Living fully unto the glory of God!

I love this Scripture;
Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

This Scripture has always been my motivation in living life fully to the glory of God in all aspects of life. Recently, in May of this year, by God's grace no doubt, I embarked on a program of physical transformation. Earlier, I had been very unhappy with my physique and nutrition. And the results were lethargy, and a largely sedentary lifestyle.

A convergence of things took place, and finally, in May this year, I said, 'Enough is enough! Time to get down and do, by God's grace, all I've always wanted to do, with regards to physical and nutrition goals.' My weight at that time was hovering between 80 - 82 kilograms.

I took my weight this morning, and though not an earth-shattering difference (only down by about 3 Kgs), I was much heartened. The efforts were beginning to bear fruit. More importantly, I knew I was on a track which had no U-turn. I had come to a point where I actually enjoy working out, and watching my nutritional behavior!

So yes, it can be done. For me, I unwaveringly thank my God for His grace through the help of the Holy Spirit. This was something of the heart and mind, not merely physical. I am looking forward to more physical transformation. Right now, the goal is to bring my total body weight to 75 kilograms by end September, and obtain some sort of muscle definition.

This guy, Marc Perry, has been a great help as well:

You can get to him via his web-site http://www.builtlean.com/workout-plan/

All the best!

A New Life worth Living! Reflections on living life in union with Christ.

Gal 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

What 'yoke of slavery' is Paul referring to? How would his Galatian listeners understand by this 'yoke of slavery'?

Look at the preceding verses. verses 31 and 30 of chapter 4 has references to slavery. Paul is contrasting between 'children of the slave', and 'the son of the free woman'. Who is Paul referring to? He is referring to Abraham's child, the 'son of the free woman', Sarah, and contrasting Isaac, the 'son of the free woman', with Hagar's 'son of the slave, 'born according to the flesh'.

From this contrast between Hagar's child, and Sarah's, Paul uses this allegory, as an illustration of 'two covenants'; 'the one from the mount Sinai', which Paul himself, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, relates to bondage. And so as not to confuse anyone, and especially to befuddle his Jewish circumcision keepers of the law  opponents, he identifies Sinai to bondage, and Hagar. And from this pairing of identities of Sinai, to Hagar, and to 'children of slavery', he further adds another identity marker, that is, present-day, physical and geographical Jerusalem.

So, the son of the slave, is the son, or the child born according to the flesh, and identified with Hagar, who bears children for slavery, and this slavery corresponds to Sinai, where the law was given, to condemn fleshly efforts to be in right-standing before God (justification), and this condemned flesh of slavery is further likened to physical and geographical Jerusalem.

Paul then contrasts 'present Jerusalem' which is in 'bondage' together with her children, with the 'Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all' (v 26). We, like Isaac, are 'children of promise'. As verse 6 says, 'And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Verse 7 must be in our very DNA, spiritual man DNA that is, "So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.'

An heir of God has access to all the resources of God's kingdom. And therefore, Scripturally speaking, there is absolutely no reason, or excuse to sin, or to rebel against God!

Freedom in Christ, is freedom to be His slave; a slave of righteousness. An amazingly joyful slavery to a most benevolent Master! What more could I ask for? To be His slave is my reason for living. When I am His slave, I do not have to have to be a slave to my flesh.

So, in Romans 6:1, Paul asks rhetorically, 'What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?' Paul here is addressing the direction of grace. Prior to the experience of grace in a human heart dead because of trespasses and sin, even though sin in and around that human heart was abounding, grace was abounding even more. However, once grace comes, and makes room for Christ in the heart of one once dead in trespasses and sin, one who was taken captive by satan to do satan's will, through the desires of the flesh and the mind, grace includes in God's great big gift of salvation, union with Christ, not only in His death, when our body of sin died with Christ's human body on the cross; in addition, in union with Christ, we are made new creation in union with Christ, and we rise in newness of life, through the power of the Christ's Spirit given to us, birthing faith to be united with Christ forevermore.

And so Paul, in Romans 6, reminds the believers in Rome, 'Don't you know, as many as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?'

Therefore, we are buried (sunthapto - in company with, to assimilate spiritually) with Him, Jesus, by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. We should because in union with Christ, who is now raised, resurrected by the glory of the Father - the Holy Spirit - we too, in union with Christ, are also, by the glory of the Father, the Holy Spirit, enabled and empowered to walk in newness of life.

How amazing!

Fitness unto His glory!

I began my physical transformation project in May 2015. It is almost 3 months now. More than the few kilograms (very few!) I've shed, the attitudinal changes have been exhilirating! I am more outdoors these days, and have been hiking in these few months, more than in a lifetime!

Thanks to the Sports Direct outlet in 1 Mont Kiara, (http://www.sportsdirect.com/montkiara-store-10070), and to the Royal Sports House outlet in Quill Mall, Jalan Sultan Ismail, I am now fully equipped for this this physical transformation exercise to continue.

At Sports Direct, I managed to find the Campri Hiking Shoes (pic below) at an incredible RM59!!! And, at Royal Sports, I found the Reebok Trail at 50% off!!!

Then, just last week, on Friday, July 24th, I found another incredible offer of a Bayes weighing scale (pic below), with an overall 65% discount from Groupon! (http://search.groupon.my/search/weighing%20scale).

Gardening!

Very recently, I decided to return to gardening. Maybe it is symptomatic of my having reached my 'golden' years. However, with re-discovering Pinterest, and a whole load of other gardening information, I have now begun to make gardening a useful pursuit. It does give expression for another aspect of creativity and organization. And, it is a useful channel for ventilating.

