Month: December 2017

Church Massacres​

/ Kay Loke / Leave a comment

31/12/2017 modified 

I was about to send out my work last night, but  I decided to wait until the Sunday worship was ended this morning. This is the last Sunday of 2017, it was refreshing to have Pastor Mark, the pastor of the Chinese congregation to preach. Without fail, he gave out a spirit-led sermon, and I was pointed to one of a verse of scriptures from the book of Isaiah from the pulpit as I thought of Mrs. Pinckey and all the people who were traumatized by the church shooting from my rework last night.
 
Isaiah 60:2-3 
See, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the people, but the LORD rises upon you…Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.    

30/12/2017

2 days ago, I was thrilled with the thought that I had put up my last draft before the end of 2017. This morning, When CNN briefly mentioned about the church killing two days ago, in Cairo, I was led to rework and share the following piece that I did it in 2015 on church shooting, in case, people ask why it’s happening in churches and where was God when it happens?  Especially for the pre-believers.

26/06/2015

The Massacre Of South Carolina Church

On Wednesday, the 17th of June 2015 nine people were shot dead during a bible study group at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The local police identified a man as 21-years-old. Witnesses said he spent around 50-minutes inside with the Bible studies group before opening fire then running away. The late Rev. Clementa Pinckey was facilitating the Bible study. What got into the shooter’s mind that he would do such cruel and horrific thing?

Did God allow it to happen to nine of HIS beloved children? If HE is all present, the pre-believers may ask that where was HE on that day when the shooting started? My heart went out not only to the victims who died but more of the surviving family members and their loved ones. They must be totally shocked and devastated that beyond comfort. I am sure people around the world would join hands in one spirit to pray to my dear Lord, Jesus to bring healing and restoration to those who suffered the loss.

Why South Carolina, I asked? Arthur and I had many fond memories of that part of the world.  In the late 90s,’ we were invited to visit Greenville, South Carolina twice as guests to observe events that organized by the Executive Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ ( the new name is now ‘Cru’ since 2011). We met many lovely people and befriended with a lot of  God-fearing and God-serving Christians there. And we also took an execution of touring the renowned Biltmore Estate Asheville, North Carolina. (1)

We saw the bowling alley inside the Estate; we saw the room that fills with all the Halloween costumes as part of the places for children; and of course the garden, it was Spring during our visit. It was really an eye-opening trip for us and its the showcase of how one of the US pioneers lived at the time. We also visited the city of Atlanta, GA. Before the trip  I was hoping to see some of the big roomy houses like the settings of the movie of “Gone With The Wind,” and the reality usually differs from fantasy. 

The tour at the Civil War Museum was educational, it said the tour guide that ‘the war was never ended.‘ Therefore, keywords as ‘federal flag” or “federal hate crime charges ” been added to my vocabularies ever since. Now with the heated ‘Gun Control’ debate and the most recent federal hate crime issues in the US, I felt for the country, and I would always have a special place in my heart for the US, maybe because I spent many years there for my advanced education.

In tune with what says in the following passage of scriptures (Jere 17:9) that I am at easy not to ask a question as to why the gunman did what he did to the innocent people. With our sinful nature, we probably would ask that did  God allow this tragedy to surface, and of course, HE would not? People would continue to follow the graphic coverage of the Charleston Church shooting as things evolve.

It is reported that when Armed police rescued Mrs. Pinckney with her young daughter; when the police confirmed the death of her husband, she placed her head in her mother Mrs. Benjamin’s lap; and she started to pray on her knees. And she stood up, held hands with her daughters and said to them that: 

” something terrible has happened to your dad’ but we are Pinckney girls, and we are going to stay strong, and we are going to get through this. “We have a lot of families who love us.'” (2)  

Dylann Roof is an American white supremacist, and all the victims were African Americans. The mass murderer was convicted of 33 federal hate crimes and murder charges. I was stunned to notice that he had been entirely showing no remorse for what he did to the victims during his court hearings. 

Sadly we had another gunman killed at least 26 in an attack at a small town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, in the last quarter of 2017, The gunman was gun down by one church member. So no one knew the motive of the shooter. And with the deep grief of loss, church members decided to continue to turn up the following week for Sunday worship.

