Sunday, November 4, 2007

Christianity Defined

Many people (including Christians) have this misconception about Christianity. It's not "just another religion" or another "channel to heaven"; it's THE ONLY WAY to heaven (John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.") That may sound dogmatic and narrow-minded, but the simple truth is that Christianity is the only true religion. Christianity is not based upon evidence... but it's backed by evidence. Obviously anyone could "claim" to be God. The difference with Jesus is that His life completely backed those claims. Check out the history, check out the claims – it's an absolutely phenomenal study.

Jesus fulfilled over 300 messianic prophecies written in the Old Testament scriptures. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth, you can be assured that these prophecies were not "conspired" after-the-fact. They were truly fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Examine the probability of one man fulfilling just a handful of the most specific prophecies, and you'll be amazed. And He [Jesus] said unto them, "These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me." (Luke 24:44)

Christians do not go around saying Christianity is the only way because they're arrogant, stupid or judgemental. They do so because, based on the evidence, they believe what Jesus said. Christians believe in Jesus, who claimed to be God (John 8:58; Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20; 7:48), and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29; John 2:19). Jesus said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a "good man", how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? He must have been telling the truth. He IS the only way.

Buddha didn't rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Krishna. Muhammad didn't fulfill detailed prophecy. Alexander the Great didn't raise the dead or heal the sick. And though there's far less reliable information written about these "religious" leaders, they are believed in and followed by millions.

Christianity is not really a religion; it is a RELATIONSHIP with God. It's trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross for you (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), not on what you can do for yourself (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christianity is not about ornate buildings, flamboyant preachers, or traditional rituals. Christianity is about truly accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. It's a free gift. All you need to do is accept it... =) And the good news is: God's love is available to everyone!
^_^

***

On a more personal note...

I came to know the Lord when I was 9 and I had loved going to Sunday School (we called it Children's Church in St. Gabriel's Church aka SGC). I usta "preach" to my primary schoolmates about Jesus and when I reached the age of 13, I began to know the Lord more through the Youth Service, Nehemiah Youth Cell (led by Stephen Cheang, Suzanne Yeoh and Margaret Lai) and the Creative Dancing Ministry: PoP (People of Power). Those years in PoP were the best years of my life cuz I could do the stuff I love (singing and dancing) and glorify God through songs and dances at the same time! We used to travel quite a bit too; to churches (and army camps) in different states. I miss going to mission trips with my dance crew and I certainly miss the fun practices we had... =')

Speaking of which, my cousin-in-law Daniel Wong (the leader of Christ Clan Youth Cell) and I choreographed a dance to the song "To Da River" (by T-Bone feat. Lil' Zane & Montell Jordan) for the Christ Clan last year and we went streetdancing the week before Christmas!!! ^_^


PoP: Taken at Christ Church, Malacca in 1998


Anyway, as I grew older, I began to stray away from God and I became more worldly. Instead of influencing others to know Christ, I was being influenced by non-believers. I broke most of the Ten Commandments and I was certainly a rebel. Things got worse after I graduated from high school and my life was in a total and complete mess. I became more of a pew warmer (someone who doesn't do anything beyond going to church on Sundays) than a faithful servant of God. However, my life began to change for the better after attending the AYA Festival in February 2006.

After my abduction ordeal in August 2006, I was really thankful for my family's love and support... and my friends had been nothing but wonderful... =D There are just too many of you to mention here and I wouldn't wanna miss out any names... you know who you are... ;D Without your love, support, encouragement and prayers, I probably would have had slipped into depression after the abduction incident.

After all the bad stuff that happened to me last year, I turned to God for comfort and strength and I was on fire for God. However, I started straying away from Him again when Dan broke my heart and I had allowed my worldly friends to influence me to pick up bad habits. Looking back, I should have continued to put Him 1st in my life instead of allowing other things to get in the way. I had vowed to be a woman after God's own heart and I was determined to live my life in a way that was holy and acceptable in His eyes. But I was weak and I had succumbed to temptations again and again... ='(

I'm so sorry, Lord, for not keeping my promises to You. I'm sorry for hurting You, Father. Please let Your light shine through me, so that I can be a living testimony for You. I wanna do great things for You, Lord... because I live for You and all of my days belong to You! And I would go to the ends of the earth for You to proclaim that You are God!

