You are Gifted

You are gifted! God declares it to be so.

The word "gifts" in the Bible is a translation from the Greek word charisma and the root word for it is ‘grace’. Thus, spiritual gifts are unearned presents from God.

Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made to play an awesome part in God’s kingdom. In using our gifts, we manifest the grace of God who generously endows us with all things good to glorify His Name. Our gifts are meant as a way of giving God’s glory back to Him.

The church is designed in such a way that each of us has a valued role particularly suited for us, but the problem is that we don’t always know what it is.

“How do I know what is my gift? What has God called me to do?”

In seeking to discover and use our gifts, we almost always start with trying to fit in. There is nothing wrong with that but it is not the right place to start.

When seeking to discover and use our gifts, we start by getting involved. Your spiritual gifts is given to you AND the church – so the discovery is from both parties. The church figures it out together with you. So rather than trying to do it alone, get involved. Receive feedback and grow.

However, to do so means we must be prepared to take the risk of failure and commitment.

It is true that sometimes we don't know how to fit in until we break out.

May God grant you courage to get involved for you are indeed gifted!

Prayer of the 'I don't know what else to pray" Christian

Read Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:13
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

There were many occasions in my life when I felt that I don’t know how else and what else to pray. Sometimes my struggle seems so long-hauled that I feel like a runner who has run out of breath. What do I say to God that I have not already mentioned? I think the tax-collector felt pretty much what I did on those occasions.

God accepted the one-line prayer of the tax-collector but rejected the Pharisee’s prayer. Jesus gave one reason for God’s decision – humility. The tax-collector knew that His salvation depends solely and fully upon God’s mercy. There was nothing in him that merited for him to be saved.

Elisabeth Elliot talks about this attitude of dependence on God in her book, "Keep a Quiet Heart”,

“Christians in the Orthodox Church use a prayer called the Jesus Prayer. Sometimes they pray in the rhythm of breathing, learning in this way almost to ‘pray without ceasing.’ The words are simple, but they cover everything we need to ask for ourselves and others: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us.”

The Very Reverend Kenneth R. Waldron, a priest of both the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and of the Anglican Church, wrote to me of his having had surgery. “The last moment of consciousness before the anaesthetic took over, I heard my surgeon repeating in a whisper: GOSPODI POMILUY, GOSPODI POMILUY, GOSPODI POMILUY [Dr. Waldron put the Russian words into phonetic spelling] – Lord, have mercy on us. … It is wonderful to drift off into unconsciousness hearing these words on the lips of the man whose hand s you trust to bring you out of your troubles. It is great to have a surgeon who knows how to pray at such a time. Think of the comfort and help that this simple prayer has brought to thousands through the years, a prayer that was a big help tome in January 1982. Some of my hospital friends thought they would not see me alive again, but the good Lord had a bit more work for this old priest to do.”

The Jesus prayer was one of my husband Add and I often used together when he was dying of cancer, when we seemed to have “used up” all the other prayers. I recommend it to you.”

Don't bother me

Galatians 6:17
Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

One of my favourite verses in the Bible in which Paul shook off all the controversies and conflicts in the Galatian Church and summed up his decision to focus on what needed to be focused on and forged ahead in serving God in His kingdom.

A pastor friend of mine resigned from his church recently. He is not the first to do so and will not be the last. My heart still aches as I intercede for my friend and his family. My heart still aches as I think about the plight of the Kingdom work. My heart still aches to see another wounded soldier in God’s battlefield.

What do I say to my many comrades who have served faithfully and wholeheartedly with sincerity in God’s vineyard but only have scars to show for their devotion?

We get discouraged, dismayed and distracted when we are too mindful of criticism and controversies. When we do so, we lose our concentration on Christ and may become too engrossed in issues and relationships that cloud our relationship with God and His calling for us.

To keep from discouragement and dropping off the service roll, this is how we should handle disappointments in ministry:

1. Listen with open heart to feedback/conflicts (be humble)
2. Evaluate the comments in light of Scriptures, (be trustworthy)
3. Accept that certain things must/ cannot change (be truthful )
4. Continue /begin doing what is right (be courageous)
5. Believe that you must do the right thing regardless of consequence (be faithful)
6. Forgive people. (Be loving and let it go)
7. Focus on Christ. (be encouraged and Press on)
Just as Jesus received the honoured scars of crucifixion, we are to be honoured that He counts us worthy to bear His marks of battle scars in service.
Don’t give up.

When Words are Not Enough

Innate in every human being is the need to be understood.

We explain, we elaborate, because we know that being understood means being accepted and loved.

Yet words fail us at times. Words fail to convey what is in our hearts. Our vocabularies are limited. Our understanding at times carries too much cultural and emotional baggage. Words can get twisted, misinterpreted and often prove inadequate.

God understands us fully but do we understand Him? Our problem with God lies not in His failing to understand, accept and love us but our inability to understand, accept and love Him.

Knowing that, God speaks beyond vowels and consonants. God speaks through actions.

Actions speak louder and clearer. Actions carry meaning. Actions are words put in visual form.

Over 2000 years ago, in a certain culture, at a certain point in history, God came in the Person of Christ. He lived among us, suffered and died the most unjust death and then rose again on the third day and one day He is coming back to judge the living and the dead.

His message is simple – “I love you. Love me back. You are made in My image, created for Me, to be loved by Me and to love Me. I came for You, died and rose for You. And I will come back for you.”

The Holy Communion is the cryptic version of the Kingdom’s call and cause. It is the everlasting reminder to us that God loves us in the past, the present and the future.

God understands us fully. The question is do we understand Him?

Dealing with life's Imperfections

16 October 2011

In life, we expect fair play. That is the ideal.

“All’s fair in love and war” – so people who break all fairness rules say. We can cry foul and get all upset but life is not as fair as we think it should be. That is the reality.

Do we throw away our idealism in the face of realism? Must the ideals of perfection be abandoned? Should we settle for less?

“Life is not fair. Just grow up!” So the world tells us.

But if growing up means giving up on the ideal, let me stay with Peter Pan! If growing up means giving in to something that is not right – banish me to Neverland!

Grow up – we must, but not by the world’s definition.

As Christians, we are to “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Eph 4:15)

If spiritual growth means becoming like Christ, then how Christ handled life’s disappointments ought to be ours as well. Christ accepted life’s mess but did not settle for it. He gave Himself to reconcile an imperfect world with a perfect God. He did so by enduring the cross, persevering through sufferings and staying on the course of truth and love.

Thus, one of the signs of spiritual maturity is the ability to accept things as it is without becoming cynical or discouraged. It is the persistency to not give up on our beliefs while seeing life played out on warped values.

So keep believing. Keep growing. Keep working. Life is not fair. But God is. People are flawed. So are we. What it is is not what it should be. We are not yet what we could be.

Love and pain

Read Jeremiah 28

Jeremiah 8:21-22
Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;
I mourn, and horror grips me.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing
for the wound of my people?

When was the last time you cried for someone? Was there a time when you pleaded to God for mercy for the sake of someone you love? Was there ever a time when you felt as if you were going to die because someone you treasured dearly was heading stubbornly in the wrong direction?

Jeremiah was dubbed the ‘weeping prophet’ for a reason. He was a man who saw everything crystal clear but remained helpless to help his people. Judah was heading towards disaster but they were blinded to it. Jeremiah preached, screamed, cried and like a mad man begging for his people to repent but they would not.

Repentance is a prerequisite for salvation. Salvation is free in that we cannot earn it. However, salvation is ours only when we recognise that we need it. We realize we need it only when we discover that we are wrong. Just like the sick who cannot acknowledge the need of doctor unless he realizes he is sick; so the sinner cannot fathom his need of a Savior until he admits that he is wrong in his sins. That is the sad plight of Judah – their blindness to their real situation and stubborn pride to go on with their godless lies and lifestyle despite of Jeremiah’s ardent pleas out of genuine love for them.

For all who seek to walk with God in integrity and mature in service, there will come a time when we know our loved ones are going down the paths of destruction in the light of God’s truth and we cannot do anything about it.

Part of spiritual maturity and real love is that of letting go. Just as the father releases his protective hands to let the prodigal son go, we have to open our hands to let our loved ones go. We let go because love must mean the respect of the other person’s choice – even if we can see the inevitable disaster of his choice.

Love means the risk of allowing your heart to be broken. But love anyway.

A Joyful Christian Life

I Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

It is God’s desire that we be people of joy that connect with God in communion and prayer in gratitude. Joy, prayer and thanksgiving are a 3-in-1 combo meal for God’s people. The 3 elements are interconnected and interdependent on each other.

Without joy, it will be difficult to pray without ceasing. To pray continually we need the fuel of joy in our hearts. Giving thanks in all situations well up within us the joy of God’s presence and generate more prayers. It is all interlocked and co-dependent one on the other.

