Remember I am still blogging on facebook! This blog is not dead! It channels you to a new one not dictated by google! (But another Jew call Mark Zuckerbird!)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The New Black!
Let's face it, blogging is so 2005. Facebook is so popular today they even get their own movie. So I'm shifting to a newer platform, a testament to show that I can move along with time by creating a page to write all I want, when I want at nobody's expense.
How many times do we have to visit a blog we like just to know that there is no update. When you do that 100 times, it kinda gets old and we start to be fed up. Fret not with liking a facebook page, when there's an update, you'll be automatically notified via your newsfeed. Hassle free for you, pressure free for me, I no longer have to force myself to update 4 times a week just to maintain readership, and you don't have to waste your time by visiting again and again just to check for updates. This is the new black.
So like my page if you'd want to get some updates from me and perhaps a little reading pleasure to fill in your time.
Cheers,
Andrew Ho,
A new label, the same great taste!
Monday, November 15, 2010
I have been fine
"From my facebook note"
I have been fine. That's if you do care about my well being. Although there are times when I don't feel great, nobody wakes up every morning feeling like he is the king of the earth. I am a very regular person, almost like you. Of course there are probably a few of you who are reading, you probably wouldn't want to agree that we are the same. Mostly because you are an arrogant person thinking that your acheivements should be respected and admired. It often puzzle me if one is so great, why are they spending time acknowledging me disacknowledging them?
All greatness is built upon humility. Not the other way round.
To write something correctly and to write something interestingly isn't the same thing. I have been interesting.
This morning over breakfast my pastor jokingly said a new covenant Rabbi is like an oxymoron. They can't co-exist together. I replied religiously, saying which is why this is something new, a new creation. We all laughed. And then I said a guy from church in west Malaysia cannot understand why I had been angry with my former pastor, as he had experienced similar thing. I said that's probably because he's like 30-40 years old when he left church? I was 13 when I got hammered with ridiculous counselling, spent years being discriminated in a church I faithfully attend as believing in ocultic doctrines. My teenage years were beautiful just as it was painful. I was just a kid.
But anger can only last that long, we all learn how to forgive in time. Now we laugh over it. There are no wounds, only scars. I keep them to remind myself that the Lord has been good. Just as He always will be.
I am so sorry if I am not smart enough to write something more intellectual or impressive. I'm known to be a very simple person. It's very difficult to live a life trying to impress people and gain acceptance all the time. You're only sensational when there're people to love and hate you at the same time.
So I have been fine. I do sports, I eat my vegetables, I go to church and read the Word, I got some time to spare. I got plans, I plan to stay calm and keep on believing that miracles happen to people who believe them :o)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Live About Being a Christian
If you don't take time away from the routine of the day and reflect a little about your life. It can slip away so easily you wouldn't even realize it. So every now and then I would sit down like this, I would take some time off, just to see how am I going about in life. Am I doing what I am supposed to do, or have I gone astray.
I do not have a very regular life, not the one I wished I had nor would I choose the same road twice if given another chance. We don't get to choose everything in life, esspecially those pre-determined factors. But how we deal with it or Whom we choose to believe, that we determine.
I guess by now you have realized I spelt the word Whom with a capital letter. The greatest decision I have made in life, to say it plainly is to believe in Jesus Christ and God Himself. I am not going to convince you to join Christianity, my imperfection is glaringly revealed in my lack of interest to bother about your salvation. I am here to declare the gospel, in the clearest way, as accurately as I know how, not to sell it.
I'm afraid the church that I know of, might not be the same as you have perceived. For a start church is not a place where we go and learn what is right or wrong. People know what is right and wrong. They just don't have the power to do the right thing all the time. We all struggle in this area. And some of us feel bad about ourselves for the things we've done. We don't need another religious teacher to remind us of what we should and shouldn't do. What we need is a Saviour.
