Jesus’ Fives

1A religious sees Christianity as a religion like many others. But Christians see it as a
relationship with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In order to maintain a good relationship
between two parties, each party may expect other to do a couple of things.
When we invited Jesus Christ into our hearts He has become our Lord, or our owner, and we are
his children. As a Father, he has the right to expect us to do many things. However, He knows
our weakness, and He accepts us not on the basis of our merit, but according His grace. The
writer of Hebrews states,” For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with
our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was
without sin” (Heb 4:15—NIV). That does not mean that we should not do something to please
Him.
Following are five least things we may ask God to help us to do for His pleasure.

I. Praise

One time, a teacher of the law--the Law of Moses--wanted to test the Lord Jesus’
knowledge about the Scripture. So he asked the Lord, “Of all the commandments, which is the
most important” (Mark 12:28*)? Jesus answered him by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Hear, O
Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength” (See Mark 12:29-30). However, even though He
has the right to demand our love, He took the first step: He first loved us and did not even spare
His One and Only Son as “an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (I John 4:10). For that very reason,
although we do not have to, we should love Him with all our heart, and with our entire mind, and
with all our soul.

As a human being, I wish someone say to me, “I love you, I do.” I’ve noticed that in this
country--the U.S.A.--people overuse the phrase “I love you” to the point it becomes a greeting
meaning “Hello, or good-bye.” It may not mean “I really care for your well-being, and I can lay
down my life for you.”

What do we do to show our love? When we love someone, we try to do everything to let
that person know that we really love him or her. In the country where I came from, we almost
never say “I love you” to someone even if we are really crazy about that person. It is different in
this country where people say “I love you” to someone even before they really know that person.
People may be sincere, but do not understand the implication of that phrase.

However, even if the phrase “I love you” doesn’t mean anything to the person who says
it, it is a positive statement that has a positive effect on the person who hears it. So it is
appropriate to use it, of course with sincerity.

As husbands and wives we must maintain a healthy marriage. A healthy marriage

requires a good relationship. When the relationship turns sour, the marriage is no longer healthy.
Divorce is--for the majority--the quick cure for sick relationships. The next relationship will not
be better if one cannot learn from the previous experience.

King Solomon teaches us, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers
him up” (Proverbs 12:15). Indeed, human beings love to hear kind words or positive advice. A
Vietnamese proverb says, “The sweetness of honey can trap flies.” Many hearts have been
changed for good by the sweetness of God’s word.

If we can practice speaking kind words at home--as the Lord Jesus Himself would--how
peaceful our families can be! How many marriages could be saved each year?

In the Old Testament, through many prophets such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Hosea, the
Lord compares Himself to a husband, and Israel to His wife. Most of the times their relationship
turned bitter because Israel was not faithful to her spiritual husband--the Lord--who was, in time,
not happy with His spiritual wife.

That was the past. How about today? How about the relationship between the Christian
churches and their spiritual husband--their Lord and Savior? For some churches the relationship
is great; for some, it is OK; for others, it may not be good at all. But the commandment of God,
“Hear, O Israel [O Christians]...Love the Lord [Jesus],” is still the most important commandment
today.

How can all Christians, regardless of their denomination, obey that commandment and
bless their Lord, even though they may fail the Lord miserably? How can a mature Christian
bless his/her Lord? The answer is to praise Him. That can be done corporately and individually
through worship.

The Lord Jesus one time spoke to a Samaritan woman by the well of Jacob in the town of
Sychar saying, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither
on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (John 4:21). Based on the very word of the Lord, we may
worship Him anywhere--in our closet, in our garden, or even in front of a television set. In a
Church Sunday service, we start with a short prayer, asking for the Lord’s presence. Then we
praise Him. Praise is the word He loves to hear.

The writer of the psalm asserts, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of
Israel” (Psalm 22:3 KJV). Also in the Old Testament, praise delivered King Jehoshaphat from
the hands of his enemies. In the New Testament, praise delivered Paul from prison. The
disciples of Jesus asked Him how to pray, and He told them to remember to praise first. “This,
then is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name’” (Matthew 6:9).
Today, the Lord still loves to inhabit the praise of His people.

God commands us to love Him with all of our being. We should love Him because He
first loved us. To love God is to praise Him, to acknowledge Him, and to give Him glory in all
we do and in all we say.

Seeking God’s Face

When I dated my wife, I spent a lot of time at her house--or to be correct, at her parents’
little store--just to talk. Actually, we did not talk a lot. I was a quiet young man who listened to
her, a quiet young lady. I tried to come up with a subject, and that was not easy for me, even
though we were both teachers. But it was a great time. We just enjoyed each other’s company.
 To maintain a healthy relationship, husbands and wives must spend time with each other.
Common sense tells us, “Out of sight, out of mind,” or “Lack of quality time causes love to lose
its grip.”

Christians do not consider Christianity as a religion, with all the “dos” and don’ts,” but
rather a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If that is the case, a personal relationship is not
good without quality time, or quiet time, or devotional time. What do we do during that time? I
would say that the Lord does not want us to DO anything, but to “be still and know I the Lord
am God.” He just wants us to enjoy His presence and He also wants to enjoy us.

I sometimes wonder why, at the end-time, some who profess to be Christians will wish to
come into His presence, but He will say to them: “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.” * Is it
because they have never been with Him? All their time was spent for other gods, i.e. money,
career, celebrity. The Lord Jesus states, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also” (Matthew 6:21). To know a person’s values we need to find out where he invests the most
of his time.

In America people say, “I have everything but time.” Who needs more time? All of us
do. Even people who are retired say they are busier after they retire than when they were
working. If our schedule is so full, the Lord will appreciate if we can try an hour or thirty
minutes with Him. This quiet time is for our benefit more than for His benefit.

Quiet time indicates solitude, meditation on the Scripture, and prayer. That is a time
devoted to the Lord alone, without interruption, without distraction. How much time should we
dedicate to the Lord? It is based on our love for Him. The Lord is our Savior. He saves us from
sins, and He also frees us from all the burdens of the Law. And although there is no set amount
of time prescribed in the Bible, a goal might be to give one tenth of our time since we give a
tenth of our income to God. Quality time is a practice to get us acquainted with the time we will
spend in eternity with God.
When the Apostle Paul admonishes us to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17),
we know that he didn’t mean spending 24 hours a day and 7 days a week on our knees. We will
have all the time for Him when we spend eternity with Him in heaven. Paul teaches us to be
aware of His presence in our life, and to live as though He is going through every event of our
life. Someone has illustrated God’s walking by our side with two sets of footprints on the sand.
Has our Lord promised His followers, “Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the
world” (Matthew 28:20b KJV). Has He told us, A
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). And where is He
now? He dwells in us through His Holy Spirit, because He would not leave us as orphans. We
need His presence, and He desires our fellowship.

The prayer life of our Lord shows us the importance of the time we set aside for Him.
The four Gospels have recorded the instances where the Lord Jesus spent time alone with God
the Father. They only show us that the Lord prayed--sometimes all night--for the key issues such
as choosing the twelve apostles, and the crucifixion. (See Matthew 26:39, 42, 44; Mark 1:35;
14:35, 39; Luke 5:16; 22:41, 44; John 17:21.) I am sure those are only a few times that Jesus
prayed that the writer chose to include in the record. We can be sure that He would have spent
more time in prayer, because He could not afford to depend on Himself for the work of the
Father. If God the Son needed prayer to fulfill the Father’s will, how much prayer do Christians
need to live in line with God and Father and God the Son?
 Genesis 3:8 tells us that the Creator paid a visit to Adam and Eve after they sinned. I
think we may assume that the Lord often, if not daily, spent time in fellowship with the first
couple. God loves to spend time with us, just as parents and grandparents love to be around their
young ones. God’s word asserts that we are His children when we believe in His Son, Jesus.

One time the Lord Jesus came to visit His friend Lazarus. While Martha was busy
preparing a delicious dinner for the special guest, her sister, Mary, enjoyed the teaching of Jesus.
It is understandable that Martha was upset. But the Lord said to Martha, “Martha, Martha...[the
Lord answered,] you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.
Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). The
Lord rebuked Martha, not because she prepared a meal for Him, but because He prefers quality
time to service. Devotion time comes before mission.

If we really love Him with all our soul, our entire mind, and all our strength, we should
offer Him our quality time.

Offerings

Ideally, we love someone not simply because that person gives us something; nor do we
hate him just because he does not give us anything. But who will say, “I don’t like presents?” Do
we not all love to receive presents, in particular on our birthday? When I dated my wife, I gave
her a book for one of her birthdays. I could not afford to give her something more expensive.
Now, forty years later she is still saying she would like something better.

Chapter two of the Gospel of Matthew narrates the visit of the wise men paid to the
divine baby Jesus. Matthew described the scene. “On coming to the house, they saw the child
with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their
treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).

The magi believed that the baby was born to be King of the Jews, and they brought Him
the presents appropriate for a king. Their presents included gold, incense and myrrh.

What kind of present does the Lord expect to receive from His children? Should it not be
a different kind? He has the right to ask a lot from us because He gave His very life for us. He
asks that we have faith in Him, for without faith we cannot please Him. We must believe that He
exists, that He died for our sins, and that He saves us from sin.

He does not ask for gold, incense and myrrh. I think that if Baby Jesus could talk, He
would have said to the magi, “Thank you for traveling so far to see Me, and for bringing Me
your presents. However, I don’t need them. Just believe in me and you will be saved.”

Another present God loves to receive from His believers is obedience. By His own word
He makes it known: “If you love me, you will obey what I command...Whoever has my
commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me...If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teaching....” (John 14:15, 21, 23).

Christian tradition celebrates Christ’s birthday on the 25th of December. On Christmas,

Christians give gifts to the members of their families, but the One whose birthday they
celebrate--the Lord Jesus--does not receive any presents. He must laugh at us and say, “My
children are silly; they really are! However, I don’t need clothes, shoes, Ipods, or an Xbox. If
only they obey my teaching, I will be very happy with them.”

It is OK to give presents to our loved ones. It is better to give to the needy. But the best
presents we can give to our Lord are our total trust in Him and our total obedience to Him.

Service

The writer of the second gospel introduced the Lord Jesus to his Roman readers as “the
Servant of Jehovah.” 1 That idea agrees with Jesus’ statement, “For even the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He
proved Himself as a good and faithful servant. He relentlessly preached the Good News to the
poor, set the captives free, healed the sick, and trained the disciples.

Toward the end of His ministry He taught His disciples a lesson on service. He-- as
Master and Lord--washed their feet. He wanted to say, “This is what my disciple must do: serve
and not be served.”

In the economy of the world, a very important person--a VIP--is to be served. In God’s
economy, whoever wants to become great must be a servant (Matthew 20:26). The Lord Jesus
states that we did not choose Him, but He chose us to bear fruits. (See John 15:16.) As children
of the Almighty, we surely have the benefits of His children. But we have to assume some
responsibilities with those benefits. Our responsibility is to serve Him and our neighbors.

The Apostle Paul related that truth to the Ephesians: “For we are God’s workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
Through Jesus we are born again into God’s family. In His family we have a place and a
function because we are members of that family, not guests. Guests do not need to serve, but the
members of the family must share the different tasks. For that reason, the Lord equips us with
one or more gift to enable us to be successful.

The Lord Jesus told a couple of parables to teach us the examples of a good and faithful
servant, and that of a wicked one. First, He told the parable of the talents. (See Matthew 25:14-
30.) A good and faithful servant is the one who works very hard to double the number of talents
he has received from his master. The wicked servant is the one who does not know what to do
with the one talent he had.

In the second parable, the Lord Jesus used the image of the sheep and of the goats to
teach the difference between true servant and that of a believer who does not serve. (See
Matthew 25:31-46). In that parable the Lord wants us to understand that He can do all things,
and that He does not need our assistance. However, as the Commander-in-Chief, His role is to
direct and to give orders to His subordinates who in turn will achieve His plan.

Thus, we need to realize that we are called to serve. There are many people in the world
who need help: the poor, the captives, the sick, the lame, the blind, the oppressed, and many
others. This is how Christ described His servant: “I was thirsty and you gave me something to
drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick
1
According to tradition Mark wrote his gospel in Rome
and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (Matthew 25:35). Jesus was
not sick, nor hungry, nor thirsty, but He identifies Himself with the person who needs assistance.
To serve the least of those is to serve the Lord Himself.

