True Christmas

Whenever I mention Christmas to my non-believer friends, the very immediate thing that they will think of, Santa Claus.

What? What gave you the idea that the focus of Christmas is Santa Claus? Who is this Santa Claus actually that had so much influence that took over the focus of the whole celebration?

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or simply "Santa", is a legendary figure who, in many Western cultures, brings gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24^[1] or on his Feast Day, December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day).^[2] The legend may have part of its basis in hagiographical tales concerning the historical figure of gift giverSaint Nicholas. A nearly identical story is attributed by Greek and Byzantine folklore to Basil of Caesarea. Basil's feast day on January 1 is considered the time of exchanging gifts in Greece.

While Saint Nicholas was originally portrayed wearing bishop's robes, today Santa Claus is generally depicted as a plump, jolly, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers, and black leather belt and boots. This image became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century due to the significant influence of caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast.^[3][4][5] This image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, and films. In the United Kingdom and Europe, his depiction is often identical to the American Santa, but he is commonly called Father Christmas.

Wikipedia.org

This man was only a Catholic Saint who was very generous and he dressed in a red bishop robe with a long white beard which gave the portray of a modern Santa Claus.

The idea is all wrong. (But wait, lol, I once thought that Christmas is all about Santa Claus too.) Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus our LORD! The day our God  became man and was born in Bethlehem.

But wait again! What? Christmas is not the real date of birth of Jesus? Dan Brown claims that the Roman Catholic Churches adopted December 25, which is the day for Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, a early Roman pagan celebration of sun god in his book “Angels and Demons”, so that the new Christians in those days may adapt themselves and more convenient for them to convert.

For many centuries, Christian writers accepted that Christmas was the actual date on which Jesus was born.^[46] However, in the early eighteenth century, scholars began proposing alternative explanations. Isaac Newton argued that the date of Christmas was selected to correspond with the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere,^[9] which in ancient times was marked on December 25.^[47] In 1743, German Protestant Paul Ernst Jablonski argued Christmas was placed on December 25 to correspond with the Roman solar holiday Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and was therefore a "paganization" that debased the true church.^[8] In 1889, Louis Duchesne suggested that the date of Christmas was calculated as nine months after the Annunciation(March 25), the traditional date of the Incarnation.^[48]

Pre-Christian background

Dies Natalis Solis Invicti

Dies Natalis Solis Invicti means "the birthday of the unconquered Sun." The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian; and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin.^[49] EmperorElagabalus (218–222) introduced the festival, and it reached the height of its popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an empire-wide holiday.^[50]This day had previously been dedicated to Bacchus, in the Brumalia festival. Bruma being latin for "shortest day."^[51]

The festival was placed on the date of the solstice because this was on this day that the Sun reversed its southward retreat and proved itself to be "unconquered." Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus.^[6] "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born...Christ should be born", Cyprian wrote.^[6] John Chrysostom also commented on the connection: "They call it the 'Birthday of the Unconquered'. Who indeed is so unconquered as Our Lord . . .?"^[6]

Wikipedia.org

So Christmas  of Jesus Christ isn’t true either. HAHA, great! Let’s not celebrate Christmas! =)

I tell you, the real Christmas doesn’t happen until it happens in your heart! I like this song, written by Carol Owen and Jimmy Owen.

Christmas isn’t Christmas ‘til it’s Christmas in your heart
Somewhere, deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So, give your heart to Jesus, you’ll discover when you do
That’s it Christmas, really Christmas for you.

Jesus brings warmth like a winter fire, a light like a candle’s glow
He’s waiting now to come inside, like He did so long ago
Jesus brings gifts of truth and life and makes them bloom and grow
So welcome Him with a song of joy, and when He comes you’ll know….

That Christmas isn’t Christmas ‘til it’s Christmas in your heart
Somewhere, deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So, give your heart to Jesus, you’ll discover when you do
That’s it Christmas, really Christmas
Christmas, really Christmas
Christmas, really Christmas for you.

Let Christmas happens in your heart my dear. Let not the world deceive you anymore about Santa Claus. You think Santa will give you lots of gifts, but nothing is bigger than the gift that Jesus is offering you, the gift of life.

No Christmas is real, the real Christmas is in you. And we celebrate that Christmas!

(Santa is just so close to Satan, lol, that close…)

Non-logical Love

I just bought a book from some charity book fair held in Leisure Mall. Here’s a quote I would like to share.

“Here is the true meaning and purpose of the cross. On it a divinely ordained exchange took place. First, Jesus endured in our place all the evil consequences that were due by divine justice to our iniquity. Now in exchange, God offers us all the good that was due to the sinless obedience of Jesus.

Stated more briefly, the evil due to us came upon Jesus, that, in return, the good due to Jesus might be offered to us. God is able to offer this to us without compromising His own eternal justice, because Jesus has already endured on our behalf all the just punishment due to out iniquities.

All of this proceeds solely out of the unfathomable grace of God, and it is received solely by faith. There is no logical explanation in terms of cause and effect. None of us has ever done anything to deserve such an offer, and none of us can ever do anything to earn it.”

