Been very long since I last uploaded a post.
Finally managed to find this very good christian website thanks to Ying Qian and Dao Yi.
Haha. okay here it is! http://illbehonest.com/
And watched 2 videos today... hope to encourage all who's in this walk with God, especially the brethrens... and those who have yet to commit their lives to Him... do so today (:
Cheers.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Been so long since I last blogged. Well... taking some time off work to just quickly post something that I read on the net.
Been thinking about quite a few issues recently, and I'm having like some concerns for like $$ in the future to meet family needs and all that... been thinking about investing, but haven't found a good reason to start... decided it's about time to get some good information and start pondering... (partially cos the markets are dropping now (my friend sms-ed me to ask me about some stock and if he should start) and it might be a gd time to start seriously considering)
"Location: Investing
Why invest?
by Crown Financial Ministries
God is the perfect partner in any investment program. It is He who supplies all the seed to be planted. We plant it; He multiplies it. So, any investment program ought to be based around multiplying assets that God supplies and returning the bulk of the crop, as pointed out in the parable of the stewards in Luke 19:12-24. The seeds that we retain then bring in a greater harvest the next time. As we show our faithfulness, He will give us even more. Our responsibility is to return it to His work.
Reasons for investing
God's number one prerequisite for investing is always centered on our attitudes. Money can be used for the comfort and convenience of our families. It can be used to provide the needs of others. It can be used to spread the Gospel. Or it can be used for destructive purposes. Money, if misused, as in the case of the rich young ruler recorded in Matthew 19:16-30, can be an object of devotion and idolatry. Love of money has separated families and shattered friendships. Countless marriages have split up over the love of, or the misuse of money. Christians, therefore, must assess why they want to invest and how the surplus from the investments will be used, in the light of God's principles. God is not against prosperity, but He hates evil attitudes that often accompany prosperity. These attitudes include greed, covetousness, and pride. So, since ultimately attitude will determine how an investment surplus is used, it is vital to discover what attitudes God wants us to have.
In addition, there are scripturally sound reasons for investing, and there are unscriptural reasons for investing. If you are investing for the wrong reasons it's like having your ladder leaning against the wrong building. No matter how high you climb, you still end up on the wrong building.
So, first we will evaluate why people invest and accumulate money, and then we'll look at the scripturally sound and unsound reasons for investing.
Why do people invest?
Others advise it. Many people invest simply because someone else advised them to. They don't have any clear personal plans or goals with regard to their investments. According to God's Word, we are to seek good counsel, but we must weigh all counsel received against His Word. Listen, but seek God's direction before taking action.
Envy of others. Many people want to invest and accumulate wealth simply because they envy other people and their successes.
It is a game to them. Many people invest because they consider it to be a competitive game. As such, they often get so wrapped up in the contest that they sacrifice family, friends, or health in order to win the game. They have no particular attachment to the money; it's winning that's important to them.
Self-esteem and ego. Many want to accumulate wealth so that others will envy them. Those who are victims of this motive use their money in an attempt to buy esteem and bolster their pride and ego. “A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs 29:23).
The love of money. Those who love money will not part with it for any reason. Their lives are characterized by hoarding and abasement. This is a type of idol worship, which separates us from God. First Timothy 6:10, Hebrews 13:5, and Luke 9:25 caution against the love of money.
Protection. Many people accumulate money for protection. This attitude places money as the object of trust and security rather than God.
Slothfulness. Often people don't plan well during the earlier years of their lives and, consequently, when faced with expenses in their middle or later years, they panic and try to generate in five years what they should have saved over the previous 20 years. A regular habit of spending less than you make and saving the difference is the proper investment plan.
A spiritual gift. There is only one reason why God would supply a surplus of wealth to a Christian: so the needs of others can be met. If Christians want God to entrust greater riches to them, they must be found faithful in the smaller amount first (Luke 16:10-11). God promises His blessings to all who freely give and promises His curse on those who hoard, steal, covet, or idolize.
What are the scripturally sound and unsound reasons for investing? There are three scripturally sound reasons for investing.
