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My Read of the Month:

Title: ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future
Author: Iain Carson and Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran
Published: 2007
Genre: Economics/Politics/Environmental/Business
Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Did you know that the world consumes about 80-90 million barrels (per barrel = 100–200 litres) of oil each day? And the United States accounts for a quarter of that?

In fact, the US consumes more oil than South America, Europe and Africa combine. Clearly, this nation has quite a fixation on oil.

Interestingly, this book reveals a consequential meeting that took place towards the end of the World War II which would change the course of world history as we know today.

In 1945, Franklin Roosevelt, then US President made a pact with King Ibn Saud, father of Saudi Arabia, home to the biggest oil reserves of oil on the planet, then and now.

That historical pact between the two leaders was the US’ guaranteed access to Saudi Arabia’s vast quantities of oil and in return, Roosevelt promised full military support to the king and his clan.

In the decades since, the impact of that alliance has given rise of the Oil Curse that has plagued our world economy. Think gulf war and the Iraqi invasion by the US and you get the parts of that big picture.

As they say, “Study the past to understand the present in order to peek into the future”. And that’s what this investigative book does as it traces the emergence oil and cars that explains the forces of geopolitics and economics we can observe today.

I like that this book aims to be objective and presents both perspectives of those for oil and those against. This makes it a credible read with its avoidance of being bias or over-selling the opinions of the authors.

The only shortcoming of this book is that it is primarily addressed to Americans. Not that it is any fault of the authors since our economic and environmental woes we faced today are linked to this powerhouse nation, the US. But presenting this as a global challenge for everyone would be the next better approach.

Who should read it:For those interested in world politics or who wish to better understand our environmental challenge in tackling the world’s addiction to oil.

Learning to Master Money

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Below is a devotional passage with a message about biblical finance from A.R. Bernard:

Countless books have been written about money – how to make it and how to keep it.

But if you’re a Christian, you probably already own at least one copy – and probably several copies – of the world’s foremost guide to financial security.  That book is the Holy Bible.

God’s Word is not only a roadmap to eternal life, but it is also an indispensable guidebook for life here on earth.  As such, the Bible has much to say about your life, your faith, and your finances.

“The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless only becomes poor.” ~ Proverbs 21:5 HCSB

God’s Word reminds us again and again that our Creator expects us to lead disciplined lives.  God doesn’t reward laziness, misbehavior, or apathy.  To the contrary, He expects believers to behave with dignity and discipline… but the world tempts us to do otherwise.

We live in a world in which leisure is glorified and indifference is often glamorized.  But God has other plans.  He did not create us for lives of mediocrity; He created us for far greater things.

Life’s greatest rewards seldom fall into our laps; to the contrary, our greatest accomplishments (including our financial accomplishments) usually require lots of work, a heaping helping of common sense, and a double dose of self-discipline – which is perfectly fine with God.  After all, He knows that we’re up to the task.

God’s Word can help you organize your financial affairs in such a way that you have less need to worry and more time to celebrate.

If that sounds appealing, keep reading God’s book and apply it to every aspect of your life, including the way that you handle money. When you do, God will smile upon you and your finances.

One simple step- Put God where He belongs – first.  Any relationship that doesn’t honor God is a relationship that is destined for problems – and that includes your relationship with money.  So spend (and save) accordingly.

 

Honouring the Lord who loves us

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“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!

Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!

Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.

Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.

But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
don’t sulk under his loving correction.

It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this.”

In God We Trust

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Recently, I had a conversation with someone on the subject of tithing.

I believe that was a divine moment arranged to encourage that person to develop more trust in God, in particularly in the area of finances.

Trusting God

For certain, it is not uncommon for most of us to be preoccupied with money and practical needs (which is valid). Hence, it is always unnerving for anyone to even consider tithing.

And it does not help that our human reasoning would alert us to the fact that it seems ridiculous to part with money in order to alleviate one’s financial security.

But that’s what faith or trusting in God is. It goes beyond our reasoning. However, we can trust in our Abba God’s word to us (c.f. Matthew 6:25-34).

Tithing by faith

When we tithe by faith, we’re simply acknowledging Him as our God who provides and protects us as He has with Abraham, Jacob and Isaac and Jacob.

More than just parting with a tenth of our monthly income, it establishes our relationship with our covenant-keeping God; placing our trust in Him to sustain us and not in money.

All of us need money in order to survive and make our livelihood.  But by tithing, we put money in its rightful position as our servant and not master.

More importantly, we put ourselves in our rightful position- in His Loving Hands- that declares out loud that “In God we trust!”

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My Read of the Month:

Title: Keys to Financial Excellence
Author: Phil Pringle
Published: 2003
Genre: Financial stewardship/Self-improvement
Ratings: 3.7 out of 5 stars

The subject of prosperity is a sensitive one even though it is largely accepted that there is no lack whatsoever to the abundance that God has for us as His children.

Understanding that the stakes are high for the Church not to prosper, Phil Pringle attempts to provide a complete and balanced view on the biblical aspect of financial excellence; where we should not feel that it is wrong to prosper.

I liked that he addressed the perception that giving alone is all there is to prospering in life. And the idea that if people simply give, they will automatically receive abundance is faulty.

