Why I Choose to Not Take a Stance in the Midst of Controversies

This is my prayer for you:

One of my big desires is for people to embrace some sort of uncompromising openness that is not fixated on being right- I-am-right-so-they-must-be-wrong kind of attitude, but yet hold true to the unwavering Truth which forms the foundation of His teaching. Strip away that lens or any preconceived notion, and truly go and listen and find value, and understand the heart of the sharing. if Christianity gives hope, I'm thankful that KI has brought hope in the name of Christ to many across the nations. 

I have no idea where all these came from, but my first knowledge of its existence was when I first came to Christ. A videoed sermon by John Piper on prosperity gospel. I was so mesmerized and I loved it so much! It was very refreshing and the breath of truth which countered against what the world is propagating- in order to be successful, you must meet the following criteria in this world: rich, smart, high-flying etc. To some extent, I feel justified. So I was against prosperity gospel too, once.

Currently I thread along a dangerous line where it could be super controversial. How can you even subscribe to something that is outrightly wrong? I didn't- I never subscribe to prosperity gospel. I'm just... not against it. And that kinda formed my convictions and attitude about controversial issues like KI, Bethel and signs and wonders. Many things I do not yet know, and so I can only say that these are personal convictions for myself, and I dare not impose to say that they are for sure correct. I'm definitely unsure about it.

1. The notion of a complete gospel is irrational, and warped.

2. The accusations work both ways.

3. It's dangerous to think that we already know. 

4. We cannot replace a relationship with a theology.

5. Gauge by the fruits.

6. Misrepresentations.

7. There are some really good messages!

1. Here's why I'm not against them: and it has to be looked upon from a standpoint of why many people are. They only preach about prosperity, and they take out the sin aspects of the gospel, about how we need repentance, and about the wrath of God etc... In other words, they preach an incomplete gospel, and their version of gospel is known as the grace gospel. It's funny how many people embrace the concept of extravagant grace of God to highlight our unworthiness, but baulk at the preaching of a grace gospel. That's besides the points by the way. But isn't it true that no one gives you a 100% gospel, because simply no one is able to. If you feel the sudden urge to close the window because of how nonsensical this sounds, PLEASE, give this a chance- read on. For the faithful attendants of church services, why do we have to to listen to the sermon again if it's something that we've already heard before? How about the bible, why read it over and over again? The most common answer I get during my younger days is this: because each time a new revelation is given in context of where we are. ie. the interpretation changes all the time in accordance to what God is talking to each individual about at that point in time. So how is that even a complete gospel, when new things are constantly being added to it. For those who wants to jump at this and say that no new things should ever be added, try reading through: Isaiah 43:19, Revelations 2:17, Jeremiah 33:3 etc. 

2. I'm not saying, we can add anything that we want to hear. Far from it! 2 Timothy 4:2-5 reminds us to not twist the Word out of context in order to indulge our itching ears to hear what we want to. Remember the Pharisees? They were guilty of all these, and how unnecessary bureaucracies are imposed to make things difficult for people. Now that the Word has been made readily available, can I attempt to strike a balance too.

That interpretation can also mean this: our ears itch to hear that we are right, our ears itch to be justified, our ears itch to prevent changes. Recall those dramas where the oldies hang on to a familiar way of life, when a more convenient way of life has been made available? It makes me wonder, and it makes me ponder, how an itching ear look like? Could it be a case of pride and fear preventing us from receiving something better? I'm not saying that this must be true, but neither can I accept blindly that the former is right. 

3. And subsequently I begin to question, and the first time the big question emerged, it sounded something like this: You know Mahatma Ghandi said that he likes our Jesus but he didn't like us (the christians), and I believe that he said that during a time where extensive racism was prevalent throughout India. The whites were probably doing a lot of things that did not reflect Christ, but they probably did not realize until much later when they had the benefits of hindsight. Meaning to say that, the whites did non-Christ thing, thinking that they were doing a Godly thing. Proverbs 16:2, "a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORD." The pharisees did exactly that, and Paul exemplified that, persecuting all the Christians and doing God a service. When we think we are right, and we think we know the answer, we stop digging deeper, and we get stuck at a certain level. The wisdom of Godly men and the formalizing of the numerous doctrines would most definitely not be expended in one's lifetime, so it would be foolish to say that we already master it all. But can I also suggest that to work in cycles, having to restart with every generation is the most blatant failure to build upon what has been established before- we hinder our own walks, and we delay the new things that God wants to pour out into this place. 

