Faith Stories

The nature of Scientific theories is always evolving: Science relies on a process of questioning, testing, and observing. Old theories are regularly modified when new data appears. Scientific models are rooted in evidence, it’s provisional and limited by human observation. But we don’t stop Science. I do wish science will continue to investigate creations. Einstein didn’t believe God played dice with the universe. We need to know our origin. We need to know the purpose. But I believe science cannot give an answer. We cannot investigate a universe outside of God. We are meant to trust God. We do not need to know the future to live faithfully today. “For from him and through him and for him are all things.”— Romans 11:36 Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us that human beings, although conscious of eternity, cannot comprehend God's work “from beginning to end.” We observe reality from within a limited temporal perspective; God is not confined by that limitation. There is only one answer to the deepest mysteries and tensions of Science. “All things have been created through him and for him… and in him all things hold together” - Colossians 1:16–17. Only in him, all things hold together. Not mathematics, not physics, not cosmology. Science doesn’t hold and cannot hold any theories of creations. God is the Creator and ultimate ground of all reality that exists. God was never a scientific object waiting to be discovered by a telescope. Perhaps the mystery is not that humanity has failed to see everything. Perhaps the mystery is that we can see anything at all. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” We should. We understand that the universe was created by the “word” of God, so what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. “God’s word is fixed and eternal in heavens”. - Psalm 119:89. His word stands firm forever, no revisions needed and cannot be revised. Proverbs 30:5-“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him”. This does not need updates or corrections to match any shifting human trends. This is how I believe it’ll be: “For now” we see only a reflection as in a mirror; “then” we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; “then” I shall know fully. — 1 Corinthians 13:12 Then, “The dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”— 1 Corinthians 15:52 And then we saw, and “I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” — Revelation 21:1. Until then… Amen and may God's Word bless us all and give us peace. Numbers 6:24–26: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace”.

Previously: Why does time appear to flow if fundamental physics does not require a universal moving present? Ecclesiastes 3:11“He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” This striking parallel shows humanity experiences time locally while being unable to comprehend existence “from beginning to end.” God makes all things appropriate, right, and beautiful in His own time, not always according to human schedules. People cannot fully grasp or map out the entirety of God's work from start to finish, which invites a posture of humility and trust. The science quest continues: quantum mechanics arrived in 1925 to build on top of Einstein theory and then came quantum entanglement. It discovered that when two particles (like protons) are entangled, measuring a property of one particle (such as its spin) “instantly” determines the property of the other particle—even if they are light-years apart. Because this happens at the exact same time (instantaneously), there is no time for a light signal to travel between them to "share" the information. That defy Einstein own physics - nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Einstein was deeply uncomfortable and called it spooky action at a distance. He believed the particles must have hidden, pre-determined settings from the start, a concept known as local “realism”. Colossians 1:16–17 “All things have been created through him and for him… and in him all things hold together.” Colossians do not contain quantum-gravity equations, rather Physics has not yet found the deepest unifying description of reality, the ultimate unity of creation rests in God ! Scientific theory of consciousness, reality and observation later developed along side Einstein theory. John Stewart Bell in 1964 directly addresses the “conflict” between Albert Einstein’s concept of local realism and the counterintuitive nature of quantum mechanics. Decades later, Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger performed landmark experiments involving entangled photons. Their work was recognized with the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics for experiments establishing “violations” of Bell inequalities theorem and pioneering quantum information science. While Bell’s Theorem remains a pillar of quantum physics, modern scientific exploration into the actual mechanics of consciousness later has refined towards theories like Sir Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff's Orch-OR theory (which links consciousness to quantum gravity collapse inside brain microtubules) or Integrated Information Theory (IIT). We see that for hundreds of years, science has been studying creations. It has disagreements, tensions and faces constant refinements. But Isaiah 40:8 states that whilst grass withers and flowers fade, the word of God stands forever. Matthew 24:35 quotes Jesus, saying heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will never pass away and Psalm 119:89: God's word is fixed and eternal in the heavens. Science does not prove God, but its deepest discoveries and unresolved tensions implicitly makes the case for God! “Now we know in part; then we shall know fully.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 to be continued….

