The Anguish, A Martyr ?

For those who are not familiar with KH's trial, this is a short summary:  KH was the founder of a megachurch named CHC.  CHC has over 30,000 members. KH is now investigated by the authority for using church fund, to the tune of tens of million dollars for unintended purposes.  The verdict is not out yet.  He could be innocent, he could be guilty.

 

This is an excerpt of what he preached last Sunday.

 

 

 

Yes, KH was a distraught man.  The pressure of being investigated as a criminal must had been anguishing.  Perhaps he drew a comparison with the suffering of Job and the prophets in the old Testament, or comparing his suffering to that of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

 

This snippet of his full sermon was interesting.   OH ! What emotion !

Our Relentless Pursuit of Security and Comfort

This writer wrote what we are all guilty of.  If you have time, read this... http://www.irishcatholic.ie/20130711/news/an-addiction-to-comfort-S35181.html

We live in affluent Singapore.  We understand Maslow's hierarchy of needs.  We ensure that we must fulfill the lower needs such as safety, food and physical comfort.  We work hard to fulfill the higher ego and self actualisation needs.

But that was really not what Christ's apostles seek.  Nor was this what our forefather missionaries seek.  Modern day missionaries too have no qualms over foresaking safety, food and security, just to spread the love of God in dangerous places.

Though most of us who are NOT Christ's missionaries working in some faraway land, we must be mindful NOT to make Security and Comfort our gods.  We should not be too materialistic or too self-centred in our lives.  Be holy, share God's love, be happy to having less.

This is just my reflection.  

Dancing with Thanks

Dancing with Thanks.  Touching !!

The Difficult Golden Years

Article from the Sunday Times, July 14, 2013.
There were 467 suicides in Singapore in 2012.  Not a small number.  Out of these, the elderly above 60 years old accounted for 122 cases.  The 50 to 59 years old accounted for 95 cases.

The older the wiser.  Seems that the wisest group in our population also has the highest propensity to suicide.  For the elderly, there could only be 2 painful reasons - firstly the lack of money, and secondly, poor health.

This elderly group probably had lived through the second world war.  They were hardy people.  Yet, they were driven to give up their life in dispair!

As a society, those who can should lend a helping hand to this vulnerable people.  Do something within our means.

The Book of Daniel

The story of Daniel was amazing.  This is a very special book.  The book acknowledges that there were magicians and conjurers and Chaldeans that claimed to be able to interpret dreams.

When King Nebu(chadnezzar) had his dream, the chaldeans thought "No problem, we can interpret his dream."

BUT THERE IS A TRICKY CATCH. King Nebu was not going to tell them what he dreamt.  His instruction was "Tell me what I dreamt, and then interpret the dream!"

Oh Boy!  Without true divine assistance, there is no way to tell someone what he had dreamt !!

Daniel did  it.  Daniel Chapter 1 and 2 - what an amazing story !! 

 

Dream Dream Dream

The Bible recognises that God do communicate in dreams.

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream when Joseph was considering what to do with Mary.  It seems the angel appeared to Joseph again and again. (Matt 1: 20, Matt 2:12-13).

In the Book of Daniel,  dreams and interpretation of dreams were mentioned.

I read that in islamic nations, where the spreading of gospel is not allowed, God could speak to certain people in their dreams.  

I hope God will communicate with me in my dreams too.  But, no, He has not yet communicated to me with such clarity. 

Most of the time, I still have to use my own common sense, and an interpretation of His teachings in the Bible, to decide His answers to my prayers.

The 15 books we called "Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha"

Some of my Christian friends do not know these books exist.  I now give you an introduction.

Some Bibles include these other 15 books, besides the 39 old testament books and 27 new testament books. They are:
Tobit, Judith, Esther Greek Text,
Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch,
Letter of Jerermiah, Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna,
Bel and the Dragon, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees,
1 Esdras, 2 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh.

These books are called "deuterocanonicals" by catholics to indicate that their canonical status as Scripture was settled later than that of the proto-canonical books.  Protestants usually refer these books as Apocrypha.

These books formed part of the Septuagint Text (in Greek) and were interspersed among the other books of the old Testament.

Apparently it was only in the 4th century that the canonicity of Bible (books) arose, a situation which is reflected in Jerome's placing these books in a separated section in his Vulgate translation of the Old Testament.

In 1546 at the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic Church officially declared these books to be sacred and canonical, and to be accepted "with equal devotion and reverence."

At the time of Reformation Martin Luther did not regard these books as Scripture, but as "useful and good for reading." In his German translation of the Bible, Martin Luther followed the practice of Jerome in placing these books at the end of the Old Testament.

Among Christians who do not accept these books as Scripture, there is however widespread agreement as to their importance in providing much valuable information on Jewish history, life, thought, worship and religious practice during the centuries immediately prior to the time of Christ.

(extracted from the GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS/APOCRYPHA)