www.success.con

If you flip through "The Star" Newspapers, no doubt you will find advertisements like:

Are you fearful of the recession?

Do you have a second source of income?

"Get Rich with FOREX"

- Dr. XYZ, BA(Hons), MBA, PhD is an expert in the whole field of Foreign Exchange. For the past 20 years, he has help thousands of people achieve success in their lives, etc etc. Let him teach you the skills that you NEED to SUCCEED in LIFE!

Testimonial by Mr. Chan Ah Beng

This course has made me earn RM15,000 a month by just spending 20 minutes a day!

Testimonial by Ms. Chin Ah Lian

This course has given me financial success, now I can quit my job and stay at home! 

or maybe...

Do you know that Success in Education means Success in Life?

Your son/daughter has no motivation in life?

Your children finding no interest in their academics?

Join Mr. Beng's Memory course! Our children can memorize 20 digit numbers at ease, and score for your exams! Let Mr. Beng teach you the principles that your child needs to SUCCEED IN LIFE!

Testimonial by Lee Ah Kau, 12 years old

"I used to score 1 A, now I am scoring 19 As in UPSR!"

Testimonial by Lim Ah Miao, 17 years old

"I used to hate studying, but now I am the top student in school!"

I have went to some of these. But before I give my testimonials to them, please bear with me for a while - consider my experience and credential.

2 Business/Life Concept courses

1 Self-Esteem/Motivation course

1 Options/FOREX course

1 Creativity/Memory course

These courses would sum up to about RM20,000. These course have led me to talk business with 1 CEO and 1 Director of different companies. Both are multimillion dollar companies. Well, my proposals didn't get through, but it was a good try. To give them their credit, my academics are pretty good - and I can memorize quite well.

This is not to boast - and there isn't much point in doing so, because anybody who knows me knows that I am nowhere near "SUCCESSFUL" as far as the advertisements define. It seems that every other course has promised you SUCCESS in LIFE! In my better moments, I really feel that these things have somehow given me a successful life... 

However, in my more sober moments, I know that these things mean very little

For the advertisers...

It seems as though an increase in self-esteem will lead to success. 

Or increase in memory will result in success. 

Having lots of money will give you success. 

Really?

I don't doubt that many people out there think that these things will give them lasting happiness somehow - though perhaps many of us doubt that secretly inside our hearts.

When I was in high school, Success meant marrying the hottest girl in school and having lots of money to spend, with a lot of people envying and respecting me. I catch myself thinking like that often - even these days. I know some braver friends who admits it, and I know tons of friends who are more shy who would not admit it.

What is success in life?

Success is like the IN-word, the BUZZ-word for all time. Everybody wants to be successful in life, well... maybe. But I don't know anyone who wants to be a failure in life. In aiming to be successful in life, many have tried all sorts of "successes".

Money.

Girls.

Sports.

Climb to the top of the corporate ladder.

Top the university.

Get famous.

In the end, what? Tell me, what? Many of us have grown "wiser" to realize that there ain't to many spots for a "future Bill Gates". Easier alternatives are cheap beer and free internet porn. They seem to be more convenient time-killers. But as the years go by, many have become indifferent to the question 

"What is this success in life that I yearn so much for?"

But that is okay. The business people aren't really interested in answering your question anyway. After figuring out that they are also confused with the issue...

"Hey, why not make money in the process?"

Hence - success courses. Let me be frank with you, of the people I have known or asked, none of them gives a clear answer. Forget about a good one. See, there are these "spiritual" and "philosophical" people who also got confused with the issue...

"Hey, why not make the question more complicated?"

I hate to say this. But since the media is pushing so much sex, the major shareholder of the future - the youths are "enlightened" by MTV...

" F*** success... wait... to get to F*** is SUCCESS "

I was in form 3 when I first heard from a girl telling me how she got "scored" by another guy. That guy must be pretty successful in the eyes of many high schoolers. I can testify to that. Talk about peer pressure at 14.

Then again, as time goes by - we learn how fleeting these moments are. Fleeting, like the mist in the morning that appears for a little while, then gone. 

