How Silently, How Silently, the Wondrous Gift is Given...

If you were given a choice to be born again as a baby to any family, in any culture, across any generation, what would you choose? It would be interesting to be born the son of the Queen of England or the Crown Prince of the Middle Kingdom (Ancient China). Or perhaps to be the next Albert Einstein or Bill Gates… And yet, our God, the creator & ruler of the whole universe chose to be born to a poor carpenter’s family at a time when his people were ruled & persecuted by a foreign empire.

Think about the circumstances surrounding the original Christmas more than 2000 years ago. Our present Christmas arts show cute lambs, a manger filled with hay, calm beautiful faces of Joseph & Mary. But the real nativity scene presented by the gospels seemed grim & stark - anything but peaceful.

Think about the pregnancy – who would believe the virgin conception? We knew nothing of Jesus’ grandparents. What must they have felt to have an unmarried pregnant daughter? How many times did Mary review the angel’s words as she felt the Son of God kicking inside her uterus? How many times did Joseph doubt his encounter with the angel? Maybe it was just a dream? And all these 9 months they have to endure the shame & ridicule of family & villagers who could plainly see the changing shape of Mary. And the Roman census – it would have sufficed for Joseph alone, as the male head of the household to show up for the census. Did Joseph drag his pregnant wife along to Bethlehem to avoid her giving birth alone in her home village, because they knew no one there would support her?

Think about the birth – This is the birth of a Jewish family’s firstborn boy! Traditionally, this should be a much celebrated affair with the whole village rejoicing with the family. But Jesus’ birth in an animal shelter had no sterile facility, no doctor, no midwife, not even an extended family member present. There was nowhere to lay the newborn King’s head but a feeding trough. The only people who knew about His birth were a few illiterate shepherds – nobodies in the Jewish community.

It seems that God arranged the most humiliating circumstances possible for His entrance. (It may also be noted that He also had a most humiliating exit – the crucifixion.) This is something we, humans cannot imagine. Our God did not come down as a raging whirlwind or a devouring fire but as a baby who could not speak nor eat solid food. And why did He do all these?

Because He loves us, He came down to save us so that He can reclaim us back to become His children. Forever.

“How silently, How silently, the Wondrous Gift is given…”

Every Team Needs A Coach

Today is the day set aside to honor all the fathers who provide, however modestly, for their families; who are generous, who care deeply for their wives and children, who rejoice when the children learn from their mistakes, and who express their affection freely. If all these fathers, even if they are not Christians, are able to be good fathers, then all the more, the Christian fathers should be able to become even better fathers because we have a model of our Heavenly Father and we can access the wisdom from the Word of God. Christian fathers get their strength from the relationship they enjoy with their Heavenly Father. They are aware that following Biblical principles in parenting will have positive influence on their children.

The foremost of these principles is carrying the Leadership role in the home. If parenting is a teamwork (of both mother and father and in some cases, of extended families), then, this team needs a coach – and that duty falls on the shoulders of the father.

Give priority to this task. Too many fathers have allowed other things to become more important than leading their family. They usually delegate more crucial decision-making and home-related activities to their wives. Stu Webber in his book “The Four Pillars of Man,” wrote, “A man’s greatest title is not Dr. So and So, or Professor, or General, or Mr. Vice-President. The highest office in the land is not in the White House. (He’s an American). It is in your house!”

Actively participate in bringing up your children. A father’s influence increases when he is close to the process of guiding children. You can inform from a distance, but you influence through personal involvement. Fathers must be involved in all areas of nurturing our children not just providing for tuition payment or driving the children to school. Fatherhood is not a sometime thing. Instead it is an “all the time thing.” When Moses instructed Israel about the father’s role in leading children, he stressed the ongoing aspect of parenting. Deuteronomy 6:1-9 says to lead children to fear the Lord by instructing them when you sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and when you get up.

Chuck Swindoll, in his book “The Strong Family,” described the greatest contribution that a parent can make “is to help your child cultivate a lasting and meaningful relationship with the Living God. If your child is launched from your nest secure in Christ and confident that he has been designed by God to fulfill a special calling, equipped with the tools to handle the demands of everyday life, then you have done your job.”

Safeguards

We are not going to talk about the popular soap whose advertisement includes a “conscience” reminding the mother of the house to use proper hygiene to protect the health of the family. We are going to talk about proper ways to protect the spiritual health of every believer. There are so many entertainments, distractions and temptations offered by the world today. We, as humans are also vulnerable to such attractions. It is truly hard to remain steadfastly moral and upright as Christ wants us to be. We have to proactively build “safeguards” into our lives to protect us from the “germs” of immorality and sinfulness.