The verse of scripture on Jeremiah 17:9 pretty much gives us the profile of both gunmen, but where was God when shootings taking place in the churches? First of all,  as Christians, we shall know that the Church is not just a building. Apostle Peter so well puts it that Church as God’s household, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). It says, Apostel Paul, that ‘and for through HIM all of us as God’s worshippers are as ONE Body, have access by ONE Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). ‘

Mrs. Pinckey was brutally being attacked emotionally, spiritually and physically, and Jesus was evidently seen in her suffering so she can face the blow and take a stand for herself and bring glory to her Savior. As for members of that small church in Texas, with Jesus‘ extra dosage of grace and power, they resume worship service the following Sunday after the shooting. Information on the Cairo church shooting was only limited to the death toll of 9 people, and no one has claimed to be responsible for it.

More and more, we know that we can’t afford to take things too much for granted. And there are people, Christians are hurting every day around the world. As we may in a different part of the world, but we Christians are together as ONE if Mrs. Pinckey suffered a great loss her loved one, we grief with her if she overcomes then we rejoice with her in Jesus’ name. She would never be alone, as what she puts that she has a lot of families love her and her daughters, and most importantly, Jesus loves her!

Jeremiah 17:9  – NIV

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

  1. And images of a place or buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 66000586 for more images of Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina, the USA
  2. read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-31321/How-wife-Reverend-Pinckney-hid-desk-nearby-church-office-six-year-olddaughter-beloved-husband-gunned-Dylann-Roof.html#ixzz3e2FQ,\mK2w
  3. Dylann Roff: Charleston Church Shooter Gets Nine Life Sentences in… https://www.nbcnews.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​Tai Chi​ – Shadow Boxing Part 2

/ Kay Loke / Leave a comment

 

29/12/2017

We would enter into the new 2018 in two days, and I had this urgency to put up this last piece of my draft, which I had a few reworks on it. May thanks being to my Daddy God for HIS enabling hands upon me.  

modified 19/10/2017 and 05/04/2012 

Without knowing what to expect, my friend, Kit and I went to attend our first Tai Chi class, on one of the Saturday afternoons. And both of us were a bit apprehensive when we found out the’ 108 Forms of Wu family Tai Chi Chuan1 was that what we were about to be in for.

The first lesson, the preparation was the Stance (站 椿 Zhan Chun), which is the Standing Exercise. The etymology of the Chinese character 椿 (Chun) means a ‘Tree,’ or ‘like a Tree.’ It may sound easy, but the actuality of standing like a tree is hard to attain when your mind is all gearing to make a move.

With full concentration, we have to learn to have our entire body and mind in a total Relaxation mode. With the correct breathing exercises, we have to slightly bend down our knees, gently avoid the S shape of our spine and have our tailbone points to the ground. I didn’t expect to relax my lower waist and softly descend my hip-joint were difficult to come around. The more I tried, the more uptight I had become.

Consistently, the instructor reminded us to watch out for our posture to avoid knees injuries or to twist our waists accidentally. And I certainly didn’t know that there are 95 postures that we need to be mindful of in Wu Tai Chi Chuan.2  As for the defence practices, we were told that the mental preparation is the key. It is within a second, we have to use our ‘pushing hands (椎 手– Tui shou) to maintain the correct balance in our standing.

I was seriously challenged and humbled to follow the flow of doing it and worry if my moves would look clumsy in the class. Take, for example, it was that if when somebody suddenly tried to grab my hand by force. And I need to rely on reflexive discerning spirit coupled with my unforced pushing hands movements to shaken the centre of gravity of the opponent for my self-defence, and in the meantime to bring down the attacker.

It was like watching magic when our instructor demonstrates his moves, which are the internal style using the borrowed power from without to hit the opponent off-guard with his pushing hands. The movement may appear effortless to human eyes, but the results are lethal. Of course, I  was impressed with the end result of his moves, without anticipating the whole process from how he first started. I only found out later that he still practices every day and teaching us for free with his passion for Tai Chi. 

It took a little over a year,  I managed to have my instructor’s approval on my forms, in classes, but not much on my techniques. As to play the piano with playing and to drive a car with driving; Tai Chi also requires practice to be able to synchronize a series of movements into one continuous Form, which is the perfection of Tai Chi. I regret that it was mainly due to my issue with time management, so after self-searching and prayers, I decided to leave the class.  

