Are Pastors Human?

Have you seen the list of requirements to be an elder or pastor of the church? It’s crazy! 

Reminds me to be humble and do my best and trust in Him who stengthens and enables. 
1 Timothy 3:1-13 (NKJV)

1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;

3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence

5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,

9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.

10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.

11 Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Happy Birthday Joey Less Than Three

Joey Joey Joey! (Nice photo kan. Don’t kill me.)

I’m your second biggest fan! Your Biggest fan is God la of course. And as a fan, I really have so much I love about you. 

(Warning: Take a deep breath)

I love watching you (creepy kan). I love listening to your talking voice. I love your singing. I love your advice. I love your love for everyone. Especially your compassion for the emotionally and physically needy. I love that you love to share. I love your confidence when there is a problem that needs to be fixed. I love (and also don’t love) your perfectionism. I love your hugs and support. I love to see you cry because it speaks of your attitude towards God and His people. I love finding comfort in holding your hands. I love to hear your laugh. And I love your lame jokes. I love that you’re so smart (you’ve taught me a lot of common and uncommon sense) (where do you keep all these information?). I love all your talents. I love it when you pray. You are so connected to God. I love when you get messages from God. That’s really a special connection you have. I love that you don’t reject me when you know my weaknesses, but rebuke and teach me and also follow up on my progress (you do get angry sometimes, which is also good). I love that you try to change yourself when others (or I) rebuke you. I love that you get excited for the right things. And best of all. I love that you love me.

This journey has not been easy for me and I think it’s been even harder for you. But I know for sure God’s hand is on you. And on me. And I do believe He’ll be the one to hold us together. And we’ll have the happiest ending in Heaven with Jesus for eternity (that’s a long time)!

Joey, please continue to love the Lord. No matter what. Because I will fail you. And you will fail yourself. But God won’t fail ever. Your obedience is all He asks for. Be obedient to God. Not to me. Not to yourself. Only to God. Whatever you do, bring Glory to Him. 
I think God is so proud of you now actually. But you can still do more. You can still be more. As long as we learn to have less of us and more of Him. As long as we walk in His path. Then we’ll surely see Spiritual Growth and Perfection.

Lord take Joey again in your arms. Wrap her in Your love. Flood her with Your grace. Fill her with Your Spirit. Drench her in Your beauty and glory. May she always have great Christ-like Character; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,  gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. And Lord input on her great Christ-like Attitude; being kindly affectionate, delighting in honouring others, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, always serving the Lord, joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. 

Thank You Lord for birthing this wonderfully made creature and sharing her with the world. 

And all those who love Joey say… 

Amen!!!

Qualities To Look For In A Leader

1. Character
2. Influence
3. Positive Attitude
4. Excellent People Skills
5. Evident Gifts
6. Proven Track Record
7. Confidence
8. Self-Discipline
9. Effective Communication Skills
10. Discontent with Status Quo

– John C. Maxwell, Equipping 101

Whiners Gotta Whine

Ever hear a kid whine? I hear it a lot. Funny thing is, people whine. Lot’s of people do it. We do it cuz we want something (usually attention), and also just to complain (it also means we want attention duh).

Kids do it. Teenagers do it. Adults do it. Even really old people do it.

It’s freaking annoying. STOP IT please. Nobody WANTS to help you after you’ve whined. Do your friends want to help you more when you whine? Are you more popular or do people like to have you around when you whine? Does your boyfriend prefer you whining when you ask for something rather than ask nicely? Do your parents see you more as an adorable precious princess when you whine? Are your team members more motivated when they see their leader whine?

 

Please reevaluate your character and your attitude towards… everything… in life.

Ktnxbai.

I Do What I Do Cuz I Can Live With It

xHello dear friends. What if I told you that your actions are not your own? What if I told you that you cannot do anything you want? What if I told you that you will hurt those who love you just by having a bad reputation?

