Arrgh!!! So Many Things To Do!!!

It is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year!” But why are we so busy? So stressed? In between our regular workload, school, and family obligations, we still have several hours long of shopping to do, gifts to wrap and deliver, heavy traffic congestion to contend with when we visit our loved ones and close friends, write letters and cards to our family and relatives who live far away, attend (and host) the obligatory office parties, neighborhood get-togethers, barkada parties, church socials, school programs…

Add to the fact that everybody is experiencing some sort of financial crunch. Business is slow and difficult; jobs have no security. No wonder many of us would wish to be Scrooges at this time of the year.

Do you know that when Jesus arrived on earth as a baby during the first Christmas, the situation was no different from the one we are experiencing at the moment? It was a busy time in Bethlehem as they were conducting the census. People from all over the empire were traveling to their ancestral hometown. They were probably jostling each other for souvenirs to buy and take away, spaces to rest and sleep, as well as sites to see. (That was why there was no more space in the inn for the God of the universe to be born.) Nobody realized, nobody noticed the birth of a Baby who would be the Savior of the world; except for a few shepherds.

Are you like the innkeeper, who was busy attending to his guests that he relegated the Baby to the manger? Are you one of those people, who are busy buying and sightseeing that they did not notice the special Baby at all? Or are you one of the shepherds, who upon hearing the good news, dropped everything important just to see and visit the Christ Child?

This is the season to remind ourselves that Christ came to earth to bring peace, joy, love, salvation. It is time to change our priorities and perspectives as well. Learn to quiet down and seek Him, so that we may be able to make this season truly the most wonderful time of the year!

search string: “TRUTH”…

Modern man can get any information at his fingertips. In a few blinks of an eye (depending on the speed of your modem and internet connections), you can access all the information available in the World Wide Web. Google (and googling) has replaced the need for traditional library research work. Wikipedia has replaced the traditional Encyclopaedia Britannica for quick references.

Convenient? Definitely. Good? Perhaps, but not entirely. For instance, emailing has replaced the traditional snail mail. It is good in the sense that emails can be transmitted to the recipient in a matter of nanoseconds, compared to snail mail which may take weeks. However, the art of handwriting has been replaced by speed on the keyboard, and that replacement is not exactly good.

Wikipedia as a source of information may or may not exactly be reliable. Contents of the traditional bulky encyclopedia were well-researched and well-documented, edited by many scholars and experts in their respective fields. The contents of Wikipedia, on the other hand, are volunteered by diverse sources. Sometimes it does give us the useful information we need, but Wiki does not guarantee its sources’ accuracy. More often than not, their articles may be written by any Tom, Dick, or Harry who simply has a web site. How do we know if it is reliable? Check the source, and the source of the source.

Google the word Jesus and you get 191 million references! Google the word Bible, you get 115 million results! Each of these sites has varying opinions and views about Jesus and the Bible. Not all of these sites are written by theologians, Bible scholars, seminary professors, or Biblical archeology and history experts. Which of these millions of sites are reliable then? Check out their source.

What should be our ultimate reliable source? The Bible!!! The Living Word of God (Hebrews 4:12) is the ultimate source of Truth and its standards should be our guideposts for living. The Bible is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). It is the Word of God written down for you – His child -to read. It is unchanging. It is timeless. Throughout these two millennia, His Word still applies. It is inerrant – completely, totally. Wikipedia has received a lot of criticisms for many of its inaccurate contents. But the Bible has stood for Truth up to this new century, and will still be the Truth until the end of time (Mark 13:31).

Be like the Bereans, (Acts 17:11) who were described to be noble-minded. Receive the Word with great eagerness and examine the Scriptures daily, so that you would know what is true, what is good, what you need to know, and what you need to do.

CMN Breaking News: Neighborhood Water Station Not Charging…

Imagine that you are living in a dirty, polluted city. (Probably like Manila, a hundred times worse). But near your home, is a water fountain, always gushing out fresh spring water. It is free flowing, inexhaustible, clean and cool. It is very, very accessible. So, you enjoy the fountain, you enjoy the water. You keep coming back to the water. (It is free anyway!) It refreshes you and your whole family. It gives strength and energy to your life. Because it is the best water in the world, and there is none like it, you will never, ever choose any other water source or any other drink except the spring water from this fountain. You enjoy it so much, you tell other people about the wonderful qualities of the water. Soon, more and more people come to enjoy the water. This makes the water fountain very, very valuable. This is good, because soon, the water fountain will transform the dirty and polluted city into a cleaner city.

Do you know that in the Bible, God pictures Himself as a mountain spring of clean, cool, life-giving water? (John 4)

Your relationship with God should be like example of the fountain of spring water described above. We do live in a disturbing and dirty world whose priorities and values are different from the standard imposed by our Creator. By the abundant grace of God, we are given the water of life – Jesus Christ. We should enjoy this water and enjoy sharing the water of life with our family and friends. This is what God commands us to do.

And yet, why is it that we often look for other sources of water? Other sources of happiness? Other fountains can only provide temporal, fleeting happiness. Why do we put our trust in money, possessions, positions, titles and worldly pleasures? Do you know that it is a sin if you prefer the other fountains rather than the life-giving water of God?

Without God and a life of intimate fellowship and dependence on Him, our soul becomes like a desert, a parched land. The sad thing is if you keep indulging in other fountains, you will not even realize that you are already dehydrated to the point of sickness and death.

It is time to evaluate our lives and recognize the One True source of life-giving water. May we be like the Psalmist (Psalm 42:1) who says “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.” And if we do so, Jesus has promised that we will be blessed, for “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)

Saddam’s Grandpa knew GOD?!

Have you heard of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon (present day Iraq)? Daniel (of the lion’s den fame) served under him. He reigned at around 605 B.C. At that time, his kingdom was known as the Babylonian Empire. He was a brilliant military strategist. He was the one who conquered the southern kingdom of Judah, his kingdom stretched from Egypt to Middle Asia to Southern Europe. He was also a brilliant architect. He built many bridges, aqueducts, temples and other structures considered modern and innovative at that time. He is famous until now because he was the one who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Like most men who have accomplished much, he was puffed up with pride. One day, as he was strolling around his magnificent palace, he reflected to himself and said “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30) While the words were not yet finished in the king’s mouth, a voice from heaven came saying, “Sovereignty has been removed from you. You will be driven from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is the ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.” (vv 31-32) In just an instant, everything came true. He began eating grass like cattle. In no time, his hair has grown like eagle’s feathers and nails like bird’s claws. After the period of time, the once mighty King’s reason was returned and he finally acknowledged and blessed and praised and honored the One True God, who has dominion over all kingdoms, in all ages.

The great Nebuchadnezzar learned in a very hard way that accomplishments must not lead to pride, but to the exaltation of the Lord God, who is the author of everything. If the Lord is so insistent that a pagan king assign all glory to its righteous recipient, how much more should we, His children, take care to do the same?

Whatever our worth may be, whatever things we can do, whatever we have, we have to recognize that all these things, including our very lives, are from God. Everything depends on Him and Him alone. Our appropriate response should not be pride or self-fulfillment but adoration and worship and praise for our great God who is the source of all.

