here is another letter from the Kerks, parents of the late Zi On. pls read to be encouraged by their faith:
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Dear Friends and family members,
Re : We are in grief but not without hope
I ask myself, is God real in my own life?
To that God let me recall three critical situations in my life when God intervened to save me and family from serious harm. In all these three situations, I am very sure of the divine intervention. He knows before anything happens. If that is the case, when Zi On was in danger at Moreton Island off Brisbane, our God knew it and with his permission, He allowed it to happen! God is real and He is also sovereign.
Why God permitted it to happen?
Over the last two weeks, our grieving hearts were much comforted by the following scripture passages:
1. The stoning of Stephen
Acts 7:54-8:1
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5)
and a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous
signs among the people. (Acts 6:8)……Why would God allowed him to be
stoned by the unbelieving Jews when the number of the early believers was
so few and surely the expansion of the mission needed him?
When the stoning took place, Stephen looked up to heaven and saw the glory
of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
“look I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of
God.” Acts 7:55-57
God was present when Stephen was in danger and He allowed it to happen.
Steven’s godly nature which is love shines forth in this incident:
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell
asleep. And Saul (Paul) was there, giving approval to his death.
2. The humility and the love of God
Philippians 2: 5-8
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God ...but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in the presence of man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death….even death on the cross!”
Surely the creator of heaven and earth (Isa 42:5) who can command the sun and the moon to stand still (Joshua 10:12-14) and who can part the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21) could have come into this world in a more commanding manner. But He chose to come in humility.
Matthew 26:38 records that as a human, Jesus was in great sorrow and anguish by the impending death.
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…. My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
God is love
“As the father has loved me, so have I love you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commandments….My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:9-14)
To live up to His aspiration for mankind, the Lord Jesus took the lead. He had chosen to come in a lowly manner, born in a manger and raised up in a carpenter’s home. He was such a gentle character “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isa.42:3). He loved and showed that love is the way in God’s heart…. He humbled himself and became obedient to death….even death on the cross! He took the penalty for our sins so that we can return to our heavenly home without blemish.
God permits great suffering in order that He can demonstrate love and show men the heavenly way.
3. The end of Apostle Paul’s life.
When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he was literally four years in jail. Two years in Caesarea, one year in the boat and ship wrecked at Malta Island and one year in Rome. He preached the message of Christ’s death and resurrection, and brought thousands to know God in Asia Minor and Macedonia. Why then would God allowed Paul to suffer such difficult ending in his earthly journey? From our earthly perspective, Paul would have asked:
why? Is this the blessing I get after all the devotion and mission work?
Instead, to our amazement we notice that Paul uses the word “Rejoice” 8 times in his 4-chapter letter to the Philippians. To him, life with God is any time better than life on earth. 1v21-23 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain……Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”
God permits great suffering for greater glory to come:
“ Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really
served to advance the Gospel….”
4. What is our life span?
A friend in Melbourne who himself had gone through great trails in life shared with us some very encouraging thoughts about the life of Enoch.
Heb. 11:5 “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”
Enoch was commended as one who pleased God.
Enoch lived up to 365 years (Gen. 5:22-24). In his time, man normally live up to 900years old. Enoch literally only lived up to one third of the normal life span of his time. In our time, 80 years is a normal life span. One third will be 26.5 years old. Zi On’s 25+ years earthly life span is almost similar to Enoch’s life span.
It is a short life span for our dear Zi On. On the first day we arrived at Brisbane, Cho Tan shared this thought with Zi Lu who was obviously chocked with grief and unbelief over the loss of his dear brother :
“It is not how long we live that matters, but how beautiful we live, whether we shine for God.”
What is important is that Zi On followed the foot step of his Saviour Jesus by laying down his life for his friend.
5. What is eternal?
Isaiah 51:6
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail”………….
This earthly life will end and all creation according to God’s plan will vanish
Rev(21:1-4). ……only God’s salvation is eternal and last forever.
Paul reminds the Philippians (3:20-21) :
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring
everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they
will be like his glorious body.”
We take comfort in the fact that nothing has happened to Zi On without the
sovereign Lord permitting it for His glory. We are in grief but not without hope.
Our hope is in heaven. We know we will one day see Zi On again and be
reunited with him when we finally take up our citizenship there. Meanwhile,
we must go on and live bravely for Zi On in our remaining journey, and we
are not alone, Jesus, our divine friend walks with us.
In His Love,
Kerk Choon Keng, Cho Tan and Zi Lu.