What I learn through my friends and media is that I will suffer the consequences of my actions. And that I can do anything I want as long as I feel okay about it. And that if I choose to do anything bad, I will just have to suffer from it later on. These are half-truths. Oh yes, you will suffer the consequences your actions. The only problem is, you’re not the only one who will suffer.

Friend A had a friend called Friend B. Friend B is an old friend of Friend A. A month ago, what Friend A heard on the news was shocking. Friend B’s apartment was searched and he was found to be cooking and distributing drugs. He was making alot of money. He was also dealt a death sentence. Friend A felt bad. Really bad. Ashamed. Alarmed. Afraid. Friend A doubted his ability to know people. He doubted himself. He felt bad for Friend B’s dad. Rumor was going around. Bad rumors.

It was a tough time for both family and friends. Now I’m sure you’re thinking, ‘I have never done anything as wrong or as serious as that’. But seriously, just throwing a simple tantrum will get people questioning about what kind of family you grew up in. We are being watched, and we are being judged 24/7. And who will be the most ashamed? Parents of course.

A father writes to his son in Proverbs 27:11, Be wise my child, and make my heart glad. Then I will be able to answer my critics.

Why would a father ask his son to be wise? Because a foolish son brings shame to his father. The more foolish the actions, the greater the shame. Consequences can potentially have a great ripple effect. So it’s not just shame, all sorts of negative things can come upon people around you just because you want to be an ignorant, lazy fool.

Pick your thoughts, actions and words carefully my friend. Especially don’t engage in things God consider as sin. Yes, I’m talking to you.

Bribing As Motivation 101

For those of you close minded people, I’d like to say one thing. Bribing works wonders! It’s true. If it’s not true, why would it be so popular? We know it’s true because we see it. It’s a quick way to get wanted results. That’s a good deal right? Speed + results! And if you’re good enough, you can hide your tracks. Problem with this: conscience.

So before i talk about anything, let’s google-define the word ‘bribe’: to persuade (someone) to act in one’s favor, typically illegally or dishonestly, by a gift of money or other inducement. Ah ok. So key words here are dishonest and illegal. So is ‘bribing’ your kids to study bad? No, because according to this, it’s not a bribe. Illegal bribes are easy to spot. They’re bribes in situations where bribing isn’t allowed by the law. Dishonest bribes are a bit harder to spot. Because of the unspoken rules. Generally, if there’s a queue to a counter, it’s understood that latecomers have to insert themselves in queue at the back of the line. We all understand that that’s fair. But maybe Mr. Aaron decides since there isn’t any law here that says to line up, I’ll just ask a favor (with the motivation of money) of the counter attendant to deal with me first. I am in a rush too. We all know that cutting line is bad, but mostly because it slows our queue. But it is still a dishonest gain right? Because according to the ethical scale embedded inside us, everyone has to have an equal opportunity. If a line is served according to how much money you can pump into bribing, then it’ll be rich first, and poor last (if ever). For me, a bribe is when it negatively effects other people. Which is the main reason why corporate laws on integrity are of big importance. Here are my thoughts, I think a bribe is a form of motivation. A bribe can be both positive motivation (reward) and negative motivation (threat/punishment). And they’re bad because they either break rules, or are against our conscience. But, is bribing a sin?

What does the bible say about bribing. Let me be honest, I was very confused/intrigued by what the God has to say about bribing. They seem to contradict. And the word of God CANNOT contradict, or else it isn’t God’s word. Proverbs 15:27 Greed brings grief to the whole family, but those who hate bribes will live. And Proverbs 17:8 A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper! Seems like on one hand, bribing is bad, on another bribing is good. I think we forget to think that bribing is an act. It doesn’t reveal the nature of the heart. To assure you, the evil nature of greed is addressed in the bible. Deuteronomy 16:19 You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly. Exodus 23:8 “Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth. Proverbs 17:23 The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course of justice. But the bible is also saying that bribing can be used for good. Proverbs 18:16 Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! Proverbs 21:14 A secret gift calms anger; a bribe under the table pacifies fury. So let’s get practical and REALLY ask, can bribing really be used for good?