I have heard the "happy family" theory too. They tell me fun friends and a close family is the "genuine" success. This is a little more tricky. The more innocent it sound, the trickier it is. I want to ask the people who told me these things whether it is consistent with the their experience in life - is it such a good definition that can apply to all humanity at all times... being all sufficient. I've learnt that the people who always look most innocent and blur, and probably worse off than those who reveal it on the outside. 

Like Chinese you know?

Let me start off with this. I work with Malay colleagues. They are decently hardworking people. I have hung around Chinese long enough to know that most Chinese think Malays are the laziest people on earth. Ah, but don't forget, I have also hung around Chinese long enough to know that they are so sly that it is hard to catch them slacking off. We are the best actors. Chinese Drama remember? It all started from Hong Kong - Chinese. 

Hollywood doesn't know acting for nuts - They know visual effects and the like. But real acting belong to the Chinese, on screen and off screen... Boss around, Boss not around. If Boss cannot catch you slacking off - SUCCESS! 

Come on - you and I, and perhaps every other person that you know seem to strive so hard for success in life. Couldn't it bother you to spend a little more time figuring out what success in life is - if it is indeed so important. 

Maybe, for a start - to know where you are heading? Why are you heading there? and where are you supposed to head anyway?

Do you?

ANYWAY........

On a happier note, 

Something my older sister said made me realize something. It went something like...

"Our language is not broken ( broken english, broken malay, etc), it is unified"

Now, it might sound terribly lame. Lets admit it, we speak broken-whatever.

But for the past 2 days working in Astro (my office being 70% Malays), I have made friends with 3 Malay colleagues. 

I used to call friends "fren"..

when I went Australia, I learnt that they call friends as "mates"

now I have a little more Malay friends... the word of the day is "member"

It is amazing, how Malay-English-Cantonese mixed up in one sentence is understood by all 3 major races in Malaysia. Mr. Mamak also knows them.

I hear of some Chinese with political ambitions wanting to unify Malaysia in one way or the other. Most of those I am heard goes something like: 

" I will be a top politician... then I will make laws that..."

" I will be a famous (insert-your-white-collar-profession-here)... then I will... "

Self centeredness World Champion... Chinese la...

Well, based on my 2 days experience only... with no political training in any way... the best thing that we Chinese can really do isn't becoming a politician or being famous or whatever to actually create change...

We should just...

Try making some Malay friends. 

.

.

.

.

.

.

They are nice people.

God Is On My Side?

Who is it? Who is going to win the elections?

Both believes God is on their side

Months and months of campaigning, both of them have picked up bits of Scriptures from the Bible to put in their speeches, both have quoted famous men and women, both have hurled insults that were politically correct and incorrect.

Somehow, when somebody wants to win - God seems obliged to help. Take it from Sarah Palin - the hopeful Republican VP.

"Tomorrow, I hope, I pray, I believe that I'll be able to wake up as vice president-elect and be able to get to work"


At least according to Osama and Friends, Allah seems to be on their side too. Of course, there are other Muslims who are not in the Osama and Friends group, who claim that Allah is not on their side.

America is catching up.

Suddenly, the American generation is somehow the David Generation, somehow it is the Elijah Generation, somehow Barrack Obama has likened himself to Joshua - the successor of Moses. And somehow, the Americans have become the Israelistes.

Most of us, if not all of us want to be someone great, or at least part of something really great.

Like REALLY GREAT.


The idea that God would also want us to be someone great is pretty good too.



"If somehow God endorses my desire for greatness, then I really going to make it"



Not only politicians make us think that way, motivational speakers make us think that way - as though that were not enough: We have pastors and self-proclaimed prophets to make us think that way.


Let me share with you an experience of mine:

About 5 years ago, I was sponsored to attend one of the seminars founded by Robert T. Kiyosaki & Friends. (please pardon me of my "and Friends" thing, when I don't quite remember all the names involved, I just group them together that way).