Do you struggle with prayer? The joy of the Lord is likely a missing element as well then. Together with the struggle, you would likely find yourself focusing on things that should have been and you do not have rather than giving thanks for all that you possess and is presently experiencing.

So prayer, joy and thanksgiving all start with an attitude, a mindset and a certain focus. It is a discipline of deciding and choosing a response that fits God’s agenda for your life. It is a mastery of our thoughts on counting all things that we have as gifts for God with His purpose. We may not yet understand why God allows and wants it that way but we decide to rejoice, trust and enter into a dialogue with Him anyway.

In doing so, we fulfil God’s plan for us in our lives and to be in the center of God’s will bring even more tremendous gratefulness which is an on-top-of-the-world feeling that truly shouts, ‘I am blessed’.

The youth groups in my church decided to take up a ’40 Days Thanksgiving Challenge’. In this challenge, we will list 5 items of thanksgiving per day over a 40-days period. It is an exercise that will surely change your outlook in life. Try it 

We do not know what to do

Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30

2 Chronicles 20:12
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

Judah faced a national crisis. They were surrounded by 3 kings who seek to annihilate them. King Jehoshaphat’s response was to turn to the Lord.

In his prayer, Jehoshaphat did 3 things
1. Recalled who God is (v 6) : “Are you not…?” to which God’s answer has to be, “Yes, I am”
2. Reminded God of His relationship with His people (v.7-9) : “Did you not…?” He reminded God of His mighty deeds and promises made to God’s people; asking God to keep His word.
3. Requested that God take charge of the situation now (v 10-12)

After the prayer, with the whole nation in unity and fasting, 3 things happened
1. God showed up in a prophesy (v 14-17)
2. God’s people responded in worship (v18-22a)
3. God’s enemies (v 22-29). Noticed that God was the One who ambushed the enemies (v22) and it was the Lord who fought Jerusalem’s enemies (v 29)

When faced with problems and our ‘enemies’ too big and formidable for us, God only asks that we fix our eyes on Him which will translate into praising Him and then faith will rise up within us and to see the Lord delivers us from our plight.

“I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on you.” (2 Chron 20:12)

Instead of asking what should you do, turn to the One who is with you. He knows what to do and His eyes are on you.

Major on the majors and minor on the minors

2 October 2011

If only life is as simple as ABC but it is not.

Life is complex and our world is far from being simplistic.

For the disciple of Christ, life gets real frustrating when we try to live biblically. The Bible teaches absolutes, the clear line between right and wrong, but life issues are often blurred in a hue of grey.

The Bible is indeed full of absolutes – about God, sin, salvation and holiness, etc.
However, within the perimeter of absolutes, there is great freedom. The Bible contains many leeway and freedom of choice regarding many things considered non-essentials of faith. For matters such as these, we are free to choose according to our conscience.

Life gets frustrating when we fail to discern the non-essentials from the essentials of our faith. God’s church is often of not much help because she tends to bicker over trivial matters of conscience instead of building God’s people in the fundamental teachings of Christ. It is like nitpicking and overly focused on the deco of the house while oblivious to the shaky foundation of the house.

How do we major on the majors and minor on the minors?

It can be as easy as ABC but it is not. It is easy because the Word of God is all sufficient to provide us with God’s blueprint for our living. It is not because it requires discipline, commitment and hard work.

All of us desire to know God’s truth – it is getting there that poses a great challenge.

Did I say that that life is complex and far from being simplistic? I rest my case.

The Promise Keeper

Read Numbers 23:1-26

Numbers 23:19
God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?

This is an interesting passage about Balaam who was hired by Balak, the Moabite king to curse Israel. However he ended up blessing Israel instead – all because God is a Promise-keeper.

People who keep promises are difficult to find these days. We are too quick to promise and too weak to deliver. A man’s word – how he keeps to his word – is a sign of his integrity. Being true to our word is a manifestation of our character; especially when the circumstances are dire.

God is a Promise-keeper. He will not let us down. He always acts upon what He says. Even when we forget His promises to us, He will not forget. His memory to all things good for us holds to eternity while He chooses to forget our sins in an instant. How much must He loves us!

The Bible is full of God’s promises toward us. One of the secrets of the great saints is to remind God of His promises to us and hold God at His word. To know and hold God at His promises fuels us in our prayers – we will not easily give up when things get tough because the God who promises will fulfil His word.

God’s integrity is at stake and He will do it.

Going the Second-Mile

Read Matthew 5:38-42

Matthew 5:41
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

I read a book called “Second-mile People” by Isobel Kuhn when I was a youth. I told God and promised myself that I would practice the second-mile principle as I journey in this life with Christ. It is one of the hard sayings of Jesus and it is tough (still is) putting the saying into practice.

The second-mile principle is that of a non-violence response to being taking advantage of. It is looking violence and injustice in its ugly face and then choosing to turn the other cheek. It is standing up to injustice by choosing to love the person instead of retaliating against the sinful act.

It is easy to forgive and love a non-Christian for sinful acts done against us. But what if the person violating us is a Christian? Worse still, what if he or she is a person whom we trust? It is as what Julius Caesar would say to Marcus Brutus’ betrayal, “Even you, Brutus” (Shakespeare’s play).

There may be many days when we hear God’s call to go the extra mile for someone who hates or does not appreciate us. It will be tiring, stressful and sad. The feeling of unfairness will play its course in our minds. The feeling that God is harsh on us and too lenient on the offender will scream at us. Sometimes the feeling overwhelms us to the point where we feel that we are abandoned by God. We may then protest that we have been played the fool – and all for nothing.

In times like these, we remember the Cross. We remember our Lord Jesus. We played Him. He was the fool to have gone the second mile for us. He was ripped off and abandoned, laughed at and suffered for us, the ingrates. But He chose to do it – He decided to go God’s way and He was strong because of that choice.

Choosing to not just forgive, but forget and choosing to love again the sinner is our choice. We may feel cornered by God without a choice but it is not true. We choose it and by our choice, we display God’s strength and it reveals our identity as followers of the Cross.

Fools

Read Proverbs 26:1-12

Proverbs 26:11
As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly.

My son had the stomach flu recently and I caught the bug yesterday. Vomit and stomach upset (with the runs) are the symptoms – which led me to think about this verse. I actually have seen a dog eating its own vomit (not my dog thankfully) but it was the most unpleasant sight.

Like snow and summer, honour and fools simply do not go together. It is hard to respect a fool because his actions just do not warrant it. Encouragement will not work on a fool. Encourage him and he will increase only his foolishness. The way to handle a fool is strict correction, according to Proverbs 26:3. Fools only understand through consequences of punishment.

Solomon advises his readers not to trust a fool with words and explanations because it will cause more confusion and trouble (26:4-9). The definition of a fool comes down to verse 11 which compares a fool to a dog who returns to its vomit. A fool is one who is beyond correction and guidance”. He will persist in his own ignorant ways.

The Bible is clear: have nothing to do with a fool because he has decided to stick to his mistakes like a dog licking up his vomit.

Only One Thing is Needful

Read Luke 10:38-42
Luke 10:41-42
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

It is always difficult to differentiate between the felt needs and the real needs.
Felt needs are those things that we think or feel that we need whereas real needs are those items that we truly necessary for us.

Martha felt the needs to get everything in order for Jesus. The house needed to be de-odorised with Lysol, the cushions need to be spruced up and the food must be piping hot! To play the best hostess, she forgot the guest; in fact, became resentful toward her guest! She was worried about many things but Jesus said he had few needs. In fact, He had only one need – He needed Martha’s undivided attention.

Mary knew her one need and knew Jesus had only one need in coming to the house – to spend time with the people in the house. Her only one worry was that her guest might be neglected and she dropped everything to give him total focus.

Jesus commented that Mary had made the better choice.

I was no different from Martha this week (with school starting and all) and Jesus has to remind me that only one thing is needful. Thank You Lord.

Forgiven not Perfect

September 4, 2011

“Christians are not perfect. Just forgiven.”

It may sound cliché but it is true.

Or consider another quotation, “No one is perfect… that’s why pencils have erasers”.

God has wiped away our sins as an eraser gets rid of mistakes. We are given a clean slate, a new beginning and second, third and even fourth chances.

Christians are indeed not perfect. Just forgiven.

This is why there is no such thing as a perfect church because imperfect forgiven people belong to it, leaders and pastors included. People shopping for a perfect church will inevitably be disappointed.

Instead of looking for a church that fits me, I much prefer to become a member that will contribute to the growth of my community of friends who gather with me weekly. To acknowledge our imperfection means accepting the possibility and potential of growth. Growth spells excitement because it means a sure return of my investment, though the form of progress may be unpredictable (which actually adds to the excitement)

It is my prayer that we as a church may focus more on seeking a perfect Lord and be less hung up on trying to create a perfect church. When our focus is on loving our perfect God wholeheartedly and passionately, the reality of God’s Presence will radiate in and through us.

