Category Archives: Christianity

Make it fast

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Last weekend when I dined with my family at a hotel’s Chinese restaurant eating all warm dishes, I am the only one who fell ill and not sure what went wrong, I puked and diarrhea for over 20 times in a day. I thus have to seek specialist help and nothing new from the diagnosis I learned – doctor said I probably ate something wrong…I rolled my eyes in my mind…how can my stomach be that sensitive? Afterall, it’s a blessing that this happened here in HK rather than India, Kolkata when I was visiting not long ago. I recall during the first day of my sickness, I couldn’t eat as even a sip of water I took, I would puke. And thus I have let myself empty stomach for over 30 hours or more, I couldn’t remember accurately. There is this charity campaign organized by World Vision in Hong Kong called 30-hour famine and I never thought I could make it but now I actually accomplished that easily without much effort. LOL. The thing is during the week, I don’t really dare to eat and every time even when I am hungry, I would go slow and not binge on all food I crave. The side effect of this illness in fact is giving me a new dimension about my senses – I have been told and read so many times how fasting could benefit you spiritually. I am not hundred percent clear still but I feel that at times of hunger during this illness, I am more alert or conscious of my feeling and seems like that coincide with a better sense and reception for something more spiritual. Jesus being the son of God, who has all the heritage and the complete DNA of our Creator, still would train his mind and body through fasting, there must be something about this ritual. I now have a thought of making myself fast as a routine so there are moments I could be more alert and mindful of things and energy around me. My tentative plan is that I would fast every Thursday night before my Bible study class, and hoping that can benefit my spiritual training further. Again, each sickness inspire us further about our body and mind. I once again get to know myself a little more – AMEN.

Quote of the Day

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’“ 

Matthew 4:1-4 

I pray to God that I will learn to fast and get to experience what he experienced.

Postscript Quote 
Through fasting. . .I have found a perfect health, a new state of existence, a feeling of purity and happiness, something unknown to humans.
Upton Sinclair

Committing adultery

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Was having dinner with family this weekend and the moment we were waiting for our car to be driven by the valet staff, we waited at the front of the hotel and I saw a couple approaching us who seemed to have just finished shopping with many shopping bags in their hands. It’s quite interesting as the woman was so much taller than the man and I notice she is not only slender and tall, but her heels was super high. Then I can’t stop moving my eyes from her heels then to her dress coz the skirt was ultra short and soon my eyes spotted her low cut dress actually revealed 2/3 of her breasts and the dress was completely unfit for her figure. The remaining bit of cloth which covered her breasts are like about to burst. And due to the height of her heels, she could not move very fast thus I can see a lot more – not just this woman’s amazing dress, but I looked to the side of the man she is clinging to, he looks like a mainlander business man who has not emotions about this companion he has on his side. The picture is very interesting as there are many male staff in front of the hotel whose eyes are following this woman and not daring to move their heads at all. This very moment, I thought of commandment from the Bible – Thou shall not commit adultery  - in case, I am a man, have I committed adultery already? And will women be exempted from circumstance like this? I have no idea. Matthew quotes: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” But in my opinion, we need to read our Bible with more agility and flexibility, as our world does does not operate or behave like our ancient times and if everyone is so adamant about some literal interpretation of the Bible quotes, i think there would be a lot of debates and controversy, and friction in our world.

Quote of the Day

But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.
Proverbs 6:32
I pray to God that we would seek ways to live our lives as per the Bible outlines and commands.

Postscript Quote 
People don’t cheat by chance but they cheat by choice.  
Anonymous 

They are up before 5am

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What time do you wake up? I personally wake up quite early and still feel that if I could wake up even slightly earlier, it would be better for me to pray a bit longer and catch up with work sooner etc. But when I read the New York Times just now, I feel bad about my original thoughts of how I want to use my morning hours. It says “Laurence Emeka, 30, who sells telephone accessories at an open-air stall, rose at 5 a.m. last Sunday to attend Mass at Christ the King before going to work. The service gave him a kind of sanctuary. “Peace, satisfaction, confidence in God,” he said. “It helps me cope with the circumstances of daily life.””  This Laurence is not just one of the many out there who is a pious believer in cities like Hong Kong, USA, UK. He lives in Nigeria, Africa where both Catholicism and Christianity is still a something relatively new in that country. Furthermore, it’s reported that the Catholic population in Africa grew nearly 21 percent between 2005 and 2010, far outstripping other parts of the world. The more hardship people go through, the more they seek for peace at their hearts and that is where Christ could come in to soothe them. There is a steady decline in the number of priests in Europe and North America, and I feel that people in the developed countries all tend to rely on themselves and believing they are in control of the world through ‘inventions’ and technologies. But they can’t cope with their emptiness. Last Friday, after my sharing with the team about my India trip, I went happy hour and had a few drinks with colleagues and they inquire further, one person raised asking me do I feel there is emptiness inside? I said of course not at present, she understands I have God in my heart but asked how does it feel when I was younger and when I have not turned to God. She obviously is feeling a kind of incompleteness inside her and not knowing what to do to handle the feeling. This happens to a lot of people when they have most of the things they need, such as health, family, energy, love etc. But do they feel alright, not necessarily yes? That is the moment I suggest they should read Purpose Driven Life. And Rick Warren recently is featured at Oprah’s Life Class show just yesterday discussing the theme “What am I here on earth for?”. See preview here.

