Christ Hacks

2006-08-31T18:26:00.000-07:00

To follow the previous entry on Blogging and Christian Ministry, Boundless Webzine has just published 3 articles relating to the trend of blogging and Christians who blog.

Blogging and Christian Ministry

2006-02-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

I've been reading Israel's and Scoble's book on Business blogging called "Naked Conversations". It sounds dodgy, but it's a book about using blogs to communicate with your customers; How blogs can repair corporate image and rebuild lost trust. Scoble argues that blogging in some way contributed to the rebuilding of Microsoft's image, as it provided an oppportunity for customers to talk back to the company and get responses in a personal way, instead of being talked at.

Having just read the first few chapters of this book, I'm starting to discover why I am blogging in the first place. More importantly, I'm finding reasons why people in Christian Ministry, especially pastors or Christian leaders should blog. Here are 5 reasons.

1. Blogging helps you to go global while staying local. Chris, my church pastor, uses this phrase to describe what church should be like. The church should be so big minded that it should constantly think about reaching out to other people both at our doors and in the world, but it should be so small so that it is personal and it ministers to the individual. That's exactly what a blog does. A blog is for the world to see, but it is also a personal conversation between you and the reader.
2. Blogging gets your thoughts/ideas across in the most efficient manner. Every sunday, on the church bulletin, there is usually a letter by a pastor to the congregation about his thoughts on the studies during the week as well as any announcements. Why not do that on a blog?
3. Bloggers feed off each other for ideas and encourage each other. It is often said that "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." I find I get many ideas, thoughts, and challenges from reading other people's blogs. This often helps to sharpen and shape my thinking. Several posts like this one on a letter to a christian girl have sparked off much discussion and I think we're better off for it. In fact, the post itself was borne out of my chats with other bloggers.
4. Blogging keeps the blogger accountable. Some prefer to hide behind a cloak of anonimity when they blog. But for me, I prefer to be up front. It keeps me ccountable. When I write about my family, or my wife, the fact that people can cross-check with my wife or can see me in real life keeps me in check. If I write that I do the housework everyday or cook for her everyday, Sarah will tell the whole world that I'm lying. She loves to do that :)
5. Bloggers challenge and encourage each other. Reading oclouds, HKGirl, and cassia's blog, I am challenged at how they hold on to Christ even when they are in foreign lands. I like to read Island and Neonangel accounts of their daily life and thoughts as they struggle to live Godly lives for Him. And while Ruth's blog makes me hungry, it also brings a smile to my face as I track Daniel's growth and try to imagine how Lizzie would be like in 4 months (Daniel is 4 months ahead of Liz). When my family was going through a difficult time in bringing up Lizzie, besides the prayers of many friends, the comments that people leave encouraged us greatly.

Blogging is in essence, another form of conversation. It is like an insight to a person's thoughts and opinions. I don't know about you, but I find some things easier to write and share on a blog than in conversation with another person. Take for example my struggles on Sarah's breastfeeding. If I just met you in church, what are the chances of me telling you all that?

How much richer would our ministry would be if we all share our thoughts and struggles with each other. I've been reading Josh Harris' blog and Together for the gospel . I think there is much to learn. How about let's get Chris and the pastors to start blogging?

Questions for the New Year

2006-01-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

Found come questions on this website which are useful to help us start the new year. Might be helpful that we can think through some questions and pen down the answers and evaluate them from time to time as the year goes.

Set an alarm in December 2006 and see how far you went :)

For true geeks only

2005-10-24T00:10:00.000-07:00

In reference to the original reason why this blog was started, I thought I would share a truly geeky secret...well geeky for me though probably not so much for the many random techno wizards out there.

For those that use mp3 is any form or the other, a great way to travel, instead of grooving to the rhythm, is to download sermons from various legal web sites and listen to while on the bus/car/mrt/bicycle/taxis/etc.