Cry Freedom!

John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!

Freedom is a peculiar word – it means different things to different people.

To the people in Libya and many Middle-Eastern countries, it spells the overthrowing of a dictator and oppressive regimes. To the suffering populace in the horn of Africa, freedom means no more drought and famine. Yet to the oppressed Dalits in India or the many minority groups in Pakistan, it means the basic human right to make choices of their own.

What does Jesus means when he said we are set free? Free from what?

The answer is free from myself. Jesus came to set me free from my own sin, my self-centredness. The greatest enemy of ours is not from without but from within.

Some religious group wrap up their women from top to bottom thinking that the problem of lust is the women. But lust comes from the heart – something internal. Some people justify their lukewarmness toward God because the ‘Christians’ disappoint us. But our lack of faith in God is due to our obsession that God must act a certain way through a certain people. We still call the shots.

The freedom Jesus promises is the ability to ‘de-centralise’ ourselves so that we can love God and love others. This freedom is liberty from my dark malicious ego and it takes the selfless death of Christ to make this transaction possible. Galatians 2:20 must then be my conscious prayer everyday,

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Worries

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

These words of Philippians were penned by Paul. If there is one who has legitimate concerns, it would be Paul. He was in prison awaiting trial – his life was hanging on a thread – and here he urged the Philippian church not to be anxious! This passages shows that our state of mind need not be dictated by our circumstances.

To counter-attack worries, there are a few things that you can do beside prayer
1. Consciously examine your ‘want’ list – are they really what you need? If not, say ‘no’ to them and be done with them.
2. Cut down your time on technology – including emails, cell-phones, computers, television and radio. Too much information leads to indigestion of the souls.
3. Turn off your cell phone for a few hours a day – if the call is important, they will call back. Have an alone time with God and with yourself
4. Keep a notebook – write down the things you worry about – decide if they can be dealt with. If yes, then set a date to deal with the issues.

However, the replacement of worries by peace can only and ultimately be achieved through prayer. Talk to God. Peace is the result of prayer. The peace of God will ‘garrison and mount guard’ (amplified version) over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Worries are like invading armies that need defending against and God's peace wrought through prayers is that strong fortress that no invading worries can penetrate.

Part of being alive is the ability to plan ahead. However, if planning ahead leads to over-thinking, it becomes a worry. Remember Jesus’ words, “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:24-26)

Seeing things in a new light

Ephesians 1:18-19a
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

What we see with our naked eyes is pseudo-reality, at best. It has the form of reality and truth but it is not. If we only evaluate things according to our naked eyes, we are missing out on the full picture of life.

A mole has eyes (little and covered) but it is virtually blind. It lives in darkness, moves in darkness and light has no consequential bearing on its livelihood, it seems. So a Christian who becomes numbed to the heavenly light sees only the earthly dimension of life. He interprets events and things according to his earthly mind, makes decisions based on his human needs and lives his life based on the values of this world.

However we are told that there is a spiritual dimension to all things. God is spirit. He operates the world based on spiritual principles. He does things for His great purpose. Miracles are everywhere for the Christian who has spiritual insight and heavenly intuition.

We need to pray that God will open our spiritual eyes so that we can see things in a new light.

We need to see things in a new light. We can only do so when we acquire the eyes of faith. This comes about when we take in the word of God for ‘faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ’ (Rom 10:17).

Commit yourself to know God’s power and our riches in Him by taking in the word of God.

Doing and Being

Conforming to the image of Christ is counter-cultural. It requires intentionality and hard work.

When we just become Christians, we tend to focus on the external evidence of faith such as attending services, fellowship and getting involved in Christian services. Activities are important avenues for growth but deficient by itself to ground us in our faith.

In Christianity, the ‘being’ should precede and decide the ‘doing’. This is because spirituality is an inside-out experience. However, focusing on the ‘being’ does not exclude the ‘doing’.

For example, we connect with others because we are beings of love. Love finds expressions in relationships, and we join church gatherings because we seek to build loving interdependent bonds with God’s family. Thus, being a loving person dictates our doing a fellowship function.

The dilemma comes when my doing and being does not match up. What if I am not a loving person? Do I just not do anything loving so as not to be hypocritical? That is where the ‘doing’ comes along as a discipline. The ‘doing’ of loving activities presents us with opportunities to develop love as our character trait. It gives us the outward stimuli to work on something we want internalized in us.

As we mature spiritually, we will see a gradual integration of our ‘being’ and ‘doing’. We are no longer threatened by the doing nor intimidated by our lack of being.

Spiritual transformation and growth is a lifelong process but “the one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (I Thess 5:24)

More than One Lifespan

We are too short-sighted. Our lives are not limited to one short life-span.

True that life has demands. Our parents demand that we have certain things at a certain time. Our society says if we don’t achieve certain marks at a certain time, we are not as good as others. Our eyes rove at our peers’ advances in life and we feel dejected that we are as accomplished as they are.

We pray for lots of things, ask for lots of stuff and fret over lots of non-essentials. A good job, a good name, a good spouse – legitimate wants and needs but life is more than this.

Jesus asks, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Mark 8:36,37)

We pray, we work and we live – but all for God. Nothing in this world ultimately is as important as seeking God. Nothing in this world satisfies as God does. Nothing in this world ultimately lasts beyond one lifespan. We are made for eternity. We are meant to end this earthly life but our journey with God carries on to the age beyond.
Let us cast our vision to the reality and promise of the Eternal One.

Begin with the end in mind. Live with eternity in your heart. Then I guarantee everything will fall into place. Test God on His promise, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:33)

Blessings in disguise

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

In this world there will be troubles. If you care, you might be heartbroken. If you love, you might be hurt. If you hope, you might be disappointed. Not that everything is negative; but that you open yourself to the possibility of pain as well as love when you choose to live the way God asks you to – the way of love.

Paul was a super-apostle who chose God’s way. He chose obedience and sacrifice for God’s kingdom by serving God’s cause. However, his life was full of hardships and pains. But he said it was worth it. Through physically taxing, emotionally draining and mentally anguishing, it was spiritually rewarding. All the seen troubles served as ‘rumors’ of the world in which he was living and aiming for – eternal glory. Through all these heart-wrenching events, the longing in him for that ‘rumored’ eternal world where his Lord reigns supreme. It pulled him along and gave him hope.

The following song ‘Blessings’ by Laura Story expresses it nicely.

Blessed to be a Blessing

It is a Christian tradition to always dismiss a gathering by pronouncing God’s blessing on the people. This act is called the Benediction.

There are many blessings in the Bible but one of my favourites happened to be the handed down from the Franciscan Order founded by Francis of Assisi. I have often reflected upon it and used it in private prayer.

May the benediction be the prayer and purpose in our lives.

Franciscan Benediction
May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done,
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
Amen.

Mosquitoes, God and Obedience

Read I Sam 15:1-26

I Sam 15:22
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of ram.

Obedience to God must be in everything. It will be hypocritical to say Jesus is Lord if we pick and choose what and when to obey Him. Obedience in convenience is not obedience all at.

That is what Saul found out.

Last week, I was tormented by the presence of a mosquito in my room. It drove me up the walls and kept me scratching and whining. In times like those, I had dialogues with God. Ranging from “God help me kill the stupid mosquito” to “why God did you make the mosquito at all and since we are on the topic, why the cockroach and those hideous wasps too?”

Then our conversation turned to Noah – “why didn’t Noah kill these damned mosquitoes on the ark?”

“Obedience” – came the answer. When it comes to obedience, it must be in BIG and small things, in ALL THINGs. I have been thinking about it since.

Having Jesus as Lord means obeying Him even when it is inconvenient and annoying. We do it because He is Lord and we are not. Good enough answer for me.

P/S: So Noah and his family in the ark – were they tormented by mosquitoes? I bet they must have temptations to kill them (I did some research on mosquitoes and found out that they live an average lifespan of 3 to 100 days... and that they sucked blood of animals and not just humans. Turns out I don’t know that much about mosquitoes at all…)

Human Rights, Dignity and Responsibility

Canadians have always pride ourselves on being a nation of tolerance. We believe that everyone has the right to live as he chooses.

As a church, we have committed to work towards “Empowering Mission to the Dalits and Beyond”.

This vision is birthed and rooted in our conviction that everyone is endowed with dignity with basic human rights. As the custodian of God’s truth, the church recognises her responsibility to tell all peoples that God loves them because they are made in the image of God and they have a right to choose Christ (John 3:16).

However, human rights do not mean unlimited rights.