If some of you don't know who Robert T. Kiyosaki is, you might know his book entitled "Rich Dad Poor Dad". Now this course is much more than being just business in nature, as it seeks to transform your mindset into one that accepts much more possibilities so that you would take hold of more oppurtunities in life, and create the change that you want in life.

Of course, they also teach you necessary skills to make and maintain those changes, while providing lifetime support.

It is here that I met this woman called Shantelle Gold. One of the New Age gurus. Well, the title is actually something like "Clairvoyant and Spiritual Counsellor".

She invited me to have a "session" with her, where she can read my "aura". Of course, I felt very curious. Its not the ordinary RM20 fortune teller that sits around the LRT with a pack of poker cards and a little buddha statue.

Apparently, I have this Bright White aura around me which was not common. She didn't tell me much, and she simply said things like I have great potential, a great leader (or something like that, at least that is what I would like to remember). Come on, I was only 16 years old.

Well, thats a little short story of liking to be someone great. Imagine Bill Gates coming up to you and say:


"Young man, I see great potential in you to be a billionaire richer than I!"


I'd be walking on cloud 9. If the idea of Bill Gates being on my side makes me fly, what makes you think that the idea of GOD being on my side would be any lesser?



The point is this. When we have little hopes that we hope so much for - and somebody comes along and tell us something along the lines we want to hear, everything just works.

They are GOD-SENT!
They are GOD's prophets sent to affirm your quest for greatness!

When you wish for the iPhone 3G or the new Macbook for your Christmas present, and you pray for it, and WALLA! Your parents buy you that very thing for Christmas!

God is so GOOD! HOORAY!







Now, whoever wins the presidential race this time. Half of America will say that he is God-sent. Really?


Now, I hope that you are already convinced that the whole idea of God-sent according to the definition that changes with our fancies is pretty stupid.

The Bible does teach the idea about people being God-sent -The Bible does teach that God has created everybody and placed them in their respective places. God made me Malaysian, male, destined me to be a Christian and study in UNSW and blog on my laptop today.

It couldn't be any other way simply because this is history.

The Bible also teaches that it is God who commands history. History is made in such a way that God is still its Commander when Hitler murdered 6 million Jews, when the bomb fell on Japan, when the woman was raped in the alley.

When Jesus-God Himself was tortured and hung on the cross until He died. That is also history, and God was and is still the Commander.

I do not know the exact reason for these tragic incidents, including the state that America is in now - but I do know that we live in a sinful world, and we are terribly responsible for all the wickedness and destruction there is in the world.

If Allah wasn't FOR Osama,
Osama would probably have made up a new god that would be FOR Osama.

If America learnt that God demands of them something that is inconvenient,
they will look for a new god.

So many people wants Obama to take over the office. He seems to be able to promise so much, and he also seems to be able to deliver it. Pretty much like the way many Malaysians want to see UMNO dethroned. Maybe not.

But this is what the Bible teaches. There is no hope in human governments. Very much like the way I was born Malaysian, the politicians are God-sent by default. They are not necessarily God-sent to make our lives rosier than it is or to fulfill our fanciful wishes. There is nothing wrong to demand a fairer system, one that has more accountability.


I am not being anti-hope, neither am I anti-dreams.
It is more like anti-selfish thinking.

The Bible defines security - not as in political security, or insurance security.
It is the security that you know when God forgives you as you repent of your sins and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus.

The Bible defines riches - not as in Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or Wall Street riches.
Being rich in good deeds, godliness, these are riches. When God grants us forgiveness because of Jesus, that is riches.

The Bible defines greatness - not as in President of the USA, nor the CEO of a Forbes 500, nor the Commander of the Air Force.
It is to serve others in love and humility, following the footsteps of Jesus - to suffer for righteousness sake, to preach the good news so that people may get to heaven.

We should desire such security, such richness, and such greatness. Now, I don't expect many people to have taste for such noble things. For that matter, I don't exactly get thrilled over such noble ideas.

The good part about this is: The fact that we don't always delight in what is really good (or we only delight in what is good when it is convenient), having no pure desires is a good indication that we are wicked to the core. Not only we do wicked things, we think wicked thoughts.

