I thought that it would be great to have a personal retreat with God this season, apart from being a couch potato. Semester 3 in UTM had surely taken its toll on me and I felt really stretched back then. Although my leaders were constantly pouring into my life, I just felt it wasn't enough - I needed something more!
I am beyond joyful now that I'm back in Penang.(Back in Penang means I'm free of the hassle fused with hectic lifestyle of Johore). I seriously ~need~ a break. Now that I'm in Penang once again, I'll have to renew my mind daily because I'm an RGBC-ian now and no more a City Harvester. Though we've the same God, the alignment that we both share is different.
I do pray that God will take me up to the mountain, where I will see Him face to face, be soaked in His presence and love in the secret place and I pray that when I return to Johor, people can see God's glory through me.
James 2:20~"Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from work is useless?"
What I require now is faith that will be put into action.
God, I pray that You help me.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Genting Fun-Thing!
Alas! The long anticipated day arrived! It’s the 22nd of September 2009 aka Genting day!!! The pack consisted of my roommate (Gabriel), ex-roommate (Jespal) and me! (duh!) Cut the long story short, we hit Genting somewhere in the afternoon and I found myself somewhat lost in the sea of faces. A few moments later, we checked in and scoured the entire area. The weather was beyond fabulous! It was both misty and chilly! I reckon the temperature was somewhere around 17-18 degree Celsius.
Hot-Spot 1: Indoor theme park. This theme park is actually within the mall and I did find some fascinating places, such as Snow World, an icy realm that is best suited for couplets =P If you can’t afford overseas, try this one instead =P Had dinner at Old Town and I tried the Ice blended mocha for the very first time. One word – Awesome! I just love the groovy mocha stench lingering in my mouth! Checked out the casinos at night as well, and oh boy, bad experience =P (Don’t ask me)
Hot-Spot 2: Outdoor theme park!!! Those thoughts of thrilling rides must have filled your head by now! =D Since I was considered a Genting virgin, my other 2 friends suggested me to start off with some warm up. Aye, I did as told, an act to pacify them =P
I kicked off with ‘d’ Spinner and it felt like walking on air! =D Next up was ‘d’ Pirate Ship – it looked more of combination of a banana split and a pendulum to me…However when I sat on it, it’s as if I was sitting on a giant swing =D Haha!
Space-Shot! Come on, it’s literally Saruman’s tower =P except that you’ve an elevator without doors attached to it =P And so, I was thinking to myself, why would anyone be afraid of this ~thing~? Come on… Anyway, I sat on the seat…seat belt was triple-checked by the guards on duty…and *chains whirring* I was slowly moving up towards the top…When I reached the top, I could see the whole Genting landscape and it sure was breathtaking when all of a sudden…the ~thing~ descended with an acceleration of slightly >9.81ms^2! I was clinging on to my seat as though my life depended on it! I was lifted off my seat literally!!!Super scary man! The intermediate jerk almost dislocated my head off my neck…Upon setting foot on the ground, I left the seat with a numb sensation all over my body…
CorkScrew! My friends told me that the scariest ride’s the space shot. Since I’ve conquered space shot, I thought it’d be peanut for the subsequent rides – I was very wrong! Personally I think CorkScrew scared the guts out of me…Anyway, I got on the front seat, and my heart was pumping with adrenaline when ‘d’ thing took off. Everything was fine until the sharp turning came…Again, I almost lost my head because the screwing part almost ‘screwed’ my head…but thank God, I’m still in one piece. =D
Having embarked on those crazy rides, we decided to go for something simpler…as a break. We had Super Toboggan. It’s kind of kiddy whiney since the place’s almost packed with kids =P Anyway, it began to turn chilly and as I was grappling on the cart handle, my hand went numb again. Haha! The ride itself was scary to me, not that it was real scary, but it’s just that I had to bob and weave to prevent my head from colliding against the rails…Oh, if you’re >70kg, you can forget about the ride. =P
There I was, grumbling after playing the latter ride. At that point of time, another friend of mine called me, asking me if I’d ride ‘d’ flying coaster with him. Heck yea! =D We met at the flying coaster terminal and what else? We walked straight up to the take off point. So if you’re wondering how you’d feel if you’re to fly in an ironman’s suit, try this one =D This one’s almost similar to ‘d’ CorkScrew except that instead of having your head dislocated, this one’s directed to your neck. LOL! I got blisters on my hand after that, since I was clasping on to the bar tightly…as in really tight.
