Lost and Found

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

- Luke 15:4-10 (ESV)

Adjectives

It has been wisely said that the adjective is the enemy of the noun. If we make a habit of saying 'The true facts are these', we shall come under suspicion when we profess to tell merely 'the facts'. If a crisis is always acute and an emergency always grave, what is left for those words to do by themselves? If active constantly accompanies consideration, we shall think we are being fobbed off when we are promised bare consideration. If a decision is always qualified by definite, a decision by itself becomes a poor filleted thing. If conditions are customarily described as prerequisite or essential, we shall doubt whether a condition without an adjective is really a condition at all. If a part is always an integral part there is nothing left for a mere part except to be a spare part.

Cultivate the habit of reserving adjectives and adverbs to make your meaning more precise, and suspect those that you find yourself using to make it more emphatic. Use adjectives to denote kind rather than degree. By all means say an economic crisis or a military disaster, but think well before saying an acute crisis or a terrible disaster. Say, if you like, 'The proposal met with noisy opposition and is in obvious danger of defeat'. But do not say, 'The proposal met with considerable opposition and is in real danger of defeat'. If that is all, it is better to leave out the adjectives: 'The proposal met with opposition and is in danger of defeat'.

- Sir Ernest Gowers, Plain Words

Good and Evil

Good and evil both increase at compound interest.

That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance.

The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of.

An apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible.

- C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

When you delay something, you are not just delaying that thing, but what could result from that thing (both good and bad).

Balancing Literary Nature and Historicity

"Literary" just means there's a style to it, there's an artistry to it, it has a literary form to it. It does not at all need to be contrary to a robust sense of biblical history. For me, it's like a lot of things in the Christian life and in theology - it's a both-and. If you try to force a dichotomy - it's got [to] be this or it's got [to] be that, it's like the two natures of Christ, or it's like human freedom and divine sovereignty - when you pit them against one another where one gets to win and the other has to absolutely lose, you're not going to be a good theologian.

I think we ought to approach all of the Scriptures in the same way and that is to recognise it's a very human book full of human failings, in terms of the characters that are presented, human in terms of the personalities of the authors that come through very strongly, and the experiences of the authors that come through very strongly all the way through the Bible. But at the same time, the Scripture itself says these men who were authors of Scripture were carried along by the Holy Spirit. There's an impetus and a divine agency so that this truly is not merely human words about God, but this is God's word to humanity. There is no reason in the world that we can't fully appreciate both of those aspects. I think if we take one at the expense of the other, we're not going to understand Scripture in all of its richness.

- Phil Ryken, How to Become a Better Bible Reader

Legalism vs Discipline

Underlying much of the conscious rejection of spiritual discipline is the fear of legalism. For many, spiritual discipline means putting oneself back under the law with a series of draconian rules that no one can live up to - and which spawn frustration and spiritual death.

But nothing could be further from the truth if you understand what discipline and legalism are. The difference is one of motivation: legalism is self-centred; discipline is God-centred. The legalistic heart says, "I will do this thing to gain merit with God." The disciplined heart says, "I will do this thing because I love God and want to please Him."

There is an infinite difference between the motivation of legalism and discipline! Paul knew this implicitly and fought the legalists bare-knuckled all the way across Asia Minor, never giving an inch. Now he shouts to us, "Train [discipline] yourself for godliness!" If we confuse legalism and discipline, we do so to our soul's peril.

- R Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man

Life Lessons from Bridge

1. You can only play the hand you are dealt.

2. Count the cost before bidding.

3. Partners must be on the same page.

4. Having a good fit is as important as having many points.

5. Know when to take control and when to transfer control or exit.

Best Practices

It is not just WHAT or HOW you do things that matters; what matters more is that WHAT and HOW you do things is consistent with your WHY. Only then will your practices indeed be best. There is nothing inherently wrong with looking to others to learn what they do, the challenge is knowing what practices or advice to follow.

- Simon Sinek, Start With Why

Start With Why

If the people inside a company are told to come to work and just do their job, that's all they will do. If they are constantly reminded WHY the company was founded and told to always look for ways to bring that cause to life while performing their job, however, then they will do more than their job.

- Simon Sinek, Start With Why

Prayer

"The primary purpose of prayer is not to get something, but to know Someone." - David Platt

Christian Hope

My grandmother, Mdm Wee Gin Neo, died earlier this year in April. She was a member of Kay Poh Road Baptist Church and used to bake the bread for The Lord's Supper! By God's grace, she lived a long and full life, to the age of 92. As I helped out with funeral matters such as the obituary and eulogy, I thought about hope - the Christian hope of eternal life.

We sometimes use the word "hope" to describe things which we want to happen, but may not actually happen. For example, we "hope" that Singapore will qualify for the World Cup. The difference between worldly hope and Christian hope is that Christian hope is 100% certain. How can we be so sure?

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul establishes that Christ not only died for our sins, but was buried, and raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. It is because of this, because He lives, that we have hope.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know, I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living, just because He lives

"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." - 1 Corinthians 15:17-19

Saying that Jesus died for our sins, without going on to say that Jesus was raised back to life, is not the gospel. It is not good news. In fact, it is very bad news, because it means that Jesus has been defeated by death and we have no hope!

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." - 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

Because Jesus defeated death, we are no longer in our sins and have hope beyond this life. Because Jesus clothes us with His righteousness and immortality, we can inherit the kingdom of God, which is an eternal kingdom.

"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"" - 1 Corinthians 15:50-55

Because Jesus defeated death, we have victory over death (i.e. eternal life), if we are in Christ.

"Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." - Romans 8:34

Furthermore, because Jesus was raised back to life, He can intercede for us. We do not have a dead High Priest, but a great High Priest!

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

May we believe in Jesus and, even when faced with death, have the Christian hope of eternal life!