Jewelry

Remember Abraham sent a faithful servant back to his former homeland, Nahor, to get a wife for Isaac from his relatives there? By the water well, when Abraham’s servant realized that Rebekah was the woman Isaac was to marry, he immediately got out the jewels he had brought along for the occasion. He gave her two gold bracelets and a gold nose ring. (Rebekah must have quickly slipped the jewelry on and run home excitedly to tell her family about what had happened by the well.) A nose ring! Probably, it was an acceptable form of jewelry during the Old Testament times. But nowadays, if you wear a nose ring, people would label you a rebel, a punk, or something else.

The Old Testament mentions jewels and jewelry many times. Both men and women wore jewelry. They commonly wore “armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces.” (Numbers 31:50). The Israelites took their jewelries from the people with whom they were at war (when they won the war, of course). 2 Samuel chapter 8 records David gaining a big amount of gold, silver, and bronze when he conquered the nations surrounding Israel. He dedicated all of it to the Lord. His son Solomon also used gold, silver, and bronze to build the fabulous temple in Jerusalem.

The New Testament, however, specifically mentions jewelry only once. Peter was speaking to wives, but this is also applicable to men. “Your adornment must not be merely external – braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” Don’t we look in the mirror everyday to check our outward appearance? But how often do you examine your inner condition, which is more important to God?

People nowadays are always concerned with outward appearances, including believers. It is not a sin to be well-dressed (Proverbs 31:22), but it is wrong to be obsessed with outward appearances at the expense of inner beauty. A beautiful woman who lacks inner beauty and character is like a pig with a gold ring in its nose, according to Proverbs 11:22.

It is wrong for a believer to place too much value on external appearances. It is also wrong to seek man’s approval rather than to strive to please God. Remember, God always looks at your heart. So, clothe yourself with a gentle and quiet spirit. Like the Proverbs 31 woman, strength and dignity should be our clothing. We should open our mouth in wisdom. Teaching kindness should be on our tongue. We should not eat the bread of idleness. After all, charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a person who fears the Lord, he shall be praised.

Think Green

Green is “in” nowadays. We should add “greens” to our diets. It means we should eat more vegetables and fruits, rather than “red” meat. We should adopt a “green” lifestyle. In our homes, we should use less chemicals so that we do not contribute to water pollution; plant more “greens;” turn off lights and appliances we do not use; use less plastic. There are many other ways to turn “green.” It simply means to do all these little things in order to protect and preserve whatever our planet Earth has left of its resources.

Many people ask, what is the use? What is the effect of deliberately thinking and doing “green?” They cannot see the immediate benefits of going “green” so they do not want to invest time and effort to do it. These people do not realize that by helping protect the Earth, they are helping themselves and their children to have healthier lives as well. Is it not true that using less chemicals would save our lungs from toxic fumes? Is it not true that having some plants around the house would immediately give us more oxygen? And the simple act of turning off lights and appliances would not only lower our electric bills, but also save some carbon for the Earth as well.

People view prayer in the same way. Many people do not consistently pray; they do not invest time and effort to pray because they do not see the benefits of regular prayer. They do not realize that prayer would benefit their own spiritual lives. Instead of prayer being as natural as something we do everyday like breathing or eating, it seems that we only pray when there are problems or crisis in our lives – which should not be the case.

We should continually devote ourselves to prayer (Col 4:2). Pray unceasingly. Pray with passion and persistence (Luke 11:9). Pray with thanksgiving (1 Thess.5:18). We are commanded by our Lord to do so.

Prayer deepens our faith. It deepens our fellowship with God, increases our dependence on Him. It gives us confidence that God will open the door and give us a way (Col 4:3) Prayer will give us direction (Luke 6:12-13). Sometimes, prayer forces us to wait. Instead of feeling frustrated, we will learn to accept God’s time and God’s will. Prayer opens up our spiritual eyes. It enables us to see what God is doing and how He is doing things; helping us realize that God’s ways are indeed higher than ours. Prayer aligns our heart with God’s heart. It changes our characters, our thoughts, our priorities, our actions. Prayer enables us to move forward, to be the person that God wants us to be. Without prayer, we cannot accomplish anything! Prayer will enable us to truly experience the glory of our Father in Heaven.

With all of these benefits of prayer, we cannot afford not to pray!

Gold Medals

Josh Davis won three gold medals in swimming at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, then two silver medals at the 2000 Games in Sydney, where he was captain of the U.S. swim team. Of course Michael Phelps won more gold at this year’s Beijing Olympics, but Josh Davis has won a lot more than the Olympic gold.

In his book, The Goal and the Glory (2008), he shared the glory of winning the Olympics, the joy and celebration as the medals were hung on his neck. He shared the feeling of pride and pageantry as he faced screaming fans, endless interviews, TV cameras. In his own words, “everybody who saw us treated us like gods.”

However, what happened the morning after?

“When I woke up the next morning, all the excitement, all the hype, all the adrenaline … it was all gone! Granted, I was still living in the Olympic Village, eating the free food, and looking forward to some more races, but the mood was drastically different from the night before. I had finally tasted the best the world had to offer, and it was sweet … but oh, so short! Having had a taste of glory, I now felt empty. It was sobering to experience the shock of a high so high followed by a low so low.”

“I looked for encouragement and perspective in God's Word, turning to 1 Peter 1:7: "Your faith is of greater worth than gold." I found comfort in the knowledge that my relationship with Jesus is infinitely more valuable and more precious than gold. Matthew 6:19-21 adds these words: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I realized then that my medal wouldn't last forever, but it was good to know that there is something that will.”

“Several people over the years have accidentally dropped my medal, and it is dented and scratched. Meanwhile, my cool monogrammed Olympic suitcase is falling apart, my Olympic towels are starting to unravel, and some of my Olympic clothes have bleach stains. This wear and tear reminds me that, eventually, everything material in this world will fall apart. God's Word reminds us that there are only three eternal things: God, his Word, and the souls of men and women. And when we invest our lives accordingly, by serving God and others in and through his love, we are storing up gold medals in heaven that will last forever.”

Meanwhile, Josh Davis is looking forward to his awards ceremony in heaven. He knows and understands that his Olympic ceremony experience will pale in comparison to that awaiting him in heaven.

My Loaf of Bread

In the aftermath of World War II, there were millions of orphans in Europe. Their government had to build orphanages and provide for these children. They were quite successful. The orphans received the best care available, including the healthiest food and drink.

However, at one orphanage, the administrators noticed that after just a few weeks, the children could not sleep. Even if they received good meals, had adequate beds, the children remained awake all night. The administrators were disturbed that the children were disturbed! They interviewed the children and soon found out the source of the problem and the solution to it.

The attendants began placing a small loaf of bread into the hands of each child at bedtime. In a matter of days, the children were all sleeping through the night, reassured by the bread that there would be food for tomorrow. The children had been anxious because their experience with the war had taught them that having food one day does not translate to having food the next day. The presence of bread dispelled their fears.

Philippians 4:19 is the loaf of bread that God places in your hands each day. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” Do not fear like those orphans of the war. Do not be anxious for the future. While you ought to plan wisely and save prudently for the future, you should remember that you are not alone in securing your future. God will meet all your needs.

This assurance from God should also affect the way you give. If God were to ask you to take all your savings right now and invest them in His Kingdom, you should be able to be confidently obey Him, knowing that He will always take care of your needs.