Theologian John Stott offered his view on the relationship between human rights, equality and responsibility in his book, New Issues Facing Christian Today,
“Here then is a Christian perspective on human rights. First, we affirm human dignity. Because human beings are created in God’s image to know him, serve one another and be stewards of the earth, therefore they must be respected. Secondly, we affirm human equality. Because human beings have all been made in the same image by the same Creator, therefore we must not be obsequious to some and scornful to others, but behave without partiality to all. Thirdly, we affirm human responsibility. Because God has laid it upon us to love and serve our neighbours, therefore we must fight for their rights, while being ready to renounce our own in order to do so.”

When the church is able to exercise our freedom and responsibility in a way that is compatible to our calling, the world will see that Jesus is the Light of the world.

God's Spirit Speaks

Read Job 1:1-5

Job 1:5
When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

This morning I woke up to this particular verse – even before I opened my Bible. The verse just came as I was washing my face. What was I thinking then? Actually I don’t think I was thinking at all – to be honest. (It usually takes me about a good half an hour after I wake up for my brain cells to start working).

So – what was happening here? I believe that this is God’s Spirit speaking to me – period. I have known this passage and verse before but today the Spirit is trying to tell me something. Of course I immediately prayed for my children (the plain text says so). Then during my devotion, weird (not really – God is just real – not weird), the devotional prayer book I have been using directed me to Job again!! It was Job again but Job 16:19-21 – talking about our intercessor in heaven – our Lord Jesus…

3 things hit me again today (well, Job 1:5 was more like a lightning bolt hit)…
1. God’s Spirit speaks to our spirit – question is “are we sensitive to His prompting and whisper?”
2. God’s Word is “alive and alive, sharper than any double-edged sword…” (Heb 4:12)
3. God’s fellowship is so very real – I won’t trade my relationship with Him for anything.

But this experience comes to nothing if I do not apply His word. So I
1. Pray for my children – biological and spiritual children
2. Pray that I will be like Job – to be consistent in my prayer-life and discipline and love for my children. To be like Job – that God may ‘boast’ of me to Satan 
3. Praise God for the Spirit’s active intercession for me (Rom 8:26,27)

The untapped Resource

Prayer is the most powerful resource in the hands of the Church.

Prayer inspires – it fuels courage, instils faith and shatters lies. Prayer works – it moves mountains, tears down strongholds and accomplishes feats. Prayer moves the hands of God who holds the universe.

Prayer is also the least utilised tool among God’s people.

It is the last resort after we have tried everything. It is the passive act after all our activities. It is the negligible consultation session after men’s idea. YET the greatest exploits ever undertaken by men for God are achieved in, through and because of prayer.

In prayer, we think God’s thoughts, hear God’s voice and experience God’s Presence. In prayer, we acquire God’s wisdom, see God’s vision and taste God’s goodness. In prayer, we engage the Divine, overcome our flesh and make spiritual advances.

In prayer, the church comes together as a body, unites as a body and moves as a body. In prayer, the church acknowledges our connection to one Lord and depends on each other for sustenance. We laugh, cry and groan as a family.

Prayer works.

Prayer is the power-house of the church

God Speaks - a sample

Read Mark 11:20-25
God speaks to me through His word this morning: How? Let me show you…

In Mark 11:22-24 (the words in bold font are the verses – the ones in italics are my interaction with God)

“Have faith in God,” (not the program, not in myself, or any system)
Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, (this phrase often means ‘pay attention, no kidding – take note. In King James version, ‘Verily, I say unto you”. Matter-of-fact, no speculation, no guessing work here, I am not lying – Okay Lord, I get it – YOU are serious here

if anyone (that means me- yes, Lord, ‘if I”) says (not do, not work harder, but just open my mouth – kind of like what you did at creation huh? “let there be light – and there was light”? COOL), >to this mountain, (big obstacle, the ‘Goliath’, ‘the impossible’ task to ignore or get around…)

‘Go, throw yourself (haha – speak to the obstacle, challenge – to remove itself – I don’t have to lift a finger. I don’t move, the problem is to move and not me!! what God says to ‘stand firm’ and ‘take my place’) into the sea,’

and does not doubt in their heart but believes (Lord, I believe, even then, help my unbelief – okay, I believe not in the mountain but in YOU Lord, take my eyes off the mountain but onto YOU alone) that what they say will happen, (wow! It is done!!) it will be done for them. (God, you are gonna do it, aren’t You? Yes! Yes! I didn’t do it – You did it for me! How much You must love me!! My self-worth just got a booster shot)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Lord, a promise!! I bank in this promise cheque today!!)

Of course, verse 25 talks about the requirement to get God’s promise – we must not harbour unforgiveness in our hearts – O Lord, thank you – so mountain, be moved in Jesus’ Name. AMEN!

Pray for Victories

Read Exodus 17:8-16

Exodus 17:11
As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.

This passage teaches us much about spiritual warfare.

1. Victories don’t come without a fight.
Joshua went to fight the Amalekites and Moses went to pray. There are two-prongs to all battles – prayer and action. Moses prayed and Joshua fought. Both parties engage the enemy but in different ways.

2. Victories are dependent on prayer.
When Moses’ hands were up in prayer, Joshua’s armies prevailed. When Moses’ hands were down, the enemies triumphed. Our private relationships with God determine the outcome of our public lives and never vice versa.

3. Victories are best secured with friends.
Aaron and Hur were there to hold up Moses’ hands and let him sit on the stone when Moses’ hands grew weary. Moses could not have made it without his two friends. We all grow tired praying for the same thing over and over again, that is why we need spiritual buddies to come alongside us. They let us sit beside them and help us hold up our hands of faith when our strength is gone. Ask God for such friends. We need them. They are precious allies.

4. Victories are God’s response to prayer.
God allows us to go through defeat when we fail to pray. In prayer, we learn to depend on God. In prayer, we partner with God to secure the victories. Why? Because He wants us to experience the sweat, intensity and joy of the battle. God chooses to move in response to our prayers.

Prayer is a powerful resource weapon bestowed to us by God. Don’t shelf it. Don’t waste it. Use it.

My Goliath and my God

Read I Samuel 17:1-54

I Sam 17:45
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

Are you facing a Goliath-David situation right now? A career hit, a relationship breakup, a difficult choice or a personal faith crisis – looking at the issue feels like we are staring into the face of a giant. Where do we start? What do we do? How is it possible to overcome it when just thinking of it is enough to overwhelm us?

In such an encounter, you don’t take on the giant yourself. You don’t look at the giant and his weapons. You focus on the Lord who is the Commander of the armies of not just Israel, but “the armies of heaven” (Rev 19:14).

Your friends may tell you the situation is hopeless and the task is impossible. Don’t listen to them. They are David’s brothers and the soldiers – professionals who trust in themselves instead of God. Faith defies logical analysis!

You may be hearing whispers within your head telling you to give up – give up on God, give up on faith and give in to depression for you have a right to be bitter about the whole thing. Reject these naysayers in the mighty Name of Jesus.

Instead go in full confidence against the Goliath of our lives in the name of “the LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” and secure the victory that is in Him.

Hallelujah and praise the Lord right now for the victory that is already won through Him.

Hi everyone,

I will be out of town for a family vacation till august 3rd so i will not be blogging
till august 4th.

take care and remember to spend time with God.

cp

Rhythm of Life

July 24, 2011

It is God’s intention for us to ‘have life, and have it to the full.’ (John 10:10)

Abundant life does not necessarily mean a busy life. Many of us believe that we are saved by faith but we behave like the Galatian believers. We labour and toil and then feel that ‘meaningless! All is meaningless!”

A crowded agenda and a crammed schedule is not a reflection of life quality. More does not necessarily mean better. Running a fast-paced frenzied life will only result in exhaustion and burnout.

God does not want us to burnout.

However, the abundant life does not mean an idyllic life either. The gospel of ‘believe in Jesus and you will have no problems in life” is an equally toxic lie to our souls. Some people over-advertise the good news and the result is that we become disillusioned in our faith.

God does not want us to just ‘chill out’ in life.

God has wired in us the need to work and rest. God ordains us to work but also to observe the Sabbath. He is the God of the seasons. In the rising and the setting of the sun, God designs us to be creatures of rhythm. Burnout or apathy results when we fail to observe this creature-clock in us.

The abundant life that Jesus promises is from Him and in Him. We live lives to the fullest when we intentionally live out our calling to live a balanced life of rhythm.

It is a rhythm of retreat into solitude and engaging the world.

God Delights in us

Read Zephaniah 3:9-20

Zeph 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Throughout the Bible, we are told to ‘take delight in God” (Psalm 37:4) and to ‘rejoice in God (I Chronicles 16:10).

However, here is a wonderful picture of reversal. God is said to take delight in us and rejoice over us – with singing!!

Picture God jumping over the smallest achievement in us as a parent takes great pride in his child’s slightest action. Then imagine god breaking out in songs of happiness because of us! That is the kind of heavenly Father we have.