One of my personal favourites is the All Souls church audio sermons page where they've archived all they're stuff for the past decade or so. Of course, one has to be just as discerning when deciding which sermon to download and I recommend anything by Rico Tice or Paul Williams. Some people seem to swear by this chap call John Stott but I think he's a far better author than preacher. However, one man's meat...

The All Souls repository has a searchable database by preacher, date, book and series and it's pretty user-friendly. The one solitary catch is that you have to register in order to access the service but it's free and pretty simple (if my friend, a self-confessed "tech moron" can do it, none of you should struggle). Actually, I bluff you; another caveat is that you should have broadband connection as the files are about 5-10 MB in size.

Another site worth visiting is the *cough, cough* ARPC resource page. Come to think of it, shouldn't you have already attended service?...oh yah, but maybe you're overseas and miss Ronnie's voice =)

The beauty of this is that it's all F.O.C. and being the true Singaporeans that we are, surely we cannot resist the urge. I believe that it's also not an infringement of any IPOS's laws, though given the recent debacle with CD ripping, I wouldn't put it beyond them to start clamping down on this.

Any other suggestions?

Sinner's Guide to Holiness

2005-09-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

New book by Matthias Media. Title of book struck me. Thought that it would normally be titled "Christians' Guide to Holiness". But really, I am still a sinner. The only difference is that I am a sinner saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. I have not read it yet but will be buying it soon.

The review below is taken from Matthias Media website. Not sure if this is available at church's bookends yet. It is available for AUD $12 on the MM website.

What is holiness? Why do I need it? And why is it such a struggle for me to achieve holiness in my everyday life?

In A Sinner’s Guide to Holiness, well-known evangelist John Chapman explores what the Bible has to say about holiness—where it begins, how it makes progress in our lives, and its ultimate fulfilment as we are changed into Christ’s glorious likeness on the Last Day.

This book is a timely publication in this day and age, when we have often lost sight of the holiness of God. And when we do, it seems like an impossible task to achieve our own holiness. But ‘Chappo’ tells us that becoming holy is a vital, worthwhile goal for every Christian—even though the first 60 years may be the hardest!

This is the first title in a new series from Matthias Media: Guidebooks for Life. As the series unfolds, it will deal with the important nuts-and-bolts topics that Christians need to know about as we walk each day with our Master.

Read the first book in this new series, and rediscover the joy of being a sinner on the path of holiness.

Disappointment with God

2005-09-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

I think of my relationship with God as a wave. Full of ups and downs, but somehow there is a magnetic force that holds me to Him. In all likelihood, He just will not let me go.

Psalm 139 was one of the first things I read as a young Christian and its verses still resonate with me. "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?" Over the years, God has proven to be my safe harbour amidst life's tempest (ooh more maritime metaphors :)).

One of the most common "downers" in our Christian walk is disappointment. It could be a knockout blow like the breakdown of a relationship or the death of a loved one. But it could also start from something small, which festers and then grows into a raging monster.

Recently I went through a mini "cold war" with God that lasted for about three weeks. In a nutshell, the issue was this: When I first came to Beijing, a Christian friend leapt at the chance to introduce me to her cell group. And so I went along and thought it was good, but then two weeks later, this friend suddenly told me she and her husband were moving to Shanghai. I continued attending the group, alone, but felt increasingly adrift and remote from its members. A month ago, I started going to a different cell group with a newfound Christian friend. Things looked promising. But suddenly, this friend told me she was getting married and would very likely not be in Beijing for much longer. And so I was left to brave the group of mainly Cantonese-speaking Hong Kongers alone.

As this problem nagged, it grew, dragging out other skeletons in my emotional closet. I went through the motions of going to service and cell group but inside I felt cold. Then, one day while online with a friend, I started talking about the situation and suddenly, my own sinfulness stared me squarely in the face in its stark entirety.

Confronting disappointment with God basically involves the realisation that the problem is not God, nor indeed other people. The problem is me myself and I. But no well-intentioned friend can singlehandedly make you see that; this realisation is like the drop of a small yet staggering weight in the dense solitary sea of one's consciousness.