11-1-2008
-------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends and family members,
Re : We are in grief but not without hope
I ask myself, is God real in my own life?
To that God let me recall three critical situations in my life when God intervened to save me and family from serious harm. In all these three situations, I am very sure of the divine intervention. He knows before anything happens. If that is the case, when Zi On was in danger at Moreton Island off Brisbane, our God knew it and with his permission, He allowed it to happen! God is real and He is also sovereign.
Why God permitted it to happen?
Over the last two weeks, our grieving hearts were much comforted by the following scripture passages:
1. The stoning of Stephen
Acts 7:54-8:1
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5)
and a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous
signs among the people. (Acts 6:8)……Why would God allowed him to be
stoned by the unbelieving Jews when the number of the early believers was
so few and surely the expansion of the mission needed him?
When the stoning took place, Stephen looked up to heaven and saw the glory
of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
“look I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of
God.” Acts 7:55-57
God was present when Stephen was in danger and He allowed it to happen.
Steven’s godly nature which is love shines forth in this incident:
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell
asleep. And Saul (Paul) was there, giving approval to his death.
2. The humility and the love of God
Philippians 2: 5-8
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God ...but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in the presence of man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death….even death on the cross!”
Surely the creator of heaven and earth (Isa 42:5) who can command the sun and the moon to stand still (Joshua 10:12-14) and who can part the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21) could have come into this world in a more commanding manner. But He chose to come in humility.
Matthew 26:38 records that as a human, Jesus was in great sorrow and anguish by the impending death.
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…. My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
God is love
“As the father has loved me, so have I love you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commandments….My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:9-14)
To live up to His aspiration for mankind, the Lord Jesus took the lead. He had chosen to come in a lowly manner, born in a manger and raised up in a carpenter’s home. He was such a gentle character “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isa.42:3). He loved and showed that love is the way in God’s heart…. He humbled himself and became obedient to death….even death on the cross! He took the penalty for our sins so that we can return to our heavenly home without blemish.
God permits great suffering in order that He can demonstrate love and show men the heavenly way.
3. The end of Apostle Paul’s life.
When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he was literally four years in jail. Two years in Caesarea, one year in the boat and ship wrecked at Malta Island and one year in Rome. He preached the message of Christ’s death and resurrection, and brought thousands to know God in Asia Minor and Macedonia. Why then would God allowed Paul to suffer such difficult ending in his earthly journey? From our earthly perspective, Paul would have asked:
why? Is this the blessing I get after all the devotion and mission work?
Instead, to our amazement we notice that Paul uses the word “Rejoice” 8 times in his 4-chapter letter to the Philippians. To him, life with God is any time better than life on earth. 1v21-23 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain……Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”
God permits great suffering for greater glory to come:
“ Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really
served to advance the Gospel….”
4. What is our life span?
A friend in Melbourne who himself had gone through great trails in life shared with us some very encouraging thoughts about the life of Enoch.
Heb. 11:5 “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”
Enoch was commended as one who pleased God.
Enoch lived up to 365 years (Gen. 5:22-24). In his time, man normally live up to 900years old. Enoch literally only lived up to one third of the normal life span of his time. In our time, 80 years is a normal life span. One third will be 26.5 years old. Zi On’s 25+ years earthly life span is almost similar to Enoch’s life span.
It is a short life span for our dear Zi On. On the first day we arrived at Brisbane, Cho Tan shared this thought with Zi Lu who was obviously chocked with grief and unbelief over the loss of his dear brother :
“It is not how long we live that matters, but how beautiful we live, whether we shine for God.”
What is important is that Zi On followed the foot step of his Saviour Jesus by laying down his life for his friend.
5. What is eternal?
Isaiah 51:6
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail”………….
This earthly life will end and all creation according to God’s plan will vanish
Rev(21:1-4). ……only God’s salvation is eternal and last forever.
Paul reminds the Philippians (3:20-21) :
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring
everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they
will be like his glorious body.”
We take comfort in the fact that nothing has happened to Zi On without the
sovereign Lord permitting it for His glory. We are in grief but not without hope.
Our hope is in heaven. We know we will one day see Zi On again and be
reunited with him when we finally take up our citizenship there. Meanwhile,
we must go on and live bravely for Zi On in our remaining journey, and we
are not alone, Jesus, our divine friend walks with us.
In His Love,
Kerk Choon Keng, Cho Tan and Zi Lu.
11-1-2008
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