Here are some photos my girl, Rachel, took of the garden, with her iphone (I must say I am quite impressed with the quality resolution from this phone):

Trekking and Physical Fitness at Ulu Kanching, Rawang, Selangor

My girl, Rachel, and I decided to do a little trekking up to Ulu Kanching Forest Reserve and Recreation Park in Rawang. It is situated at 12th mile Jalan Ipoh/Rawang. We've been living here for the past 9 years, but only decided to check out the trek path today!

This place firstly needs much maintenance. We actually saw one shed which had collapsed! The 'wonderful' public which uses this recreation spot are also culprits in ensuring the place is littered with aluminium cans, wrappers, and a whole host of other rubbish. What a shame!

Going as far up as we could, we finally came to a really lovely spot. It took us across some of the paths captured in the photos below. The level below the highest accessible is great for physical fitness freaks to punish themselves running up and down the steep and high concrete stairs. It sure burns the thighs! We met Thomas Simon's family there, and this family makes it a habit to frequent this spot for their physical and recreational needs. I did not get to see and speak with Thomas, but met his sons, Sean and Joshua, and their cousin, Ryan, who is 16, and studying at MCKL.

Here are some photos Rachel took with her iphone 5.

Farewell video by HELP CAT CF

Very touched by the young people of HELP CAT CF ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtUPITpADLY#action=share

Keeping a diary of your outward physical transformation

Here's what I had for dinner :

Fitness Lifestyle - May 2015

May 2015. The month and year I finally (with definite help from the Lord), embarked onto a journey which I should have embarked upon fifteen years ago – embedding fitness and healthy nutrition into my lifestyle. But then again, as the saying goes, ‘better late than never’ (never quite found out the author of this saying!).

There seemed to have been a constellation of factors which helped me get started in this journey.

Firstly, the sense that I needed, and really needed, the strength of the Lord. It cannot be my own personal and selfish desire to bring glory to myself, but to Him and His kingdom. Being healthy and not dropping down dead before your time, glorifies the Lord! Not being sluggish, slow and lethargic, enables a servant of God, a Christ-follower, to serve Him a lot better.

There was also the deep sense within that it was time. Time to get rid of all the excuses for not embarking on this lifestyle change. That it was time, long overdue actually, to enter into the reality of potentialities. The potentiality of a healthy and vibrant lifestyle.

The trip by my family with Jessie’s brother, Jonas, and his two girls, during Chinese New Year holidays this year, was also instrumental. We had such a good time in Langkawi, and especially snorkeling, that I became quite hooked to outdoorsy lifestyle. So much so, that when it was time for Jessie and I to go to Kota Kinabalu, we actually went to Sapi Island, off the city of Kota Kinabalu, and had a good time trekking and snorkeling again! This was in April (17 – 19).

My two girls – Carissa, 23, and Rachel, 21 – were also inspiring examples. They are very consistent with their exercise routines, and their health food diet.

Along the way, I rediscovered how I could make use of Pinterest, and specialist magazines on fitness and lifestyle, to assist me in this new lifestyle.

https://www.pinterest.com/fjcrm/

Another useful website which I use and subscribe to is WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/default.htm

Very, very, very late entry to the world of fitness and trekking and snorkelling!

Hi y'all, for the long-suffering ones who have stumbled upon my blog, and long-suffered with the 'on', 'off', nature of my blog, suffer on!

But seriously folks, am slowly learning how to integrate all the components of social media, and make it work for me, and for you, the long-suffering reader!

Stay in touch!

The Burden of the Outcome and Works Salvation

I think I have only recently come out of some sort of works salvation. This type of works salvation revolves around our thinking that the outcome of a spiritual event is our responsibility. And because we feel the weight of this expectation, that the outcome of the spiritual event is our responsibility, we then try by pulling ourselves up by our boot-straps, to ensure that the outcome is almost guaranteed. In doing so, we inevitably fall from grace, and begin to feel the weight of trying to accomplish God's works with our fallen flesh's efforts.

Extrapolate this point, and you probably see where ministry workers experience burn-out, and the effects of burn-out are usually the victimizing of the sheep. This is not to say that the shepherd is bad. The shepherd simply lost the script of grace for awhile, and that's where the communion of saints come in. Ephesian chapter four contains the ministry gifts as part of the package of Christ's blood-bought salvation for His predestined, elected and chosen saints from before the world began. These are ministry 'gifts', of grace, and definitely not of fallen man's works!

So as I struggled with these matters recently, the gracious Lord, by His Spirit showed me that the outcome of the spiritual event or activity was in His hands, and not mine. In addition, He also showed me that I am not responsible if another brother fails to exercise initiative in any given matter or situation, with unhappy results. I will have to share the effects of the fall-out, in solidarity with that other believer, but I was not to feel responsible that somehow I was supposed to have stepped in and 'rescued' the situation.

As this wonderful truth dawned and filled me, immediately I felt a fresh supply of the gracious Spirit of God as His revelation washed over me. Yes indeed, we are not to take on the ownership of the outcome. The 'battle is the Lord's', and surely, the outcome too. As the truth of the Lord came in, indeed, I was set free.

A lesson I learned from this episode is how so easily we can fall from grace, of course not totally, but instead of 'keeping in step with the Spirit', we fall out of step, to our own soul's detriment. And, the communion of saints through bible study and prayer fellowships, become an avenue for the Lord to use His body to reach out and minister grace to one who has missed a step. We need Christ in each other. We need Christ in each other to increase, and we decrease. May Christ indeed increase, multiply and spread His fragrance of love in and through us to a decaying world.