REMINISCING YEAR 2006

It is the end of another year and year 2007 is bulging in whether you like it or not! It is sad to see another year gone by and whatever we have experienced will be just a memory to cherish or forget. Everybody rejoices to celebrate the incoming of the New Year. It is another new starts of life and it goes the same when one celebrates his/her birthday as we get a year older and it signs of maturity in age and experiences. To the elder is the another trifle year goes by, nothing seems new just as what you might have read from the book of Ecclesiastes, we learn to accept everything that is done under the heaven is all vanity –

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven; A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted. A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance" and etc..etc (3:1- 4).

We1l, you might tell me I should not be too pessimistic in my personal outlook of life and there is something idiosyncrasy in my thinking and attitude. Hence, I can't help ruminating back my old school day during my lower secondary in Sekolah Menengah Kuala Ketil- Kedah, where I knew my history teacher sneered us - why should we be happy to celebrate our birthday while don't we know that we are one year gleamier to our grave. We should feel impotent and suspense of what it is all about or to come. He was indelibly correct and straight to the point but it is hard to swallow because we always exemplify optimism. There is nothing malevolent or antagonistic about it but we need to have pessimism in our thinking or metaphysics. Optimism encourages us to move ahead or to improve ourselves and as for pessimism, it does not necessarily procrastinate but allege us to perform better for what we have failed or achieved. It is antithetical in it meanings but it appendages in our polemical thinking. Both could sheer us to do what is right or wrong. Don't you think so!

We learn the brevity of life so we need to wary and contrive to do better or good because we need to live the best of what life could offer us. I always love to read the book Ecclesiastes to remind me of what this year has been. There are things, words or actions that we might have done wrong and it is too late to turn back the time but this is all about life as what this book is touting about. It is all in vanity but it encourages me as we penetrate the deep thoughts what Solomon is attempting to say. I read/heard an article/message (can't remember when or where) by Rob Harbison sometime ago and I like to share an summary of what I have be understand here. Ecclesiastes is in many ways an enigmatic book, liberally sprinkled with contradictions. Unless we understand exactly what it is that God is trying to show us than can we easily misunderstand the purpose of this book. The Preacher sets out on search for the meaning and purpose of life.

In order to understand the Book of Ecclesiastes, we need to keep in mind that Solomon wrote this at a time when God was already angry with Solomon, when he life for the pleasure of the world instead for God. The purpose for writing this book vividly stated early in the first chapter - it is in verse 13...

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all [things] that are done under heaven. (1:13)

Solomon's purpose was to find out how to get the most out of life, the best way to enjoy life. He wanted to find out what the most enjoyable activities for any person could be ... and then he wanted to engage in those activities. What would bring the greatest possible pleasures and enjoyment to anyone? Solomon was querying or asking. His method in this search for the ultimate happiness was to put everything to the test himself. Towards that end, Solomon had devoted a large part of his adult life “grasping for wind.”

The perspective from which Solomon approached this whole question is totally carnal, selfish, and physical! The perspective Solomon employed is that this physical life is all that matters. His perspective does NOT make allowance for a future existence in the presence of God that is man’s frustration.

In the ending, Solomon reaches is greatly influenced by his perspective. In addition, the final part, everything is futile and empty and without meaning in the long run. Acceptance of God’s words and gifts bring man his greatest contentment.

In conclusion there is NOTHING in this life can really give us lasting happiness ... no physical experience, no great achievement, no position of prestige or power, and no physical possession! Only acceptance of God’s words and gifts bring man his greatest contentment. Some lessons from the book of Ecclesiastes are:

1) Sin always makes people negative. Obedience to God, on the other hand, makes people positive about life.
2) Getting everything you desire is not the best way to achieve happiness in life. Happiness also includes self-denial and self- control.
3) Giving a person perfect wisdom is not the best way to achieve God's goal. On the spirit level, God gave great wisdom to the one who became Satan, and on the human level, God gave great wisdom to Solomon. Yet Satan rebelled against God, and Solomon knowingly compromised with idolatry.
4) Without faithful obedience, great wisdom is useless. It simply becomes corrupted.
5) Ecclesiastes shows what happens to the mind of a person who knowingly rejects the truth of God in order to compromise:
6) Ecclesiastes gives us the opportunity to compare God's wisdom and perspective as revealed in the rest of the Bible with the best that worldly wisdom can come up with (as revealed and expounded in Ecclesiastes).
7) A vital lesson to learn is that when we are dealing with people who have great worldly wisdom, and then we should NOT ASSUME that they are automatically practicing what they preach. They may do so but not necessarily the case.

I guess this is my message for today. I like to wish everyone out there who happens to read my articles a wonderful Christmas and a happy coming New Year as well.

Life ain't fair!

It has been almost two months I have not contribute anything on this blog of mine. Life has been quite busy lately not because of secular nor sacred works but life itself. You see while I am doing a postgraduate program, I get myself into another graduate program to keep myself busy. I am planning to finish both of these programs before the end of two years and it will be my terminal academic pursuit before endowing myself into God’s ministry. Actually, I do not know where I am heading but it is up to God where He wants me to be. You would be wondering why not now. Well, I do have some personal problem on my own. Just like today, I went down to town to buy something. I parked my bike beside another bike and suddenly a woman instructed her Indonesia maid to move someone else bike in order to drive out her car. The poor docile small size Indonesia servant push the bike next to mine and got the bike stuck to my bike’s wheel. From the distance, I called her to stop pushing or else both of the bikes might collapse. I rushed over to help but the maid just kept on pushing and unconsciously I raised my voice and manageable to get it done. The lady (maid owner) abruptly came to the site commanding me not to scold her maid. I was not scolding her maid but raised the vocie in the spur of moment. I was in a way annoyed at her because she supposed to apologize me on this matter instead nagging and lecturing at me (like her husband I guess :) . I scold her and she quickly drove off. How I wish it was a sweet kind lady coming forward to apologize and thank me for assisting her maid but life is not always the way we expected. It just was frivolous! You know what happened. I felt guilty after the incident and wonder why as Christian we cannot get angry!

