Imagine a jar that is made to fill salt but instead you forcefully fill
it with large, jagged and heavy rocks. Before long, cracks develop and
the jar threatens to fall apart. And we start wondering why this is so.
We
are intricately created and woven together by God as an amazing being
(science attests to that); created you in such a way that only a TRUE
and MEANINGFUL relationship with God can fill the void in life. However,
we, myself included, sometimes choose to have relationship (often times
ungodly ones) with people and things. We fill it with people who seem
but cannot meet our real needs, activities/things that seem to
temporarily meets the need or numbs it. It's no wonder things come
crumbling down sooner or later, just because it's just not meant to be
that way.
Try all you may but go back to your Creator and Daddy
God because ONLY He knows and can fill you. Man are fallible and will
fail you. Activities and things are but temporal and, well, just things.
You have only one life to make the right choice for eternity. Live it
well and come back to God and be filled in just the right way.
"We
now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like
fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear
that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed
on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but
not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed". (2 Corinthians 4:7-9
NLT)
God has been trying to get your attention and stands in the
doorway to receive you in His arms, no matter you have yet to come to
Him or have once came to Him but now far away. Here you have nothing
that you need to prove about yourself and is where you CAN be accepted.
"But
when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had
compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him". (Luke 15:20
NKJV).
Hi everyone, if you ever wonder if there is a God and what He thinks about you, well, it has never been a secret, just that we have not come to read His thoughts for us... Here's His love letter to you, yes, unmistakably you...
It blessed me and hope it blesses you too.
Throughout the last few months, I have grown weary with all that happened in my life, which turned my life topsy turvy; having to manage quite a great deal including illness, loss of direction, death, disappointment, grief etc.
And despite God speaking very clearly in the past few weeks through sermon, chapel, department devotions, "Roadmap to Maturity" course and quiet time, asking me to take up my cross, I wrestled with God and wanted to run away, just as Jonah did. "I am just too tired Lord and it's just not worth it".
But this this Good Friday, God has helped me to come to realize the full extent of His love for us, which demanded from me a response. I have come to realize that in the last hours of Jesus' life, it came to be an intense demonstration of the full extent of His love (John 13:1b, NIV84).
In the verse following John 13:1, we see the disciple John providing the only account, among the gospels, of the Lord Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. More than just a simple act, it was an act with profound significance. As one commentary puts it: "it was an act of Jesus' love that would stoop to even the most menial service. It was a spiritual cleansing. And it was an example of how Christians should treat each other. In these ways, the washing of the disciples' feet prefigured the Crucifixion" (Asbury Bible Commentary).
Starting with feet washing, Jesus here showed the full extent of His love for us every step of the way, from the last supper, struggling at the Garden of Gethsemane where He had to face the reality that He would have to go through the pain of crucifixion soon, all the way to the cross. All these because Jesus wants to cleanse us.
Do you now understand the full extent of His love for you? And what would your response be to His love for you?
Came across this beautiful song "I Then Shall Live" which I hope will minister to you, in the way we should live our lives as a response to the Lord Jesus Christ's work on the cross for us.
Once again, we are reminded that we have been cleansed by Jesus. Now, live your life as cleansed...
The time has come again when we are reminded of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and what He did for us.
And as I ponder on the reason for the season, I would never fail to remember a meaningful story I once read, I am the Cross, about the pain that Jesus bore for me.
This year, at staff chapel earlier, I am again reminded of the pain that Jesus bear, but this time, not only on the cross but when the pain starts being unbearable at the Garden of Gethsemane.
Matthew 26
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Someone was sharing in chapel from an article written by Max Lucado, The Passion, the Pain and the Promise, and I have come to realise how how Jesus loved us and how the battle for our lives between God and Satan was won, not on Calvary, but at the Garden itself, when Jesus painstakingly make the decision to die on the cross even, this even though when He could have walked away.
... History records it as the battle of the Jews against Jesus. It wasn’t. It was a battle of God against Satan...
