Saturday, August 12, 2006

Hi there!

Yep it's Josh the Junkie here and this is one of the few times I am typing for this blog (or was known as Vincent's blog, but he has his own now).

Well, you guys probably think army clerks are always sitting around doing nothing, have bad hair do's and just wasting govt spending (from your taxes) on talking cock. Quite close...but this army clerk would like to share something with you :)

For one, do we always proclaim that Jesus is the Ultimate Saviour and Lord? Yeah okay...but do we act just like Jesus? I'll admit here that I don't all the time. Perhaps sometimes I think that Jesus's teachings are pious and impractical. Who would allow someone to slap him on both cheeks, or carry bags for 2 miles without hitting the guy back? Or even follow the dishonest manager who cut his employer's debts? (there are sermons online about these parables)

Well, Jesus wasn't wrong in teaching us so, and He is far from out-dated. The problem is only if we do read about them, refer to material written about them, using quiet time to reflect on them and....apply them! Exercise our creativity and look at His teachings from a different light. Remember, Jesus wasn't a pious doormat. He is God and ultimately He taught us what we must know. He is real.

Now time for an application step I thought of, which will/might sound kinda lame to you guys. Don't worry, this post will end soon! (compared to eternity)

I have been thinking of ways we could involve God in our daily conversations. Instead of the usual speech we are used to, why not revoluntionize it with quirky references to God? Not that I mean any disrespect to the Lord, as it is an honest way to keep our minds on God daily. Since we talk all day, we speak of Him all day too!

Those who attend the same Sunday school as me would have a small idea of it. Let's have this as one of my ideas:

Situation: You have failed in the most recent exam, and nothing else nice to tell your father about school. It's after dinner and Dad is reading his newspapers. However, he remembers your exam (for once) and asks you about it...

Dad: 'So how were your exams ah?'
(and then you pause and look kinda stressed)
You: 'I have no good news, but...'
Dad: '???'
(Dad starts to look worried)
You: 'The only Good News I have is the Gospel!!!'
(Dad falls off chair, newspapers fly in the air)

Other ideas include:

"I'm all alone"

Now that sounds a bit like porridge. Simple, bland and not tasty? Needs a little 'you tiao' and....

You know that the Bible says that God is always with us? Now instead of just saying that glumly while boarding the always full 171 bus, you can say "I'm with God!" Now, isn't the Creator of the Universe taking the packed 171 with you in the middle of choaked traffic? Great.

"Lucky la..."/ "Tyco siah..."

Isn't this the Response of the Year to people who congratulate you on some achievement? Humble yeah...stale also yeah. But then...

Replace it with a proclaimation that goes..."God's Providence!". I know it's hard to fit that in a breath. Be creative and maybe translate that to hokkien maybe :) Remember our good fortunes and boiling trials are God's blessings to us.

"Oh man..."/"Sigh....."/"Xian..."/"Wah lao eh..."

An arrow hits you, or more homework finds its way onto your table. Now, that's the Gold Edition of Great Responses! And I am getting sick of it...

Does James 1:2-3 ring a bell in you? Yes...replace them with 'Joy!', a word so simple but powerful on our attitudes. Profit from problems, and in trials we consider it pure joy. Not asking you all to enjoy pain, but seek robust ways of settling the task and keep God involved in your daily progress. Problems bring the best out of us, and our relationship with God.

Ok I'll stop typing here, as I guess you would have skipped all the text until here huh? Oh well, just hope you read through it and maybe learned a bit from me...and maybe get the drift of my sharing. Maybe come up with ideas yourself too.

Gotta go and I wish you the best in your 'Adventures in Homework' and 'Voyages Against Tides of Exams'. :) Manage time well...and pursue God! I'll be plugging off the interweb awhile.

Phew...army no exam.
Joshua

11:11 AM
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