The reason I'm writing this is to encourage Christians to stay close to God and to let non-Christians know how wonderful my Father in heaven is! Accept Jesus Christ today because once you do, your life will never be the same again. Life on earth is only temporary; so live your life that is glorifying to God because what you do on earth counts in heaven, people. Better is ONE day in His house than THOUSANDS elsewhere. So why waste time chasing material things and temporary high? But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

Bear in mind that prayer is not just about asking what God can do for us, but listening to what God can do in the world through us. Prayer is simply talking to Jesus... and we can do it anytime, anywhere... not just in church! >.<

Reading the Bible is the best way to learn about ourselves and the world around us, and it's one way to learn about God and what God wants from us. However, READING the Bible is one thing; RESPONDING to the Scriptures is another. You gotta act on the truth of the Bible. Actions speak louder than words... ;) No point quoting Bible verses all the time or preaching to others about God if you're not living a life that reflects God. We Christians are ambassadors of Christ... which means we REPRESENT Christ so it's crucial to live our lives according to the Bible.

Ha... I know what you're thinking, you judgemental folks. Hey, I'm not perfect and I never claimed to be. I have my flaws and I'm still trying to make things right with God, okay. Gimme a break, would ya?

I don't know if this post is gonna evoke any negative or hostile emotions about me... BUT no matter what the world thinks of me, I know I'm loved by my heavenly Father, the King of kings and the Lord of lords... and that's what really matters. So hey, that makes me a Princess of the God Most High!!! ^_^ The favour of God surrounds me like a shield!!! Woohoo!!!

P.S. - Read the comments for this post... ;D

***

This is a song that I wrote when I was 16 years old... and I won an Original Composer Award for it at That '70s Talent Quest in 2001... =D

When I'm down and I really need a friend
When troubles seem like they never end
When the dark clouds are closing in
And my spirit diminishing
He would assure me that I'm not alone
And I know He'll always be there to guide me through

Chorus:
It's not easy when I face the world alone
But when my Saviour covers me
With His great love and mercy
I know I can survive
Because Jesus is my side
Through it all

There's no denying how I feel inside
A transformation that's hard to hide
I had a revelation
That finally changed my life
And I was never the same again
Because He had touched my heart and made it true

Bridge:
When I fall down
His love is strong enough to lift me up
When I'm afraid
He chases away my fears
He takes me to a brighter place
Beyond the rain and I'd feel alright
Because Jesus is by my side
Through it all

12 comments:

Adrian Low said...

i really wish to ask u "how sure are u that christianity is the true religion, without ever think about any other religion?" but since i'm a buddhist, and i believe everybody has thier own believes, AND i'd also say that buddhist is the ONLY TRUE religion. but heres the thing, before i even trying to make that statement, i THINK. "i'm only 22 years old, who am i to say MY religion is the ONLY TRUE religion? did i study every text of each religion, which has already been there for so many thousand year, and conclude that mine is the TRUE religion?"

i respect u and i dont want to challenge u, cez its just waste of energy to challenge u. but i personally thinks that u think that buddhism, islam and every other religion is not true. not only that ur statement shows that u dont really understand any other religion (naive in some sense), but its also hurt other believers of other religion.

i'm not here to diss u or ur religion. and i respect u've done ur homework, but not everybody is convince, since bible has sparks lots of question through out the last 1500 years. there are reason behind it y certain ppl doubt bout it, so, how reliable the bible is? and base on what u are saying buddhism isnt a way? islam? any other religions? u sounds like u know every other religion, but how deep do u understand?