... And Jesus knew it. Jesus knew that before the war was over, he would be taken captive. He knew that before victory would come defeat. He knew that before the throne would come the cup. He knew that before the light of Sunday would come the blackness of Friday. And he is afraid...
... It will be the last time he sees them (His disciples) before they abandon him. He knows what they will do when the soldiers come. He knows their betrayal is only minutes away. But he doesn’t accuse. He doesn’t lecture. Instead, he prays. His last moments with his disciples are in prayer..
... It’s worth noting that Jesus chose prayer. He chose to pray for us...
... You need to note that in this final prayer, Jesus prayed for you....
... “I am also praying for all people who believe in me because of the teaching.” (John 17)...
... As Jesus stepped into the garden, you were in his prayer...
... His humanity begged to be delivered from what his divinity could see...
... we do know he asked to get out. We do know he begged for an exit. We do know there was a time when if he could have, he would have turned his head back on the whole mess and gone away. But he couldn’t.
He couldn’t because he saw you. Right there in the middle of a world which isn’t fair. He saw you cast into a river of life which you didn’t request. He saw you betrayed by those you love. He saw with a body which gets sick and a heart that grows weak. He saw you in your own garden of gnarled trees and sleeping friends. He saw you staring into the pit of your own failures and the mouth of your own grave. He saw you in your Garden of Gethsemane—and he didn’t want you to be alone. He wanted you to know that he has been there, too. He knows what it’s like to be plotted against. He knows what it’s like to be confused. He knows what it’s like to be torn between two desires. He knows what it’s like to smell the stench of Satan. And, perhaps most of all, he knows what it’s like to beg God to change his mind and to hear God say so gently, but firmly, “No.” For that is what God said to Jesus. And Jesus accepts the answer....
... The battle is won. You may have thought it was won on Golgotha. It wasn’t. The final battle was won in Gethsemane...
... For it was in the garden that he made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you.
This is the love of Christ, the love of God, for you and for me...
I like one of the songs which expresses this in its wonderful simplicity; that He is above all but He chose death and thought of us above all...
ABOVE ALL
Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth
Chorus:
Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all
One of the songs sang during cell last week captivated me and may we never lose the wonder of the cross; remembering the meaning of the cross not only on Good Friday and Easter but every day of our lives:
It’s nearly midnight when they leave the upper room and descend through the streets of the city. They pass the Lower Pool and exit the Fountain Gate and walk out of Jerusalem. The roads are lined with the fires and tents of Passover pilgrims. Most are asleep, heavied with the evening meal. Those still awake think little of the band of men walking the chalky road.
They pass through the valley and ascend the path which will take them to Gethsemane. The road is steep so they stop to rest. Somewhere within the city walls the twelfth apostle darts down a street. His feet have been washed by the man he will betray. His heart has been claimed by the Evil One he has heard. He runs to find Caiaphas.
The final encounter of the battle has begun.
As Jesus looks at the city of Jerusalem, he sees what the disciples can’t. It is here, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, that the battle will end. He sees the staging of Satan. He sees the dashing of the demons. He sees the Evil One preparing for the final encounter. The enemy looks as a spectre over the hour. Satan, the host of hatred, has seized the heart of Judas and whispered in the ear of Caiaphas. Satan, the master of death, has opened the caverns and prepared to receive the source of light.
Hell is breaking loose.
History records it as the battle of the Jews against Jesus. It wasn’t. It was a battle of God against Satan.
And Jesus knew it. Jesus knew that before the war was over, he would be taken captive. He knew that before victory would come defeat. He knew that before the throne would come the cup. He knew that before the light of Sunday would come the blackness of Friday.
And he is afraid.
He turns and begins the final ascent into the garden. When he reaches the entry he stops and turns his eyes toward his circle of friends. It will be the last time he sees them before they abandon him. He knows what they will do when the soldiers come. He knows their betrayal is only minutes away.
