1 Kings 3:

¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. -niv

¹³And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. -kjv

Meditations:

1) I was not taught as a kid to ask questions or to ask. Only through scripture memory did I learn from John 16:24 that we need to ask in order to get an answer. In life, if you live a quiet life, generally people will leave you as you are. So, you will have to ask in order to get an answer.

John 16:

²⁴Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. – niv

2) However, having being acquainted with John16:24, 1Kings 3:13 strikes me in a different way.  In the above context, God appeared to King Solomon in a dream and told him to ask whatever he wants from God. Solomon asked for wisdom and God was pleased with his request. He was so pleased with Solomon that He gave him what he did not ask for. It shows that if we please God, God will bless us even if we don’t ask him and in King Solomon’s case, God blessed him with riches and honour.

Jeremiah 33:15

¹⁵ ” ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. -niv

¹⁵In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. -kjv

Meditations:

1) The Branch is referring to Jesus.

2) Jeremiah is an old testament book written way before Jesus was born.

3) Jeremiah 33:15 is prophecy fulfilled

4) Jesus is a descendant of King David

I discovered something: The more independent we become,  the more isolated we become. At least that is true  for me as I am not a people person nor do I organize activities for people nor do I probe my nose into other people’s matters.

Last winter, my son was about to go to preschool but we had no car. Then, our neighbors just bought a car and they were willing to lend it to us for my son’s trip to preschool every tuesdays and thursdays and also for trips to the groceries. They had to sacrifice mileage on their car and sometimes they have to accommodate to us as they needed the car also.  But the dependency of the usage of their car let us have more interaction. We talked about our family relationships, about the relative recovering from stroke , about sibling working in the bank and more. We got to exchange information and got to know each other’s family better. Ever since we bought our car, our families don’t interact that often and hence are farther apart.

For me, being independent means I am more dependent on myself, my abilities, my possessions etc. Less opportunity to interact with my friends, less growth in the respective relationships. On the contrary, my dependency of some sort on my friends  draw me closer to them.

Similarly, to grow as a christian, we need to be more dependent on Christ, more dependent on the bible. Dependent on Christ/God to lead us, dependent on the bible to provide us with instructions. Then we will have a closer relationship with Christ/God.

Proverbs 3:5-6

niv:

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

kjv:

⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

A few months back, one of my friend in his 40s shared that he has a retina tear. Also,  an aged friend of mine at 70 had her front teeth extracted because it was causing her pain and she cast a set of teeth to replace them.  All signs of an aging body.

Now that I am in my 40s, my body is also showing signs of wear and tear. My eyes can no longer see clearly at near distance when I put my specs on. I will have to remove my glasses and put my face near the words to read them.  Used to have no problem carrying heavy objects. Recently, I tried carrying 2 gallons of liquid using one hand and already felt the strain on the muscles between my thumb and my index finger. Only recently also, whenever I brush my teeth and bend towards the mirror, I feel aches on my back. It reminded me to do my sit-ups to strengthen my back muscles. I have to remind myself that I am getting old and that my body can no longer function the way that it used to and I have to take care of myself also.

Now that I am in my 40s and aging fast, I expect some illness to come upon me later on.  I already have high cholesterol (doctor said it is hereditary). My mother has diabetes. I think her diabetes came on her around 50s. It is possible  that I will have diabetes come 50s since diabetes is also hereditary.  My auntie on my mom side died of colorectal cancer and probably I will have to do colorectal screening when I am in my 50s.

A piece of good news amid the doom and gloom though. When I was in Singapore to fit a new pair of glasses, the optometrist told me that my near-sightedness degrees improved. I wonder what I did. Maybe it was the mercy of God.

As we journey on this earth towards our heavenly home, we can only hope for the day when we will  experience no more pain:

Revelations 21:

⁴And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. -kjv

Proverbs 13:8

⁸The ransom of a man’s life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke. -kjv

⁸ A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat. -niv

Meditations:

1) I have a friend who has a family business. The family received threats from bad members of the society to give them money or else expect something bad to happen to the family. Eventually, the family was forced to move to another place.

2)  My friend’s riches tempted the bad members of society to bring the threat upon them. If they were poor, they will not have received such threats. So, in a way, my friend’s wealth works against them.

