Walking The Christian Road Is Not Easy

As I travel further down the road of discovery, I find myself facing more and more challenges.

One of the most difficult is when I see or hear of a dear friend doing wrong.  Especially when it is wrong in the eyes of our Lord Jesus but right in the eyes of this world.  One example is the listening to music with profane lyrics or carnal word images.  Just pick out any of the songs on the Top 10 charts ... the chances are high that there will be lyrics that paint salacious pictures or proclaim four-letter words to catchy rhythms.

Most of my life, I have taken the safe option and walked the middle road.  I have kept silent because I have not wanted to offend people or be seen as 'narrow-minded'.  But the more I read, the more I realise that this is not an issue of being 'narrow-minded'.  Some may even use words like 'stuffy', 'straight-laced', 'square' and 'prejudiced'.  However, the issue is one of being in line with what our Lord has wanted us to do all along.  Well, whoever said being Christian will win us popularity contests?

Now I find it increasingly difficult to hold my tongue.  How can I keep quiet when I know the price my friends will pay in the end?  And I will pay a higher price for keeping quiet.  I can share with them about this and if they do not listen, that is up to them.  I've done my part.  Yes, I will risk being laughed at, either openly or behind my back.  BUT HOW CAN I KEEP SILENT?

Would you keep silent if you see a cobra in a room and you know your friend is about to walk into that room??

I know what has happened to us.  Poor pitiful us.  Our world and its environment has blinded, deafened and desensitized us to terrible things such as profanity, naked images, lewd gestures.  We have reached a point where such things merely elicit a raised eyebrow or just apathetic comments.  Some may think to display acceptance of such things is cool and gain admiration from friends. Even worse, a few even feel it marvelous to spew four-letter words or have pornography collections.

If I were the devil, I would congratulate myself on a job well done.  It may have taken a few centuries but I have managed to change society from a God-fearing one to a demon-loving one.  This current generation is simply perfect in their lasciviousness, their love of sensuality and their encouragement to each other in their drinking (let's see who can drink the most and still drive home!)  their sensuality (let's see who can dress the most outrageous and affect the most men!) and their lusts (let's see who can sleep with the most men or women!).  Some even find it 'normal' to have sex in public places such as nightclubs or during parties in houses.

:(

In the beginning, I scolded myself for being so 'puritanical'.  Then I realised that I had fallen into the clever trap of the devil's deceivers.  Aren't they the best at verbal sleights-of-hand?  Aren't they the best at gentle and subtle manipulation?  Haven't they come up with words like 'ethnic cleansing' for genocide and 'crimes of passion' for murder?  As if the words excuse the deed.

No wonder that it has been said that there is a spiritual slaughter going on right now.  Millions of souls being 'killed' because of what they see, hear, think, say and do.

How can I keep silent??

To Know God Is To Love Him More

From previous posts about my journey, I have mentioned that my 'armour' has a big hole in it.  So I have been trying to patch it up by reading more about God, His Word, His messages, His people.....

So far, this is what I have learned.

One, from my own experience as well as others' testimonies, the Word of God (the text in the Bible) carries unbelievable power.  Knowledge of scripture helps to reveal lies and tricks. In the beginning, I thought it would be 'faster' to read other learned people's analysis or interpretation of scripture.  But then I quickly discovered that I had to also read the scripture myself so I could think about the other person's interpretation and decide for myself (with the aid of prayer) whether or not to believe.  An obvious example is the many interpretations of what the book of Revelation says.  It is mind-blowing to find how way out some interpretations are.  Those who do not do due diligence will definitely be misled.

Two, prayer is very very very important.  Years ago, I used to pray and feel nothing.  I'd been praying on automatic for so long that it had become something I did out of duty.  But I knew it wasn't something good.  I wanted to feel a strong passion for God.  It was so frustrating not to. So  I did all sorts of things to get that elusive feeling.  Out of despair one day, I prayed to God to GIVE me the passion.  And unbelievably, it happened.  I didn't attend a special seminar.  No one charismatic and powerful spoke to me.  The passion just came.

Three, I found that I didn't really have to do anything.  God just moved people to cross my path (when I needed them) and arranged books on bookshelves (when I visited bookshops) and even harassed me with incessant feelings (whether it was guilt over a vice, or an urge to visit a friend, or an impulse to email audio prayers to almost complete strangers).  Those who have experienced this will know what I mean by harassment.  In the end, you just DO whatever it was to gain peace from the bombardment of thoughts or urges.

My life has never been as exciting or as meaningful as it is now.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

Praise be to God!

