Thursday, June 30, 2011

Teaching that changes lives

A poem that I wrote recently is published in a website. It is a website about teaching that changes lives. To be more precise, it is about the word of God.
I'm no theologian or master of the word..
I am a lover of the word
I am still learning and re-discovering the ancient yet timeless words that transcends time
The Word of God is amazing
Flip just a few pages of the word and you will be amazed at the treasures that you will gain
Have you forgotten your bible? Perhaps you have never even pick up one?

Start today..
The biggest misconception about the bible is that it is only for theologians or religious people..

YOU'RE WRONG
No, it is also for people like you and me, ordinary people who need God to direct our lives..
St. Jerome said "ignorance of the word (the bible) is ignorance of God"..
How else can you know God without knowing what He says to you first?

Here's the link to my first article on this website..
http://teachingthatchangeslives.com/Bible-study/Beware-of-the-Wide-Roads/

There are other more interesting stuffs available on the website as well..

This poem is also available on this blog itself at
http://angelina-bong.blogspot.com/2011/05/beware-of-wide-roads.html

Monday, June 27, 2011

You are not Alone

It could be a lonely lonely world
Alone on the bed
A frail thin blanket over a malnourished soul
Aches and pains increasing like fungi growing on a plank
A result of sleeping on an old mattress creaking over its overused state

It could be an aching aching world
Treading on the path to perfection
Reaching out a hand
Caring without limiting borders
Only to be misunderstood and ridiculed
Cold water splashed when it is least expected

It could be a void
A scarred heart never to be healed
A terrible past to haunt you forever
Like leprosy and deformity joined hands to torture you and send your soul to bottomless Sheol

Alas
An unseen hand caressed your hair
as you lie on that bed alone
The invisible fingers stroked your heart warming the chills of loneliness
The soft gentle touch held your soul in its embrace healing all the bad memoirs
Fingers intertwined and you are pushed forward
Never to look back but pulled ahead to reach your home
A cloak of love is showered on you washing away all aches and pains

In the midst of it all
A whisper that says
I understand
I was there
I was all alone
My friends left me
I walked alone to Calvary
I was forsaken
I was rejected
I was misunderstood
And now I am with you
You are in my hands
You are not alone

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Radiating Christ

I normally do not blog again right after another blog but I just read a beautiful story from a website and I know I just have to post it here.

"An American soldier fighting in WWII was captured by the Japanese and sent to a prisoner of war camp. At the same time, there was a Japanese man who was caught as a spy trying to help the Americans. He was sent to the same prison camp as the American, condemned as a traitor to his country, and placed into the same cell.  As a traitor, the Japanese man was tortured badly, much worse than the American. Everyday the guards took him out to torture him, and then threw him back into the cell. The American would do the best he could to take care of him, bandaging his wounds, sharing his food, seeing to his needs, and comforting him in any way he could. After a particularly severe torture session, it was evident that the Japanese man was going to die. The American man thought to himself, “I’ve shared everything else with this man but I haven’t shared Jesus with him.”  He bent down so as to be right next to the Japanese man and said, “I want you to know that you are dying and probably won’t last through the night, but you don’t have to be afraid if you just surrender your life to Jesus. He will give you everlasting life.” The dying man looked up into the face of the American and said, “If Jesus Christ is anything like you, I can’t wait to meet him."
This story was told by Fr. Larry Richards.
It just reminded me of how others would look at us and the first thing they noticed is how we treat them, not how we preach. Even more so if we do not act like how we preach. Many of us say one thing and the next moment, we find ourselves eating our own words. I am guilty of that as well. Many times, I am more a Pharisee than the good Samaritan and I pray you forgive me if I had behaved that way to you.

What I want to say is if we live our lives like Christ, we will be radiating Christ. At the end of the day, it is our actions that will convict others of God's love.

I would like to quote another sentence from this website:
"Let everything that you do and everybody that you meet be an encounter with God.”

That's how it should be. Let's pray that we will strive to radiate Christ to whoever we meet.

The above story and quote is taken from :

http://www.medjugorje.com/medjugorje-today/headlines/1116-i-am-here-you-decide.html

Are We Missing the Point?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said something about God that I absolutely love!

Here are his words..

"There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in the contemplation of the divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity."