Develop Accountability Partners. Enlist at least 2 friends and be transparent to them. They can be your spouse, your best friends, your prayer partner or Bible study leader or group-mates. Choose wisely. They should be Christians, people with integrity, act responsibly, who can keep secrets and give you good advice, who are not afraid to check on you and correct you when you do wrong things. The more people you are accountable to, the more likely you will think twice when you are tempted to do wrong.

Consider the Consequences. Christians are not exempt from temptations and sinning. We should always be on guard, think and reflect on the consequences – what would happen if we do give in to temptations. A careless, selfish decision may cost us our reputation, maybe our friendship, or our family and most importantly, our relationship with God. Think of the sin’s painful aftermath, the long and tedious restoration process with other people and with God. The more you think about the consequences, the less likely you will be tempted to sin.

Use your Time Wisely. An idle mind is the devil’s playground. When we have nothing to do, or when we feel bored, we are more likely to do the wrong things. For instance, if you find yourself with free time, develop a productive and relaxing hobby. Or go into sports to develop a healthier physical body. Better yet, read the Bible and inspirational books. Or listen to soothing and inspirational or classical music. Occupy your mind and your time with good things and you will turn out to be a better person.

Finally, Pray and ask others to pray for you as well. No matter how many intentional safeguards you put into place, nothing can be better than God putting His own safeguards around you to surround you and protect you. God is gracious to protect you and cover you if you ask Him and if you ask others to intercede for you. For the Lord God always answers our prayers for our own good, and in ways we cannot ever imagine.

Obedience vs Skill

The Philistines were attacking. David wanted to know how to respond. His first inquiry of God revealed that he was to attack the Philistines straightaway and God would give him victory. David followed God’s instructions and gained victory. Shortly after, the Philistines mounted another attack. “So David inquired of God again, and God answered him, ‘Do not go straight up but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.’” (1 Chronicles 14:14)

David was a well-trained warrior, a strategist. Yet, we find that David’s dependence on God to direct his efforts was very great. In fact after he won the first battle, he went right back to inquire again. This is the most important lesson we can learn from this story.

How many times have you or I made decisions, perform our daily work and projects based only on our own skill and ability? How many times have we truly sought the details of God’s will in our daily lives? David could have simply assumed that since he won the last battle, surely God would give him victory in the same manner. No. David had learned that communicating with the living God is the only sure way of victory. His skill was not enough. He had to have God’s blessing.

How many times have we worked in our daily lives the same way each time only because it was the way we did the last time? What if God has a better way? What if God has a better plan than ours? “So David inquired of God…” These are the important words that we are to learn from. We must be in such relationship with God that we are constantly inquiring of His mind on every matter. When we do this, we can expect the same results that David achieved – success in our endeavors and recognition by God.

“So David’s fame spread throughout every land and the Lord made all the nations fear him.” (1 Chronicles 14:17) This is the reward of obedience to God. We do not have to build a name for ourselves. God will see to it that we are honored for our obedience. He wants to make known those servants who are willing to obey Him at all costs.

Excerpted from: TGIF: Today God is First by Os Hillman
©2003 by Acts29 Publishing, p 203.

Happy Mother's Day!

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let’s look at history’s most famous mother. The Bible is filled with lessons on parenting. And as we look at Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, we may learn some lessons on motherhood. Mary was called to her task, just as mothers today are called by God to do their task.

A mother called by God submits completely to God’s will.

When Mary was only a young lady, she was confronted with the challenge to be completely submitted to God’s will. When Gabriel gave her the angelic message that she was to carry the Christ, Mary was stunned. "How will this be," she asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel explained what God would require of her and Mary replied, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:34-38)

The key phrase? “I am the Lord’s servant… ” Mary never wavered from her complete submission to God’s will. Was she nervous? Certainly. Was she worried about the forthcoming scandal? Of course! How was she going to explain everything to Joseph? Would anyone believe her? Was she unsure of her own abilities? Who wouldn’t be? What does she know about taking care of babies? Was she anxious about the prophecy that part of her future would include pain? Most probably. But Mary, unlike a lot of parents in the world today, was completely committed to God. She had no room for commitment to anything else. She set aside her own fears and committed her whole future to God, trusting God completely. And that made her a mother worth imitating.

A mother called by God does not have to be perfect.

Despite the fact that she was the mother of Jesus, Mary wasn’t perfect! Remember? In Matthew 12:46-50 while Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. This is where Jesus replied, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother." If Mary had truly understood the task of Jesus, would she have tried to interrupt him, stopping the ministry of Jesus, even for a little while? That was a mistake on Mary’s part.