He inserts that working faithfully and diligently is essential too. According to him, our work and our desire to work ought to be motivated not by money, but by faith, hope and love. Hence, having the right attitude and motivation paves the way for abundance to be released upon our lives.

There’s quite a comprehensive portion of this book dedicated on principles of tithing which I believe would be very helpful for those who question the validity of such a practice as a New Testament Church.

For me, I concur with the author that tithing is an absolute responsibility as a believer. It is giving that reflects our faith- who our God is and who we follow and trust.

Overall this is an easy-to- read book for such a heavy and controversial topic. And one must applaud Phil’s boldness for even considering writing such a book which would have unleash the wrath of Christian detractors that are against prosperity teachings.

Who should read it: For all Christians, to better understand about biblical finances and to break free from a poverty mind-set.

Your Self-concept Determines Your Destiny

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Most recently, I had the wonderful privilege to meet Dr. Rev. A R Bernard during a face-to-face interview. Personally, I owe a lot to this man for shaping my Christian worldview and clarifying my destiny as a Christ-follower. I’ve reproduced the article from City News here.

According to Bernard, a healthy (or biblical) self-concept will largely affect and influence how a Christian acts or behaves. Ultimately, said Bernard, choices will create life and determine destiny.

To illustrate the power of self-concept, Bernard presented astounding findings about the people of Israel or Jews, whose national identity and self-concept are greatly influenced by their covenant with God as descendents of Abraham.

Notably, there are 13 million Jews out of a global population of approximately six billion people, constituting a mere one-fifth of a percent of the global population.

In America, the Jewish community makes up two percent of the country’s total population. In spite of the Jewish community’s seemingly insignificant size, it is found that out of the top 40 percent of the richest Americans, 45 percent are Jewish.

Bernard attributed the Jews’ distinctive ability to prosper wherever they are placed in the world, and when they are confronted in any given situation, to their deeply entrenched self-concept as a people of God who are destined “to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, and to be the lender and not the borrower.”

Read the full article with interview here>>>

The Weekly Tuesday Group

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Yesterday I attended a fellowship session which was called Tuesday Group.

I heard about this weekly informal fellowship session from a friend who is a regular attendee.

Fellowship with a difference

I was intrigued that there was actually a group of fellow believers from different churches in Singapore whom were gathering as a Body of Christ on a regular basis.

That was the story in how I decided to pay a visit. And I wasn’t disappointed.

That evening which I visited, there were about 80 people and were mostly young adults aged between 25 to 35 years old. We worshiped, listened to a guest speaker and finally broke up in smaller groups to pray and prophesy over one another.

It was definitely a good session of building up the inner man and the Church. And I would visit again.

Joining the fellowship

One of the fascinating and appealing things that I like about such a fellowship is being able to learn from different people and churches. My concept of God and His Kingdom expands.

And if like me, you’re drawn to such a fellowship with a difference and with a ‘no strings attached’ approach, you can make your way down to basement level of High Street Centre along North Bridge Road at 8pm on a Tuesday, of cos.

The Tuesday Group was initiated in 2004 by a handful of believers that desired to forged authentic covenant relationships among the Christian community in Singapore; uniting the Body of Christ.

For those who might be cautious or suspicious, this group operates under the covering of the Petra Church.

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My Read of the Month:

Title: Changing Church: How God Is Leading His Church Into the Future
Author: C. Peter Wagner
Published: 2004
Genre: Church Growth/Spiritual Leadership
Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars

 

There’s no denying that God is doing a new thing in His Church in this 21st century. But what exactly is He doing? This is what this book attempts to uncover.

Peter Wagner, of whom I had the privileged to watch preached, does a fantastic job in succinctly presenting the changing trends of the Church. I really wish someone had recommended me this book earlier before.

According to Wagner, we are now in an era termed the Second Apostolic Age. This describes the age of the 21st century in which the Holy Spirit is strongly speaking to the churches of our generation to initiate a paradigm shift from being church-centred to being kingdom-centred.

In other words, the concept of the Kingdom of God has begun to expand significantly. And this has led to a radical shift in understanding  what being the Church means and as God destined.

For instance, he explains that “no longer is it adequate to suppose that our ultimate task here on Earth is the growth of the Church. Church growth remains crucial, but the Kingdom goes beyond that”.

In the old wineskin as he coins, the Church emphasizes on evangelism and church planting as activities central to the mission. But with the new wineskin, territorial domination with quantifiable terms is not the main goal. The goal then, is service to God which translates to nothing less than the transformation of society.

Another reason why this book is a pleasure to read in spite of it being written in a scholarly manner is because Wagner shares his personal experiences and opinions. This provides not only credibility but a good depth into this subject.

As mentioned, I wish I had read this book earlier with its insights that would have served me well to make sense of my past situation. Nonetheless, reading it now has affirmed and confirmed the revelations and deductions I received.

This is a must-read for every Christian as Wagner covers a number of compelling arguments such as the corporate spirit of religion and religious covenant. With better understanding where we are and where we’re heading, would serve us well to evaluate our values and priorities towards aligning with God and His Kingdom.

Who should read it: For Christians especially church leaders or pastors, that are hungry for God and His will for the Church.