Stucking on this Plane, Waiting for the Next

As persons living in this material world with physical eyes and hears, we are surely engaged in this earthly plane. We have bodies and we feed and dress our bodies.

We are to engrossed in the present and love the things of this world too much; we have no appetite or concern for heavenly things.

However we Christians should see beyond the physical things that are temporary and passing away, and be always mindful of the things that are presently unseen, but are eternal. 

Things of eternity must become clear concerns to us.

The Word says in 1 Peter 2:11, that we are "strangers and pilgrims" in this world, and we would do well to "abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul."

We are not here on this earth for long; we are not native settlers who are immersed in this "culture". This is a culture that goads us to participate in a form of living which has no regard for a Holy God. There is another place we are heading to, and this is a place of permanent residence.

The author of Hebrews is right:

Hebrews 12

 ¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 


²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Anything in between our passage from this place to the better place that becomes an unhelpful distraction must be put off. The things we dabbled in, and ensnared us should no longer have any hold on us, we who are bought by His Blood. We belong to Him and our lives are lived in devotion to Him and in view of His coming.

1 John 2

 ¹⁷And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

I read the newspapers about the men who were involved with the teen prostitute these days, and pick out many things from these stories of sin. Sin is destructive and aims to ruin the person, and war against the person and his/her relationships with their beloved people.

These disgraced men gave in to the desires of the flesh and brief illicit pleasures, and now have lost their moral stature in society and surely in their families. They have been subjected to public shame and grieved their families-wives and children.

I look at these men, and I am aware that I may not judge them for their weakness, for the same impulses for wickedness are present in my body and if not for the Spirit of God, I have no resistance to any form of suggestion for sin. In the past, I only lacked the opportunity for sin; my desire was not any less.

Thank God for grace and cleansing in Christ Jesus. Now, if I pretend I no longer contend with sin in such forms, I am a hypocrite and a liar. Praise God that I am a recipient of His grace and mercies, that I have been pardoned and empowered to overcome sin in the flesh. My changed heart seeks to please the Lord and dissociate from wickedness.

Hopefully these men and the girl in question will come to the realization of the need for a Saviour and the love and grace in Christ, who can wash them of their uncleanness with His soul-cleansing Blood.

Let every one who nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (2 Timothy 2:19)

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This is a strange time for me, to make a decisive cross-over, choosing to leave the fellowship of dear people I have been with for about 2 years, and some more than that. I have left my previous Church and moved to another.

We ought to subject ourselves daily under the authority of the Word and not presume we are fully right all times. I cannot overlook the errors that others hope to tolerate for the sake of Christian unity. True unity is not forged by dimming down the lines of difference between diverse groups.

Rather than the maxim that strives to forge trans-denominational unity: "in essentials; unity, in non-essentials; liberty, in all things; charity", I believe that we must be united in sound biblical doctrine and in the Holy Spirit. Many groups today who profess to be Christian are in error.

We may be able to say that certain conduct and disciplines are not compatible with the Word, by close study. I do not look at disagreements between groups, but disagreements with Scripture.

We must be discerning, exercising care to look the Word and judge rightly what are the things that are commended and commanded by the Word.

I have committed to only doing what the Bible, the Word of God commands and commends. We who have the Word of God are accountable because of what we have understood.

May all Christians not be passive followers, but actively go through the Word to make sure of the things we believe in.

Good Friday

I'm really thankful and also very impressed by my God that He is able to weave the decisions I make in these circumstances into so good an outcome. I love to away, fully knowing, understanding and being able to say: this is the place I was meant to be in all of time. I am here by His intention and by my compliance.

This morning at ABC, I brought my reluctant bones to the North, and to Good Friday service. I was glad to hear the Word and a reminder of the cross; our holy God's saving work, fully completed, once for all. It is huge to meditate upon how huge is this: that Christ is an acceptable sacrifice, without blemish and fully meeting God's standards of perfection. And that His Blood made remission for all sins once for all. At this point, all the sins in all of time were laid upon the Lamb of God: God's Son. He tasted death for every man (Hebrews 2:9). 

I was introduced to a new person who came for the service and I had the opportunity to share with him about the gospel of Christ, the Word of God and how Biblical church and worship should be. I thought to impress upon this truth seeker that the Word is authoritative and instructive, and our guide for all manners of living. I was able to bring him through the opening verses of the Book of Romans in close reading, to explain the rich information in each line.

I was very encouraged by his sincerity and his openness, and receptivity to the good community at ABC,  so different from mainstream Christianity in Singapore. I had hoped to show him that all men are able to fully understand and study Scripture. It was edifying for my person also; that I could point to my own life as a testament to the Word's transforming power. It is not that I found a right drug, but rather I had taken hold of the truest truth early in my life.

Later, at Agnes' place, I got to look at my essay, eat beautiful scrambled eggs with toast, and speak with her father. This heightened the sense that I was in the place I was supposed to be.

Agnes and I are 5 months in, and by all considerations we are young, new and hasty. 

But I'm glad we have entered into courtship with marriage as the goal, and we are increasing our certainty of this, deepening our commitment to one another, and receiving more evidences that this is the Lord's will for us.

Uncle shared with me his values on the things that a Biblical husband and wife, the breadwinner and the homemaker/housekeeper should be. He shared about long term considerations in family planning, where two different people come together as husband and wife, and the types of decision making involved. There is individual preparation before marriage; husband and wife must be able to come to terms and make a committed decision in the household affairs. Building a godly family is aim.

I think there are amazing blessings when we obey God's direction and order, where we submit and give ear to the counsel of our elders. It is fitting and right to do so.

While others may be aghast at what they perceive to be premature commitment, I am acting upon surety and increasing confidence that this is what the Lord has in store for me. That this is the woman that I am to love and care for in the Lord and that I do not take it lightly.

We will respect and involve and defer to her parents in the Lord, that we may be living on principles from the Word.

It is both comforting and blessed to have her father's oversight and also confidence and approval that we may one day be married in the Lord. 

I was reminded of my responsibilities as a student and also heard of uncle's concerns about managing and raising a godly family. We should be able to raise children who may "intellectually and willingly" come to faith in Christ. He also reminded me of the need to pass values down to the next generation. I need some sober self-examination to see if I am able to live the Word, share the Word and make decisions based on my trust in the Lord to provide, and whether I have the skills/ knowledge to take care of a household. 

I had to try not to smile to openly when he spoke of a day in time where we would be "walking down the aisle".  Walking down the aisle - that's what we are working towards. Anything other than that is a waste of time, youth, money, a gross disobedience to the Lord, and a disegard for the Word. 

When we obey, the blessings in store for us are sweet and wonderful.