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.