If we love the Lord, we can please Him by providing for the one in need. (See also the
parable of the “Good Samaritan” in Luke 10.)

Touch

Touch (or being touched) is one of the basic needs of humans and of animals as well.
The younger people have the greater need to be touched. When children cry, whether they are
hungry, hurt, or frustrated, they feel better if someone picks them up and holds them. They need
someone to caress them, to kiss them, to hug them, and to show that they are loved. Pets also
love to be caressed and patted. Touching someone appropriately is to show friendship and
affection to that person.

In the Four Gospels we notice that the Lord healed the sick by touching them. These are
a few instances:
“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be
clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy” (Matthew 8:3).

“He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on
him” (Matthew 8:15).
 “Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith will it be
done to you’” (Matthew 9:29a).

In other instances, the sick touched the Lord’s garment and was healed. In
Matthew Chapter 9, we find the story of a woman who suffered bleeding for twelve
years. She believed that if only she could touch the cloak of Jesus, she would be healed.
She did not merely touch His cloak, but she touched His compassionate heart. “Jesus
turned to her. ‘Take heart, daughter, He said,’ your faith has healed you.’ And the woman
was healed from that moment” (Matthew 9:22). That story tells us that sometimes, if we
wish to be healed, we need to reach out in faith and touch His loving heart.

The Gospel of Luke recorded the anointing of our Lord by a sinful woman. (See
Luke 7:36-50.) One of the Pharisees invited the Lord to have dinner with him. By the
attitude of the Pharisee toward the Lord, we can assume that the host didn’t care much
about the guest. The Jewish tradition required the host to welcome the visitor at the door
by washing the guest’s feet, and then kissing him. On this occasion Jesus received
neither of these. Perhaps Jesus was not even seated in the place of honor. Perhaps the
Pharisee invited Jesus to his banquet because he felt that he would be more popular if he
invited a popular person like Jesus, and not because he really honored the Lord=’s
presence. Perhaps that is why the Pharisee did not reserve to the Lord Jesus the honor He
deserved.

At that time a woman entered the scene. Luke tells us that she had lived a sinful
life in the town. When she “learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee=s house, she
brought an alabaster jar of perfume” (Luke 7:37). She came to the banquet to wipe and to
kiss His feet, and to pour perfume on them. What an act of love and worship. Her faith
touched the heart of the Lord. He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven...Your faith has
saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:48, 50).

Today Jesus Christ is no longer with us in the flesh. We cannot literally touch
Him. But we can deeply touch Him with our acts of worship--in spirit and in truth. We
can also touch Him by touching the people on His heart--the sick, the prisoners, the
hungry, the thirsty, the orphans, and the widows. By serving the needy, we are touching
the Lord Himself and pleasing Him.

In this short essay, that is the last least thing we can do to please our Lord, but I
am sure there are many others. As we spend quality time with the Lord He will
eventually teach us how we can appropriately address Him.

Many Christians say, “I love You, Lord.” I hope they really mean it. Else, He
will reply, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of the rules taught
by men” (Isaiah 29:13).

7
 The Wallet, the Glasses and the Keys

“Don’t leave home without it,” you may have heard that advise on TV
Commercials years ago. “It” in that phrase refers to the American Express credit card.
But you always need to remind yourself to bring with you at least the wallet and the keys.
Why are they so important?

The Wallet

If a lady needs, or is accustomed to bring her purse whenever she leaves home, a
man needs his wallet. First, in a country where the majority of people are driving a car to
move around, they need a driver license that is kept in a wallet. Second, whether a person
goes shopping or not, he/she 2 carries some cash, credit/debit cards, and some other
membership cards with him. These also are kept in the wallet.
Let talk about the driver license first.

The Driver License

A driver license is a 2x3.25 inches laminated piece of paper, but it is not an
ordinary piece of paper. It is the proof that you are physically apt to operate a car or a
motorcycle without causing problem to other motorists or motorcyclists. A driver license
can also be used as an Identity card, in case someone needs to verify whether you are
who you claim to be.
People who are not old enough, or who are physically inapt to drive may not be
issued a driver license. People without a driver license cannot have a job requiring travel,
or where the city bus is not available. It is a privilege to hold a driver license. Its holder
must be thankful for having one issued to him.
A driver license also proves that you know the laws concerning the using of the
roads, and that you have agreed to obey those laws. When you drive without a license,
you are always wrong in case you are involved in an accident.
The word license implies the idea of freedom. A teenager who holds a driver
license is free to have his own car, to go to work or visiting friends etc…Before that time
he must depend on his parents to take him to work or to the ball games. An elder who
looses his license may feel his freedom taken away.
I’d like to say that the driver license is so precious to many people. Denying to
someone the right to drive is to deny one of his human rights.
In the universe there exists the principle of duality. There are two opposite
realities, i.e. light versus darkness, life and death, and many others. The same concept
applies to our rights. If we have rights, we have responsibilities. When our license allows
us to drive, we must respect the rights of others to drive. To be safe and to keep others
safe we must follows a set of rules and regulations. We may not drive recklessly; we must
observe the right of way of other drivers.
What can we learn from a 2’’x 3.25’’ card? It reminds me of our rights and
responsibilities as Christians.

2
The personal pronoun “he” will be used in this book either for a man or for both man and woman.

8
 The apostle John indicates that when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,
we have the right to be children of God (John 1:12). And the Holy Spirit testifies with our
spirit that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16). It’s a concept too spiritual to grasp.
When we speak of the rights of a king’s son or daughter, it’s easier for us to understand.
For example, the Crown Prince Charles of England is entitled to the royal provisions. He
does not worry for making enough money to pay his bills. When he goes hunting, horses,
gun and other equipments will be provided. He just says, “Let’s go hunting,” and
everything is ready.
As God’s children we may not have all of that luxury. We may to work hard to
make our ends meet. But we can fairly believe that the God will take care of us as the
Lord Jesus teaches, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in
barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than
they” (Matthew 6:26).
Yet, even material provisions are vital, spiritual aspirations are more important.
The Lord Jesus commands us to seek the kingdom of God first, and everything will be
given to us as well (Matthew 6:33).
As God’s children what can we enjoy?
First, He frees us from different bondages. The Lord Jesus has promised that if we
are His disciples, we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. Before the Word
became flesh, mankind was under the curse of sin that was brought by the first man
Adam into the world. Since the fall of man, human has been slave to sin. The Old
Testament recorded the history of God’s chosen people. That was not a glorious history
because the Israelites failed God times and times again.
Finally the Lord Himself has to declare, “Enough is enough, you cannot keep my
commandments, you did not listen to my messengers, and I am so tired of you! This time
I, Myself, your Lord have to clean all of your mess.” He therefore “made himself
nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians
2:7), and He paid the price we cannot pay for ourselves on the cross, so that we can be
free from the bondage of sin. What a wonderful God He is! That is “agape” love,
unconditional love that deserves our thanks, our faith, our commitment, and our worship.
Only Jesus Christ could do that, He is God in the flesh.
In the letters to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul compares sin to a master,
and all humans are his slaves, because “all have sinned.” God knows that if He does not
offer Himself as a ransom for mankind, man will be slave to sin forever. That causes
heartache to the Lord. He must deliver mankind from sin—man’s master.
When a person, by faith, receives that free atonement for sin, by inviting Jesus
Christ into his heart, he is free from sin such as “sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish
ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like” (Galatians
5:19). What a benefit! Who wish to be involved in the various acts of the nature of sin?
Maybe no one is really thrilled about living in sin. However, “master sin” is so powerful
that many people can hardly free themselves from his grip. No matter how powerful
master sin is, he has to submit to the authority of God the Son. To those who are sincerely
serious about dealing with sin, Paul says, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that
you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of
wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from

9
death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness”
(Romans 6:12-13). If they listen to Paul, sin shall no longer be their master, because they
are now under God’s grace.
To legally drive a car, one must hold a driver license. To get a driver license, one
is required to pass a written test and a driven test. The driver license gives the driver the
right to drive a car.
To be freed from sin, one does not need to study for a test, or to pass a test. He
just needs to orally apply to the Supreme Judge—the Lord Jesus. He has never turned
anyone down.
Secondly, being the children of the Almighty, we are free from the law. The Lord
Jesus declares that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. If He already
fulfilled it, we are no longer under it.
The Christians in Galatia, after being saved from sin and the curse of the law,
tried to observe not only the laws of Moses, but also all other oral traditions. Paul wrote
to them and rebuked them harshly, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? …
Did you receive the Spirit [were you saved] by observing the law, or by believing what
you heard [the Gospel of Jesus Christ]? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the
Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort [by trying to observe the
laws]?” (Galatians 3:1-3.)
Wait a minute, you may say, “Do you try to tell me that, if I believe in Jesus, I’m
no longer under the law, and I’m free to do whatever I want?”
Not at all! When we receive the Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are no longer under
the Old Testament ceremonial laws. However, we are still obligated to keep the moral
laws of the Old and the New Testament.
Let’s hear what Paul has to say about the freedom in Christ: “The law was added
so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more”
(Romans 5:20). But, just like the driver license does not give us the license to drive over
the speed limit, nor to run the red light, and to violate many other rules and regulations.
God saves us to allow us to enjoy some freedom, but Paul warns us, “You, my brothers,
were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather,
serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).
In summary, the freedom in Christ is the freedom from the various acts of the
nature of sin, the freedom from ceremonial laws. But we still have to keep His
commandments as an act of love and of worship to our Lord.

Credits Cards

The next important things a person carries in his wallet are credit cards. I was
originally from an Asian country since 1975. I went back home many times to visit
relatives, and to minister to local churches. However, I prefer to live in USA. One of the
reasons for that is in Asia, especially in my country, business transactions are on cash
basis. To go shopping one needs cash on hand. The majority does not have a Bank
account. Maybe just a couple of years ago a few business people hold credit card (s). On
the other hand, in the US I go shopping any time without cash on hand. I can spend
thousand dollars without a penny in my pocket.

10
 A financial institution issues credit cards to someone who has earned credit based
on his credit history and he has proved to be trusted.
In that regard I’d like to tell you my experience with my credit and credit card.
When I first came to this country, I learned the convenience of credit card. I picked up an
application at the bank, filled it and sent it to the financial institution. A week or two later
I received a nice letter denying my request. I wrote another letter, trying to say that I am
an honest man, and I would pay back what I owe. They still denied my request because
they didn’t have my credit history that may show my trustworthiness.
Credit card business is a business of trust. The financial institution issues the card
to a person whom the institution trusts that the borrower will pay back principal and
interest at due time. The financial institutions have great faith in people, even though
some are not faithful.
I believe in the credit system of this country. Without it not many can own a home
—“home sweet home.” In spite of many untrustworthy debtors many financial
institutions keep on lending money to the one who needs a loan. I, myself and my family
are very grateful to our Credit Union. Without it and without the American credit system,
I could not own a home or a car. It’s a great blessing to be an American!
Bearing a credit card is a privilege, and at the same time it is a risk. It’s a privilege
to those who use it wisely. It is a risk to those who contract what we may call a “spending
mania.” Financial counselors have advised to a responsible consumer, “Do not hold a
credit card. If you own one, pay as you go. Do not overspend, do not spend when you
know you cannot pay back.” Unfortunately, in a country where merchandises are plenty,
and temptation is irresistible, the consumers cannot control their desire to buy more and
more. We often hear retailers encourage shoppers, “Shop until you drop.” That means,
“Spend until you sell your pant.”
We can link the concept of credit to the concept of trustworthiness, and
faithfulness. We may fairly say that a credit card owner has a certain degree of
trustworthiness—at least based on his credit history. The one who has good credit is not
necessarily a rich person, but rather he who faithfully pays off his debt, one minimum
amount at a time.
Faithfulness is one of many characteristics of God. When He promises something,
we are sure that He will fulfill it.
The first three verses of Genesis 12 contain what Jews and Christians call the
Abrahamic Covenant which is also called “the promises” in other parts of the Bible. God
promised to Abram: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make
your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and
whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:2-3). Approximately a thousand year after
that covenant Abraham’s children possessed the land that had been promised to them. In
586 B.C. they were driven out of that land, taken into captivity. But 70 years later they
were allowed to return to their promised land again. Finally in 1947, Abraham’s
descendants repossessed their land again.
Today, Abraham’s descendants include billion of Jews and Arabs. The last line of
the covenant--“and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you”—was fulfilled 2000
years when the Lord Jesus came into the world to save all people on earth. Christians
through faith in Jesus are Abraham’s spiritual children.