How I Respond To Friends Who Believe It Is Wrong To Pray The Rosary

Over the years, I have had one or two friends who try to tell me that it is wrong to pray the Rosary.  But the most persistent crusader :) was a university friend who believed he was trying to save me from a terrible error of judgement.  I viewed his attempts as annoying at first and then later on, I was actually quite grateful because he made me think about why I prayed the Rosary.  Obviously, in the end, I made the decision to continue reciting this prayer, based on a few considerations.

Consideration One : There have been too many witnesses (saints!) with messages from Lord Jesus and Blessed Virgin Mary to recite the Rosary.  Do your own research.  If you doubt, you need to go through the journey of discovery yourself to truly be sure.

Consideration Two : When I study the text of the prayers in the Rosary, Blessed Virgin Mary's role as intercessor is very clear.  Therefore, I feel very comfortable in praying to Her to please intercede for me with Her Son. 

Consideration Three : If I am truly in error, then people who care about me should be praying to God to reveal this error to me, right?  I believe that university mate of mine wore out his knees begging God to please 'save' me.  I also believe that God would have revealed such a gross error to me.  If it were a gross error.

Consideration Four : I have always experienced such incomparable feelings of calm and joy when I recite the Rosary.  Surely sacrilegious prayers would not make me feel that.


To my friends who think it is wrong, I thank you for your love and care.  Please pray to God to guide me :)

Is Ignorance Bliss?

A few days ago, I was sitting with a friend, sharing Revelations (New Testament) with her. At one point, she held her head in one hand and pleaded with me,"Can you please not tell me all these things? I feel better if I didn't know them... ignorance is bliss..."

But is it really?

I share what I have learned about Revelations with people because I feel guilty if I don't tell them to prepare. I will be the first to dance if nothing happens, no explosion in the cosmic skies, no tribulation, no troubles, no lake of fire... I will be the first to be happy to be proven WRONG.

But what if the prophecies in the Book of Revelations are being fulfilled right now? And what if people 'die' because they weren't prepared? What would I say if a close friend cries out to me,"WHY didn't you tell me???"

Why We Pray To Mary, Queen Of Heaven

I find it somewhat amusing when someone begins trying to convince me that praying to Blessed Mary, Mother of Jesus is wrong.  I understand that person's worry that I would 'lose my way' or 'be damned'.  But frankly speaking, how would praying to Jesus' mother get me lost or damned? By this time in my life, my response to such people will be one of the following :

a) Praying to Blessed Mary gives me a wonderful feeling of peace within, for I know She carries my prayers to Her Beloved Son.  Why should I stop doing something that calms me so much?
or
b) I am a follower of Jesus.  I am praying.  If you want to evangelize, go after the godless and have faith that I am saved.

LOL.  Yes, I used (a) when a beau in university tried his best to 'save' me.  And (b) was very useful with the missionaries who came Bible-carrying and hearts-on-fire knocking on my door. 
 
After going through a religious crisis in my university days, I am pretty much stable in my faith.  Nothing strengthens you quite like a trial by fire.  

I'm no theologian or bible preacher, so I didn't waste any time in 'defending' my practice.  The others will never listen, anyway.  When people believe they are right, it is folly to try to change their minds.

But I'd always been on the lookout for a beautiful explanation and I think I've found one done by Donna Cori Gibson.

Legal Prerequisites To Jesus' Return

Came across a website by Tim McHyde that mentioned prerequisites for Jesus' return, based on the Bible.  Haven't researched it or verified its truth but it makes for fascinating reading.

Legal Prerequisites To Jesus' Return

It is simple. There are several prerequisites given in Bible prophecy for the return of Jesus Christ and none of them are present or fulfilled yet. Without them happening, it is impossible for Jesus to come in 2010 or even in the few years following 2010. Being unaware of these prophecies, Christians are able to believe an event is possible that Scripture tells us is currently impossible.

What are these prerequisites? I can give you many examples:

-  Great Tribulation — According to Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15, Jesus must return after a 3½ year Great Tribulation. During this Great Tribulation the Antichrist will rule over the world for 42 months (Rev 13). He will force everyone to take a mark in their right hand or forehead during that time. We of course are not in the Great Tribulation and no mark of the beast issued yet.

-  Abomination of Desolation — This Great Tribulation starts 30 days after the Abomination of Desolation is stood up on the Temple Mount (Mk 13:14). The abomination refers to the Image of the Beast statue being erected for worship. We have no such statue on the Temple Mount.

-  Temple Mount Sacrifices — Similarly, on the day of the Abomination, daily oblation morning and evening sacrfices are to be stopped on the Temple Mount (Dan 12:11). As of 2010, no sacrifices have even started yet that can be stopped.

