Are we good stewards of God's gifts?

Are we good stewards of God's gifts?

The following is a parable from Luke 19:12 – 26 about a king and his 10 servants:

Luke 19:12-26 (New International Version)
12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a]'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' 14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' 18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' 19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'

20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' 22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' 26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

Footnotes: a. Luke 19:13 A mina was about three months' wages.

This is a parable. So when we read it we must be careful. Some of the observations made: The king was only a noble man before he was made king. When he became king, he apparently had higher powers. He gave ten of his servants 10 minas (1 each). His subjects hated him (probably as mentioned by the servant who said he was “a hard man (fierce?)”) The King gave an order before he left: put the money to work (he also called for them to find out what they had earned after he returned). He seemed to expect his money to gain returns (any normal person would) when he came back. 2 scenarios happened here:

There are 2 types of servants and with each type and what they did, something happened to them. Firstly, there are the good servants who abided by the kings order (look it was not a request here. He ORDERED them to invest while he was away). The first gained 10 minas for the mina he was given. The second gained 5 minas for the one he was given. And each of the outcomes, the king put them in charge of 10 cities for the first, and 5 for the second. The king commended: “you have been trustworthy on small matters” in a sense it seems that the order was given to see who abided in him and could be given further tasks (take charge of 10 cities, it’s not an easy task to manage a city I think).

If I were to put myself in the kings line of thought, it seems as if the small task of investment is an indicator of who is suitable for future bigger tasks that I can entrust to.

And then there’s the case of the servant who hid the mina he was given, and did nothing about it. He said:” I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' It seems as if the servant gave an excuse, that the king takes from him what he did not put effort into (sowing) but gains from others. But He is the king! And he had a furious response to the servant: u wicked servant, since you knew what sort of a man I am, (are you not scared?) why didn’t you even put the money in bank so that it earn interest till I came back? And he ordered that the mina he had given be taken away and given to the good servant.

And the people protested, saying the guy already got 10minas, but the king replied, whoever has will be given more, but whoever has none, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

God’s question in advance:
1) What did you do with my son Jesus Christ? Determines where we spend eternity
2) What did you do with what I gave you? Determines what we do in eternity

In our daily lives, do we tell God “let Your will be done?” or do we follow our own ways? Do we use whatever we have for God’s purpose or do we use what we have for our own sakes? Do we abide by the Lords orders like those faithful servants, or do we find excuses like the wicked servant? Have we used what we have in life for our selfish indulgence?

**for more information read this: http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/19_11-27.htm**"
The Criminal on the cross

The Criminal on the cross

I had the chance to learn about methods to bible studying. This method involves OIA which means Observation, Interpretation, and Application. Of all the three, observation is the most important. When we conduct bible studies, we want to keep in mind that we want to ask as many questions from what we observe. Although not all of them have to be answered, we try as best to answer each question as we move along. Being meticulous about the things mentioned can be applied using the who, where what when how, approach.


When interpreting verses, we should also keep in mind a few facts about the bible, so that we do not make absurd and extreme interpretations. Firstly, the bible is about the story of God’s salvation to us, and essentially is about how God brings people to Him through different ways mentioned in the bible. We want to avoid making obviously wrong interpretations from just looking at single verses and drawing conclusions, but rather, in view of the whole theme of the bible (which in this case seems obvious that its God’s love and salvation for man). And always, in context of the chapter at least, and prevent asking questions like :”what is the passage trying to say?” but rather making as many observations as possible. Also, if possible, try to use more then one translations of the bible to cross reference.


First and foremost, pray to God for guidance and that the Holy Spirit uses God’s words to speak to us.

The bible passage here: Luke 23:32-43. I’ll be using my Chinese NIV bible and E-sword (a program that allows multiple versions of the bible). If not bible gateway allows you to have as many versions, also an online concordance might be useful in studying God’s Word.


Luke 23:32-43 (New International Version)

32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

38There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Footnotes:

1. Luke 23:34 Some early manuscripts do not have this sentence.
2. Luke 23:42 Some manuscripts come with your kingly power


Some Observations made:

1) Who was/were present?

a) Jesus

b) 2 criminals

c) Father God

d) “the people”

e) “the rulers”

f) The soldiers

2) What was happening?/what happened?

a) Jesus was going to be crucified along with 2 criminals and there were the above mentioned people watching

b) People were watching his crucification

3) Why do you think the rulers sneered at Jesus? And said "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

a) They probably do not believe that He is the Messiah, and wants to see if He can save Himself If He really is the Christ as He claims.