11
 If God has kept His promises in the past we are guaranteed that He will keep His
promises in the future. There are many key promises that we should take; else we will be
sorry for eternity. Here’s one of them, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one
and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John
3:16). God is trustworthy. When He promises us eternal life, we will not perish, if we
take His word at face value, and believe in Jesus, we will spend eternity with Him
wherever He is.
The Lord Jesus Himself made many promises to His followers. The Bible tells us
the He is in the very nature of God (see Philippians 2:6). Thus, Jesus will keep His
promises as God does.
The Lord Jesus is faithful, and He expects those who believe in Him to be faithful
to Him and to others.
Christians may borrow an amount of money that they can pay back. We ought to
set an example of trustworthiness, so that we can be called “the light of the world and the
salt of the earth.” If we have problem managing our finance, go see a financial counselor.
Ask the Lord the help us to resist the temptation of overspending. While Christians
should earn the trust from our neighbors, we have to be faithful to our Lord. One day,
when you see the Lord face to face, what would you like to hear from Him? I’d like to
hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23). That is the
ultimate recompense a disciple of Christ can get. A good servant is also a faithful servant.
Now let’s talk about the third vital necessity in our life, money.

Money

Beside our driver license and our credit cards, we keep money in our wallet. Who
would say: “I don’t need money? Or I’d like to be a little bit richer?” I’ve a lot to be
thankful. One of the things I’m thankful for is that I shall not want—I’m not be in need—
because the good Lord has provided all my needs. Still, I wish to have more money, not
for me, but for giving to charity. I wrote two books, and I’m writing this one. I do not
desire to be famous, or rich. I’ve dedicated my books to the works of the Lord. There are
many people or organizations I’d like to financially support. But my resources are
limited. I can write, and would like the Lord help me to raise fund for the above purpose.
If you bought my books, you supported my ministry, and you are taking part in building
the Lord’s kingdom. Thank you very much for your support.
One thing every person, regardless of his background, race or social status, has in
common is that we all need money. A Vietnamese saying goes, “With money you can buy
even a fairy—an immortal.” Or practically, we say, “No money, no happy.” Many
married couples ended up in divorce due to financial hardship. Every day we hear on the
news that people are robbed, and houses burglarized. Robbers and burglars need money
like anyone else, but they cannot or would not make money in an honest way. So they use
an illegal way.
Money has been a key issue at all time. I’m amazed at our Lord. He didn’t have
pocket money, nor cash on hand. One time in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-
drachma tax questioned Jesus’ duty as a citizen to pay the temple tax. Even though, as the
very Son of God, Jesus Christ was exempt from such kind of tax, He still sent Peter to
catch a fish and to get money to pay tax. Yet He took time to teach about the issue. I

12
believe that He anticipated that, 2000 years later, there would be a lot of believers who
would have a hard time managing their finance.
According to the gospel of Matthew, the Lord started His ministry with a series of
sermons called “the Sermons on the Mount.” Matthew dedicated three chapters for Jesus’
teaching. The Lord touched base on different subjects, including the genuine blessings,
the identity of His disciples, and His relationship with the Law, and different moral
behaviors. At the beginning of chapter 6, the Lord teaches on how His followers should
give, since the way we give is more important than the amount we give. Even though He
didn’t admonish us to give, giving is a privilege of the believers.
From that lesson, how do we spend our money? First, we give back to the Lord a
small percentage, and we should financially assist our neighbors—those we know are in
need (see Luke 10).
In the same chapter of Matthew the Lord shows us where is the best place to
invest. A financial counselor tells us to invest in this stock or in other stock, but the Lord
recommends that we should invest in heaven, or His own kingdom. Why He who owns
everything in the universe needs money? No, He doesn’t need our money, but there are
many people who need it. He gives us a chance to give, a chance to walk by faith,
believing that He will provide all our needs. That is the meaning of Psalm 1:1: “The Lord
is my shepherd, I shall not want,” because He takes care of me. The Lord commends a
widow who gives only two very small copper coins because she gives all she has.
After showing the relationship between the eyes and the light, the Lord goes back
to the monetary subject. In one verse sermon He let us review our priority. God or money,
which is more important? He makes clear that we cannot serve two masters. If we decide
to serve God, we may not serve money. Money is a good servant if we know how to
manage it. If we don’t, it will be our master, and it will be disastrous. Paul asserts that
money is not evil; it is the root of all kinds of evil. If we know how use it wisely, it will
be a powerful tool. If we invest all our time and strength to make money, we will turn it
into a nasty master. The Lord’s message is very clear: do not serve money if we love
Him. And it will be better that way. The Lord is always right! Mary told the servants at
the wedding in Cana, "Do whatever he tells you." Indeed, do whatever the Lord Jesus tells
us.
This morning, the 5th day of July, 2006, TV reporters announced that Kenneth
Lay, the founder of Enron, died of heart attack. In May of this year, Mr. Lay, according to
Associated Press, “was convicted of helping perpetuate one of the most sprawling
business frauds in U.S. history.”
At the end of Matthew 6, the Lord ministers about the state of the heart. He
invites the weary to come to Him to receive peace. But, if that person is still worrying,
the Lord cannot give him peace. To receive peace one must rid of worry. If a person
worries about his life, about what he will eat or drink; or about his body—i.e. body
building--, what he will wear, he will try very hard to make money to meet his needs. He
will serve his foods, his clothes, and his money, instead of serving the Lord.

13
 The Glasses

We have different views on different things, maybe because we see things

differently. When we are young our eyes can adjust so that we can see near or far. When
we get older our eyes are not flexible, and see things that are far away better than things
that are near to us. Old people are called farsighted. Many young people cannot see
things that are far away; they are called nearsighted. If you fall into one of those two
categories, you need to wear glasses that adjust the lens of your eyes so you can see near
and far.
There was one illiterate man. He noticed that his neighbor wore glasses to read.
The illiterate man thought that he could read if he put the glasses on. He bought himself a
pair of glasses. But he couldn’t read even with his glasses on.
Someone said that we do not appreciate something we have until we loose it.
People who can see are not grateful for his eyes. A blind man definitely wants to see,
even if he has to pay million dollars for the sight.
Blessed is the man/woman who doesn’t wear glasses. But we all need spiritual
glasses to have correct view of things. The world has numerous worldviews, and people
sometime defend their views to death. But the utmost worldview is God’s worldview. The
Lord declares, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). In order to discern things as He
does, we must wear His glasses.
When we need glasses we have to get a prescription from an optometrist. God’s
Spirit is the spiritual optometrist. We have to go to the Holy Spirit to get a prescription
for spiritual glasses.
In Matthew 6, the Lord Jesus inserts in His sermon on the treasures in heaven, a
parallel between the eye and the lamp. In fact, a blind man actually lives in the dark.
When his sight is restored he is walking in the light again.
The four gospels recorded many cases where the Lord heals blind men. His
miracles not only reveal His divine nature, but also tell us that He is the light. We can
only walk in the light when He is our Lord and Savior. The Bible calls those who do not
believe in Him, the lost. We are lost when we walk in the dark. Walking in His light and
living by His truth are the signs of true fellowship with Him and with one another.
Physical glasses correct the natural eyes to see clearly. Spiritual glasses correct
our worldviews and get them in line with His worldviews. The Holy Spirit is the spiritual
optometrist, because He guides us into all truth.
The wallet and the glasses are two critical things we must carry with us when we
leave our homes. The third object be supported we cannot forget are the keys—whether it
is a car key or house key.

14
 The Keys

People sometime left the key in the car, then locked the doors, and were locked
out. Sometime they left the house key at home, and were locked out when they returned.
Would it be more convenient if we do not drive a car as in the Bible time? But, as we are
living now and here, we cannot afford to leave our keys home when we go out.
Before the Lord Jesus came into the world, there was a unique room with its door
unlocked, but there was one and only one particular person who may enter it, and only
once a year, on a special occasion. Even with that privilege, he entered that room at his
own risk, because he may not come out alive. If you read the Pentateuch—the first five
Books of the Old Testament—you may have guessed which room I’m speaking of. That’s
right! That room was “the Holy of Holies,” and the privileged person who was allowed to
enter that room was the High Priest. Once a year, he entered that room to offer sacrifice
for himself and for the whole nation of Israel. That room was not locked, but not
permitted to anyone but the High Priest.
Looking into the New Testament we can find six verses that contain the word
“key(s).” In Matthew 16, the Lord Jesus offers Peter the most challenging responsibility
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be
bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (vs 19).
According to William Barclay, the word “key” implies a special power. For instance, the
Jewish rabbis used to say, “The key of the birth, of the wind, of the resurrection belong to
God.” That is His unique power. In the New Testament that concept applies to the Lord
Jesus since He declares, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”
(Matthew 28:18). He also asserts that He “holds the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation
1:18). In Revelation 3:7, He is described as someone “who is holy and true, who holds the
key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” In that
verse, the word “key” may be understood as a divine power. That is not hard to
understand, since Jesus Christ comes from heaven, and He has the very nature of God.
There is another group of people who is given the privilege of holding an
important key. However, that group did not unlock the door of knowledge of God and of
His word. Therefore the Lord Jesus warns them, "Woe to you experts in the law, because
you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you
have hindered those who were entering” (Luke 11:52).
God chose the Jews as His people, and entrusted them with His word. His will
was for them to open the door and let people enter in His court, to learn from Him
through His chosen people. Unfortunately, they failed Him miserably.
Are Christians today doing better than the Jews? Do we know that we are
entrusted with the complete Book—the key of the kingdom of heaven? Are we not
entering in and at the same time hindering those who are entering?

15
 New Year Wishes

In the Western world, at the end of December people wish each other: “We wish
you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” regardless of the faith of the wishers and
the receivers of the wishes.
On Lunar New Year Day, Vietnamese people wish each other to be blessed, to
prosper, and to live a long life.
Generally speaking, to most people regardless of belief, blessing means good life.
A person believes he is blessed when he holds a high-paid job, owns a nice house, has a
happy family, and nice children. No one will disagree with that. When the Lord Jesus
asserts: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” He does not means
that His blessing is limited to material blessing.
The Chinese word that means blessing is composed of four words: spirit, one,
mouth (or person) and garden. That word suggests that God bless one man in the garden,
or He blesses Adam whom He put in the Garden of Eden. That also suggests that the real
blessing is from Yaweh. Many of my fellow citizens bride “mammon”--the spirit of
fortune—who they believes can bless them in their business. They also offer foods, and
fake money to the spirits of the dead, hoping they bless their business and protect them
from all unlucky situations.
Many wrote books on blessing. That is not the purpose of this book. I’d like to
review the meaning of blessing under the light of the Scripture. The word “blessing”
appears 89 times in the Bible, the word “bless,” 388 times, and the word “blessed,’ 222
times.
God loves to bless His creation. Genesis 1 tells us that after the Lord had created
the heaven and the earth, and man—male and female—He blessed them. When God
makes a covenant with Abram He promises to bless Abram. Abram will be a great nation,
and his name will be great. God will bless those who bless him, and curse those who
curse him, and all people on the earth will be blessed through him. In this covenant—
known as the Abrahamic covenant—the Lord did not promise to Abram great wealth,
even though Abram was a rich man. Proverbs teach us, “A good name is more desirable
than great riches” (22:1). The Lord Jesus admonishes us to seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and everything else will be given to us as well.
The word “blessed” appears 31 times in the Psalms. From those verses, we may
learn the meaning of being blessed. Following are some of the teachings on blessing:
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in
the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers” (Psalm 1:1).
“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (32:1).
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his
inheritance” (33:12).
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in
him” (37:26).
The utmost blessing is having one’s transgressions forgiven, or being counted as
righteous. That is done through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.
The second wish is for prosperity. That means a high paid job for an employee,
and high profits for a businessperson.