4. If there is one thing that we need to be darn sure about, it's not which is the right gospel to preach. It is who is this God whom we are following. We cannot replace a relationship with a theology. A genuine personal relationship with God allows us to discern in accordance to the knowledge of His nature, His character, His plan, and His intention for humanity, which is summarized by this one word- love. I've heard people like Joseph Prince, Joel Osteen etc. Did what they preach sound too good to be true? Yes, definitely! Then there's nothing wrong! Jesus coming to die for us already epitomizes the most undeserved gift to humanity, which by the way overshadow even the best of what a man can preach. Ephesians 3:20, it sounds too good to be true, BUT IT'S TRUE! I've heard very legit concerns like people coming to Christ for the blessings instead of God, so let us turn to the gospel... Ready? Why did the woman by the well come to Christ- so that she can have the living water. The sick, the poor, the wrecked; they came to Christ for healing, for blessing, for a touch. So what's my point- The love of God has to be realized, not preached, and I personally find it a very self-righteous thing to deny a desire to get something out of this relationship. That is self-denial at best, hypocritical at worst. So really, it doesn't bother me how these people come to Christ, as long as a relationship with God is initiated. I have faith that God will guide it and groom it, and before long the motivation will shift. I came to Christ wrecked, but now I love Christ with an insane passion. Oh by the way, I think it is also the responsibility of the people around to come alongside to support in this discovery journey. Wrong motivation is no valid scapegoat for our own laziness or reluctance to invest in other people's lives. Those who slipped through because they got put off by "you are sinful", "repent, or die", etc... I choose to former (it's a personal choice). 

5. It is almost impossible to know other people's genuine attitude, because people can mask their actions, lest you are one of those who say "I can read your mind". These people are... annoying to the max! But I would like to believe that most people are like me, and we really don't know! So how? John 15:8 and Matthew 7:17, we gauge a person's walk with God by the fruits he bear. Simple enough. 1 John 4:20, love has to be justified and prevalent in a person's life instead of plain verbal claims. It aways baffles me how come the most active churches in the community in terms of evangelism, healing ministries, and even sending mission teams always share some traits in common- they move in exorbitant faith, believing in even the resurrection of the dead (not 2000 years ago, but the here and now). I draw clear lines against holy huddle. If you want to say these people are crooks, show me your fruits. 

6. When I attended a church when I was 15 (I wasn't a Christian back then), I was freaked out by a public display of tongues- everyone suddenly rose up in unison engaging in a weird ritual of nonsensical chanting and blabbering. My next church visit wasn't until a year later. Even after coming to Christ, I was very bothered in the few conferences that I went to, when a small group of young people almost always go into a state of trance and uncontrolled laughters. It had some sort of semblance to cultish rituals, and I was waiting to see what the speaker would do about them. After all, those were bad disruptions... How about the sacredness of the Holy ground... Surely they would do something about it. Come on, say something... But each time, I was wrong. They ignored them and carried on with the message. I was baffled for months. Each time there was a conference, I constantly reminded myself, I shall not judge, I shall not judge, I shall not judge... Until one day, a message, not intended to address this particular concern that I have, spoke to me. We have a preconceived idea about how the manifestation of God's presence in our midst should look like, but actually there is no mold. Laughing, screaming, even running backward are not that different from tearing, clasping our hands, lying on the ground. It's a personal moment, with God. Remember David dancing naked in 2 Samuel 6:14, most stories are told like this, that David was dancing and because he was dancing so mightily, he felt warm and he took off his clothes. This gives it a more logical chronology, but the bible only mentioned about David dancing naked, as for why he was naked... You get where I'm coming from? Also, we cannot make our gauge based on false things- therefore having semblance to cultish practices doesn't mean that these too are cultish. Try this analogy, we see a stack of counterfeit note, and then we see the real one, and we say this looks like that so it must be fake also. How foolish?! The real note should be the point of reference, not the fake ones!

7. Finally, I still can't say for certain that I'm right, but these are my convictions. But even if they are not, I must acknowledge that they have some really good messages, which are biblically sound. Give them a proper listen! Don't go youtube and load those edited versions which deliberately cut out portions and take them out of context. Listen to them in its full complete version, I'm almost certain you will be blessed by it. 

About Sufferings

If my God is a loving God, where is all these love in the midst of the most terrible of happenings? The big question is an angry shoutout: why does a loving God allow terrible things to take place?