Through out the centuries, people have tried to study God and like Jeremy Myers put it in his blog, dissect and organized knowledge about God. But in doing so, are we missing the point?
Have we tried to study and understand God so much that we missed out in experiencing him? After all, if we truly are able to understand God, He would'nt be God anymore would He?
They say seeing is believing but God says blessed are those who do not see and yet believe.
Are we trying so hard to understand God that we missed out on following and believing Him just as He tells us to? Be like a little child, holding His hands and trusting Him, following Him even when we cannot see. That's why Jesus says the kingdom of heaven belongs to the little ones.

I'm no theologian nor am I a master of the word but i believe, God has told us clearly that He is God and we are His people. We need only to trust in Him and love one another like He tells us to.
Even Michael Jackson says that in the last few days before he died.
If you watched 'This is It', you will understand what I meant. Before he passed away, during his last practice, he said..

"Love each other. We are all one."

Does that ring a bell to you?
We are indeed all one with the same Father regardless of colour, class, status, location, size and etc.

I hope you don't miss the point. God loves you and He wants you to share His love. Too simple to be true? It's as simple as that.

God bless you.

p/s: To read more of the wonderful sermon on God from Charles Haddon Spurgeon posted by Jeremy Myers, go to
http://www.tillhecomes.org/god-is-not-a-science-project/

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Are you troubled?
Do you feel sick?
Do you feel anxious?
Do you feel trapped and there's no way out??
Do you feel all alone and everything seems unbearable?
I want to tell you that there's a way out
God knows and He cares
He wants you to be healed of all your wounds and sickness
And at times your sickness would not go away, He wants you to know
He is there to comfort you and be your strength despite the difficulties
You're going through
God loves you

Come and experience Jesus's power and love
If you're in Kuching, you are in for a great meet up!!
The Holy Cross Ministry of Healing and Deliverance is holding a healing and deliverance session
this evening in Kuching, Sarawak.

It starts at 730 pm. Venue at christian ecumenical worship centre, lot 2500, block 10, jln stampin, KCLD, kuching
check out http://holycross-ministry.org for more info.

I wish I could be there tonight.
If you are going, I wish you a spirit-filled and blessed encounter :)
God bless you!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Amazing Grace

I have been months away..
I am finally back to my little cavern in "LA"..
In the midst of clearing away thick dust, throwing away unwanted pieces of paper, filing necessary documents, and rearranging things in my room, I managed to have a few catch ups with old friends..

My room is in the midst of chaos..
That's because I am trying to find something and at the same time, trying to get rid of 'junkies'..
In the midst of doing all these, I am reminded of last night..

I was blessed to have a great catch up with two dear friends of mine..
Especially a girl friend that I have not seen for a while now..
I just have to blog about her..

Her story reminds me of the song 'Amazing Grace'
I'm sure a lot of us are familiar with that song
I'll refresh your memory with a few lines..

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.


She is a young believer and she came to know the Lord much later than I do..
What strike me is her faith and her joy and how God has been working in her life..
It is amazing how God can change a person so much..
Her sharing brought back memories of how God has been working in mine..
Right from the day I was born..

I was so wretched but God was so merciful..
Again and again, He would pick me up and lead me to places that I have never dreamt even to thread..
She told us how she was right in the bottomless pit and how God went down to her and picked her up..
I recalled how messed up I was..
Everything was messed up; my life, my relationships, my career but most of all, my relationship with God..but God heard my prayers and the prayers of many others who patiently prayed for me continuously even though it seemed bleak that I might actually turned around..

Amazing Grace it is that today the same Lord brings us together again..
Sipping tea and chatting; just sharing about how this wonderful Father of ours is weaving our lives from hurts, brokenness, mishaps, sins, into a beautiful tapestry of light and today, still continues crafting it to the day of perfection..

Amazing Grace it is that we could just 'fellowship' without realising hours had passed by and it was already wee hours in the morning..

It is indeed true that heaven rejoices more when one sinner repents than when there are 99 who needs no repentance..the greatest joy that I had felt so far is knowing that a friend or a family member that I cared about has come to know the Lord..nothing beats that kind of joy..
It's like knowing that person has come to join me in this great big family in this great big universe and we all share the same Father where one day, all of us will enjoy being in His Presence for Eternity..the best part is knowing that day is not too far away :)

Amazing Grace..
Indeed how sweet the sound..
Through His Amazing Grace, a wretch like me could be saved..
Indeed I was so blind but now I could see.
and will continue to see better till the day I reach heaven where my eyesight will be PERFECT.

