Of Red Sea, Priority, Word of God, Heart of God, Choir, Art, Love and Departure

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Swimming in the Red Sea
The week went by relatively quickly and amazingly smoothly... I had expected to come back to work to slog very hard because it has been so in the previous years when I go for in-camp training; I end up slogging long hours for 2 months to clear 2 weeks of work. But then, this week, I stand with a heart of gratitude for God granting me help in the form of half of a manpower to support me. So with her help and coverage of my duties in my absence, I managed to smoothly clear my "red sea" of emails within a short span of 3 days. In fact, when I started on my emails, I jokingly told my colleague I am going to go "swimming in the red sea" :) Thank God. In fact, in the midst of all these, I still had time to start work on a few new tasks for a upcoming major fundraising event with my dear friends from the PR and IT department :)

The Disappointment with Priority?
I returned to office on Tuesday after a one day's leave to rest at home after all the in-camp training and church retreat. I was slated to lead staff devotion that day and so I prepared a little bit, printed the "Our Daily Bread" article and prepared myself to share about how God has brought timely words into my life in the past couple of weeks. I wasn't really prepare for worship so I came into office and started to print the lyrics for the 2 songs I hope to use for the session. Just as I was making the final preparations for devotion, someone came into my office and asked if she can use the computer next to me because she needed to trouble-shoot some software problems with someone over the phone. Not thinking it will take too long, I agreed to it while I continue to prepare my lyrics.

However, the whole thing lasted about 30 minutes and in the end, my boss told me that some of my colleagues had some work to do and so suggested that we postpone the session. I got really disappointed with the whole thing; that devotion was cancelled and it was not even my fault. OK, I got rather disappointed (not with anyone but) that devotion got cancelled because of work priorities. Kind of affected but then later Stitch Giver told me that there seem to be some mini-fire to fight in my department, so many that's why the decision was made to cancel devotion instead. OK, I feel better knowing that but still ideally hope that people can make time for God wherever possible because in our current lifestyles (myself included), it can be so easy to be caught up with work and other priorities, we place time with God at the end of our list of to-dos.

The Word of God Says This... You Are Wrong!
Then, I had a mini debate with a friend online because I shared with him about my retreat and about the topic of generational iniquities being passed down. He seem rather uncomfortable about the issue and went to find some materials online which talked about how some people are currently misinterpreting what is in the bible about generational iniquities of eg worshipping idols and sexual sin and perversion and how the consequences cascades down the generations. Frankly, my take is this: Frankly, there are just something we won't know, despite human's attempt to try to reason it out. I have once read a book, The Language of God" (which unfortunately I never get to finish, anyway it's always the case with all my books) that describes the relationship between faith and science. The books is written by the Head of the Human Genome Project who marveled at how science shows the wonderful creation work of God. He says in his book:

'It also becomes clear to me that science, despite its unquestioned powers in unraveling the mysteries of the natural world, would get me no further in resolving the question of God... If God exists, then He must be outside the natural world, and therefore the tools of science are not the right ones to learn about Him...To quote Lewis "If there was a controlling power outside the universe, it could not show itself to us as one of the facts inside the universe-no more than the architect of a house could actually be a wall or staircase or fireplace in that house.'

Who can claim to have the answers except God? To one, they may argue that generational iniquities will cascade down as written in the Word of God but to another, they might say that that was in the Old Testament and God has sent His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, just as Isaiah 53:5-6 indicates:

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

But frankly who will know. Yes, God speaks to people but then I am also reminded of false prophets and teachers out there. The incident that happened last week about how I was confronted by a cell member about the biblical soundness of a devotional I sent also further reminded me that we should be careful of false teachings and prophets. So how do we know God? Well, I guess the only way is to go back to the source, His Word and let Him reveal it to you. I am beginning to take devotions and man's interpretation of the Word with a pinch of salt. Psalms 118:8-9 reminds us:

8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

Reconcile, Restore, Repent, Righteousness
Frankly, even bible verses can be misquoted... But one thing I know very clearly and that is that God loves us, wants to reconcile with and restore His children but only if we repent and live righteous lives. There you go, the 4Rs (Reconcile, Restores, Repent, Righteousness). Frankly, isn't that what the whole bible is about? The big picture? We can spend time arguing about what this verse means, what that verse means but then hadn't God made himself very clear in the story of His people, all the judgment etc that He wants to just have a relationship with His people, created in His image but the fellowship with God came to a halt with the fall of mankind, succumbing to Satan and sin? Wasn't the 10 commandments and subsequently the 2 greatest commandment in the New Testament in Matthew 22:36-40 says enough on how we should live our lives? Wasn't the Great Commission given in Matthew 28:18-20 given to reconcile people to God as He has reconciled with his followers?

United We Stand or Divided We Fall?
Yes, we should study the Word and through the Word, to know God's character. I have come to myself know the character of God better with the Old Testament Challenge that my church is undergoing now. But should an study of the Word turn into division of the body of Christ? One thing's for sure, I am glad that the debate with this brother-in-christ ended well and I sure hope there is no hard feelings.

Other Happenings
Other things, I thank God for blessing me with a free ticket to watch the Trelawny Male Choir at the Esplanade. One of our colleagues won some tickets for the concert and blessed me and another colleague with the tickets so although I wanted to spend my Wednesday evening preparing for cell, I gathered that it would be good to take a break. It's amazing how wonderful and lovely human voices can be. Then, after the concert, we walked by the crocs shoes children's art exhibition along the way from esplanade and boy are some children really talented:


And then this week, I had this girl who came and tell me she is "interested in me". All along, I have been rather worried because I get a sense that she might be interested in me. In fact, there seems to be rumours going around that me and her are an item. I have been rather worried I have tried to keep my distance with her, afraid that I will be giving her the wrong impression. Then this week, we were casually talking about her dates when she came to look for me and I was advising her, as a elder brother would to a younger sister, to take it slowly and know the person first. Then she says that she is and later say that she is interested in me. I was caught unaware and did not know how to respond (I must have looked shocked, for sure). Then I asked her what she means and she mentioned something to the effect of "no need to elaborate further". I really can't remember because I was in shock. Anyway, I do not have interest in her and if things persist on, I might have to break the news to her. Dear God, please do not let me give her the wrong impression, I do not wish to hurt anyone's feelings.

Sometime during this week, I have also received message from a dear friend and it seems that this dear friend might be leaving his job. I do not know but I get a sense that this is the case. I do not talk much with this dear friend but then this friend had been a good spiritual role model to me, showing me what it is to serve the Lord with what we have, doing it joyfully and to our utmost. However, I do know that if one day, God wills that this friend leave his job, it would have to be so. I do hope to continue to keep in touch with this dear friend. God bless this friend of mine.