Talking to God the Father Like a Child

Tags

Ask, Book, Praying

Every year, I make a point to read several books, ideally from various categories: one about evangelism to keep our evangelism radar sharp, one about marriage to help me refresh my role as a husband, one about parenting, one about church leadership, one about apologetics, one secular non-fiction, etc. And this year, I started with a book about prayer.

We all know that praying for Christian is like breathing, and it’s something that we must and cannot live without. But yet, we all know that Christians struggle in prayer. That’s why reading a book on prayer, at least one book a year, helps refresh our prayer life. It gives us ideas and tips on rejuvenating our prayer life and, at the very least, reminds us again of the importance of prayer.

I have just finished reading A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller. I highly recommend this book. Miller gives a refreshing perspective on prayer in a way that makes you want to pray. It doesn’t describe a praying life that makes you think, “I can never do what he does”, and leaves you feeling guilty. Practically speaking, Miller suggests that we use prayer cards. Although he has pointed out that his method, which has worked for me too, is not the only method that works, Miller shows persuasively that it is a brilliant and straightforward method. Regardless of what prayer method you have or will adopt, I think every follower of Christ should read this book.

Some reflections on my dad’s passing

Tags

Assurance, Dad, Death, Grief

Picture taken on 6 June 2018 in Songgoriti, East Java, Indonesia.

Four years ago, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Various people, including the doctors and those whose loved one had been diagnosed with the same disease, made us aware of how long dad potentially had to live. They told us that those who were lucky would live for up to 5 years. We were sad, but hopeful. We thank God that He allowed us to spend four more years with dad, even though those years were full of ups and downs. Various tests and scans over the years showed some improvements and declines. When covid hit, however, dad was unable to fly to Malaysia for his regular check-ups. Tests and scans became less frequent due to covid health scare in Indonesian hospitals. Finally, the past month witnessed dad’s drastic decline. The last test revealed that his cancer had spread to his brain and liver, and the doctor told us that we needed to be ready for the inevitable.

Last Saturday, came the dreaded phone calls from my sisters, right when Maria and I were teaching at our student fellowship. However unwanted it was, Melbourne’s snap lockdown meant we had to teach via Zoom, and it somehow provided a way for me to go in and out of the camera to take the various phone calls updating me on dad’s last hour ordeal, while Maria bravely continued the session. When my sister-in-law finally called and said, “Dad is not breathing anymore,” both my legs gave way, and I sat on the floor with my side leaning on the wall sobbing like a little child. My wife and kids heard it and ran to sit with me for a while. Thanks to Zoom, the students were kept longer in the breakout rooms, not knowing what had just happened. Long story short, my dad went to be with His Lord last Saturday, around 4.30 pm, Melbourne time.

Needless to say, the past three days have been the most difficult days of my life. At the same time, God has brought a few things to my mind as I grieve and process this. So, I write them in this post, partly as my way to process this, and partly being hopeful that it can be a blessing and a reminder. 

Understanding the Gift of Singleness

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Corinthians, Gift, Marriage, Singleness, Spiritual Gift

The Council of Elvira (306) was arguably the first to issue a written regulation requiring clergy to live a chaste life. The priests were, and still are today in the Roman Catholic church, required to lead a single life to ensure their ‘undivided devotion to the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 7:35). This inevitably created an impression that those who were married were not as devoted to the Lord. Unfortunately, this may also be a contributing factor to the issue of child sexual abuse committed by some priests who are perhaps feeling sexually unfulfilled. We are grateful for the legacy of reformers, who not only brought us back to the true gospel but also promoted the beauty of earthly marriage as the representation of Jesus’ love for the church (Ephesians 5:31-32). The Protestants no longer require pastors or elders to remain single.

Over the past few centuries, however, the pendulum might have swung a bit too far that singleness has been considered as undesirable or, even worse, a curse. Again, we are thankful for the work of many theologians today who have helped show us that Christianity upholds singleness as a viable and God-glorifying way of life. While our marriage declares the beauty of Jesus’ covenantal relationship with the church, our singleness portrays the heavenly reality that we are all ultimately brothers and sisters in Christ. While the sacrificial love and submission between the husband and the wife display the relationship dynamic between Jesus and the church, our singleness is a proclamation that Jesus and the gospel is the ultimate hope, security, and identity for us in this world. The question, however, lingers among many young evangelicals: “How do I know if I should pursue marriage? Have I been called to be single?”

Help! I am falling in love! – Five things to keep in mind when you are romantically attracted.

For young people, other than how to study, what game is trending, and where to eat, dating and relationships are arguably among the top issues with which they are wrestling.

Before a certain age, some boys think girls have what they call “girl germs”, and vice versa. However, there will come a time in a child’s life when he or she no longer thinks that those with the opposite gender are repulsive. Instead of avoiding, a boy wants to be around girls (or a certain girl), and a girl wants to be noticed by boys (or a certain boy). It is an exciting phase in someone’s life. At the same time, it can be confusing too. It can even be destructive if mishandled.