That juvenile who got abused by his stepfather since the age of 2; the teenage girls who got forced into prostitution; the hero who went into the 911 scene and got sacrificed in an attempt to save others; the entire flight of missing passengers; the beheaded victim in the Middle East; how about those infants caught in those accidents; an unexpected fall that change our lives; a newborn with an unlikely chance to live beyond 10 days; a stillborn; a lesbian/gay whom no one really tried to understand; a natural disaster- volcanic eruption, tsunami, earthquake, hurricane, storm. 

It weighed heavily upon my heart just compiling that list, and the bad news is... there are much much more. Remember the Indian girl who got gang raped last year? How about the lady who got rescued out of illegal captivity from her own dad? And the North Koreans...




For someone who claims to love God and boldly declares that his God is love, none of these make any sense. See, if God is love, and God is all able, and all things happen for the good of those who love Him, and all things happen in accordance to His plan, and nothing falls beyond His design for earth's destiny, that almost only bring us to one possible conclusion- I've fallen out of God's love. He doesn't love me enough, He doesn't care about me, and we form our conclusion that this is just an unfair game of life, and we are the bitter underdogs who have no hope of emerging from the mess. 




Sad. Very sad. Super sad... Indeed... 



For such a conclusion to be drawn, the basis of which must have come from the way we've gone about preaching our gospel. In my early days as a follower, I was repeatedly told to embrace my sufferings. God knows better, just embrace. These are all biblically sound, and people like to quote "count it all joy", but they leave out the benefits. It reminds me of the holocaust, imagine living day to day without any hope of ever leaving that hell. I ever read somewhere that many of those who survived had practiced a religion of some sort- the crux to dealing with suffering is hope.

When we talk about sufferings, even of the worst kinds, they have to be discussed in the context of hope. Or at least as far as my God is concerned, that is what sets us apart- having hope even when there seems to be none. A dead-end problem embitters its bearer, but a purpose and an available solution empowers him to push through to the end. 

So this kinda sets the stage for the discussion. Suffering must be understood in the context of hope! By the way, hope by itself is a well-discussed topic already, so the only thing I want to point out here is the connection. "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hope requires trusting out of a whole-hearted conviction that He knows better, such that the genuine "good" does not get masked by a perceived one. 






So why?

I cannot provide what the bible does not say, and I think it's a huge injustice to quote verses and say this must be the reason why you are suffering. Genuine consolation and comfort differ significantly from the typical "holier than thou" portrayal. Remember Job's friends? 

When bad things happen, we mourn and grieve, we give ourselves space for recovery. But dealing with a grieving person is uncomfortable, and we consciously attempt to pull them out. Ever had a terrible experience, and your friend came about and told you "it's alright" and you are screaming inside your head, "it's not!!!!" ? I think it is perhaps time to acknowledge that we don't know better, and instead of trying to pull from the front, try walking beside the person. It takes a deep sense of humility to say that hey, I'm just as clueless as you, but you know what, I'm here to stay with you and walk with you, to the end. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, when I am weak then I am strong. Let God be the answer. Our role here on earth, in the midst of fellow humans, is to love. Don't try to be the savior who has to solve every problem, but contribute in sure ways by showing love.






If any reader has been expecting some sort of an answer about why terrible things happen, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I probably won't give you what you want to hear. The underlying reason must be sins, and us. God cannot take the blame for what we have brought upon ourselves, He has already taken our place on the cross. Putting the blame upon God is akin to saying Jesus you deserve to die on that cross because You caused all these sufferings. 

NO WAY!!!! It's too much for my mind to comprehend: but basic understanding of statistics should reveal a small glimpse of how complicated the whole system is: imagine birthing a plan that has to take into considerations billions of individual free minds (different possibilities), and then the interaction of one mind with the other, and then the interaction between one situation with the next...  




Finally can I appeal for us to give this a thought. I don't know why, but I know God. Live in a way that blossoms our walk with God, and grow in our intimacy with Him. Be certain of His character, and be certain of His intention. When situation calls for us to choose, continue to trust. Our faith in God is no faith when it is only practice within our zone of comfort. Be sure that God never changes, look back and REMEMBER. For my beloved friends who have been wounded by hurts or by poor management of the hurts, allow me to grieve with you. I am praying for you that you will receive grace and love that extends beyond your deepest wounds. My Father loves you so much!

9 Counterintuitive Things to Do

The gist of it all: be an overcomer! 

When you are sleepy, wake up earlier. Go for a good morning walk and you will feel much more awake after you entire body system wakes up.