However, this does not mean that God is an indulgent parent who just spoils us rotten. The text here refers to those ‘remnant’ – the people who are the ‘residual’ believers who stick up for God and worship God despite the nation’s rebellion. These people have taken God to be their delight and in doing so, God takes delight in them as well.

God loves all of us (even with our sins and all) but it is those who have chosen to follow Him that He takes great delight in and rejoices over.

“Such as are upright in their way are his delight” (Proverbs 11:20).
“The prayer of the upright is his delight” (15:8).
“My strong enemy [was]…too strong for me…but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:17-19).

May God's delight in us energizes and transforms us in supernatural ways!

Ministry is not a quick Dash

Read I Corinthians 15:50-58

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

“A recent television documentary pointed out that the cheetah survives on the African plains by running down its prey. The big cat can sprint seventy miles per hour. But the cheetah cannot sustain that pace for long. Within its long, sleek body is a disproportionately small heart, which causes the cheetah to tire quickly. Unless the cheetah catches its prey in the first flurry, it must abandon the chase.

Sometimes Christians seem to have the cheetah's approach to ministry. We speed into projects with great energy. But lacking the heart for sustained effort, we fizzle before we finish. We vow to start faster and run harder, when what we need may be not more speed but more staying power--stamina that comes only from a bigger heart. Motion and busyness, no matter how great, yield nothing unless we allow God to give us the heart.” (quoted from Grant Lovejoy)

One of the glorious spiritual truths is that we are on the winning side. Jesus has conquered our last enemy, death. Satan is a defeated foe and our victory is secured. This truth gives us the confidence and faith to build stamina and persevere in our service for Him. How do we ensure that we don’t start well and end badly? We must be determined to adopt three attitudes in ministry and life.

First, we will approach our life and service firmly. We will not be discouraged, side-tracked or intimidated. We will not back down from a challenge or back away from a situation.

Second, we will approach our life and service wholeheartedly. We will give ourselves completely, without reservation to inspire, encourage and serve God. We will hold nothing back.

Third, we will approach our life and service confidently. We lay hold of God’s promise and His completed work – our minds are fixed on the eternal. We are convinced that His values count and His methods are right. We cling on to what He says and let Him set our pace.

Salvation and Grace

Read I Tim 1:12-17

I Tim 1:15
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

To many of us, Paul is like a hero that we look up to. He seems so sure of his faith, so firm in his ways and so dedicated in his devotion to Christ. We all, at some point in our lives, wish that we are half the man Paul is.

Paul’s life message is that of Christ coming, dying and rising to save sinners and he counts himself the first in Jesus’ list of chief sinners.

Paul is able to achieve much for God because he understands grace. He has a right view of himself and clear understanding of God’s saving grace. He knows that he deserves nothing but punishment and death but Christ has given him nothing but grace and mercy and salvation.

An old Indian chief, after living many years in sin, was led to Christ by a missionary. Friends asked him to explain the change in his life. Reaching down he picked up a little worm and placed it on a pile of leaves. Then touching a match to the leaves, he watched them smolder and burst into flames. As the flames worked their way up to the center where the worm laid, the old chief suddenly plunged his hand into the center of the burning pile and snatched the worm out. Holding the worm gently in his hand he gave his testimony to the grace of God: "Me...that worm!"

Do you desire to be used by God? Then you need to remember where you were before you come to salvation. The pits of sin and the agony of bondage to self! If you have never seen yourself as a ‘worm’, totally saved by God’s mercy, you can never serve Him wholeheartedly and passionately.

Worship Confusion

There is panic and confusion in the church these days.

The panic is caused by the dwindling number of church attendees. The depleting number of worshippers has driven the church to try all kinds of new fads to attract people into their fold. They pump up the music, simplify the sermon and shorten the service time; all in the hope that the people won’t leave.

Worship is about God and all who comes to Him ‘must worship in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

True worship is God-centred and not man-centred. While trying to engage the congregation, the church must not manipulate and ‘stage’ an encounter with God. How easy it is to degenerate into gimmicks and entertainment in the guise of being ’relevant’! It will be tragic if people gauge how ‘good’ a worship is by how they feel.

Church size is neither a reflection of authentic worship nor style an indication of true spirituality. The church is an assembly of sincere God-seekers and a community of loving members.

God does not care about church customers. He is looking or God-lovers.

The church must leave the number game to God and stick to our calling to pursue God individually and corporately.

A God of our past, present and future

Read Jeremiah 29:1-14

Jer 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

On Sunday, the preacher highlighted that there are three things that we have to let go in order to run and complete the Christian race. The three things are:
1. An unresolved past
2. An unsettled present
3. An uncertain future

The Israelites were in exile in this Jeremiah passage. God had to assure them that He is the Same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Israelites needed deliverance from their past. They were in exile because of their sin. They needed to hear that their past had been dealt with by God. So many of us are held back by our past; thinking that everything we have done is irreparable. God says He has plans for us and His plans are not going to be hindered because of our past errors.

The Jews were in a foreign country. Should they prepare to go back to their land? Should they settle among their pagan hosts? They could not do anything till they settle their minds were settled. God told them to settle their hearts, to be faithful where they were and build up the city that they were in. God guarantees us that His hands are upon us to flourish us; to make us grow and His thoughts toward us are kind. So where we are right now, stay faithful and live, work for Him.

The Jews were forcibly removed from their homeland by a pagan country due to their idolatries against God. They saw God as the ultimate sovereign in this entire act. Thus, to hear from God that He had plans to give them a hope and a future were kind of challenging. God told them that if they did learn their lesson and return to Him, the Jews would see Him keeping His part of the bargain. So it is with us – our uncertain future is unknown but if God, the King of the Universe has it all planned out and we go according to His way, there is no fear. We can look forward to our future with confidence.

To trust that God has got our backs covered. That our heavenly Father knows the exact way our lives would turn out if we trust Him – we need to remember, claim and live this promise.

Encouragement

Read Hebrews 3: 1-19
Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

We all need encouragement. The scripture says we are to build each other up every day. The reason why we are to spur each other on is so that we will not be become so discouraged by our sins that we give up trying.

Hebrews 3 talks about the generation of Israelites in the desert who have tasted God’s goodness and yet continued in their unbelief. Many of us who have had experienced God’s blessings in life are also capable of stubbornly disbelieving Him. Encouragement from our brothers and sisters are God’s verbal audible voice to us to keep faith and not lose heart when the going gets tough and rough.

When and how do you give encouragement?
1. When the person is going through a tough time and looks down
2. When the person does something well or completes a task
3. When the person has ministered to you
4. Tell the person privately
5. Acknowledge the person publicly
6. Convey thanks to the person’s loved ones or family
7. Write a note, say it verbally, give a thumb-up, a pat on the back, etc
8. Do it IMMEDIATELY or as soon as possible

”Everyone needs recognition for his accomplishments, but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy who said to his father: "Let's play darts. I'll throw and you say 'Wonderful!'" (Bits & Pieces, December 9, 1993, p. 24)

Following Jesus

So I read (but cannot verify) that our generation is getting ‘too soft’; so soft that it has been said that in the United States, the army has to revamp its training regimen.

If all our institutions are reflections of our society, it also means that they absorb the society’s norms and values. As one of the oldest institution on earth, is the church producing ‘soft’ Christians as well?

By ‘soft’, we mean people who are unable to take hardships, have difficulty persevering and break easily. By being ‘soft’ we refer to people who are unwilling and unable to make sacrifices, give up material comfort and lack stamina to endure hardship. Translated in biblical terms, it points to a generation of Christians who cannot follow through with long term tough commitment.

In a nutshell, it says, ‘when the going gets tough, the soft gets packing.” This is all bad news for the gospel. Our Lord promises sacrifices, blood, sweat and tears to all who calls Him Lord. He says the road is narrow, the way tough and only those willing to endure hardship and pay the price of the cross will make it to the end. Disciples of Jesus must be tough mentally, steady emotionally, firm morally and prepared spiritually to go for the long haul. We cannot be ‘soft’ in our follower-ship.

But lest we think we are on our own, the Lord also promises to empower us and be with us till the end of the world. The glory will come after the cross, this He assures us. If we keep our focus on Him, on the joy that is set before us, we shall be able to make it to the end.

And through it all, we will build resilience, become stronger and develop character. We shall not be ‘soft’.

Delighting in God

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

If God becomes our all-consuming aspiration, He will satisfy our deepest longing. Instead of chasing after our desire, we must yearn after God. When God becomes our desire, He will grant us our deepest yearnings.

There is no self-made man in Christianity. Instead of asking God to lead us, we plan everything and then pray that God will bless our efforts. Instead of believing that God is in control, we would not allow ourselves to deviate from our agenda. We find it difficult to let go.

The first sign that we have taken delight in God is when we allow Him to direct our course. God becomes our goal – to please Him becomes our highest and only aim. When we do that, we find our own desires being met. If our desire is that of a career, He will direct and lead. If our desire is to be the best student that we can be, when we pursue Him wholeheartedly, it will be so.