God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). That means He looks at our hearts, not at the amount of what we give. We do not share out of our own sense of righteousness, or out of duty, pressure or fear of punishment. We share because we love God and we are happy to obey Him. “He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Cor. 9:6


Resource: Whose Money Is it Anyway? By John MacArthur.
Word Publishing © 2000. pp.81-82

Surprise!

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked the Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. More than two thousand American soldiers were killed and it crippled the Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Navy. Why did one of the strongest fighters in the world suffer such a devastating defeat? Because it was a surprise attack. The Americans were not ready.

This is similar to the Devil’s work. Satan wants to catch you by surprise so that he may achieve similar devastating results. Satan will not present something ugly and bad and entice you to do things his way. He will present something seemingly good, seemingly harmless, seemingly beneficial to you. But in reality it may be something that is not good for our spiritual health. It will prevent us from good. It may take away our time with God, or it may hinder our spiritual growth, etc. He will lull you into complacency. You will fail to notice anything wrong and then when the hard problems come, you will be surprised at what hit you. Just like the U.S. army, you might take a long time to recover.

As soldiers of God’s army, we have to be prepared to respond to Satan’s attacks. How? Paul gave us many instructions in many of his letters. Example, in 1 Cor. 16: 13-14, he commands us to “Be on alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” Simply obey this and do your best for Christ.

Be on alert, be wary, be careful, be discerning of the seemingly “good” things. If not, you will only be distracted by temptations and be swayed by false teachings. Exercise spiritual discernment by being diligent in reading God’s Word. Evaluate all things in the light of the principles and truths that you find in the Bible. Stand firm in the faith. Fight against doubt. Fight against discouragement. Pray, pray and pray, always ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us everyday. Act like men, be mature. Do not remain spiritual babies. Grow up by feeding on God’s word. Be strong. Realize that you cannot be strong by your own effort. Yield your life to the Holy Spirit and He will strengthen you. Let all that you do be done in love – love for God, and love for His people. Our God is love, we should be love too.

Love

During Jesus time, there were two prominent Jewish groups. You have heard of them – the Sadducees and the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the conservative middle class, highly educated and very legalistic. They believed all of the Old Testament and loved to debate (and show-off their knowledge) about the Laws.

Naturally, they could not resist testing Jesus, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And Jesus answered, “You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment” (Matthew 22:35-38)

Heart, Soul, and Mind – with every part of you, wholly, totally, completely, unreservedly.

God gave Himself to you in Jesus. Jesus loved you and He laid down His life for you on the cross. Having received that love, God wants you to love Him with your heart, soul, mind, and body; that is, with all of your passions, your eternal being, your emotions, your thoughts and reasoning, and all of your physical strength. God wants you to love Him with your whole being. By doing so, you express your love and gratitude; you return God’s love toward you in Jesus Christ.

To love God begins by being loved by God. We learn to love because God first loved us (I John 4:19). You will never love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength until you allow His love to cover and transform each of those areas of your life. Simply surrender in obedience to the Lord’s will.

This is often hard to do. We often want to be in control of our own lives. We depend on our strength to achieve. We want to do something big for God, or to accomplish something good for God. Often, we do these out of guilt, or fear, or duty. Only when we have experienced the unconditional love of God and understood the depth and width and immensity of it, can we respond in love to Him. Our worldly culture is based on performance and merits. Yet God sees your heart. God knows what is in your mind. God still loves you and wants you to love Him. Is there any other proper way to respond to this God except by loving Him and obeying Him with our whole being?

You Want to be Famous?

Just one month ago, the international TIME Magazine featured its much-awaited, annual list of the world’s most influential people – the TIME 100. The list includes leaders and revolutionaries such as the Dalai Lama, Russian, Chinese and American presidents. It also includes people they label as heroes and pioneers such as the double-leg amputee sprinter Oscar Pritorius and the last lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University Randy Pausch. Scientists and thinkers include Facebook developer Mark Zuckerberg, NASA Chief Michael Griffin. Taipans include Apple’s Steve Jobs, Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezoz and Pepsico’s Indra Nooyi among many others.


After their 1 week of fame, (admittedly, some will have longer fame than others) where are the 100 people now? Do the TIME readers still remember them today?

There is nothing wrong with doing good things, thinking and trying many ways to change the world and make it a better place for everybody to live in. In fact, it is good to discover new medicines and new technology to give the sick and needy people cure and hope for a better future. It is good that the magazine acknowledges the achievements of these movers and thinkers; and make more people aware of the needs of the world.

BUT, (and there’s a big BUT here,) as Christians, we should have a higher purpose than what the world has (to do good works or to have momentary fame?) Our purpose is as unchanging as the rock on which our faith stands – that is to glorify God in our life.

To glorify God in the big things we do, whether we discovered a cure for a disease or landed a big account. To glorify God in the small things we do, like opening a car door and assisting an elderly up the stairs. To glorify God in the things we say, to uplift a depressed friend, to encourage a co-worker, a classmate. To glorify God in the way we live. Our lives should be shining testaments to God’s glory – that is our purpose. After all, our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Our hearts should be there as well.

The Model Father

God Almighty is your Heavenly Father, and He is the perfect example of what it means to be a dad. Looking at each of the letters that make up the word “father,” consider some of the characteristics that set Him apart and provide a model for our human dads.

F —Forgiveness is a huge part of your relationship with your Father. He is willing and able to forgive you of any sin you commit if you will only ask Him. It’s comforting to know that nothing you do is ever so bad that God won’t forgive you (Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 1:9).

A —He is active in your life all the time. God is always at work around you. Ask God to show you what He is doing. You will be amazed at all that is going on. More important, the invitation is open for you to get involved with Him. (John 5:17).

T —Time for you. While humans get too busy to do this or that, God always has time for you. Whenever you feel lonely, struggle with a problem, want to share a thought, or need to deal with a concern, He is there for you. (Jeremiah 33:3).

H —God knows your heart, and He loves you anyway. Proverbs tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things. Many people don’t like to be around you if you aren’t in a good mood or if you make mistakes. God wants to hang out with you anytime, and He alone is able to change your heart to be all you were created to be (1 John 4:9-10,19).

E —Everywhere sums up God’s place in your life. If you’re a Christian, there is nowhere you can go where He isn’t with you. Whether other people are there or not, God is by your side. (Romans 8:35-39).

R —Rest and Read. These are two areas where most people could use a little work. Rest is important to you because it’s easy to become so busy that you don’t take time with the Lord. He wants you to set aside daily time to rest in Him and to read His Word. The Bible is His letter to His children. The best way to get to know your Father is to spend quality time resting and reading all about Him in the Word (John 14:21; Psalm 46:10).

All these attributes of God’s character make Him who He is. If you have been blessed with an earthly dad who has a lot in common with our Heavenly Father, be grateful. If you have missed out on a relationship with an earthly dad, be thankful that God is there for you and wants to meet the needs in your life. Let God know how much He means to you. Happy Father’s Day!


Excerpted from: A New Twist on an Old Day. Rachel Lovegood. www.lifeway.com

Lowly Shepherd, Great King

David is one of the most interesting, and inspiring characters of the Bible. He was a shepherd, a giant killer, a mighty warrior, a talented musician, and the greatest king to lead Israel. David also had a dark side to his character. He was guilty of adultery and murder. Even with these moral and personal failures, God said of David, “He was a man after my own heart.” Why is David called a man after God’s heart?

