Some Serious Investment Tips

One of my favourite icons died a few days ago.  Jack Lalanne, the exercise and fitness guru known for his many feats of strength, health and endurance, passed on at age 96.  "96!" you say; that's a long time.  No, given how much Jack lived and ate healthy, I was hoping he'd at least get past the 36,525 day mark. 100 years is only 36,525 days after all.  
Having said that, if you ate only the stuff he did, it will have felt even longer though : ) !


Moving on, let's take a step back and look at a "typical" human life:

Assuming a life span of 80 years (Jack did do a lot of exercise and eat no junk unlike most of us!), then everything we do in our lives take place in these 29200 or so days.  All we studied for, whom we courted, what we aspired and worked hard for, the kids we raised, the money we saved, the things we felt were so important.  All in a little line here.


Pretty dismal, isn't it?  No wonder Paul said:
1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. (NKJV)


Said like a true believer, Mr. Paul.  Thank God we have a hope, as Paul continues:
1 Corinthians 15: 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (NKJV)(I must clarify that the "all" refers to believers of Christ.)

Sometimes, eternity is pretty hard to grasp, like in school when they told you about the number infinity.  Let's try to grasp that one step at a time.

If we were made alive for only one more lifetime with God, this is how everything we live for today looks like - all the hopes, triumphs, disappointments; every good thing and bad that took place in our lives:

OK - so let's try 3 extra lifetimes.  Now look at all that we seek for, yearn for, strife for:

We'll move to 7.  Can you still see the events in your life?

Here's 15:

You see where we're going with this.  For the record, here's 100 lifetimes.

And we have an eternity to enjoy in Heaven with God and the rest of the believers.  Remember also that what happens in that little smudge on the left affects everything on the right.  


Jesus did say:
Matthew 6: 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (NKJV)

Kind of wants to make you do that now, doesn't it?  In investment language, we all have a very, very small window of opportunity to invest.

Where is our treasure today?  What are we investing our short lives in?  If we treasure the things of above, our heart will follow.

We can lay up treasures and we'll explore this whole realm of rewards in the coming days.

God bless you with this!

To Infinity and Beyond!!!

Remember this guy? 

It's Buzz Lightyear from the animated movie "Toy Story".  I remember clearly how in the first movie, this chap was such a misery to the rest of the toys, because he thought he was the real Buzz Lightyear, space explorer extraordinaire, invincible, unstoppable, except for a few high-tech hiccups - all his "gadgets" were really non-functional stickers and his wings couldn't make him fly like he thought they could.

It took quite some adventure and convincing from his fellow toys in the movie before Buzz finally realized that he, too was no more than a toy, that his entire creation was for the satisfaction of his child-owner Andy.

Sometimes we're Buzz Lightyears in our own way, too.  In our teens, we're idealistic, simplistic; not quite ready to take on the world, but straining hard on the leash.  In our twenties, many of us burn our candles on both ends to show to ourselves and others that like Buzz we are unstoppable, infinite.  Into our thirties, we're going in different directions - many become convinced thoroughly in their "Buzz Lightyearness" while some are getting a dose of reality from the broken gadgets, real or otherwise.  Then we get into mid-life and it hits us - there is no "infinity and beyond" in ourselves.  Like Buzz in the movie, we realize we are creature, not Creator, finite with no beyond in ourselves.  We were made for His satisfaction.

Unlike Buzz, however, there comes a day when this earth suite we wear gets worn out and we have to discard it.  Like it or not, our suit didn't come with any warranty.  It should last 80 good years, and if you work that out in days, it is only 29220 days.  Consider this - the first 10-20 years (3650 - 7300 days) we think like Buzz.  In the last 10-20, many of the Buzz's parts are broken and no longer work.  That would leave us with a mere 40 years to make any difference we want to make.  A paltry 14610 days.

That's why David th Psalmist said:

► Ps 90:12 So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. (NKJV)

Number our days.  I'm into day 16098 as I write this.  Another 16000 days and I might be into infinity.

The other thing, if you are a believer, is this.  We have to wrap our minds around eternity.  Paul said to

► Col 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (NKJV)

because he was very aware of this too.  Eternity is hard to grapple with in our minds, so let's say that God only promised us 100 lifetimes for Jesus' sake.  Based on the 80 year model, that would be 2,922,000 days!  But I digress…that's another posting - for now:

["Mission control to Buzz Lightyear - 
We have a special message from Agent Solomon…"]

Ecclesiates 12

1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 

2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 

3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. 

4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. 

5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. 

6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 

7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (NLT)

Roger that, Mission Control!!

The Prince Has a Bad Hair Day

This has been playing in my mind for the last day or so.