Thank you Father
 

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sung-bong Choi

There is a Korean craze epidemic everywhere especially in Malaysia and Singapore. You may think it is just teenagers who are idolizing over their favourite Korean Drama superstars like Jang Geun Suk and Korean superbands like Girls Generation and etc but you are wrong. There are thousands of housewives and even men who are waiting faithfully at home on a certain time every day to watch their favourite Korean Drama characters on KBS.

Well well...

That's not the point of my ranting here.
You probably know what is happening already and you are probably one of those who sparked off this epidemic if not drowning in it.

Today, I want to talk about Sung-bong Choi.

Who is he?
Is he another one of those pretty Korean boys who are gracing all the endorsements from mobile phones to cosmetics?

NO..far from it.

Sung-bong Choi was left in the orphanage at 3, and he ran away from the orphanage at 5 because he was beaten up by fellow mates. Tragic?
Not quite yet..
Since then, he lived alone on the streets selling gums and energy drinks.
He slept on stairs or in public toilets.
One of the many nights when he passed by the clubs,
Sung-bong Choi heard the amazing voice of a person singing in the night club
He started to like singing and singing became his companion through the many bad things that happened in his life
He finally gets his chance and entered Korea's Got Talent!

I do not usually watch these clips but a housemate of mine showed it to me
Despite all the hardships he went through, he did not give up on life but courageously fought for his passion. I am so moved by his story, by his 'surviving' skills, by his passion, by his courage, by his fortitude but most of all by his voice.

It's like his whole life's story is embedded in his voice.
It's like his entire emotions of pain, sorrow, rejection and loneliness is woven into his voice
bringing it to soar and transforming those pain into the loveliest bouquet of flowers radiating love..his love for singing..

I am even more amazed that he had never taken any vocal lessons..
I hope he wins it, not because of his story
but because he truly deserves it

He is purely talented and what's more important, he sings from the heart.

Cheers to Sung-bong Choi!

God bless you

Catch his audition on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BewknNW2b8Y&feature=player_embedded

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Spreading Snowflakes

I am amused once again as I read Fr. Tom Washburn's blog.
He definitely has a sense of humor and his blog is not only filled with wisdom,
it is also jam-packed with a lot of guidance from ABove.

I would like to share this particular excerpt from his blog. It's a story actually.

"A squirrel once asked a wise owl what the weight of a single snowflake was. “Nothing more than nothing,” the owl answered. The squirrel then told the owl about a time when he was resting on a branch of a tree, counting each snowflake that came to rest until he reached the number 3,471,952. Then with the settling of the very next flake -- crack. The branch suddenly snapped, tumbling the squirrel and the snow to the ground. “That was surely a whole lot of nothing,” said the squirrel."

A whole lot of nothing..
Do you get the idea?

You may think you're just a drop of ocean in the world..
You may ask yourself what difference can you make in the world..
You may think you amount to nothing..

You're WRONG

A drop of ocean makes all the difference..
Imagine if each drop ceased to exist, the entire ocean would be gone..

So like the snowflake, the efforts you put in spreading light and love in the world, even if it is as small as a smile or  handshake to a lonely person, you can make a difference. The whole lot of light snowflakes that you are spreading can add up to a mountain of snowflakes that will eventually break the branches and chains of evil.

So, do not be afraid.

Go out there my dear snowflakes and my ocean counterparts; continue in doing the good work.

Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you in spreading that snowflakes of yours.

Here's an excerpt of a song that is both simple and powerful. It shook my snowflakes. I want to share it with you. Sing it and pray it.

Welcome Holy Spirit
Be here in Your Presence
Fill me with Your Power
Live inside of Me

May the Peace of the Lord be with you. Shalom. :)

To read more on Fr. Tom's blog, come to this link

http://afriarslife.blogspot.com/2011/06/veni-sancte-spiritus.html

On Seeing Children Cycling at Dusk

I love poetry and sometimes there are unconventional
poets out there who seemed to strike a note or two in my life.
This particular piece breathes nostalgic air on me..
I am reminded of the carefree days of my childhood..
How pure, naive, innocent yet mischievous we were..