David consistently declared the glory of God. Many of the Psalms record David’s praises. He abounded with expressions of praise more than anyone mentioned in Scripture. Hebrew 13:15 reminds us that an acceptable sacrifice is fruit of our lips. It is not enough just to know that God is great. We must express our worship to God.

Another characteristic we see of David is that he had always depended on God’s provision. In the famous battle with Goliath, David refused to wear King Saul’s armor not only because it does not fit but because he knew God will protect him, with or without the armor. While living in exile, David demonstrated tremendous trust in God’s sovereignty by refusing to kill King Saul. David patiently waited for God’s timing.

David always desired to seek God’s presence. Psalm 119 describes his personal desire to study the Scriptures, to meditate upon God’s word. David’s poignant confessions of sin are examples of his desire to dwell in the presence of God. His greatest fear was being separated from the God he loved. Do you desire God’s presence every moment of your life?

David never stopped believing that almighty God desires to manifest His power and glory through him. Very few Christians live with a desire to experience the supernatural power of God. Most are content to attend church, sing a few songs, and learn some biblical principles that make their life easier. But David believed God wanted to demonstrate divine blessing, through his life as a shepherd and as the king of Israel. It is what the Lord Jesus prayed for his followers that they would bear much fruit for the Father’s glory (John 15:8).The Bible is clear that God is pleased by lives that demonstrate great faith. Hebrews 11: 6 declares that it is impossible to please God without faith. Can other people see God’s power in our lives through our faith?

David captured the heart of God because he expected great things from God by attempting great things for God. David had many flaws, but he also had amazing faith that pleased God. May we all learn to be like David, to seek God’s heart all the days of our life.


Excerpted from: Guarding Your Heart: Following The Heart Of God by Steve Andrews. www.lifeway.com

Hey Boss, uh...are all Christians Like You???

Does a good “Christian Boss” exist? Or is he an oxymoron? Can one be a Christian and a productive employer at the same time? Many businessmen are saying that if they provide fair wages to their employees, treat them nicely, the employees are likely to abuse the kindness, productivity will slow down and the business will no longer be viable. On the other hand, what kind of Christians are we if we do not exemplify a Biblical standard in our business lifestyle? How are we to witness and share the gospel of Christ if our work habits and business ethics are not exemplary?

Through Moses, God revealed His will for Israel as a theocratic nation. Israel's civil laws regulated how masters should treat their slaves. Although these laws were written at a time when people mainly lived in an agricultural society, they expressed many principles that can be easily applied to a modern industrial workplace. Here are some examples:

The Law requires that employers treat slaves humanely. Leviticus 25:43 states regarding a freeman sold into slavery: "You shall not rule over him through rigorous labor." Furthermore, his family has to be provided for (Leviticus 25:41) and his master is not permitted to make him perform degrading tasks (Leviticus 25:39). Similarly, righteous employers make sure that their employees are not overworked or asked to perform dishonorable tasks.

Leviticus 19:13 further states: "You shall not oppress your fellow and you shall not rob; the wages of a worker shall not remain with you overnight until morning." This means that an employer must pay employees on time. Withholding payment due workers is a violation of Bible law.

The Bible requires the master to give his or her slave a severance gift known as hanakah. The Bible states (Deuteronomy 15:13-14): "Do not send him away empty-handed. You shall give him a severance gift from your flocks, from your threshing floor, and from your wine cellar ..." An ethical employer should realize that it is certainly appropriate for employers to reward loyal workers who have been with a firm for numerous years.

Christian employers should demonstrate good work ethics in the marketplace. It is sad that many Christians fail to do this. Our witness in the world is severely weakened as we act like the rest of the world. Read the Bible, and by its standard, evaluate yourself, have you been a good employer? What changes are you going to implement in your business so that you will be a better employer? Sir… Ma’am…??

“Heigh-Ho! Heigh-Ho! It’s Off to Work We Go!”

Do you enjoy your work? Do you enjoy the things you do everyday? Is your career going well? Or do you dread getting up in the morning to face another dreary day? Do you look forward to Friday and Saturday nights just because there is no work the following day? Do you feel tired just by thinking of work? Do you lack the motivation to go to work?

If you are like most of the ‘normal’ people on earth, you probably belong to the latter category of people who do not particularly enjoy work. In fact, you would have thought that work is the curse of Adam. This is actually a secular world-view and very far from the truth.

If you read Genesis carefully, you will see that God established work before the fall. God placed the first humans in the garden to "cultivate and keep it." (Gen.2:15) This work assignment was given before sin entered the world. Man was not made to sit around and do nothing. We were made to do work! Therefore, work is not the curse of Adam as a punishment after he sinned. God blesses work even after the fall. If work were evil, God would never encourage His people to engage in it. In Colossians 3:23, we are told to “do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” See? God expects us to enjoy our work!

Here’s another surprise for you! We are not exempted from work in eternity. Read Isaiah 65:17-25. The prophet is talking about the new heaven and the new earth in these passages. It says the saved will “build houses,” “plant vineyards and eat their fruits.” “The chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain.”

As Christians, we are called to be different from the world. Our view of “work” should be aligned with God’s will and plan for us. If God wants us to work and enjoy our work, then we should obey. We should view work as a blessing and thank God for the opportunity to be able to do the work He assigns us. This view is not limited to our ministry assignments but to our secular workplace as well.

In fact, our attitude regarding work from Mondays to Saturdays is even more important. We are called to be the light and salt of the world. People are looking to see if what we say as a Christian aligns with how we live, how we behave as a Christian. Do we view work as other people do? If so, then we are no different from non-christians.

So, pray for your work, your job, your career. Pray that God will bless you and use you for His Kingdom right where you are working.

I Give You the Best!

Every parent wants the best for their children. Not just to have the best of what the society and the world has to offer, but to bring out the best and the good in our children. However, as Christian parents, should this be our goal as well? Do you know what our primary parenting goal is?

Let us look at the Bible’s most popular parents – Mary and Joseph. Have you ever considered it amazing that when our God came to earth, He entrusted Himself, His education and His care to human parents? Apparently, Joseph and Mary must have done a fine job (with God’s grace of course) as Luke recorded it in Chapter 2, vv 40 & 52, “and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” So, what are their parenting secrets? How did they raise Jesus successfully?

Go back to v 41. “Every year, His parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” The context showed that Mary and Joseph had provided a climate in which spiritual development was the all-important encompassing reality – not just some once a week obligation. Go back further and look at vv 21-24. You will note the repetition of an important phrase – “just as it is written in the Law of the Lord” (vv 22 & 24). Jesus’ earthly parents followed God’s law at every point in their nurture of the Son God had given them. It is important that we as parents should study the Bible because it is filled with all the principles we need in the nurturing of our children.

Mary and Joseph also parented in a balanced manner so that Jesus increased in both wisdom and stature – intellectually, spiritually and physically. Jesus grew up with a godly worldview provided by His parents. We should also teach our children that all truth comes from God, and that God’s truth should be the basis of all our actions in life. Jesus was also trained physically. Even if His parents knew that He is God’s Son, He was not exempted from any menial carpenter’s works. Many parents pressure their children to develop in one or two areas of life but often neglect the others. Example, some parents push their children to excel in the academics but neglect sports skills.