Let's say you were casual friends with a prince.  Just for example, let's say it was Prince Charles, next in line to the English throne.  You take him out for coffee at Starbucks (like you could!) and you sit down with him.  He starts to unload all the problems he has - man, being a prince is tough these days, work load is getting so heavy, its hard to keep everything in budget etc. etc. on and on he goes.

"Yeah - tell me about it.  You're a prince and you've got problems.  Let ME tell you a few things about my problems…", you think, rolling your eyeballs as His Royal Highness carries on over a now-cold latte.

Hold on now - before you let Charlie across the table have a piece of your mind, about how bad YOUR life is, do you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?  If you do, scripture says that YOU are a son of the most high God, an heir of God Himself:

Galatians 3: 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)

and again

Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (NKJV)

It's equally applicable that you are His daughter if you are of the gentler gender too!

We read this all the time, but just stop and ponder on this a while.  1 Peter 2:9 says

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (NKJV)

Yes, but my life has much bigger problems than ol' Prince Charlie over here!  He gets to travel in style, live off the country's wealth, smile, wave, carry the odd baby and cut ribbons for a living.  What could top that compared to your life?

What could?  A relationship with Father God and a knowledge that all eternity is in His hands as long as your faith is in Him.  If we are working with the end in mind (see "How Are You Today"), we as children of God are in a much, much better position than anyone else on the face of this earth.  Does that mean that life here will be fine and dandy, a walk in the park?  No.  Jesus himself said this to his disciples just before He went to the cross:

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (NKJV)

Yes, we will have problems in this world.  But no - He HAS overcome them.  All we have to do is to get into His Word and get to know Him better.  As we understand more and more of what the Word says, our minds get renewed and like a jigsaw puzzle coming together, we start to see the bigger picture.  And it is a beautiful picture.

Because of what this says, I want to choose to live outside of the realm of the natural.  Spiritually, I am already blessed with every blessing.  Nothing will ever take me out of His hands and my future is secure.  I am His son, a king too, in a much better position than the kings and princes of this world.

And if you ask me how I am today, I want to reach a point of conviction in His Word, where I will tell you, "I'm blessed".  Is it ignoring the reality of the world?  No.  Maybe not all things went MY way today, and I might tell you about them, but the bigger picture remains.  His Word is the Higher Truth in my life. 

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (NKJV)

I have cause to be of good cheer for He has overcome the world.

I'm Blessed!

How Are You Today?

This is a common greeting we hear in North America.  4 words for which can probe a depth in philosophy!
If I say "Good", what then constitutes good?  Could it be perhaps that

• nothing bad has happened to me (so far)?
• everything is going my way?
• I am having a lot of fun in what I am doing?
• or, perhaps as my Asian roots would dictate, that I've made good profit today?

What is my measure of "good"? How effective has my day been in arriving at my desired state?  Steven Covey had some good advice in his book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" over 20 years ago.  
Habit #2 reads "Begin with the End in Mind".


What end do you have in life today?  Going further into the meaning of the word "end", how do you want your life to end?  May I suggest a few thoughts?


Jesus said in the Parable of the Talents of how the good servant would be rewarded:
Matthew 25:23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (NKJV)


Working with this as an end, I think we would be less sidetracked in life because we are working with the right end in life.  If we are working only for what is this side of Heaven, the temporal, the happiness of the day, then life might not go our way.  If we are living with the Right End, then as believers in Christ, our end is good.  Ours now is to be faithful.  And we of the Lord are blessed with power to do this, so rejoice.


By this measure, it makes no difference how my day was except whether it leads me any closer to my desired end.  The word used throughout the Bible is the word "fruitful".  Fruitful gives the idea of growing, not doing.  Of dependence, not effort.  As we feed on the Word of God, we become more and more fruitful.

Maybe then the question of greeting should be asked "Is your day fruitful in going towards your end?"

Matthew 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (NKJV)

Work with the End in Mind.  May we be fruitful.

So Much to Say...

Hi Everyone


Welcome to the first posting of my blog.  I have been wanting to do this for some time, to put up the many thoughts I have about various issues in life in the light of the Word of the God and in the light of the eternal.  I might share short thoughts specific to verses in the Bible or whole concepts as I research and think through these.


If you call on Jesus as your Lord and saviour, my most sincere hope and objective in this blog is that you are edified, that the words I share cause thoughts in you that you can bring beyond this life.


If you are seeking and want to know who God is, I sincerely hope you will find if not the way, at least some useful signposts from here!
Please do let me know if you find what I have written useful to you.  Knowing that this makes a difference to you is my biggest encouragement.


May you be blessed by God our Father through these!


Chris