At first, I took comfort to reckon that I didn’t waste my times to learn Tai Chi, after all, I was learning it by actually practising it. And I have finally been able to comprehend the vitality of ‘Standing Exercise’ as the preparation in Tai Chi, especially in defence, which requires a total reliance on the incomprehensible interconnection between ‘retreat vs push;’ and ‘gentle strength vs powerful force.’3 The Tai Chi class was finally behind me, but Tai Chi has never been out of my heart.

I felt strongly that I saw the depth of Tai Chi in the mirror of Scriptures. In reflection, I was reminded that Jesus tells HIS followers that there will be troubles in the world, which we live in (John 6:33a)? Apostle Paul also warned Christians about the spiritual attacks, which is the Warfare from the heavenly realm (Ephesian 6:11-16)? Yet by the grace of Google search, people would be able to find more than 100 verses scriptures in the Bible to command Christians to ‘Fear Not!‘

As it also says, Jesus, that HE would overcome the world (John 6:33b); and Apostle Paul teaches us that we were promised to be able to withstand the spiritual attack, if we were able to take the firm inner stance (Ephesians 6:13). It is because that the battle is in with the Lord of Jesus Himself, which means the Real Combat is HIS. Amazingly, Oswald Chamber talks about the ‘Spiritual energy, ‘which is the ‘unforced propelling action coupled with the repelling concentration’ as the spiritual forces to defuse the natural forces, in his devotional book (4) in the April month.

19/10/2017

My Bible study this morning was in the book of John chapter 19 versus 31-37 (4). In great details, Apostle John expounds that the Jews was not only want to make sure that Jesus to die on the Cross, but the Jews also urged Pilate to have the soldiers to break Jesus‘ legs to hasten HIS death. But before the soldiers came, Jesus already died. So the scripture was fulfilled –  The Exodus 12:46 rule is also prophetically in synced with Psalms 34:20: “He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken [5).’

It is also vitally important for our natural bodies to be able to stand firm at all time while holding. One careless trip would result in injuries or an uncalled for fractures in bones, and for the seniors, it may cost their lives if they failed to hold their stance in balance.  Like my beloved uncle, he was miraculously in good shape at 92. On an evening, he tripped on his way to the bathroom, and it was dark, The fall was nasty, he was taken to the hospital with a broken ankle and concussion. And a few weeks later, he was called home to be with the Lord.

As for is it prudent for Christian to take up Tai Chi? I have to admit it honestly that I may not be able to give out a straightforward yes/no answer. As a Christian myself, I confess that I did it for a short while with inner peace. First of all, I never believe that I have to keep a list of doing/don’t to maintain a close relationship with my Savior. And the most importantly I was blessed to be able to see my emotional, and experiential knowledge on Tai Chi, which is a natural occurrence that has had a spiritual parallel, which I am forever thankful!

Psalms 20:7-8 Esv <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage

‘Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. ‘

 

1.     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/108-form_Wu_family_tai_chi_chuan

2.     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Style_Tai_Chi_Fast_F

3.     https://www.pinterest.com/pin/476607573048611027/

4.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_Chambers

5.  Matthew Henry commentary John 19:31-37

<https://www.bible.com/bible/111/psa.34:20&gt;.

To Love and To Die – Princess Diana Pt. 3

/ Kay Loke / Leave a comment

23/12/2017

One of my friends reminded me that I didn’t put anything up for more than seven weeks. And I had two articles in my draft box. Two weeks ago, one early morning, I didn’t expect the first thing that appeared on YouTube was ‘Kate Middleton wears Diana’s favorite tiara and people get the chills….’  

August/2017 – rework

One of my dear sister in Christ suggested that I shall write about Diana in tune with the category of  ‘addicted to love.’ And how could I be able to add anything to write about Princess Diana if what says in theGardian that ‘millions upon millions of words were written about Diana, Princess of Wales, while she lived? Multiple millions of words were written when she died so shockingly in 1997.’ thus more ‘millions of words will be added to this already superabundant store.’ (1) 

Only when I found out that Princess Diana was an Anglican Christian, then I had the inner peace to share of how her funeral impacted the world and supernaturally brought glory to God, 20 years ago. And I also expounded on why her impact is still real, 20-years on, it was not because of a dianaminia phenomenon, it was after her own ‘Tell All” documentary was being aired. It only takes women understand other women.