Quote of the Day
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart
Jeremiah 29:11-13
I pray to God that we don’t cease to find Him because our life is stable, upward going and forget about all His effort.

Postscript Quote 
Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.
John F Kennedy

Do you say OMG?

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Last night’s Life Group Bible study class discusses the 3rd Commandment and that refers to “You shall not take the name of the Lord  your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” Hmm. Group leader quickly asked us what are the occasions which this holy law is breached or broken in our daily lives, and quickly we can name all sorts of situations when we hear people at their frustrated or most annoyed moments, they would scream “Jeeesus Christ”, “Jeeee”, “Goddamn it”, “Lordy Lordy”, “Holy Shx”, “Holy Cow” etc. And of course the widely used “Oh My God” and it’s being abbreviated OMG. I must confess, I use that quite often – nearly 99% of the time when I am on instant messaging typing OMG – as I told myself it means “Oh My Goodness” but I know it could deliver some other messages or tone. My purpose is to express how shock or surprised or just exaggerating the tone of my exclamation is. But now after last night’s class, leader said, how do you feel when people use your own family members’ name as an expression? Ugggghh! I feel quite sorry now and told myself I should not do it again. Luckily, I feel that most people around me they never really use those ‘blaspheming’ phrases to express themselves. They don’t really swear and I am extremely lucky that most of them do not gossip or use their tongues to harm. I recall my younger times at secondary school, quite a number of classmates and maybe even including myself, we always mock at the smaller, weaker and less vocal classmates. We laugh at people and often use our ‘wit’ to tease them because I think we feel that we are better, smarter, more superior.  These act nowadays I think would definitely be considered as peer bully and I now realize how hurting and demeaning it could do to a person, and the impact could be lasting. I just googled and discover some sources quoted 12 types of bully! How sad!! I now have changed a bit and not that I am great, but I feel that there are many things we could say using our mouths: last Sunday our pastor said something related to this subject and quoted an Arab Proverb called the 3 Gates of Speech “The words of the tongue
should have three gatekeepers”.  These 3 gates are:  1/  Is it true?  2/  Is it necessary?  3/ Is it kind? Woooo! These 3 gates are HUGE.  If we assess all that we want to say with these measures, I think we are pretty safe and I feel that the shield of the gatekeeper shall be humility, compassion and faith to our God. It’s a battle, a battle to run when we want to tame our tongues and be submissive.

Quote of the Day
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
James 3:3-6
I pray to God that I will watch my mouth and be careful of the speech I will deliver.

Postscript Quote 
The tongue like a sharp knife, kill without drawing blood. 
Buddha 

Death penalty

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I am watching closely the news about the Indian girl who was murdered and died of gang raped like more than 2 weeks ago. The trial against the 5 men will be held tomorrow 5 January (because the 6th man is a juvenile who claimed to be 17 years old and he would be testified to confirm his true age). These suspects are at the risk of facing death sentencing. As usual, everything has supporters and non-supporters and so is this case, albeit the obvious nature of this case – rape and brutal bodily injury reflects the evilness of the wrong-doers. What is the stance of Christians and Christianity in situations like this? I personally would vote for death penalty for this trial as I believe there is a price to everything, and I don’t mean this as a revenge but a tool to make a halt to similar things from happening again. But if these murderers admit their wrongs and due to the punishment were terrified and submit themselves, are these true repentance and should they be forgiven? I read last night from the Bible Acts 5 that a couple sold a piece of property and turned in a portion of the returns and lied to God that they are all they get and they surrender to God. Peter tried to give them a chance to tell the truth and ask them what they get, the couple lied. Then they fell and died. The immediate feeling I have after reading this scripture was that God could punish us by taking away our lives if we are not truthful. And the punishment involves death too. Then I think of the Indian case again, should these men be sentenced to death? If that is going to transform India with better human equality, societal justice of the country, then enforcing death sentencing could be practical and effective? I wonder what other Christians feel about this and feel free to leave me a comment of your opinions. But everything happens for a purpose and the deceased girl has sacrificed for the bigger change of India and she would be rewarded in the heavenly kingdom. God give peace to her family and remove their sorrows and emptiness.