People fight such disappointment with God in different ways. Some choose to focus their energies on serving others, as He decreed, to take their minds of their own problems. But as Neonangel rightly pointed out, there is nothing worse to God than serving Martha-like with a simmering heart of resentment. Others just withdraw from Christian activities all together.

As with all things, the way forward is probably somewhere in between the two extremes. And having a friend pray for you definitely helps, when your disenchanted self cannot heave the words out of your mouth.

For those of us in the "friend" position: We are called to help our brothers, but though the good book tells us that "whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 5:20), such a prayer partnership is no mere theological haranguing session. The book of Job is an object lesson in empathy and we as Christians must pray for that in order to avoid sliding into empty gestures of self-righteousness.

At the end of the day, the ultimate question is: What is the purpose of this life? If "all the world is a stage, and the men and women merely players", to quote those famous lines from Hamlet, who then is our audience? I agree with Spottiswoode that amidst the travails of life, one just needs to take a deep breath and *focus*.

Here again, Job is another object lesson. We ain't the ones in control here. "Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air. Death and destruction say, 'Only a rumour of it has reached our ears.' God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells..." (28:20-23)

Attractive Evangelism

2005-09-13T04:01:00.000-07:00

I dislike going after people with hammer and nails hounding after them to change their beliefs. Rather, I believe in creating chances for them to come to me to discuss their religious beliefs.

In order to do this effectively, I feel that at the minimum, we need to 'Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.' (1 Pet 3:15) to know right now (before these opportunities open themselves to us):
i) Who we believe in
ii) What we believe
iii) Why we believe

1 unexpected way discovered today is to read a Christian book at public places. It's a good way of opening conversations about God.

This was what happened today:

I was early on course and reading the book 'Your work matters to God' when an acquiantance sitting next to me asked me,"What are you reading?"

Flipping the book to the cover page, she made a grimace before asking a rhetoric question, "So who's God?"

Me: That's a very interesting question, what do you say? (Really buying time while I finished the chapter I was reading and praying for appropriate answers)
She: I believe in fate, 天意
Me: Interesting, you believe in a great force in the world that moves events which has no sense of morality
She: What do you mean?
Me: It sounds to me that you believe there's something greater in the world that moves events, that if you can somehow manoever to your advantage, your life will be smooth sailing. I believe in a God who is totally just and who rightfully deserves my entire life devoted to His service.
She: But you can't see Him, how do you know He's real? (Implication: How do you know you are serving a real thing and not a figment of your imagination?)
Me: I know He's real through Christ, who walks on earth nearly 2000 years ago. He was a real man, who walked on earth, talked and interracted with the people then. He was witnessed to have died was resurrected and is now on the RH of God. I believe that Christ is God and thus He is real.....

Our conversation stopped here when the trainer started teaching. But praise God for that conversation!

To manage our expectations, don't expect to convert a person there and then, but rather, be ready to share whenever the chance presents itself and let God take care of the rest. Prayerfully, these thoughts will cause her to think a little bit about who God is and what He has done for us.

Question to keep in mind

2005-09-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

At various stages of my christian walk, I've found it useful, and sometimes even critical, to keep in mind a few key "soundbytes" or "phrases" to help me stay focused in a distracted and busy world.

One key "soundbyte" that recurs in my head every so often is, "Who is your audience?" It's a question to ask myself - "Ruth, who is your audience?". And of course, the right answer is, "God."

God is our one + only audience in life. He is who we "perform" for, "live" for, live to please, to honour and to glorify. I find the question "Who is your audience?" a very good reminder of this simple yet easily forgettable FACT of Christian Life. So often, our audience is not God, but our bosses, our colleagues, our parents, our peers, and even... our Christian friends/Christian community. Our motivations are to show off to these people, to get them to think that we are _____ (fill in the blank with any number of the following: hardworking, high CEP, successful (yet humble or as a matter-of-fact about it), holy, intellectually-rigorous in Bible Study, Christ-centered, godly etc.,)

Yet, when it comes down to it, the only person that really matters in our life, the only one who will judge us, reward us and love us eternally - is God. He is our audience. No one else.

