Refining Silver

Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to read the scriptures, and make them the subject of conversation. While reading the third chapter of Malachi they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." One lady's opinion was that is was intended to convey the view of the sanctifying influence of the grace of Christ. Then she proposed to visit a silversmith and report to them what he said on the subject.

She went accordingly and without telling the object of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which he fully described to her. "But Sir" she said, "do you sit while the work of refining is going on?" "Oh, yes, madam," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured."

The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." Christ sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for them. Their trials do not come at random; "the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

As the lady was leaving the shop, the silversmith called her back, and said he had forgotten to mention that the only way that he knows when the process of purifying is complete when he sees his own image reflected in the silver....

--Author Unknown

We are as Silver

Mal 3:3

And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

The Bible counts us liken to silver. Wow, what is that so? I did some reading on silver and found out that:

1. Silver is a precious metal. It is rare. It is even used as currencies, not so long ago. :) So we are precious and rare to God.

2. Silver is extremely useful. It is being use in electronics, in photography, in medicines, in chemical process, in ornaments, as a currency, and even as food and clothing in some places. Ha, ha, So we are actually very very useful indeed. Mmmm...

3. Silver is beautiful. It has a beautiful bright white shine. It is used as ornaments. Hey, we are beautiful. :)

4. Silver exists in an ore state, compounded with other elements such as copper, chloride, sulfur, etc. So much impurities. Not much of good use or any beauty in this state. :(

5. It requires refining with fire to bring it out in its pure form. Only the pure form is good. Yeeks! Fire, that sounds real hard and painful. :( Here, the Lord is as in Malachi 3:3, the very skilled silversmith who refine his silver. The silver is with impurities. The impurities brings down the value of the precious silver. These impurities makes the silver less useful and take away its beauty. The silversmith has to burn away all these unwanted impurities. He does so by putting the silver right into the middle of a fire. While doing so, the silversmith holds the silver in his hand and keep his eyes on the silver. He will never leave the silver unguarded even for a moment on the fire, as the silver can be destroyed by the fire.

This speaks a very comforting message to me. The Lord wills that we, silver-ore, and with all our impurities or sin, is to be refined and to be made pure for a better purpose. He does so through fire or trials in our life. However, His presence is with us. His hands and eyes are on us all the time. Awesome !

6. Refined pure silver is soft, very ductile and malleable. Only soft, ductile and malleable silver can be shaped and worked. Are we soft enough for the Lord for His shaping and working? And hence to be made into something of even higher value, something more useful or something even more beautiful?

7. The silversmith has an idea of the end product even before he fashion the silver. This reminds me that the Lord does has a purpose prepared before hand for each and everyone of us. And that we should put our hope in this purpose as in Jeremiah 29:11.

8. While refining the silver on fire, the silversmith knows that the silver is ready and is pure as it become bright, clear, beautiful and reflects the silversmith's image. Yes, in our refined state we can reflect our dear Lord, Christlikeness. For we are indeed made in His image.

Firm Foundation

Mat 7:24 -27

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

I played a game with the Youths at church. The instruction is to take out their bibles and use them to build a strong structure, build high one. Highest structure wins. The youths gleefully construct their Bible Structure. It is not an easy task, each team wanted to build a high tower with their limited numbers of bibles. Many times their structure collapsed, and had to be rebuilt. Also, many times, some decided to abandon the design and change to a new design.

I then invited all the rest to simulate rain, wind and flood onto their opponent's structure. With a smirk, they blow and tried their best to bring down the opponent's structure. The devil in them surfaces. Ha ha !.

I see many lessons can be learn from this simple game.

We need to build our lives on strong and firm foundation. Loose and shaky one just won't do. They will collapse. We don't want our lives to collapse, don't we? Let's ensure that we have a sure firm foundation according to the Word of God that never fails.

This foundation has to be built with good material. Our lives' foundation has to be build with the Word of God, none else is good enough. Never use cheap, inferior or substitute material. It just won't last.

