Hi all,

This is a blog post by Ps Kong. Bad things will happen from time to time in our lives. Sometimes we do not understand why or we blame God or even ourselves for things not within our control. Do read this and understand why bad things will happen. Hope this encourages you.

Cheers,
Irene Chia

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When Bad Things Happen To Good People

Blog Post by Ps Kong Hee

November 26, 2009

Recently I was invited to speak at an Indonesian church an hour outside of Jakarta. The senior pastor was diagnosed with liver cancer a year earlier. The doctors attending to him explored the possibility of a liver transplant. After much effort, the money needed for the operation was raised and a liver donor was found. On the eve of the surgery, as the doctors were doing a final pre-op examination, they discovered that the cancer had spread throughout his body.. It was now too late to do a liver transplant and the procedure was called off. The pastor and his family were devastated by this unexpected turn of events. Upon hearing the news, the assistant pastor was so grief-stricken that the next day, he suddenly collapsed in the middle of the church service and died. Forty days later, the senior pastor passed away. Without any clergy in this fledgling church, the housewifely widow of the senior pastor had to conduct the funeral service on her own. Some finger-pointing members started questioning if the untimely deaths of the top leadership were due to divine retribution, or whether the church was cursed. Over the next few months, attendance began to dwindle. As I ministered in the church, I could sense an unspoken question in the air—why do bad things happen to good people?

(more…)

After Moses passed on, Joshua had huge shoes to fill as the next leader of the children of Israel. He had a huge mission – to lead the people into the Promised Land. This was something that Moses did not even have a chance to do personally.

How did he feel? I believe he was feeling apprehensive, uncertain, perhaps a little fearful even. I am sure he had struggled with many doubts in his heart. I am sure he had toyed with the idea of backing out as the leader of Israel. He must have felt pressurised. How bad was it? It was so bad that everyone around him had to assure him.

Moses, his mentor, had to assure him.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. – Deut 31:6-7

Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.” – Deut 31:23

The children of Israel, the people under him, had to assure him.

Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.” – Jos 1:17-18

God Almight had to assure him.

Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. – Jos 1:6-7

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” – Jos 1:9

Now the LORD said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. – Jos 8:1

Though Joshua had fear and doubts, he was encouraged by the Lord, his mentor and even the people he was leading. The Lord even exalted Joshua before the people.

And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. – Jos 3:7

And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. – Jos 4:14

In the end, he rose above the circumstances, his inadequacies, his inferiority and did might exploits for the Lord.

Jos 6 – talks about the destruction of Jericho

Jos 8 – talks about the fall of Ai

Jos 10 – talks about the execution of Amorite Kings and the conquest of the Southland

Jos 11 – talks about the Northern Conquest

Sometimes we let doubts, inferiority and challenges overshadowed what God has called us to do. Sometimes we struggle with apprehension and fear. But as we hold on to the hope of the Words that are spoken forth, it brings forth life, the life to do move on with God, the life that empowers us to fight a good fight of faith, the life that will enables us to conquer our difficulties, just like Joshua.

SO BE COURAGEOUS AND CONQUER!

At the end of the day, we we can be like Paul who said ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.’

Irene Chia

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

God has a great purpose behind every problem. – Dr A R Bernard

So see problems differently. See it as personal development for molding your character. We all need problems from time to time to mold our character, just like how we need to sharpen our knives from time to time when it becomes blunt.

A powerful video to show about honouring our parents and the importance of patience. This is the power of media – the type of messages it can send across visually. Hope you will take some time to appreciate it.

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

Have you watched dramas or movies before thinking you know how it’s going to end and the ending is entirely different from what you expect?

I have learnt in life that it’s not about how you start but how you end… Familiar saying but hearing it and experiencing it is two different stories. Some people begin well but along the race, they fall away. Some people didn’;t start on the right foot, but eventually adjusted or changed themselves.

Sometimes seeing other who started later going past you in a race may not be pleasant. But always remember, you decide the pace of the race. You decide if you are going to end it. You decide when to end it – give up halfway or finish till the end.

Sometimes perservering till the end will allow it time for a twist to end, an unexpected result, just like drama.

One thing is for sure – you will always remain where you are if you don’t keep on walking. So keep walking. Keep on keeping on.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning – Ecc 7:8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. – 2 Tim 4:7

Irene

Click below to listen to the mp3 from Imeem.

我獻上自己 (INILAH HIDUP KU) – City Harvest Church

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. – 2 Co 5:17

I used to read “old things have passed away” as only meaning old defeats, past failures. Not so! What is glorious passes away too. The Bible tells us that:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. – 2 Co 4:16

and:

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. -2 Cor 3:18

Your greatest assets, your strongholds of victories in Christ, all these will too pass away. Not to ruin, but to make way for even greater works that God wants to bring into your life!

Too often, we pray heavy, sad prayers.

“Oh Lord, I have again stumbled in the face of temptation.”

“Oh Lord, help me in my weaknesses.”

“Oh Lord, my enemies have once again come to my gates. Help me!”

Occasionally, we pray triumphant, happy prayers.

“Thank you God for this breakthrough!”

But don’t stop there!

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. – John 12:24

Don’t hold on to your victory! Let it die, and be a seed for future growth.

“Thank you God for this breakthrough! I know that this is just the beginning of what you have in store for me! Once again I lay everything on the altar, my victories and defeats, my strengths and my weaknesses. Bring me higher! To God be the glory!”

[I somewhat hesitate to post this, as the inspiration for this post came from a dream, not from the result of quiet-time Bible reading. Also, the Bible verses may or may not be taken out of context.]

[[I just realised that, if I recall correctly, Pastor preached this before, as part of his message on the five stones that David took with him to slay Goliath. Gah. If so, I hope to have presented it in a different way..]

Bowen Tay

I was mediating on the verse ‘the first shall be the last and the last shall be the first’ after Pst Tan’s message last weekend. I realised that the verse signifies a cycle. The cycle will only stop until the day you meet Jesus. Those who are the first today may one day be the last and the last today may one day become the first. There is redemption connotation to this verse.

When I first heard and read the Word, I thought it was an absolute – meaning when you become the last already after falling from the first, you cannot move on to be the first anymore.

However, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Moses in this case. Moses spend 40 years thinking he was a somebody (the first), another 40 years being a nobody (the last), and finally the last 40 years being the leader of Israel (the first). The same applies to Peter. Peter was the outspoken one and one of the firsts of Jesus disciple (the first), then he denied Jesus (the last) but he eventually became a great apostle (the first).

I realised that just because one is last today because he has fallen from being the first does not mean that he will not become the first again. He will become the first again so long he practices the 3 attitudes that Ps Tan mentioned – repentance, faith and fruitfulness.

So, even after you made a mistake, and have fallen from the first, the verse will still keep on applying. God is not one who will mark us as failures. We hold the power to decide which one we want to be – the first or the last.

Irene Chia