Multiply to give more. The parable of the talents recorded in Luke 19:12-26 tells us that God entrusts wealth to some of His stewards so that it will be available to Him at a later date. The management of the wealth requires that it be invested or multiplied.
Meet future family needs. The indication throughout God's Word is that the heads of families should provide for their own (1 Timothy 5:8). Good planning requires laying aside some of the surplus for future needs.
Further the Gospel and fund special needs. This type of giving is necessary to maintain and promote the Gospel. If the church is ever to break out of the borrowing habit, Christians who invest must maintain some surpluses and be willing to give to legitimate needs.
There are four unsound reasons for investing.
Greed. Greed is the desire continually to have more and demand only the best (1 Timothy 6:9).
Envy. Envy is the desire to achieve based on other people's successes (Psalm 73:3).
Pride. Pride is the desire to be elevated because of material achievements (1 Timothy 6:17).
Ignorance. Ignorance is following the counsel of other misguided people because of lack of discernment (Proverbs 14:7).
Once a Christian has accepted the purpose of investing—to serve God better—the crucial decision is how much to invest. This decision must be made after much prayer. In addition, a plan for the use and the distribution of the potential surplus must be made before the money becomes available. Set goals and pray about each goal before attempting to do any investing. If motives are anything but biblical, it would be better to give the money away rather than to risk losing something far more important than money—a relationship with the Lord.
Conclusion
Being rich or being poor is a matter of providence in God's will, and He will give us only what we are capable of handling. The Christian's responsibility is awesome and sobering. God, in His eternal plan, has decided to use us to supply and to fund His work. One day we must all stand before God and give an account of what we have done with His resources. Why does God provide an accumulation of wealth from investing? So His people can exercise giving in order to meet the needs of those who cannot provide for themselves."
Source:http://www.crown.org/LIBRARY/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=598
This article pretty much sums up quite a few key points, though I'm not too sure if the parable of the talents was literally referring to investing in wealth, or just generally talking about using our gifts from God to reap fruits for His purposes.
got to check it out.
but yeah, i have some good guidelines to think about this investing now! definitely have some good intentions, but can't deny that the temptation to value $$ is there, and the competition and pride thing probably is as well... soooo... yeah... will pray about it more!
Been thinking about quite a few issues recently, and I'm having like some concerns for like $$ in the future to meet family needs and all that... been thinking about investing, but haven't found a good reason to start... decided it's about time to get some good information and start pondering... (partially cos the markets are dropping now (my friend sms-ed me to ask me about some stock and if he should start) and it might be a gd time to start seriously considering)
"Location: Investing
Why invest?
by Crown Financial Ministries
God is the perfect partner in any investment program. It is He who supplies all the seed to be planted. We plant it; He multiplies it. So, any investment program ought to be based around multiplying assets that God supplies and returning the bulk of the crop, as pointed out in the parable of the stewards in Luke 19:12-24. The seeds that we retain then bring in a greater harvest the next time. As we show our faithfulness, He will give us even more. Our responsibility is to return it to His work.
Reasons for investing
God's number one prerequisite for investing is always centered on our attitudes. Money can be used for the comfort and convenience of our families. It can be used to provide the needs of others. It can be used to spread the Gospel. Or it can be used for destructive purposes. Money, if misused, as in the case of the rich young ruler recorded in Matthew 19:16-30, can be an object of devotion and idolatry. Love of money has separated families and shattered friendships. Countless marriages have split up over the love of, or the misuse of money. Christians, therefore, must assess why they want to invest and how the surplus from the investments will be used, in the light of God's principles. God is not against prosperity, but He hates evil attitudes that often accompany prosperity. These attitudes include greed, covetousness, and pride. So, since ultimately attitude will determine how an investment surplus is used, it is vital to discover what attitudes God wants us to have.
In addition, there are scripturally sound reasons for investing, and there are unscriptural reasons for investing. If you are investing for the wrong reasons it's like having your ladder leaning against the wrong building. No matter how high you climb, you still end up on the wrong building.
