Losing Treasures on Earth

Last week, one of my close friend’s house got broken into while he and his wife were out. The thief came in and ransacked their house and searched for valuable belongings. Among other belongings, they lost two pricey cameras, one was an expensive DSLR.

I got the SMS from another friend saying that this person’s house got robbed and I was so shocked. I quickly called him up, thinking that he and his wife was hurt or something. Thank God they were alright. I was so sad when he told me that his DSLR Camera is now gone. A shutterbug myself, I felt the pain of losing something valuable.

As I was thinking about what I would feel if the same thing happened to me. This verse came into my mind, one verse that I have put into memory and heart.

Luke 12:33-36
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What a silly thing to do I thought. We are living in this world but God talks of an unseen world where we are suppose to store up our treasures in. How is this possible? Then I realized again that this world we are living in is just a temporary place, a transit, where we wait for the train that heads to heaven (or hell).

So then what is this treasure that God has in store for us in heaven? This I will not fully know. But what I know is that God is having rewards waiting for us up in heaven. For every good deed done without a wrong motive or wrong heart, God puts a little something in our waiting mansion.
It is so good to know that our treasure in heaven is unlike earth’s. Ours do not get exhausted and no thieves will be able to steal and no moths will be able to destroy.

The last line never fails to strike me. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Wow! Strong. It is so true.

If our treasures are on earth, who then are willing to leave this earth? Our heart will be on earth and our longing is to stay longer and enjoy what we have gathered for ourselves. Many Christians who are extremely blessed with wealth and treasures will never understand what following Jesus means. People of other religions see no point in having God in their lives because they are so self-sustaining and they do not need any help (or so they think).

Also note that I am not against wealthy people. I am sharing about the differences between earthly and heavenly riches.

Isn’t it true? Will a man who finds comfort in the things he has leave everything and do what God wants when God calls? Will he be able to adjust to a new and less uncomfortable life? Will he be able to do more than people who has their heart on their treasures above?

If you know your treasures are in heaven and your heart is there also, you will be more effective in the Kingdom of God.

Check this post out. Click Here.

Rules, Rules, Rules... Sick of 'Em!

Rules, rules, rules… Why are there so many rules and boundaries set to make our lives more miserable?

A lot of people view the Christian’s Ten Commandments as rules that are only achievable by being a monk in a monastery and isolating oneself away from the rest of the world. This may seem quite true but it is really not.

Author of the book Rumours of Another World, Philip Yancey, wrote in his book about his experience with his orthopedic surgeon who was paid thousands of dollars to correct some problem with Philip’s left foot.

While rehabilitating, Philip persisted on exercising although it hurt him because he knew that working through the pain would allow his foot to heal faster. On the other hand, his surgeon forbade bicycling, hiking, running and other activities that might endanger the healing process. Basically, anything that sounded fun was vetoed.

On one visit Philip tried to talk his surgeon into permitting his a premature golf match. “Some close friends get together only once a year, and this one’s important to me. I’ve been practicing my swing, and if I use only my upper body, and keep my legs and hips very still, could I join them? I think I could keep most of my weight on my right foot.”

Without a flicker of hesitation the doctor replied, “It would make me very unhappy if you were to play golf within the next two months.”
“I thought you were a golfer,” Philip said, seeking sympathy.
“I am. That’s how I know you can’t swing without rolling that foot inward and putting weight on the bones that are trying to heal.”

Philip later told his wife and joked, “Why should I care if my doctor was unhappy? I am not his psychiatrist.”

Philip then understood that the doctor did not want him to play golf this year, but wanted him to play the next year, and the next, and the next, and for the rest of his life. The doctor gave Philip a free choice by not saying, “No! You can’t play!”

The doctor is likened to God and His “commanding ways”. Rules are set not to bind us but they are set to free us. It is to free us from the consequences of sin and of an unhappy life and of death. God gave us the commands but He also gave us the free will to act upon our decisions. He wants us to enjoy more of life by not doing what seem “okay” and “good”.

Don’t we always think of God as a strict and authority figure? May people see religion mainly as a set of rules, a moral code handed down from an invisible world that we on this planet are somehow obligated to obey. Why it matter to God whether puny creatures on a tiny planet kept his rules, we have no clue. We only hear of dire warnings that if we break the rules, we would pay for it.

A doctor sees two set of lungs. On the left is one that is so white like marble, so shiny and smoothly textured. The other set is the dramatic contrast, the lungs look like they have been used to clean a chimney. Black as tar, sediments clogging the delicate membranes designed to capture oxygen. This set of black lungs came from a chain smoker.

After seeing such drastic contrast of two lungs that started off the same, don’t you think a doctor would set an unspoken rule against smoking and will advise you not to smoke?

Think about that.

Psalm 119:33-40
Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the paths of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart towards your statutes
and not towards selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
Take away the disgrace that I dread,
for your laws are good.
How I long for your percepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.

