The Wise and Foolish Builders

I read this today and it is such a great verse. Matt 6:46-49


46"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
47I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.
48He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

-ed-

If you ask me to share about my baptism, this is what I would share...

It was out of curiosity that I went to check out what Baptism was all about and why I should go through it. So I started off surfing the net for some clues. One of the more informative website that I found out was from this:

http://www.bebaptized.org/

It tries to provide answers and gives a lot of quotes from the Bible on why a believer should be baptised. I was quite convinced by it. But of course, I didn't just rely on one internet site, I wanted to hear from other sources. So I signed up for the baptism course without committing to go for the baptism eventually.

As I went through the course, I became very convinced that it was what I ought to do in fact. However, there were three main things that made me hesitate in going for it: my parents' consents; the selling and buying of the flats at that point of time; and my decision whether I should stay in Singapore or go back to HK.

My parents thought that the selling and buying of the flats and the decision to stay or leave Singapore took far more priorities and I should be focusing on these issues. Of course they didn't know that I was thinking about the baptism at that time and didn't know that I've put that as my priority and focus at that moment. That's also why it was hard to bring up the baptism topic to them.

After the baptism, I came to realise, or have been affirmed that I should always put my relationship with God as my priority. Once this is clear in my mind and I act upon it accordingly, things will start to fall into place. This was the case with my parents' understanding of my faith. In fact, throught this baptism, they have also accepted what I believe in; the selling and buying of the flats are going on with a clear direction; I've also had a peaceful mind and heart to decide which direction to go for the future. So effectively, all the three things that held me captive in my stagnant stage before baptism were being dispersed.

Until last week, I thought the main difference before and after my baptism was that baptism has brought me to another stage in my relationship with God. As I started to read the books that I received from the baptism, I made more effort to understand what I was reading. My attitude when I was reading has changed. However, by this week, I realise that the true difference before and after Baptism is that I have been convicnced that I should always put God as the priority. Only then will I have the capacity to think how to live.

Just one short testimony to share: I think I passed my motorbike test because I've put God as my priority also. I used to choose going for the practice lessons over going to church service. This led me eventually to backslide and stopped going to church. But when I have been told that this was wrong and I repriortised, I passed. I don't think I passed the test because I rode well that day. I rode better on other test days but I failed.

Anna

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

I recently read Matt 20:1-16 The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

It is quite interesting. There can be many thoughts if one allow his imagination to run wild.

One of the question i explore: Is God unfair?

Well..maybe not.
God just have the right to do whatever he wants with his money. God's gifts are god's and are distributed not through the merit of the receiver..but on the full graciousness of God.

Likewise, through the entering of the kingdom of God as referred in v1, it seems to imply that the criteria to enter is the grace of God...and never on our merit and ability

Is this the correct reading of this verse?

Ed

Logical decision?

We are always being told that we should try to discern God's plan for us. We should try to listen to God's small voices to us. I've been thinking of my future plans for the past few months and I have been trying hard to practise this. But I just find it hard.

At one moment, the circumstances that I was presented directed me to option A, but within twenty-four hours, something could happen that pushed me to opt for option B. It's just difficult to know what God's plan for me really is.

I've been discussing and writing to a dear Christian friend about me wanting to listen to what God really wants me to do, whether the path that I am taking is really honouring and serving God . She told me that she has stopped trying to go for this fast and easy option to seek what God's will for her is. She said what is more important and real is to search your heart and see what you really want. God has planted what he wants in our hearts. So if we search our hearts thoroughly, we should know what ultimately God wants us to do. Doesn't it sound illogical and emotional?

Her reply is probably in contrary to what most books are suggesting. On the other hand, if I think about it deeper, I guess this can be so if God is sitting right in the middle of our hearts occupying a very important position. Otherwise, we would be blinded by our selfish motives to satisfy our selfish needs and desires.

If this is really true, I am back to square one. I've tried to leave this decision-making task to God, thinking that He will have planned it and He would drop hints for me to pick up. But now, my friend is suggesting that the solution is to ask myself what my heart really wants, because God has already planted the answer there. In fact, this is the questions that a number of friends have asked me when I discussed my trouble in making decisions.

This is probably a big challenge for me because I am very logical. No matter how much I desire something, I would not go for it if it is illogical, never have I really added this element of what my heart really desires to the decision-making process. It's probably logical and necessary to add this element to the derivation of the decision now.

Yan