So, in this article, I offer five things that we should keep in mind when we find ourselves falling in love or romantically attracted.

Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?

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Apostasy, Assurance, Fall Away, Salvation

Of all the questions that Christians ask, this one might make it to the top three. It is a crucial question because it provides a level of assurance to the Christian, especially when he or she is going through life circumstances that make him or her doubt whether or not they are indeed saved. So, I will look at what the Scripture says on this issue, and then I shall conclude with some encouragements.

Can Christians fall away?

Some passages seem to suggest that Christians can lose their salvation. The author of the book of Hebrews, for example, warns Christians not to fall away from the living God. In Hebrews 3:12, he writes, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (emphasis mine). However, in verse 14 of the same chapter, he says that we have come to share in Christ, “if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” So, one can say that those who ‘fall away’ are those who don’t hold their original confidence to the end; hence they have not come to ‘share in Christ’ to begin with.  

Six Ways God is using COVID-19 to Test Us

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Coronavirus, COVID-19, Faith, Tests

 

It is without question that COVID-19 is in everyone’s mind at the moment. Many world leaders have implemented strict measures to stop the spread of the virus, hoping to flatten the curve for as long as possible. Until we find the vaccine, we have to get used to this change for a while.

Different people react to change differently. Usually, young people are much more adaptable to change. But the problem is that the change happens so rapidly. So, no matter how versatile you are to change, this situation inevitable brings out in all of us mixed emotions. It also raises many questions. 

For me, those questions include: Will I have to resort to having instant noodles more than my usual once a week? That is something that I will gladly welcome by the way. Will we, as a family, end up watching more Netflix and Disney+? My kids will gladly welcome that. However, some of the more serious questions include: Will I be able to fly back to Indonesia to visit my dad this year? What about our children’s schooling? And of course, one question that I have been pondering too: What is God doing in all this? 

Look before you do!

Tags

Commandments, Conscience, Culture, Decision-making, Ethics

It’s Friday night. Your colleagues are going out for a drink after a long week at work. Just like most weekends, alcohols are the main feature of the night. You are a Christian, and you wonder whether you can or should participate in this weekly work ‘ritual.’

Your friends are inviting you to watch the new blockbuster movie at the cinema. You know that it is R-rated, and there will be some scenes that might ‘hurt your Christian eyes.’ You wonder whether you can or should go with them.

You go to a funeral to pay respect to your relative that has just passed away. The host expects that you hold the burning incense sticks while bowing a few times in front of the body. You wonder whether as Christians you can or should follow suit.

As Christians, you will face many decisions like this in life. Some decisions are easy to make and straight forward. But, some are not that simple. So, let me offer five things that we should consider in making decisions, especially in tricky situations like the above.

Can You Impress God?

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Content, Faith, Impressive, Marvellous, Pray

Well, apparently somebody did.

If you are a parent of growing children, like me, one of the things that amaze you is when your children surprise you with something that they are able to do that is beyond their age level. Your kinder-aged child managed to read and pronounce a rather complicated word, your primary school aged child memorise the times table for the first time, your small boy threw that basketball into the hoop, or your high-school aged kid invented a device that can automatically iron your clothes while they were still in the washing machine so that they came out crisp and folded. Those moments made you happy and proud, especially if that last one really happened. As human beings, we cannot help but be amazed when people do, well, amazing things. We are blown away by the level of tennis that the players display at the grand slam. We are mesmerised by the sleight of hand of the illusionists. We adore, and even idolise, athletes, actors, scientists, writers, inventors, industry leaders, basically, anyone who have made significant accomplishments. That’s probably many of us like watching superheroes movies while imagining we have a nuclear reactor on our chest and laser beam launchers on our hands. In short, we are impressed by people’s abilities and achievements.

How Much Should​ We Give?

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Cheerful, Finance, Giving, Money, Sacrificial, Tithing

In the last post, we learn that one very tangible expression of our repentance is changing the way we handle our finance. In Malachi 3, when God asked the people to ‘return to him,’ the first area where God wants them to fix is their finance – specifically, their giving to God (Malachi 3:8). God deems it a very high priority for them to get their financial life right if they are serious about restoring their relationship with God. This applies to God’s people in the Old Testament as well as New Testament believers.

The question now is: How much should believers give to God?

Show Me the Money

Tags

Blessing, Giving, Malachi, Money, Return, Tithe

Let’s imagine!

You have been a Christian for a few years now. You know for sure you are counted among God’s redeemed people. However, in the past year, life has taken a dramatic turn. God has not been in your mind and heart, let alone your Monday-to-Saturday vocabulary, for quite a while now. Mind you, you still go to church. You even identify yourself as a Christian. However, each decision has been made without the love for God in the picture. God has been but a distant memory for you.

Suddenly, perhaps because of a sermon, or a gentle nudge by your Christian brother or sister, or a whisper from the Holy Spirit in your conscience, you realise that you have been walking on the wrong side of the road. You understand it’s time now to make a U-turn and to head toward the right direction again. The next question is: Where do you start?

Imagine that situation… what would you do? Where would you start?