Let’s start from the beginning. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”— Genesis 1:1 and “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”— John 1:1 Then, “Let there be light.”— Genesis 1:3“And there was light”. From then everything formed and somewhere sometime, consciousness began and it starts to look backward and ask how it all began. Origin of our Big bang theory emerged. Human discover that the universe could be described mathematically, not approximate but with astonishing precision. From Galileo to Newton, mathematics became not merely a language invented by humans, but an extraordinarily successful means of discovering structures in nature and the universe. Because “By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations.”— Proverbs 3:19, we can investigate that foundation ! God does not stop us from investigating, and it’s quite the opposite. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”— Proverbs 25:2. Then came Albert Einstein. He did not merely add another equation, he changed the meaning of space and time and went on further that Spacetime itself could curve. The universe became stranger. Newton theory of gravity was all but incomplete in extreme speeds or massive gravity situation. His physics also describes a four-dimensional spacetime structure in which simultaneity is observer-dependent, a block universe. We can use the Train Example on how this works: Imagine you are standing perfectly still on a train platform. A super-fast train speeds past you. At the exact moment the middle of the train passes you, two bolts of lightning strike the front and the back of the train. Your Perspective (Standing Still): You are equal distance from both strikes. The light from both flashes travels the same distance to your eyes at the exact same speed. You see them flash at the “exact same time" (simultaneously). The Passenger's Perspective (Moving): Now imagine a passenger sitting dead center inside that speeding train. As the lightning strikes, the train is rushing “towards” the front flash and running “away” from the back flash. Because the speed of light is constant, the light from the front strike has a shorter distance to travel to reach the passenger's eyes. The light from the back has to chase the train. Therefore, the passenger sees the front bolt strike “before” the back bolt. In Summary, both are telling the absolute truth about reality. Because space and time are welded together into spacetime, the order in which events unfold depends entirely on your frame of reference. In the "block universe" of spacetime— past, present, and future coexist “statically” as four-dimensional coordinates. But why does our consciousness experience time as a “flowing” sequence—past, present and future? This unresolved tension invites a deeper question.“He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”— Ecclesiastes 3:11. to be continued…

Since very young I was brought up in a Christian family. I pray before every meal, I pray every night before I sleep. Before every flight, I pray for safety. Before every school tests, every exams I will pray. I pray when I was afraid and I pray when I was triumphant. Prayers were daily, a ritual, a necessity. Until one day I "realized". That day was when someone important in my life died. A swamp of questions started to flood my mind over the days, weeks, then years. Where is God ? Who is God ? As I progress in my school studies, I began to form a scientific and logical mine towards everything I have known or experience. I was especially intrigued about subjects like spacetime, consciousness, reality, dimensions, gravity, and lately holograms and dark matter, etc. My daily prayers continue, praying to God who I don't actually yet understand. Job 11:7–9 — The limits of human comprehension: “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” As the proliferation of the Internet began in late 90s, I began to collate in depth knowledge and sharing of these intriguing subjects with communities online. The arrival of AI some 3 years ago, propel these knowledge sharing to unprecedented levels. I began to sort justifiable, reputable and credible information to improve my insights, views and validate my thoughts. Mysteries that intrigue me: Do our consciousness and awareness make us the center of universe ? When I die, the world dies with me. It doesn’t carry on. Or do we never actually “die” ? — 1 Corinthians 15:52 “The dead are raised imperishable”. Or as an observer, we simplify what we perceive into a coherent reality because our finite mind cannot measure the complexity of the universe. But what is reality ? Or are we living in a 3 dimensional world where we are at a lower dimension, unable to comprehend a higher dimension ? And that our gravity is so weak because it leaks to another dimension ? “What is seen was not made out of what is visible.” — Hebrews 11:3 The recent scientific reports from James Webb Space Telescope provides further mysteries that we may have been calculating the age of universe wrong. Do we not study these though we are so intrigue by these and chose to ignore these ? Are we not reading these that matters to us all ? Because we live in a system of finite resources with insatiable wants, and that we still need to go out there and put bread on the table. Survival comes before meta physics. Death is scary and we developed mortality avoidance. But despite all the science, the reality of putting bread on the table, the finite limit of our consciousness, we cannot explain why we are all here. The purpose, the propagation. "For from him and through him and for him are all things.”— Romans 11:36 to be continued..

