It’s me trying to be creative with the title. I’ve read these two books from the Bible a couple of times and it has always hit me strong so I’m going to blog about why these two books have been very important to me. It is two books of the Bible so I’m going to make it into two parts. Here goes part one.

Part 1: Job – Everyone suffers; no more no less.

Job 1:8 – Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil”

God is proposing a contest against Satan. Satan challenged that Job only love God only because of the good things God provides. Remove those good things Job’s faith would melt away along with his riches and health. God’s reputation is at line and would Job turn against God?

First raiders stole Job’s belongings and slaughtered his servants. Then all his sheep got burned, and a mighty wind destroyed his house and killed his sons and daughters. To top it off Job came down with a horrible, painful disease. What did I do to deserve such suffering? He cried for God for an explanation and eventually God did show up. And when God spoke no one was prepared for what He has to say (Chapter 38-41).

Job 38:2 – Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

God answer Job’s questions with questions to reveal the vast difference between the God of all creation and one puny human like Job. God made an excellent point: If you can’t comprehend the visible world you live in, how dare you expect to comprehend a world you can’t even see!

And all Job can answer is

Job 42:3 – Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

A lot of times it seems that the world is going to collapse, nothing matters anymore. God is distant and silent. At moments of disaster we ought to know we are on a test. We are not alone, a guy name Job thousands of years ago went through it with faith that God is just.

Everyone suffers; no more no less. God doesn’t leave us alone; He met Job personally aside from busy running the universe. He does meet with us everyday with the beam of light and the breeze of the air; he is personal if we pay attention. Please read chapter 38-41.

Matthew 5:12-14

13″You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14″You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

The reason I’m writing this post it’s because this verse has been in my head for sometime now and I use this verse in prayer once in a while so I wonder what Jesus meant when He said it on the Mount.

I did a word study on salt and there are several different possibilities for the originally intended meaning of the salt metaphor:

• Exodus, Ezekiel, and Kings present salt as a purifying agent
• Leviticus, Numbers, and Chronicles present it as a sign of God’s covenant.
• The most important use of salt was as a preservative and hence the most common interpretation of the metaphor is as asserting the duty to preserve the purity of the world.
• In the Rabbinic literature of the period salt was a metaphor for wisdom.
• Salt was a minor but essential ingredient in fertilizer and so a few scholars such as Gundry believe that earth should be translated as soil (i.e. salt of the soil), and hence the metaphor asserts that the audience should help the world grow and prosper.
• One interpretation of salt of the earth is that it orders the audience to take part in the world rather than withdraw from it.

And as for light it’s amazing that it’s the ultimate source of colors and God reveal it on His covenant and promise; the rainbow (Genesis 9:8-16). Jesus wants us to bring colors to people’s life and not hide it but to illumine so that people will draw near and know the truth.

Luke 8:16

16“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

Am I what Jesus said I am the salt and light of the world? Have I lost my saltiness and become a candle in a jug? As the season of salvation is around the corner and year end is near, God I pray that You will make me salty and bright so that Your glory be reveal. Amen.

Salt – Preserve, purify, fertilize

Light - Illuminate, radiate and shine

Its been a LONG while now that I’ve written a new post and the urge is back to write down my life journey so it can remind me how silly I was and what changes in life have come at me. The other reason of the return is that I can brush up my English writing skills, share the good movies and books I’ve read. Those are my excuse to blog so here are some teaser on the coming posts.

• Salt and light
• Jonah, Job and jim ME
• Stranger than fiction
• Story of my life!
• TestimoME
• Hymn for Him

3 weeks of adapting to university has been a discipline boot camp; priority, urgent, list of to do list its like a snow ball rolling towards me! Need to change!

As always procrastination has always been men’s greatest enemy, as a Chinese proverb “excuses always at the side of the lip” it has took hold of the ever lazy ME…

Why we need to be discipline, restrict, punish by a set of rules, methods of doing things, is there room for breath? Spontaneous, impulsive, last minute gives you the adrenaline rush, excitement, fear of unknown but not to mention that 72 hours marathon rush, crankiness, and worst failure…

I always have this perception if men are absolute discipline we will end up like robots, 100% efficiency.

Men and robots exist for a reason, both made for a purpose.

Men by God : Robots by men

Men to know The Creator : Robots to know the creator’s mistakes & rectify them.

Men have emotions : Robots do everything that is commanded.

Men has freedom to chose : Robots toil till obsolete.

But without discipline the earth will be filled by lazy sloth, and we may end up like “Matrix” rule by our creations!

