Tag Archives: yumcha

mmmm genesis 8 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed delicious Indian Tandoori Chicken and Naan Bread last weekend Mmmm

I thank God that I live in multicultural Sydney with a huge variety of authentic Asian food!

But that’s not the only food that is mouth-watering.

I’m being nourished at Bible College with tantalising morsels of Old Testament this semester.

“So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another.Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”

Genesis 8:18-21

Genesis sets up this incredible unfolding plan of God.

We have the tension of sin and Man’s rebellion contrasted against God’s love for his people.

We are left asking, “How will this all end?”

God knew that Man would rebel against him well before he even created anything.

The amazing thing is that God decided to go ahead and create the whole universe anyway knowing that Man would rebel against him.

He lovingly created a beautiful world knowing that we would pollute it with our sinfulness.

As a result we now have major environmental problems because we have failed to care for the world:

  • We have chopped down all the trees
  • We have killed all the animals
  • We have thrown rubbish everywhere
  • We have polluted the air with greenhouse gases.

We only have ourselves to blame for Climate Change.

As we read about Noah and the Flood, we see that God is a God of Second Chances.

He could have wiped out all Mankind but he chose to spare Noah and his family.

God knew full well that every inclination of Man’s heart is evil from childhood.

He knew that we are naturally evil from birth. It is in our nature to sin.

Inexplicably he allowed Noah to survive knowing that Man would continue to sin after the Flood.

We see a repeating pattern emerging in Genesis that will continue throughout the whole Old Testament

  • Man rebels against God
  • God warns Man to stop rebelling
  • Man ignores God’s warning
  • God rightfully judges Man for his rebellion
  • God gives Man a Second Chance and lessens the punishment
  • God restores Man

Then the cycle begins all over again showing that we haven’t learned anything from our mistakes.

The whole Old Testament is leading to the climax in the New Testament.

Through Jesus, God has dealt with Man’s rebellion once and for all.

Jesus has taken the punishment that we deserve upon himself.

Jesus has restored our relationship with God and stopped this pointless cycle of hopelessness.

Jesus gives us real food and real hope for the future.

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm genesis 1-2 mmmm

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Mmmm Enjoyed eating yumcha today to celebrate Chinese New Year mmmm

There is something even more delicious than yumcha:

Join me in eating God’s Word!

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Genesis 1: 31- 2:3

Genesis is the 1st book of the Bible and we read about God creating the world in Chapter 1.

There is something we often overlook when reading these facts.

On the 7th day, God rested from all his work.

We were created to be in relationship with God and enjoy his rest.

We were not created to be workaholics labouring 24/7.

Sadly Australians are working longer hours to get ahead in their careers.

Or they may be forced to work on weekends as part of their contracts.

Either way, work is putting pressure on family and spiritual relationships in unprecedented ways.

Many are willing to put in the long hours to fund their affluent lifestyles.

Our lives soon become so fast-paced & busy that we forget what we are slaving for.

We need to take a day off each week so that we can:

  • Rest and enjoy life
  • Spend time with our families
  • Eat good food & relax
  • Play sport or enjoy the great outdoors that God has made
  • Meet friends at church and discuss the Bible
  • Pray
  • Volunteer & help others in the community
  • Talk to our neighbours

Our careers do not define our identity or give us worth in life.

Sadly many Australians are sucked in to the lie that money brings happiness.

To put all our energy into earning money is a recipe for disaster.

Find rest in God now!

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm psalm 119 mmmm

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I’m passionate about eating Asian food in Sydney because we have the best outside Asia!

There’s an enormous variety of authentic dishes to choose from:

  • Cantonese yumcha
  • Peking duck
  • Malaysian char kway teow & roti canai
  • Singapore noodles & chicken rice
  • Korean bulgogi
  • Thai green & massaman curries
  • Indian biryani & lamb korma
  • Turkish gozleme
  • Vietnamese pho

But there is something even more delicious!

Join a hungry Sydney Bible College student for a satisying meal!

Psalm 119: 97-105 (NIV1984)

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.
I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

The writer of this psalm uses a food metaphor to describe the words of God
He hungers after the sweet delicious mouthfuls and craves for more
He is passionate about reading and meditating on the words of God
In Old Testament times, the words of God were the Law (the 1st 5 books of the Bible)
In the context of the New Testament, the whole Bible is God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
We can now enjoy both Testaments on our dinner table

How often do you read/eat the Bible?
We need to eat the Bible everyday just like we need food daily to survive
Without nourishing food we will die!
It is the same with God’s Word as we gain hope and strength for each new day
The last verse in this section uses a light metaphor to describe the words of God
The Bible shines a light in darkness so we can see the way forward

We are faced with so many daily decisions in life, how do you know which path to follow?
The answers can be found in the Bible

Bible College starts again in less than 3 weeks!
I can’t wait to get stuck in to the Bible and eat the delicious feast!

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm job 28 mmmm

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Come for a delicious journey through God’s Word with a hungry Sydney Bible College student!

Do you crave something more filling than yumcha?

If so, read on ….

Job 28:20-28 (NIV 1984)

“Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say,
‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’
God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.
And he said to man,
‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.’”

The book of Job in the Old Testament is about a Man and his relationship with God.