Derek Prince

The cause and effect logic has been injected into our mind on and off, since we were young.  However it is not logic that after we sin, we still get to be forgiven by God solely by putting our faith in Christ Jesus our LORD. That is exactly why Derek Prince stated that there is no logical explanation. If you really see through it, the effect has taken place, not on us but of Jesus who took our sins and took the effect (eternal judgement of sins) on our behalf.

Many people, including my beloved father cannot accept the fact that after doing all the evils, by just believing in Jesus, you can be forgiven. But this is grace of God that you do not understand. Because you want logic, and it is not logical in terms of cause and effect.

Why, I would like to ask, just like you always ask yourselves. Why do you have to think so much when it doesn’t require you to think when God offers you the salvation? Why do you go without thinking twice going your own way which one day will come to a dead end? Is it better for you to walk on the path that lead to a dead end or a way that leads you to salvation?

Solely by faith, yes. Need not to work like a donkey to please God, you’ll never earn it, because whatever you do is not worthy enough to exchange for that, but now God gives to you as a gift, take it or never. Do good because you want to do it and you love to do it for the glory of God. Do not do it because you have to do it so you’ll survive, that’s being selfish.

(I jumped off my bed to write this down immediately in case I lost my inspirations, I always do, Holy Spirit moved me, I want to make that move.)

傻劲

一片、两片，

一片片落地，

可怜的花，

惨遭我的忐忑不安，

蹂躏。

 

15分钟后，

今年低中六生涯结束，

告别新学路上。

 

我却在15分钟内，

折着想你的白玫瑰。

 

35分钟老忠实，

提醒我，

准备好了吗？

 

勇气无觅处，

只好带着傻劲向你课室走去。

 

傻傻地，

望着你微笑，

看着你的微笑。

 

平时多话的我，

声带故障，

想对你说的话，

被恐惧逮捕。

 

我，

果然还没有勇气，

说真心的，

我喜欢你！

Hello Daddy…

 

“爸，来载我，五分钟!” (Dad, pick me up, 5 minutes)

This is what I heard from the young lady standing beside me in the LRT. She hanged up immediately after such sentence is uttered.

Where’s “Please” and “Thank you”? Hmm, I guess people right now forget about these. Yea, in the era where everything is about effectiveness and efficiency, people talk less right now.

But is “Please” and “Thank you” take you a long time?

We all lack communication, those intimate communications between family member. Our father especially. We don’t feel grateful for the things that we receive and we see it as if we deserve it because they are supposed to provide us.

But this is not the way it should be. Yes, it is their given task to raise us up (2 Cor. 12:14 After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.), but it is also our part to be thankful (Eph. 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.)

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This is exactly what’s happening to the weary us. We talk less and less to our God our Father in Heaven. We starts to pray less, and we take things for granted. We only call Him up when we need Him to “pick us up”. And then we walk off without saying a thank you nor a please.

In one sentence, we lack prayer.

Yes, yell at me if you want to, but this is what is happening to Christians, at least, me.

Facebook, Twitter, TV, work, study, keep us away from Him, taking off our time to have some intimate conversation with Him.

Abigail once told me that God speaks to us, both vocally and by action. I didn’t believe in the vocal one because I just can’t hear them. She said God whispers to us, I sat on my bed silently for 30 minutes, I didn’t hear a thing. But as I grow in Christ, especially after my dark period, I would know someone is speaking to me. I don’t literally hear them, but I do know something or someone is trying to stop me whenever I’m near danger or temptation is near.

God speaks to us constantly, provided if you would stop and listen to Him.

(Joshua 22:5 But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.)

Now, is it time for you to talk to God? Turn off your computer for 10 minutes, He only wants your 10 minutes. Talk to Him. Remember to say thank you.

It’s not all about you, it’s about Him and His love. So give thanks more, ask too.

Leading The Journey

Cheese!

Here I am in Scouter’s Room of MBSSKL Scout’s Den. The boy scouts are having a PL/PS Selection Camp over here. As a Senior Troop Asst. Scouter, and the best buddy of the Boy Scout Troop Asst. Scouters, I’m here to help out the training!

Hmm, all went well, except that sudden heavy rain ruined my treasure hunt plan!

A little disappointment there, only 9 Form 1 Boy Scouts turned up, which is not at all sufficient as we need 6 Patrol Leaders and 6 Patrol Seconds. But it’s okay, we’ll run it!

I’m supposed only to observe and leave the planning all to the present PLs and PSs, but as a strong choleric guy, I can’t help but take charge immediately. By the way, observing the boys having fun is fun itself!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How far did I go, being a choleric, charged all my ways, in all directions?

Looking at these young (however, less energetic) guys, I saw my young self. My first PL/PS Selection Camp. I tried, so hard, to be recognised by people. I stood out, I completed tasks, I achieved many things that the rest might not be able to achieve.

Yea, I did go far, perhaps too far! Far beyond what I myself can hold. Despite being recognised as a leader anyone would follow, I was never meant an official leader, not even until now (Oh ya, there’s one, being L6K Class Monitor).