Next up was ‘d’ flying dragon. Well…I injured my elbow due to one unexpected sharp turn. Ouch! Nothing much to be elaborated for this ride. Oh oh, I truly enjoyed one part of the ride. See, this ‘dragon’ will venture into the mall as part of the route and so the 3 of us conspired to scream once we hit the mall. We did it! We managed to draw everyone’s attention towards us =P Poor us, attention seekers. =P All in all, we enjoyed our vacation beyond the max and we do hope to have more opportunities of such in the near future!
Hot-Spot 1: Indoor theme park. This theme park is actually within the mall and I did find some fascinating places, such as Snow World, an icy realm that is best suited for couplets =P If you can’t afford overseas, try this one instead =P Had dinner at Old Town and I tried the Ice blended mocha for the very first time. One word – Awesome! I just love the groovy mocha stench lingering in my mouth! Checked out the casinos at night as well, and oh boy, bad experience =P (Don’t ask me)
Hot-Spot 2: Outdoor theme park!!! Those thoughts of thrilling rides must have filled your head by now! =D Since I was considered a Genting virgin, my other 2 friends suggested me to start off with some warm up. Aye, I did as told, an act to pacify them =P
I kicked off with ‘d’ Spinner and it felt like walking on air! =D Next up was ‘d’ Pirate Ship – it looked more of combination of a banana split and a pendulum to me…However when I sat on it, it’s as if I was sitting on a giant swing =D Haha!
Space-Shot! Come on, it’s literally Saruman’s tower =P except that you’ve an elevator without doors attached to it =P And so, I was thinking to myself, why would anyone be afraid of this ~thing~? Come on… Anyway, I sat on the seat…seat belt was triple-checked by the guards on duty…and *chains whirring* I was slowly moving up towards the top…When I reached the top, I could see the whole Genting landscape and it sure was breathtaking when all of a sudden…the ~thing~ descended with an acceleration of slightly >9.81ms^2! I was clinging on to my seat as though my life depended on it! I was lifted off my seat literally!!!Super scary man! The intermediate jerk almost dislocated my head off my neck…Upon setting foot on the ground, I left the seat with a numb sensation all over my body…
CorkScrew! My friends told me that the scariest ride’s the space shot. Since I’ve conquered space shot, I thought it’d be peanut for the subsequent rides – I was very wrong! Personally I think CorkScrew scared the guts out of me…Anyway, I got on the front seat, and my heart was pumping with adrenaline when ‘d’ thing took off. Everything was fine until the sharp turning came…Again, I almost lost my head because the screwing part almost ‘screwed’ my head…but thank God, I’m still in one piece. =D
Having embarked on those crazy rides, we decided to go for something simpler…as a break. We had Super Toboggan. It’s kind of kiddy whiney since the place’s almost packed with kids =P Anyway, it began to turn chilly and as I was grappling on the cart handle, my hand went numb again. Haha! The ride itself was scary to me, not that it was real scary, but it’s just that I had to bob and weave to prevent my head from colliding against the rails…Oh, if you’re >70kg, you can forget about the ride. =P
There I was, grumbling after playing the latter ride. At that point of time, another friend of mine called me, asking me if I’d ride ‘d’ flying coaster with him. Heck yea! =D We met at the flying coaster terminal and what else? We walked straight up to the take off point. So if you’re wondering how you’d feel if you’re to fly in an ironman’s suit, try this one =D This one’s almost similar to ‘d’ CorkScrew except that instead of having your head dislocated, this one’s directed to your neck. LOL! I got blisters on my hand after that, since I was clasping on to the bar tightly…as in really tight.
Next up was ‘d’ flying dragon. Well…I injured my elbow due to one unexpected sharp turn. Ouch! Nothing much to be elaborated for this ride. Oh oh, I truly enjoyed one part of the ride. See, this ‘dragon’ will venture into the mall as part of the route and so the 3 of us conspired to scream once we hit the mall. We did it! We managed to draw everyone’s attention towards us =P Poor us, attention seekers. =P All in all, we enjoyed our vacation beyond the max and we do hope to have more opportunities of such in the near future!