God takes delight in us and when we take delight in Him too, there is a match of our hearts and things will just fall into place according to His timetable; in His time.

Rest for the Weary

Matt 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

You can feel recharged after sleep if you are physically tired but where do you find relief from the weariness of the soul?

It is to the one who feels beat that Jesus issues the invitation. The only qualification to come to Jesus is if you are weary and feel the weight of living upon your shoulders.

There are many things in life that can drain us of life. It may be a misunderstanding, disharmony and broken relationship. We can also be weighed down by unfulfilled expectations, disappointing career or persistent unresolved issues. Sickness and chronic pain can also take a toll on us.

When we feel holed in and darkness surrounds us, we must lift up our heads and look toward Jesus. When worries and signs are nagging in our ears, we must hear the call of our Saviour to go to Him.

Jesus promises rest to us. Rest means no more internal wars. Rest means no more struggles within you. Rest means relief. It means letting down the load on your shoulder. Rest means peace deep within.

Jesus does not say “I will give you a solution to your problem”. Some of the problems in life will always be with us. As much as we want them to go away, they will not. Our Lord says, “I will give you rest”. Jesus promises strength for the journey, rest for the weary and peace for the brokenhearted.

For His Glory

Read Psalm 46

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

So seldom do we remember that God is the God of the Universe. So often we see God as relevant only in our small little world.

Yet the God of Christianity is the God of the entire universe. The world events do not happen by chance. It is the interplay of human sinful freewill and God’s sovereign righteousness converging into one to bring about God’s purpose – His glory.

It has been proven that people who have gone through pains and trauma in life are usually open to the possibility of God. When mankind continually fail to honour God in politics and world-care, wars and natural disasters are the outcomes. Our century has seen lots of such happenings. These calamities have seen more open doors and open hearts to God.

On a smaller scale, when our world comes crumbling down and everything in our lives seem to spin out of control, it is important to steady ourselves and ask, “is God still God?” The Psalmist says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Ps 46:1).

Are you going through a tough time right now? Having troubles understanding all the crazy stuff that is happening right now? Be still. Know (believe) that He is still God of the universe. Be confident that through all these, His Name will be acknowledged and lifted up in your life.

Seeing God

Read Job 42

Job 42: 5-6 My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.

It is one thing to hear about God but quite another to 'see' Him.

Job had walked with God all his life yet he testified that he had only heard of God.
It takes a deep experience with God to 'see' God as He is. We may go through all our lives being a Christian without a remarkable encounter with God.

There are many people tiptoeing near God without entering into His presence. They are close enough to hear rumors of His kingdom and distant enough not to bother with Him. Imagine standing outside the Amusement Park and hearing all the laughter and joys but not experiencing it. Imagine hearing all the exciting testimonies of the roller-coaster rides without the exhilaration of being on one. That is the sad reality of many Christians.

We are told to 'taste and see' that the Lord is good. No one can experience God on another person's behalf. There are no proxies when come to encountering God.

God's presence in our lives humble us. He silences our arguments. He quiet our souls. He forces us to see ourselves as who we really are. The effects of that encounter are humility and repentance.

May we be stirred in our spirits to 'see' God.

Talk, Stop and Listen

Read Job 31

"The words of Job are ended" (Job 31:40c)

What would you do if all that you believe in for all your life suddenly seems to be wrong?

The Jews believe that wealth and health is a sign of God's favour. Live according to God's Word and you will be blessed by God. Live sinfully and you will suffer at God's hand. Thus Job's anguish was that of his whole life's beliefs being shaken at its foundation. Had he lived his life righteously in vain?

God cannot speak to us because we sometimes talk without stopping. We want to have the first and last word. God politely refuses to butt in and interrupt us.

We scream and shout when things don't go right. We demand answers. We justify, complain and argue because we feel that we have been unfairly treated. We air it all out because we feel that to keep it in will kill us. Rightly so. There is indeed a place for laments and grievings in our lives. God does not despise nor judge us for pouring out our pains to Him. He listens intently, patiently and attentively.

But God can only answer us when we are silent. When we stop talking and start listening, God speaks. So after the tsunami of words, "The words of Job ended".

Why not practise some solitude, some alone time with God? Speak if you must, air your frustrations, ask Him all the questions that have been plaguing your mind and then stop. Stop, wait and let God take His turn.

Let your words cease so that God can commence His healing words to us. You will be surprised when His answer comes.

Looking Back and Seeing God Lead

The church has many seen many developments in the last three years.

Our first significant big change is our move from Jackson St, Chinatown to our present Nanaimo-Broadway location. This tactical move prompts us to ask, “Why and for what is God moving us here?”

Our leaving the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Canada (ELCiC) to become an independent congregation came about because of our conviction of the Bible’s authority on our lives. The proposed new Constitution and Ordination Policy are the residual steps to complete that vote.

As a family, we have also seen some subtractions and additions to our membership. By holding on to God’s ideal for the church and our faith in each other and by our refusal to leave this community, we have chosen to stick around and build together.

From our first church mission trip to building the Living Hope School for the Dalits in Faridkot, India, we have learnt what it means to stretch our faith. But what a blessing it has been for us! As we push forward to complete this challenge, will we see more miracles along the way?

Looking at the compressed history of BHLC for the past 3 years, my heart almost leap out as I see how closely aligned they are to the direction that God has been leading us. Are you?

A uthentic Lifelong Discipleship & Mentoring
L oving Committed Family Church
I ntentional Disciple-making Church
V ital Witness to Our Neighbours
E mpowering Mission to the Dalits & Beyond

Our Limp and God's Grace

Read Genesis 32

Gen 32:30
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

I preached a sermon on “Jacob, the Limping Disciple” in my church on Sunday. For me, Jacob is a biblical character that I can easily relate to.

He is a man with complexities, great insecurities and whose life motto is, “in me I trust”. He believes in his own intelligence, his own passive-aggression and his own judgement of life, people and events. He is clearly a man with high intellect.

His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. His greatest asset is also his greatest liability. But it will take a divine encounter for Jacob to see himself.

At the end of his life journey, Jacob is enriched with possessions but impoverished in relationships. In Genesis Chapter 32, Jacob‘s past, so called, ‘caught up with him’. A life threatening situation of meeting Esau, his brother whom he has stolen his birthright and blessing keeps him awake. His thoughts must have flashed back to all of his life events – a past that he is not proud of. However, his mind continues to churn up schemes of escape. The old cunning Jacob is working yet again.

The battled Jacob is cornered but is he humbled? Not until God breaks the hollow of his thigh. In that instant, Jacob has an epiphany – he has been wrestling with God yet his life is spared!

Our broken lives, unglamorous past, wilful sins and twisted lives; God sees it all – and God has had mercy on us.

There is a twist to the story – Jacob came face to face with Esau and his life is preserved. Esau, the sinned-against forgives the sinner, Jacob freely. Who would have thought that possible? This is yet another great manifestation of God’s grace.

Lament and Life-storms

Read Job 16

How do you explain away pain, anguish and the wrenching of heart?

Life is not free of problems and troubles. There will be times when you feel all alone and totally abandoned. In times like these, it is okay to lament. It is okay ton lament that there is no one who understands; okay to acknowledge your feeling forsaken. Why? Because sometimes life just makes no sense at all.

In times like these, there is a sense of ambiguity and haziness as to what we should do, say and think.

Rather than keep it all bottled up, God gives us the permission to lament, to cry, to wail and to ask Him questions, to tell Him our doubts, to vent to Him our anger and to ‘pester’ Him for an answer. God is our Father, for that is what children do and behave toward their daddy when life overwhelms them.

There is space for lament and a time for crying and permission to go to our heavenly daddy.

So Job cries out “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.” All that is left in Job is a huge blotch of pain that stabs and pierces his innermost being.

During moments of darkness, the more pertinent question is “who” you have with you and who is for us instead of “why it is happening”.

Job’s friends fail in rendering him comfort so he appeals to an advocate on high, to the witness in heaven. To Job, his friend is one who prays with him and for him during his time of trial.

We have such a friend. “Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

When you feel caught in a senseless situation where no explanation will satisfy, when your heart seems to be yanked out of you, turn to Jesus and He will be there. He promises ‘never to leave you nor forsake you.’

Reflecting on our Generation after the Stanley Cup Riot

June 26, 2011

We were crushed by the Boston Bruins but the decisive defeating blow happened in the downtown streets of our city.

It is one thing to lose the Games, but another to lose our cool. It is one thing to lose our heads momentarily, but another to abandon our values.

In the riot aftermath, Gurstein and Rotberg asked the poignant question, "Have we lost our moral compass?" (The Vancouver Sun, June 24 2011). They asked the distressing question, "What if what we see being reflected are the cultural consequences of a post-religious society with no clear moral compass and no overarching guiding values?”