Like I said, bribing is an act. It’s not an attitude. God will judge the attitude and intention of the heart. We can bribe to send an innocent person to jail. And we can pay a bribe to release a wrongly accused. We can contract a killer to kill our boss. And we can ‘contract’ an authority to see that a missionary’s visa is approved. Honestly, I hate bribes. I’m against it, but if my daughter was kidnapped and they asked for money, I’d be more than willing to participate in that bribe to keep my daughter safe. And I doubt I’ll feel bad. I think I’ll have peace in my conscience about the bribe. My sin would probably not be that I participated in a bribe, but that I have hate against the kidnappers. I know this sounds pretty unchristiany, but bribes is not a sin. Especially not if you’re the victim of the injustice. However, if you’re the one who’s asking for money to act unjustly, then the problem is greed. Then it’s a sin. If it’s an ‘opportunity’, well, you’ll have to look at the intention of your heart of why you’re agreeing. Guess what, I think Jesus would have participated in a bribe if he needed to.

Did Jesus do anything wrong during his time on earth? Contrary to popular belief, YES he did. It was so controversial, that moral codes and ethics were questioned. Tradition in a traditionally strong culture was shaken. People hated Jesus because of the rules he’s broken. Yet he dared to call himself King. Yet he dared to say that he’s the fulfillment of the word (wooooots). E.g. Luke 6:6-9 On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.”So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” So in the Torah (Jewish book of Law given by God) it was God’s law that the Sabbath day is made for rest. No work is to be done on that day. So the Jews started to make weird rules based on this Sabbath law. Eg. like you can’t walk past your neighbors house because walking is a lot of work. But Jesus came to earth to explain that the law is not a list of do’s and don’ts. The law is for the alignment heart and attitude, and for the growth of character.

Excerpted from Jesus’ sermon on the mount (Matt 5): … You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell…  You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So Jesus came to earth to explain that it’s not the action that breaks God’s law (and His heart). No, it’s our hearts and our attitude and our character that breaks the Law. If I was paying a ‘gift’ to be released from jail early, whether I sin or not will depend on why. Is it because I don’t want to face the consequences of my actions? Is it because I don’t want my family and friends to know what I did? Or is it because I felt that I’ve been wrongly accused and I don’t think that’s where God wants me to be at that moment? Ask yourself what is the intention of acting the briber or agreeing to be bribed? Greed? Fame? Compassion? Love? Shame? Pride? Laziness? When asking yourself, our conscience will come into play and help us. And the Holy Spirit works with and guides our conscience. With choosing the right action, will come peace and joy. Acting against it will result in uneasiness and fear. Yeah. I agree that these are such subjective emotions to be using to weigh our action. But with practice, we’ll be able to make decisions as close to what is righteous as possible. Sure, we’ll never be perfect, but we can always try, right?

I guess my conclusion can be this, the problem is not so much the act of bribing, but the attitude and intention of the heart. The Church tends to get very traditionalized that the act of worship becomes the focus of christian lives and teachings. That’s very Pharisaical isn’t it? Jesus said their clean acts are just an outward show. What’s more important is the internal attitude and character. Clean the inside and the outside will be clean as well.

Is It A Choice To Choose?

#1

Don’t let them call you a ‘bimbo’. You’re nerdy enough for me.

 

#2

God wants us to CHOOSE to love Him. He’s not gonna MAKE us.

 

 

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Do We HAVE To Die?

 

over the centuries, people have always wanted to have control.

people have always wanted to be able to choose neverdeath. err… immortality. i meant.

 

there are many natural things in life that we don’t have a choice about.

like, firstly, of course, death.

life? yes. we do have a choice between life or no life.

but death? it’s a must. it’s a certainty. it’s adhering to the laws of nature and science.

also, we don’t have a choice but to be governed by the laws of physics… like gravity. and space. and time.

thirdly, we don’t get to choose our biology. i’m not a dolphin. and my dad is not Eminem. I don’t have a choice.

and, another thing we don’t get to choose, this is a big one, is CHOICE.

