Reviewing 2012

Over the course of the last two weeks, I spent my time up at the beautiful mountains created by my God of the Bible, snowboarding and relaxing my mind. Took two weeks of vacation from work and at the same time, it was vacation time from school after a grueling fall semester. It’s the time of the year again where I normally sit down to review this past year and what I have done in my life.

First and foremost, I would like to say that I am thankful to God for watching over me and keeping me safe both spiritually and physically. Life in the US can be very different from where I am raised in Singapore. At times, it can be hazardous too with many incidents of random shooting massacre occurring this year; I am only so thankful to Jesus for keeping me safe and sound. In addition, I also thank God for ensuring that I stayed on track this year to finish reading the entire Bible through. This is a great news for me personally because I finally done the New Year resolution which I have resolved to do back in 2010. Two years late in completing it but it is fulfilling to know that at least I managed to read through the Bible once this year.

2012 had been a year where I continued to be busy with both work and school. I am still in the process of finishing up my MBA degree with University of Utah. Hopefully by the Grace of God, I would be able to complete it by the end of summer of 2013. Throughout this journey, it has been God’s Amazing Grace which has saw me through the program so far. I deeply know that He will continue to see me through the program and I just need to continue to trust in Him for every moment of my life. As for work, it has been pretty monotonous although there have been moments of testing in terms of my submission to authority at the workplace. Through it all, I know that Jesus is teaching me great lessons on how to submit to workplace authority and believing that He is the one who instituted them in the first place.

With my second attempt at reading through the entire Bible completed, I realized that mere reading of the Bible counts very little in growing me as a Christian if I do not practice what is said in it (James 1:22). I cannot just be a hearer of God’s Word but I need to be a doer as well. This is much more important if I truly want to grow in maturity in Christ. As my faith comes from hearing of God’s Word (Romans 10:17), I need to develop my faith more by practicing righteousness (1 John 3:10) in loving first my own brethren in Christ and then second by loving the people around me so as to share the Gospel with them. This is crucial if we as Christians want to fulfill Christ’s commission to us (Matthew 28:19-20) and be involved with God in His Ministry of Reconciliation with His Lost Sheeps (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

This year at Salt Lake City, UT was also exciting because of the setting up of a new church body (Gospel Grace Church) to reach out to the Latter Day Saints in Utah. I am glad that I can connect with the three pastors of this new church and get to know them in person. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let’s be praying for them and their ministry that God would continue to watch over them and their work in His Ministry of Reconciliation. Ultimately, what really counts is lost souls getting to know their One and Only Savior, Jesus Christ. All other things can be considered as rubbish just as what Paul had said (Philippians 3:8). There is only one common enemy who is the accuser of the Brethren – Satan. Our enemies are not Islam, Mormonism or Joseph Smith, Buddhism, Taoism or all other new age spirituality or religions out there in the world which we do not love (1 John 2:16). As Christians, there is a strong need to know this fact. Therefore, when we reach out to others and share the Gospel with them, we need to learn how to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

2012 was a year where many lost souls in the world wearied themselves with silly announcements of the end of the world either on Oct 31 or Dec 21. The Truth can only be found in the Bible where Jesus Christ had said Himself that only the Father knows the time or the hour (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32). I feel sad every time when lost souls in the world rather believe in heresies than the Only Truth found in the Bible where Jesus came to testify to It Himself (John 18:37). Let’s not be exchanging the Truth for lies (Romans 1:25).

A New Year dawns as 2012 came and gone. It’s time for me to continue to be serious with God’s Word and to live my life according to His Word (Psalms 119:9). 2013 will be a year where I will attempt to memorize one key verse from each book of the Bible. If you want to know or test me, stay tuned for my 2013 review blog post at the end of this upcoming New Year!

Have a blessed New Year, folks and I truly hope that you can join me in following Jesus Christ this year.

Blessed Christmas!

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

Hope you will choose to receive Jesus Christ Who is God's Perfect Gift to us this Christmas. Have a blessed Christmas, folks. 

The Bible's Main Central Figure

The Bible has one main central figure who is Jesus Christ.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. - 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Eternal Life through Jesus Christ!

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

~Romans 5:12-21

Folks, this Christmas, please spend some time to get to know Jesus Christ. Find out who He really is and how He can be the one who will save your souls from eternal death.

Wisdom only comes from Christ

Jesus Christ claimed that He and the Father are one (John 10:30) and proved it to be by resurrecting Himself from the dead (John 2:19).

God created the world we see today by His very Word (Gen 1:1). He Alone founded the world by His Wisdom (Jer 10:12 & Jer 51:15) and Wisdom can only come from Him. Jesus Christ is One with God, the Father. Jesus Christ is God.

Solomon in all his wisdom (which he asked and God gave him his great wisdom - 1 Kings 3:9) concluded that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments (Eccl 12:13). "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom...", he said (Prov 9:10).

Therefore, it is astonishing to hear people claiming that God Himself doesn't exist because God in all His Great Wisdom has also said in His Word quite clearly, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1).

Truth IS exclusive, folks

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ~ John 14:6

Where there is light, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). 

Jesus Christ is the Way, there is no other Way to the Father. Because He is the Way, we can only go to the Father through Him.

Jesus Christ is the Truth because there is only One Truth.

Jesus Christ is the Life because He comes from the Father and the Father gives us the breath of life (Gen 2:7).

Therefore folks, the Only Truth is exclusive because there is always only one Truth, the rest are lies. Are you believing in this Only Truth or are you believing in lies where the lies tell you a different Jesus Christ than the True Jesus Christ as protrayed in the Holy Bible?