like Noah's time.
Take time to ponder yourself what makes you so fire up. What makes you such indifferent? Is this necessary for you to do so or you can just make it immaterial to your life? Jesus teaches us to love one another and forgive one another. Even Jesus has to go through the trial like everyone else. Forgive one another as God forgive you.
God Bless
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Poverty Mentality
I read an article title 3 signs of poverty mentality by Randy Gage at www.getmotivation.com today and I was quite agreed with the signs he suggested. He outlines the signs which are natural to human behavior every time a person faces scarcity or lack of resources.
Sign # 1- Constant Fixation on Money- Everybody does that regardless you are poor or rich. The rich dream of getting richer and the poor thinking of how to pay the bills. But it is how and to what degree you manifested yourself on money issue.
Sign #2- Jealousy of Rich People- If you are jealous of rich people and wanting to own what they had you yourself instill hatred of you wanting to get from where you are now to where you want to be at par with them. This is where the real problem starts for yourself. You are not realizing your internal conflict and drawn away the success that comes near you.
Sign #3- Fear Based Decision Making- in Singapore is called “Kiasu” or afraid to lose. This is where you make decision based of fear on loosing your money, your prosperity or your success. The decisions are not made on what the possible benefits are, but made in order to avoid a possible negative outcome. If you make decisions--particularly money and career ones--based on the "moving away from fear" model, you’ve got poverty programming. If your decisions are made based on a positive "move toward prosperity" model, then you have success programming.
The author goes on by saying poverty is a mindset of an individual. How you circumvent the weaknesses, discover and eliminate the poverty mentality replace with positive elements by watch, listen and associates with positive people. He further said prosperity is richness in mindset not abundant of money or resources. This is the end result of what you get by abandon the poverty mentality
Comparatively in Christian world , Bible has taught us that God promises us riches and blessing untold long time ago. In the book of Deutronomy chapter 28 God bless us if we constantly abide in his command. Verse 12 said “ The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its seasons, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” As a Christian we should feel blessed with the word of God guarantee us abundant prosperity. We should receive it with open heart and not be doubt if we ever taste of it. Very often we find Christian himself or herself fails to see themself blessed. There are many reason why Christain feel this way. Lack of spiritual confidence, lack of knowledge in the word of God, lack of pastoral guidance and lack of personal experiences with God are some signs where false form of humility masquerades behind this doubtfulness and leads to a poverty mindset.
In the book of Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. The fear of lack is greatest challenge for everyone but God’s provision is always greater. God’s always attentive to your needs even you did not ask Him. I must admit all of us will face a fear of lack sometime in our lives―whether it’s a lack of food, money, relationships, good health, or the basic provisions needed. God is greater than any fear and he answers our fear of lack with an invitation to faith the He is more than enough. There are many bible story God’s provides on time such as 1 Kings 17, we read two powerful stories of God as provider back-to-back. The prophet Elijah is in need of food and God provides for him in two miraculous but very different ways. Have faith in God and live to ask and pray to God. God will not run out of provision because in Isaiah 40:28 “ Do you not know? Have you not heard? Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the end of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom” So God is forever provider to you. You are precious in the sight of God. In Mathew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
If your mentality is always lack of this and that you need to stop yourself and ponder for a while do you want to be this forever or do you want a miraculous change in your life. Meditate on the Bible words each day and pray for God’s guidance through Holy Spirit. If not enough associate with brothers or sisters whose life been touch by God and learn to absorb the positive things from them. God’s promises will always be there for you only will you reach out and touch it.
Sign # 1- Constant Fixation on Money- Everybody does that regardless you are poor or rich. The rich dream of getting richer and the poor thinking of how to pay the bills. But it is how and to what degree you manifested yourself on money issue.
Sign #2- Jealousy of Rich People- If you are jealous of rich people and wanting to own what they had you yourself instill hatred of you wanting to get from where you are now to where you want to be at par with them. This is where the real problem starts for yourself. You are not realizing your internal conflict and drawn away the success that comes near you.
Sign #3- Fear Based Decision Making- in Singapore is called “Kiasu” or afraid to lose. This is where you make decision based of fear on loosing your money, your prosperity or your success. The decisions are not made on what the possible benefits are, but made in order to avoid a possible negative outcome. If you make decisions--particularly money and career ones--based on the "moving away from fear" model, you’ve got poverty programming. If your decisions are made based on a positive "move toward prosperity" model, then you have success programming.
The author goes on by saying poverty is a mindset of an individual. How you circumvent the weaknesses, discover and eliminate the poverty mentality replace with positive elements by watch, listen and associates with positive people. He further said prosperity is richness in mindset not abundant of money or resources. This is the end result of what you get by abandon the poverty mentality
Comparatively in Christian world , Bible has taught us that God promises us riches and blessing untold long time ago. In the book of Deutronomy chapter 28 God bless us if we constantly abide in his command. Verse 12 said “ The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its seasons, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” As a Christian we should feel blessed with the word of God guarantee us abundant prosperity. We should receive it with open heart and not be doubt if we ever taste of it. Very often we find Christian himself or herself fails to see themself blessed. There are many reason why Christain feel this way. Lack of spiritual confidence, lack of knowledge in the word of God, lack of pastoral guidance and lack of personal experiences with God are some signs where false form of humility masquerades behind this doubtfulness and leads to a poverty mindset.
In the book of Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. The fear of lack is greatest challenge for everyone but God’s provision is always greater. God’s always attentive to your needs even you did not ask Him. I must admit all of us will face a fear of lack sometime in our lives―whether it’s a lack of food, money, relationships, good health, or the basic provisions needed. God is greater than any fear and he answers our fear of lack with an invitation to faith the He is more than enough. There are many bible story God’s provides on time such as 1 Kings 17, we read two powerful stories of God as provider back-to-back. The prophet Elijah is in need of food and God provides for him in two miraculous but very different ways. Have faith in God and live to ask and pray to God. God will not run out of provision because in Isaiah 40:28 “ Do you not know? Have you not heard? Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the end of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom” So God is forever provider to you. You are precious in the sight of God. In Mathew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
If your mentality is always lack of this and that you need to stop yourself and ponder for a while do you want to be this forever or do you want a miraculous change in your life. Meditate on the Bible words each day and pray for God’s guidance through Holy Spirit. If not enough associate with brothers or sisters whose life been touch by God and learn to absorb the positive things from them. God’s promises will always be there for you only will you reach out and touch it.
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