A Sarah Groves song, which I promise one day I'll sing in Church, captures the essence of this question, "Who is your audience?" very well - the song is titled, "This Journey is My Own". Somewhere in this haunting and dramatic song is the refrain, "And I live, and I breathe... for an audience of One. And I live, and I breathe... for an audience of One."

Yea. "Who is your audience?" really helps to bring perspective and focus into every day situations. E.g., when Irritating Boss makes Irritating Demands on me in an Impersonal and Inhumanely Demanding Manner, the question, "Who is your audience?" pops into my head and immediately, I know my response to Boss should be - to pray for him, to love him, to honour him as boss while not compromising my Christian values or priorities.

Another example closer to home, now that I am Christian Mom and all, is when Wailing and Screaming Baby makes Wailing and Screaming Demands on me (feed me, change my diaper, burp me, wail wail wail), the question, "Who is your audience?" pops into my head and calms me down. I am reminded that my life focus is not this child, but God. God is my audience, and it is in obedience to Him that I must love and serve this little squidge of a child. But above all, I must pray for Little Daniel to fear the Lord and one day come to know Christ, for above and beyond meeting the kid's material needs is the imperative to introduce the kid to Christ!

You see the eternal perspective that such a simple question can prompt? Now you try it - the next time life's heavy demands weigh down on your heart - step back and ask yourself, "Who is my audience?" God will guide you from there... :)

A Women After God's Own Heart

2005-09-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

Bought this book at bookends. This book is suitable for all women - single or married.

The book covers the various aspects of womanhood - walk with God, reading the Bible, prayer journey, singleness, marriage, motherhood. The author, Elizabeth also provides practical tips to help us live out godliness.

After every chapter, there are a few pointers and questions for reflection. Sometimes there are also suggestion of application tips that we can adopt. Highly recommended!

how to be in small & large groups

2005-09-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

chanced upon this on GunBlad3's blog - both originally from matthias & reposted there. excellent & worthwhile reads :)

how to be in a small group

how to be in a large group

Loving our (DIfficult) Neighbour

2005-08-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

It's always a challenge to love our neighbour and it helps to have a set of internal motivators to keep us on track when all we wanna do is yell/maim/smack/tick off the other person. :) Love is the theory, Practical how?

When Person is Being Difficult, try these on the spot tactics:

1) Truth is your greatest weapons to disarm the Person. Lead the person to see you are just concerned about getting to the truth of the situation

2)Deliberately slow down your speech so that your words are deliberate and measured rather than fast and furious. Give time for yourself to weigh out your reactions before you answer back. Do not do the quick retort - it always comes out crap.

3) A well-considered response requires time and more information to craft, so keep asking the person leading questions to buy you both. Never assume you know everything about why the other person is acting up the way they do. Always humble yourself that way.

4) If you are easily angered, tell the person you need some time to cool off because you are not interested in fighting or causing Person to be unneccessarily hurt or angered. Walk away and some back as soon as you can to finish up what you left unresolved. NEVER walk away without explaining why you are doing so.

5) If you were in the right, be humble. If you were in the wrong, be humble. Neither situations require you to use volume, speed, wit or verbosity to make your point.

6) Always be prepared to apologise. Chances are, there is something for you to apologise about even if you were in the right. Do not apologise for things you have clearly NOT DONE - after all we are all committed to the Truth here right? Apologise perhaps for the way you said things, or the attitudes within you etc. etc. but do not apologise for apolosigising sake or to simply please the other person. You apologise because there are things to be apologised for.

7) Always make amends as soon as possible...your minimum time is as soon as the quarrel begins and your maximum time is by the end of the day. "Never go to bed angry" is not just advice for marrieds! :)

8) Situations where righteous anger is justified are rather rare. Even if the situation allows you to justifiably be angry, choose to bite down words you may regret.