But he doesn’t accuse. He doesn’t lecture. Instead, he prays. His last moments with his disciples are in prayer. And the words he speaks are as eternal as the stars which hear them.
Imagine, for a moment, yourself in this situation. Your final hour with a son about to be sent overseas. Your last moments with your dying spouse. One last visit with your parent. What do you say? What do you do? What words do you choose?
It’s worth noting that Jesus chose prayer. He chose to pray for us. “I pray for these men. But I am also praying for all people who will believe in me because of the teaching of these men. Father, I pray that all people who believe in me can be one . . . I pray that these people can also be one in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.”
You need to note that in this final prayer, Jesus prayed for you. You need to underline in red and highlight in yellow his love: “I am also praying for all people who believe in me because of the teaching.” That is you. As Jesus stepped into the garden, you were in his prayer.
As Jesus looked into heaven, you were in his vision. As Jesus dreamed of the day when we will be where he is, he saw you there. His final prayer was about you. His final pain was for you. His final passion was you. He then turns, steps into the garden, and invites Peter, James, and John to come. He tells them his soul is “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” and begins to pray. Never has he felt so alone. What must be done, only can he do. An angel can’t do it. No angel has the power to break open hell’s gates. A man can’t do it. No man has the purity to destroy sin’s claim. No force on earth can face the force of evil and win—except God. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” Jesus confesses. His humanity begged to be delivered from what his divinity could see. Jesus, the carpenter, implores. Jesus, the man, peers into the dark pit and begs, “Can’t there be another way?”
Did he know the answer before he asked the question? Did his human heart hope his heavenly father had found another way? We don’t know. But we do know he asked to get out. We do know he begged for an exit. We do know there was a time when if he could have, he would have turned his head back on the whole mess and gone away. But he couldn’t.
He couldn’t because he saw you. Right there in the middle of a world which isn’t fair. He saw you cast into a river of life which you didn’t request. He saw you betrayed by those you love. He saw with a body which gets sick and a heart that grows weak. He saw you in your own garden of gnarled trees and sleeping friends. He saw you staring into the pit of your own failures and the mouth of your own grave. He saw you in your Garden of Gethsemane—and he didn’t want you to be alone. He wanted you to know that he has been there, too. He knows what it’s like to be plotted against. He knows what it’s like to be confused. He knows what it’s like to be torn between two desires. He knows what it’s like to smell the stench of Satan. And, perhaps most of all, he knows what it’s like to beg God to change his mind and to hear God say so gently, but firmly, “No.” For that is what God said to Jesus. And Jesus accepts the answer.
At some moment during that midnight hour an angel of mercy comes over the weary body of the man in the garden. As he stands, the anguish is gone from his eyes. His fist will clench no more. His heart will fight no more. The battle is won. You may have thought it was won on Golgotha. It wasn’t. The final battle was won in Gethsemane. And the sign of conquest is Jesus at peace in the olive trees. For it was in the garden that he made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you.
11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Luke 11:13 (NIV)
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
With Good Friday round the corner, let me put this question to you: How many Good Fridays have you been through and even as we go through our how many-th time, do we still remember the significance of this day?
Even as a child, Good Friday to me, is public holiday and I remember being all happy because we would all pack off the the hall to watch a video on Jesus, which means it is a time out from class... But not until my coming back to Christ have I come to realize the real meaning of Good Friday.
As I revisited some of the articles in this blog, I am brought to the article "I am the Cross" and am reminded once again of the significance of the day. Even though I have read this story before, it does not fail to almost bring tears as I read through what Jesus went through and what kept him to the cross. And yet, these are just words. How much more pain did Jesus has to go through in the actual crucifixion? And for what reason?