Well, I have another incident to share. This happened about a year plus ago. I normally love hiking up Engku Busu Hill in Lumut about 800+ metre (above sea level in height). My friend and I will parked our bike (motor) under one shady place if we are early bird. It was just an outskirt of the hill. We went up and about an hour (for avid hiker), we came down. Just as I was coming down. I saw an elderly couple (around 60 - 70 years of age) whom we used to see hiking up this place once a while. They were struggling to carry both of our bike (the handle of the bike were back locked) to another blocks just to park their car. I went straight to them and told them if accidentally the bike were to fall on them than how we were to compensate them for any bodily injuries and if they were to practice what they were doing now else where than they might end up with some unwanted consequences. I think I do sound rude but it was straight to the point of what they were doing. It was totally pathetic! They left the site or scene quietly without saying a word and whenever I saw them, they look ugly at me. Well, I wonder what is wrong with me. I wonder why life is so unfair to me by being blunt or straightforward. Just imagine there are so many weird people around, doing crazy things and when we voice out a little bit to harsh, we are blamed for being rude. I think all these come down to PATIENCE so I like to share a summary of something I read in the internet about this matter so care to join me:

JOB – PATIENCE IN SUFFERING.

The book of Job is not the story of a self-righteous man being punished by God for his sins. Not at all! It is the story of a righteous man undergoing trials and troubles! These troubles and trials were brought upon him by God. How the book begins was Job’s circumstances of good life that was he was the most righteous person on earth in his day, no reason to think our day much better, very wealthy, having a happy family. What more can he ask? God’s evaluation on him was there was no one on earth like him. In this matter, Satan came into the story and Satan’s response that Job was well paid to be good! Take his wealth away; he will curse God to His face! God does not think so and now the real testing came in. God permits a test to see whether Satan’s challenge is warranted.

First test begun and it was found in chapter 1, where Satan took away Job’s Wealth, children and times arrival of messengers to build impact. Overall not once did Job curse God. The second test found in chapter 2, Satan was not about to admit he is wrong. He raises the takes. Job will curse God if his health is taken away. Now Satan begun to take away: Job’s health, the support of his wife and still Job does not curse God.

The Rest of the Book found in chapters 3-42, wouldn’t the message be clearer with just a chapter or so on Job’s friends, plus another for interview with God? Looks like God continues the test to take away things Satan did not (not sure what part Satan plays in this) like support of friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar), support of being right (Elihu) and support of God (who comes with accusations). When God finally does appear in chapter 38, Job does not curse him. Job in a way came to see his own sins, and repents. If we find it hard to imagine our doing this, it just shows we aren’t in Job’s league! Then God praises Job (though he said things he should not have).God rebukes Job’s friends (who were trying to defend God).Job remained (relatively) faithful under far more difficult circumstances than his friends faced.

In this book we learn about the two Worlds. As readers, we have a great advantage over Job & his friends. We see what is happening in the unseen world. Job’s friends don’t see this other world. To defend God (which they know is right)… They attack Job (inventing a “secret sin” theory).Their theology (& Satan’s) is like today’s health & wealth gospel. This is what we see in Job's friends.

For Job on the other side, he does not see the unseen world either. He knows God allowed these things to happen. He is right about this, whether he knows about Satan or not. He knows that his friends’ accusations are false, so their preaching/counseling tends to drive him away from God rather than toward repentance.

Outside the book of Job in our perspective, we do not see this unseen world either. What should we do in Job's circumstance? Will we respond like Job’s friends? Will we respond like Job in his worse moments? Will we cling to God & trust Him for vindication in His time? Apparently, much (all?) inexplicable suffering is really persecution from Satan. Let see each of the response we find in the book of Job.

Job’s response though Satan claimed that Job served God for what he got out of it. Job (and friends) came to see that Job served God because of who God is. God is worthy of our worship whether we get anything for it or not. Do we serve God for who He is or for what we can get out of it?

Satan’s response was he cleared out before the end. He was defeated, but not about to admit it. He will not admit it until the very end. When every knee will bow & every tongue confesses, so do not expect vindication in this life. We may get vindication here and now or we may not that is Satan way of looking at thing.

God’s response was important that Job not know what is happening. Otherwise, this will not be the right kind of test. God cannot intervene to bail Job out, or the test will be invalidated so God goes beyond Satan’s charges to take away everything. Once Job has seen God, admitted God’s charges, worshiped Him, the test is over. God then praises Job, humbles his friends. Job’s other “friends” come back. God gave Job double what he had lost, two times the wealth, same number more children.

Our response here is pay attention to the book of Job. We are experiencing similar things - the unseen world, Satan’s attacks, the same God, and our friends are watching too. Life ain’t easy but we got to live because God wants us to learn and being reckoned of what we have done or achieved. It does not matter if you are righteous or innocent because bad thing does happen but it is how we take it. The response action is the one will be the judge of whether it is right or wrong in God's sight. Many times we fail because we are not patience in our RESPONSIVE reaction. Life is a journey, a never ending journey of trials and at times - it is just ain't fair but we just have to take it whether we like it or not. I guess this is all and have a nice day always!