16
 It is easy for us to understand that people who are living in developing countries
wish to be rich. But the truth is every man or woman has a desire to be rich. Even a child
wants to collect a lot of toys.
Some Churches in America teach “Success theology.” People attending those
Churches love to hear that God loves them and will make them rich—“abundant life”.
The leaders of those Churches set example for the members by living “successful life,”
driving luxurious cars, wearing expensive clothes.
In Joshua 1:8, the Lord gives Joshua the key to success and prosperity, “meditate
on it [God’s word] day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in
it” (NIV). Joshua was successful as a servant of the Most High who led the Israelites into
the Promised Land. His success was to fulfill God’s will. Other success of Joshua was his
influence that kept the Israelites faithful both under his own time and that of the elders
who outlived him. 3 As for Joshua’s prosperity, he received the city of Timnath Serah in
Ephraim that he had asked for. He did not ask for more than what he deserved.
The apostle John in his letter sheds light on the meaning of prosperity. He prayed
for his friend Gaius: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health,
just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2—NKJV). John not only wishes his friend enjoy
good health, but also that his soul is getting along well. That’s the true prosperity.

The third wish is for longevity.

My father in-law is 86 years old, and his health is deteriorating. He underwent
two colon surgeries. He can still move around, but his feet cannot support well his body.
We can understand how he feels, and understand him when he prays that the Lord would
take him home quickly. I tell him, “Dad, I don’t know how I will be at your age. I wish to
be with the Lord if I were you. However, it is His decision. What we can do is to pray and
wait.” He is thankful for living that long. One of his favorite Bible verse is: “the length of
our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength” (Ps 90:10—NIV).
The French poet of seventeen century—La Fontaine, the author of many short
parables, wrote a story of a logger. On the way home with a heavy load of wood on his
shoulders, he felt the pressure of life, including taxes, mandatory labor from the
government, hard work to support his family. Overwhelmed by so heavy negative
thinking, the logger called the Death. He came immediately, and asked the poor man:
“How can I help you?” But, when the logger saw the Death face to face, he wanted to live
in of spite of his hardship, and he asked the Death to carry his load of wood home.
The point La Fontaine tried to make was that everyone wishes to live a long time.
Many people are not really happy with life; many live difficult life, but all do not wish
their life taken away.
How many people in the world really live? We cannot know, but we know that
many just exist. One does not truly enjoy a quality life until he is united with Jesus
Christ, because he comes to provide mankind with life in full. We can live without Jesus,
but that life is half-full. God “sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” In the
natural realm, all are equal before God. However, quality life is impossible without
spiritual birth. One is born of the spirit when he accepts God’s free gift—Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul, before his conversion, tried to please God. But he was not
spiritual, in the sense that he tried to explain for the rest of his life, after his encounter
3
Fausset’s Bible Dictionary

17
with the resurrected Savior, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20—NIV). Indeed, one is living when Jesus Christ is
living in him. Then, he can have longevity—not hundred years, but eternity.
It is nice to wish someone happiness, prosperity, and longevity. But true
happiness, prosperity and longevity come from the Son of God.

18
 Year of the Dog
2006 corresponds to Chinese Year of the Dog.
Chinese calendar divides time into sets of
twelve. An animal represents a year. The mouse
is the symbol of the first year followed by the
buffalo, the tiger, the cat (or rabbit), the dragon,
the serpent, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the
rooster, the dog, and lastly the pig.
Chinese tradition believes that the year when you’re born determines your
character and your fate. For example, if you’re born in the year of the buffalo, you are
laboring all your life whether you enjoy it or not. On the other hand, if you’re born in the
year of the pig, you’re lucky because you will have an easy life. Many diviners tell what
you can expect from life based on the year, the day and the hour you’re born. An animal
also represents a month, a day, and an hour.
Some animals do not get along well with the others. For example, the tiger, the
monkey, the serpent, and the pig are antagonistic to each other. Thus, if you’re born in the
year of the tiger, you should not marry someone who is born in the year of the monkey, or
of the serpent, or of the pig.
Depending on the country and its tradition, dogs are treating as human or as dirt,
with exception, of course.
In my country dogs are pets, but do not receive a better treatment than other
animals like pigs, chickens, geese or cats. My brother loves dogs, no less than people in
the U.S who see dogs as “men best friends.” One time his daughter hit his dog a little
hard. He was so mad that he almost kicked his daughter out of the house. In this country,
dog owners kiss their pets; let them sleep on their beds just like their children.
The gospel of Matthew recorded an interesting conversation of the Lord and a
Canaanite woman. She asked Him to deliver her daughter from demon-possession. At
first, the Lord turned down her request, He said to her: "I was sent only to the lost sheep
of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). To emphasize the reason of His deny, Jesus added: "It is not
right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs" (vs. 26). The word “dogs” does
not suggest an idea of love, but rather an idea of worthless. The woman was fully aware
of her “dog’s” position. But, as a dog, she could eat the crumbs of the children’s bread
that was better than pods the pigs are eating. (See Luke 15.) And that was all she asked
for because that was still a blessing to her. And the Lord commended her for her great
faith.
Above are different ways people see dogs or how they treat them. But how dogs
are?

19
 Dogs are men’s best friends due to their unquestionable loyalty to their owners. In
the country, dogs are raised to guard houses against intruders, whether they are animals or
human. Thieves and robbers do not take a risk breaking in a house when they see the sign
“Beware of dogs.” Attackers would not lay their hands on the one walking with a dog
who is ready to protect his owner. A smart dog can find the way home even he is lost
hundred miles away. He does not leave his owner for another who feed him better.
What can we learn from a dog? Of course, dogs are not better than men in many
aspects. But, God gives dogs at least one character that we need in our relationship with
God. If loyalty is something special and precious about dogs, faithfulness is something
God expects from His children. He has the right to require us to be faithful to Him,
because He has set throughout history before us an example of faithfulness. The phrase
“Like father, like son,” expresses a plain truth. As children of God, we must take after
Him in some way.
We must be faithful in our worship, in our service, in our fellowship, in our
witnessing, in our meditating His word.
Another animal possess some characters that is worth to study—the Canadian
geese.

20
 Canadian Geese

Back in the 60’s, Canadian Geese were considered endangered. Today they live in
just the entire North American continent, and in some areas are even considered a
menace. What factors have contributed to their survival and multiplication? Following
are some of those factors.
1. Canadian Geese have a strong sense of family. A pair of parents mate for
life, raising anywhere from 4 to 7 eggs a year. Both parents defend the nest and tend the
little chicks.
The parents will stay with their young all year, migrating with them and taking care of
them. As they come into land the family group separates. When a member of the family
is wounded, and cannot keep up with the flock, some of the other members will stay, and
protect the wounded bird.
2. While other birds would take off in order to escape danger, Canadian
Geese are noted for their stubbornness and aggressiveness, so they are likely to stand
their ground and fight off the attackers. Because they are flock-oriented, a fox trying to
single out a lone goose will soon find itself facing 8 or 9-and retreating to safety.
Like many other birds, the Canadian Geese use a V formation when they are
migrating. The bird at the head of the V formation hits the air in front with the most
force. It “breaks up” the air that then flows over the rest of the group more easily. The
geese that follow the leader can take advantage of both the lack of air resistance in front
and the push they get from the swirling vortexes of air behind them.
Many Canadian Geese fly thousands of miles between their Mexico wintering
spots to their summer homes in Canada and Alaska. They can reach up to 60mph during
their flights, and can reach an altitude of 8,000 feet.
Canadian Geese are very people-friendly, but some people are not goose-friendly.
Hunters are also very fond of goose meat, because it is very tasty, and because many
communities actively want to get rid of the birds.
The natural predators of the Canadian Geese and its young include: dogs,
raccoons, foxes, owls, weasels. While these predators might keep the goose population in
check in wilderness areas, there are typically no predators at all in many areas the
Canadian Geese now tend to hang out in golf courses and lawns of buildings.
Even God gives man the dominion over all of His creatures; He also gives them
some good characters that will enable them to survive in this fallen world.
What is the survival secret of the Canadian Geese? They have multiplied in the
last 40 years. What lesson the Christians Churches can learn from the geese?
The Book of Genesis explains how God created everything at the beginning. After
He created the fishes and the birds, He “blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase
in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth" (Genesis
1:22). And again, after the Lord created man in His own image, He “blessed them and
said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number” (vs. 28). That was what the Canadian
geese did. They have been fruitful and increased in number. In order for any Christian
Churches not to be considered as “endangered species,” they need to multiply and
increase in number. The Churches must go and preach the good news. That was what the
Lord Jesus did during His earthy ministry. The Christian churches need to give birth to
spiritual children. The spiritual babies in turn need to be cared for with patience, and need

21
to be fed by the spiritual milk—the very word of God—as it is written, "It is written:
'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'
" (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).
Approximately in 1900 B.C. the family through which God would bring the
Messiah into the world faced the danger of being wiped out due to the famine in the land.
However, God’s plan must be fulfilled. He sent Joseph to Egypt years before the famine
in order to save his family. Later Joseph could not only save his family from starving to
death, but also to increase in number, as God had promised to Abraham, "I will make
you into a great nation” (Genesis 12: 2). When Jacob and his family moved down to
Egypt, there were seventy people. Four hundred years later Jacob’s family became a great
nation of approximately two million. God’s children must not only survive, but also
multiply.
The logo of the USA is “Pluribus Unum”— many in one. A flock of geese is
made up of many family units. The parents take care of the chicks until they can have a
family by themselves.
Pastor Yonggi Cho of the Full Gospel Church in Seoul, the largest church in the
world, has divided his church into thousand of small groups, called cell groups. The
purpose of the Cell groups is, in case the church building is destroyed for any reason, by
anyone, the gospel message continues on. Many modern “Mega churches” today have
adopted that organization model. The disadvantage of a mega church is being so huge
that one church member cannot really know another member of the church. But, they can
enjoy the fellowship with other believers in a small group.
To the church in Galatia Paul wrote, “Carry each other’s burdens.” If we do not
know our brothers or sisters’ in Christ burdens, how can we carry their? In a small group,
it’s easier to share our burdens with others so they can carry with us.

The V shape

Canadian geese and other flocks of birds fly in a formation that looks like the
shape of a V. This special formation enables the geese to fly longer and farther. The
leader of the formation hits the air with the most force, and breaks up the air that then
flows over the rest of the group more easily. Thus, those which fly behind do not face a
strong air resistance, and can save energy for a long distance. They in turn honk to cheer
the leader. In a V formation the birds can watch each other and communicate the landing
field. Since it takes more energy to lead, the geese take turn to fly in front. When the
geese fly in V formation they can fly 70 per cent farther than without formation.
From the way the geese fly we can draw some good ideas for Christian churches
to operate effectively. The leader knows where he is heading to, and tries very hard to
lead the flock to its destination. Meanwhile the members of the flock, not only follow the
leader, but also cheer their leader. When encouraged, the leader can go extra miles
without feeling weary. Members of a Christian church should edify the Pastor because he

22
is trying the best to serve them and to lead them to where the Lord wants them to go.
Mature members of the church can share the responsibility with the Pastor in various
functions, such as teaching, counseling, training or visiting. Each member of the church
has at least one spiritual gift that enables him to serve. Rick Warren of Saddleback
Church asserts that the nightlight in his house is more important than other lights because
without it he cannot move around at nighttime.
What else can we learn from Canadian geese? Apparently we can learn from their
strong sense of family.
Common sense tells us that family is the foundation of societies. If families in a
society are fallen apart, that society will stumble. Who teaches the Canadian Geese that
strong sense of family? Who teaches both goose parents to take care of their chicks. That
strong sense of family enables them not only to survive, but also to multiply.
In our present societies, many, if not all couples cannot keep up with their marriage
commitment. According to statistics fifty percent of the first time marriages end up in
divorce. How can a pair of geese mate for life? Is it because they don’t have temper? Or
are they patient with each other?
Canadian Geese also have a strong sense of community. They are flock-oriented; they
know how to unite to fight back their predators. People need to learn from the Canadian
Geese to be united. There is a Vietnamese saying that can be translated like this, “One
tree cannot make up a hill, three trees can make up a high mountain.”
The Bible teaches, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every
city or household divided against itself will not stand” (Matt 12:25—NIV).
Canadian geese are surely interesting birds. I believe that God created them at the
same time with other fowls. He designed them in such a way that they can fly easily, and
the flying techniques were built in them. God also
equipped them with a strong sense of family and a strong sense of community.