A Death Worth Dying

Haim and his family
Cambodia
Circa 1970s

During the night, the members of Haim’s family comforted each other. They knew they only had a few more hours to live on earth. The Cambodian Communist soldiers had tied them all together and forced them to lie down on the grass.

Earlier that day, Haim’s whole family had been rounded up for execution. Because they were all Christians, the Communists considered them “bad blood” and “enemies of the glorious revolution.”

In the morning, they were made to dig their own graves.

The killers were generous. They allowed their victims a moment of prayer to prepare themselves for death. Parents and children held hands and knelt together near the open grave.

After his family finished their prayers, Haim exhorted the Communists and those looking on to repent and to receive Jesus as Savior.

Suddenly, one of Haim’s young sons leapt to his feet, bolted to the nearby forest, and disappeared.

Haim was amazingly cool as he persuaded the soldiers not to chase the boy but to allow him to call the boy back. While the family knelt, the father pleaded with his son to return and die with them.

“Think my son,” he shouted. “Can stealing a few more days of life, as a fugitive in that forest, compare to joining your family here around the grave, but soon free to live in paradise?”

Weeping, the boy walked back.

Haim said to the executioners, “Now we are ready to go.”
But none of the soldiers would kill them.

Finally, an officer who had not witnessed the scene came and shot the Christians.

____________________________________________________

Atheists – those who don’t believe in God or life after death – are amazed when Christians are ready to sacrifice their lives rather than deny a God no one can see. They don’t understand the deep work of the Holy Spirit and how He makes both the Father’s love and heaven an undeniable reality in the heart of a believer.

When I was on a holiday in Cambodia a few years back, I remembered having a tour to one of the most gruesome torture site in that country. It was a school which was turned into a prison and a torture place. One incident the tour guide told us was of a Pastor’s family. They were forced to walk over a huge cross which will symbolize them renouncing Jesus. However they did not do it. Then they were forced to dig their own graves and all of them were buried alive, including their young children about the age 6 – 12.

How much does Jesus mean to you?

Do you love Him so much that you would rather be tortured and killed than to renounce your faith?

Laying Down my Life for Kingdom Cause,
Zlwin Chew

______________________________________

*The story above has been taken from dcTalk’s book: Jesus Freaks and the Voice of the Martyrs.
Visit http://www.jesusfreaks.net/ and http://www.persecution.com/ for more details.

TNT The World!!!

Grace Youth Camp 2008 is drawing nearer than we all expected! The anticipation built up as each moon ends its shift. It is time for us to discover for ourselves how important our lives are in changing the world.

It is time for us to…

TRANSFORM ‘N’ TRENDSET THE WORLD!!!

The world around us calls for a change and we all know it. However too few are willing to be the transformation they want to see in the world. Therefore it is time for us to know how much our lives matter and also how short our lifetime on earth is.

A bomb is created for one purpose only – to destroy. We are likened to bombs and explosives, with hidden powers inside us that we are not aware of. Some know that they are potentially dangerous and influential but they explode in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reason. Many leave their explosives to rot and become useless one day. Therefore it is time for us to know how much potential we all hold and what an impact we can make in the world when we “blow off”.

See you at an explosive event soon!!!

For more details about the camp, visit http://www.gyzeroeight.blogspot.com/

For those who wants last year's camp pictures, let me know, there is a DVD.
Click HERE to view some of the many hundreds of last year's GY Camp pictures.
________________________________________

*This camp is not a terrorists-training camp. There are no actual explosives involved in training our campers. So ISA, you can cool down and relax… but not for long, because “explosions” are going to go off pretty soon.

RPK Freed!

Raja Petra Kamarudin, editor of the controversial and popular news portal Malaysia Today, was freed yesterday from ISA detention!

RPK, as he is better known, was detained by the Internal Security Act (ISA) on September 12 for speaking out against the authorities on grounds he claimed was right. One of his many claims was that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was one of the key people in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya. He spoke what he thinks and knows is right without fear of being put into prison.

“I am not a terrorist. I am not a dangerous person. I am just a writer,” RPK said.

Yes, a writer indeed - writer who is so bold to speak words that determine whether he dies or lives.

RPK put everyone who has a much bigger truth but dare not speak about it to shame. There is a much bigger and more wonderful truth out there that not everyone is ready to accept but must know. There is a greater knowledge out there that needs to be made known to all. But there are not many who even dare or want to blog about this truth.

Many have nothing to say about this truth because they don’t really know much about this truth. And many find that it doesn’t matter if the truth is not told.

Still there are many who are willing to trade their lives so that the world will know THE TRUTH.

Which one are you?


One of my farewell gifts from PsJohn before he left. This shirt is a reminder to me to be bold in sharing the truth no matter what it will cost me.

Haha. Brilliant T-Shirt.

New Beginnings...

Barack Obama slammed into the history books after his historical win at becoming America’s first black President. Obama, 47, will be inaugurated as the 44th US President on January 20 next year.