Monday, September 14, 2009
God glorified through Data Structure & Algorithm
It's been a while since I received my Data Structure & Algorithm marks, but I feel it's the right thing for me to testify of His goodness here.
I still remember on that night itself, the night where I had the horrifying test, I wasn't really that prepared. Upon completion of the test, I was abducted by my cell mate. Let's not take any detour, cut the long story short I wasn't expecting high marks for that subject. My estimated score was somewhere between 53-58%.
A few days later, our lecture returned our answer scripts to us. To be honest, I was so demoralized that I said to myself, "Come what may, just forget it"...It's like I was already in a 'dead' state.
HOWEVER, when he returned me my answer script, my jaw literally dropped!I could feel the blood rushing to my head from the very bottom of my feet and my ears heating up. I could imagine my face, being red and dumb-founded! I got 83% for Data Structure & Algorithm! I couldn't believe it myself! Having acquired 83%, I am practically the benchmark in my section. =D
So the revelation I had from this experience is that even though a situation may seem dead, God is able to raise it, just like how He raised Lazarus and Jesus from the dead! =D Therefore, don't give up because God opens up secret passages when you come to a dead end! =D
I still remember on that night itself, the night where I had the horrifying test, I wasn't really that prepared. Upon completion of the test, I was abducted by my cell mate. Let's not take any detour, cut the long story short I wasn't expecting high marks for that subject. My estimated score was somewhere between 53-58%.
A few days later, our lecture returned our answer scripts to us. To be honest, I was so demoralized that I said to myself, "Come what may, just forget it"...It's like I was already in a 'dead' state.
HOWEVER, when he returned me my answer script, my jaw literally dropped!I could feel the blood rushing to my head from the very bottom of my feet and my ears heating up. I could imagine my face, being red and dumb-founded! I got 83% for Data Structure & Algorithm! I couldn't believe it myself! Having acquired 83%, I am practically the benchmark in my section. =D
So the revelation I had from this experience is that even though a situation may seem dead, God is able to raise it, just like how He raised Lazarus and Jesus from the dead! =D Therefore, don't give up because God opens up secret passages when you come to a dead end! =D
Thursday, June 4, 2009
An Effective Minister of God
As Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
For though I am free from all men, that I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
to those who are without law, as without law(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.
to the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might may be a partaker of it with you.
I just feel so blessed and encouraged! =D Praise God for Paul! =D
For though I am free from all men, that I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
to those who are without law, as without law(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.
to the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might may be a partaker of it with you.
I just feel so blessed and encouraged! =D Praise God for Paul! =D
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Campus Ministry
I'm really thankful to God that He's established a Campus Ministry for the Frontliner's vision. Now that it's established, my only prayer would be for the people to ~really~ bond together - despite the age gap and the different generations whatsoever. I pray that everyone will realize that we're under one roof now =D
I have a vision - Even as the Lord has shown me CHOJB, I believe that this very humble beginning of the Campus Ministry will continue to expand to more than what it is now. =) That I'm sure. I'm not sure about people from other countries, but as a Malaysian, I feel that true curiosity bursts forth at this age. I pray for the people to seize every opportunity to reach out to people and spread the love of God! =D
Thank You God, for this humble beginning! =D
~Simplicity embedded into Excellence~
~Christopher Teoh~ =D
I have a vision - Even as the Lord has shown me CHOJB, I believe that this very humble beginning of the Campus Ministry will continue to expand to more than what it is now. =) That I'm sure. I'm not sure about people from other countries, but as a Malaysian, I feel that true curiosity bursts forth at this age. I pray for the people to seize every opportunity to reach out to people and spread the love of God! =D
Thank You God, for this humble beginning! =D
~Simplicity embedded into Excellence~
~Christopher Teoh~ =D
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Life Essentials - Pr Thomas Barnabas
Scriptures cited from Hebrew 5:12-14
~For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
~For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
~But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
1) Milk are for Beginners [Inexperienced in God's ways]
2) Solid food are for the Mature believers [Someone who has practiced his/her senses over time and trained to discern between good and evil]
Word of God-Spiritual Food
The Distinction of Milk and Solid Food
-Milk: ABCs of Faith [Basic, Foundational Doctrines upon which our faith is built]
*Doctrine - Biblical Information for the mind which consist of:-
a)Salvation
b)God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit
c)Prayer
d)The Lord's Supper
e)Man
f)Forgiveness
g)Water Baptism
h)Repentance
i)Living a holy life
-Solid food: Spiritual understanding & application to the experience of truth operating in a believer's life.
