Kingdom Discussion 14 Facing Realities of Life

To live victoriously in life, we must first be able to face up with realities of life. The first of which is the co-existence of good and evil in this world. God has His own plan to deal with the evil here. We just have to accept and live righteously and wisely in the mean time looking forward to that great day. One principle of life is "Good Fit or Matching" - between oneself and the environment, between job and the person, between God and man and man with one another. Another principle is to know who to be fruitful in this world of theft, pressure and temptations. It is only when we are fully committed to the practicing of God's words against theft, pressure and luring away that we may be fruitful. 

Continued from Kingdom Discussion 13 Battle for Your Mind, we discussed "Facing Realities of Life". The map-mind below gave the main topics and the questions to be discussed. Please attempt the questions first and then compare with the answers that we discussed. You may be able to learn more and better.

The Outlines and Questions:

1. Co-Existence of Good & Bad

Many people challenge us with the question, "If there is a good and powerful God, how come there are evil in this world?". Jesus told the parable of the wheat and tares to give us the answer. Here is the mind-map:

2. The Principle of Good Fit - Matching of Wine and Skin

The answer to living successfully in life is to find the good fit between oneself and the environment, between the job and the person, between the tools and the uses. Extending this concept of a Good-Fit, man should live harmoniously with his creator God and with one another, and man with the environment that provides for his living. Here is the mind-map:

3. Optimizing the Outcome - Same Seed yet Different Fruitfulness

In the parable of the Sower, we find the seeds being planted in different environments and resulting in different fruitfulness. We can see the challenges of life in this parable - the stealing, the pressure, the temptations and the real hard work of living out God's words. Here is the mind-map that summarized the parable:

The answers to the questions are found here:

See also Bible Study John 15:1-8 Vine & Fruits - Keys to Success. 

Application in our workplace:

Note: The group has decided to take a break from these discussions on "The Kingdom Laws and Principles". We shall be studying on the Book of Daniel and then come back to this topic again in the future.

Lim Liat (C) 24 March 2012

A Concise Theology for Christians in One Verse

A friend sent an eMail with the title "A concise Theology for Christians" pointing a to post titled "Gateway". But the post contains many pages. It triggers me to see if we can come out with a truly short and concise Theology for Christians.

After some consideration, I think the best is still John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life [ESV].

1. Theology of God.
• God is LOVE. God did not create the world and left it to run its own. He take care of it.
• LOVE is expressed in action of GIVING your very best - His only SON.
• GIVING to open the door way for the lost and separated Man to return to Him to live with Him forever.
2. Theology of Jesus Christ
• Jesus Christ is God.
• Jesus Christ is the Son of God that was given to man to pay for the sins of Man on the cross that man may be re-birthed with eternal life of God.
3. Theology of Salvation of Man
• Whoever - Salvation is for EVERYONE.
• By his own choice - Choose to belief. Even God does not force man to accept His way of salvation.
• Man is in the condemned state already when we are born into this world. One day we will die physically and be externally separated from God. 
• What to belief about Jesus? That He is the sent one, the Son of God, to us and for us. This is better seen in John 17:3  Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
• Eternal Life is not just unending-life. All of us die physically on the earth but our soul and spirit lives on. Eternal life refers to the very God's kind of life. 
• 2 Cor 5:17 tells us that we are born again as a new creation. 
• Eph 1:5 In love he predestined us for adoption to son-ship through Jesus Christ,...

So, Christianity is not a religion of rules that one has to do to gain salvation.

Christianity is a relationship with God our creator through knowing His Son Jesus Christ. Once we desire to believe that Jesus is the Son of God sent from the Father God, and enter into a relationship with Him. His promised of His Holy Spirit will rebirth us that we become His children and having His type of eternal life and is to be with Him forever.

Christianity is a DONE and is a Being (Born of God as New Creation as Children of God).

Religion is Trying to Do then Trying to Be. A monkey may mimic man's behavior very well but still remain a monkey. A 'being' is not done by trying to be. The way to God is not by us trying and doing but simply accept by faith and enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son sent of God, our Heavenly Father that love us.

Law and Grace - Knowing and Forgetting

The topic "Law and Grace" invites much heated discussion.
Paul wrote Galatians to explain this.
He uses the example of tutor for law to guide the kid until he is a mature son.

I will like to use the following modern days artifacts to explain Law and Grace.

1. Law is the scaffolding of a building during its construction. When the concrete has settled and matured, the building is strong and can stands on its own. The scaffolding is not longer needed and is taken down. 
2. Law is like the support wheels of children bicycle. When the child know how to ride with 2 wheels, the support wheels are more hindrance and help and they are taken off.

In the same way, 

1. The Law is meant to lead us to Grace by point out our sins and our inability to live up to its demand.
   (Gal 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.)
2. Once we received and internalized grace, we need not the law, not because we are freed to break the laws but that in grace, we will walk only in righteousness naturally.
   (Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." See the fruit of the Spirit in 5:22-23 which surpass the Laws)
3. He who loves automatically fulfill the commandments.
   (Rom 13:8b for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law).

We see the progression of learning the Law to know Grace and then after knowing Grace we must forget, or more accurately, shift focus away from, the Law to focus on Grace. Focusing on Grace enables us to walk in greater satisfaction and peace to more more things that glorify God. If we just go back to focus on the Law, we are doing the minimum and likely to fail( the Paul of Rom 7 I know right and yet do not but sin). Once saved, we must change our mindset to be that of God and of the Spirit. (see Col 3:1-2)

Interesting, Confucius, the famous Chinese Sage, show us how this is done.

子曰:“吾十有五而志于学,三十而立,四十而不惑,五十而知天命,六十而耳顺,七十而从心所欲,不逾矩。”

Confucius said, "When I made up my mind to learn at 15. I was able to stand (be independent and mature) at 30. At 40, I was not longer confused. At 50, I know my calling. At 60, I can hear and learn from any thing (even criticisms and not be upset). At 70, I could act according to my heart desire without transgressing.

When we internalized the grace of God, the Christ in us, and follow our heart, we will not violate the Law in our actions. The key is abide in Christ and we shall surpass the Law. We do away with the Law by abiding in Christ.

Lim Liat (C) 14 March 2012

Kingdom Discussion 13 Battle for Your Mind

Believers' warfare is not fought with physical weapons but with ideas and beliefs. We must therefore know how to guard our mind by filtering out the ungodly beliefs and evil ideas and let our mind be renewed with the Words of God. We are to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit that give us Rema Words (right words for the right time and situation). Believers must have the right mindset and we shall show them what they are in this post.

Continued from Kingdom Discussion 12 Law of Humility - Power Covered with Gentleness, we entered into the next phase of a series of discussions on our mindsets and attitudes. We also want to discuss them in greater details from the viewpoint of an individual, a career and family.

Here is mind map that summarized our discussions from 1 to 12 and also showing the topics to be covered in future.

This week discussion is on "The Battle for Your Mind".

The Questions to Prompt your Thinking:

1. What influence your behavior and hence the outcomes?
2. Describe the Believers' war-fare.  How does it defer from conventional war?
3. How do you change and enrich your mind?
4. What should be the Believers' mindset?
5. Contrast your worldviews vs that of the Free-thinkers'?
6. How can you relate better to the non-believers?

The Answers and the Biblical References:

The Believer's Mindset:

May be you can add to the list above by sharing with me.

Next: Kingdom Discussion 14 Facing Realities of Life


Lim Liat (C) 10 March 2012