Proverbs 12:24 – Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.

Proverbs 25:28 – Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 – So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

Job 5:17 – Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

I am now determined to be more discipline and self-control, to be fruitful and multiply. The process is hard and long, but here’s a start.

Ha I m back blogging! Reason-wanna write a new chapter of my life as I just started classes in MMU; yes finally I am doing my degree.

Last Saturday was the registration and followed by a 5 days orientation week which is the beginning of my new journey in MMU and a personal time with God.

At first I didn’t want to attend the orientation week because I’ve experience it when I did my diploma but I guess its destiny that brought me new friends and valuable experience during this bitter sweet 5 days. I’ve heard that how seniors torture the “fresh meat” this time I experience it myself, activity starts at 6am and briefing ends at 12am plus we need to prepare a drama on parody/movie spoof which took us till 2am and sleep at 3am! 3 hours of sleep for 4 days crazy baby! I survived!

What brought me through were His strength and His people, I am glad that I’ve such a spiritual family that come all the way to cyber to yam char with me (Bernard & Daryl) and prayed for me (James). I was thankful through out this week to my Father in heaven that blessed me with more than I can imagine and His word renewed me.

Psalm 59:16

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will

sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in

times of trouble.

Psalm 5:3

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the

morning I lay my requests before you and wait in

expectation.

I am anticipating and excited what He has install for me in this new season of my life as I obeyed His great plan for me. To the future and beyond!

A drama depicting a community’s true-to-life struggle with racism, alienation, and rage.

I do not know many people who have watched this movie, but it’s a movie showed last year that I believe has made an impact in the movie industry. This is because Hollywood is making movies that has strong messages about society. This movie speaks to me in the areas of indifference and racism. I realized that sometimes I become so tolerant that it numbs me in feeling compassion for people, instead I often judge and label people. This movie has shown me that we can’t judge a book by its cover, and that our comfort zones will not keep us safe forever. Everyone are the same no matter what color, language, status or culture they belong to – after all we were all created in God’s image.

MOVIE QUOTES

[first lines]
Graham: It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.

Anthony: It's just black people demeaning other black people, using that word over and over. You ever hear white people callin' each other "honky" all the time? "Hey, honky, how's work?" "Not bad, cracker, we're diversifying!"

Jean: I am angry all the time… and I don't know why.

Daniel: She had these little stubby wings, like she could've glued them on, you know, like I'm gonna believe she's a fairy. So she said, "I'll prove it." So she reaches into her backpack and pulls out this invisible cloak and she ties it around my neck. And she tells me that it's impenetrable. You know what impenetrable means? It means nothing can go through it. No bullets, nothing. She told me that if I wore it, nothing would hurt me. And I did. And my whole life, I never got shot, stabbed, nothing. I mean, how weird is that?

The Shawshank Redemption

“Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.”

Why is it my favorite movie?

As a kid, i was told to study hard to earn a decent living, get married, have kids,see them grow up, wait for grandchildren and finally die happy. Sounds familiar? This movie showed me that hope is a reason to keep on living but hope alone is not enough. This movie led me into thinking as to the reason of me being here on earth, and as a result, took me more closer to my Creator. I realise it is Him who gives me hope, endurance, freedom, and peace in staying alive.

—Hope: “A good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
(Romans 15:1–4, 13; 1 Corinthians 15:51–58; Philippians 3:12–21; 1 John 4:13–18; Revelation 21:1–4)
—Endurance: “It would take a man 600 years to tunnel through the wall … old Andy did it in less than 20.” (1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Hebrews 12:1–13; Philippians 3:7–14)
—Freedom: “Some birds aren’t meant to be caged.” (John 8:31–47; Romans 5:8; 6:15–23)
—Inner Peace: “An invisible coat that would shield him from this place.” (Philippians 4:4–9; Romans 12:1–8, 18)

MOVIE QUOTES

Andy Dufresne: Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Red: Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.

Andy Dufresne: Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And a good thing never dies.

[on Red's harmonica playing]
Andy Dufresne: Here's where it makes the most sense. You need it so you don't forget. Forget that there are places in the world that aren't made out of stone. That there's a – there's a – there's something inside that's yours, that they can't touch.

This is my 1st blog not like some people i know…

This blog is about my passion on movies and music,the things that amuse myself when i am feeling down, up, inside out.It reminds me of emotions that sometimes i hide – joy, sorrow, reverence, hate, and love. I'll share thoughts and give my two cents opinion of the movies and music that i watch plus i'll throw in extra info on movies that captivated me in the last century. Stay tuned for more of me…