i do not challenge the bible. just no point doing so. but in some sense, i doubt YOUR knowledge of the vast knowledge of god. i know i dont know much either, but at least i think before i want to hurt anybody else. and i know i can hurt lots of ppl.

internet is a great tool, its not wrong to publish what u believe, but it also can show how shallow a person's mind can be.

ur truthfuly,
adrian.

michsue said...

thanks for ur 2 cents, adrian... =) like i said in my post, ANYBODY can claim to be God or claim that their religion is the only true religion. but why did Jesus undergo so much pain? did u watch Passion of Christ? the movie was based on the Bible. why did Jesus die on the cross for u and me? why did the Son of God come to earth as a human, only to be ridiculed by humans and died on the cross so that all of us haf a chance to go to heaven? well, it's all becuz He loves us. He doesnt just love Christians; He loves every creature on earth! including u... ;)

no matter where u r from, who u r, what u did... He loves u just the same... ;) He only hates the sins we commit, not us... had any other gods done the same thing? had any other gods come to earth as a human to perform miracles, heal da sick only to be ridiculed by man and eventually crucified on the cross?

suffering and pain touch everyone... at times life seems like an endless cycle of hopelessness. even christians, who claim that Jesus is the source of hope amidst the struggles, still suffer... they still struggle... they still die... so, what's the point, u may ask? what difference does Jesus make? why is He the only true God?

1st, look at the brokenness that invades ur life... those things that cause guilt, shame, and grief... they exist because of a condition called sin... sin separates u from God and robs u of the peace, comfort and hope u desperately crave... and no matter how hard u try, there isn't anything u can do to makes things right again on ur own... that's where Jesus comes in.

Jesus knows the misery u feel. He knows becuz He came to earth as a human and experienced all the emotions and difficult life situations as a human being... Jesus makes the difference at that very point... when ur pain intersects ur cry for help. Jesus is God's answer to that cry.

Jesus took the punishment u deserve. He died in ur place so that u can be forgiven... and bcuz u r forgiven, u can have the comfort of knowing u r at peace with God and the certainty that He provides u with the strength to cope with guilt, shame and grief... =D

And because of what Jesus has done for u, ur past is forgiven, ur present can be lived with confidence, and ur future is guaranteed! yay!

for all who believe in Jesus, an everlasting world without suffering, sin and death... is assured. this glorious place called heaven is where u will see Jesus face to face... that's the difference Jesus makes! isnt that wonderful? ^_^

i may not know the doctrines/teachings of other religions well but im positive that no other gods had come to earth from heaven as a human being; suffered and died just for u and me... u may still doubt and thats alright... cuz i usta doubt too... but after accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, i know i can do all things thru Him who strengthens me! He's my Father, my confidant, my Best Friend and i know i can talk to him bout anything at all... u gotta know more bout Him to experience Him... and once u do, my bro, u won't regret it... ;)

btw, i was the girl who got abducted recently (it was all over the Net and Chinese papers) but thanks to my dearest family members and church members who activated a 24-hour prayer chain for me, i came back alive and well... and i wasnt harmed... and despite the traumatic ordeal i went thru, i can still proclaim that God is good becuz i'm alive and well now... thanks to His grace and mercy! i didnt blame God for what happened becuz i know everything does happen for a reason and now my family is closer and we haf started to appreciate each other more... isnt that great? God bless u, adrian... i hope i didn't offend u... i just wanted to share the good news of the Gospel to the public... =)

cheers!

michsue said...

tom song aka u cannot la... welcome back once again... looks like u missed the memo yet again... =/ u haf been leaving nasty comments on my blog for quite some time now... and only God knows why u r doing this to me... but since u wanna let the whole world know what a loser u r, i haf no choice but to think of u as one... and since u haf missed the previous memo, lemme tell u this AGAIN, u prick:

PUH-LEEZE... hiding behind pseudonyms is SO last season... u didnt know? if u hate me so much for some reasons that i obviously do not know of, tell me who u are...

tell me ur name and contact number so that i can contact u and perhaps recommend a counselor to u cuz u need serious help. u dun even know me and i dunno u... so why do u hate me so much?

