Sunday, September 28, 2008

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

Sunday, September 21, 2008

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…??

Sunday, September 14, 2008

“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.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

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.