3) In kjv, the second part of the verse implies that the poor are ignored owing to their lack of wealth and nobody will want to ransom a poor man’s life.

Luke 6:

²⁷But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

²⁸Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. -kjv

Psalms 139:

²⁰For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

²¹Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

²²I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. -kjv

Question:

How to reconcile above 2  verses?

Answer from Pastor Brian Ingalls:

One of the first things to remember is that as Christians, we believe that Jesus was the Messiah, even God in the flesh.  As Christians, we try to look at the teaching of the Old Testament through the words and example of Jesus.
It would be easy to read Psalms 139:20-22 by itself and conclude that the Bible here is teaching us we should hate and fight against people who don’t believe as we do.  In fact, the ancient Jews did often teach that those who weren’t part of Israel were their enemies and treated them accordingly.  In many ways they were very judgmental towards Gentiles (non-Jews)
But as a Christian, we don’t look at just Psalms 139:20-22, we look closely at the verses around it, the context of those verses, and at the rest of the Bible too, especially what Christ said.
That of course, is sometimes easier said than done.  But after some contemplation, here is my view of these passages:
First, Luke 6 isn’t the only place in the Bible where this sermon by Jesus is included.  It’s also in Matthew.  And in the Gospel of Matthew, there is a part of the conversation that wasn’t recorded in Luke.  Just before Jesus said to love our enemies, Matthew records that Jesus said this first:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” -Matthew 5:43-44
In fact, Matthew records a lot more of this “sermon” by Jesus than Luke does. And that particular sentence sheds quite a bit of light on things.  Jesus quoted a phrase the Jews were familiar with “love your neighbor and hate your enemy”- and for the Jews of that time, your “neighbor” was a fellow Israelite and a fellow believer in God.  Anyone else, you could “hate.”  That sort of hate, motivated simply by nationality and religious beliefs, Jesus contradicted.
And David didn’t hate people just because of what nationality they were, or what they believed or didn’t believe.  But we’ll get to that in a second…
Instead of “hate” Jesus said to “love” which literally means in a moral sense or duty.  In other words, put them ahead of yourself.  And you know, even when you don’t like someone, you can put their needs ahead of your own.  Even if you hate them, you can sacrifice for them.  You might not like it, but you can do it.  That’s Christian love in fact.  Same kind of love Jesus demonstrated when he sacrificed himself for the sins of the whole world.  It’s a love of actions, not feelings or words.
And that’s part of the answer I think.  In Psalms 139, David is writing from his deep feelings.  He even says “am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?”   David was grieved because of the wickedness of the enemies of God.  Since they were God’s enemies, David counted them as his enemies because David was on God’s side. 
But listen to this verse:
  For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! -Romans 5:10
This verse says we were at one time God’s enemies.  Yet even though we were enemies of God, He still sent His only Son to die for us and reconcile us to Himself.  Even though God hates sin, and hates wickedness, and will someday judge the earth with justice and wrath, God still loved us by putting our needs first -sacrificing Himself for us on the cross.
So what Jesus said is true, God wants us to do practice a love of actions (that’s what the word means) praying for our enemies, doing good to those who persecute us. That’s what Jesus did for sinners, even though God hates sin.  Even though sin grieves Him.  But Jesus was not saying we must always “feel” love, nor was Jesus saying we must always approve of what others are doing.  God is a God of love (a sacrificial love of putting another first) yes, but He is also a God of justice and righteousness too.  God hates sin.
And for those people who choose to be enemies of God, they will someday face his wrath if they don’t repent.
So what David said was true for him as far as his feelings went, and admirable in that David so strongly held to God’s standard of righteousness.  David’s hate was directed at those people because they had already set themselves up as enemies of God.  What David was explaining here was that he was completely committed to being on God’s side. He wrote down how he truly felt because David had a passion for God and a hatred of sin.
But even though David was “grieved” and felt hatred, that wouldn’t have stopped him from  “loving” his enemies with his actions -given the chance.  Despite his feelings, I’m sure David was more than willing to sacrifice for those same enemies if God gave him the opportunity. I say that because, in his life, David often showed mercy and grace to his enemies when he had the chance.
So in the end, I think David was speaking of his feelings and explaining the depth of his commitment toward God, (after all those Psalms are very personal things and speak from deep emotion many times) while Jesus was teaching us to love with actions no matter our feelings may be.