As I go through thinking about Good Friday, I am brought to 1 Peter, where I read about the work of Christ on the cross:
1 Peter 2:22-25 (NIV) "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 1:18-21 (NIV) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Even before Christ came, prophets told of the work of the one who would be sent by God for our sake. One of them is Isaiah as he wrote in Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:3- 7(NIV)
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
I had recently led in devotion at my workplace and God had showed me how life can sometimes be like being at the airport... there are so many airlines but which will in fact bring you to where you need to be? Similarly, in life, we are surrounded by "religions", worldviews, new age beliefs and how do we know that we are worshipping the one true God? Maybe I will reserve sharing the devotion for another time.
While reading my devotion this week, I was brought to Acts 17:16-34. There, Paul was waiting in Athens and observes how the people were worshipping idols (Acts 17:16) and instead of condemning them, his passion for Christ compelled him to reason with the people to draw them to God (Acts 17:17) even though it meant ridiculed sometimes or not being understood (Acts 17:18). Paul had wanted to proclaim the one true God to them (Acts 17:22-23). He made his case:
The One True God is not limited by temples and only live in it (Acts 17:24) Think about it. If God is all so mighty, why is He only limited to buildings? Psalm 139:7-8 reminds us that "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there."
The One True God does not need sacrifices to be appeased (Acts 17:25) The verse says it all... God does not need to be served by human hands as if He needed anything. After all, does He not own the whole world and gives man life and breath? Hebrews 10 reminds us that "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made)" (Heb 10:8). It goes on to explain how "those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Heb 10:3-4). The bible describes man as very forgetful, often forgetting who God is and how He had delivered them...
The One True God is not fashioned as an image or idol made by man (Acts 17:29) God in the bible has commanded that He is to be revered and that man are not to bow down to any idols. Who has seen God and who can do justice to fashion Him with our thoughts of His image.
The One True God is not far from us and accepts us as His children (Acts 17:27-28) God accepts us as His children, to bless and watch over... John 1:12-13 "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." And man are being called children of God way in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 14:1) and several times in the New Testament e.g. 1 John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" This is perhaps a very bold preposition.
The One True God is a loving God (Acts 17:30-31) God is a loving God and Father and allows man to repent as 2 Peter 3:9 reminds "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."And He gives us choice to choose Him and gave us His son as an indication of His sacrifice Hebrews 10:10 "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." And God calls out to all to be reconciled to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21:
"17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
The One True God is in control (Acts 17:26) God is always in control as He reminds in Isaiah 44:24 "This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself..." and Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." But we are given a choice in life, just as Adam and Eve was given a choice and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God gives us the choice to choose to love Him or be apart from Him. He draws people to Him through those who are called by Him and who are willing to be a part of the ministry of reconciliation. But precisely how all these work together, I have no answer because Romans 11:33-34 reminds us "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" A similar case is being put forth in Job 38-41.
And as a result of God's children going about with the "ministry of reconciliation", some come to become followers of Christ, while some has yet to (Acts 17:32-34).
Again, I thank God for giving me the wisdom to pen this down within this short hour... I pray He will bless your hearts with it.
Hi everyone, I was preparing for devotion for office and would just like to share with you the devotion and my reflections:
Divine Exchange
My heart is captivated Lord, by You alone Captured by the awesomeness of You alone melted by the grace and mercy You have shown I stand in wonder
I reach to you the one who make the blind can see who break the chains of sickness with authority restoring of what was broken so we may fly again
I live to worship you I breathe to worship to you all of my days, your face I'll seek
For as I worship you You lead me to that place To that place of divine exchange
Our Daily Bread February 11, 2008 The Wounds Of A Friend READ: 2 Samuel 12:1-13
Faithful are the wounds of a friend. —Proverbs 27:6
Not everyone appreciates correction, but David did. He felt indebted to those who corrected him and realized how much he owed them. “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. Let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it” (Ps. 141:5).
Correction is a kindness, David insists, a word that suggests an act of loyalty. Loyal friends will correct one another, even when it’s painful and disruptive to relationships to do so. It’s one of the ways we show love and help one another to grow stronger. As Proverbs 27:6 states: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
It takes grace to give godly correction; it takes greater grace to receive it. Unlike David, who accepted Nathan’s correction (2 Sam. 12:13), we’re inclined to refuse it. We resent the interference; we do not want to be found out. But if we accept the reproof, we will find that it does indeed become “excellent oil” on our heads, an anointing that makes our lives a sweet aroma wherever we go.