“You talked to millions of Christians everyday, what advice do you wish they would actually listen to?” Here is ChatGPT’s reply: 1. You can’t live for the Kingdom and your comfort. Jesus said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24. The Gospel costs you something. 2. Intimacy with God is not built in public. It is not about posting scriptures - it is about praying in secret. You won’t last in public ministry without private surrender. Jesus often withdrew to be with the Father. You need to, too. 3. Being right is not the goal - being Christlike is. The Pharisees were biblically accurate and spiritually dead. Don’t let your theology outpace your love. Truth without love is a weapon, not a witness. 4. Stop looking for revival in rooms - start becoming it. Revival is not an event, it is a surrendered life. If the Holy Spirit lives in you, revival starts with you. Holiness, repentance, obedience, hunger - that is revival. 5. Jesus is either Lord of all, or not Lord at all. He doesn’t want part of your heart - He wants all of it. He didn’t come to be your Sunday Savior - He came to be your everyday King. 6. Don’t blend in, burn bright. The world is dark, and it doesn’t need more lukewarm Christianity. It needs real disciples - bold, broken, spirit-filled followers of Jesus who live like He is worth everything. You were never called to fit in. You were called to stand out. Live like eternity is real - because it is. Wow, AI gets it, and some of us, still don’t. Towards the end of the school term, I became increasingly sluggish and lethargic in my studies. Whenever homework was due, I gave in to the temptation of taking the wide gate instead of the narrow gate. In short, ChatGPT became my first resort instead of turning to God in prayer. During our final class, my teacher reminded us of Matthew 6:33, to seek God first. He said that God is the greatest Data Scientist, even before the world began. God is the ultimate Provider of all wisdom and knowledge, and prayer is a remarkable “technology” that is never out of service. He encouraged us to read the Bible because every thought and every subject ultimately has its origin in God’s truth. God is attentive to every detail in His creation, and He knows exactly where we are going. Those words deeply inspired me. When I returned home that day, I confessed my sins to God and repented. Going forward, I want to make a conscious effort not to replace my dependence on the Holy Spirit or my relationships with others by relying on AI. Instead, I want to use AI as a tool while seeking God first in prayer and trusting Him for wisdom. AI can be a helpful tool, but it should not replace prayer, reliance on God, or meaningful human relationships.

I had the opportunity to meet a foreign chef who works at one of Singapore’s five-star hotels. God has blessed him with a wonderful wife and five children, all before the age of 32. Through years of hard work in different countries, he has risen to the position of Senior Chef in his current role. I got to know him better after we worked together on two projects outside of our regular scope. Recently, he reached out to me on WhatsApp and shared the following: “I’m asking for wisdom, and I’ve also spoken with W. about this. If you were in my position—God has entrusted me with a position of authority. In our line of work in hospitality, having weekends off, especially Sundays, is very uncommon. Because of my role, I have the option of taking every Sunday off so that I can worship God, and that is my priority. At the same time, I’m struggling with the thought that taking every Sunday off might mean I’m using my authority for my own benefit instead of using it to serve others. Part of me wonders if there’s a selfish side to it.” His message reminded me of a similar struggle I faced when I first started working in a highly competitive industry. I was working seven days a week, and there were times when I had to choose between going to church on Sunday or going to work. I made the decision to honor God. I chose to attend church on Sunday, have lunch with my family afterward, and then return to work to support my colleagues. I reminded him of what God says in Exodus 20:8 and Deuteronomy 5:12. After creating the world in six days, God rested on the seventh day and made it holy. One of the Ten Commandments also instructs God’s people to keep the Sabbath day holy. My advice to him was that, since he has been given the opportunity to take Sundays off, he should continue to honor God by attending church and setting that day apart for worship. He should not feel guilty for doing so, because he is putting God first. Honoring God by worshiping Him on Sunday is an act of obedience, not selfishness. He can continue to serve and support his colleagues faithfully on the other days of the week while making every effort to keep the Sabbath holy. I believe that when we honor God and obey Him and His Word first, He will honor us and bless us in ways beyond our imagination. Ultimately, He desires our hearts and our time with Him. I was encouraged to know that this chef is intentionally setting aside Sunday for the Lord and seeking to honor Him above all else. Footnote: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8 “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.” — Deuteronomy 5:12