-  Third Temple — Revelation 11 tells us that there will be a Third Temple on the Temple Mount at that time. The Antichrist must even sit in this end time temple and declare himself to be God (2Th 2:4). Of course, there is not even a temple under construction yet (although rumor has it that one is being prepared along with all the furnishing and a sequestered priesthood prepared to attend it).

-  Sixth Seal — Finally, we have not seen the events of the sixth seal yet. If you read Revelation 6:12-17 carefully you willsee that it depicts the entire population panicking and running for cover in response to signs in the heavens and a tremendous global earthquake on earth moving every mountain and island out of place. Most people ignore this prophecy because they simply cannot make sense of it literally with all the errors Christianity has filled their head with (pretrib rapture, imminency, etc.). That leads to the typical practice of Bible prophecy interpretation today, not accepting the plain words for what they say and taking poetic license with them.

-  Sabbath Year — When you carefully consider Daniel 9:27, Isaiah 61:1-2, and Luke 4:16-22 you will be led to the conclusion that the 70 weeks of Daniel are all sabbath year cycles. This idea is confirmed by Jesus' own mouth when he came at the end of the 69th week and declared it to be a sabbath year in the synagogue at Nazareth. This means that when he returns at the end of the 70th week, it too, again, will be a Sabbath year, just like his First Coming was in. So Jesus must return in a Sabbath year. Only one out of every seven years is a Sabbath year. But 2007 (or 2010) is not one of them according to the historical sabbath year cycle followed by Ancient Israel. 

You may have heard that the Rabbis of Judaism consider 2007-2008 a Sabbath year. But that conclusion is based on the traditions of the Talmud, not on the consensus of Scripture and the best historical evidence. Christians assume that the Jews are accurate on such things such as the Biblical calendar, but Judaism has diverged much from the Old Testament. (For example, Judaism celebrates Pentecost/Shavuot on a fixed date (Sivan 6) instead of a floating date arrived at by counting 50 days from the sabbath following the harvest, as Scripture has it. It should fall sometime between Sivan 6 and 12 and always on a Sunday (Lev 23:15-16). Judaism has the year start in the Fall/7th Biblical month of Tishrei instead of the Spring/1st month as the Bible has it (Ex 12:2). 

Judaism teaches that the Jubilee comes every 50th year instead of every 49th year according to Scripture (which is the 50th year using inclusive reckoning from year one of the start of the seven sabbath cycles you are to count). Their Sabbath year reckoning similarly departs from Scripture while it relies on tradition.) 

This only reminds me of my pitiful knowledge of the Bible.  My 'armour of God' has a big big hole in it.

Need To Be Specific In Prayer

All my life, people have been telling me to pray.  It is good to pray.  So I prayed and prayed...  and sometimes I just tossed off a prayer, thinking that God would know and would understand what to fix in my life.  I never thought that I needed to be specific.

Then one day, I opened the Pieta (the one with a brown cover) and found this.

A Bernadine Sister was shown in spirit the vast desolation caused by the devil throughout the world. At the same time, she heard the Blessed Virgin telling her that it was true, Hell had been let loose upon earth.  The Blessed Virgin said the time had come to pray to her as Queen of the Angels and to seek the assistance of the Heavenly Legions to fight against these deadly foes of God and of men.

"But, my good Mother," the Nun asked,"you who are so kind, could you not send them without our asking?"

"No, " Our Lady said, "because prayer is one of the conditions required by God Himself for obtaining favours."

I was aghast ... all this while I had been praying in general terms and had never been specific.  

I suddenly remembered a story in an volume of 'Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories' where a grandmother scolded a child for asking for a full loaf of bread.  The old woman said she shouldn't be so greedy and should only ask for half a loaf.  But the little girl argued that she DIDN'T want half a loaf because it wasn't enough.  She wanted one whole loaf so that everyone in the house would have enough.  True enough, her prayers were answered when a neighbour delivered a whole loaf of bread in the middle of a blizzard.

I remembered how confused I felt then... I had always assumed that in praying, I was not to ask for too much and show my greed... but God would understand and would give me what I deserved.  So if I wanted straight A's, I was not to ask for the string of A's but just ask for a good result.  Then God would give me what I was supposed to get.  But there were many times I wanted to be specific but didn't dare.  I was always asking for 'half a loaf' when I wanted a full loaf.

The ONE thing that struck me about this was how God requires prayers from us.  Too many people blame God for the calamities and troubles that befall them but they never think about whether or not they prayed to God to protect and shield them.  What is the point in praying AFTER the misfortune?  A bit too late, don't you think?