4) Why do you think the soldiers also mocked Jesus asking to Him to save himself?

a) The soldiers are trained killers (executioners) and its impossible in their eyes that Jesus saves Himself.

5) Why do you think one of the Criminals asked Jesus to save himself and them too while hurling insults?

a) He is probably angry at Jesus as he hurls abuse and demanding Jesus do something to save him if He is the Christ. http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/23_39-43.htm

6) Why did Jesus pray for the soldiers who were executing him, asking the Father to forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing?

7) What is the significance of dividing Jesus’s garment, and casting lots?

a) Clothes were valuable in that day. Few people had more than one or maybe two sets of clothes.

The real significance though is that this was foretold by David in Psalm 22, 1000 years before it happened............

"Dogs (Gentiles) have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.

I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.

They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing. "

Psalm 22:16-18 NIV

8) What is wine vinegar and its use?

a) Wine mixed with Gall was bitter and probably used to make fun of Jesus which He refused to drink

b) http://www.carm.org/bible-difficulties/matthew-mark/was-vinegar-given-jesus-cross-mingled-gall-or-myrrh

9) Why did the other criminal rebuke the criminal hurling abuse at Jesus?

a) Apparently cos Jesus did nothing to save Himself

10) What is “today you will be with me in paradise."

11) This man (Jesus) has done no wrong

12) Why did they call Jesus the King of the Jews

13) Why did Jesus not retaliate/do anything to free Himself?

14) Cross reference to Isaiah 53

15) People seem to be asking Jesus to prove His identity as Christ by Him saving himself.

16) One criminal seemed repentant of his wrong doing and thinks he deserved his sentence of crucification, while the other seemed unrepentant.
17) Jesus told the criminal who was repentant He be with him in paradise today. Chinese phrase it as 乐园 is there a difference?


Intrepretation (with each intrepretation that we come up with, its best to check with concordance or commentaries that are easily available to us to verify whether the conclusions we draw are sound, and not come up with wild ideas):

It seems pretty much obvious that Jesus was mocked by the people (jeers, the gall mixed wine) who were going to crucify Him, and although He is the Christ, the messiah, who had the power to do something to prevent himself from dying, He died on the cross and as one of the criminals said “did nothing wrong”.


Being repentant on the cross was the only distinction apart from the responses people had. This came from a dying man, who was going to be crucified BUT recognised what he did was wrong and fully deserved his punishment. Yet, when others had failed to see the full glory of Jesus on the cross, he repented seeing on seeing Jesus.


This criminal, had not been baptised, nor likely to have attended any teachings by Jesus, in today's context will hardly be someone we consider to be "saved". This set me thinking. What is essence constitutes a person's salvation? Does it mean if you attend church for years you will be saved? This criminal certainly had not. Does it mean if you are baptised in church you are saved? What about those deathbed cases of people whom we have no idea if they accepted Christ at all? Are they saved? It is possible yet that a person attended church all his life and never understood nor repented before God....?


For it is said in the bible Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Going to church does not mean you are saved, but rather, was there true repentance behind that decision to get to God? It not only takes accepting that we are sinners, but rather also repentance, just like the 2 criminals on the cross. We can say that they have no choice but to accept their punishment as just and fair. Clearly, only one was repentant before Jesus.


And its Jesus's promise to this criminal that we can hope on. We may think we are better than the criminal, but its just that his wrongdoing was exposed before everyone. I'm sure each and everyone of us we have something deep we don't ever want people to know yet we can hope on Jesus's response to the criminal on the cross. If we truly repent in our sins, God forgives as stated in


1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."


This criminal is not named, but I think he must have great faith that day he repented before Jesus, not the Jesus that people saw, who was flogged badly, with wounds all over and nailed to the cross. But he must have saw something much deeper....


43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Lost the chance

Lost the chance

Today I was supposed to attend a meeting but I stayed home as my sister had technicians coming in to the house to install the new broadband internet. After that, I went to play online game.. which was DOTA.. my bad.

Jehovah witnesses, the children of a lady who had actually came to the door step before came to "outreach" to me, but I told them I wasn't free at that point of time.. after that, they went off.. When I finally finished the game, they were nowwhere to be found. I should have done something to make them stay.