Books on interpreting Psalms recommended by Job from Jesus Christology:

1) Book for general audience

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=230415&netp_id=422380&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

 

2) Book for beginner

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=427657&netp_id=482577&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

3) Book for expert or scholar

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=027950&netp_id=354594&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

Luke 6:

²⁷“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you. -niv

Meditations:

1) In every circumatance depicted above, it involves a mistreatment or loss on the part of the chriatian party who reacts in a surprisingly lovingly manner. The above passage  illustrates to us the message that christians ought to love in difficult circumstances.That love is supernatural.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech;  night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  It rises at one end of the heavens  and makes its circuit to the other;  nothing is hidden from its heat.  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.  Who can discern his errors?  Forgive my hidden faults.  Keep your servant also from willful sins;  may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Proverbs 11:4

⁴ Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death. – niv

⁴Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death. -kjv

Meditations:

1) While most of us are working now, we are saving for our retirement. We put aside a certain percentage of our income into savings or different financial instruments for better returns.  We are concerned about how to earn more money to supplement our income now, so that we will live comfortably now and retire comfortably later. We hope to be financially secure when we retire.

2) While it is important to accumulate wealth for later use, we should not be too obsessed with it. If God calls us back to Him now, wealth is worthless in the day of judgment. It cannot buy us redemption or salvation. Hence, it is important to balance our spiritual needs with wealth acquisition. Earn money from your job but also read the bible more and meditate on it more and assimilate it more.

3) The righteousness that delivers from death  is our faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 3:22 -

²²Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: -kjv

4) It is better to have faith in Jesus Christ than to yearn for more money.

I dedicate this post to all my friends who are still single.

Marriage is a big event for anyone. Finding the person to marry is the behind the scene happenings prior to the big day. Some intentionally scout around. Some will wait for things to happen. I guess different people will work towards marriage in their own way and I will share what worked for me and what I have learned.

Principle I held: The person I marry must be a christian, a born again believer.  The rationale behind this principle: A born again christian will have her thinking and actions influenced by the Holy Spirit.  It means we will have common beliefs affecting our actions and our thinking.

For a christian marrying a non christian or even a non christian marrying a non christian, it will be more difficult finding commonality, so I think they will really need to be meticulous when finding a mate. For me, I was prepared to be single if I cannot find a believer with mutual feelings. And God gave me a peace in my heart when I was about to go steady with my girlfriend/wife.  It was a sweet and deep peace  in my heart and it occurred while I was asleep.

Below are lessons that I learned.

Lesson 1:

Marry a person for what he/she thinks. Guys, especially, like to look at physical attractiveness, even for ladies the statement holds true. I am not asking you to marry an ugly spouse but physical appearance should not be the first priority. Adjusting our expectations is important here.

Lesson 2:

It is important that the relationship start right in order for it to carry through to completion, ie marriage.

Lesson 3:

Keep your emotions in check when looking for a spouse. Do not fall in love without first knowing the person. This, in my view, is the most difficult thing to do. For me, I got to know my wife through  chat and I got to know more of her first before falling in love. Easier if I don’t meet the person first.

Lesson 4:

Always be honest when relating to your boyfriend, girlfriend. Be upfront about everything. If there is no trust, there can be no relationship

Lesson 5:

I told my girlfriend, now wife about two weaknesses/flaws that I had before we became steady. If she can accept the weakest thing about you, the more likely she is to accept you when you marry.

Lesson 6:

Saving/Spending habits need to be considered. This I learned on hindsight. We are both savers, so no problem for us.

Lesson 7:

It is better that both be informed of their plans after marriage. For example, in my case, my wife always wanted to come to the US after marriage and I had difficulty accepting that fact. At last, I yielded but after seeking advice from friends. Eventually, it turned out that I like it here in Joliet.

Lesson 8:

Be the right person to be married to and be ready rather than look for the right person to marry when you are not ready. It is easier for us christians to be Mr/Ms Right because the measure is whether we are ‘Christ-like’.

Lesson 9:

What you achieve in your career, education etc does not count much when it comes to finding a girlfriend/boyfriend or husband/wife

Advice from the bible about seeking commonality in marriage:

2 Cor 6:14:

¹⁴Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? – kjv