When you are lethargic, go for a jog. The adrenalines rush will put you out of your discomfort.

When you don't feel like doing your work, do it anyways. Let the sense of satisfaction upon completion be your motivation. 

When you feel awkward, uncomfortable doing something, keep trying at it. The new set of skills from the adaptation will carry you a long way. 

When we have little, continue giving. It is better to give than to receive! It is when we have little, when the little means so much more, that joy can come at such a "low" price. 

When everyone is rushing off the bus, to board the train, or to queue for the latest release of an iPhone, don't join in. Take heart on being one of the few "special ones" who don't get suck into conventional flow. Oh, did I forget to mention also- contentment will probably make you feel more awesome than doing any of the aforementioned. Enjoy the simple things in life!

When we don't feel like praying, and when things are going real bad, continue praying and thanking God anyways. This is a very deep level of worship that perhaps only God and you would understand. The ordeal will pass, and you will be glad that you pressed on, through it all.

When there are things that we may not yet understand, don't generate our own conclusion/interpretation and call it facts. It is when we think we know the answer that we stop trying to dig deeper. Admit that we do not know, then perhaps we might have a greater degree of revelation than we would ever expect.

When we are angry, and feel accused, pent it up first. Experts (or someone else) ever mentioned that if we are able to get through the first 5 minutes of being angry without flaring up, the chances of us flaring up thereafter is significantly lowered. Take a deep breath, count to 100 in the head, and remind ourselves intentionally, there's really no need to be angry.

A Letter to My Future Self

To my future self.

Hey Judah, I think we can forget about the formalities ya. If you are still the same, I think I know you well enough. But then again, I can't be sure. You are too volatile, too unpredictable, too hard to guess... So in those ten years, I really have no idea how much you've changed.

3 or 4 day back, I wrote a letter to our 13 year old self, and that'd make him 20 years your junior. I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now because for me, looking at the younger self makes me.... Wonder where all those years and months have gone to. Give that letter a read too, and remind yourself of your own salvation story :)!

You are older, probably wiser, and definitely more experienced, so I don't have much to inform you about. You probably already know them all. But one thing I want to ask, nevertheless... How has your walk with God been? I hope that made you think, regardless of whether you are thriving, give it a thought... It's only beneficial, that I'm certain... Very certain indeed.

It feels funny writing to an unknown. Writing with a hindsight makes me feel smarter than I truly am, and writing without foresight gives a totally opposite feel. Many of which are my assumptions, but even more are my convictions... About you, about our future, about God's plan for us. So instead of a daunting unknown, I'm excited for you!

I wonder how far you've moved into your call. Remember (that shall remain between us, you know what I'm talking about)?

10 years on, you'll be 33. One of my biggest questions would be if you are still in the navy? If you are... You'd probably be a Major by then, and close enough to take command of a small ship already? Wow!!! If not, you probably would have gone into full time, in some rural village doing some amazing adventures huh? That sounds awesome too!!!

My future sounds so fun wherever that might be and whatever God has called me to do. Oh, how's Marni and Nargesh? They should be in their teenage by now! I hope they have both grown into Godly youths after God's heart!!!

Apart from those, I reject any alternatives that are not better. I don't need us to enjoy and be comfortable, but I want us to be purposeful and fruitful. So I hope you are still the same where you are. Don't blame me for working in that direction. For the foreseeable future, I'm gonna be intentional to shut some doors and open up others, in accordance to that principle in life. Don't blame me, don't hate me. So if life is hard right now, press on... While I am still strong enough, and not yet sucked into disillusion, I declare protection and favor upon you (me). You will be fine!!! Remember this? I'm still telling all my friends that, so if you have already forgotten, I'm telling you (myself) that too! YOU'LL BE FINE!!!

Even if it doesn't turn out as declared, please continue to believe ya. :)

Another exciting thing that I've kept for the last, and probably the most burning question I have... How's Mrs Judah? I think you should have at least met her by now, woohoo!!! This is fun! And how about little Judahs? Haha, where I am right now, I think Mrs Judah must be as excited as I am... Send my regards to her ya. I don't pray for her all the time, but I do pray for her, and somewhere within I kinda knew that I love her already :D. Don't be jealous ah, because I am you!!!

Please be a good husband and a good father!! That's what I've aspired to be and that passage in Joshua, continue to live that out and lead our family in that ya (as for me and my household we will serve The Lord)!!! Send my regards to our kids too! Maybe I should write one letter to your future, the 43-year old me. That'd be so spooky in a good way! Imagine our 23 year old father writing to our 15 year old self!!! Haha!