Dear Human-Inspiration,

I am sorry.

I cannot, in good conscience dream the same dreams that you love, neither can I desire to continue desiring the things you continually consider desirable. Even the
Utopian dreams that you have, I am sorry to tell you I cannot sympathize with you that there will be another Saviour in this world. There is one Saviour Jesus Christ, who has declared that He will make a New World.

God's plans is such that people would be disgusted our their sins and realize that
there is a limit to human potential.

Human wickedness is much greater than human potential. Do not underestimate the forces of the dark side.

God's desire is that as they realize, they would resort to nothing else other than seeking undeserved mercy from God alone - whom they have sinned against... by not living their lives according to God who is the rightful King, and consequently hurting one another.

God's desire is that all the nations would recognize the Jesus' love and submit to His Lordship.

Until we realize that we are stubbornly believing in ourselves that the human race can be good one day (which we have failed since the beginning of human civilization), we live as God's enemies.

There is a New World, and the invitation to us is to leave the sinking ship - and board on to Jesus.

Your friend who longs for your enlightenment,
Joel

So:

Yes, God is on our side - If we are willing to give up our rebellion to go to His side.

No, God was never on our side at any point of time in history. It is inconceivable that God would ever take part in our wickedness.

Puberty

It porbably sounds a little off to put the title that way because I'm used to associate the word with growing up in biological terms - like getting to a certain age. But this time, I'm talking about growing up in my thoughts, maturing to arrange priorities in life, etc.

Coming back from Mid Year Conference, a few things I am considering more serioiusly.

Learning what it means to worship God - has given me much more framework to consider one big question...

Joel...

What will I do with God's life?

For the 5 days, the question becomes more and more serious as I realize that my life here is temporal, it is technically wrong to say "my life" - it should be more like... God's life that He gave me to steward.

I have been thinking about becoming a pastor some day - and preach the gospel for the rest of my life - as the glitters of this world dims.

Tears have been shed, as I see how trying to run my life my own way has caused much destruction wherever I go. I no longer have the leisure of time, though I catch myself squandering this thing that money cannot buy.

I pray, as God transforms my mind and corrects my priorities - I will no longer regard a selfish personal reputation a thing to be concerned with, and much of the concerns that I have ( which so often disguises itself as a noble intention ). But through the lens of a clear mind, the so called good motives I thought I had are really selfishness in its best form.

Now I am thinking -

I have slightly more than a year left in Australia, how will I utilize this time well to be equipped for God's work in the coming days?

How will change be brought to Malaysia?

How will I learn to regard God's work as the highest priority of all works?

I'm not so much stressed as to the things external to me, but more so that I will be faithful from now till then...


There is this funny shirt I used to see:

Lead me not into temptation, I know the way already


Is a phrase that I hate to see manifest in my life - The battle within the heart. Some go around yelling against demons, but what can Satan do? Satan can hang Jesus on the cross, but he can't stop Jesus saving all mankind.

Be Thou my vision O Lord of my heart.

A Little Summary of Ambition

So far, topics that have been written basically revolves around theology, philosophy, psychology... Of course there are a few random posts about dreams, girls, and daily life.

I will quickly summarize the recent issues that my mind has been handling:

Studies are taxing and they demand long hours. I do not think I will be using the things I learn a few years after I graduate.

Studying engineering is a good training of my mind. I learn logical arguments. Since most people recognize engineering as a tough subject, perhaps they will respect my arguments more. I suffered a time when I think I did provide logical solid arguments ( though my methods of argument were still immature ), but I was pushed aside as I was still young, and had little achievements. Perhaps when Ifinish my degree, they will have to at least recognize an engineering degree if not me.

This line of thoughts will lead me on to my concerns about Career. I have a vision. In simplest language, it is to be faithful in doing what God wants me to do. I have thoughts about "what work creates the greatest impact". Of course, I come to learn that there is no such thing. However, please learn how I used an egoistic approach to reach this conclusion.