Jesus had "favor with God." This indicates that Jesus had been parented in such a manner that He had a passion to please the Father and accomplish His will. "Favor with people" tells us that Jesus knew how to relate to others. We can see this throughout His ministry. Children flocked to Him. He felt equally at home with the outcasts and the upper castes. This tells us His parents had ensured that He had good social skills.

Our primary parenting goal then should be to assist our children in developing an intimate and loving relationship with our God. We should have them grow in wisdom and in stature, in favor with God and men. So that they may know and understand that our lives are to be lived for His honor, for His purpose, for His glory.

Promise!

People come in different shapes and sizes. So do parents. Some of us are blessed to have parents who are God-fearing and loving. Some of us do not. Some of us have parents who are strict disciplinarians; some have parents who are not. Some parents are generous, some are stingy. Some are logical and fair. Some are quite unfair. Regardless of what our parents look like, or behave like, regardless of their parenting style, they all have one thing in common: All parents love their children and would give the best for their children.

Whoever our parents are, whatever kind of person they are, whether we have close relationship with them or not, we are called to Honor our parents. (Exodus 20:12)

This is the only commandment that comes with a promise “so that you may live long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” The promise of long life – interesting, isn’t it? In what way does honoring our parents promote long life? If we live honorably, and if we do honor our parents and elders, our own children will see our model and thus will inherit the “promise” in the form of their values, character, and attitudes. In this sense, regardless of how long our physical bodies live on earth, our moral and spiritual legacy will remain with our children, and if we truly did it right, with our children’s children.

As an adult, how do I honor my parents?

Compared to other cultures, the Filipino-Chinese people often do not have problem showing their filial piety. We obey their wishes even if we do not always agree with them. We try to make them happy. We live with them and if not, we visit them often. Though, it doesn’t always mean giving up our own life so that things can always be comfortable and convenient for them. We do try our best to make things comfortable and convenient for them.

Honoring your parents means that you acknowledge them as the people God used to bring you into the world. Honoring your parents means honoring the place God gave them. It involves treating them with dignity and respect. It involves doing nothing to intentionally embarrass, hurt, or disgrace them.

Honoring your parents is something that is first between you and God. Whether your parents feel honored or not won’t be the measure when you stand before God. The measure will be your heart’s intent. Do you do it sincerely? Or do you show up simply because you are obligated? Do you honestly love them or do you consider them simply a part of your responsibility?

Honor your father and mother. This is one of the Old Testament’s greatest pearl of wisdom. In it lies your life, your future and your children’s future.

WALKIE-TALKIE OR INTERCOM?

Until you know that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for. Prayer is for the accomplishment of a wartime mission. It is as though the field commander (Jesus) called in the troops, gave them a crucial mission (go and bear fruit), handed each of them a personal transmitter coded to the frequency of the General’s headquarters, and said, “Comrades, the General has a mission for you. He aims to see it accomplished. And to that end he has authorized me to give each of you personal access to him through these transmitters. If you stay true to his mission and seek his victory first, he will always be as close as your transmitter, to give tactical advice and to send air cover when you need it.”

But what have millions of Christians done? We have stopped believing that we are in a war. No urgency, no watching, no vigilance. No strategic planning. Just easy peace and prosperity. And what did we do with the walkie-talkie? We tried to rig it up as an intercom in our houses and cabins and boats and cars --- not to call in fire power for conflict with a mortal enemy, but to ask for more comforts in the den.

Satan’s aim is that nobody be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. And one of his key strategies is to start battles in the world which draw our attention away from the real battle for the salvation of the lost and the perseverance of the saints. He knows that the real battle, as Paul says, is not against flesh and blood. So the more wars and conflicts and revolutions of “flesh and blood” he can start, the better, as far as he is concerned.

We must seek for ourselves and for our people a wartime mentality. Otherwise, the Biblical teaching about the urgency of prayer, and the vigilance of prayer, and the watching in prayer and the perseverance of prayer, and the danger of abandoning prayer will make no sense and find no resonance in our hearts. Until we feel the desperation of a bombing raid, or the thrill of a new strategic offensive for the gospel, we will not pray in the spirit of Jesus.


taken from "Let the Nations Be Glad" by John Piper

THE BOTTOM LINE

World evangelization is for God. It is common to work out of a concern for the many needs of people, either to see them saved from hell, or to see them brought to communal wholeness, or both. Such compassion is biblical and necessary. However, our love for people takes on balance and power when our overriding passion is for God to be honored and thanked personally by the people transformed by the power of the gospel.

Jesus was moved with great compassion, as He saw the multitudes as abandoned sheep, but He did not respond to the naked need. He deliberately recast His vision of the same lost crowds with a different metaphor. He saw the people as being “His Harvest.” Who can comprehend God’s delight in the fullness of the fruit He receives from people’s lives? Jesus began to do just that. From that vision He implored the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers to bring God His Harvest (Matthew 9:35)

Mission efforts which draw their motivation from compassionate response to human needs will only go so far. Believers need to be nurtured into a far-reaching jealousy for God’s glory. With confident certainty that God will fulfill His promise, we can be deeply moved by needs, while acting boldly for God’s purpose.

The ultimate value of salvation is not to be seen in what they are saved, but rather what they are saved for. People are saved to serve and glorify God. However accustomed we may be to seeing people as being of paramount importance, the Bible is clear: The rationale for mission is the absolute worthiness of God.


taken from “The Story of His Glory” by Steven C. Hawthorne

Mission's Vision

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.

Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It is the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God. "The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!" (Psalm 97:1) "Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!" (Psalm 67:3-4)

But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You cannot commend what you do not cherish. Missionaries will never call out, "Let the nations be glad" who cannot say from the heart, "I rejoice in the Lord... I will be glad and exult in You, I will sing praise to your name, O Most High" (Psalm 104:34; 9:2) How can people who are not stunned by the greatness of God be sent with the ringing message, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; for He is to be feared above all gods." (Psalm 96:4)?

This truth is the lifeblood of missionary inspiration and endurance. William Carrey, the father of modern missions, who set sail for India from England in 1793, expressed the connection:

"When I left England, my hope of India's conversion was very strong; but amongst so many obstacles, it would die, unless upheld by God. Well, I have God, and His Word is true. Though the superstitions of the heathen were a thousand times stronger than they are, and the example of the Europeans a thousand times worse; though I were deserted by all and persecuted by all, yet my faith, fixed on the sure Word, would rise above all obstructions and overcome every trial. God's cause will triumph."

Carey and thousands like him have been moved and carried by the vision of a great and triumphant God. That vision must come first. Savoring it in worship precedes spreading it in missions. All of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot worship of God and His Son among all the peoples of the earth. Missions is not that goal. It is the means. And when this sinks into a person's heart everything changes. The world is often turned on its head, and everything looks different -- including the missionary enterprise.

-- taken from "Let the Nations Be Glad" by John Piper

I Love You, Will You Marry Me?

In the first century, during the New Testament time, when a young Jewish man reached marrying age and his family selected an appropriate wife for him, the young man and his father would meet the young woman and her father to negotiate the “bride price,” the figurative cost of replacing a daughter. The price was usually very high.

When the negotiations were complete, the custom was for the young man’s father to pour a cup of wine and hand it to his son. His son would turn to the young woman, lift the cup and hold it out to her, saying, “This cup is a new covenant in my blood, which I offer to you.” In other words, it was his way of saying, “I love you, and I’ll give you my life. Will you marry me?”

The young woman had a choice. She could take the cup and return it and say no. Or she could answer without saying a word—by drinking the cup. This act was her way of saying, “I accept your offer, and I will marry you and give you my life.”

On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples sat down together celebrating Passover. The disciples knew the liturgy very well; they had celebrated Passover all their lives. When it came time to drink the third cup of wine, the cup of redemption, Jesus lifted the cup as the disciples would expect and offered traditional Seder thanks. The same words are used to this day: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, for giving us the fruit of the vine.” And then he offered it to them but said something they probably did not expect: “This cup is a new covenant in my blood, which I offer to you.”

It’s hard to know what those disciples thought that night. Maybe a few chuckled a bit at Jesus making a marriage proposal, which must have seemed totally out of place in a Passover Seder. And yet, they may have understood Jesus’ willingness to die, be buried, and eventually raised to say, “I love you, and as my Father promised your fathers, I’ll pay the price for you. And in response will you love me back by giving me your life?”

When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we must be mindful of Jesus’ offer. He still says, “I love you.” He proved the extent of his love by dying on a cross for our sins. He says to us, “I offer you my life. Will you be my bride?” The taking of the cup is a solemn moment, a sentimental memento, for it is in that moment that one looks to the Heavenly Father and says, “Yes, I accept your offer, and I give you my life in response.”

It was our sin that nailed him to the cross. He was an innocent victim. He did not deserve to die. We did. But he took our place. And so that we will never forget, we gather at the table, to remember him. We taste the bread and sip from the cup to recall the life that was taken, the sacrifice that was made, and our part in the tragedy.

Have you taken the cup? Have you accepted Jesus’ offer? Have you given your life in response? Do you remember when you did that? Is it as vivid in your mind today as the day you prayed to invite Jesus in your heart? That moment needs to be etched on the recesses of your mind. This is something we cannot forget.


Excerpted from: The Symbols: So You Will Never Forget. Rick Ezell. www.lifeway.com

Yes, Dear!

In the beginning was Eve who gave some forbidden fruit to her husband, who was with her, and he ate (Genesis 3:6). To be fair, Eve simply handed over the fruit; she didn't insist that Adam eat it. Adam decided to eat it and mankind fell. With the fall of our first parents came all sorts of marital problems.

Look at Abram and Sara. When Sara was not able to conceive, she took her maidservant and gave her to Abram to be his wife. (Yikes! No modern woman would do that!) But that was the custom of their time. Sara said “Go.” And Abram agreed. But God did not call us to follow our culture. We are called to follow Him. Abram and Sara should have trusted God’s timing and provision but they did not. Hagar and Ishmael later gave their family some serious problems.

Look at Isaac and Rebecca. Isaac loved Esau and Rebecca loved Jacob. Instead of loving both sons equally and fairly, they played favorites. They became a divided family.

Look at Jacob and Rachel. When she could not give birth, she developed a foul temper. She demanded from her husband, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Did Jacob comfort her? No! He instead sought solace in his other 3 wives. (Yup, read their story again. Jacob had 4 wives: Leah, and her maid Zilpah, Rachel and her maid, Bilhah.) No wonder their children could not get along.

Though these men (and women) did great things for God, their marriages were far from perfect. Why? Simply because they did not submit to one another. In doing so, they disobeyed God in their marriages.

The word submit is surely one of the most difficult and disliked words in the Bible, especially by modern women. Perhaps because submission means to be under someone else’s power, and surely, nobody want their rights and identity trampled upon. But Paul says in Ephesians, "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:21) It is something Paul thinks every Christian can and should do – both men and women.

The key words are, “out of reverence for Christ.” When you submit to your husband, you are submitting to Christ. When you love your wife, you are submitting to Christ. Submission doesn't mean you go along with everything your partner orders. Submission means trusting your husband to make the right decision for the good of the marriage and for the family. Submission and loving means that the husband will put his wife’s and his children’s interests first when he makes decisions, as he leads the family, God’s way. Submission is not following blindly when you're being asked to do something that violates Scripture, your conscience, or common sense. Submission is simply taking into consideration your partner’s well-being and happiness, thinking of your partner instead of yourself. We cannot do this loving on our own – because we are fallen beings, we are naturally selfish. That is why we have Christ as our model and the Holy Spirit as our strength. Wrap your marriage in prayer, with God’s Word as its anchor. Surely, you will experience marriage made in heaven.

Do You Love Me?

“I’m going fishing!” Peter said one day after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was saying to the other disciples that he was going back to his old fishing business. (Of course at this time, this group of disciples was not aware of the Lord’s resurrection yet.) Since Peter was the leader, the rest followed him dutifully to the boat. But you know from the story found in John 21 starting at verse 2, even if they worked hard the whole night, they caught nothing.

“Have you caught anything?” a stranger called out to them at dawn on the next day. “Cast the net on the other side of the boat and you’ll catch some fish.” They did what the stranger suggested and boy! Did they catch some fish! The nets were so heavy they could not even pull the nets aboard the boat!

John said, “It is the Lord.” Peter got so excited that he jumped off and swam ashore. Jesus invited them for breakfast – perhaps prepared supernaturally. As Peter and the other disciples sat and ate with Jesus, Peter must have thought, “What a fool I am! I have been disobedient again. I have failed again.” Peter had virtually failed every test the Lord had given Him. Remember just a few days back, he denied the Lord three times. He had repented but now, he tried to go back to what he used to do instead of doing what the Lord wanted him to do. He just could not succeed. Does this sound like us?

Then Jesus asked him, not once, but three times, “Peter, do you love me more than these?” These meaning – the boat, the nets filled with the catch, the fishing business. This could have been the question our Lord Jesus Christ is asking from us. Do we love Him more than these? More than what He already gave us – our family, our homes, our business, our work, our church? Do we love our Provider more than what He had provided for us? Deep in our hearts we love Him, and yet, just like Peter, why do we serve Him poorly?

Peter was grieved after the Lord probed for the third time. “Lord, You know all things. You know I love You. Look into my heart.” Aren’t you glad that even if we fail again and again, we have an omniscient God who knows us well? But this does not give us any excuse for not serving our Master. The Lord taught Peter, not once but three times “Tend my sheep.” It seems just like Peter, we do need repetitive lessons in obedience. Do we love God? Then we should show our love through our actions, through our lives.

“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 3:18 NASB



Illustration taken from: The Keys to Spiritual Growth. John MacArthur. Crossway Books ©2001. pp. 108-109.

Are You Filled?

We know and we believe and we profess in our faith the Blessed Trinity – God in three Persons. Yet, in our conversations about God we tend to emphasize the first two Persons of the Trinity more than the third. We frequently begin our prayers with the words “Our Father,” and end them with “In Jesus’ name.” How often do you hear a prayer addressed to the Holy Spirit? Perhaps the reason for this is that “Father” and “Son” are easier to visualize; but “Spirit” (especially the King James translation “Holy Ghost”) is less personal and more mystical. But the Holy Spirit is a Person. The Spirit is God Himself, energizing, leading and communicating with us day by day.

The Spirit guides us by opening our understanding when we read the Bible (John 14:26; 16:13), interpreting its message in a new and fresh way each time we read it. The Spirit guides our prayer lives, compensating for the inadequacies we feel when we attempt to commune with God (Rom. 8:26–27).The Holy Spirit infuses the life of a Christian with spiritual energy, turning our potential for loving others into reality (Rom. 5:5), strengthening faith, cultivating assurance (Rom. 8:16). We cannot do anything, we can never be productive in our Christian life if we are not filled with the Holy Spirit.

All believers possess the Spirit (1 Cor.6:19, Rom.8:9). You do not have to ask for the Spirit. He is in you and has been in you since the time of your salvation. You just have to be “continually filled” with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:8). Being filled with the Spirit is not a one-time experience. Being filled means continually letting the Spirit of God, who is already in you, control you, to be totally under His influence.

How can that happen? You surrender your will, your mind, your body, your talents, your time, your treasures – every area of your life – to the control of the Holy Spirit. To be Spirit-filled is to be Christ-conscious. It means living every moment as if our Lord Jesus Christ is beside you. And you let Him guide your choices as you go on your everyday life.

True joy is the inevitable result of being Spirit-filled. All people like to be happy, to feel good. There is nothing wrong with that. God also wants joyous, excited and uplifted people. The problem lies in how this joy will be generated. Things of this world can bring you momentary happiness. But true joy can only be acquired if you allow the Holy Spirit to fill you. Are you filled?

References: The Keys to Spiritual Growth. John MacArthur. Lighthouse Books, 2005; and www.lifeway.com

What? Why? How?

Imagine yourself to be one of Jesus’ disciples just minutes after Jesus ascended to heaven. The past 2 months have really been an emotional roller coaster ride. After spending three years with this man, you were convinced that He is the Messiah, the Savior, but He had to be unbelievably crucified. You were still not over this depression when you found out that He had risen! Yes! Indeed! He is the Messiah! You have just spent forty wonderful days with the risen Christ! Now that you are expecting Him to finally restore the kingdom to Israel, He’s gone! You are still staring dumbfounded into the blank blue sky where Jesus was lifted up moments ago, defying the laws of gravity. Then the angels came and asked, “Why are you still staring into the sky?”

Why? Why does He have to leave again?

This is because His redemptive work is finished. He had also succeeded in changing a group of unreliable followers into fearless evangelists – those eleven men who had deserted him at death, would now proclaim Him with intense force that would reach the ends of the earth.

If you read through the Gospels, you will see that He had planned this from the beginning. He had been hinting at His departure right from the start of His ministry. (John 6:62; John 13:1; John 17:13; John 20:17) It was obvious for all but the clueless disciples. He had said during the Last Supper, “It is for your good that I am going away.” He had to depart in order to transfer His work to other bodies – our bodies – the new body of Christ. The mission that God assigned to the Son, the Son was now entrusting to the disciples – to us. Our work? The Great Commission – “Go therefore and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” Matthew 28:19-20 NASB

This commission was repeated in Acts1:8 “…and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” How did the fumbling disciples succeed in this seemingly difficult task? The disciples could not do the work on their own. They had to wait for the coming of the Spirit a few days after Jesus had ascended.

Our Christ had sent a helper – the Holy Spirit to work in us, so that we might succeed in this unfinished work. We are not truly left alone. He has promised in Matthew 28:21,”I am with you always, even to the end of age.” Jesus is still doing His work in this world (through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit). Only now, he teaches and works through us – the church. You can see it working throughout these past two centuries, and will continue to do so until the day of His appearing again.

We will not be able to do the work Christ commissioned us to do of we do it on our own efforts. We need to tap on the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. We need to turn it on – with regular prayer and Bible reading and daily devotions. Only then, can we get the energy and the guidance to continue Christ’s work on earth.

Ten Started Out, One Came Back

Are you familiar with the story of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed? Their story can be found in the 17^th chapter of Luke, starting at verse 11. As Jesus was passing by a village in between Samaria and Galilee, the ten lepers begged for healing. Jesus just told them to show themselves to the priests. It may seem like a strange command because lepers were quarantined and isolated from ordinary people. But the lepers obeyed. They started out in an act of faith heading for the priests. And as they went, they were cleansed. Ten of them were cleansed but one turned back, “glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him.” And Jesus said “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine - where are they?” He said to the leper who returned, “Stand up and go, your faith has made you well…” In Greek, it says, “your faith has saved you.”

Ten got healed, one got saved. It is a wonderful story for one but it is a tragedy for the other nine. It illustrates that how ugly ingratitude is, being unthankful...How is it that these people could so quickly forget the very one who was the source of their cleansing? Perhaps because it is the sin of fallen man. It is the very nature of men to feel unsatisfied with what they have. But ingratitude should not characterize God’s people. We can understand that nine lepers who didn't know God could be thankless. We can understand a world of thankless people. But it is hard to understand a thankless Christian when we know what the Lord has done for us. Take note that Jesus was looking for the other nine. God expects us to have a thankful heart. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 gives a very brief command, “In everything, give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.” This is what God desires from us.

Therefore, as Christians, when you are disappointed and feel depressed and you fuzz and fume and complain and feel stressed out with every little problem in your life that does not turn out the way you want to, you are sinning against your Creator and Savior. You ought to be overwhelmed with God’s bountiful grace, your heart overflowing with thanks, your mouth shouting with praise for the glory of God.

As believers, we know that God is at work in our lives. So, whatever happens to us, whatever may come into life should be treated with joy and gratitude. We ought to be thanking God for every large blessing, every small blessing, every small goodness, every large goodness, every good time and every bad time, every little thing, every little challenge that God gives us.

Just like the Psalmist, everyday you should be able to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and Bless His name. For the Lord is good; His loving-kindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:4-5 NASB)

Alien

What do you think would happen if an alien being really did visit our world - how would the world react? You don't have to wonder; someone from another world did visit planet earth, & we responded by crucifying Him. It's not that Jesus was strange - He looked like any other man; it's not that He was out of step with the culture - He came as a Jew to Jews.

Jesus Christ wasn't the problem. He embodied true humanity & united it with the essential nature of God in one perfect Person. The problem was in a world of sinful men that would not accept a visit from the Creator. Jesus didn't compromise Himself or His teaching to the world of men, & that made them angry.

Jesus' integrity to God's character & God's truth really frustrated the Jews - He wouldn't line up with their system of works & self-righteousness. He rejected their interpretations of the Law (Matthew 5:21-48); He rejected their superficial & hypocritical righteousness (Matthew 6:1-18); He rejected their love of money (Matthew 6:19-34). He just wouldn't cooperate with them - To do that would require compromise, & Jesus was the epitome of integrity.

Integrity to the truth & integrity to godly character - that's what should characterize you if you are a follower of Jesus Christ. Integrity is the badge of every true believer. That badge might bring you into conflict with the world, because the world is characterized by compromise.

Your Christian testimony is tied up to your complete devotion to God's Word as the highest authority - no matter what the consequences may be. God draws the elect into the kingdom through Christians who prove to be different from the world - who reveal their true allegiance by their commitment and obedience to God's standards.

Those who maintain a life of integrity will be blessed by God. It is the way we represent Christ on earth as His ambassadors. We identify with Him by standing apart from the world, not compromising God's truth or His character in how we live our lives, in how we conduct ourselves in His church. And when we identify ourselves with Him here on earth, He will confess us before His Father in heaven and will one day receive us to Himself.


Adapted from The Power of Integrity (c) 1997 by John MacArthur.

What does it take to run for Christ?

“…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal. ...” Philippians 3:13-14

Make up your mind to do it. When we decide to follow Christ, all else becomes secondary. Some things we give up entirely -- sinful lifestyles, unhealthy habits, unholy relationships. Other things we place on the altar of God’s will, saying, “Lord, these are for Your service.” There may be sacrifice and hardship, but remember that the Lord wants to give you “a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Make up your mind to pursue Christ with all your heart. “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Stick with the training. We need to know the rules of the game, so study your Bible every day. And we need to develop our spiritual muscles, so exercise every day -- exercising godliness, self-control, and righteousness. We intentionally apply the truths we find in our Bibles to everyday life. We say “no” to other opportunities and demands in order to make room for Christian activities. We wake up early on Sunday mornings and go to church. We wake up early through the week to have our morning devotions. We seek opportunities to serve the Lord. We love. We forgive. We exercise faith, trusting God when things go badly in life. We memorize Scripture so that we can offer others an encouraging word.

The Bible says, “Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

Run for the prize -- persevere. Don’t give up. Have you tried repeatedly to have your daily quiet time? To trust God with that anxious care or weakness? Be determined, and sooner or later you will work through to victory. It’s time to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) and then begin to run the race with endurance (Hebrews 12:1). Get back into shape. Be swifter, higher, stronger for Christ and His Kingdom.

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 15:57 NASB

Excerpted from: On the Way to the Finish Line by David Jeremiah, www.lifeway.com

O Magnify the Lord!

Some years ago, a sociologist accompanied a group of mountain climbers on an expedition. Among other things, he observed a distinct correlation between cloud cover and contentment. When there was no cloud cover and the peak was in view, the climbers were energetic and cooperative. When the gray clouds eclipsed the view of mountaintop, though, the climbers were sullen and selfish.

The same thing happens to us. As long as our eyes are on His majesty there is a bounce in our step. But let our eyes focus on the dirt beneath us and we will grumble about every rock and crevice we have to cross. For this reason Paul urged, “Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to the things going on around Christ – that is where the action is. See things from His perspective.” (Col 3:1-2 MSG)

Paul challenges you to “be alert to the things going on around Christ.” The Psalmist reminds you to do the same, only he uses a different phrase. “O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.” (Psalms 34:3)

Magnify. What a wonderful verb to describe what we do in the chapel. When you magnify an object, you enlarge it so that you can understand it. When we magnify God, we do the same. We enlarge our awareness of Him so we can understand Him more. This is exactly what happens in the chapel of worship – we take our minds off ourselves and set it on God. The emphasis is on Him.

“Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”



Excerpted from : The Great House of God, by Max Lucado, W. Publishing Group, 1997, pp 161-162

Design

God created humans who have free will. This means creatures who can go either wrong or right. If a thing is free to do good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata – of creatures that worked like machines – would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him & to each other.

Of course God knew what would happen if they used their freedom the wrong way; apparently He thought it worth the risk. The better stuff a creature is made of, the cleverer & stronger & freer it is – then the better it will be if it goes right, but also the worse it will be if it goes wrong. And well, it did go wrong. Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors the idea that they could be “like gods” – could set up on their own as if they had created themselves – be their own masters – invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history – money, poverty, ambition, prostitution, war, classes, empires, slavery – the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.

The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us; invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on gasoline & it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness & peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.



Excerpted from: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Macmillan Publishing Co.,1952 pp. 37-39.

Brand New

The Bible tells us that God wants to sanctify us & transform us into the express image of His Son Jesus Christ. He wants to make us into a better & more holy people - both on the inside & the outside.

The first thing each Christian must know is exactly what it is that God wants to change about us. If you don’t know exactly what it is God wants to do with you in this sanctification-transformation process, then you will have a hard time cooperating with Him. There are a million self-help books on the market, but there is only one Book that will tell you exactly what it is that God wants to do with you on the inside to change you for the better - the Holy Bible. Your job is do qualitative, meditative study of God’s Word everyday.

The Bible tells us that we are to put on positive qualities, put away negative qualities operating in our personalities. Example - I have a problem with bad temper. The first step I should do is to find the specific verses from the Bible on this topic. After knowing that God wants me to have more self-control, then I will have to work at this problem. If someone cuts me in traffic, instead of getting angry, I will just bite my lips, start to have more self-control. I will not flip the other car off, I will just let go. Maybe at the beginning I may not always be successful but if I try again, I will, in time lessen the number of times I lose my temper.

This transformation process is completed "by the power of the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit lives on the inside of each believer. It is His job to mold, shape & transform us into the kind of holy & righteous people that God would really like all of us to become in Him. Many Christians already know this. They then wonder why there has not been much change in their personalities after they have been saved. Where is the Holy Spirit? How come He is not removing some of my negative qualities? The reason is that they have not spent enough time doing their part. They have not spent enough quality time in the Word of God & they have not made any real effort to try & change for the better. Our spiritual growth is a partnership. God works in us to will and to act, & we, for our part, cultivate His presence, which makes His influence more powerful, and clear. We also make right choices which confirm into our character what God is doing in us. God, on His part, empowers & encourages us in these choices. Let God do His work on you and you will become a much better person, a much better Christian.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1)

The Power of Christ

Just as our acceptance with God must come through the righteousness with Christ, so our power to live the Christian life must come from Christ as well. Too often we try to grow by our own willpower & self-discipline. We assume that if we read the Bible enough & pray enough, we will grow. We approach the Christian life much like a student approaches a difficult course in college – just buckle down & try harder. That attitude assumes that we have the ability within ourselves to grow into maturity as believers. But as Jesus indicated in John 15:5, we have no ability within ourselves to grow. All the ability must come from Him.

Think of an electronic appliance that you use either for personal care or in the kitchen. I think of my electric shaver. That shaver has within its case a small motor that causes the shaver to do its job. But that motor has no power of its own. It is completely dependent on an external source of electric current. Without the supply of that power, it is useless.

You & I have been given a new heart at the time of our conversion. A fundamental change has indeed taken place in our inner being. We really are new creations in Christ. To stay with the shaver analogy, we now have a new motor designed to receive the electric current. But the power is still outside of us. It resides in Jesus Christ & is applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit as we depend on Him.

That is why Paul makes such statements as “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength,” (Phil 4:13) & “To this end (that is, pursuing his ministry) I labor, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works in me,” (Col 1:29).

Paul expected to grow in his spiritual life, & he expected to be fruitful in his ministry. His confidence, however, was not based on his own ability or determination but in the fact that he could rely on the power of Christ working in him to enable him.


Excerpted from: Growing Your Faith, by Jerry Bridges, NavPress Ministries, 2004, p 22.