Year 2005 – Secretary of Boy Scout Troop

Year 2007 – Asst. Troop Leader of Senior Troop

Year 2009 – Asst. Rover Mate of Rover Crew, Asst. Scouter of Senior Troop

Haha, notice the Asst., funny right? Alvin Kuan, the Troop Leader of Boy Scout Troop 2006 and Troop Leader of Senior Troop 2008, thought I was the Troop Leader until last year when I was sharing my experience. During the Chapel Retreat this year, he said: “ Actually, I think you should be the Troop Leader.”

Well, I guess all of these doesn’t matter to me right now. I don’t want them. I finally realise that there is no such point to pursue these position which will crush me to the ground and suffocates me.

“Great power comes great responsibility”

I finally found the path that I originally should walk. It’s no more about recognition by man, but by God who recognises my righteousness in Christ and in His work.

Romans 9:30-35

[What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written:
   "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
      and a rock that makes them fall,
   and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."]

James 2:17

[In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.]

James 2:26

[As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.]

I have faith, but now I only need to work it out!

I know why I’m not an official leader, because Christ is leading me in my journey. And I’m happy to be His follower!

Fear to love

Dear God my listener,

Today’s PA, again it was terribly boring. I slept through the whole period.

Towards the end of the class, I jumped awake and ran off. Jude came by and asked me a question:" Why are boys so ego?" I smiled and replied:"Because God created girls too!"

Ego? Am I? Perhaps I am. How much would anyone else know, behind those smiles has a hidden silence, deadly lonesome? No one, I think. How long has it been, I really mean it when I said “I love you”? 1 and a half years ago, probably. Oh ya, hehe, I’ve never really told my second girl friend “I love you”

Yet, how much do I love? I’m confused.

Every lonely night that I flip through my phonebook, and find no one that I would call, no one that can listen to the every tear that drip from the very edge of my eyes.

I’m confused. Note that I’m lonely, yet could not seem to find anyone, any girl to be specific, that would be intimate to me. I know every girl in school, I can put on a smile on every girl, yet no one I found would draw herself near and come into my heart.

Perhaps it’s not that they would not come into my heart. Perhaps it is my heart that is closed and would not allow anyone to come in. It’s a havoc in there. Memories, photos, poems, music and…blood thrown all over my heart. The only thing that is shining brightly is the cross hanging on the wall of my living heart, the only living part of me.

2 thieves came into my heart, stole every spirit out of me, and left me scars and scratches all over the wall. I, living in such room, open up my heart that would comfort me, but came the thieves who hurt me so much, that I would not dare to open my heart anymore. I don’t want to get hurt, I don’t want to weep, I don’t like crying.

A farmer came, with her seeds and water, on the day that again open up my heart after my first theft, inviting any guest would bring her heart close enough to let me feel her heart beating. She sowed the seeds in my living room, and said: “The seeds will grow into a shining cross, and the shining cross will spring up living water that you will not be thirsty again.” I loved the farmer, because every time she came into my heart, she lay her heart in my treasure box, that I hear every beating of her heart.

But perhaps she’s a farmer with her family, she never told me about it. And one day she left to South part of my country, and never again came back. I kept waiting, but the empty heart starts to grow old and slowing tearing apart. And a bulldozer came, ripped my heart apart.

The pain in there, is beyond what I can hold, beyond what I thought I could hold. My door is shut and locked, locking myself in there, shivering.

Perhaps they were visitors, coming into my heart, eat and drink up my spirit, snapping photos and left them all over my floor, pick up their shoes and go. I’m looking for a Mistress of my House. But no one wants to be.

Hey there! The short haired girl with a sweet voice outside the window. Slow down a bit, will ya? I’m inviting ya, to be the Mistress of my house. Would you hold my hand and come? That you and I will feel each other’s heartbeat and kiss each other’s tear.

Graduation

Hmm, here goes another batch. Haih, I was sitting down there last year, now, here I’m standing on the stage to send the younger and the elder batch away.

Here comes Christmas, all memories will be one year old soon. What have I achieved this year? Nothing? Something? What?

I’ve wasted so much time when the time of end is drawing near. Souls are not saved, yet I’m sitting down here, wasting my time Facebook-ing.

Satan sure has his way to draw me away. But I know, He, LORD Jesus is near.

I will stand firm, and do what I am supposed to do in the very very beginning. To worship Him.

What have I achieved this year?

• Worked outside my family’s supervision
• Conquered Bukit Takun
• Taken up Form 6
• Became class monitor
• Became an Asst. Scouter (partial failure)
• Became an Asst. Rover Mate
• Tried Roller Coaster (and got addicted to it)
• Brought 3 sheep back to the LORD (glory to God alone)
• Became Hospitality Director of Chapel Committee (by His grace)
• Organised Annual Mooncake Festival for Rovers
• Became emcee for Graduation Day (LOL the latest)

Well, by the grace of God, bitter and sweet I went through, looking forward for what’s ahead…

STPM? Let God worry about that for me!