Gene Gu

Where do you get your moral standard of reference? Is it from your teachers, family or your friends? Maybe from your culture or society. If the moral standard from these sources change, are these changes really right than? Is good and evil, right and wrong really arbitrary and can change as often as the latest fads and trends? In the past, certain ancient civilizations had no issues with sacrificing babies, is whether this practice back than good or evil relative?  In the tale about the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, these two cities had rampant mob aggression, violence, wickedness, pride, homosexual and indiscriminate group sexual activities taking place. Outside a man named Lot and his family who God considered righteous, and who were escorted out of the city by a angel, God rained down " brimstone and fire " and absolutely destroyed these two cities and everyone living there.  The people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah can state their case and make excuses all day o...

What led you to your belief in God? No matter how you arrived at your current belief in your head, it is insufficient. You need to know. And the only way to really know is through real world experience.  The story of Abraham's servant in finding a wife for his masters son Isaac is a good example of validating ones knowledge and belief that "God answers prayers" with actual real world experience.  In the story Abraham commands his servant to go to his home country to find a wife for his son Isaac. When the servant arrives at the home town of his master, the servant stationed beside a well and prayed  “O  God , God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, ‘Lower your jug and give me a drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and let me also water your camels’—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isa...

What is the most important value in the world ? Loyalty ? Faith ? Equality ? Many say prosperity. I believe the most important value is Truth. Seeking the truth for its own sake and not for any other reason. Seeking the truth about whether this life that we have right now is really all we have and death is the end of everything or is there more. Seeking out whether God is actually real. Seeking out ones purpose here on earth. These types of questions frightens many of us as it may seem near impossible to find the answer to them, however what if that is the main reason why each of us are placed here in the first place - to go on a adventure of discovery. How does one define truth? Pontius Pilate the roman prefect that oversaw the trial of Jesus Christ of Nazareth once asked Jesus "what is truth?" The dictionary defines it as "the quality and state of being true" as well as "that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality." I would add to the de...

Obeying Gods commandments is hard-obviously.  Why did God give out such hard commandments to humans ? Why couldn't he give commandments that are easy to keep? Or wire us in a way that we would easily keep them?  God wants human beings to strive to a higher state of being closer to his own - whether that be spiritually, emotionally, or relationally and this is best accomplished by giving out commandments. The struggle that comes along in trying to follow a commandment consistently spurs personal growth and maturity. God is not looking for perfect people. However, he is looking for people that have a honest humble heart that wants to follow his commandments because he knows by doing so we grow and that is ultimately what God is looking for. Why does God wants us to strive and grow? God wants us to be people that strives because that is who he is. As described in scripture God constantly strives to be patient with his chosen people, the Israelites. No matter how many times the Is...

Parenting is failing these days. A lot of the kids you meet these days are inconsiderate, arrogant, rude, self-righteous and entitled. There's a saying "Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times." Compared to most of modern history we have been in a period of relatively good times for a very long time, so much so that now we have a lot of immature adults breeding even weaker minded and emotional children. Here are some of the ways parents today are failing their kids. Number 1, not teaching kids how to protect themselves physically, mentally and emotionally. The greatest threat to kids these days aren't from physical threats, but from online threats. The use of social media has proliferated and children interactions with other people through them is ever increasing. The increasing use of social media has been linked to increase in mental health issues and emotional manipulation. Most parents ...

We humans celebrate and obsess over people who are the best at what they do. We celebrate the best players in a sport, the best students in the school, the best actors etc. We even celebrate the best criminals, whether they are considered the best con-artist, best thieves, best smuggler, or best drug dealer in history.   Celebrating the best in our society is equivalent to celebrating the extreme. As a result many people chase the extreme in order to seek the attention and the adoration of the masses. What many eventually find is that chasing the extreme comes with a huge price, whether that be deterioration in health,  close relationships or financially. Most people aren't built for the extreme in the long haul, therefore when they chase it far enough it ruins much of their lives.  Real overarching success and happiness is being able to move in and out from the extreme, ultimately centering yourself at the middle. It is being able to push yourself as hard as you can...

There is no such thing as a soul mate. Every prospect has imperfections and yet has the potential to be your life partner. If your are serious about seeking out and finding the one you want to spend the rest of your life with there are certain things you can do that can greatly enhances your chances of success. First, start with the mindset that "I'm not going to date casually and am going to seriously look for the one,  my life partner". Establishing this mindset from the get go immediately boost your chances to find your life partner because it narrows your focus as it cuts off all other alternatives like casually dating or sleeping around, along with all the negative effects those poor options comes with such as heartbreaks, pessimism and narcissim.  Two, note down the most important features and criteria you are looking for in your life partner. You could be thinking of physical features, personality or status, however I recommend you make it a criteria that your li...