In further, here I wonder what her life would be for being a Christian, had she ever been exposed to any of Apostle Paul’s teachings? Having God’s curse upon women in mind (Genesis 3:16), as result, emotions would always have a stronger hold on women than on men. And it had been more so in Diana’s emotional make-up. For according to the scriptures, its only prudent for Diana not to separate from her husband even she was in a loveless marriage. After 11 years of marriage, the Royal couple separated in late 1992.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 (2)

‘and to the married I announce — not I, but the Lord — let not a wife separate from a husband: but and if she may separate, let her remain unmarried, or to the husband let her be reconciled, and let not a husband send away a wife.’

For being single again, although Diana had heavily devoted herself in many global humanitarian works, but due to her addicted to love personality, as if her deep longing of love were written all over on her forehead for the whole world to witness. With more than her share of scandals, affairs and the explosive TV interview, finally, in 1996, a divorce was inevitable. And yet according to Apostle Paul, it would deem unwise for her to remain unmarried, after all, she was still young.

I Corinthians 7:7-9  New International Version

‘But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion (or unfulfilled sexual passion).’

In the end,  her sudden, tragic death shocked the whole world. She died certainly before her times at 36. People may wonder would she be aged gracefully or beautifully at 56 this year? Would she receive ‘admonition‘ from the Church of England on her 2nd marriage to any man with whom she was in love? Did it ever occur to her what the impact would be upon her sons, knowing that her 2nd husband is going to be the stepfather of the future king of England? Would the Windsor be giving her the blessings?

What if her future husband didn’t share her Christian faith and value? Had she been warned that her yoke with an unbeliever would make a problematic marriage?Or would she be too addicted to her love for her beloved to take warnings? Or would she give up her faith for love? What if the man didn’t know how to love her, or to cherish her the way she desirous of being loved and cared? Or what if her future husband were too weak to flee from the worldly lust or temptations?

If all good things in life are from God (James1:17), and then it is that ‘the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away..'(Job 1:21 KJV). Diana was given all things in life, but she died young. Her life was an example of how a woman who was intensively in need to love and be loved but had no one to point her to the true love that could only be found in Jesus. It doesn’t mean that Christian women either single or married are immune from feeling lonely or miserable when their emotional need is not met.

It is until and unless we,  as women are fully aware of our inner self, our helplessness and ask Jesus to drive away all our weakness that we see in our own carnal emotions then not only we would be able to experience HIS love but also a curse-free life would be within our reach. So if a royal princess candidly talked about her problem openly, all women if in the similar situation should openly talk to people or to ask for help without being tarry.

It says in the book Philippians 4:13 –‘you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.’

Now in December, and is the month with it all the joy of Christmas. I wonder if Princess Diana ever had any truly joyous Christmas within or without those Palace walls? Now we can rejoice as we all know that she is with her Daddy God in heaven as His beloved. No more emotional disorder, no more bulimia or cutting herself up. And Jesus knows when her yearnings of love are. What about you, are you feeling lonely or December is the most miserable month in a year as you don’t have someone to spend Christmas with?

Many women would echo that it is possible for us to feel lonely even we are with our loved ones. The antidote, therefore, is how essential for all of us to pray for one another, especially during this time of the year to be able to discover that the most significant gift of all and for all is not found under the Christmas tree. It is the moment when we allow our entire being to be filled with Jesus’ love that never fails and never disappoints. After all, HE is faithful and HE is the true personification of love on earth.

This morning the scriptures that’s from the book of  Number 6:24-26 came to me, and it’s actually the lyrics of a Jewish scriptural song, the ‘Priestly Blessing’ and then I thought that it would be the perfect greetings for me to share it with you all during this festival season, what do you think?

‘The LORD will bless you, the LORD will keep you and the LORD will make His face to shine upon you; the LORD will keep you and be gracious unto you. And HE will give you peace, and HE will turn His face to you..‘ (3)

  1. https://www.theguardian.com › Opinion -26/08/2017
  2. Young’s Literal Translation