If I become a great leader, and I was inspired by some obscure pastor in some obscure place - then that pastor's obscure job is the work that creates the greatest impact. If my lecturer does not give me a hard time in University and then he influences me to be a faithful Christian in some way - then I become a good person, then his job is the best job.

However, when I think of it, it is not an entirely egoistic approach. The reason being my understanding that whatever thing I am in, God has set, and that has to be the best. Best not so much as in human terms, but in terms of God's grand plan. Since His grand plan consists not of many version except one, that is reality, then reality is the best.

A person can then think that I am watering down this whole doctrine that everything is best. Yes in some sense, i.e. as illustrated above. But of course, doing a job can have moral dimensions to it; but what God looks at is our faithfulness in doing our job - in a way that acknowledges that in my job I am really serving Him - the fulfilled needs as a result of my job being secondary.

Therefore, whoever that does a job in honour of God (personal responsibility) and as a result contribute to the good progression of reality - has the best job.

Of course, saying all this simply reveals my perspective of work - which I do owe Joshua Ng a big part to. However, this says little about what I really want to do.

What I really want to do. It might be a lil messy - but it is really all linked up.

Become a teacher in high school. Educate the kids well. If they end up being Christian, I pray that I will be able to mentor their high school years so that they will be matured - then they will become great leaders in the future. If I can raise up even a small group of Christians that will Love God with all their hearts - I think of myself as a great leader. How such a menial looking achievement can be thought of a great leader... even if I get this wrong, there ain't a better title than a child of God. My mom raising me to this day, she is a great leader.

If the students I teach end up becoming like me... of course they have become great leaders. I have thoughts of planting churches. What I really really want at the bottom is that... my life counts - for as much as possible. If a teacher gets the job done - I want to do it. If being a politician - that does it too. If it is a pastor - that does it too.

However, I can't really imagine myself an engineer for long. Anyway, this is also a part where I think my academics would come in. I hope that the teens will be glad an engineering student decided to teach them, and that he is a Christian - i.e. wow, it is a "Christian thing" to do that. Be a teacher to teach them not only how to solve a question, but the history, the whys and such... If the student doesn't become a Christian, I hope he still glorifies God that lives in me.

Besides that... It isn't simply only about academics and career. Apparent by now, it is my passion to think, to teach - whether I do a good job at it or not, I want to do it better anyway compared to now. I think I am built - to fail for the front part of my life, and also many instances of my life. Built - to struggle with my thoughts, thoughts about many things in life - to get wrong ideas and philosophies and approaches.

Then the grace of God that saves me is magnified. The simplicity of the Gospel, will triumph over my erroneous philosophies. My failures are as good as forgotten for God's overwhelming glory will surpass it. I have a strong sense of "I am built for this" thought, and it is a wierd thing I can't get it out of mind mind, neither do I want to do so.

I have little thoughts about doing it together with any other person. Every now and then, I do cross people - Christians, which I sometimes try to put them into my agenda of "my idea of God's plan". i.e. when I am the prime minister, he will be in charge of the finances, this guy looks like a good foreign policy guy, this guy will help me win the elections, etc. But really, from all I write, I think it shows that my friends are basically the people who have helped me in some ways, or most importantly are my spiritual mentors.

However, who I really want to do all this is with my wife.

My wife and I will become one flesh. Does it mean that our dreams will intertwine? I think so. She - will be the greatest leader. I can't imagine all the backstage jobs. Should all that I say come to pass in some way, she and I will ride on God's waves - wherever and however he brings.

We will endure things together. I don't think I will leave a life too smooth, although I don't see how my preferences would tilt that way. My wife and I will serve together. Being hardworking makes a total opposite of working hard alone. We will work, live, learn, play, - we will worship God together.

She is matured. She is growing in God stably. She is faithful in doing what God has put her to do. She has dreams of raising up good godly kids.

Hopefully, she agrees with me that raising good godly children is indeed one of the greatest achievements that any parent can have.

Everything, everything is linked. Wife - family, leaving a legacy, good works that last... this is really too much for another person to share. for now.

Hopefully, not too long.

tick tock tick tock...