Until I become you, I just want to encourage you!!! You are definitely a better person than me, a more loving, more Godly, less angry, less offensive, wiser friend, son, brother, minister, officer than I am currently. And those areas that i might be struggling with right now, by your time, they shall all be gone and better managed! I will spend the next ten years to ensure that, so if I ever become disillusioned by your time, don't be too harsh on yourself k! Just remember, and pick ourselves up! We will be fine!!!

Have a good life Judah!

Looking forward, very earnestly!!!

Judah Fabriano Cole!

(Your 23-year old self)

Why I Stopped Paying to Go for Conferences

Today is Kingdom Invasion. Somewhere last year I came to some sort of resolution that I wouldn't be going for anymore conferences in the near future at least. 

One of the biggest things that struck me was Heidi Baker's message during one of the night sessions. It must be understood in context, but I can only remember this one portion that really stayed with me, so please don't jump to conclusion about her from whatever I'm gonna say. 

She was sharing about how she decided to set off to Mozambique (that was before Iris ministry was started), and at that point in time, everything resonated within me. 

She said she didn't like the christians in church back then. I forgot the exact words she said, but the gist of it is something like "I don't like those people in church, those who have been fattened by their comfort, their wealth etc." So for her, she chose to leave her comfort zone (if I ever leave my comfort zone, it probably wouldn't be that big a sacrifice): which included a very good education (she has PHD), promising future etc, and stepped into the unknown of Mozambique where she didn't have any foundations to begin with. So today Iris ministry is what it is, and we can only truly say that it's God's grace working in her life. 

My favorite of the whole sharing is this: they can stay in their church and roll around and laugh (and have manifestations after manifestations), but for her she rather go out amongst the poor. 

So that kinda summarized one of my big reasons for not wanting to go for another one since then. I got what I needed to hear, and I caught some kind of heart about this. Each has their choice, and each has a personal relevance or importance to head back to receive more. I probably would be receiving more if I head back, be it a reminder or encouragement, or even a revelation. But for me right now at least, I hold a conviction. I don't want to go back as an audience, and I don't want to head back to feel good. I rather use my 90 bucks to print 7 extra shirts to sell for my blessing project than to buy a ticket. Those impartations are fresh, and I also want to be where God's dwelling in, and these are all powerful anointed speakers who carry a huge call from God, but hey... God is with me and in me right now where I am too, and I tell you a secret: I'm receiving secret training from my Master in private. =)

However, once again each has his own choice, and no qualms with those who head back a second or a third time. God's goodness is to be enjoyed, and those who are keen to receive, He will freely pour out. Have fun in Kingdom Invasion 2014! I'm sure it will be an awesomely blessed time!

And of course, there are those who have been called specifically to go for a specific spiritual work that is to be done via that particular act of faith. I bless you all in Jesus's name, and may you all be empowered to bring and pull Heaven unto Earth. I'm sure it has been a powerful rocking in that realm! 

As for myself, my ministry is a relational ministry, not a massive explosion. So the next time I go for a conference again, heh.... I won't go there as an audience... The next time I go, it will be by invitation. As a minister or as a speaker even. Here I am, send me, Lord! =D

Meanwhile, let Your plan unfold in my life! Amen! 

A Letter to the Younger Me

Greetings Tiong Wei,

10 years from where you are, you'd have gotten a new name and in 5 years time all your new friends will address you by your new name. Your new name is Judah. It probably doesn't mean anything to you where you are right now, and you probably don't even know what it means. Oh by the way, did I forget to tell you also, 10 years on, you'd have become a Christian.

Don't ask me why or how, I came through where you are and I know even if I were to tell you my conversion story, you'd remain skeptical and treat it as nonsense. You are too smart, and you are too ambitious, and you think you are smarter than you really are, just because you outperformed most of your peers in PSLE. Busking in past glories would be your downfall.

I don't want to advise you as someone who is 10 years older. I know you won't like it, so even if I might be able to give you hindsight, I believe these are good opportunities or some sort of a rite of passage through which you'll be transformed, for the better of course. From where I am right now, I can almost tell you certainly that it's really for your own benefits.

But if you would allow me, I want to affirm you of the few things that you are doing them right right now. In fact, I am thankful for those efforts.