Today, many Christians remain spiritually stagnant and disillusioned. Why? Because the message preached in churches often lacks completeness. The mainstream teaching emphasizes belief in Jesus as the path to salvation and the promise of heaven after death. While this is central to Christianity, it is not the main point Jesus was trying to get across to his audience. Jesus did not just come to offer salvation; He came to reveal the Kingdom of God and invite believers to participate in its manifestation here on earth. The overemphasis on the afterlife has, in many ways, overshadowed this crucial part of His message. What Did Jesus Really Preach? Throughout His ministry, Jesus consistently spoke about the Kingdom of God. Consider these powerful passages: "Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of Go...

What really matters most in life? When all is said and done, the answer isn’t found in success, fame, or fortune—but in four foundational pillars that shape everything else. Whether you want to live with purpose, find deeper meaning, or build a legacy that lasts, these are the four things you must get right. 1. God. Your belief about God has a huge effect on how your life turns out as it affects your worldview and decisions. Most people fall into 3 camps. you believe god exists, you’re unsure if god exists or you don’t believe god exists. No matter what your belief about god is right now, what is most important is the action of seeking God yourself honestly before making up your mind. As the truth about God is not discovered through ones rationalising or feelings, but through seeking. For God has said “you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” and it is up to you to find out whether that is true. 2. Relationships. Success in life ultimately comes down to the q...

    Photo by  DDP  on  Unsplash The church is not an organization or building. The church is the entire body of people around the world who proclaim to be followers and disciples of Jesus. I consider myself part of the church and I have to admit, the church is responsible for the spiritual and moral decline in society.  The church has been called to be the light of the world . However, it has failed to address people who have gender dysphoria or who have same sex attraction with Godly wisdom and love. It has failed to address the narrative on racism in society with Godly wisdom and love. The church is called to be peacemakers , however, it has failed miserably and have instead become just like everybody else. The church has either disengaged from societal issues or have picked sides and contributed to the polarization in society by antagonizing those who share different viewpoints. The church is called to maturity and become teachers in our personal circle...

The abortion debate remains one of the most divisive issues in society. It lies at the heart of moral, ethical, and political discussions, forcing individuals and governments to take rigid stances. But rather than fueling division, what if we sought to bridge the gap? Instead of a strict "us vs. them" approach, I propose that governments should be pro-life in sentiment and pro-choice in policy . In other words, while upholding women's reproductive rights, governments should also promote a culture that values life by providing alternatives to abortion.   Photo by  Maria Oswalt  on  Unsplash   Understanding Both Sides of the Debate Rather than fostering productive dialogue, today's societal landscape encourages people to pick a side—either fully pro-life or fully pro-choice. However, both perspectives present valid concerns that deserve thoughtful consideration. Pro-life advocates argue that abortion is equivalent to murder and that life begins at conception...

Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash We face a woke epidemic today. There's a large group of the population who think they are morally superior to the general population, who think they are social warriors fighting corrupt establishments that are propagating climate change, racism, and minimizing human rights. Some have gone to such extremes as set themselves on fire  as a protest for their cause. Due to the duality of human nature, there will always be injustices in this world. Climate change is real and racism does exist. However, it is not something that can be solved through complaining, advocating extreme ideologies and policies that would literally cease modern society from functioning. These public issues are also not ones that can be resolved by simply overthrowing any specific establishment or group of people. All of us have our hands dirty and have contributed to these issues whether you are aware of it or not even if indirectly. Therefore we shouldn't be pointing finger...

Photo by Joshua Gresham on Unsplash I was born in a small mining city in the Southern region of China called Panzhihua. I was raised by my grandparents until the age of 4, before reuniting with my parents in the United States. Moving to the U.S I found out my parents became Christians and so as a young boy they started taking me to Church. Growing up in the Church I didn't care much about what was being taught as you would expect of a child. It wasn't until I reached the late teens that I started to think about the difficult questions in life and spirituality.  Questions and Internal Strife When I turned twenty I wrestled hard  and stressed over a lot of life questions. One of the underlying thorns in my mind at the time that I had to get addressed was:  "Is God actually Real? Like really real or is it fiction?  The immediate thought or word that came to mind when I finally admitted the issue to myself was this passage from the bible. "You will seek me and fin...