Paul Long's Ramblings

Creating Space for God   Discipline is the other side of discipleship. Discipleship without discipline is like waiting to run in the marathon without ever practicing. Discipline without discipleship is like always practicing for the marathon but never participating. It is important, however, to realize that discipline in the spiritual life is not the same as discipline in sports. Discipline in sports is the concentrated effort to master the body so that it can obey the mind better. Discipline in the spiritual life is the concentrated effort to create the space and time where God can become our master and where we can respond freely to God's guidance. Thus, discipline is the creation of boundaries that keep time and space open for God. Solitude requires discipline, worship requires discipline, caring for others requires discipline. They all ask us to set apart a time and a place where God's gracious presence can be acknowledged and responded to.

Took this photo last week. Saw this bird on my church driveway. It didn't fly away when I came near it. Just kept hopping one step out of my reach. So took a photo. Made me smile. Beautiful bird, isn't it? This made me smile too but at the same time sigh! Too many churches in my area which is sad. Not that we are in competition with any but ... the caption says it ... I know it is meant to be humorous but it does make a point, doesn't it? It is only humorous when it reflects reality ... :-( But it also made me glad. Before I left for my course cum short break in  Australia, my church committee told me that the days I was taking to do the course was NOT accepted as part of my annual leave! The course was something done on my own initiative so I was not expecting anything like that. But it was a blessed moment as it reflected my fellow church leaders appreciation.  First day of our course. My wife practicing - and trying to clean up my mess :-) I am n...

In Egypt, many predicted and warned (and showed proof) that the so called pro-democracy uprising was manipulated by radical Islamists. Outsiders formed the bulk of demonstrators and protesters with their Islamic agenda. Egypt is worse off now (not to say it was wonderful before) and the minorities especially the Copts are being blatantly and systematically persecuted with all kinds of horrors and injustice. It is not democracy as they are prevented from even voting (among many other things) for fear of their lives. And I wonder - is Iraq any better now that Saddam Hussein is gone? Not in the eyes of the minorities especially non Muslims. And Afghanistan? Look at the way the reaction of the majority of people the US coalition forces are trying to protect. http://tribune.com.pk/story/341222/quran-burning-in-afghanistan-anti-us-protests-spread-to-pakistan/ Can so few people (especially Americans) see the irony of the situation? I think the third Rambo movie is sad picture of how...

A New Year of 'Dhimmitude' for Egypt's Copts by Raymond Ibrahim Stonegate Institute February 17, 2012 For Egypt's Christian Copts, the New Year began with threats that their churches would be attacked during Christmas mass (celebrated on January 7). Because many were eyeing the situation— several Coptic churches were previously attacked , including last Christmas (eight dead) and New Year's day (23 dead), not to mention ominous harbingers around the world, such as the  Nigerian Christmas day church bombings  (40 dead) —the Muslim Brotherhood proclaimed it would " protect " the Copts during their church services. Happily, Coptic Christmas came and went without incident. Yet, if the Muslim Brotherhood "protected" Coptic churches when many around the world were watching, as soon as attention dissipated, it was business as usual: a large number of  Salafis and Muslim Brotherhood  members entered a church, asserting that it had no license and no ...

I like this video very much

Forgot to put the links to the last 2 pastor's notes. Cheers! For 19 Feb, click HERE For 26 Feb, click HERE

Will Malaysia attempt to follow this? :-( http://www.barnabasfund.org/Churches-ordered-to-stop-holding-services-in-Iranian-national-language.html CHURCHES ORDERED TO STOP HOLDING SERVICES IN IRANIAN NATIONAL  LANGUAGE Country:  Iran , Middle East and North Africa The last two registered Tehran churches to hold services in Farsi have been ordered to stop doing so on Fridays in an apparent bid to prevent Muslims from hearing the Gospel in their own language. The pastors of Emmanuel Protestant Church and St Peter Evangelical Church were issued with the order by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security earlier this month and announced it to their congregations on 10 February. Iranian Christians at worship It means that there are now no Christian services in Farsi, the language of the Muslim majority in  Iran , in any officially registered church in the capital on Fridays. The order was not applied to Sundays, but Friday is the main weekend-day in  Iran , and it ...

I wonder .... will Malaysia add this to their heavily biased "quota" system? :-( http://www.barnabasfund.org/Christian-student-denied-extra-marks-awarded-to-Muslims-in-Pakistan.html CHRISTIAN STUDENT DENIED EXTRA MARKS AWARDED TO MUSLIMS IN  PAKISTAN Country:  Pakistan , South and East Asia A Christian student missed out on a place at state medical school under the discriminatory system in  Pakistan  that awards an extra 20 marks to Muslims who have memorised the Quran. Haroon Arif’s hopes of training to become a doctor have been shattered Connor Tarter  /  CC BY-SA 2.0 Haroon Arif, from Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab, got A grades in both his matriculation and intermediate exams but was just 0.0255% off the mark required in his final aggregate to attend a government-run medical university. He argued that his knowledge of the Bible was equivalent to that of a Muslim who had memorised the Quran, and that he should therefore qualify for the extra 20 marks ...

What Is Most Personal Is Most Universal We like to make a distinction between our private and public lives and say, "Whatever I do in my private life is nobody else's business." But anyone trying to live a spiritual life will soon discover that the most personal is the most universal, the most hidden is the most public, and the most solitary is the most communal. What we live in the most intimate places of our beings is not just for us but for all people. That is why our inner lives are lives for others. That is why our solitude is a gift to our community, and that is why our most secret thoughts affect our common life. Jesus says, "No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house" (Matthew 5:14-15). The most inner light is a light for the world. Let's not have "double lives"; let us allow what we live in private to be known in public.

I like this very much .... Dying Well We will all die one day. That is one of the few things we can be sure of. But will we die well? That is less certain. Dying well means dying for others, making our lives fruitful for those we leave behind. The big question, therefore, is not "What can I still do in the years I have left to live?" but "How can I prepare myself for my death so that my life can continue to bear fruit in the generations that will follow me?" Jesus died well because through dying he sent his Spirit of Love to his friends, who with that Holy Spirit could live better lives. Can we also send the Spirit of Love to our friends when we leave them? Or are we too worried about what we can still  do ? Dying can become our greatest gift if we prepare ourselves to die well.

Good questions .... Muslim Brotherhood Needs to Change Before Asking the US for Support By Tawfik Hamid www.tawfikhamid.com In an article published in the Washington Post on Feb 4 [I], Mr. Khairat el-Shater, the deputy supreme guide of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood (MB) accused the U.S. and Europe of neglect after the January 25, 2011 uprising and overthrow of the Mubarak regime. This situation raises several points for discussion. First,  the MB convinced millions of Muslims over the last few decades that "Islam is the Solution". In fact this has been used as their slogan to support their political party (Freedom[II] & Justice Party) in the recent Egyptian elections. The MB need to explain to us and to the Muslim world where has the slogan "Islam is the Solution" gone? And; if Islam is the Solution as they claimed, why then are they begging for money and support from the West? Shall we see their attempt to gain Western support as an admission of failure of ...