And of course, the long term tactics are
1) pray pray pray pray pray
2) lean on His strength and His understanding that YOU (and the other person) can change
3) share with accountability partner whom you can trust not to gossip about or be judgemental of Difficult Person.
4) read God's word regularly, memorise verses about Love and Grace. Trust me, the verses will recur in your mind when you most need them

Blogging the Bible

2005-08-30T01:18:00.000-07:00

Highly recommend: blogging.

I believe the ancients of ages past called it, rather quaintly, "journalling", and went at it with a real pen with ink in it and bits of flattened pulp.

"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16)

So reading the Bible, the very word of God, teaches us to think God's thoughts after him, to see reality not with our muddied distorted glasses but with the clean clear lenses of God's. Reading the Scriptures day after day rebukes and corrects our wayward minds and crooked worldview; it straightens out our confused minds and the Spirit wields it to transform our hearts and wills so that we begin to live as God designed us to live: under God's rule, in God's truth, with love for God's people, in godliness and righteousness. It is the wonderful lamp to our feet in the darkness and the map and compass/GPS device that direct our paths.

Setting aside some time every day to check our directions is essential if we don't want to get lost. But there's no point just staring at a map and appreciating the pretty green and blue colours on it or the patterns and boxes. A map to be read for direction has to be read intently and purposefully. So with the Bible.

And the main point is the map/Bible reading. Blogging merely focuses the mind and will and ensures that time is set aside every day to read the Bible intently and purposefully (slightly difficult to write down any coherent thoughts on the passage otherwise). Doesn't have to be near some gurgling/stagnant mosquito-lavae-filled water element or at some quiet 有山有水的地方. Just as map-reading can be done anywhere, so can Bible-reading, even online.

Blogging anywhere is slightly more difficult if there isn't a wireless hotspot nearby and your next-door neighbour, unlike so many of mine, properly secures his wireless LAN (just kidding). But blogging is just a tool to direct the mind, heart and will to understand and process what God is saying in his word. The cavemen tools of pen and paper will do just as well.

:-)

Accountability

2005-08-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

think it’s a pretty good idea for us to share helpful tips/disciplines, so ive thought of a few hacks to blog about. first off, sth quite close to heart - accountability.

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1-2

The Christian journey isn’t meant to be walked alone. We know that the Bible calls us to carry each other’s burdens, to confess our sins to & pray for each other… precisely cos its tough to live for Him, in isolation, apart from the Body of believers.

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise... If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16

Forming accountability huddles (with 1 or 2 other persons) I believe is a needful way to help each other apply the truths learnt at BS & sermons in practical day-to-day scenarios. Listening & studying the Bible is the easier part of the equation. Putting it to practice, changing our lives is the much harder part! (James 1:22-25) Often times we form convictions & resolve to change, but we lack the discipline to pray & work through these convictions. Accountability is one way to help us do that.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25

Here is my suggestion of what accountability partnering shd look like :)

what it would accomplish/areas it wld cover:

i. Confession of sin to each other

Share with your buddy wrt specific areas of weakness/sin that you’re struggling with.

Its not an easy thing to do cos it means shining the spotlight on our secret fears, insecurities, crutches, sins. But that’s also the whole point – sin exposed is easier to deal with than sin in secret. Admitting to someone you can trust means you aren’t alone in your struggle and there is someone who can partner with you against the sin, in prayer & by keeping you accountable about your progress.

Sharing also forces you to think through your life, to admit to yourself & God the areas/attitudes you need to change. In sharing of life & struggles, bro/sis can also shed new light & help suggest practical ways where you can avoid temptation.

Buddy should ask you about the issue the next time you meet to keep you accountable.

ii. Pray for each other

Remind each other that with genuine confession, you’re forgiven in Christ.