We, as mothers (or fathers) have also made mistakes in the past, we’ll certainly make a mistake or two today, and we’ll make more mistakes tomorrow. Still, we are called by God to be mothers (or fathers) – to bring up our children His way. And through it all, God will love us, work with us, and accept us. Because God called us to be parents, we will be blessed.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Knowing the Scoop

Ignorance is not bliss. Especially in our fast-paced information world right now, we need to be competitive. We need to know as much as we can about everything from science to culinary arts or to whatever is happening in our neighbor’s backyard. Knowledge is power, or more accurately, knowledge is control – so that we would know how to act appropriately in any situation. If this is true for the secular world, all the more this applies to our spiritual life.

Throughout the Bible, God’s repeated command to His people is to learn, study, grow, equip our mind with His Word. 1 Peter 3:15 exhorts us to be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give account for the hope that is in you.” How do we defend the truth if we do not know the truth?

Knowing the truth of God is very important. Knowledge will give substance to faith. Knowing that our faith is not based on feelings or someone else’s opinions but is based on God’s truth – the Bible, provides stability to our spiritual life. Knowledge will help us detect and confront errors. In this age of many religions and cults, we will not be intimidated and led astray by false teachings. Knowledge will also comfort us during times of testing. We will not panic. We will not doubt. Knowledge will also help us grow to spiritual maturity. As we follow God’s truth, we are going to be transformed and be more Christ-like.

We are responsible for nourishing ourselves with the truth – through reading the Bible and listening and learning Biblically sound doctrines, joining a Bible Study. However, knowledge alone can also be dangerous. Knowledge just for knowledge’s sake is incomplete and can turn into pride. The Bible frequently warns us against being full of knowledge and becoming “puffed up” because of it. Knowledge can also be dangerous when it remains theoretical. God gave us His truth so that we may put it into practice, not simply store it up. It does not matter if we can memorize a lot of verses from the Bible but if we do not apply His Word to our daily lives, then this kind of knowledge is useless. Knowledge can be inadequate if it is not balanced by love and grace. After all, it is by love and grace that we were given knowledge in the first place. Without grace and love, knowledge may lead to arrogance and discrimination “I know more than you do.” Finally, knowledge without the Spirit of God is tragic. Without the Holy Spirit, we will not gain discernment and wisdom.

What can you change in your daily schedule that will help you and give you more time for spiritual nourishment? Plan ahead. Give top priority to this end so that you can gain not just knowledge, but wisdom.



Reference: Growing Deep in the Christian Life by Charles Swindoll
Zondervan Publishing House © 1995, pp. 19-49

Gethsemane

Today we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. We rejoice because our Lord is alive! Most of us use holy week for rest, relaxation & vacation. However, in our rejoicing, we often forget that He died first – and suffered first. All the four gospels devote nearly a third of their length to the climactic last week of Jesus’ life. This must mean that His death is something we should pay attention to. When the Son of God died on planet earth, nature itself trembled – the grounds shook, rocks cracked open & the sky went black.

The movie “The Passion of Christ,” depicted His physical suffering in violent, gory, bloody details. But the gospels (Matt 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1) showed another side of His agony that happened in a garden of olive trees called Gethsemane.

After the Last Supper, Jesus and His disciples proceeded to Gethsemane. It was probably cool & peaceful under the moon and stars, the disciples felt sleepy. But Jesus took Peter, James & John and requested them to keep Him company while He prayed. Why? Matthew said He was “sorrowful & troubled.” Mark said He was “deeply distressed.” (NIV) Now, this request was something out of the ordinary because Jesus had often gone off by Himself to pray. He would even send the disciples away in a boat so that He could spend the night alone with the Father. When His disciples failed Him, He did not conceal the hurt: “Could you not keep watch for one hour?” Three times during this night Jesus prayed & pleaded, “Take this cup from me…” He was in anguish – His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Jesus’ struggle was probably about fear of pain & death. In His humanity, that was to be expected. But since He knew that He was going to be restored after the third day, the pain & death was probably not the main issue. Philip Yancey in his book “The Jesus I Never Knew” wrote that there was more at work - Jesus was looking at a new experience: God-forsakenness. From this night up to the resurrection, God would turn away from Him.

After several hours of torturous prayer, Jesus came to a resolution “Not what I will, but what You will.” Jesus experienced sorrow, fear, abandonment, maybe even desperation. Still, He obeyed and endured because He knew that at the center of the universe lived His Father, a God of love He could trust regardless of how things appeared at that time. This love sustained Him as He carried His cross, as He felt the lashes of the whips, the crunch of fists against his body, the piercing of the crown of thorns on His head and the nails into His hands & feet, the slash of the knife against his flesh.

Think about it. Jesus is not powerless. If He had insisted on His will and not the Father’s, He could have called down legions of angels to fight the Holy War on His behalf. He can merely say the word and skip His personal sacrifice. But He did not. What happened in the garden of Gethsemane - showed our God was willing to relinquish power for the sake of Love – His awesome Love for us.

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV