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.”
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
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?
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?
Friday, October 14, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
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
“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
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
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.
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.
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