*Mature believers - Have the capacity to perceive spiritual nature of things & then function & make choices based on the spiritual insight
Summary
Mature Believers are able to connect Doctrine, Milk with Spiritual Discernment & Life Application [Meat]. With maturity, comes the increased capacity to gradually perceive things from a divine perspective.
~For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
~For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
~But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
1) Milk are for Beginners [Inexperienced in God's ways]
2) Solid food are for the Mature believers [Someone who has practiced his/her senses over time and trained to discern between good and evil]
Word of God-Spiritual Food
The Distinction of Milk and Solid Food
-Milk: ABCs of Faith [Basic, Foundational Doctrines upon which our faith is built]
*Doctrine - Biblical Information for the mind which consist of:-
a)Salvation
b)God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit
c)Prayer
d)The Lord's Supper
e)Man
f)Forgiveness
g)Water Baptism
h)Repentance
i)Living a holy life
-Solid food: Spiritual understanding & application to the experience of truth operating in a believer's life.
*Mature believers - Have the capacity to perceive spiritual nature of things & then function & make choices based on the spiritual insight
Summary
Mature Believers are able to connect Doctrine, Milk with Spiritual Discernment & Life Application [Meat]. With maturity, comes the increased capacity to gradually perceive things from a divine perspective.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
The Power of Focus - Rev Kong Hee
A double-minded person constantly swings between conflicting choices in his life, achieving nothing but confusion and disarray. Discover the power of focus and let God's creative glory bring energy and power to all you do.
As a young boy, I loved scouting. I was enthralled when using my magnifying glass. Often I would focus sunlight through my magnifying glass on a matchstick, or a bunch of leaves, to see how long it would take to start a small fire. (My mother would become very upset with me for playing with fire!) I did learn something as a little boy: Focused light has tremendous power! On the other hand, diffused light, or scattered light, has very little power. Noted pastor-philosopher, Rev. Dr. A.R. Bernard, defines focus as "the center-point of attention."
In Luke 11:34 (KJV), Jesus teaches, "The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness." By talking about the need for singleness of vision, Jesus was advocating the power of focus. When you are single-minded, you are focused. When you are double-minded, you are constantly vacillating between two opinions. Double-mindedness will make you a very unstable person (James 1:7-8). But through mental and intellectual focus, the glory of creativity will be released inside of you.
SUNLIGHT VERSUS LASER LIGHT
Take the sun for instance. The sun is a powerful source of energy. Every hour, the sun washes the earth with billions of kilowatts of energy. The temperature of the outer, visible part of the sun is nearly 5,500 degrees Celsius. With some sunblock lotion, you can easily sunbathe for one to two hours without any problem.On the other hand, a laser is a relatively weaker source of energy. A laser takes a few watts of energy and focuses them into a coherent stream of light. Yet, with laser energy, you can drill a hole into a diamond, cut through steel beams, or wipe out cancer in a human body. In fact, you can focus that little laser energy into temperatures that exceed 5,500 degrees Celsius—hotter than the surface of the sun! Focused light has tremendous power!
As such, what Jesus teaches about focus is very important to us all. Why? Jesus answers, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:14, 16).
Focus can bring energy and power to whatever you do. Churches with focus have greater impact in a city than unfocused churches. The future of your business or career depends on the focus you put into it. Remember the old adage: If you are a Jack of all trades, you become a master of none!
THE GREAT COLA WAR
One of the greatest illustrations of the power of focus is the "Great Cola War" between Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola. In the mid-1980s, the market shares of Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola were about even.Pepsi then started buying Frito-Lay—the maker of "
Lay's Potato Chips"—the world's largest snack food company. Pepsi then bought Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC, which were the world's largest pizza, Mexican and chicken fast food chains respectively. In addition to that, Pepsi also owns Hot n' Now, Chevys, Californian Pizza Kitchen, DÌAngelo Sandwich Shop, and East Side Mario's. Altogether Pepsi owns 24,000 restaurants, making it the largest restaurant owner in the world. In comparison, McDonald's has only 14,000 restaurants.