The Enemies
Canadian geese are not easy to pick on due to their size and aggressiveness.
However, hunters, wolves, foxes, and owls love to attack geese for food. By survival
instinct, Canadian geese land on Golf course or parks where they are not likely to be
attacked.
The book of Genesis described how the serpent, that was craftier than any of the
wild animals, tempted Eva. She listened to the serpent, and disobeyed her Creator. As a
result, the Lord “will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between
your offspring [his offspring] and hers; he will crush your head, and you [the serpent]
will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). That was the prophecy of the Lord Jesus, and also the
warning of the spiritual warfare between God’s children and “the rulers, the authorities,
the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” In
Ephesians 6:12 Paul listed the real enemies of Christians. The apostle Peter reminds us:
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Peter tells us to “Resist him, standing firm
in the faith” (vs. 9). The devil is more powerful than us. However, if we stand firm in our
faith, if we live by faith, if we are faithful to our Lord, if we are strengthened by our
fellowship with other believers, we can win the battles.

23
 We can learn from the geese. They try to stay away from the predators’ territory,
and stop over in the city parks. Christians had better not to fight the devil alone. We had
better to call for help from our fellow Christians, and depend on Jesus’ power to resist the
evil of this world including all kind of trials, tribulation, and persecutions.
Hunters and predators love to kill geese for food. The devil like predator loves to
“steal, kill and destroy” God’s children. According to “Voice of the Martyrs”—a
Christian organization—every hour there’s 17 Christians die because of their faith. In
order to survive and multiply, Christians need to:
• Be self-controlled and alert. We must keep our spiritual eyes opened to
discern the real enemies. In the battlefield quite a few soldiers die of what the Army calls
“friendly fire,” erroneously shot by their own comrades. Many time Christians are hurt by
“friendly fire,” not by the children of the devil. If every Christian takes the new
commandment—that is “to love one another”--of their Savior seriously, the Christian will
grow beyond imagination.
• Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. We need to put on the full
armor of God so that we can take our stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:10-
11). We cannot win the spiritual warfare by “our own might, our own power,” but by the
spirit of the Lord.
The Lord Jesus declares, “But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John
16:33). He has crushed the head of the serpent on the cross. We need to realize that the
gates of Hades will not overcome His church.

Summary
From being considered as endangered species, Canadian geese could survive and
multiply greatly due to their:
- Strong sense of family,
- Strong sense of community,
- Strong sense of organization.
Human knows those keys to success, but fail to practice them. If we put
them into practice, our “civilized societies” are stronger, and more civilized, our Christian
churches are growing exceedingly.

24
 The Lotus

One of the poems I had to memorize in second grade can be translated as

follows:
In a pond, nothing is prettier
Than the lotus flower.
The yellow pistil stands out
In the center of white flower
That appears whiter
Above the green leaves below.
Yellow pistil, green leaves and white flower
That does not smell like mud,
Even though it grows out of the mud.

The lotus flower is not only adored for its beauty, but also for its fragrance.
Before growing to its full beauty, a lotus goes through three phases of development:
1. In the first phase, it’s only a root, lying at the bottom of the pond, in the
mud, among pollutants, and unwanted wastes. Nobody knows its existence, and no one
cares for its somber situation. It’s growing in dirty water and muddy environment.
Water represents difficult situations (Psalm 66:12), hopelessness (Lamentations
3:54; Psalm 69:1). The pond water is dirty, polluted. No other bulbs are growing out of
such a filthy mud, except lotus. How could it be? A beautiful lotus is growing out of
mud?
Does that beautiful flower remind us of someone who is very special, and who
was born in a cave or in a barn? That’s true! Before being exalted to the highest place and
given the name that is above every name, the Savior is required to relinquish his very
nature of God, and to be born in a lowest place. The Bible also tells us: “He [the Lord
Jesus] had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we
should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar
with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we
esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:2-3—NIV).

2. In the second phase the lotus tries to rise above the surface. It does not
accept the miry condition at the bottom of the pond. The plant might say—if it has a
human mind—“I was put here against my will. I don’t like the situation I’m in. I can try
to get out of here.” In fact, life is a lot different above the water, in the air and under the
sun that are necessary to its growth. When it was at the bottom of the pond, the lotus was
able to temporarily survive for sometime. But, if it continues to stay in the mud,
eventually it will die. In order to grow, to blossom, and to share its beauty with the world,
the lotus must emerge from the miry condition, and expose to the light and the air.

3. The third phase is that of blossom. The lotus produces seeds. Its roots, its
stems, its seeds are edible. One can eat its root or make candy out it. We can pickle the
stem or make soup with it. Its seeds are good for dessert when it’s cooked with other
roots or seaweed. Chinese chefs steam rice wrapped in lotus leaves. In other word every
part of the lotus is useful or edible.

25
 There is a parallel between a lotus and a Christian. Isaiah saw himself as dust
before the glory of God,
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5—NKJV)
God’s word affirms, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” A
certain ruler believed that he kept all the commandments since he was a boy, but still he
was not sure of his salvation. The Lord Jesus told him that it was not enough. Paul
explained how one may inherit eternal life, “it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8-9—NIV). The young
ruler counted on his works to be saved. “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.” We
were living in sins, and lost. The Lord Jesus by His amazing grace picked us up from the
miry pond.
If the lotus stays at the bottom of the pond, eventually it will be rotten. Every
person is born with a will. God gave to all men His One and Only Son, and we have a
choice to believe in Him or deny Him. When one comes to his sense, and abhors his
sinful life, he realizes that God’s Only Son is his only hope, he will believe. Then, he can
rise above the filthy and stinky water, and “live up to his full potential through full
devotion to Jesus Christ.” 4 The Lord Jesus calls that kind of life, “abundant life,” or “life
in full.”
Once the lotus emerges, the sun and the air enable it to grow to its full potential.
Eventually it becomes a beautiful, aromatic flower. People put lotus on shrines as an
offering to their gods. Its flower in turn will bear edible seeds.
At this stage a Christian has grown to maturity. Paul urged him to present his
body as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God. One may refuse to grow
psychologically, but Christian must grow up in the Lord. He must keep on walking in the
light as God is in the light, so that he has fellowship with one another. A believer also
needs to breath the air of the Holy Spirit, to grow stronger each day. Without the power of
the Holy Spirit a child of God will become vulnerable, and an easy prey for the roaring
lion that is looking for a weak Christian to devour. The only way to protect him is to stay
close to the King of kings.
Every part of the lotus is edible or at least useful. So it is with Christians, all we
have belong to the Lord. We must let Him use whatever He gave to us: our money, our
talents, and our spiritual gifts. We give freely what we freely receive. God’s principle is,
“everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not
have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 25:29—NIV).
The lotus flower is so fragrant, even though it grows out of stinky mud. That is
the way a Christian should be. In John 17, the Lord prayed for his disciples and for all
Christians of all time, “My prayer is not that you [God] take them out of the world but
that you [God] protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not
of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word [God’s word] is truth” (verses 15-18—NIV).
Paul teaches us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2—NIV). John states that if we
4
From Pastor Dan Secrist, Faith Assembly of Lacey.

26
believe in the Lord Jesus, yet we are still sinning, we are kidding ourselves, because the
truth is not in us.
We have to be in the world, but we don’t have to accept its ungodly standards and
values. We need to be sanctified by the word of God.

27
 The Lizard

In Vietnam—and maybe in other Asian countries—geckos and small lizards live

in the houses. Lizards are like pets; nobody bothers them. They run well on the wall and
on the ceilings. Sometime I’m wondering as to why God creates some animals like the
crows or the sparrows. But I know the purpose of the lizards. They eat mosquitoes and
bugs.
When I was in Grade School, I heard a lizard mythology.
Once upon a time lived a very rich man by the name of Thach Sung. Sung was
very proud of his asset. He boasted that he has everything one can imagine. In the village
there were many poor. One day a poor villager came to Sung and made a bet with the rich
man. Let’s call him Lazarus because he was anonymous in the story. Lazarus said to
Sung: “Sir Sung, did you say that you have everything in the world?”
- “Yes, why?” Sung asked.
- “I’d like to make a bet with you,” replied Lazarus.
- “What do you like to bet?” Sung asked.
- “I bet that I have something you don’t have,” said Lazarus.
- “How much do you want to bet? Sung asked.
- “If I win, you have to pay me half of what you own,” Lazarus replied.
Sung did not know that was a trick, and took the bet. He showed to the
villagers everything in his house. Lazarus in turn brought an old clay pot he used to cook
fish in it. A rich man like Sung would not keep a worthless pot.
Sung was tricked, and he lost half of his asset to that poor clever man. He was so
upset that he became depressed and died not long after that. Sung was so attached to his
property that he was reincarnated into a small animal called lizard. The Vietnamese who
are living in the North call it “thach sung.”

28
 The lizard makes a noise that sounds like the voice of someone who is expressing
a regret. Thach Sung the lizard regrets that he made the bet. He makes that noise to show
that he terribly misses what he owned.
When we make a bet, there’s fifty per cent chance that we win, and another fifty
percent we loose. But there is one bet in which we always win. That is called the Pascal
bet. According to Blaise Pascal, when we believe in Jesus and if the Bible is not true,
believers and non-believers will come to the same place or to nowhere. But, if the Bible
tells the truth, non-believers will regret that they did not believe. Therefore, a Christian is
the one who takes the Pascal bet, and is always winning. Who would turn down a lottery
that he knows that he has one hundred per cent chance to win?
The Bible asserts, “The fool says in his heart, ’There is no God’" (Ps 14:1 NIV).
He is fool because he took a chance; there is fifty per cent chance he will loose, and
another fifty per cent he will not win.
The Gospel of Luke narrated the story of a rich man. Maybe during his lifetime he
did not love God, and did not care for beggars like Lazarus. Once in hell he regretted, but
it was too late. Abraham or Lazarus could not help him.
The Gospel of Luke also recorded a parable of the Lord Jesus. A certain man
came to Jesus and asked Him to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. The
Lord rebuked the man, because He is not their judge or arbiter. On that occasion the Lord
told the crowd a parable about a rich man. The man was blessed with a good crop. He
planned to tear down his barns, build bigger ones, and rest and enjoy life. "But God said
to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will
get what you have prepared for yourself'” (Luke 12:20—NIV)? This man had so much,
but he missed something very important and would be sorry. Luke 18 also recorded a
young ruler who came to Jesus to inquire about the way to heaven. Jesus gave him the
answer, but the ruler was so caught up in his wealth that he did not listen to the word of
the Lord.

God gives some more than others. He is fair, no question about it. Rich or poor,
all of us need a Savior. If we don’t have one, we will be sorry for eternity. The Lord Jesus
claims that He is the one, “I’m the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me” (John 14:6).

29
 Nobody Knows

Yesterday, I received a letter from the Police Department, notifying me that on

December of last year their radar equipment detected my car traveling 35 mph on a
street when the maximum legal speed is 25mph.
I did not drive my car that day on that street; my brother-in law did. He is a calm
man, and used to drive carefully. But, somehow he drove over the speed limit. Even
though no ticket was issued, I think that I need to write to the Police Department to
apologize, even for a small mistake.
From that incident we can draw a couple of lessons.

NO ONE IS PERFECT
My brother-in law and I are careful drivers. Still we got tickets for failing to yield
to the right of way. One time, in a hurry, I did not make a complete stop at a stoplight.
Many drivers did that all the time, but the police caught me that time, even though I have
always stopped at any stop signs or stoplights. My children are good drivers; they have
not violated traffic laws. That does not mean they are perfect drivers. Who drives 30 mph
on a street where the signs say 30 mph? If the Police Department installs the radar
equipment at every corner of all the City streets and State Highways, and if the speed
limit is strictly enforced, every driver is fined. The statement—“No one is perfect”—
cannot be an excuse for driving recklessly. We should all be responsible, defensive
drivers for our own lives.
The writer of the Psalm prayed to God, “Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you” (Ps 143:2—NIV). The apostle Paul stated,
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). God is a holy and
just God. He must judge sin. And the verdict is death.
By no mean the statement—“No one is perfect”—is an excuse that human beings
continue to live in sin. Galatians 5 lists different kinds of acts called sins: “The acts of the
sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like” (verses 19-21). God is able to clean us from
all sins, except for “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”
In the beginning God created human, male and female. They were perfect. But
when the first couple disobeyed God, and ate the fruit He forbade them, mankind became
imperfect.
Because no one is perfect, grace is necessary.