if u think that u do know me, then reveal who u r la... harassing ppl without revealing who u r really shows how uneducated & juvenile u r...

pls dun stoop so low... im sure u're better than that... nobody is born nasty... u must have had a sad childhood to go condemn ppl u claim u know in their blogs... i feel so sorry for u... its ppl like YOU that make me feel so blessed to have family and friends to love and support me... cuz u talk like some sad uneducated soul who has no family nor friends and has nothing better to do than condemning a girl who just survived a terrible ordeal... ME... ;)

God didn't create anyone to be a loser... not even u... so why behave like one?

oh forget it, my Father in heaven is the King of kings and the Lord of lords so i'm a Princess of the Most High God and the favor of God surrounds me like a shield... so bring it on! shame on u for picking on me... may God have mercy on ur poor, tortured soul... surrender ur life to God and He'll make it all better... trust me... God bless u... =)

Anonymous said...

hi michelle! ur recent post bout christianity and ur life testimony is really inspiring! im an atheist but after reading ur post, i felt a stirring in my heart and i had tears in my eyes. i have been reading ur blog ever since ur abduction ordeal but i never left any comments here until now. thank u for sharing ur life story because u r truly a special girl and i believe ur purpose in life is to touch others ;) i dont know u in person but based on what ur friends think about u (i read ur testimonials on friendster plus ur friends posted stuff about u in their blogs) and what u posted here in ur blog, i feel that u r such a special and unique girl that words fail to describe how incredibly special u r. no doubt that u r a good-looking girl but from what i observed, u r such a beautiful person inside, a beautiful soul that has a big heart :) i must say that u r like an angel that touch the lives of people around u and although some people (like ur ex bf) may not be able to see that in u, but i am sure that one day a very, very lucky guy will sweep u off ur feet and appreciate ur beautiful soul. im not usually very generous with compliments, not even with my family and friends and i dont usually compliment girls..... LOL! but u really touched my heart, michelle and maybe ur god used me to tell u that u r a wonderful person who deserves many great things in life. i dont know if u r still pining for ur ex but PLEASE dont anymore. its his loss that he doesnt appreciate u. its pretty obvious to everyone who knows u and loves u. so move on. u deserve so much better babe! sorry for being long-winded but i admire u in so many ways that i wish u all the very best in life! continue to do what u do and u will make people around u so proud to know u! i dont know u but i feel proud of u somehow for being so strong in ur faith in ur god. rock on chiqa!

Anonymous said...

just like jennifer, i am also another fan of yours lol. me is a guy haha and i think you are something else.. dont mean it in a bad way ok.. :p i have no idea how i stumbled upon your webpage but i did and there are many things u wrote in your here that i dont understand. e.g. WHY your stupid dumbass a-disgrace-to-the-male-species-ex-boyfriend-who-has-a-dumbass-name left you after only 5 months without even trying to work things out with you or be there to support you after you survived the traumatic ordeal....even as a friend, he should have been there for you. another thing i dont understand is WHY a follower of Christ such as yourself even got involved with a guy like him as he wasnt helping you to grow spiritually. and he left you after you brought him back to God. what kind of guy is that????? christian couples should always work things out together to draw closer to God, as well as to each other. but he doesnt seem to be very involved in church, judging on his involvement with a secular band, drinking, smoking etc. goodness, you should be thankful you are not with him anymore because now you have a chance to find someone better.

as for your recent post, i love it and i shared it with my youth group in church.. some of them actually heard of you cause your site is pretty famous now.. ;) keep on rocking for Christ, sista! you are one good example of a true Christian who had gone astray but thankfully you have run back to the Lord! keep praying for your ex bf though. he needs all the prayers he can get! if you guys were meant to be, eventually God will bring you back together. otherwise, be happy that God has a better guy for you. cheerios!