There are no formulas on how to be a good Christian. Mostly because there is never such a thing as a good Christian. One can be better than the other, but none can be good enough.
My former pastor used to ask us to wake up at 5.30 a.m. in the morning to pray. Read the bible at least one chapter a day.They call it spiritual dicipline, they also have spiritual warfare from time to time, it was mostly chanting against the air. It is believed that when you do such things, somehow you will get closer to God. They did it in vain. I know so because I did it with them.
I am not asking you to try another method that works, I am asking you to please stop trying. We tried so much, we got so full of ourselves. We wanted to do so many things. For a moment I thought I was God. Trying to save this world from spiritual warfare. Have you gone astray?
This is the gospel. Jesus loves me so much, His love was beautiful, but my sins were ugly. Against a God that cannot possible tolerate my sinful ways, Jesus paid a ransom to save me. He paid up His life, so that I may have mine. I cheated death.
And so it was the story goes, it was never about me. It was and still is, about Him. I don't go to church to learn what I should do, I go to church to learn what He has done. There is nothing left for us to do because Jesus has done it all, it is therefore - finished.
Our lives is a finished story written about on a cross. One might worry about what He should do now, because I've clearly said so that there is nothing left to do. But human, being human, we must do something less we can't rest. I say you stand on the mount of crucifiction, and you look upon the now empty cross. Perhaps if you stared long enough. You might just realize what I am trying to say all this while.
I do not have a very regular life, not the one I wished I had nor would I choose the same road twice if given another chance. We don't get to choose everything in life, esspecially those pre-determined factors. But how we deal with it or Whom we choose to believe, that we determine.
I guess by now you have realized I spelt the word Whom with a capital letter. The greatest decision I have made in life, to say it plainly is to believe in Jesus Christ and God Himself. I am not going to convince you to join Christianity, my imperfection is glaringly revealed in my lack of interest to bother about your salvation. I am here to declare the gospel, in the clearest way, as accurately as I know how, not to sell it.
I'm afraid the church that I know of, might not be the same as you have perceived. For a start church is not a place where we go and learn what is right or wrong. People know what is right and wrong. They just don't have the power to do the right thing all the time. We all struggle in this area. And some of us feel bad about ourselves for the things we've done. We don't need another religious teacher to remind us of what we should and shouldn't do. What we need is a Saviour.
There are no formulas on how to be a good Christian. Mostly because there is never such a thing as a good Christian. One can be better than the other, but none can be good enough.
My former pastor used to ask us to wake up at 5.30 a.m. in the morning to pray. Read the bible at least one chapter a day.They call it spiritual dicipline, they also have spiritual warfare from time to time, it was mostly chanting against the air. It is believed that when you do such things, somehow you will get closer to God. They did it in vain. I know so because I did it with them.
I am not asking you to try another method that works, I am asking you to please stop trying. We tried so much, we got so full of ourselves. We wanted to do so many things. For a moment I thought I was God. Trying to save this world from spiritual warfare. Have you gone astray?
This is the gospel. Jesus loves me so much, His love was beautiful, but my sins were ugly. Against a God that cannot possible tolerate my sinful ways, Jesus paid a ransom to save me. He paid up His life, so that I may have mine. I cheated death.
And so it was the story goes, it was never about me. It was and still is, about Him. I don't go to church to learn what I should do, I go to church to learn what He has done. There is nothing left for us to do because Jesus has done it all, it is therefore - finished.
Our lives is a finished story written about on a cross. One might worry about what He should do now, because I've clearly said so that there is nothing left to do. But human, being human, we must do something less we can't rest. I say you stand on the mount of crucifiction, and you look upon the now empty cross. Perhaps if you stared long enough. You might just realize what I am trying to say all this while.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Judging Sermons
Super Short Talk: I posted this on faccebook note a few moments earlier. Indeed, facebook has taken blogging away. We all have to face that.
