Inside / Outside Church

Let's think about the way we deal with these people:
1. co-workers
2. family members
3. friends
4. bro/sis in church

I guess some Christian, including myself, use different approaches to deal with these four types of people each day.

Recently I have some thought about type 3 and 4. Some people in type 4 are also type 3. The funny thing is we may treat them a little different when we are inside/outside church. Inside church, we are bro/sis and serving the Lord is our 1st priority. But outside church we are just friends and there are many reality concern we need to deal with first. So I have two question:

1. Is the problem just on me? Does other Christians have consistent manner to bro/sis inside/outside church?

2. Even it is the case, so what!? Does Bible teach us to treat our bro/sis same way inside/outside church? Or doesn't it?

Karaoke

Is there any Karaoke DVD for Chinese Christian songs out there?

Playground 5

I bought the CD Playground 5, which contains the song "If I can see". This album is so popular that I am only able to buy a demo version (the last one) from the store. The album contains mostly slow pace HK-pop style of songs. I like most of them. I used to like electronic dancing song and later R&B. Perhaps I am getting old, my heart couldn't stand those fast beat or heavy base anymore. Now I prefer softer music, Playground 5 is my cup of tea.

Message to the Love One

In one meeting of my cell group, which is for married couples with kids, our leader came up a creative game. Each person wrote one thing that hope his/her wife/husband to do more often. Then gave this note to the love one. The intention of this game is a reminder for relationship improvement.

In the next cell group meeting, our leader came up another creative game: shared what we wrote to the husband/wife ... ...

Surprisingly no one objected, so we shared what we wrote ...

Everyone requested something different, but all touch one similar topic: spend more time just between husband/wife. It is true ever since having a kid, time with the love one alone become rare. That makes me think ... if God want us to do one thing more often, will it also be spending more private time with HIM?

Listening God's word

A while ago Felix mention how to know God's word. The same question also puzzle me for a long time. Last Sunday I suddenly learn the "way" to listen God's word. It seems working for me a least for one case. But still I am not so sure. Let's see if this method works more often, then perhaps I can share with you guys and exchange some ideas.

It is privilege, not a right.

I got a traffic ticket a few months ago, so I'm taking an online traffic course. The web site emphasizes this many times: for anyone, driving in California is a privilege, it is not a right.

Then I recall Felix's earlier post: If you can see.

Perhaps, all good stuff we enjoy on Earth is a privilege from God, it is not our right. When we lose something or couldn't get something, we may feel better thinking this way: without God's privilege, we won't have anything in the first place anyway.

Christian Radio Program on RTHK Radio 5

A brother in Christ mentioned about several Christian programs on radio in last fellowship.  The first program consists of bible story.  The second program is interview with Christian.

http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/radio5/sunservice
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/radio5/lifeabu

If you want to get a playlist of all previous programs, you can use:
http://csua.berkeley.edu/~hkhung/cgi-bin/sunservice.cgi
http://csua.berkeley.edu/~hkhung/cgi-bin/lifeabu.cgi

Da Vinci Code & Faith

The recent court case on Da Vinci Code recalls my experience on reading the book. I read this novel mainly because I heard my favourite actor Tom Hanks was making a film on it. So I want to know what is all that about this book. It is quite interesting in the beginning, some mysterious murder and some puzzle games. In the middle the religious conflict starts. The later part is kind of boring as the plot starts to become ordinary. It is typical answer-is-in-the-beginning type of investigation story.

About the Jesus and Mary Magdalene conspiracy, I am not too surprised, as I heard about this rumor long ago. I still think it is just rumor. There is one statement in the book that really shocks me though. It says something like that:

Jesus is not God. In fact, around 400 A.C. in Roman, the Church Committee had an intensive debate to decide if Jesus is God or a just a great Saint. The result: a narrow win to vote Jesus as God. This set the direction for Christian Churches throughout centuries.

The novel describes the above part as fact, not fiction. That really bothers me. Is all of our faith just based on a few votes? I can't resist to dig into more on this topic. I borrow some Christian history books from the library and research on the web. My conclusion: it is true. The debate did happen, and it was intensive. But as I read more Bible, I start to understand the debate was well under controlled by God. Jesus is God and this must be the only outcome of the debate. It is just human, as always, don't have enough faith on HIM.

Well, reading Da Vinci Code shakes my faith a little. But a follow-up study strengthens my faith even more than before. It is an interesting yet fortunate experience.

If you can see

Last Sunday a female group presented this song during worship. The lyrics fits closely with her message about the Beijing orphanage. The song reminds us how blessed we are.

【若你能看見】
詩集：團契遊樂園 5 - 應許，3
曲、詞：盧永亨


如若你能看見藍天，能望到千朵白雲隨風轉，
願你不忘記感謝神，能看見絕未必然。

如若你能聽到潮聲，能聽見千萬狂濤飛濺，
願你不忘記感謝神，能聽見乃主恩典。

環顧世上不知幾多眼睛，連自己雙手亦無從一見，
若你抬頭仍舊見藍天，請緊記凝望多遍。

環顧世上數不清的耳朵，連父親聲音亦從未聽見，
若你偶然緩步至岸邊，請多聽潮浪一遍。

Does God give you any responsibility

Thank you Micah for forwarding me a document about "Vision from God" (異象). I always feel this is an interesting topic. Vision!? Do you really see something? I remember during the retreat in 2003, the Pastor told us he had a vision from God when he was a student, then he decided to become a servant of God. I asked him what was the "Vision" looked like, then he spend some times to explain to me.

In Micah's document, there is a question that cause me some serious thinking, which is as shown in the title: 神有沒有放一些 “負擔” 在您的心上呢?

Is there any for me!? I think there seems to be one. Probably not a big deal for other Christian. For me it doesn't look like an easy task in near future, still working on it ...

Testimony Story

I recently received this email, which is a story I heard of before ...

*** *** ***

Title: Did God Create Evil?

The university professor challenged his students with this question:
"Did God create everything that exists? "

... ... bala bala ... ...

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

... ... bala bala ... ...

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God.

... ... bala bala ... ...

The professor sat down.

The young man's name --- Albert Einstein

*** *** ***

You probably heard of this story. If not, search google. My question is, do you really believe Albert Einstein said that!?

I've heard another story. There are two good friends who don't believe Bible is true. They went different path to research the false on Bible. Many years later they reunion. The couldn't find any. And they both became Christian.

Again, do you believe this story really happened!?

I agree "Albert Einstein's" explanation. I also believe the Bible is absolute true. But I feel unconformable to listen this type of fabricated stories, at least no backup proof. Perhaps the testimony story is just symbolic. It just means to give a stronger impression. But I guess sometimes it may put negative effect on non-believers who listen them. Too hard sell isn't it!?