South Africa’s iconic first black leader Nelson Mandela said that Obama has shown that everyone can change the world.

“Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.” –Nelson Mandela.

__________________________________

The blacks were slaves in America just 60 years ago until Reverend Dr Martin Luther King stood up to make a change. Look at the glorious winning of Barack Obama this season. He has certainly proved that things can and will change if someone have the guts to do something.

Is it time for us to do something we think and know we should do? Or do we still want to sit and wait for someone to go ahead and then we follow?

We Christians are no longer slaves to the world. In the Words of the Bible, “The Truth will set you free.” What and who is the Truth? The Truth is Jesus Christ. If we know Jesus, we are free. If we have Jesus in our hearts, then the Kingdom of God has come upon us because a kingdom is basically a place where a King rules. And if Jesus rules in our hearts, then the Kingdom of God is in us. This kingdom is not a physical one and it is much stronger than the physical one because what is physical cannot destroy what is spiritual and unseen.

Why then should we be afraid to do what requires of our King when we know our citizenship is not of this world? We may be Malaysians in the physical but we are truly Christians and our citizenship is in heaven.

Until we realize that our citizenship is of another realm and we belong to Christ, we would never understand the importance of denying ourselves.

I came across Lillian’s blog this morning and I was encouraged to read shat she wrote.

Barack Obama and all the world leaders are striving for world peace. But I can tell you that there will never be a world peace as long as Jesus is not the King of this world.

So what will you do?
________________________________________

Barack Obama talked to NEWSWEEK's Lisa Miller and Richard Wolffe about how faith plays into his everyday life. Excerpts:

What do you think about the Kingdom of God? Is it attainable on Earth by humans?
I am a big believer in not just words, but deeds and works. I don't believe that the Kingdom of God is achievable on Earth without God's intervention, and without God's return through Jesus Christ, but I do believe in improvement.

Till The Horn Blows...

It has been a good three years and seven months...

I have been truly blessed. I have grown a lot in my faith in God. I have learnt a lot of invaluable lessons and truths in life.

He came, he saw, he conquered.

Pastor John Beh and his family have been with us three years and seven months and they have poured out their blessings to the youths in the churches they served in. Pastor John did what no other pastors did before. He turned things upside down and inside out. The way he works is unlike any other pastors and we admire him for his courage that came from knowing God.

You may not see him "working" much but he has done a lot offstage and behind the curtains. I and a few others stand here today as a testimony to what he has done in our lives. I have grown a lot since the first day I met him. There is so much to say and I don't think many of you will be able to digest what I say if I were to say them.

Yesterday came the day I expected few years back. I already knew he was going to go off someday somewhere because he is on an ASSIGNMENT. Yesterday came the day to send him off at the airport. There weren't much tears but I could see him holding back his tears. Pastor John was being strong for us.

No, he did not leave Grace Assembly because of church politics. No, he did not abandon us. He is still keeping in touch with the leaders in church to continue encouraging us and giving us guidance. In fact he did not leave Grace, he is just being away for a moment because he and his family is on assignment in Melbourne now.

I will be missing him and his family a lot. However I know we will meet again one day. Maybe for a dive, maybe for a holiday but whatever it is, we will definitely come together to finish God's work in our lives one day.

Till the horn blows signalling the gathering of the mighty ones... Take care my friend.

You can contact Pastor John at johnbeh@gmail.com and http://www.johnbeh.blogspot.com/
and Janielle at janiellebeh14@hotmail.com and http://www.janielle7unique.blogspot.com/

This Song is for you. Click HERE.

The following are shots taken by Poh Leong and Adrian Yap at Grace Assembly Klang last Sunday (2nd Nov 2008) and shots taken by me at the LCCT Airport yesterrday (3rd Nov 2008)

A true superman of God =)

Caleb, what's with you and the cable? =)

Nice shot Poh Leong haha.

One of my many farewell gifts from PsJohn =) This shirt is so BOLD!!! I am with RPK! and at the back it says, "No to ISA!!!" haha! Nice!!! I will wear this definitely... but um it's XXL size... Gosh... =D Thanks PsJ!

Then we had sparkling juice drinking after the service.

The two Supermans haha.

At the airport last night.

Joyce, Janielle and Kelly.

Gaby, J, J, K.

Jolene and Janielle.

and Natalie.

Natalie and Janna.

Natalie, Gaby, Jeffrey, Grace, Kelly, Jolene, PsJohn and Joyce.

=)

David Ng looks drunk on icecream haha.

Weng Soon and PsJ.

Petrina and PJ.

Janielle and Zlwin.

Pastor Steven and Pastor John.

Hugging time and goodbyes.

It's a heartache...

Sob...

=)

Bye Bye....... Take care... I love you...

Going...

Going...

Going....

Going....

Waving and Going...

and Going...

Going...

Going...

Gone......................

Pastor John, Aunty Jessica, Janielle, Janna and Jirene... You are cherished.