Anonymous said...

michelle... tell me... if things were much more advance couple thousand years back and jesus got shot dead by an AK-47, u think the rifle will become the symbol of christianity? will u be carrying an AK-47? wearing it around your neck and stuff?

michsue said...

thats a very interesting question, andy... =) actually its not mandatory for christians to wear a cross around their necks... ppl choose to wear it cuz it symbolises the crucifixion of Christ and it serves as a reminder that Christ died for us... wearing a cross around ur neck doesnt make u a holier christian actually... ;P hehehe... so yeah... if Jesus was shot dead by an AK-47, the rifle might have become the symbol of christianity... hahaha... wudnt that be interesting?

Anonymous said...

Let me first start of by saying that i can see where all your faith is coming from..and that i really respect that. i know you mean no harm at all, but this kind of thinking (there is only ONE religion, and that is MINE, not YOURS kind of thinking) is scary you know. seeing the world only through your eyes, thinking that there's only one truth in this world,...these are the things which spark wars! the fact that you are soooo faithful to your God is something to be proud of, and something which I am really happy for you. For me, regardless of any religion, if the person finds something to believe in, finds a purpose in life, is no longer searching in the dark, and doesn't commit "sins" in the general sense..then i'd be so happy for that person. (trust me, i've been nothing but supportive towards relatives and friends who's been lost and found christianity). what i'm saying is, i have nothing against your religion. so, why is it that you (and many others) can't be as tolerant? why is it that you can't see from our point of view? i'm happy, i'm contented, i'm RELIGIOUS, i pray alot, i don't smoke, don't drink, don't engage in premarital sex, i'm a good daughter, and i'm contented. i've so much faith in my God. and like you, every time I face troubles, I can see how this is all part of his plan. I can see how he has great plans for me, even though he's not revealed it to me yet. I think you'd be able to understand, why I'm upset from your post =) you’re an understanding person, I’m sure. Surely, you would have guessed that your comments about my religion being somewhat inferior to yours are hurtful to take. Of course, I'm no angel or saint. It's not like I'm nonjudgemental. But one thing is true, I NEVER judge other people's religion. When it gives people something to believe in, when it promotes good doing and frowns upon wrongdoing, when it gives us strength when things feel out of our control...i think the term you need to keep in mind is RELATIVISM, there are multiple truths..all relative to the person, his/culture, his/her religion, time and context. to assume that your religion is the ONLY way to heaven is being plain egocentric..seeing the world only through your eyes (i.e., narrow-mindedness to the extreme)=S it doesn't hurt to be open and comfortable with another peron's religion..as you build your relationship with your God ;)

Anonymous said...

when you say things like "it's THE ONLY WAY to heaven" and "Buddha didn't rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Krishna. Muhammad didn't fulfill detailed prophecy. Alexander the Great didn't raise the dead or heal the sick. And though there is far less reliable information written about these "religious" leaders, they are believed in and followed by millions."

It pretty much sums up everything. Read what you wrote. Look at the meaning behind it. Look in between the lines what you are trying to say. Why don't you just say it out clearly? I can clearly read what you're trying to say.


There's something called respect, and it looks like you don't have any for other people of other religions and cultures. I don't go around spewing how glorious Buddhism is or how wonderful Islam is and how other religions basically *suck* and are *not real* or *not true*. I don't go around forcing people into my religion or brainwashing them, so why should you? What makes you better that you're a Christian and can therefore slander other religions?

It's people like you who made the world what it is today. Full of wars and whatnot.

Just because you are a Christian (trust me, I have a lot of Christian friends) doesn't make everyone one. Just because you *want* everyone to become a Christian doesn't mean they can either. Guess what? Most of us have a brain. We use it to question, to think, not to blindly believe.

Your post left a bitter bitter taste in my mouth.

bun
myharisen(at)yahoomail.com

michsue said...

i wasnt even condemning other religions but if u wanna take it so personally, i haf nothing to say... thanks for ur opinion... =)

God bless!