GRACE VS MERIT
Paul said: “…But where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Rom 5:20b
—NIV).
My brother-in law did not get a ticket for driving over the speed limit because the
Police was gracious to him. In reality a Police Officer does not write a ticket to someone
who goes 5 miles over the speed limit. We may call it a “grace speed”. If the traffic laws
are strictly enforced, all drivers, male and female are fined.
The same principle works in the spiritual realm. Since everyone has sinned, no
one escapes judgment. All must pay the penalty that is death. If that is the case, God will

30
reign in heaven by Himself. But God is as social as human beings; He needs company.
The only way we can join Him in heaven is by His grace. God offers to desperate people
a way out that Paul explained in his letter to the Romans, “For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23—NIV). Through Jesus
Christ His Only Begotten Son, God paid our penalty, so that our sins are judged at the
cross. We are considered as righteous when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus. That
means through the Lord Jesus we do not have to be super duper good to go to heaven.
Paul tells us: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9—
NIV).
When we are living on this earth we have different choices. We may commit
ourselves totally to our Savior, or serve Him part time, or even not doing anything for
Him. The one who leaves everything to follow Him will “ receive a hundred times as
much and will inherit eternal life” (Matt 19:29—NIV). The Christians who elect to live
for themselves “will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Cor. 3:15
—NIV). However, there’s no first Christian, or second Christian, or third; there’s one
class of Christian.
If we must meet God’s standards to enter heaven, no one will pass the test. But we
may enter God’s dwelling place because He is a merciful God. What is required of us is
faith. Whosoever believes in Jesus Christ will have eternal life.

NO ONE KNOWS
Why do people do something they know that is not right, but still do it? It may be
because the temptation is so strong, and man is weak. But, many time people do
something they know that is wrong, and still do it. Maybe it’s because they think no one
sees, or no one knows. The story of Adam and of Eve eating the forbidden fruit can serve
as an illustration of that kind of thinking.
I don’t think that my brother-in law would intentionally violate the traffic law.
But, when he was aware that he went over the speed limit, he would think that there’s
such a thing called “radar detector” that can record the speed of a car, and the license
plate of the car.
Two events in my life taught me that we cannot assume that “no one knows,” but
rather the opposite is true.
One time I pumped gas at one station. As I came in the office to pay, the clerk told
me how much I had to pay before I told her at which pump I filled up my tank—and the
station had more than one pumps. I told myself: “Oh! Oh! I am in trouble! People know
which car I am driving, meaning they know me. They will know if I am doing wrong
thing.”
There was another time when my coworker told me that he saw my car traveling
by his house. Again, that tells me that people see me when I think they do not.
The writer of Psalm 33 states that, even God dwells in heaven, He sees everyone
who lives on the earth. He sees everything we do because He is the One who forms our
hearts. The writer of Psalm 139 admits that he cannot flee from the presence of the Lord,
“If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Ps 139:8).

31
 Indeed, the One who creates us knows everything about us. He must have a
humongous “hard drive” in order to keep six billion records. One day we will all report to
Him for judgment. His judgment is very accurate. He can also delete all our records if we
put our trust in His Son Jesus.

32
 The Female Goat of Mr. Seguin

In Middle School I took French and one of the stories we studied was “La Chèvre
de Monsieur Seguin” (The female goat of Mr.Seguin). I cannot remember the story word
by word, just the moral of it.
Mr. Seguin loved goats, and he had raised a couple of them. However, he had not
had any luck with any of them. When they grew up, they left him. One after another, they
headed toward the mountains.
Mr. Seguin must be a very patient man. He bought another baby goat. She was
white, and he called her Blanchette, meaning little white. This time he did not take a
chance. So, he tied her to a post in his backyard. He took a good care of Blanchette,
hoping that she would be attached to him and would not run away like the other goats.
Sometime later Blanchette grew up. One day she looked up on the mountains, and
she was thinking, ”It’s boring down here. The grass is good, the food is plenty, and
everything is provided. But, still I can take care of myself. I don’t need this old man to
take care of me. Besides, I don’t like to be tied to this pole. Life should be better up there.
There will be plenty of grass, a lot of leaves, and fresh air. It’s OK here, but I will be
happier up there. Maybe I will meet some new friends, and we will have fun together.
And the best of all is freedom. Yeah! Freedom is what I want.”
Action follows thinking. One day, when Mr. Seguin was not home, Blanchette
broke the rope, and ran to the mountain.
“I am free at last!” Blanchette talked to herself. She enjoyed everything on the
mountain, the fresh air, the delicious plants, and the nature. And, she enjoyed freedom the
best. She did not miss the place where she came from.
Then came the evening. First, Blanchette heard the howling. Then something
appeared in the dark like two dim lights. She felt uncomfortable; her instinct warned her
of a danger approaching. But, it was too late. Blanchette could not run away now,
because she could not see the road. Her survival instinct told her to try her best to defend
herself. The female goat of Mr. Seguin, at that time, regretted for leaving a safe place, and
for ending up in such a desperate situation. But, there was no time for regret. She had to
prepare herself mentally and physically for a good fight. And she courageously fought the
pack of wolves, but she lost the battle, because she was outnumbered.
Blanchette lost her life for the sake of freedom.

Sometime I’m wondering as to why the omniscient God did not program man’s
heart in such a way that he always obeys his Creator. Then I ask myself: “Would I like to
be a robot? Would I like to be controlled, even by my Lord?” Freedom is man’s privilege,
and we should thank our God for it, no matter we are Christians or not. Of course, those,
who say in their heart that there is no God, would not think that they owe their freedom to
the Almighty.
The creation of man was recorded in the second chapter of the first book of the
Bible. After man was created, the Lord put him in the Garden of Eden, and gave him
great freedom. He was allowed to eat from any tree in the garden, except for one—the
tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and his wife Eve were not happy with the
freedom given to them. Instead they wanted to eat from any tree without exception.

33
 Like the female goat of Mr. Seguin, the first couple had to pay for their freedom.
They surely died as the Lord told them.
Not long after Adam and Eve disobeyed their Creator, Eve gave birth to their first
son Cain, and afterward, Abel. They might have learned from their parents the
appropriate sacrifices they should offer to the Lord. Cain and Abel did not bring the same
type of offering to the Lord. Abel offered the kind of offering that was pleasing to God,
and Cain did not. God graciously gave to Cain and Abel a free will.
After the death of Moses, God charge Joshua to take over the possession of the
Promised Land. For the rest of his life, Joshua experienced success and blessing. With
that in mind Joshua did not force God’s children to worship the Lord—even though it is
the best thing they can do. Instead, he gave two choices: “But if serving the LORD seems
undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the
gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land
you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (Josh 24:1—
NIV). The old hero Joshua chose to serve God.
Four hundred years later, finally David occupied the land God had promised to his
forefather a thousand years ago. The Lord gave David a covenant, known as the Davidic
Covenant, “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your
offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his
kingdom…But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul,
whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever
before me; your throne will be established forever'" (2 Samuel 7:12, 15-16—NIV).
However, after king David passed away, his son Solomon failed to serve the God
of his father. Even he inherited the great kingdom that he did not fight for, even the Lord
granted his request for wisdom, Solomon chose to go his old way. Due to His covenant
with David, God allowed David’s children reign over Judah for four hundred years, the
Israelites were taken captives in Babylon.
But God’s promise to David was fulfilled through the Lord Jesus, for His
kingdom will endure forever.
The first man Adam listened to the serpent, and disobeyed God. He brought sins
into the world; hence all have become slaves to sin. When one is slave to sin, he cannot
serve God, his true Master. Freedom is something all of us could die for it. None of us
dreams to be slave to anyone or to anything. To be slave to sins is the worst thing that can
happen to anyone.
Exodus is the narrative deliverance of God’s people. The key verse is found in
chapter 20, “I am the Lord thy God, which has brought thee out of the house of bondage”
(verse 2—KJV). Freedom is God’s gift to humankind, and He wants to deliver His
children from slavery.
Freedom is not license to do what one pleases. When God’s chosen people were
wandering in the wilderness, Moses offered them two choices: blessing and cursing. If
they fully obeyed the Lord God, and carefully follow all His commands, they would be
blessed anywhere they are, and all that belonged to them would be blessed. On the
contrary, if they did not fully obey the Lord God, and carefully follow all His commands,
they would be cursed.
God is love. He loves to bless His creatures. His will is for us to enjoy an
abundant life. He gave His chosen people the Law so that they can enjoy fellowship with

34
Him. They broke His Law again and again. He sent His prophets to call them back to
Him and to keep His covenant.
Finally, He had to come down from heaven to fulfill His own Law, and to make
easy for His people to be free from sins. The freedom from sin is the ultimate freedom
God has in mind for all human beings, because without it they can never have fellowship
with Him. He is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance, in
order to be close to Him.
In his epistle to the Galatians Paul emphasized the freedom in Christ. Jesus saves;
he set us free from the bondage of sins, from addictions, from formality, from legalism.
We are His disciples when we know the truth, and the truth will set us free.
However, Paul warns those who are set free, “You, my brothers, were called to be
free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in
love” (Gal 5:13-14—NIV). Peter agreed with Paul in this regard, “Live as free men, but
do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16—
NIV). Paul admonished the Corinthians and Christians today, “Be careful, however, that
the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1
Corinthians 8:9-10—NIV).
There are many things I love about this country—the United States of America—
is the confessions such as “In God we trust,” “One Nation under God.” Many people
chose this country as their second country for different reasons: economic, politic, and
religious. One of the common reasons is freedom. I believe that you agree with me that
the US is the freest country in the world. There are not many countries where their
citizens may ridicule, criticize, and even shoot at the President. As I am writing this story,
the man who shot the late President Reagan will be released from the mental ward. I do
not think he is that lucky if he lives in other country.
Once having freedom, many abuse it to involve in immoral or illegal activities.
Many troublemakers are looking for opportunities to destroy people’s businesses when
they disagree with the government on some issues.
We can only fully understand the true meaning of freedom when we have a close
relationship with Jesus Christ who is the truth. And the truth will set us free.

Mute Love

Let’s call him Mr. Simon. He walks lamely, maybe due to poliomyelitis. He is
short, and does not look attractive. That may be the reason why he does not have a girl
friend. He might have dropped out from High school, because he does not look smart.
However, he is admirable for he doesn’t rely on the assistance from the
Government, but he rather holds a job to provide for himself. I’ve seen some able people
claiming to be mentally incapacitated in order to be qualified for social benefits. Simon

35
is different, he is honest, and he is working to earn his living. Maybe his belief does not
allow him to cheat, and his spiritual leaders do not encourage him to do so.
I’ve seen Simon faithfully attending Church services every Sunday morning. He
could not sit still in one place for over ten minutes. He moves around from the left aisle
to the right aisle. His attention span may be short, so he could not listen to the Pastor’s
sermon. I don’t know whether he enjoys the worship, or understands the sermon.
I’ve observed him and he inspired me to write this story. It is quite normal when
he loves a young girl. The Bible tells us that God is love. Mankind is created in God’s
image, so we need to love and to be loved. His love is very interesting, so deserves a
story. Let’s call his girl Katalina.
He does not sit still in one place. However, when he sees Katalina and her mother
coming in, he comes and sits next to the daughter. And only there, he can sit until the end
of the Church service.
I cannot read his mind; I cannot know what he is thinking of. But, he may never
say to Katalina, “Katalina, do you know that I love you so much? I wish to marry you.”
He could never say that. But, if he is bold enough, he might say it, and the answer could
be, “Thank you a lot, but I am sorry, I do not wish to marry you.”
The whole Church may be aware of Simon’s feeling toward his girl. If he looks a
little handsome, he could have a family, and children. His love is so beautiful because it
does not demand something back. His sincere love is obvious. Her presence, and being
able to sit by her side is sufficient to make him happy, and to make him sit still for an
hour.
The Bible teaches, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps
no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (I Corinthians 13:4-6—NIV).