This is an unqualified opinion written by a self-proclaimed rabbi and how he thinks that he shall one day be the greatest preacher this nation has ever seen or heard or will ever see again in a long long time. If you're already offended by the first sentence, there is no reason for you to read on for I have nothing to impart on you. Haven you read the scriptures, where Jesus said that we shall do greater things than He did? Of course you read it, but you have problem believing it. And that by far is not your biggest problem yet. Before you go on, it is advisable that take a deep breath and make yourself a cup of coffee, you have to relax. I am not your every day reading material.
When I used to blog actively during the blogging hayday, I was a very inspirational one. Do you know what is more inspirational? Bak Kut Teh. I love Bak Kut Teh and myself have a fine taste for food. While having a conversation with my pastor and elder over Bak Kut Teh last weekend, I've decided to write an article to show the world how much I love food. Quoting from the food critic in 'Ratatouille", he said "I love food, I love it so much if it is not good, I will spit it out of my mouth". I may not yet be the greatest chef ever, cooking the best food, but I've spitted quite a good amount of sermons throughout my years of being a young Christian.
Rule no.1, there is only a good sermon or a bad sermon. Anything between it, is rubbish. You can either be hot or cold but if you are lukewarm, nobody's gonna drink you. But some of you would say, I like it lukewarm. That's because you are not a good food connoiseur and you are far away from being a serious CRITIC! If I happen to attend your church gentleman, trust me, I am the worst congregration you can ever get. There is no balance between law and grace. 99% Grace mixed with 1% Law, Legalism, Old Convenant thoughts, Religious ideas, is rubbish. Whatever is of fear, of insecure or just a long confusing message, is not right. There is no justification for it, you as the preacher must be accursed. And if you're not ready to hold the poupit, perhaps you should join me sitting among the congreation. I don't want to see you cursed, I want to see you blessed!
You don't understand Andrew, in order for you to fully understand the dept of my sermon, you must first understand this this this this this and so on. Well let me ask you a question which you will not be able to answer. When you preach a sermon like that, who on earth is going to get saved? Since anyone who listens to you, have to understand a lot of the bible first before they can receive, perhaps you should share your thoughts in my synagogue among the holies of holies instead to the general public. As a preacher it is your responsibility to break down your sermons to the simplest and practical form ever. So that everyone can receive it. You cannot say your cooking is amazing, when you cook a dish so complicated, people don't even know how to eat it or which part to start eating. If you're a good chef, you cook a dish that everybody enjoys, as simple as that. No justification, go and improve yourself.
As a preacher, and this is my unqualified opinion. You don't owe it to the congreation for a good sermon. You don't owe anybody anything. This is not your battle, you're not the boss in charge. God is, it is His battle, let Him fight it for you. Let Him anoint you, you carry your responsibility and do accordingly to His Word and He will deliver the victory to you. And this is the same in all things. I visit different churches, and if there is a universal truth, I believe that the poupit is so important. That a church, the management and whoever in charge should NEVER just let anybody preach on the stage. Being generous is one thing, being stupid is another. If I'd let other random preacher feed my sheep poison, I bear the responsibility for killing them.
My pastor share with me also a story about a mega church in Singapore, I will tell it plainly. I believe it was Copeland ministry which were invited to speak in New Creation Church. A seminar it was, in this Seminar, Copeland ministry, clearly from the word of Faith circle made a mistake while preaching on the 2nd night. They were talking about love, and focused the whole idea of love being that we must love God. It is we, us, we and us and nothing else. It is clearly imbalanced. It's like trying to talk about sex and focus the whole idea into self-masturbation. Which is wrong. Sex is not like that. So on the next day, Sunday, the pastor of New Creation Church in charge changed his sermon immediately, and explain to the congreation the right concept about love in the bible, focusing back to God, that God is love and that it is Him who first loved us, therefore we are empowered to love Him back and so as others. It doesn't matter if it was the Copeland ministry. A bad dish is a bad dish.