This reminds me of a lost generation in the Bible.

Upon entering the Promised Land, the Israelites became complacent and turned away from God. What followed were generations that were godless, lawless and hopeless. “Everyone did as they saw fit” was the order of the day (Judges 21:25).

Before we dismiss the downtown mayhem as a crazy mob mentality gone whacked, we need to ponder the “WHAT IF” propositions of Gurstein and Rotberg.

WHAT IF our city, our country is in fact crying out for God even without their acknowledging it? WHAT IF we pretend along with them that they are well and have no need of God?

WHAT THEN will it be said of our times?

Passion

June 12, 2011

Go! Canucks! Go!

I am no hockey fan but this much I know - the Stanley Cup is coming home soon!

Emotions run high and people are not shy to express their support when it comes to sports. Ever notice how a passive man gets all worked up when 'his' player gets shoved? Watch the sweet gentleman transform before your eyes when 'his' players fail to perform.

I wonder what our church will be like if we are as intense about God as we are about hockey?

What will it be like?

Perhaps more expressions in worship? Well, hockey fans chant, jump, dance and storm the stadium.

Perhaps more 'amens' and participation during the sermons? Well, hockey fans 'oh', 'ah' and 'what the -' on every move the players make.

Perhaps more reading and investigation of the Bible? Well, hockey fans devour every analysis of the game.

Perhaps more attendance on Sundays? Well, hockey fans call in sick and leave early on Games night.

Perhaps more praying? Well, hockey fans hold their breath and pray nervously when watching the game.

Perhaps we will share our faith openly? Well, hockey fans paint their faces, wear their Canucks jerseys (or their Green Man suits) , scream, curse, honk all in support of their team.

Now, what if we are as passionate about God as we are about hockey?

Now, I'm no smart theologian, but this much i know - our Lord is coming back soon!

Will He receive the same excitement, anticapation, love and ovation as our Canucks?

Hi all faithful followers and friends,

My computer is dead - so till i get my new computer,
I will not be able to write for a while :)

Sorry about that. Meanwhile, please do check out
www.biblegateway.com if you are contemplating on
reading through the Bible.

cp

Faithfulness in marriage

Read Proverbs 15

Proverbs 5:15
Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.

A cistern is a large vessel which is used to hold a reserve of water for household needs.

The theme of faithfulness in a marriage is peppered throughout the book of Proverbs. For Solomon, known for his consortium of many foreign wives as much as his wisdom, it is kind of bitter-sweet advice. Biblical history shows that Solomon was led astray in his faith by his many vies.

God detests marital infidelity for it is a breaking of a covenant between man and wife.

In modern society, it is not unusual for married people to flirt around without feeling guilty. However, this is not to be so for the Christians. What is harmless is a slippery slope toward adultery. Many marriages are wrecked not because the spouse deliberately sets out to have an affair. It is the unconscious, unguarded care one displays toward another person of the opposite sex which later develops into a tangled relationship.

There is something to be said of a relationship that has been given time to grow, bloom and weather the passing of time. It is rich trust with an abiding appreciation for the other party. It may be devoid of the ‘high’ feeling (which does not last anyway) but it is a reliable assurance that our special someone will stick to us through the end.
In the end, your spouse becomes your friend, confidant, lover and wife/husband all rolled-into-one. He or she is to be treasured because he/she has seen the best of you and the worst of you and still chooses to stay with you.

Does he/she meet all your needs? No. But so will not another new woman/man. Yet the spouse that walked with you down the aisle and promised you ‘till death do us part” is sufficient and enough for you – he is the best incomplete fit for an incomplete you.

I speak so as one who has been married for near 19 years.

Que Sera Sera??

Proverbs 4: 24-27
Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

A friend of mine testified that he was surrounded by obscene talks all the time. Even though he did not participate in those conversations, it wore him down every day for a period of time. Cursing and the misuse of Christ’s name was the dialect among his friends. Not wanting to be the odd one out, he hung out with these people until one day the perversity of these conversations ceased to offend or disturb him. Then one day he was woken up by his wife from his sleep. His wife told him that he had been talking in his sleep for the past few nights. But what was appalling to the wife was that he was cursing all kinds of obscenity in his sleep!

Even though consciously my friend had avoided all kinds of contamination from his own mouth, the company he kept has had an impact on him. The realization so shook him up that he told his friends about his struggle and desire to be holy. To his surprise, his friends respected his wish and became careful with their language whenever he was around. Those who were offended by his confession just ceased to hang out with him. My friend was glad because he said, “I found out who are my true friends that day.”

We are to give careful thought to the path ahead of us – to be deliberate and weigh the consequences of how our lives will turn out if we continue with our present association and route. Life is afterall not just an accident. It is a result of our choices and decisions made along the way.

Verse 27 continues the admonition to ‘be steadfast in all your ways’ – it is the presupposition that we have already decided what is the right way to go – and to keep at the decided decision (forgive the double emphasis).

So if you have been living with a “Que Sera Sera” kind of attitude – whatever will be will be – it is not a biblical way. The God-anointed way of living is to know the truth, decide to follow the true way of integrity and then keep at it.

Guard Your Heart

Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.

We are to barricade our heart against anything or anyone else that seek to claim it.

Our heart belongs to God alone and no one else. No one should be given the right into our heart except God. Only God, our Creator and Maker can have the permission to lead, guide and instruct our heart.

There are many claimants to our heart but they can only possess it with our permission. If something or someone has taken hold of it, it is because we have let down our “heart-gate” and let it or him/her in.

Christianity is all about Christ possessing us, having every bit and corner of us. There is nowhere and no place in our lives in which God has no occupation of.

To love God with all our heart means that there is no room for others. God is a jealous God and there is no one worthy enough to be His rival in love.

Pierce the heart and one dies. Capture the heart and dominion over the person is completed. Out of the heart come all our motives, desires and motivations. That is why we must safeguard it. We must diligently and consciously protect it from invasions other than God.

Does safeguarding our heart make us callous and cold? Far from it.

If God is the only Captain of our heart, we will love more, care more and usually cry more. Yet the people we love, the things we care about do not have the power to lead us. We are not ordered by these fallible beings or fickle issues but our heartstrings are pulled and our decisions are based on the eternal loving God.

Guard our heart against anything or anyone who seeks to command it for it belongs to God and God alone. Only He is worthy and wise enough to direct our paths.

The Battle is On!

May 22, 2011

Yesterday, May 21 was supposed to be Judgment Day.

There was supposed to be a giant earthquake yesterday too - according to Harold Camping, a retired civil engineer who founded a California-based evangelical Christian radio. Again according to Camping, all non-believers would be dead by October 21.

So is Camping a false prophet? This we know at least – that he will not be the last evangelist to claim the foreknowledge of Christ’s second coming. Funny that they should know what even Christ does not,

Matt 24:36
But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

The Bible says that He might come back any time, but we do not know the exact time.

Instead of going into wild and interesting speculations of end-times prophecies, the Bible tells us to be alert for signs that points to His imminent return. The signs are there since Christ’s time – escalating natural catastrophes, heightening lawlessness and intensifying sinfulness.

Is Christ’s return very soon? Yes. Satan knows that and he is working overtime to oppose God. The devil believes God and is on an assault to win. He is waging terrorism, guerrilla and even open warfare to capture the souls of men. And the only army to stop him is the CHURCH.

The church is in a spiritual warfare. Jesus, our military Commander has defeated the enemy, Satan but he is fighting back. The stakes are high and the battle is fierce. But we must not back down nor bow out.

We must clean up our act, wake up from our sleep and stay alert and vigilant for the fight is on!

Generous and implusive giving

Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.

When it comes to generosity, being impulsive is good.

My mom was and is an impulsive giver. She has never withheld anything from anyone in need. I remembered vividly pictures of mom lending money to friends who were broke, running after a neighbour who went berserk because she found out her husband had an affair and cooking for my cousins and extended household.

One incident in my childhood stuck in my memory the most. I was ten years old. My cousin who was the same age as me came and stayed with us. She was adopted and not well-treated by her mom. It was near Chinese New Year. I was looking forward to having a new dress. During those times, you only get one new dress at Chinese New Year. When mom came home with the shopping bags, we were all excited. My cousin sat in a corner and said nothing. When mom took out the dress (which I thought was meant for me), she called my cousin instead and gave it to her. I remember how her face lit up – kind of disbelief, happiness and wow look and of course, mom beaming at her. Of course, I also remember how I felt – unfair and angry cos it was supposed to be my dress!

Looking back, I am glad that mom did it. Generosity and big-heartedness was not so much preached to me as it was lived out in front of me.

Proverbs said “if you have, give it now – don’t think twice.’ I think mom lived by that creed.