I turned them away cos I was too engrossed in the game. :X (I also don't know why I did dat)

I could have :
1) tell them to look for me like 30minutes later
2) left them my number/ get their contact
3) throw the game and talk to them
......

Father Lord, I'm so sorry to have failed this time to reachout to them this time. My bad. Hope they come again tomorrow, or something. I hope I wont live to regret the things I did today. If Lord will You grant me the chance to talk to them again.. I trust I will meet them again.. I will be waiting, and not make any more silly mistakes this time.

How many chances can I yet afford to lose?
ThanksGiving and Baptism details for Sunday 6th Dec

ThanksGiving and Baptism details for Sunday 6th Dec

Hi people... I'm back!!! exams ENDED yesterday but I slept off my sleep debt hahaha.

Year 2 Semester 1 has indeed been one of the most gruelling periods of my life yet. I find myself at a loss sometimes, facing people, and even God as He drags me along the route I have to go through, no matter how much I'm unwilling to. Then again, I'm reminded of His Great Love that He disciplines all He loves. Sometimes I feel unworthy, but we are all unworthy in the first place. Its not by what we have done to deserve His love, because if it was, we do not deserve it. Its because God loved us so. The price He paid on the cross justified it. He died a heavy price for each of us, making us "worthy" in His death.


Here's a list of Thanksgiving I thought of while on the way to my last paper yesterday (apparently my mind can't think anymore due to studying so I decided to think something else)


1) Thanks my Mum for cooking for me everyday, although I come home late and grumpy and make u stay up late waiting for me

2) Thanks Kwok Kiong, my course mate and buddy for calling me in the (not so) early mornings asking me where I am for lectures.. as sometimes I'm still sleeping at home.

3) Thanks Wee Kian and Haihui, my med chem module group partners who had to do the fronts parts of the report as I came down with a serious flu that time.

4) Thanks Wee Kian for that time of prayer and sharing about how to handle academics

5) Thanks Haihui for influencing me the urgency to study and start studying!! and the rubbish Mafia Wars >_> haha... enjoyed it as a getaway from exam revisions

6) Thanks Zeke for leading our DG even though you have such a busy schedule and assignments due during the Sem

7) Thanks the FOTL (frens of LWN): Thanks God for the place to study, thanks Ruth and Shuying for "chopeing" seats for me early in the mornings and the right influence to study, study and study! Thanks Matthias for joining us... u better come more next sem!! haha.. thanks Jon Lim for wanting to treat us supper during exams.. greatly appreciated. Thanks for all your encouragement. and Ashley! hope u recovered.

8) Thanks my junior DG peeps: lawrence, Roger, kenneth, edison, having u guys and knowing that you all are living a life for God encourages me.

9) Thanks 1723 peeps!: thanks Kaiwei, sharon, weiji, rebecka, Joanna Huang Peng and others who prayed for me throughout this period... couldn't have made it without it.. and Thanks Zhiqi for standing in for Guan Huai for some of the programmes, Thanks Beattie! my dear tuan zhang who oways pops by to ask how I am doing... thanks all dose who dropped a sms wishing me luck for exams...

10) Thanks the DOTA people weiji, cd, weisheng, who play DOTA during dose nights i cant get to study

11) Thanks people in CCC and in the crusade corner who are oways studying there and having fun before the crossroads and the reminder of God each week. Thanks for crossroads each week , the staff, the students who made each crossroads a bridging gap between us all and God

12) Thanks the choir module from NIE each week.. its really an enjoyment to getaway from the hectic studies

13) Thanks SOS buddies! Kannono-chan, Vara, anna, kyo who ask me go to study while I'm in the game xD

14) Thanks pastor Jacob who is going to baptise me this sunday, for allowing me to come slightly late for the baptism classes each week due to studies. And you will be missed after you leave at the end of December...

15) Lastly, I want to thank God:
for having each day brand new to choose to live a life glorifying You,
for forgiving me and guiding me by your Holy Spirit,
for letting me have the chance to await in prayer,
for having the daily food for each day, not to mention the spiritual food
for the reminders in life about who I am,
for the people i meet each day,
for all the family i have,
for the internet so i can blog and rant
for the warm home i'm able to rest in
for knowing You. its the best gift I've ever had.