I do not write to condemn, I write for people to hate me. And if in all the hatered towards all the offensive sentences that I have used. If you would grab only one truth or a simple right thing in my thousand words long article. My job is completed. From your friendly neighbourhood Rabbi, Andrew Ho.
When I used to blog actively during the blogging hayday, I was a very inspirational one. Do you know what is more inspirational? Bak Kut Teh. I love Bak Kut Teh and myself have a fine taste for food. While having a conversation with my pastor and elder over Bak Kut Teh last weekend, I've decided to write an article to show the world how much I love food. Quoting from the food critic in 'Ratatouille", he said "I love food, I love it so much if it is not good, I will spit it out of my mouth". I may not yet be the greatest chef ever, cooking the best food, but I've spitted quite a good amount of sermons throughout my years of being a young Christian.
Rule no.1, there is only a good sermon or a bad sermon. Anything between it, is rubbish. You can either be hot or cold but if you are lukewarm, nobody's gonna drink you. But some of you would say, I like it lukewarm. That's because you are not a good food connoiseur and you are far away from being a serious CRITIC! If I happen to attend your church gentleman, trust me, I am the worst congregration you can ever get. There is no balance between law and grace. 99% Grace mixed with 1% Law, Legalism, Old Convenant thoughts, Religious ideas, is rubbish. Whatever is of fear, of insecure or just a long confusing message, is not right. There is no justification for it, you as the preacher must be accursed. And if you're not ready to hold the poupit, perhaps you should join me sitting among the congreation. I don't want to see you cursed, I want to see you blessed!
You don't understand Andrew, in order for you to fully understand the dept of my sermon, you must first understand this this this this this and so on. Well let me ask you a question which you will not be able to answer. When you preach a sermon like that, who on earth is going to get saved? Since anyone who listens to you, have to understand a lot of the bible first before they can receive, perhaps you should share your thoughts in my synagogue among the holies of holies instead to the general public. As a preacher it is your responsibility to break down your sermons to the simplest and practical form ever. So that everyone can receive it. You cannot say your cooking is amazing, when you cook a dish so complicated, people don't even know how to eat it or which part to start eating. If you're a good chef, you cook a dish that everybody enjoys, as simple as that. No justification, go and improve yourself.
As a preacher, and this is my unqualified opinion. You don't owe it to the congreation for a good sermon. You don't owe anybody anything. This is not your battle, you're not the boss in charge. God is, it is His battle, let Him fight it for you. Let Him anoint you, you carry your responsibility and do accordingly to His Word and He will deliver the victory to you. And this is the same in all things. I visit different churches, and if there is a universal truth, I believe that the poupit is so important. That a church, the management and whoever in charge should NEVER just let anybody preach on the stage. Being generous is one thing, being stupid is another. If I'd let other random preacher feed my sheep poison, I bear the responsibility for killing them.
My pastor share with me also a story about a mega church in Singapore, I will tell it plainly. I believe it was Copeland ministry which were invited to speak in New Creation Church. A seminar it was, in this Seminar, Copeland ministry, clearly from the word of Faith circle made a mistake while preaching on the 2nd night. They were talking about love, and focused the whole idea of love being that we must love God. It is we, us, we and us and nothing else. It is clearly imbalanced. It's like trying to talk about sex and focus the whole idea into self-masturbation. Which is wrong. Sex is not like that. So on the next day, Sunday, the pastor of New Creation Church in charge changed his sermon immediately, and explain to the congreation the right concept about love in the bible, focusing back to God, that God is love and that it is Him who first loved us, therefore we are empowered to love Him back and so as others. It doesn't matter if it was the Copeland ministry. A bad dish is a bad dish.
I do not write to condemn, I write for people to hate me. And if in all the hatered towards all the offensive sentences that I have used. If you would grab only one truth or a simple right thing in my thousand words long article. My job is completed. From your friendly neighbourhood Rabbi, Andrew Ho.
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