Quote of the Day
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Titus 2:11-12
I pray to God that I will not let my personal judgement be in the way to understand the true teachings of Jesus.

Postscript Quote 
I believe people would be alive today if there were a death penalty.
Nancy Reagan

When Han was trapped and crushed in the subway track

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Colleague told me a news she read that disturbs her a lot, it’s about New York Post publishing an image of a man being pushed at the train rail track and a train running towards him in maybe less than a minute’s distance. A few things about the incident which probably is challenging our moral and principles. This poor man, Ki Suk Han, got into a fight with this man who might be drunk, called Davis, as Davis was seemingly to be disturbing other passengers at the station and thus Han was helpful hoping Davis could stop the harrass. And after some kind of shoveling around, Davis pushed Kan to the track and he fell inside. And Davis admitted that the just witnessed Han being crushed and wedged by the train at the platform. This situation leaves us a lot of puzzling part: Why aren’t there someone at a NY subway pulling Kan out of the track? If you read this, you can see it would not be even difficult for 2 men or just 1 man to pull Kan who is a normal built Asian out? Kan is just helping out and it’s not even about 2 gangsters fighting over drugs or money, and even so, anyone being thrown down involuntarily should be helped? At least couldn’t someone show the sign or effort to help him? People are blaming the photographer who caught the image and not rescuing the Han, but where are the rest of the people as well? Why would New York Post display this image, where is their ethics of journalism? Read this to see how sorrowful the family is seeing the core family member in pain seconds before he was run over? Kan who is Christian has done his best to be helpful and would he and his family be in doubt of God’s action and faith for the tragedy that happened to them or this would just make them stronger? It’s a series of questions about people’s moral standard of ethics, principle and conscience we have to review and reflect. This is not the first time a public issue happened and people in the city is not showing any compassion and care. If this apathy continues, our world could very much end in pain in our own hands.

Quote of the Day
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
Matthew 21:21
I pray to God that I will not stop seeking Him in view of negative things happening around us and blessings to all the misfortune people and may peace be with them in their hearts and souls.

Postscript Quote 
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.
From a Headstone in Ireland

To be an artist and also a Christian

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Senior pastor at Sunday service said he just had a very precious chance meeting a contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura. Makoto is Boston born Japanese by descent and is a devout Christian and he has been commissioned to be the only designer to illuminate the Four Gospels to celebrate the 400th publishing anniversary of the King James Bible. What is stunning is that it’s the first time a single designer has been chosen in nearly 500 years. I was watching this short film about the work and the process and heard a person being interviewed said “It’s very risky for an artist who is working on mainstream contemporary art to be Christian, because people are immediately going to make an assumption about you and what you are trying to say in your art”. This is quite enlightening to me as I have never really think about it, would our religion come into conflict with our profession? Are we bold enough to claim what we believe in face of personal interest? One further thing special about Makoto is that he chooses to read only one theologist’s work in one full year so that he can truly taste that person’s work and thinking throughout. Taste implies taking in and connecting the sense to the matter with both our sense and mind, and pastor reminds us to taste the Bible and words of God and not just skim it superficially. Maybe this is one thing we can change in our study plan.

Quote of the Day
now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
1 Peter 2:3
I pray to God that we will savor on His words and dwell in His teachings.

Postscript Quote 
What makes art Christian art? Is it simply Christian artists painting biblical subjects like Jeremiah? Or, by attaching a halo, does that suddenly make something Christian art? Must the artist’s subject be religious to be Christian? I don’t think so. There is a certain sense in which art is its own justification. If art is good art, if it is true art, if it is beautiful art, then it is bearing witness to the Author of the good, the true, and the beautiful.  
R.C. Sproul

She went to church!

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Some of you might know that I have a good friend who went to Berlin and after 1.5 years working there, she told me she has been reading the shocking pink Bible I gave her on and off and she felt peace at heart, further she feels that after going back to Hong Kong, she wanted to find a church to go and start anew. And just a few days ago, she got on iChat and instant messaging me while I was going crazy at work, she told me she forgot to update me that she found the church to go, and she is now starting to worship on Sunday. And the church she told me she joined is a hipster church called Berlin Connect! This friend of mine is a party animal and the type of girl who loves Lady Gaga and wearing her shocking pink Skull Candy headphone around on her pink bike! She is sweet, adventurous, interesting and just not the typical person whom we thought would be attracted to a church. And she told me that it’s not easy to convince someone like her to go to church, BUT, God does it. And she told me she prayed to God that He gives her the right church to go and God just never fails. I am super super super happy and have been speaking to God to thank Him. The shocking pink Bible is the seed and I am so glad I gave it to her instead of something else like a wallet, bracelet or something. Actually, I gave her Rick Warren‘s Purpose Driven Life too and she happened to have read it. But she picked up my copy and read it in Berlin again! Man, she is doing more than I do here. Everyday is a Thanksgiving day now!