In the drink's department, Pepsi owns Pepsi Cola, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Pepsi XL, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Slice, All Sport, and even Lipton Tea. And just for kicks, Pepsi also sells Russian vodka in the US.When you look at the parent company PepsiCo, it is very impressive. It has a much bigger spread than Coca-Cola. After all, Coca-Cola is only a beverage company, period. But while PepsiCo is worth US$44 billion, Coca-Cola is worth twice as much at US$93 billion. Per dollar of sales, Coca-Cola is worth almost four times as much as PepsiCo!Pepsi's philosophy is to be all over the world as quickly as possible. Coca-Cola has a simpler, more focused mission: To be number one in America. First, America, and only then, the whole world. That is the power of focus.Let us look at another comparison. While Pepsi owns 24,000 restaurants, McDonald's only owns 14,000 restaurants. But Pepsi's restaurants make only US$400 million in annual profit, whereas McDonald's restaurants make US$1.1 billion in annual profit. The 24,000 restaurants that Pepsi owns have an estimated combined value of US$10 billion. In comparison, the 14,000 restaurants that McDonald's owns are worth US$31 billion. The smaller, more focused company is worth three times as much as the larger, less focused company.
SUCCESS IS NOT HOCUS POCUS
Success is all about focus. Your vision is what you focus on; vision is what you see. Focus a camera on a flower and shoot. The emerging picture will not be a tree. Your vision must be a picture of what you choose to focus on. You will not experience success in life if you focus on anything other than the source of Life—Jesus Christ. No wonder the great apostle Paul says,
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13-14)
Paul took all the energy he could muster to focus on the purpose God had put in front of him.
When you read about our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels, you will find that He was the most focused person in the world. He was always focusing on His Father's work. There was never a day that went by where Jesus was idling or getting distracted. Even at the tender age of 12, Jesus was already about His "Father's business" (Luke 2:49). Jesus never did or said anything that wasn't first initiated by His Father.In Luke 9:51-53, we read that Jesus was so focused in what He needed to do—going to Jerusalem, going to Calvary, going to the cross—that He could not be distracted. Three times in that passage, the Scripture describes that Jesus was so resolute, the intensity of His focus was evident all over "His face" and posture. He was 100 percent single-minded to be the Savior of the world.
Jesus ran His entire life according to God's purpose for Him. He fully concentrated on His life assignment. While He healed all who came to Him, He didn't heal every sick person in the places He visited. While He delivered the oppressed who came to Him, He didn't cast out every demon in every town.When He was at the pool of Bethesda, there was a great multitude of sick, blind, lame and paralyzed. Jesus only healed one man who had an infirmity for 38 years. Only one! Why didn't He heal the rest at the pool? Because it was not His heavenly Father's assignment for Him that day.
Countless times when Jesus went up to the Jerusalem temple to pray, He would have passed by a lame man by the Gate Beautiful. But not once did He stop to heal him. Why not? Because again, it was not God's assignment for Him. It was a task meant later on for Peter and John after the Day of Pentecost. As far as Jesus was concerned, He had to stay completely focused on His purpose.
As a young boy, I loved scouting. I was enthralled when using my magnifying glass. Often I would focus sunlight through my magnifying glass on a matchstick, or a bunch of leaves, to see how long it would take to start a small fire. (My mother would become very upset with me for playing with fire!) I did learn something as a little boy: Focused light has tremendous power! On the other hand, diffused light, or scattered light, has very little power. Noted pastor-philosopher, Rev. Dr. A.R. Bernard, defines focus as "the center-point of attention."
In Luke 11:34 (KJV), Jesus teaches, "The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness." By talking about the need for singleness of vision, Jesus was advocating the power of focus. When you are single-minded, you are focused. When you are double-minded, you are constantly vacillating between two opinions. Double-mindedness will make you a very unstable person (James 1:7-8). But through mental and intellectual focus, the glory of creativity will be released inside of you.
SUNLIGHT VERSUS LASER LIGHT
Take the sun for instance. The sun is a powerful source of energy. Every hour, the sun washes the earth with billions of kilowatts of energy. The temperature of the outer, visible part of the sun is nearly 5,500 degrees Celsius. With some sunblock lotion, you can easily sunbathe for one to two hours without any problem.On the other hand, a laser is a relatively weaker source of energy. A laser takes a few watts of energy and focuses them into a coherent stream of light. Yet, with laser energy, you can drill a hole into a diamond, cut through steel beams, or wipe out cancer in a human body. In fact, you can focus that little laser energy into temperatures that exceed 5,500 degrees Celsius—hotter than the surface of the sun! Focused light has tremendous power!