Dan Snow, a friend I met by sheer chances wrote this poem below..
He dedicates it to "every child and adult turned young out there"

Children cycling me by, laughing, shouting.
kind of reduce the evening heat of lethargy
and light suns upon my lips. I’d in self-doubting
forgotten the way to smile when love turned starchy
as my military uniform. Like a man turned young
I chase the winds once more, the winds through tracks
of time. They say children on bicycle or rung
will never fall after the first pitfall, the ax
of love’s double-rider bicycle. Here I ride
my single-seater Wheeler bike alone as fools
or hermits on an evening cruise. Those kids beside
have taught me the push to laugh at writing rules
again, soaring where the pen takes me
into the vast tracks of child-memory.

I shall not leave you orphans

I will not leave you orphans..He said
I will send you a helper, the Advocate..He said

So many choices
So many decisions to make
So many voices
So many opinions
So many demons
So many angels

How do you know if you're strolling on the right path or trampling on dead ends?
A great many crossroads may come your way
Some wide and some narrow
Some crooked and some plain straight
Some filled with gems and some with rocks

You may ask
Are those gems actually a disguise covering a hollow rock
Are those rocks a cover that protects a precious jewel
What if they genuinely appear to be who they are
What if they are a disguise to deceive and mock you

How will you know?
How will you tell?
How can you perceive?
How can you discern?

I shall not leave you orphans..He said

The Advocate is in you..
If you will only yield to Him..
Call Him..
Pursue Him..
Then the anointed path shall be made known to you..
However it is rare and few finds it..
But if you seek and find, you shall find it..

I pray that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit..
So that by the fruits of the spirit that radiates from within you, they will know that you belong to Him
and wherever you go, the Advocate will direct you.

God bless you.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry and my funeral

I have just finished watching the Secrets of Jonathan Sperry and can't help contemplating on the movie.
It tells of three young boys making friends with an old man and how one thing led to another.
This old man is a faith-filled man who's also very inspiring. He was not only caring and generous but He began to share His faith and gave life lessons to these children that would last them a lifetime.
The seeds that Jonathan Sperry had sown proved fruitful.
It reminds me of how sometimes we sow seeds but get disappointed when we do not see them bloom and our efforts seem to be in vain.
This movie shows a little seed sown can go a long way. We might never get to see the harvest in our lifetime but perhaps the next generation might be shaped and would bloom according to the seeds that we have planted.
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry reminds me of how short our life is and like Jonathan Sperry mentioned, it is good to go to a funeral.
It is then that we would think about our death more often for we all die someday. Whether we like it or not, we will eventually die someday.
Life would be miserable if life is all there is on earth. But no, you and I have an eternal home in heaven.
Imagine life on earth is but only a speck of eternity, uncountable years of life...
And how you spend this speck of yours determine where you will live for the rest of your life.
Won't you want eternal joy and happiness where there is no more pain, hurts and sorrow?
I for sure want that..
How do you do that?
Call out to Jesus
Accept Him as your life and saviour
Ask Him to help you live a life worthy of an eternal life
Like Jonathan Sperry said,
Call unto Him
The Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord, He shall be saved.
Once you do that, Jesus will guide you to live the way He wants you to be.
That way, once you reached the end of your life, it would not be the end of your life or a fretful funeral. Instead, a celebration awaits you!

I dream of the day of my funeral.
You must think I am insane but I know that day will come.
I know it will be a celebration for then only I can be truly at home for eternity, to heaven where Jesus had prepared a room for me.

This is my wish on my funeral day so if you're reading this and you happen to know of the time I passed away, please remember this wish of mine.

I would want everyone to dress not in black but in bright colours like teal, yellow, red, fuchsia, electric blue and etc. Why??!!!!!!! Because it will be a celebration for me; a party of rejoicing and not mourning. So if you ever find yourself attending Angelina Bong's funeral, you know the dresscode :)

I want my grave to be showered with sunflowers. Why???!!! You may ask why not roses?
Well, sunflowers are my favourite of all flowers because they are always bright and shiny just like the sun, just like Jesus and the Blessed Sacrament beaming at us. It makes me happy whenever I look at one.

And I would love for someone or everyone to sing Danny Boy at my funeral. I don't know why but I am moved to this song everytime I hear it.

SO please remember what to do..
Haha..
Whether this day be months or years or decades ahead, I pray I will live my life to the fullest..

Like Jonathan Sperry who wrote in the bible he gave to Dustin,
"Keep living for Jesus"

Yes...I shall keep living for Jesus!!