Job experiences unexplained suffering and cries out in pain.
His friends try to offer comforting words of wisdom but are tactless and foolish.
Job wonders where true wisdom can be found.

Only God is the source of true wisdom.

Man can find wisdom in right relationship with God.
We do this by humbly approaching Him and recognising that He is the Creator (and we are not!)

He creates thunderstorms like Super Storm Sandy that devastated NE USA recently.
I love New York in the Spring – one of the great cities of the world alongside Sydney.
So to see the recent devastation is heart-breaking and humbling.

When suffering happens to us, we cry out in pain.
But instead of asking, “Why did you do this, God?”

We should ask, “How can I trust God to get me through this suffering?”

God is more important than our treasured homes that can be washed away in a storm.

God is more reliable than politicians who promise but fail to deliver.

God wants us to trust Him when everything collapses around us.

He sent Jesus to give us eternal hope so that we can weather the most powerful storm.

Who do you trust when you lose everything?

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm colossians 1 mmmm

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Come for a delicious journey through God’s Word with a hungry Sydney Bible College student!

Do you crave something more filling than yumcha?

If so, read on ….

Colossians 1:15-16 (NIV 1984)

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

What is the meaning of life?

Philosophers, comedians and theologians have pondered this question since time began.

Some answers include:

  • Love, Family relationships and friendships
  • Knowledge, learning and education
  • Career success and job satisfaction
  • Good food and wine
  • Money, possessions, a comfortable home in a good suburb and a fast car
  • Good health, the body beautiful, fitness and sport
  • Art, architecture, music and entertainment
  • Travel and the environment
  • Recreation and leisure
  • Humour and happiness

Colossians tells us something different and often we miss the last 2 words in verse 16.

Jesus created the universe for himself. This includes all humans – Christian and non-Christian.

We belong to Jesus. He is our “meaning”.

So what does this look like?

Jesus desires to enjoy us in close relationship to him – closer than our family or best friends.

We often look for meaning in the wrong places:

  • Family and friends come and go – we mourn when we lose them
  • Even with all the knowledge in the world, we can still be lonely
  • Redundancy can stunt our career plans and threaten our homes
  • Cancer and Diabetes can spoil our appetite for good food and wine
  • Money and possessions can be stolen or destroyed in fire
  • We are so busy in life and no longer have time for rest and hobbies
  • Worries and Depression can make our fun and laughter disappear

Jesus is eternal – he is still there when our world collapses around us

He is our food that satisfies the greatest hunger when we need it most

Enjoy him today!

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm ephesians 2 mmmm

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Come for a delicious journey through God’s Word with an inquisitive Sydney Bible College student!

Do you hunger for something more filling than yumcha?

If so, read on ….

Ephesians 2:4-9 (NIV 1984)

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 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.

Growing up in a Christian family, I always thought I had to earn my way to heaven by going to church every Sunday and obeying the Ten Commandments.

But I was always worried that I wasn’t good enough. In my heart, I knew that I wasn’t perfect.

When I was 17, I read this passage in Ephesians and a wave of relief washed over me.

God is a God of second chances (mercy) giving me an amazing gift that I didn’t deserve (grace): His Son Jesus.

I didn’t earn this free gift and there is no way that I can repay God for saving me.

Suddenly a light dawned on me and I fully understood and appreciated the enormity of “grace“.

I was baptised soon after and now live my life in thankfulness to God for his “grace“.

Think about “love”, “mercy” and “grace” – they are  closely interconnected:

Grace is clearly the greatest gift we can receive in our lives – once you realise this, you can relax and be free from guilt and worry forever. Nothing else matters.

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm psalm 88 mmmm

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Come for a delicious journey through God’s Word with an inquisitive Sydney Bible College student!

Do you hunger for something more filling than yumcha?

If so, read on ….

Psalm 88:1-5 (NIV 1984)

O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.
May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.
I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.

The writer of this psalm strongly believes that God will save him even though he is in immense pain.

Life is tough sometimes ….

Maybe you’re in a backbreaking job with a bullying boss

Or you’re about to lose your job in uncertain times

Maybe you suffer chronic pain like arthritis

Or you’re a persecuted Christian in China jailed for attending an unregistered church

Maybe one or both of your parents are dying of cancer

This psalm is written to be sung in community and maybe it’s appropriate when there is a great tragedy like the outpouring of grief over the sudden premature death of a child in a car accident

When your world collapses around you, who do you turn to and what do you hope for?

Jesus has taken our pain on himself and can be trusted to save us now and in the future

mmmm Bible mmmm

mmmm ezekiel 36 mmmm

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Come for a delicious journey through God’s Word with a hungry Sydney Bible College student!

Do you hunger for something more filling than yumcha?

If so, read on ….

Ezekiel 36:24-26 (NIV 1984)

[God said] “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

God was very angry with the hard-hearted Israelites in Ezekiel. He punished them severely.

But after judgement, God quickly forgave them and desired to gather his people back to himself.

We can see that He is a God of second chances!

He will change our hearts so that we can respond to him in love.

God no longer lives in the temple in Jerusalem.

Through Jesus, He will now live in our hearts if we let Him in.

mmmm Bible mmmm