So, first we will evaluate why people invest and accumulate money, and then we'll look at the scripturally sound and unsound reasons for investing.
Why do people invest?
Others advise it. Many people invest simply because someone else advised them to. They don't have any clear personal plans or goals with regard to their investments. According to God's Word, we are to seek good counsel, but we must weigh all counsel received against His Word. Listen, but seek God's direction before taking action.
Envy of others. Many people want to invest and accumulate wealth simply because they envy other people and their successes.
It is a game to them. Many people invest because they consider it to be a competitive game. As such, they often get so wrapped up in the contest that they sacrifice family, friends, or health in order to win the game. They have no particular attachment to the money; it's winning that's important to them.
Self-esteem and ego. Many want to accumulate wealth so that others will envy them. Those who are victims of this motive use their money in an attempt to buy esteem and bolster their pride and ego. “A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs 29:23).
The love of money. Those who love money will not part with it for any reason. Their lives are characterized by hoarding and abasement. This is a type of idol worship, which separates us from God. First Timothy 6:10, Hebrews 13:5, and Luke 9:25 caution against the love of money.
Protection. Many people accumulate money for protection. This attitude places money as the object of trust and security rather than God.
Slothfulness. Often people don't plan well during the earlier years of their lives and, consequently, when faced with expenses in their middle or later years, they panic and try to generate in five years what they should have saved over the previous 20 years. A regular habit of spending less than you make and saving the difference is the proper investment plan.
A spiritual gift. There is only one reason why God would supply a surplus of wealth to a Christian: so the needs of others can be met. If Christians want God to entrust greater riches to them, they must be found faithful in the smaller amount first (Luke 16:10-11). God promises His blessings to all who freely give and promises His curse on those who hoard, steal, covet, or idolize.
What are the scripturally sound and unsound reasons for investing? There are three scripturally sound reasons for investing.
Multiply to give more. The parable of the talents recorded in Luke 19:12-26 tells us that God entrusts wealth to some of His stewards so that it will be available to Him at a later date. The management of the wealth requires that it be invested or multiplied.
Meet future family needs. The indication throughout God's Word is that the heads of families should provide for their own (1 Timothy 5:8). Good planning requires laying aside some of the surplus for future needs.
Further the Gospel and fund special needs. This type of giving is necessary to maintain and promote the Gospel. If the church is ever to break out of the borrowing habit, Christians who invest must maintain some surpluses and be willing to give to legitimate needs.
There are four unsound reasons for investing.
Greed. Greed is the desire continually to have more and demand only the best (1 Timothy 6:9).
Envy. Envy is the desire to achieve based on other people's successes (Psalm 73:3).
Pride. Pride is the desire to be elevated because of material achievements (1 Timothy 6:17).
Ignorance. Ignorance is following the counsel of other misguided people because of lack of discernment (Proverbs 14:7).
Once a Christian has accepted the purpose of investing—to serve God better—the crucial decision is how much to invest. This decision must be made after much prayer. In addition, a plan for the use and the distribution of the potential surplus must be made before the money becomes available. Set goals and pray about each goal before attempting to do any investing. If motives are anything but biblical, it would be better to give the money away rather than to risk losing something far more important than money—a relationship with the Lord.
Conclusion
Being rich or being poor is a matter of providence in God's will, and He will give us only what we are capable of handling. The Christian's responsibility is awesome and sobering. God, in His eternal plan, has decided to use us to supply and to fund His work. One day we must all stand before God and give an account of what we have done with His resources. Why does God provide an accumulation of wealth from investing? So His people can exercise giving in order to meet the needs of those who cannot provide for themselves."
