Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Jesus Saw Through Their Hypocrisy
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Jesus Saw Through Their Hypocrisy
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
The Lesson of the Lemongrass
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
The Ways of Children
I was watching Korean kids singing. What an inspiring voice and yes, inspiring ways. They’re just having fun. Oh, the innocence of a child! Full of joy, love and trust. They seem to understand what truly makes life beautiful. Why did we outgrow it? Now, instead of joy, worries; instead of love, hatred; instead of trust, duplicity.
If you are unhappy, worried and feeling betrayed, Jesus is telling you again “Be like a child, because I’ll tell you the truth, unless you change and become like them, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3. You don’t have to wait for heaven, you can have it now. Be childlike (not childish), and you will experience heaven in your heart. You will have peace, joy and love just like the children.
Oh if only we learn the ways of a child, what a different world will it be.
by aats
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Let Us Progress
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People change, so is our outlook in life. Our hope though is that when we change, we don’t regress instead we progress, becoming better, freer, and happier.
Can there be a more beautiful person than the one who is molded by experience and was able to rise up with a better character?
Can there be a more beautiful person than the one who has gone through forks of life, made some good and bad decisions and some U-turn’s and became more mature and at peace, making him freer?
Can there be a more beautiful person than the one who have gone through a lot of challenges and found the reality and necessity of God in his life, learning in the process the posture of constancy in God, making him happier whatever circumstances he is in?
Lord allow us to look at change as opportunity for growth and our experiences as classroom for life lessons. Amen.
by aats
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
The Practical and Convenient
G.K. Chesterton once said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”
It’s so good to listen to heartwarming and affirming talk about faith, hope and love. But once confronted with the reality of walking our faith, practicality and convenience takes the lead. It’s so easy to throw away to the trash what we believe. “Yeah I know, but God is love, he will understand, this is the most practical and convenient way to do it now.” Whatever is practical and convenience, yes, that’s Christianity?
The Church and yes, communities therefore are important because it provides an environment where we can live together in the life of Christ. Community provides opportunity for our spiritual growth. So, if we in community fails to guide and correct one another, then there’s no point of Christian communal life. We might just as well turn into any organization whose objectives are just networking and feel good get together.
Once we start seriously considering the words of Jesus, slowly the demands of Christianity become clear and even scary at times. We love the message of love and compassion and yet when the demands of truth and firmness in faith arise, we shrink. We find it difficult to put in practice. We find ourselves cowards when challenged!
The beauty of Christianity is that, it does not look down human weakness instead it encourages, challenges and pushes humanity to try the ideal.
by aats
Friday, May 15, 2020
Covid Thoughts
Some thoughts in this covid pandemic time:
- When we choose Christ first, everything else will just fall into place. Whether faster or slower, it will fall into place.
- Moments of God are moments of grace. It doesn’t matter if the moments happen in the church or at home or in the streets. When we are conscious of His presence, God is there and it is grace.
- Life is simple. Don’t complicate things. The more we simplify the happier we are. Uncomplicated people are happy people.
- Live life. Laugh hard. Love sincerely. Choose joy, happiness is looking at what is good, whether it’s in a situation or people.
- Allow surprises. Don’t be too rigid, don’t worry too much and don’t over plan; you will miss the exhilaration of life.
- Things may look ugly but there is still beauty that you can find. Look for it, find it.
- “Social distancing” may seem hard but alone time pushes us to look at ourselves and do some self-assessments. Hopefully it will lead us more to Christ and make us a better person.
by aats
Monday, April 27, 2020
Of Mission and Missionaries
Sunday, April 26, 2020
We are Not Perfect
Monday, April 20, 2020
God Loved
Monday, April 13, 2020
Thoughts On Service
Service is not imposed; it is a response to love. It comes from a deep sense of duty grounded on a real sense of compassion for the other.
Friday, March 27, 2020
To Discern What is of Value
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Of Encounters and Pursuits
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Self Help Generation
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Look Out
The default tendency of always looking at what would be good for ourselves has brought only unnecessary anxiety and depression. The best antidote to anxiety and depression is looking at what would be good for others. Are you sad? Don’t stay in your room, go out and serve those in need. Go out into the senior’s homes, hospitals, prisons and yes slums. There you will find meaning and fulfillment. Be generous not just materially, be generous with your time. Don’t keep time to yourself, share it to others. Sounds cliché? Try it.