But Proverbs add that phrase, “to whom it is due” (v. 27). Think about those who are odd-job daily labourers. They would rely on being paid daily to feed their families and withholding what is supposed to be theirs, would mean hunger and abuse.

Those who have are the ones with power and that power comes with responsibility. It is a power of duty; to act justly and promptly and fairly on behalf and for the poor.

Power is a call to generous living and giving.

God's Discipline

Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.

I did a lesson long time ago for a group of Sunday School teachers on classroom discipline and we had a very interesting discussion on the topic. One of the things we did was to examine the purpose of discipline. Was it to control the class? Was it to teach them respect? I put in my two-sense at the end which drew an “Aha” response. I believe that the end purpose of discipline is so as to let our children learn self-discipline.

One of the gifts of the spirit is ‘self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23). Self-control is impossible without the discipline of discipline (pardon the double usage).

However, many people shy away from the word discipline nowadays. God certainly does not think that it deserves the negative connotation of today. In fact, God sees discipline as an act of love, rebuke as motivated by care.

Does it hurt when we are told we are wrong? Certainly. Does it make us look bad? Oh yes. Is it necessary? Is it good for us? Definitely. That is God’s guarantee. In fact, the person who does not love us will not bother to tell us our mistakes. But our God the Father delights so much in us that He would rather risk us misunderstanding Him than letting us hurt ourselves.

Don’t shun God’s chastisement because it is the greatest proof that He loves us. He loves us enough to hurt us temporarily in order to grow us eternally.

Trust God

Proverbs 3:5,6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

You got to trust someone in order to have a good relationship. But absolute trust is challenging.
To believe with your entire heart means not to give in to any doubt or have any second thought about God.

How often we read that God loves us yet when things don’t go our way, we betray Him. “God, I trust you but only if you know…” The “BUT” betrays our lack of confidence in God. Each time we say ‘but’, we are asking God to look at things from our angle and suggesting subtly that He is not in control of the situation or does not have our best interest at heart.

We don’t let God in into all aspects of our lives most of the time. Until something has proven too difficult for us do we seek God and plead for divine help. That again is a tell-tale sign of our independence from God and a signal of our leaning on our own intelligence.

God desires all of us to walk before Him in humility and to believe that He is who claims Himself to be. To have faith in Him will help us in times of struggles to pray ‘Lord I believe, help my unbelief”.

Strong families, strong church

15 May 2011

The Bible is full of dysfunctional families, with members fighting among themselves.

The first couple, Adam and Eve blamed each other for eating the forbidden fruit. Their older son, Cain killed his younger brother, Abel. Abraham sacrificed Sarah to save his own skin while Sarah manipulated and ill-treated her stepson, Ishmael. Rebekah favoured Jacob while her husband, Isaac showed favouritism toward Esau.

The home is meant to be a haven where we can rest our weary souls and heal our wounded spirits. It is the place where we let our guards down, a place where we can be ourselves. From the time of our birth, we are introduced to the first humans from whom we would derive our identity and sense of worth. It is meant to be a place of refuge, a safe place.

Yet many family relationships fail to deliver their goods. Our hurts are frequently inflicted by our closest kin and loved ones. Spouses fail to live up to their marital vows, sibling rivalry is taken as norm and parents and children are often caught in a tug of war.

Yes, where there are humans, there will be sin – that is the reality.

But, where there is Christ, there is also redemption, love and transformation – that is also the truth.

And where the family members are Christians, the impact of God’s love will see a breakthrough in the family dynamics.

A church is as strong as the families in the church.

Advice and Rebuke

Read Proverbs 1:20-33

I hate it when something happened and people said, “I told you so”.

Number one, it hurts to know that you are wrong and the other person is right. Ego bruised! Ouch!

Number two, it hurts to know that you blew the chance of being right by not listening to good advice. Double ouch!

Number three, sometimes the thing you are wrong in has a huge price tag. Ouch and double ouch!

Number four and worst of all, some people just loves to rub it in – that they are right and you are stupid; which you obviously already know, through the hard way and humbling way. 

Today’s passage exhorts us to respond to wisdom’s call by heeding its advice and rebuke or pay the consequences for folly. It is clear from Scripture that fools hate instructions while the wise will never dismiss advice and discipline.

Pride rejects advice and often leads us down the path of stubborn disobedience. Everyone can and has experienced that before. However, real folly becomes of us when we refuse to respond humbly to rebuke. When we recognise that we are wrong, it can be humiliating but we are given an opportunity to turn around if we choose to listen to the warning and chastisement. However when we reject that second chance, we are left with the consequences of choosing to remain foolish.

Psalm 14:1 reads, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

When we choose not to listen to God or others in humility and lean on our own understanding. We are then no different from the fool who may acknowledge God with their mouths but in their heart, there is really no God.

Friends

Proverbs 1:8-19

I will be looking at the Book of Proverbs this spring.

First, it is important to note the genre of Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is a wisdom literature. It is the gathering of general wise sayings and not absolute commands. They consist of principles and must not be taken therefore to apply to all situations.

Proverbs 1:8-19 talks about friendship with a particular group of people.
When we are young, our parents play the important roles in our decision-making. As we gradually mature, especially during our teens, our friends’ advice and opinion tend to influence us more than our parents. Friendship becomes the most powerful, influential voice in our lives.

Solomon lay out two advices that are universal of all parents’ advice to their children regarding friendship.

First, stay away from friends who are greedy for ill-gotten gains. Stay away from them, our parents cry. Regardless of race, culture or religion – all good parents would mete out this caution to their growing teens. These are people who will sweet-talk, persuade and try to convince you to their values.

I Corinthians 15:33 is clear: "Bad company corrupts good character."

But what if you did not know that the company you are keeping are wayward and evil till later? The Bible advises us to not just ‘do not give in to them” (v10) but not to “go along with them” (v 15). Sin has a gradual process – once you are lured into it, entrapment becomes inevitable. Thus, all parents would advise their children to cut off from such unhealthy friendship upon discovering the characters of these associates.

My take as a parent and as a pastor is while we love our friends; we need not associate and go along with them when they are clearly going down the wrong path with open eyes. Our job is to warn them, love them but not to go along with them. In fact, if they are not listening, we are to avoid them so as not to be entangled in their lifestyles.

The Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Our God is not a terrorising God from whom we must cower in fear. Those who know God will not hesitate to testify that we are not emotionally blackmailed into following His commands.

What then does this verse mean? What does it mean to ‘fear’ God?

To fear God is to not take His Being, His Name for granted or lightly. It is to revere Him and to esteem Him as who He is. It is to take His word seriously and not to make light His being.

You see God is a being apart from all of us. He is not created but the creator. He is life Himself from whom all living creatures, including you and I, draw our breath. He is the being APART from this world. Though deeply concerned and involved in our world, He stands apart from us. He has no beginning and no end. You do not take such a being lightly. You should not and dare not.

The best way is to think about approaching a king in charge of the entire kingdom. By his command, he can bestow pardon or death on his subjects. If you are a subject before the king, you better fear him. However, that is not the full picture when it comes to our relationship with God.

What if this King is also your Father? Would you disobey him and dismiss his command because of the blood relationship? No. But what if this kingly father also loves and is endearing toward you, will you want to respect and honour him even more?

This is what it means to fear God. To see Him in a dual image – the High King in whom all authority rests and the loving father from whom we derive all our favours.

Hold those two images of God in our minds and that will enable us to fear him – to choose the wise ways of listening to His commands and truly liberate us to love Him wholeheartedly; thereby fulfilling the first Great Commandment.

Knowledge and wisdom

Proverbs 1:1-6

Wisdom is not to be mistaken as knowledge. While one can have great knowledge, knowledge may not have any effect on their lives. Not so for wisdom. Being wise has to do not so much with what you know as compared to how your life is lived and empowered by what you know.

There are all kinds of knowledge. My son could go into a torrent of speeches and debates and arguments on the Stanley Cup and Ice hockey. But how does this knowledge enlighten or empower him in his life? Not much.

Acquiring new knowledge stimulates our mind. As humans, we should be learning new things and we are programmed to do so – nothing beats the exhilaration of finally understanding something. Therein lays the purpose of education – to grow our minds. But if education is just for that, then we have missed the greater purpose of knowledge acquisition.

A learned mind must result in responsible living, responsible to us and others. An informed life must result in a transformed life.

That is what King Solomon, famous for his wisdom, sees the connection between knowing and seeing. Wisdom and discipline goes together. If someone has lived well, it is because he is wise. If someone is wise, his life will not be reckless but all he does will be right, just and fair.

The book of Proverbs has been used by many missionaries as a textbook to teach English in countries hostile to Christianity. It is a timeless book with gems and instructions on practical living.

Proverbs 1:5
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance— “

But it will require attentive listening. Jesus often says, “Let those who have ears listen” – it will starts with the first action on our part – to listen.