You know, how you are intentionally breaking away from introversion and how you are pushing your grasp of the English language, in the next 10 years you are gonna reap the benefits of your efforts and to tell you briefly how it'd look like, in two years time your essay will be topping the class, and you will be standing in front of the whole school to present speeches, and in a few more years people will start doubting that your primary language is mandarin because spoken English sounds so natural from your mouth, and then still a few more years, you will become more fluent than some of your current classmates whom you think are really good English speakers. You will fall in love with the limelight to the extent people literally stop believing that you are the introvert that you are right now. So well done! And thank you! And press on, the dividends are great! 

Even though I don't want to act as if I know better (I know you hate that, and I tell you 10 years on I still hate it), I think a few kind words for parting would be good.

Guard your heart. You won't understand this now but just keep it within you. It starts with the certain w-girl whom you like in your class now, and in the next few years, your life's gonna be rocked. Guard your heart, nevertheless.

Stay secured. Whatever you place your security in right now- good results, good looks, promising future, good portfolios and even good positions etc, these are all temporal and you can lose them. Stay secured and try identifying something bigger than yourself... You'd love it. I just know:D

Oh, and maybe you might want to start working on some things early: patience, anger management and self-righteousness. Trust me, it would do us both a whole lot of favor and cut out many unnecessary detours.

Finally, while you are still young, enjoy! Live life to the fullest! I know you will! :D

Love in abundance,

Judah, 

Your future self!

Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

5 Myths Our Culture Taught Us About Rain

It is atypical for a tropical nation to make a big hoo-ha out of a single occurrence of rain, except that this time round it is the first time in almost a month that we are welcoming back something which we have all taken granted for in a long time. Seeing the many exclamations and thanksgivings on Facebook prompted me to write this post. I'm a rain-fanatic, and I love the romantic feeling of being drenched in a rain. It gives me the thrill, the wondrous magical feel, the freedom, and the space to just be myself. But growing up, rain seemed to always have been portrayed as the bad guy that we should shun, and I think it's time to return some justice to the much maligned rain- it's only when we lose it (albeit only for a short one-month duration) then we realize how we have relied on it.

1. Rain is bad

I have no idea how childhood went for most, but for me rain-day meant home-day, which also meant no-fun-day. Many parents placed an unspoken house rule upon the children, and barred them from going out. Some even went as far as to intimidate the youngsters, rain causes you to fall sick, bad things happen in the rain, rain makes it dangerous to be outside etc.

However as we grow older, we learn to appreciate light drizzle a little bit more, and sometimes would even prefer a stroll in the cooling weather over trudging through under a scorching tropical sun. 

2. Rain is sad

We equate down moments in our lives to the rainy seasons, and we console those around us that the storm will pass and there is always a rainbow after a heavy downpour. While there is some truth in this saying because some things do indeed become tougher when it's done in the rain (such as moving house), why not learn to dance in the rain? It's all about perspective-taking that runs against the need to be fast and effective- recall the last musical you watched, what happened when there is a heavy downpour? Yes, they sing and dance!

By the way, breakups, accidents, and everything unfortunate don't just happen when it rains. Soap opera dramatizes that so badly to the extent there is almost a positive correlations between the two already. When they say heaven cries, why can't that be tears of joy? 

3. Rain causes us to fall sick

Another one of my personal dislikes. Growing up, the older ones always like to nag about how we would fall sick if we are caught in the rain. When I was much younger, I ever wondered why. Are there any flu viruses in the rain?Especially those moments when the sun and the rain co-existed, my parents always warned me against getting myself caught in a 太阳雨 (sun-rain) because that would get me a fever. As a result, sun-rain was a taboo in my childhood and I would wash my hand if I ever came into contact with one of those raindrops, I'm not kidding. 

This is another instance of blame-pushing: justifying our laziness to take care of ourselves (wiping ourselves dry, taking warm shower etc.) by putting a convenient blame label on rain. Being drenched in a rain is really not so different from not drying ourselves properly after taking a nice cold shower!

4. Rain spoils the best plans

What's the other name for contingency plans for most events? Wet-weather plans. Many of us go about our lives thinking that the rain is out to spoil all our plans which we have put in place- birthday party, outdoor wedding ceremony, soccer games, BBQ etc. Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. 

Now, after 1 month of  drought, is the rain out to spoil our days, or is it an aide to our daily living? Try incorporating rain into our plans, I think it'd be awesome!

5. Bad things happen when it rains (crime)

Good things happen in rain too! 

1 Kings 18:41

"Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” "