Growth in grace sometimes comes through the kind but unpleasant correction of a loyal friend. Do not refuse it, for “he who receives correction is prudent” (Prov. 15:5) and “wise” (9:8-9). —David H. Roper
When others give us compliments, They are so easy to believe; And though it’s wise to take rebukes, We find them harder to receive. —Sper
Correction from a loyal friend can help us change for the better.
Some questions to ponder over?
What points can you pick out and learn from the article?
What is Christianity to you?
What is Christian living?
How is God speaking to you through this article?
Nathan Rebukes David The story of Nathan rebuking King David (2 Samuel 12-1-13) after he sinned against the Lord by killing Uriah the Hittite and took his wife to be his own. Up till that point, David had been doing well but has fallen when he made the choice to sin against God. But nonetheless, God sent Nathan to teach him an object lesson of how a rich man took from a poor all he had to entertain his traveller guest. This got David angry and he reacted with disgust to how the rich man had done what he did. Then, the tables were turned and Nathan brought illumination to how David was likened to the man, not only taking the life of a loyal servant but also taking his wife. David, instead of defending himself, knew in his heart that he has sinned against the Lord and confessed and repented.
How Do You Respond to the call? We are sometimes like David and we can also have our spiritual blind spots, sinning and turning away from God. And sometimes, it takes God to send another to show us where we have gone wrong, so we can be directed back to the path of righteouness and of life. But yet, at other times, God gives us the ministry of Nathan, to help bring someone back to the path of righteousness and of life. So how do you respond to both calls; call to walk back and call to bring someone back?
What is Christianity?
God Wants a Relationship with You I have always pondered about what Christianity is all about? What is Christianity per se? How is Christianity different from other religions? Just this week, the sermon has set me thinking about it again. Looking back and reflecting upon my walk, I have come to recognise, with more conviction, that Christianity is NOT a religion NOR a ritual BUT a relationship with God. It is about the recovery, reconciliation, redemption and restoration of man and their relationship with God. It goes beyond following rituals or just following the Commandments but God, who created us, knows us intimately, or every thoughts, struggles, feelings etc. In 1Samuel 16:7b, it reminds us that "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'
Here is something I have come to realise and chart out these few days:
Click to see a larger version
God has plans for man and also a wonderful relationship. But Satan always attempts to ruin and prevent relationship with God. Ultimately, God sent His son to die on the cross for our sins so we can once again not be slaves to sin but children of God: Galatians 4:3-7 - '3. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5. to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.'
God Wants a Relationship with Everyone But the story does not end there because God reminds us of the Great Commandments to help us continue to walk in righteousness. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus reminds all that '"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ' but presents the principles behind the commandments:
Matthew 22:37-40 - 37. Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38. This is the first and greatest commandment. 39. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
And yet the story does not end there. We are reminded of God's love for all: 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
He wants all to be saved and on the path of righteousness and therefore, we are also charged with the Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20 - 18. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20. and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Christian Living: Making disciples does not mean coverting because there is no use converting someone without repentance. We should continue to, in our ways and as God leads, bring people into Christian living; knowing God, knowing our position in Christ, living in repentance, living out the Great Commandment and Great Commission. All other times, we are just reminding one another of this:
Galatians 6:1-2 - 1. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Hebrews 10:24 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 3:12-14 - 12. See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
How is God speaking to you about your walk? Is God using you to edify another in their walk or to bring someone back to Him?