Valentine Day of 2005

36
 Western Chehalis Trail

Benefits of Trail Users

Western Chehalis Trail (WCT) is located in Thurston County, in Washington
State. Originally the Trail was The Gate to Belmore railroad line. In
1996 Thurston County acquired it from Burlington Northern railroad, and turned it into a
public trail. Users of the trail include bicyclists, joggers, horses riders, and walkers. We
use the trail for our walking exercise. Before we moved to our new house, we used to
walk on the city sidewalks. Our new neighborhood does not have long sidewalks, thus we
need to long path, away from the traffic. We found that the trail is the best gym for
someone who is not so young like us. It is a great environment because the trail is far
from the city and sometime goes through the wood. The air is fresh thanks to the trees
that absorb some of the carbon dioxide in the air. To someone who contracts asthma or
emphysema, Western Chehalis Trail or any other nature trails is the best road to walk or
to ride bicycles. To those who love nature there is another benefit attached to the using of
the trail. That is to enjoy the nature. We can see gorgeous tall pine trees. In the springtime
wild flowers line up to greet us on both sides of the trail—we need to be aware of the
pollens though. Once for a while we see deer grazing or resting on a private property.
Many times the birds chirping or singing; it seems like they want to welcome us to their
peaceful habitation. In summer when the weather becomes so warm, walking on the trail
is better thanks to the shades of the trees. In my own experience, when I walk with my
wife on the trail, we spend our quality time together. We communicate our feelings, our
opinions; we can discuss on different issues of our life. Sometime I pray for someone or
something that comes into my mind. I feel close to the Lord in the midst of His creation
as the Psalmist affirms, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the
work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).

How Can We Be Angels?

As a social being, living in a community, we have a chance to say “hi” to people
we don’t know. Sometime we can exchange some friendly words. As users of the trail,
my wife and I would like to share with you a memorable experience. One day, after our
daily walk, we returned to our car. On the rear window I saw a sticky note, “Your car
license has expired.” I looked at the license, and sure enough, it says, “September 04.”
And that day was October
1st. To me the person who cares for others is an angel, being used by God to help his
neighbors.

37
 Angels are spirits, but can sometime appear to men for a special purpose.
They appeared to Abraham and informed him the judgment over Sodom
and Gomorrah. They came to Sodom and escorted Lot and his family out of the city that
would be destroyed as soon as Lot was in a safe place. The angels appeared to Jacob in a
dream at a place he called Bethel.
In his gospel, Luke recorded two instances where angels announced the
birth of two key persons of the New Testament. First, an angel of the Lord appeared to
Zachariah the priest, and announced him that his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son.
It was John, the forerunner of our Lord Jesus. Secondly, Gabriel the Archangel was sent
to Mary, a virgin to tell her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus”
(Luke 1:30-31).
I know you believe in angels, but in case you have not, the above stories could
have convinced you. If so, have you ever met angel or angels? No, I believe that many of
us do not have that privilege, because there is no reason for the Lord to send His
messenger to us. But I believe that angels are on call, ready to protect, and rescue God’s
children when the Lord sends them. I believe that the Lord will mobilize angels for the
supernatural tasks that His children cannot assume.
One time the apostles returned from their mission trip, the Lord took them
with Him and they withdrew to a town called Bethsaida. It was late in the afternoon, and
the apostles suggested that He should send them away to the surrounding villages to find
food and lodging. Lord Jesus replied, "You give them something to eat” (Luke 9:13). He
would mean, “You know that I can have angels cater diners for this crowd and you, but I
rather have you feed them.”
On the last day of His earthly ministry, Matthew narrated, “Then the men
stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions
reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his
ear” (Matthew 26:50-51). What this disciple did was not necessary, because the Lord can
call on His Father, and God will put in His disposal twelve legions of angels to take care
of the attackers.
In other word God has special tasks for angels, and normal tasks for Christians. Back to
my story, the park user who saw the expiration date of my car
license, and who cared enough to point that out to me, was “an angel” in a figurative
sense. In our relationship with our neighbors and fellow Christians, God’s purpose for us
is to serve others who are in need. If we do His will, we are His visible angels, put in His
disposition.

Spiritual Walk
Doctors advise that we should walk thirty to forty-five minutes a day for three or
four days a week. Walking boosts our immune system, lowers our blood pressure, and our
cholesterol level, thus lower the risk of heart attack. The issue
is not how long or how far we go, but how faithful we do it. The key word is
“faithfulness.” If you believe walking is good for your health, then faithfully do it. It
takes time, efforts, and self-discipline.
The same principle is applicable in our spiritual walk with our Lord and Savior. It
doesn’t matter how long or how far we walk with Him, He expects us to

38
walk faithfully. Faithfulness and perseverance are main ingredients for success. The New
Testament has a few teachings on perseverance, as a great quality Christians must
practice. In his letter to the Romans, Paul teaches that perseverance produces character,
and character, hope. Hope is one of the three Christian qualities: faith, love, hope. Hope
is also a benefit of those who are in Christ. Without hope people could be depressed or
commit suicide. In 2 Corinthians Paul states, “The things that mark an apostle—signs,
wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance” (12:12).
Christians in Thessalonica were praised for their perseverance and faith. If we cannot
persevere we should ask of the Lord because perseverance is one of His many
characteristics (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

Escargots
In the springtime we saw many snails trying to cross the trail. It ‘s interesting to
know why they didn’t stay on one side of the street, but they wanted to go over to the
other side. Maybe they were looking of a mate, a new environment, who knows? I wished
I could read their mind, if they had one. There were a few that could not make it, and
were run over. Feeling sorry for them, when I saw one, I picked it up and tossed it over
the other side of the trail. That was my good deed of the day.
What I did may not mean anything to others, but had a meaning to me because it
was symbolic to God’s plan of salvation. In fact, the Bible says, “We all, like sheep, have
gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the
iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Mankind is looking for something, a purpose for their
lives, happiness, someone or something. They try to cross over to the other side, but not
the right one. They are not aware of the danger of being run over.
Saving the life of a tiny snail is like winning a lost soul to the Lord. Toward the
end of Jesus’ ministry, he made his mission known to his followers, “For the Son of Man
came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). And he does not want any to be
lost, because, without him in their lives, people are wandering around and going
nowhere.
As I am writing this story I’m listening to the Vietnamese songs—something I’m
not usually doing because they are not uplifting. The song I’m listening is about a love
story—not a happy one. She was a young lady, making a living by taking people across a
river on her small sampan. One nice day, a young man came, and paid her to take him
across the river. Maybe it was not a short trip because they had enough time to talk about
love. Before the young man said “good bye” to the young lady, he promised her to return
one day and to marry her. We can think how hopeful she was, and how meaningful her
life would be! She kept doing what she was doing, waiting, and waiting. Years after years
had passed, and her man did not return. Finally, being tired of waiting, the young lady
quit her job, and married the first man who proposed.
We could not say that she was not faithful, but not faithful long enough. If we
believe the Lord Jesus will return as He has promised, we must be faithfully waiting on
Him.

39
 God’s chosen people grieved Him many times due to their unfaithfulness. To
explain as to why they need a Savior, the Lord tells them to parable of the vineyard and
the tenants. What did the owner of the vineyard—God—do to the unfaithful tenants?
Jesus’ answer is: “He [God] will bring those wretches to a wretched end" (Matthew
21:41).
Walking in the Spirit is, as Paul says, to “live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). To live by faith in the Son
of God is to not allow sin reign in our mortal body, but rather offer
us to God. The apostle Paul admonishes Christians, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in
view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—
this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1). The New Testament, especially
Paul’s letters teach Christians how to walk in the Spirit, how to live a Christian life
worthy of the calling we have received (Ephesians 4:1).
If physical walk is good for our health, spiritual walk is good for our soul.

This is not
Western
Chehalis Trail.
This is a
country road
on Rota Island.
Picture taken
by Trac
Huynh.

40
 Catch of the Day

My son Trac is currently working as a scuba diver for Iota, a small Salvage
Company. They are trying to recover a Spanish ship that sank four hundred years ago off
the coast of Rota, one of the Northern Mariana Islands in the South Pacific.
Trac’s work is scuba diving, and his hobby is fishing. That’s why he loves to live
there instead of in USA where we have more to consume, and more issues to be stressful
over. This is what he emailed us early this week,

“Hello everybody,

Yesterday was a dreary overcast, dark, gloomy day. I woke up, looked outside and had a
gut feeling that it would be a good day to go fishing. We gathered our stuff and went out
at lunch time.”

Trac is a sport fisherman, and he knows when is the best day to go fishing. His
story reminds me of the Lord Jesus’ “fishing of men” business. The Gospel of Luke
recorded the story of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. On one Sabbath day he went
into the synagogue as it was his custom. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to
him. He unscrolled it, and found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19)5
Toward the end of his ministry Jesus explained Isaiah’s prophecy about his
mission, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10).
Jesus knew that he would be on earth for a short while, but his work must be carried on
after he returned to the Father. Toward that end, he selected a few men whom he trained
in three years. When he called his first followers, he told them what their duties would
be,
“Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt 4:19; Mark
1:17). Thus, Jesus, the Son of God came down from heaven, offered himself as a living
sacrifice to atone for the sin of the world. And he rose again and returned to heaven. But,
his work must go on without him. That is God’s plan of salvation since the beginning of
the time. Jesus, therefore left the business of fishing of men to his disciples.
Fishing is a tough business. A good fishing day is not a sunny day with calm
wind, but, as Trac said, “a dreary overcast, dark, and gloomy day.”
Acording to the apostle John, the disciples went out fishing during the night. It is
the same with the business of fishing of men. We cannot expect to win souls during
weekends when people are busy watching ball games, having parties and doing other fun
things. Souls are won easier when they are broken, on their dark days. For the fishermen,

5
NIV if there is no other reference

41
there is a better chance to catch fishes on the days they don’t want to go out. There was a
story of a pastor’s son who asked his Dad to go witnessing with him. But the pastor
didn’t want to go out to witness for Christ on a snowy day. His son went out by himself.
He came to a home, knocked at the door a couple of times, but no one answered the door.
He left a Bible track at the door and left that house. The following Sunday a first time
visitor came to his church. After the service, the visitor came to the pastor and said,
“Thank you Pastor for saving my life. I heard the knocking, but didn’t want to answer the
door, because I was going to hang myself. I picked up the track afterward, and I read it.
And that’s why I am here today.”
Trac “had a gut feeling that it would be a good day to go fishing,” and he did as he his gut
feeling told him. A fisher of men does also have gut feeling. But it is not always right. He
must inquire of the Holy Spirit to make sure that his gut feeling is correct.
In the second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul quoted Isaiah, “This is what the
LORD says: ‘In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will
help you’” (Isaiah 49:8). And Paul added, “I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now
is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). The winning of the soul is always urgent, and
any day is good day to go out witnessing for the Lord Jesus.

As Trac followed his gut feeling and went out on a “a dreary overcast, dark, and
gloomy day.” And the result was fantastic as Trac narrated, “It was a great fishing day. We
caught practically everything in the ocean. I bet if I put a hook on my sandal, I could
have caught a fish yesterday. The catch included 14 yellow fin tuna, 5 or 6 bonita tuna, 1
jack, 2 wahoo or ono and 3 rainbow runners. We had plenty to eat and made some
money for gas.”