` said...

well i tink religion is a sensitive and subjective issue...even tho i practice buddhism but i got ntg against christinity at all...in fact i think jesus is really a great man and he deserve to be worshipped as mich said...and yes he died for us..he cured the blind..walk on water...turned water into wine...i truly am amazed by Him! its true dat Buddha didn't rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Krishna bla bla bla...but anonymous no.1 had her point..even we're not christians that doesnt make us da devils or sinners...

different religion has its different beliefs...and it teaches its believers on different things...christians believe that when they die they will go to heaven (pls correct me if im wrong!) and yes buddhism does not says that...but we believe in life after death n what we called "karma"...so heaven is not for the dead but for god,goddess,angels n all...thats why buddhism teaches us to be good when we're alive..do not steal, tell lies, kill..bla bla bla... after we die we will b reborn again and if we had so much sins we might reborn as an animal, be killed and slaugther or tortured...if we were extraordinarily good, we might reborn as an angel in heaven...i duno whthr wat i said its true but then dats wat i watch from shows n read abt...ahahhah (honestly i duno much abt my religion like mich do but in fact i know more abt jesus christ!!)

but anyways mich, every god leads its believer to good path and teaches them good thing...it doesnt matter if its jesus or buddha or krishna or muhammad...as long as in our heart there is a GOD..and the important thing is we believe that HE exist in us...

what we can do is just to respect other ppl's religion...as what im doing to you...i din blame u for writing such a controversial post but i just hope u realize 'some' ppl may not be as open as u think and it 'might' hurt sumbody...there's nothing wrong abt saying that christian is the only religion in the world...because that is according to you...but others may not see the same and both parties have their points...there is no right or wrong...just remember, religion IS a very very sensitive issue...lastly i wana applogize 2 everyone reading this if i offended any parties or i said smtg which is not true...

p/s : did u read on the papers that govt is warning all bloggers 2 watch what they write in their blog?? cuz u might get charged for writing sensitive issues...but i duno how they can track la...they said they could!!!

michsue said...

WELL...WELL...WELL... Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life... those ain't MY words... it's written in the Bible... Jesus Himself said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life... and no one can go to heaven except through Jesus Christ our Lord... am I supposed to doubt the Bible, being a child of God and having been a Christian for so many years and that I've experienced Him in my life??? I already said in the post... Christian dun go around saying Christianity is the only way because they're arrogant, stupid or judgmental... they do so because, based on the evidence, they believe what Jesus said! my Father in heaven told me that and i wrote it here in my blog... anything wrong with that? its entirely up to you whether to believe or not, actually... the Muslims believe Jesus is only a prophet and NOT the Son of God... do you know how hurt Jesus is in heaven knowing that some of His children dun believe Him? but we Christians dun do anything to Muslims... we still love and care for them as we care for ourselves.. God taught us to love everyone... including non-Christians... *shrugs* cuz regardless of whether u believe in Him or not, He still loves us... ALL of us...

there are many Christians in China who r being persecuted and put to jail just because they believe in Jesus but even in jail, they still pray and worship God... that is FAITH... so if im gonna be put to jail for declaring the truth about my Father in heaven, i think its worth it... i didnt do anything wrong... just sharing the truth only wat...

remember the columbine shooting in the US? one of the girls who died was a preacher's daughter... her funeral was on CNN and i saw it... her dad and friends were sharing with the world how brave she was just before she died... when one of the boys who shot her put a gun to her head and told her, "if u deny Christ, i will spare ur life" but knowing that if she had denied Christ, Christ wud deny her in heaven, she said, "NO, i can never deny my Father in heaven cuz He loves me!" and she was shot... but her dad and her friends know that she's in heaven now... and her life story has touched many lives across the globe... including mine... so its really up to u ppl whether to believe or not... im just here to spread the truth... cuz only the truth, my friends, can set u free...

when God created us, He could have made us all believe in Him... He could have made Adam and Eve NOT to sin... but God gave them (and us) a choice so that we can accept Him in our lives out of our own freewill... and not by force... im not forcing u ppl to believe oso... sharing only mar... =S