To build a strong structure, we need to be generous with the material. Never skimp on the Word of God for your life. Just as the structure will not be high, with little material, our life will not be high as well without the Word of God. More material equals higher structure; more Word of God in our life equal higher living in God.

Trials in life is in inevitable, the rain will surely descends, the flood will surely rises and the wind will surely blows. The Enemy is more than delight to bring these trials to you. None shall escape. The question is that, will your structure stands? Will your life be strong enough to withstand?

A simple game indeed ! Awesome God !!

The Chinese Passover

I wished my dear friend " Happy Chinese New Year", he replied back," Happy Chinese Passover". And I replied, "Yes, Yes" in agreement.

My dear friend has been preaching this Chinese Passover for more than a decade now. Yes, we Chinese has very deep and rich culture, but it also has an even deeper root in the Bible. Sounds interesting, cannot actually prove this, but it is highly probable. It might be more real than we think.




The ancient legend of Chinese New Year Festival is of the evil ferocious beast Nien, which emerged from the East on Chinese New Year day and eats children. To scare the Nien away, the Chinese used red-paper couplets which are pasted on every household's doorpost, torches are lit and firecrackers are set off through the night to scare the beast Nien away. It seems that the beast Nien is afraid if of the colour red, loud noise and bright lights. As the Chinese successfully scares off the beast Nien, they celebrated the next morning by congratulating each other, Gong-si, Gong-si.

The legend of the beast Nien and the Chinese New Year Festival has the its roots from the biblical event when the children of Israel are in bondage in Egypt. God send ten plagues to the Egyptian and the tenth plague is the Passover.

Exo 12:12 - 14

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Exo 12:23 - 24

For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.


The red couplets on the lintel and two sides of the doorposts are originally the blood of a lamb that was smeared over the Israelite's house doorpost, so that when the Destroyer sees it, he will pass over the household and spare the firstborn of the family. The legendary beast Nien is actually the Destroyer described here in the Bible.

Sounds similar? You betcha.

(the above article is adapted from my dear friend's website. Please also visit http://israelinfaith.blogspot.com/search/label/Chinese%20New%20Year)

Tough Job

A colleague from the workplace came to my office over lunch hour and shared of her frustration with her work. So much work ahead, cannot finish and plus other loads of problems. Tough job, caused so much frustration in her. She actually caught me in surprise.

I pondered on Jesus, and check if He had actually been in the same situation. Actually yes, Jesus and His disciples went up to Mount Olives to pray at a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said his disciples, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death." And He prayed to the Father in heaven, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless; not as I will but as You will." Matt 26:38-39.

Jesus also has a tough job in front of Him, it was a big job, in fact this is "the job" that provides salvation to the sinful mankind. Jesus was obedience to the end, He submit to His Father in heaven. He took it all as the Father wills. He was sorrowful, but He never complained, He never murmured. He kept his focus on the Father's objectives. He completed the job. Now all mankind can be saved because of Jesus' work on the cross.

Frustration in workplace is common, but let's complete the work, no matter how tough, let's keep focused on the objectives. The reward is great at the end.

Coin Box

I actually placed my coin boxes right there on my dressing table, in my bedroom. I had three all together, each for a difference size coin. Both my sons, David and Jonathan each has their own coin boxes. My wife would regularly give them their pocket money and they will keep it in their own coin boxes.

The elder boy David, place his coin box on his study shelf outside, high up so that none would bother to even touch it. It is as if his place of safe keeping. The younger boy Jonathan place his coin box along side with my other three coin boxes, on my dressing table, in my bedroom.

This funny thing happens. Both of the boys, has their share of pocket money from my wife. But since Jonathan's coin box is right next to mine, and on my dressing table, in my bedroom, I sometimes, generously drop another coin or two into his coin box. He gets a bonus. However, since David's coin box is outside, far away from me, he gets just his share, no bonus!!

Our Father God is also like that. He like us His children to draw near to Him. Remember, that's where the source of blessings is. And He is generous enough to bless us with more, and more. Nearer we get near to Him, more blessing we get, FOC. Bonus !! Yeah !!

Remembered !!

Remembered !! What a surprised !!