The New Testament tells us that God loves the world so much that He gave His
Only Begotten Son to save us, provided we believe Him. The world is full of sinners and

42
people who don’t know what to do, and who need to be saved from sins and from all kind
of problems. They are like fishes to be caught and brought to Jesus.
In our Prison Ministry we met many inmates who would not be caught by the
police, if a fisher of men caught them first. Many were put in jail, then released,
committed the same mistakes, put back in jail, and released. The laws cannot free them
from their bondage, or from their bad habits. Some inmates met Jesus Christ in prison,
and sincerely wished to be changed. They would not be back in jail again, because the
truth set them free.
Trac is good at fishing. I may not be as good as Trac. But, if I went out with him
that day, I would catch at least one small fish. The great evangelist of all time, Dr. Billy
Graham won maybe million of souls for Christ. My wife and I have lead about a dozen
people to the Lord Jesus. Anyway, all of us must obey his Great Commandment,
“Therefore, go and make disciple of all nations...” (Matthew 28:19).
What does it take to be a good fisherman? One time my wife and I went to Maui,
one of the Hawaiian Islands, for vacation. We stayed at a condo, just across the street
from the beach. One early morning, we took a walk on the beach. We saw one man
fishing. Under a tree, another man is still sleeping. He didn’t look like a homeless
because he didn’t have a whole lot of belongings with him. But, rather he slept there in
order to go fishing early in the morning. Are there any fishers of men who have that kind
of zeal for catching fish sinners for the Lord? In order to enjoy fishing like my son, one
must have a passion for it. Christians don’t need passion to witness; we need to obey the
Lord Jesus’ commandment. Like a fisherman, a witness for Jesus also needs patience, a
lot of it. Years ago we witnessed to a family with single mother. Some of her children
received Christ, but she only accepted the Lord ten years later.
Trac only reported to us the numbers of fishes he caught, and did not tell us how
rough was the water that day, and how hard he worked to catch twenty-five fishes. It took
energy and efforts to enjoy the catch. But it’s worth it! The author of the epistle to the
Hebrews tells us that Jesus, “for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). The Lord
Jesus who knew no sin, paid a great price for our sins in order to recieve the glory.
Yet, with that kind of achievement Trac was not satisfied, for he wished, “Now if
I could bring in a 400lb. Marlin, my summer would be complete. We've managed to hook
two already this year, but it broke our line. One we fought for over an hour and only
about 200ft. left to go before it was in the boat.”
It’s the same with evangelism. No matter how many we lead to the Lord, his will
for his followers is to win as many as possible to him. Evangelism is only complete when
the whole earth has heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Trac hooked two marlins, but he
couldn’t catch them. My wife and I witnessed to many people who thought that God’s
plan of salvation made sense to them, but for different reasons they did not make their
decision for Christ. The apostle Paul reminded us, “our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
The spiritual battle is real. When we go out to win souls for God, we fight against the
invisible power of Satan, just like we try to catch a 400 lbs-marlin. But, with the power of
the Holy Spirit of God, we can win his battle. We need to trust the Lord Jesus’ promise,
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

43
44
 Tamagotchi

My two granddaughters received from their parents a small computer

game, called Tamagotchi. They loved Tamagotchi, and have not left it alone for a
long time, because Tamagotchi needs care so bad. I’m so curious to know what is
it about. Thanks to the Internet that provides uswith a wealth of information on
almost everything. I found the following definition, "Tamagotchi is a tiny pet
from cyberspace who needs your love to survive and grow. If you take good care
of your Tamagotchi pet, it will slowly grow bigger, healthier, and more beautiful
every day. But if you neglect your little cyber creature, your Tamagotchi may
grow up to be mean or ugly." - Bandai (Tamagotchi Planet)

This cyberspace pet brought to my attention a parallel between a child and

his/her parents, and between God’s and His children.
I’m wondering if Adam and Eve had overcome the serpent’s temptation, they and
their descendants would have children. I think we would as God commanded, "Be fruitful
and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the
earth" (Genesis 1:28). Children do not often ask their parents, “Do you love me, Mom?
Or do you love me, Dad?” But, Psychologists assert that children grow better physically
and psychologically if they feel surrounded by love. Most children of single parent aren’t
doing well, experts say, as those who have both parents caring for them. Tamagotchi’s
feeling and needs reflect human thirst for love and tender care. On the other hand, parents
and people in general, do love and care for other, starting with their own babies—with a
few exceptions, of course. There’s a love relationship between God and people, between
the members of a family, and between human beings and others.
The Bible indicates the right relationships through two greatest commandments.
First, we must love the Lord our God, and second, love our neighbors as ourselves. God
is loves, the Bible says, He creates us to bestow His love on us. But He also needs to be
loved back by His creatures. The world we are living in is bad enough, it will be worse
without love. That is why God “download” in every hard His very nature—love. Even
people who hate still have a trace of love in their heart. They need the blood of Christ to
rejuvenate that godly nature in them.
The first time when the Lord Jesus teaches about the new birth, even a teacher of
the Law like Nicodem could not grasp what He talked about. He states: “Flesh gives birth
to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6). Christians went through two births:
natural birth and spiritual birth. After birth, one is a baby. If a baby is well taken care of,
he/she will grow healthier, physically and psychologically. A baby Christian needs as
much care as a natural baby. It would be great for a Church to be mission-oriented, but at
the same time a healthy Church is the one that cares for the growth of its members. There
may be many people who hear the gospel the first time and respond to the altar calls, and
receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. But Church membership is not growing because the
parents—Pastor or Deacons--have not taken care of the baby Christians.

45
 The Internet article states, “Depending on how well, or not so well you care for
your Tamagotchi, will determine which character you get in the finale adult stage.”
Training a child is as difficult as trying to bend a full grown bamboo because it could
break before we can bend it. Many parents failed miserably in this regard. King Solomon
admonishes, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn
from it” (Proverbs 22:6). I believe, the majority--if not all—of children who grew up in
Christian homes know their directions, their values, and purposes. Those who abandon
the values they received at home or in Sunday Schools, maybe because they were not
handled wisely. To make sure the character of the child at the end of his final stage is the
one Christ wants His followers to have, many Churches have classes on parenting where
parents learn how to teach their children the way they should go--God’s ways.
According to the article in the Tamagotchi Planet Website, Tamagotchi pet is
hatched from an egg. The process takes only five minutes. It would take that long to be
born again—to be hatched from the rebellious “self shell.” For the first hour of the little
creature life, he needs constant attention. So does a new Christian, he needs to be taught,
trained with the word of God. Many wish to get rich by working in the field of the Real
Estate, and many failed because of the lack of trainers, and supporters.
The job of the owner of a Tamagotchi pet is to feed him, to play game with him,
and even to clean up his mess. If you forget him for twenty-four hours, he’ll die.
When the little creature becomes a child, he does not need as much attention as
when he was a baby. It is the same with Christian. When a Christian grows into maturity,
he needs less attention, he becomes less self-centered, but more people-oriented. He can
become a spiritual leader at home or in a small group.
The writer of the Tamagotchi Planet advises the owner of Tamagotchi, “Don't get
upset with your little friend though, it's just his way of showing age. He also wants more
love and memories from you before he departs so when he does return home, he will
have lots of experiences to share with his Tamagotchi friends. And if you really feel you
are frustrated, don't take it out on the Tama. Many Tamagotchi are abused and mistreated
due to owners frustration.”
Like a real person, a cyber creature is acting up sometime, and may frustrate its
owner. That is how God’s people behave toward their Owner and Caretaker.
In the Book of Exodus Moses recorded the anger of the Lord against His
rebellious people whom He saved from their enemies, "I have seen these people," the
LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my
anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a
great nation" (Exodus 32:9-10). That was not the only time, throughout the Old Testament
God’s people—His favorite pets—upset Him times and times, again and again. However,
God proclaims, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to
anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). The owner of the cyber
creature may be upset with his pet, but will not destroy it.
“Tamagotchi will always return to its home planet. How well you care for it helps
determine how long Tamagotchi will stay on Earth. When it is time for Tamagotchi to
return to its home planet, there is nothing you can do. Give yourself time to mourn your
little friend.” Well! A French proverb goes: “A crystal pitcher, when it is used for a long
time, eventually will be broken.” Nothing last forever, only God and the Lord Jesus are
eternal. They have no beginning and no end, because they are the first and the last.

46
 Tamagotchi will always return home. So do men, we will eventually go home.
We are tourist on the planet earth. We are really home after we die. But, where is our
permanent home? I hope you know where your true home is. We may have different
answers that can be grouped into two categories. The Bible and other religious books tell
us that there are two spiritual realms where our soul will spend eternity—a place where
God is present, and a place where He is not. Christians call heaven the place where they
spend eternity with the Lord.
Each of us, regardless of race or religion, has an amount of days or years to live. It
would be great if we can determine the duration of our life, or at least if we can know
how long we will live. Unfortunately we don’t have that insight. But, fortunately we are
given the freedom of choice. We may choose to return home with God, or to somewhere
else. We need to make a choice right now and right here, on earth. The Lord Jesus calls
that process the “new birth.” Just like Tamagotchi egg takes only five minute to hatch, it
only takes that long to be born again into God’s family, and to spend eternity with Him.
One is born again with a simple prayer, acknowledging our shortcomings, asking the
Lord Jesus to forgive us, and asking Him to be our Savior. After the new birth, a born
again Christian will enjoy all the benefits of a child of God, especially an “abundant life,”
a quality life.
From the relationship between the owner of Tamagochi and his cyberspace pet,
we can draw a parallel between our Lord and us, and between Christians and Christians.
God loves us, and cares for us. In return we must love Him with our entire mind, with all
our soul, and with all our strength. We also keep our fellowship with other God’s
children. The owner of Tamagotchi will enjoy his pet if he know and keep the rules of the
game. Christians will enjoy abundant life if they heed the voice of their Savior.

Seeing Off My Grandma

The pale yellow receding sunset

Disappears in a wink of the eye.
Stilled are all motions,
Hushed are all sounds.

47
 A dog, already asleep,
Utters a throaty gurgle, in the wind;
The silent, serene whole village.

The dewdrops sob in the roof gutters.

The green tongues of banana leaves lap at the window panes.
As the roosters urge time, only memories remain
A chilly breeze steals over your mouth

Perhaps you are too tired of being awake

Perhaps you want to sleep awhile
Then I will tell the cricket not to stir
Frogs to hush, and bats to stay still.

I will not let the sunshine pry open your eyelids,

Nor let the wind sweep your eyebrows.
Nobody will be allowed to awaken you.
I will hold a bamboo umbrella to shelter your sleep.

Perhaps you hear earthworms turning dirt,

Perhaps you hear grassroots sucking water.
Perhaps prettier than man's cursing voice
Is this kind of music you now hear?

I will let you sleep, yes let you sleep.

Close your eyes now, tightly.
I will cover you gently with yellow earth,
and tell paper ashes to fly lightly.

For I know, the Guest is already right in front of you.

I close my eyes and watch you follow Him away.
I was glad to hear you say to me as you departed.
My child, I will go into the house of the Lord.
Martin Huỳnh

48
 Chat With God
.
I asked the Lord
To open the door for a new ministry.
I didn’t have to wait for a long time,
And, loud and clear, He answered me,
“Son, I have given you seven opportunities.
The ones who are not free
Are those I want you to see.
You need to help them obey me.
“My disciples know the truth,
And the truth will set them free.”
I want you to visit
Those who are sick
And minister to the weak.
I want you preach
The good news, and teach
As I give you the opportunity.
Pray with those who are not doing well
Financially, physically, or spiritually
You don’t need a new opportunity,
You need to improve your ministry.”

January 25, 2003

The Master’s Invitation

Come in, Honey!

I will feed you with cookies.
You will be filled with all kind of goodies.
If you are not hungry
For my own righteousness
You won’t be blessed.
My food is doing the will of He
Who sent Me.
As He has sent Me
I am sending you
Into the world
To preach the good news,
To set the captives free,

49
 To heal the sick,
To cast out demons
Who possess many persons.
Come in, Honey!
Let’s sit down and talk,
I will show you how to walk.
I will teach you to love the Father
And to serve one another.
Let’s enjoy each other.
Will you accept my invitation?

50
 There is still some water
The dry season is coming
Still, there is some water running.
Let ‘s come to the river
Where there is plenty of water
That can never run dry,
And we will be satisfied.
\Whoever lives by the river
Does not have to store water.
So let the water of blessing
Flow freely through you
To those who do not know
How to find their ways to the river
Where there is plenty of water.
Let’s also ask for the “living water”
That is given freely by the Savior.
His living water surely
Will quench any soul that is thirsty.
Once the Lord Jesus spoke to the Samaritan lady,
"Everyone who drinks this water
Will be thirsty again, but whoever
Drinks the water
I give him will never
Be thirsty. Indeed, I give him the water
That will become in him a spring of water
Welling up to eternal life."

An Huynh
Olympia WA
May 28, 2007

51
52
53