Quote of the Day
Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture
Psalm 100:3
I pray to God that Angie my good friend will be connected to You and be your sheep, munching the green pastures you have created and be by the side of your feet.

Postscript Quote 
I have some definite views about the de-Christianizing of the church. I believe that there are many accommodating preachers, and too many practitioners in the church who are not believers. Jesus Christ did not say “Go into all the world and tell the world that it is quite right.” The Gospel is something completely different. In fact, it is directly opposed to the world. 
C. S. Lewis 

Compassion means womb

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I attended my friend’s church session yesterday as he is the preacher. The scripture quoted is an extremely familiar piece about the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, drying Jesus’ feet with her hair and kissing Jesus feet all over. Most of us know that Jesus is non-discriminating and as long as anyone of us who can repent, acknowledge our sins and willing to change, He would save us all. So the end of this small story is that this woman who presumed to be leading a promiscuous life received God’s blessings and left in peace. But what my friend points out at the sermon is about the principle about holiness and mercy or compassion. One interesting way to interpret the word Mercy as it also means Womb in Hebrew. That means to have mercy implies to treat the others like the child in the mother’s womb. Throughout the Bible and our lives nowadays, we face countless situations that principle clashes with our desire to stay compassionate. Tension arises as there are rules teaching us to lead certain way of life, but in actual fact, it’s almost impossible to do it. How do we strike this balance? We just have to put ourselves into Jesus’ shoes. And if we could think one step ahead or further, decisions probably come in much easier. Recently, Uganda is about to pass a bill to put homosexuals to life imprisonment. God clearly teaches that love of same sex is not right but I don’t think Jesus would support such bill to pass, reason being God always want things and thinking to be done voluntarily. I pray that people could seek peaceful means to resolve conflicts and tension.

Quote of the Day
And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Exodus 33:19
I pray to God that we can learn to live in harmony with each other, and even though with the people who have opposing point of views and values.

Postscript Quote 
I have lost my seven best friends, which is to say God has had mercy on me seven times without realizing it. He lent a friendship, took it from me, sent me another.
Jean Cocteau

My prison ministry begins…

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Last night I visited the organization, HK Christian Kun Sun Association, which focuses on prison ministry to go over what I could do for the writing program I volunteered earlier. A very kind staff stayed late to wait up for me as I could only reach them by 7pm at Sham Shui Po, he passed on a lot of reading materials about the rules of the writing ministry. It does surprise me as I thought it’s just writing a letter or two to their prison mates, but what he showed me reminds me not to take things lightly at all and I feel the who initiative is holy and chills came up from my spine sooo many moments last night (I always have that feeling as a sign when I am moved, the Spirit is in me or something I did is right.) I was assigned two women prison mates to start working on, not much of their background were disclosed. And the fellow staff reminds me that if they don’t write back, don’t feel discouraged because they are given only ONE stamp monthly and likely they will choose to spend that precious stamp by sending hand written letter to their family and closed ones. WOW, one thing is I don’t expect them to write back and the other, knowing they only have one stamp, why would they write me?! But as they also earn wages during their stay, they also have a chance to buy their own stamps and they could write and mail me stuff. And if I don’t hear from them after the first letter, pick up the ‘conversation’ in around 1.5 months again so they don’t forget me. Too frequent the writing might pressured them and so I am advised to take things slow to groom this precious ‘relationship-to-be’ relationship. The staff emphasizes many times the importance of patience and wait. Probably he notices I am the type of people who seem to be quite impatient, result-oriented and fast-paced, on the contrary, he speaks slow and his tone is so calm and soothing! Even one short stay reveals so much about life in general what I can do and should do. A kinda cliche saying which I truly find it true is that, “when you offer your help to others, most often – you are being helped the most.” Towards the end, I suddenly ask the staff to pray together, his eyes wide-opened and I think he is surprised! I started the prayer but I don’t speak as nicely as a lot of people who lead a prayer do, I have a lot of ‘em’ ‘er’ and use not the ‘professional’ words or phrases, but that is totally fine as long as we are genuine! I remember once two pastors on the radio said “Worry about nothing but pray for everything.” They announced the line together and say it like a slogan! How great is our Lord!

Quote of the Day
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
James 5:7
I pray to God that I will persist on this ministry and continue to give hope to others, just as much as they do to me.

Postscript Quote 
What  a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can’t reread a phone call.
Liz Carpenter