Life Beyond Death

My uncle broke a piece of shocking news to me yesterday - my cousin had collapsed and died suddenly. My immediate concern was his family - how would they manage without him around? The next thought that struck me was life beyond death - would my deceased cousin be in heaven? I do not know my cousin's religious affiliation and so I do not know where my cousin was headed after leaving this earthly life.

In a conversation with my sister's friend some years ago, she had shared her Buddhist belief that she would go to the Western Paradise if she were to pass on from this life. In this Western Paradise, she would see all the various "Buddhas", including the founder of Buddhism himself and the Goddess of Mercy. The basis for her to enter the Western Paradise, which was her definition of "heaven", was her chanting - she had been petitioning during her chanting for the way to be paved for her to enter the Western Paradise.

The belief of my sister's friend is in marked contrast with the belief that my sister professed just a few months ago. When "shi mu" (our pastor's wife) asked my sister: "Do you have the confidence to enter heaven?", my sister's response was "Not sure." About half an hour later during bible study that same morning, after my sister affirmed her belief in Jesus Christ, shi mu asked her the same question: "Do you have the confidence to enter heaven?" This time round, my sister's response was different - having declared her faith in Jesus, she was confident that she would be able to enter heaven. And so, the basis for my sister to enter heaven? Faith in Jesus Christ.

In Christianity, Jesus provides the way to heaven and eternal life. Jesus was sent by God the Father to die on the cross, to redeem man from sin and to give eternal life to those who believe in him. I remember comforting and assuring my mom at her deathbed, that Jesus has prepared a "big house" for her in heaven, that she would be going ahead to keep the house while waiting for us, her children and grandchildren, to join her in heaven.

"1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.....
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me... "
(John 14 : 1 - 3, 6 )

And heaven is bliss because that's where Jesus is, and so, heaven is better than life.

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you."
(Psalm 73 : 25)

The greatest gift

I was much heartened by my church's involvement of cell groups to reach out to the needy this Christmas season. Very meaningful, I thought, for each cell group to buy, pack and deliver hampers (bags) of basic food items to one or two needy families in the Hougang locality. This is of course in keeping with the practice of buying and giving Christmas presents (sans the commercialisation of gift-buying) and, at the same time, contributes to stronger solidarity and bonding of the cell group.

An email from a friend this morning reminds that "Christmas is not just about gift-giving, parties and carols ... It’s a reminder of God’s wonderful love and His greatest gift to us. In the midst of the season’s celebrations, may you experience God’s love and remember Jesus whose birthday we are celebrating."

Indeed, God's greatest gift to us is His son, the Lord Jesus Christ. After Adam and Eve sinned when the latter was deceived by the serpent into eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of of the knowledge of good and evil, God provided a Saviour for the redemption of man.

"14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." " "
(Genesis 3 : 14 - 15)

"16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
(Jobn 3 : 16 - 17)

This Saviour is Jesus Christ -

"who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead."

And so, while we may not know the exact date of birth of Jesus, Christmas is a time to remember and celebrate God's greatest gift to us - His Son Jesus Christ.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
(Luke 2 : 14)

Sweet Water, Sweet Life

I tried making orkuih (wu tao ko) yesterday, using a recipe culled from the web. Sad to say, my sis found it not up to my mom's standard. Sadder still, none of us had the interest to get my mom's recipe when she was still around. By the time my mom got terminally ill, it was more important then to look into her comfort than into her recipes of various comfort food that we crave for now.

This afternoon, helped my niece to make peanut-butter cookies with Snickers mini-bars; hmmm, much too sweet for my liking. Besides sugar, a whole lot of peanut butter, honey and of course the caramel-filled Snickers mini-bars went into the cookies. Whoever concocted the recipe must really have a sweet tooth!

Also tried making konnyaku jelly. I was horrified when I measured out the amount of sugar required - 210 gm on the packeting didn't mean anything to me when I read the pre-printed recipe on the packeting, given my lack of experience in cooking and baking. But when the sugar filled almost a whole rice bowl, I cringed at the extra calories that may add to my hip and waist which I strived so hard to keep trim and slim.

In Moses' time, he didn't need sugar for added sweetness. He threw a piece of wood, which the Lord showed him, into water that was too bitter to drink, and the water became sweet. Here, we see God's unfathomable power to provide divinely for the needs of his people.

"22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.
23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)
24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"
25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them.
26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you."
(Exodus 15 : 22 - 26)

There is another instance of God's healing of the water. Ever heard of adding salt to make water sweet? Well, nothing is impossible with God. While on a holiday trip to Israel with Bishop Samuel Doctorian in 1999, the group of 140+ of us drank fresh water that still flowed sweet at a place reputed to be "Elisha's well", where the prophet Elisha threw salt in to heal the unwholesome water. And I remembered vividly the good Bishop preaching that Jesus puts salt into our life and turns our bitterness into sweet life.

"19 The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive."
20 "Bring me a new bowl," he said, "and put salt in it." So they brought it to him.
21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, "This is what the Lord says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.'"
22 And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken."
(2 Kings 2 : 19 - 22)

Grace and peace in the Lord Jesus.

Light of the World

My sis gave me a lunch treat at Sushi Tei. Tried the "beef paper pot". Rather intrigued by the paper pot used to hold and cook the miso soup, beef slices, mushrooms and veggie. This paper pot sat in a metal, perforated funnel-shaped container and was heated by a small fire below. Somehow the paper pot wasn't burnt throughout the 10-15 minute cooking. I wondered if the paper had some special wax or coating so it wasn't consumed by the fire. Or, perhaps the fire was too small and placed too far below to have any direct contact with the paper pot.

The paper pot brought to my mind the "burning bush" in Moses' time.

"1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up."
(Exodus 3 : 1 - 2)

At the burning bush, Moses was charged by God with the task of leading the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. The story of the 10 plagues, the Passover and God's final deliverance is well-known. Leaving Egypt, the Lord continued to provide His protection and guidance, leading His people with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night through the wilderness.

Today, as the wheel of time turns, we are still in the wilderness - of financial turmoil and investment losses, job losses and pay cuts, stock market plunges and interest rate cuts, ....... Someone wrote that whereas just a while ago, there was "maximum greed" (which drove up the global markets), now we have "maximum fear" (which drives uncertainty and insecurity into our limited, earthly lives).

But, fear not - we have the comfort of God as our "light and salvation". As the light shines and directs our path, so shall we find our way in the uncertainties ahead. And as the divine presence of that loving light warms and lifts up our hearts, so shall we rejoice in his deliverance come what may.

"1 The Lord is my light and salvation - whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.
4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life."
(Ps 27 : 1 - 4)

As Christmas approaches and we remember the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, we take comfort too that God is with us. The prophecy of Isaiah has been fulfilled with the birth of Jesus:

" Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel." (Is 7 : 14)
(Note: Immanuel means God with us.)

The Lord Jesus himself has affirmed His presence with us at all times, whether good or bad :

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
(Matt 28 : 20b)

"15 If you love me, you will obey what I command.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth."
(John 14 : 15 - 16)

"5 For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit .....
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
(Acts 1 : 5, 8)

And so, for friends and loved ones, my heart's desire and wish this Christmas is for them to receive the light and salvation that is in Christ alone.

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Acts 2 : 21)

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given men by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4 : 12)

Love, peace and joy - now and always.