Source:http://www.crown.org/LIBRARY/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=598
This article pretty much sums up quite a few key points, though I'm not too sure if the parable of the talents was literally referring to investing in wealth, or just generally talking about using our gifts from God to reap fruits for His purposes.
got to check it out.
but yeah, i have some good guidelines to think about this investing now! definitely have some good intentions, but can't deny that the temptation to value $$ is there, and the competition and pride thing probably is as well... soooo... yeah... will pray about it more!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Biblical Dating: Just Friends - http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001475.cfm
Biblical Dating: Are You Ready to Date? - http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001449.cfm
Brother, You're Like a Six - http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001371.cfm
BA: Stuck in the "Just Friends" Zone - http://www.boundless.org/2005/answers/a0001464.cfm
Sermon - Cultivating Healthy Marriage - http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/cultivating-healthy-marriage
articles that a christian brother in SMU shared to me... it has been very helpful for me, and I hope it will be for you too...
God is good... all the time...
Biblical Dating: Are You Ready to Date? - http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001449.cfm
Brother, You're Like a Six - http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001371.cfm
BA: Stuck in the "Just Friends" Zone - http://www.boundless.org/2005/answers/a0001464.cfm
Sermon - Cultivating Healthy Marriage - http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/cultivating-healthy-marriage
articles that a christian brother in SMU shared to me... it has been very helpful for me, and I hope it will be for you too...
God is good... all the time...
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
I am in class now, just marking class participation, so I'm rather free to surf the net...
I was looking at my past posts, and I realize that I haven't been posting many of new spiritual insights that I have... guess I'm getting a bit too busy...
Yes, I finally see that I'm living in the expectations of others... not God... Am I living my life as though God is watching, or as though man around me are watching...
I realize that our life is and always will be subjected to scrutiny or observation from others. Our friends, our superiors, our mentors, our brothers, our sisters...
I believe our testimony is very important, and many around me think so too, that is why this "being a salt & light for God" thing is commonly heard in our church. I believe if we try our best to fix our eyes on God, and allow Him to mould our lives slowly, crawl out from our residual comfort zones, we will 'survive the scrutiny'.
" Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
Romans 5: 1-6
I was looking at my past posts, and I realize that I haven't been posting many of new spiritual insights that I have... guess I'm getting a bit too busy...
Yes, I finally see that I'm living in the expectations of others... not God... Am I living my life as though God is watching, or as though man around me are watching...
I realize that our life is and always will be subjected to scrutiny or observation from others. Our friends, our superiors, our mentors, our brothers, our sisters...
I believe our testimony is very important, and many around me think so too, that is why this "being a salt & light for God" thing is commonly heard in our church. I believe if we try our best to fix our eyes on God, and allow Him to mould our lives slowly, crawl out from our residual comfort zones, we will 'survive the scrutiny'.
" Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
Romans 5: 1-6
Friday, January 8, 2010
My friend asked me yesterday, "What do you mean when you say that everything happens for a reason?"
Another asked, "If God has a plan for your life, doesn't it mean that we are just robots, executing his plan?"
I believe 2 rules of thumb can help address these queries:
1. God is 100% sovereign
2. Man are 100% free and responsible
As counter-intuitive as it sounds, both occur at the same time. Much like how Light has both wave-like properties as well as particle properties, some things are difficult to comprehend, but if you want to assume light ONLY has wave-like properties, then your theory cannot explain its particle-like properties.
I believe Man are still 100% responsible of each choice they make, but God, in His infinite wisdom and power, is sovereign over all that occurs.
Everything happens and happened for a reason... and sometimes we just need time to appreciate God's guidance through the things that have happened...
Not interpreting things just from our limited view, but seeing things from God's perspective.
Another asked, "If God has a plan for your life, doesn't it mean that we are just robots, executing his plan?"
I believe 2 rules of thumb can help address these queries:
1. God is 100% sovereign
2. Man are 100% free and responsible
As counter-intuitive as it sounds, both occur at the same time. Much like how Light has both wave-like properties as well as particle properties, some things are difficult to comprehend, but if you want to assume light ONLY has wave-like properties, then your theory cannot explain its particle-like properties.
I believe Man are still 100% responsible of each choice they make, but God, in His infinite wisdom and power, is sovereign over all that occurs.
Everything happens and happened for a reason... and sometimes we just need time to appreciate God's guidance through the things that have happened...
Not interpreting things just from our limited view, but seeing things from God's perspective.
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