Really really glad that we had the discussion yesterday. Frankly, even as I prepared for the week's discussion, I wasn't really sure how yesterday's discussion will turn out. I committed it to the Lord and am glad that it was a time of reflecting and sharing. I myself has been blessed in the process and I hope you too :)
Old Testament Prophecies Point to Christ I was pondering through the week, what distinguishes our faith from other faith and the answer lies with Christ. We believe that God so loved us that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, down as a suffering messiah to die on the cross for our sins:
Romans 6:23 (NIV): 23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16 (NIV): 16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Honestly, before I came back to Christ, I thought of Christianity as a "western religion" but little did I expect that it has it roots with Judaism and Islam and that it is all about the same God but how different faith developed from the same "story". As I continue my Christian walk, OTC and also preparing for cell, I began to learn more and more about God and His people.
When I attended Peter Tsukahira's seminar about two months ago, there was a sharing by a Christian Jew and as he shared, he kept mentioning that he began to see how the Old Testament was pointing to Christ and how the Jews missed their Messiah. I couldn't understand it until I continue to study the bible and did a bit of research on it. According to one, the Old Testament has many "pictures" about the Messiah. But I learnt how the Jews have missed their Messiah, and in fact even put Him to death on the cross, but all that, to fulfill the prophecy about the suffering Messiah who has come to die on the cross for our transgressions. It was explained that the Jews had expected a political and/or a military Messiah but who would have known that God would send a suffering Messiah. If you are interested to hear from a Jew who eventually followed Christ, you hear watch his testimony on RBC's website:
In fact, in Luke 24:13-35, Jesus appeared to two persons making their way to another village right after Jesus was crucified. At this point, they had not known that it is the resurrected Jesus walking alongside them. Apparently, the two were disappointed; they had hopes about Jesus being to Messiah to come deliver them but then now He is dead. In Luke 24: 25-27 (NIV), Jesus responded:
25. He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26. Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27. And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
He might have brought them through all in the Old Testament which had pointed to a suffering Messiah. If you were to do a google search or read the Life Application bible, you can find people mentioning about prophecies about Christ in the Old Testament, that there is a link between the Old and New Testament, that God has a salvation plan right from the start. Here are a few:
Isaiah 53 - Perhaps one of the more commonly cited verse about Christ as the suffering messiah, it was mentioned about how He will be despised and rejected (v3), how He took up our infirmities, was pierced for our transgression, crushed for our iniquities (v4-6), how it was the Lord's will and how He chose to go through the suffering as a lamb led to be slaughtered (v7-12). It ended with the verse "... he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
Zechariah 12:10 tells us how God will provide from the house of David (the lineage of Jesus) and from Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication and how they will mourn for the one their pierced
Isaiah 7:14 says that the sign would be a virgin who will give birth to Immanuel (God with us) and we all know how Christ was born from Virgin Mary.
Isaiah 9:6-7 tells us of a son is given who will be "Mighty God" i.e. Immanuel (God with us)
Psalm 22 where the words "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (v1, cf Mark 15:34, Matthew 27:46) spoken by Jesus also came from and also spoke of hands and feet being pierced (v16), about how the people will divide His garments and cast lots for them (v18, cf Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, Matthew 27:35)
Isaiah 11 speaks of a redeemer and of hope coming from the household of Jesse (lineage of Christ)
Genesis 3:15 speaks about how God declared war on Satan from the moment man sinned, used to speak of how God started unfolding His redemption plan from day one.
How do we Treat Christ? There are many other prophecies but then I will leave it to you to find. In the same way, although we know of Christ and all that He has done, do we sometimes also miss Him? Do we try to shape Him into what we expect of the Messiah and miss Him? As time goes by, do we grow cold towards what He done for us?
I recently read an article called "Forgiveness at the cross" and it mentioned that the first recorded words from Jesus on the cross is "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34), that while in excruciating pain, Jesus asked God for forgiveness for his tormentors and his pain as only just began! Under such circumstances, we would say that the people on the receiving end certainly did not deserve it and they didn't even ask for it. What amazing love and grace! To further appreciate what Christ has done for us, you may wish to read the article, I am the Cross, again.