“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day.” - C.S.Lewis Depending on God starts daily. I am learning that yesterday’s trust doesn’t automatically carry into today or tomorrow, and each morning requires a fresh surrender to Him. When I was a new believer, I thought that trusting God and storing up faith in my heart once would last me a life time of supply; however, that’s not how faith actually works. Every day brings new challenges, new worries, new tendency to rely on myself, instead of on God. Every day I have to choose, again, to lean on God, instead of my own understanding. I seek God’s help to make this daily effort of reliance on Him a regular rhythm of His design, like a breathing exercise, a necessity, not a burden, and a fresh start without any frustration or boredom that I have to start this daily. This reminds me of God’s manna prepared daily for the Israelites in the wilderness after they have left Egypt. The Israelites even complained about the same manna everyday. They have forgotten their sovereign God, their faithful Provider and they have neglected to thank Him for their daily food. I pray for grace to begin again today, to rely on God’s fresh supply of grace each new day, to bring my yoke to Him, instead of my carrying yesterday’s leftovers. To surrender all to Him. Let me begin all over again, relying on You, Lord, completely, in every area of my life, with a fresh faith and new surrender, just enough for today, and tomorrow, I will start all over again. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

God has spoken to me in many ways: through a Bible verse, the wise counsel of another Christian, direct from the church pulpit, and a simple willingness on my part to obey. There were weeks and even months between Him speaking in one way and then another. At that time it felt like forever and ever. God is rarely in a hurry to speak. He is slow (lento): we are swift and hasty. It is because we are but for a time, and He has been for eternity, since the very beginning. Hence, Grace, for the most part, acts slowly, gives slowly. He works little by little. God is never late, nor is He ever in a hurry. He is inclined to speak to those who show themselves truly hungry and thirsty for a fresh encounter with Jesus. He encourages us to pause and pray, to resist the temptation to rush when we interact with Him. He lets us embark upon a season of seeking His face and waiting for Him. “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 God didn’t say I will inevitably find Him the moment I seek Him. Rather, He promised to be found when I seek Him with all my heart. There is something about the posture of my praying and the wholeheartedness of my seeking - my determination, my desperation and my desire - that moves the heart and attracts the attention of God. Eventually, He answers, in His time, but never late. “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” - Romans 12:12

“Lord, You are my guide, the shepherd of my life Through the hills and valleys, You're always by my side Calling me by name, chosen me with love Blessing me abundantly, Your promise will never change Every step I make; You lead me with Your grace Your love, Your hand, will hold me close to You Every step I take; You lead me with Your grace Your love, Your hand, will guide me through the path of grace.” - G.T. “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel - that will stand” Proverbs 19:21

“Learning to pray is learning to trust the wisdom, the power, and the love of our Heavenly Father, always so far beyond our dreams. Things we feel sure we need for happiness may often lead to our ruin. Things we think will ruin us, if we believe what the Father tells us and surrender ourselves into His strong arms, bring us deliverance and joy.” - Elizabeth Elliot “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26 May God reveal to me the burdens of my heart today, amen.

What touches you in the morning when you wake up ? Reading emails, messages on the phone or reading the news ? For a very long time since my working life, the single most important pursuit is for financial independence and securing the future for retirement. Health and time for family, prayer took a second seat. Until the day my father passed away. How do you lose a Father so dear it devastates and upend my entire life for a long time. My father has been the pillar of my well being while I pursue worldly achievements. He held onto the same teaching principles of being self sufficient, independence, pursue of greater knowledge and make one self capable. Since five years old, I was sent to Singapore to study, away from my parents in Indonesia. My student life in Singapore molds me to my father’s teachings. I graduated and finished higher education. Now as I am hitting 60, my two children have their own careers, my wife is still as happy as she was the day I courted her. My attachment to my father’s teachings are a distant memory since he passed on some 10 years ago. Reflecting my life that has went so fast from the day I arrived in Singapore like a blink of an eye. Question, what is this life all about ? I will expire one day. I am no nearer to self actualisation than the days God gave me the abundances. I am still trying to overcome detachments from everything that I have, aspire and those that holds me down. (Matthew 6:19) Then I’ve no fear, peace and got a reprieve while praying. Then the next morning I woke up, the attachment, the pursuit and everything else all came back again and the mind to detach cycle repeats again. Everyday I’m looking for his words to stay in his words. I sometimes dread the morning when I wake up. I pray every morning. News, emails and phone messages took a second seat. I’m still in the valley, I haven’t got out yet, I don’t know how long is this path. If any it would just be a journal of journey, no conclusion yet. I don’t pray to expect anything from God but pray for a detachment and whatever God leads the path for the choice I made I’m ready. God had given me abundance (Ephesians 3:20) for so many times for so long, unexpected and without asking, as I am still lost now. Sometimes I feel like I’m walking in the valley of death (Psalm 23:4) but I’ve no fear. Perhaps God meant me to taste something, reflect and appreciate something, share something before I expire. I do not know, but only the path to God is clear. I pray today is a good day. Psalm 118:24