Thursday, September 15, 2005

Happy Mooncake Festival (Light up your lanterns!)

Mooncake (or mid-autumn) festival is approaching. Back here, where the moon is brighter than ever (and I'm sure this is a fact all around the world. To be honest, I've not really been celebrating this festival for some time. Until this year. This year I get to attend two such 'celebration' in an attempt to re-live the childhood lantern-playing days. Though the gatherings has lanterns and candles, it hardly seem to be the traditional mooncake celebration gathering. Perhaps I'm now much taller and much older since the last time I handled a lantern, and there's no more children-playing-adults-chatting scene. But just a bunch of youths of same height making a hoo-hah around the neighbourhood. But hey... why not? Ok Ok, it's a culture incorporated into the gathering of God's people, but it's cool... It is of such importance to him when the Apostle of the Lord said 'To those under the law, I became like one under the law (though myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law, I became like one not not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law... I have became all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessing. Sometimes to reach out to the group you're in, you gotto know them and their culture as well. Such as having a mooncake festival gathering, or have some 'happening' dance party or other events. If you're a christian student, be a christian student, and not only a christian; of course not only a student as well. Remember, we are calle to be IN THE WORLD, thoough we are not OF THE WORLD. Obviously, we must always be mindful not to sin when we are in this world, but as long as it's not sin, what's wrong with organizing a dance party (NO drugs, NO alcohol, NO cigarettes) to reach out to the 'blind' youths?

Indeed one thing Paul said in his First Letter to the Corinthians is truly true - 'I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Jesus is Lord

We often see the phrase in the back screens of cars; we often hear pastors preach on it; obviously we have sang countless time about it. But in our hearts, is Jesus REALLY Lord.

No doubt. Jesus is Lord. There is nothing more true than that. And perhaps many of us had grown up being showered upon this truth. But are we convicted of this truth? Putting it another way, we have the head knowledge, but do we trust Him as Lord enough to do whatever He says, and proclaim without a doubt to the person of the next: JESUS IS LORD.

I guess it is true that each of us has different ways of worshipping and giving glory to Him. But if we (yes, including me) cannot even say out publicly (meaning with a randomly picked group of people, and not just christians) that Jesus is Lord, it appears more like silently denying Christ. I admire people who can just by the first meeting with strangers tell them about Christ but is it not also my obligation to tell people about Jesus?

For me, it is more to convenience sake and shyness more than anything that I seldom declare the Lordship of Christ. Yet, having said that, I choose now to step out of my comfort zone, and declare to all: Jesus Christ is Lord. May the Lord's Spirit be teaching me to bear His cross and never deny Him.