 

God gave us a will to make decisions.

God gave us the free will to choose anything for ourselves.

but not only that.

EVERYTHING. Requires. A Choice.

we HAVE to make a decision.

 

To agree with something, a choice.

To disagree, a choice.

To be ignorant, a choice.

To accept a fact, a choice.

To doubt it, a choice.

To act on it, a choice.

To let it go, a choice.

To complain, a choice.

To face it, a choice.

To walk the easy path, a choice.

To walk the road less taken, a choice.

To go with the flow, a choice.

To dare to be ridiculed, a choice.

To practice, a choice.

To procrastinate, a choice.

To be all round pessimistic, a choice.

To be joyful and thankful, a choice.

To be disobedient, a choice.

To trust, a choice.

To harbor anger, a choice.

To love, a choice.

 

you know, everything comes down to what we choose.

even when situations are out of control, it’s how we respond that counts.

even if everyone disagrees, if my conscience tells me it’s right, i still have to choose.

 

this is what determines character.

 

ask yourself:

do you make your own decisions?

or do you let your mood, situations or environment dictate your choices?

 

i’m not saying it’s easy to develop character.

in fact, that’s what problems are for; to help us grow.

when we make a choice to face a problem head on, we overcome something that we can never overcome if we don’t make the difficult decision.

problems and difficulties are like mirrors, they reveal a side of you that you’ve never been able to see by yourself.

also, if we don’t deal with this problem, it’ll always seem to keep appearing.

just like looking into a new and different mirror.

no matter how many new and different problems you’re gonna face, if the previous flaw in self has not been dealt with, you’ll see the same flaws show in the new and different mirrors.

the same issue will occur.

so choose to deal with it.

 

i can’t say i’m super holy.

just like obedience and holiness is a choice,

disobedience and sin is also a choice.

i have to say (honestly), i choose to sin and be disobedient all the time.

let me give you a very innocent example from my own life.

if someone is late for a meeting that i’m chairing, i get mad!

i choose to let my emotions rule over my actions.

cuz it’s downright easy to do.

but, you wanna know what’s the Most Difficult thing to do when someone makes me angry?

choose keep a joyful face, forgive, and continue to live life the best i can without making the situation worse.

you know, that’s just too difficult to do!

that’s just crazy.

 

but God’s all about crazy isn’t He?

 

 

Will the Judgement Day look like this? prolly not… 

 

we hear people talk about the JUDGEMENT DAY all the time.

 

but I tell you the truth, brothers, Judgement day is not about fire and brimstone raining from the sky.

judgement, is when God weighs our character and compares it with Jesus’ character.

and our character is built on choices we’ve made.

 

 

let’s make the right choices.

 

 

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The Book Of Proverbs

 

is a super good book to start reading about choices.

making wise and productive and efficient choices.

in fact, the bible talks all about choices.

 

anyways,

let’s take making the right choices seriously.

 

 

So Hawt

 

because character is sexy

 

– Aaron

 

 

 

 

Mom

Working Mom

 

Proverbs 31

 

A Wife of Noble Character

 ¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? 
      She is more precious than rubies. 
 ¹¹ Her husband can trust her, 
      and she will greatly enrich his life. 
 ¹² She brings him good, not harm, 
      all the days of her life.

 ¹³ She finds wool and flax 
      and busily spins it. 
 ¹⁴ She is like a merchant’s ship, 
      bringing her food from afar. 
 ¹⁵ She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household 
      and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

 ¹⁶ She goes to inspect a field and buys it; 
      with her earnings she plants a vineyard. 
 ¹⁷ She is energetic and strong, 
      a hard worker. 
 ¹⁸ She makes sure her dealings are profitable; 
      her lamp burns late into the night.

 

the bible talks about a mom who does business? wow.

and i thought working moms are bad for the health of her children.