How do we know if Jesus is the Messiah and really died on the Cross? I am really glad that this question was brought up and it really challenge us to think about the bible and its claims. I am so tempted to reach back to the bible for verses in an attempt to "defend" the bible e.g. 2 Timothy 16:17 (NIV):
16. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17. so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
But then, to do that is to use something which is being evaluated to substantiate itself. So began an interesting discussion in cell yesterday. We soon found ourselves in a deadlock simply because we do not know. The bible is a chronicle, if I may use the word, of the story of God and His people and it happened so long ago. Who lives that long enough to prove its authenticity? Some of us this start to rely on science and relics and some even organised expeditions to find these relics to prove the consistency between events in the bible and what happened in history. There had been progress made but then every time an "evidence" shows up, they will also be arguments and also "counter-evidences".
Don't believe me? Just do a search on YouTube (not that I recommend it) and you will know what I mean. It is a place which could get you very confused because you can be hearing how some defend Christianity and it make sense, then some will defend Islam and it make sense too and even some will speak from the perspective of an Atheist and sad to say, some may find that it make sense too. The fact is there is no way to verify and sometimes we have to rely on human reasoning. I myself have been confused before (even though it can be embarrassing to note) but then I was once confused by the Da Vinci code, even though I went with the attitude that it is only a fictional story. Then began my research on the internet and the more I researched, the more confused I became. But thank God, my eyes were open again.
OK, so the question is, how do we know? Here's what came up in our cell discussion yesterday:
Self as testimony -The bible is a chronicle of how God has worked in the past but then God is a God that works yesterday, today and tomorrow. So you yourself are also, in a way, a testimony and chronicle of how God has worked in your life. We are reminded that Christianity is not a RELIGION but a RELATIONSHIP with God. I am sure most of us did not come to Christ because we read the bible but because, we have in a way or another, experienced Him. The question is, are you making the effort to experience Him at work in your lives?
Let the Bible Speak - We have heard how sermon messages and bible verses spoke in different ways to people and some even transformed lives. The fact is that the bible has the power to speak to people and also change lives. The bible, as some put it, stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, and you can think of it as a book that tells you how to live your life and get things right with God and people. It preaches about how we should live our lives and "love our neighbours" and "love God".
Faith & Worship - Someone mentioned that "maybe God did not want to leave so many traces" because won't we be worshipping relics instead of God. Faith becomes something cheap because you are believing because of the relics which tells you God is real. God wants to restore our relationship back to Him. Hebrews 11:1 speaks of faith as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see".
Value of it all - OK, if all that didn't convince you, then I am going to use a very pragmatic mode of talking... think about the people whose lives' have been changed, the testimonies, the things that they do (yes there are undoubtedly Christian who disappoints) e.g. charity and missionary work. I once heard this on a video clip, even if there is a 1 in 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 chance that there is a God and He love you so much to give you salvation freely, wouldn't you want to take it up? God wants to restore His relationship with you.
Yes, there are self-help books and courses out there which also promise transformation but is this permanent and does this guarantee a restored relationship with God?
Christianity as a RELATIONSHIP with God and His People At cell, we agree that Christianity is not so much a religion or a ritual (which we could sometimes make it to be so) but a RELATIONSHIP with God. We can sometimes get into the rut of doing things and as OTC has revealed in the past few months, God did not demand sacrifices and offering that is worth nothing, as stated in 2 Samuel 24:24 (NIV) that "...I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing". Just as the previous blog entries e.g. Discussion: Developing a Heart for God, we learnt that is it not the practices and rituals or the offering that matters, but the heart for God.
We need to be real with God and His people. We need to also be real with His people because the last thing is that we look hypocritical. We do not need to defend God when we have trials because this points to the very fact that we need God. Many a times, we tend to feel "ashamed" that even as Christians, we face trials and that others will say "doesn't your God help you, why are you in this state?" We do not need to look perfect because we all need God. As someone has mentioned, which I am trying to also remember, God does not guarantee a smooth journey but a safe landing. As Christians, we can be assured that God knows what we are going through and that He is there.