My ex-colleague, Lee, called yesterday and asked if I am free for this evening. He wanted to invite me to a Chinese New Year Dinner among our ex-colleagues. The dinner is to be held at the best hotel in town. Although, this Chinese New Year Dinner is among the team in the workplace, it is not a company event, rather a private one. The ex-colleagues hosted the dinner and paid for it themselves.

I fell so honoured to be invited, for I had left the company for more than three years now. The ex-colleagues still "remembered" me. Each year, Lee will never fail to invite me to this special dinner hosted by the ex-colleagues. They reckon that I am still as if their manager three years ago. I was greatly pleased.

I gladly and casually accepted the invitation, expecting good food and good company.

But today I learn the real reason why this special Chinese New Year Dinner was hosted by the ex-colleagues, and that I am invited every year. It is actually a tradition started by me myself. I barely can remember it, but it is when many years ago, me and my dear colleague, Lee, decided to each fork out our own money to buy the rest of our colleagues a good Chinese New Year Dinner treat to appreciate their efforts for the year. This was carried out without the knowledge of our big boss. It was an insignificant event for me, and I had almost forgotten it. But little did I know, it actually had made a great impact to the rest of the team.

Feel so wonderful to be appreciated, it goes both ways. Everyone needs to be appreciated and remembered.

Back to School

Stop lazing around. Yes, Yes. Semester break is over. Back to school. This semester is Operation Management, Strategic Management and Marketing Management. Sounds fun.

Such a mixed feeling. Excited because of the new subjects that are to be learn, but scared due to the horrible ordeal that is coming my way, horrible, horrible assignments deadlines which take away my already very very little sleep and all my TV sessions. No rest till June.

Beef enough? YES !!

2009

Prophecies for the Church by Pastor Rajan.

2009 is a year of great Challenges with Changes and deserve great Courage.

1. 2009 is a year of Extension and Increase.
2. 2009 is a year of Increase Glory of God.
3. 2009 is a year of Multiplication.
4. 2009 is a year of God's Opportune time.
5. 2009 is a year of Greater Works.
6. 2009 is a year of Establishment.
7. 2009 is a year of Building and Establishing yourself Spiritually.
8. 2009 is a year of Excellence.

The just shall live by faith. Roman 1:17

Passed !!

Wow! Just check my student portal at WOU website, Praise the Lord, I have passed my second semester on my MBA course. Semuanya baik, baik sahaja. I can still remember that I almost gave up on all those horrible assignments. I have seriously considered taking less subjects on the coming semester. But somehow, I really don't feel good about it. I felt more troubled taking less subjects than taking the recommended three subjects. Guess that's the Lord's way in leading me. I finally signed up for all three subjects. I actually felt relieved. I have the assurance that the Lord will be with me all the way.

Praise to God again.

A Chameleon

A Chameleon on my tree. What else? This creature is pretty shy, changes colour all the time to avoid being noticed. Wonder what is he running away from? Me!!

Many people are also like this chameleon, always camouflaging itself, so not to be noticed, running away all the time. It has a very low self esteem.

But as I look again, God created this creature to be a very beautiful creature, so wonderfully and fearfully made. Awesome! Thus, what is there to be of low self esteem about?

I remembered that I was like this before, no God had changed it all. Praise to God.

A Moth

Eeek! What is this? A moth? This moth is very much camouflage as a leave. Almost missed it. Found it on a Saturday afternoon, on my tree, in front of my house. What is it doing? Clinging so strong to the leave, didn't let go even as the strong monsoon wind blows. I came back in the cools of the evening and eeeks!. The moth is still there, cling hard to the leave.

It is a baby moth, cling hard to the leave for food, waiting for it to be strong before it takes off.

Wonder if I do cling so strongly to my Lord...

Playing again

Goodness! I could not remember when is the last time I played a bass guitar. It must been some 8-10 years ago. Sounded so long along. But all the same, I thank the Lord for letting me play, even just with the limited talent that I have. I trust that God will use it for good, and as usual will multiple it thirty folds, sixy folds and even a hundred folds.