Repentance/change ways & attitudes – pray for God to help you change, about specific areas that you should persist in, etc.

Reliance on God in prayer on issues that are burdening us / sharing of burdens & joys.

iii. Encourage each other

To press on in living for Him - against specific sin, changing attitudes, in decision-making.

By sharing lessons/convictions that He has taught.

For SC & me, we usually spent about 20-30mins each sharing the main issues/lessons/sins that confronted us, that God brought to our awareness since the last update. Sometimes, we will give advice, share wisdom, encourage or point out blind spots/ areas to change… basically talk it through. Then, we will proceed to pray. One person will confess sins & pray about struggles & the other person will pray in response for her. Then we switch roles.

who to look for:

he/she should…
- be a committed believer of Christ
- display a level of maturity & trustworthiness – someone you can trust to keep in confidence the issues you share
- be available & willing to do accountability with you on regular basis - once a week or fortnight is ideal
- be someone you are comfortable with, can share openly with
- be someone that is humble & not judgemental, yet able to correct & point out flaws in love
- be of the same gender as you, if you’re single

may or may not be (in my humble opinion)...
- someone of the same background – he/she doesn’t have to work in the same industry nor be serving in the same ministry

- someone of the same marital status – he/she doesn’t have to be single or attached or married like you

Although one might think its easier to relate to someone that’s similar, I personally think there is value in being of different backgrounds as there is added perspective & insight from the other’s angle which you (or someone similar to you) may not point out.

It would be ideal to have separate accountability with a peer, an older mentor & someone younger. However, its not always easy to find people that can commit the time & effort to meeting regularly for this purpose so I’d say that some accountability is better than none.

how you should prepare:

- be ready to be real, honest & vulnerable in sharing your weaknesses, failings, sins
- be committed to meeting regularly
- be committed to being a true friend, bro/sis displaying the qualities above as much as possible wrt humility, boldness to speak truth & trustworthiness

lastly, trust God to work! you’d be surprise at how God can work through you & your buddy to develop both your characters and the friendship.
______________________________

Think different people have different ideas of how an accountability session/buddy looks like & what it should accomplish. The above are just my views based on (limited) personal experience with my buddy. In what i highlighted, you might realise that you’re already doing some of it within your DG or with closer friends. That’s great! If not, its my prayer that you might see the value of & be encouraged to pursue accountability with someone.

Apart from forming a ‘formal’ accountability group, accountability & praying for each other can & should also take place with other bros/sisters in the church. God has been showing me the beauty & joy in committing to prayer what little I know about the struggles that my bros/sisters are going through. Even from short sharing/chatting over drinks or msn or reading blogs, its possible to love & uplift the other by praying for the person in your own time. They may not even know & it doesn’t matter, but sometimes it’s the best way to care cos there’s little you can do otherwise to aid the situation.

End of the day, its not about adopting a model, more rules or subscribing to a ‘more christiany’ way of doing things. Its about helping each other become more Christ-like & sharing ways that could be useful in our journey towards that. Hope you found this (long winded) hack helpful! :)

Quick Tips for the Busy Season

2005-08-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Reading the Bible

Have my bible right next to my alarm which is set so that I'll have 15 min to read the bible once I wake up.

When the alarm rings in the morning, I'll shut it, grab the bible, flip to where I last ended and read 1 chapter. By the end of the reading, I'm normally quite awake.

Asking the journalistic 'Who, What, Where, Which, How' questions when studying passages.

Who is the passage/teaching meant for?

Where does the incident take place? (If appropriate)

What are its main themes? What are the OT/NT passages that have the same themes/references? What is it trying to teach the original audience?

Which passage speaks to me/ is the essence of the passage? (Note down and memorise)

How can I apply what I've learned in my life?

