Christmas is around the corner

I remembered when I was in school, one bunch of us would buy lots of Christmas card for one another, without really understood the real meaning of Christmas. Besides that, everywhere would be filled with Christmas atmosphere - Christmas songs in the shopping mall, Christmas tree, snowman, Santa Claus, etc.

Generally, this is the season where people will spend money to buy presents for one another. Also, groups of family and friends will plan where to celebrate and where to feast.

However, the greatest meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Then, what is so significant about that? If I were to write the whole story from the Bible, I would not have enough space in this blog.

Therefore, I would like to make a summary of it in a simpler form. The birth of Jesus Christ is so significant as it then leads to the crucifixion of Jesus and then the resurrection of Jesus Christ which marks the beginning of reconciliation of mankind to God. He is the light to our darkness.

Some people's respond may be'what-so-big-deal-about-that?'. Well, it is okay, as I felt that as well last time when I didn't know Jesus Christ personally. To sum it all, God is love. All that God did, is doing, and will do is because God loves us.

We are born to be God's children, to know God and to have intimate relationship with God. However, human's sin due to disobedience and stubbornness had separated us from God.

There is only one plan, that is to send Jesus Christ to die of behalf of us to bring to death the sin that is in us. We are who sinful are not able to do that. Only Jesus who is sinless can do that. Well, still many people will not be able to truly appreciate the deed that Jesus Christ had done for us. This is due to the limited human understanding and knowledge.

Now as I think back, I am thankful that God's wisdom and thought are higher than ours. God does not need to wait until we understand only then He sends Jesus to die for us to reconcile us back to God. If He did wait until we understand, I think I will forever miss the chance to have personal relationship with Jesus.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He send His
only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, that whoever that believes in
Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

During the birth of Jesus, angel appeared and said this "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom His favor rests."

It is due to love that the Saviour Jesus came to save us (to bring us back to the relationship with Him). It is peace that God wants to give us.

Jesus is born to die - to accomplish a mission - to save us back to Him, so that in Him, we found true love and true peace.

Is there a sensation in your heart that you want to experience this?

I had gone through that feeling and I finally accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. Not only that, this wonderful relationship has grown to the stage that I know Jesus is my personal best friend too. I will never regret of having Jesus in my life.

Jesus is with me and will never leave me. Often, the world is full of uncertainties, but by holding Jesus' hands, I am convinced He is leading me to certainties.

I love His promise to everyone...
Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

You can enjoy the same thing too =) Come and join us to celebrate Christmas together!

Venue: Kuala Lumpur International Hotel (KLIH)

Date: 24th December 2008

Time: 8:30p.m.

If you have time, you may read this...

I am always amazed at the creation of God - humans. Not only we have different look and different skin colour, we also have different character and personality.

Once, as I read the Bible about Romans 12:4-5 "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another" I started to have a lot of thoughts in me, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Often if not always, as we mingle around with people, we normally easily spot out areas or attitude in people's life that we don't like. Different ways of speaking and gestures, different ways of value and reasoning, different in personalities - are some elements that help us to conclude whether can we 'click' with so and so.

So Holy Spirit, being very courteous, dropped some thoughts into my mind. The thoughts are as below:

"Do you think that you, being tremendously loved by God, can love EVERYONE else? Literally EVERYONE?..." "How good is your own heart?"

- look around people around you, friends, housemates & church members

- so how many of them that similar to you and you like to relate with them?

- and how many of them that often irritate you or annoy you?

- AND NOW, think on behalf of the many people around you...

- how many of them like the way you talk, the way you reason, the way you smile & laugh and etc?

- how many of them don't like you, or you will irritate or annoy them in some ways?

Holy Spirit caused me to ponder for quite some time. And I learn something here.

We will forever never be perfect for one another even for the person that love you most. Just that the degree of imperfection varies from different persons and different situation and different days. So why do we need to waste so much emotional strength just to be carried away by the feeling of 'uneasy with so and so'? Why do we need to waste our brain cells by thinking the little action or attitude by another person that annoy us? All this mounts up to nothing but weariness in the soul and heart. What is the benefit? No benefit at all. Little did we know, the moment we are so annoyed by another person is also the same moment some other people are irritated by us.

Here, I learn the great lesson that to win is to love and forgive. Since, we are all so imperfect and so different, let us learn to love one another, as Christ loves us. We must treasure one another as though everyone is part of our body. Imagine this - one ulcer at your tongue actually hurts you a lot!

My strength may be some others' weakness. My weakness may be some other people's strength. So, i have a great beautiful picture, that as we blend together in love and unity, our strength will swallow up our weakness - this is beautiful.

Brothers & sisters in Christ, let us together have a big heart's capacity to love one another. But before that, learn more from God as God is love. When we love despite our strength & weakness, Satan will have no place to stand. His weapon is fear and hatred. So in the presence of love, Satan is confused and is drowning. Let us win together!

As we have God who loves us, we surely can love others =)

Bible verses:

Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to neighbour...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

and many other more verses...

You may go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ to find verses about "love". You can also read about how we should treat one another from your Christian Living (Discipleship Program) under the chapter Fellowship Cell. God bless you :)