As such, what Jesus teaches about focus is very important to us all. Why? Jesus answers, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:14, 16).
Focus can bring energy and power to whatever you do. Churches with focus have greater impact in a city than unfocused churches. The future of your business or career depends on the focus you put into it. Remember the old adage: If you are a Jack of all trades, you become a master of none!
THE GREAT COLA WAR
One of the greatest illustrations of the power of focus is the "Great Cola War" between Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola. In the mid-1980s, the market shares of Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola were about even.Pepsi then started buying Frito-Lay—the maker of "
Lay's Potato Chips"—the world's largest snack food company. Pepsi then bought Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC, which were the world's largest pizza, Mexican and chicken fast food chains respectively. In addition to that, Pepsi also owns Hot n' Now, Chevys, Californian Pizza Kitchen, DÌAngelo Sandwich Shop, and East Side Mario's. Altogether Pepsi owns 24,000 restaurants, making it the largest restaurant owner in the world. In comparison, McDonald's has only 14,000 restaurants.
In the drink's department, Pepsi owns Pepsi Cola, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Pepsi XL, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Slice, All Sport, and even Lipton Tea. And just for kicks, Pepsi also sells Russian vodka in the US.When you look at the parent company PepsiCo, it is very impressive. It has a much bigger spread than Coca-Cola. After all, Coca-Cola is only a beverage company, period. But while PepsiCo is worth US$44 billion, Coca-Cola is worth twice as much at US$93 billion. Per dollar of sales, Coca-Cola is worth almost four times as much as PepsiCo!Pepsi's philosophy is to be all over the world as quickly as possible. Coca-Cola has a simpler, more focused mission: To be number one in America. First, America, and only then, the whole world. That is the power of focus.Let us look at another comparison. While Pepsi owns 24,000 restaurants, McDonald's only owns 14,000 restaurants. But Pepsi's restaurants make only US$400 million in annual profit, whereas McDonald's restaurants make US$1.1 billion in annual profit. The 24,000 restaurants that Pepsi owns have an estimated combined value of US$10 billion. In comparison, the 14,000 restaurants that McDonald's owns are worth US$31 billion. The smaller, more focused company is worth three times as much as the larger, less focused company.
SUCCESS IS NOT HOCUS POCUS
Success is all about focus. Your vision is what you focus on; vision is what you see. Focus a camera on a flower and shoot. The emerging picture will not be a tree. Your vision must be a picture of what you choose to focus on. You will not experience success in life if you focus on anything other than the source of Life—Jesus Christ. No wonder the great apostle Paul says,
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13-14)
Paul took all the energy he could muster to focus on the purpose God had put in front of him.
When you read about our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels, you will find that He was the most focused person in the world. He was always focusing on His Father's work. There was never a day that went by where Jesus was idling or getting distracted. Even at the tender age of 12, Jesus was already about His "Father's business" (Luke 2:49). Jesus never did or said anything that wasn't first initiated by His Father.In Luke 9:51-53, we read that Jesus was so focused in what He needed to do—going to Jerusalem, going to Calvary, going to the cross—that He could not be distracted. Three times in that passage, the Scripture describes that Jesus was so resolute, the intensity of His focus was evident all over "His face" and posture. He was 100 percent single-minded to be the Savior of the world.
Jesus ran His entire life according to God's purpose for Him. He fully concentrated on His life assignment. While He healed all who came to Him, He didn't heal every sick person in the places He visited. While He delivered the oppressed who came to Him, He didn't cast out every demon in every town.When He was at the pool of Bethesda, there was a great multitude of sick, blind, lame and paralyzed. Jesus only healed one man who had an infirmity for 38 years. Only one! Why didn't He heal the rest at the pool? Because it was not His heavenly Father's assignment for Him that day.
Countless times when Jesus went up to the Jerusalem temple to pray, He would have passed by a lame man by the Gate Beautiful. But not once did He stop to heal him. Why not? Because again, it was not God's assignment for Him. It was a task meant later on for Peter and John after the Day of Pentecost. As far as Jesus was concerned, He had to stay completely focused on His purpose.
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