Praying

Making use of every opportunity when travelling alone for talking with God (prayer) and thanksgiving. It also helps me to sing songs esp those with lyrics from the bible (yeah, I did get strange stares sometimes when I unconsciously sing out loud, I take comfort in the fact I don't know these people... yet). Examples are 'Whom have I in heaven but you?' (Ps 73), 'Psalm 24', 'I'd rather Love' with 1 Cor 13 (from Hwee Yen's 'In a Little While'), 'Highest place' with Phil 2:5-11 (from Mark Peterson's 'Whatever Happens')....

Also, when confronted with difficult situations esp in evangelism, to remember to consult God first (by praying quickly, silently) before responding. I tend to forget this myself. It's a matter of applying it regularly whenever we remember it.

The Daily Reading Bible - A good QT resource

2005-08-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

For a short devotional everyday, i personally find the Daily Reading Bible by Matthias Media a great help.

There are a total of 60 readings in each volume. Each reading contains the actual bible passage (along with cross references if necessary), and 3-4 questions to spark your reflection and thinking. It also gives some insights and prayer points to focus your prayer. Each reading should take about 20-30min including prayer, so its a good package to take to the office to do before you start or during lunch time.

I have tried Don Carson's For the Love of God before. While Carson has many good insights to offer, I find the Daily Reading Bible good in that it leaves the interpretation with you, so you don't take the lazy route out by reading what the commentator has to say (that's purely my sinful self of course). Also, everything is provided in a compact package, so you don't need to lug a huge devotional book, and a huge bible around (so i'm lazy).

Better still, I have bought it for a couple of friends, so we can sort of spur each other on and do it together. Sarah's got one as well, and we're trying to start discussing the readings together.

You can get it from http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au, or bookends at ARPC for only $8.50. Well worth selling your shirt for.

Christ Hacks - Why the Blog

2005-08-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

I guess in our Christian Walk, its never easy to just walk alone. That's why we go to church, that's why we pray for each other, and that's why we continue to encourage each other to spur each other on towards being more like Christ.

As I have explained in my own blog, a hack is in geek terms, is basically a 'secret software', mini-software that geeks write for themselves to get them through the day, or to make things easier for them. Recently, a movement for life hacks started, where like geeks, people share little 'trade secrets' on what helps them in their productivity or efficiency. Many are simple and common-sense tips, but it just so that we lack them these days.

So why not have Christ hacks - Tips, trade secrets which are tried and tested by Christians which Christians use to help themselves in their walk with Christ towards greater godliness.

I venture to say that Jesus was the hack master. Take for his Sermon on the Mount. Great hack tips there. In giving to God, He says don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. While the lesson is that we should not give for the sake of looking good in front of others, but should give wholeheartedly for God, his tip in helping us do that is to give in secret, to the extent that your hands do not know what the other is doing. Because of our sinful nature, the intent for God's glory is not always there, but this tip he gives clearly helps us towards that direction, because it removes any possible temptation of giving to gain praise. There are many other hacks he gives as well, like "If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out" etc. Or Jesus' instruction on the Lord's prayer, which helpfully focuses our prayer on God's purposes and His will, not on us. You get the drift.

So let's see what we can do as a blog community. Besides testimonies, which are welcome, let's see whether we can get together to offer Christ hacks. Some suggestions:
How to pray regularly?
How to plan your prayer?
How to maintain proper QT?
How to walk in Christ with your spouse?
How to plan your giving?
How to stop lusting?
How to pursue a girl in a godly manner? (???!!!!!???!!!)
Book reviews?
Tape Reviews?
Tools that help you in your ministry (like googlegroups?)
How to organise evangelistic events?
Bible Study leading tips - like how to get people to talk??!!!
How to organise events for your DG and get everyone to come? (I know some pple are rather good at this.)
How to walk overseas?
Church recommendations in other countries??
How to come to church on time?
How not to fall asleep during sermon?!!
How to share the gospel?
How to welcome newcomers?
What to say during Friendship Break!?

Basically, anything that would encourage us/challenge us, or help to improve our walk with Christ is welcome!

Everyone is welcome to post on this blog. I tried to add whoever I knew, but pls indicate in your comments below.