Surprised by Grace (36): Trust He forgives
It would be hard to be sure if she was surprised. This guest Jesus knew what she was doing! Not only let her do it. But he knew why! Clearly, Jesus saw differently. He saw her motives. He saw her gratitude. Gratitude from forgiveness. And Jesus said …
Surprised by Grace (35): Before God’s Throne of Grace
Some weeks ago there was a once-a-half-century major news. No it’s not Trump’s so-called “hush money” trial, rather the total eclipse of the sun. Years ago a trained physician well known for his preference for historical accounting recorded the total eclipse of his generation …
Surprised by Grace (34): Liberating Ease
Life is so NOT easy. Then there’s the million dollar question: what is best next? The most serious of all: how to secure forgiveness and eternal life? Alas! Grace is found.At a juncture with surprising ease. It takes some reading, and simple trust ...
Surprised by Grace (33): Life is not a dead end
Advent. Waiting and hoping. Should have been. But to the people in some regions of the world, lives matter zilch. Dead end. Such were lives being lived by young and able shepherds in the Middle East one winter night years ago. But …
Surprised by Grace (32): It hurts HIM to care
Unfortunately the world is so callous, or just lazy, to think that only if the person is provided with sufficient material support, he will not commit suicide. So little regard for the mental side. Or the void in the soul …
Surprised by Grace (31): Not even confession
Solid gold rule. Forgiveness follows confession. Verbalised or acted out confession, to be precise. But perhaps our faith in this solid gold rule seems to have a fatal oversight: It works between humans only!
Surprised by Grace (30): Dealing with guilt
The pain of recurring guilt. Man devised ways to deal with it. Self imposed exile. Alcoholic or drug addiction. Suicide. Three forms of the same: escapism. Escape from “haunting”. Three forms. One strategy. Same failure. It never works. It never heals …
Surprised by Grace (29): Do you have faith in yourself?
Most people would accuse God being unfair. Why not? The Bible says that God simply preferred Jacob over Esau. And, as if to rub salt into wounds, it is stated that “even before the twins were born”. How could God?
Surprised by Grace (28): Once for all
It’s been well known. Blood of bull and goat can’t cleanse sinners of sins. If they could, those sacrifices would have stopped. Truth is, sadly, there are still annual sacrifices. Every year people will be reminded of their sins. Are humans hopeless?
Surprised by Grace (27): Seen and Heard
I couldn’t stand watching my son die of thirst! Water was gone. Nowhere in this wilderness could I see water. The two of us alone. He is just a boy. How could I live with seeing my own boy die before me? But what could we do …
Surprised by Grace (26): The day to remember
It’s been said, “Tomorrow will be better.” Presumably than today. Obviously “yesterday” already and always knocked out by “tomorrow”. But is it so clear cut that “today” is a sure loser to “tomorrow”? Yea. It appears that …
Surprised by Grace (25): Reconciliation
A young blonde was offered to King Kong. All villagers hid away, watching. Then King Kong appeared. Took the girl. Happy, King Kong left the village. Same script is replicated in multiple myths and various cultures. It runs true almost …
Surprised by Grace (24): I don’t know how He could see me
I don’t know how I got in Simon’s house. His house servants knew me. Had they not wanted me there, I couldn’t have gotten in. How could I have insisted or crashed their party? Who was I? I knew how despised I was. I knew …
Surprised by Grace (23): Never gives up
Resolved to quit drinking in 2023! To lose weight! … It’s the time for annual rituals. That’s the trouble. No success. Year after year. Might as well quit! Anyone would quit. Fortunate not everyone. “Long ago God spoke many times …
Surprised by Grace (22): O come all ye faithful
This is a well known scene. Even amongst non Christians. And best to shut people up. What’s of interest is the dramatic scene of the thinning of the crowd! If it were a screenplay, the director would sequence the shots from a boisterous …
Surprised by Grace (21): Neither yellow nor blue
Left or right? If you follow the Bible it has got to be about the right side. Except once.The most significant one to the human race. Somehow it is never mentioned. Or better, deliberately made ambiguous? Same could apply to color …
Surprised by Grace (20): If He asks that . . .
Heard it umpteen times. Response is always the same: “It’s nice but I am human.” Really, who could forgive 70x7? It’s an impossible demand. How could he have asked of Peter? Then Peter came to Jesus and asked …
Surprised by Grace (19): Shame of David
It can’t be missed. This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ … David was the father of Solomon (by the wife of Uriah). “by the wife of Uriah” is a forever testimony not to David’s shoddy murder to grab Uriah’s wife …
Surprised by Grace (18): Nothing you can do
It’s so silly in HK these days. Ever since July 1, hordes of professional bodies like engineers, lawyers, doctors have been queuing to hold seminars to study the so-called Xi’s talk in his significant speech. The latest joker is …
Surprised by Grace (17): Safe space
Let’s say we classify the world’s humans into two: us and them. Who are “they”? They don’t belong, don’t behave and don’t believe. Ample proofs, no argument. Case closed. At least that’s how the argument goes …