Wednesday, December 31, 2008

My Confidence for 2009

Today, I read about the disciples struggle with the wind across the lake as recorded in Mark 6:45. They were scared that they would drown. Fortunately, Jesus saw their struggles (he was not in the boat). He walked to them and calmed the wind. As I face the uncertainty that the new year will bring, I am convinced that he will see my struggles and come over to calm them. This is my hope for the new year.

THE FIRST WILL BE LAST

When I first read the story of the servants who were hired at different times of the day from Mathew 20, I agreed with the servants who grumbled when the land lord paid each one of them the same wage. I reasoned like the servants in the story that if I am hired at 6am, I should not get the same pay as someone hired at noon. The logic being that working longer entitles one to more pay. Not so, according to the economics of Jesus. You all get the same pay!
This story was amplified by a catholic priest as follows (I must say, I was most blessed by his message). He said the most difficult challenge we face as believers and non believers is to be happy for others. When we stand in a long line at a grocery store for example, we get angry when all of a sudden people behind us are called to a checkout that just opened. As well, we get angry when 2 days after we buy some item, we see it going on sale and probably don’t feel like telling the next person that the item is on sale. We just don’t want the other person to be happier than us. This is the essence for the grumbling in the hired servants’ story. The hired servants is a story about getting in the kingdom of God. It doesn’t matter when one is saved. Those who have been saved many years ago will get eternal life just like those who got saved yesterday or today. Thus the last will be first, the word of God says. Gracious as He is, there will be rewards that will be given in accordance with how faithful we have been.
`

Sunday, December 21, 2008

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Tonite, I drove around with my wife looking at Christmas lights. We saw many symbols of Christmas depicted by the lights, many of them not mentioned in the Christmas story. For examples there were lots of rendeers, bears and of course St Nick. Clearly, the Christmas story has taken a new meaning. At City Hall, the greeting is no longer "Merry Christmas" but "Seasons greetings!" This is clearly a dramatic shift from the traditional Christmas we know. Fortunately, lights are still burning. They remind us that the light has come in the world even though the world has chosen to misrepresnt this light with symbols that do not represent the light. Yes, our tour of Christmas lights around the city also showed typical Christgmas symbols such as the shepherds, angels, the manger and of course the baby Jesus. This was refreshing.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

WHAT ARE YOU GIVING HIM THIS YEAR?

In spite of the differences in terminology to what we celebrate around December, it still remains Christmas. The date may not be correct but we know that He was born of a virgin Mary and His name was Jesus Christ. Wise men brought Him gifts and people today exchange gifts at Christmas more than any other time. One story goes like this. A little boy who had grown up in Sunday School woke up on Christmas day and found many presents under the tree. They were more tha he needed. He started to cry and said to his mom. "I have all these presents but what did Jesus get?" The little boy decided to give his heart to Jesus. What a lesson! Think of what you can give to Jesus this Christmas. After all, it is His birth day we celebrate.

WISE SAYING

"Only a fool tests how deep the water is with both feet." African saying

Thursday, December 04, 2008

THE MAN CALLED PAUL

Paul is a common name. The Paul that I lknow best was once called Saul. When his life changed, he was renamed Paul. How his life changed is another story. Let me just say that he got in trouble with the Roman authorities for preaching about Jesus. Verdict was to die by beheading. While awaiting death in a prison he wrote a letter to his friends at a place called Phillipi. He started by saying that he was very happy to write to them from prison. This got me thinking. What would Paul be happy about in a prison cell? He could have shared how tough it was but nay. I reflected on how many times I have been in a fix and shared my circumstances in graphic detail to people who cannot do anything about my situation! Paul chose to spur others to doing good things by writing a letter of love and hope to his dear friends at Phillipi. After reading Paul's letter (Phillipians-by the way, my Bible Study group is studying this great epistle) , I realized I am a victim of self pity or just plain sympathy seeker. Paul was not. What a guy!Thanks, Paul ans see you there some day.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

MISSIONARIES

I am not a fan of big missions. Don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer of Mathew 28:19-20 or whathas come to be known as the "great commission." It is missionary work by everyone. I once heard a preacher say that "you may be the only bible some people have ever read." By this he meant, the way we live and act. This was refreshing. Sending money for someone to spread the gospel is good but even more importatnt is to be a missionary wherever God put you. This may be your home, classroom, workplace or gym. The greatest missionary I ever knew was my mom who taught me by her actions how to love the unlovable.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

BEING A RAT!

Have you ever observed a rat and wondered what it might be thinking? It is amazing that scientists do so many things to rats in the name of science these days. I actually dropped biology in High School, partly because I did not want to look into the gut of the rat (I also couldn't see myself dissecting a frog!). That said, all we do to understand a rat is mere guess work. People in laboratories can oberve the physical and behavioural changes but it is all superficial and outward. We still don't understand what goes on in the rat's head.

God did something strange to understand the human race (we are not rats but his image). He gave up all the glory and became a nobody to become one of us (see Hebrew 2:17). This is amazing! God became flesh and experienced the same frustarions I go through every day! He was hungry. He did not have any wealth to speak of. All his meals were provided by well wishers and friends. He had no house of his own. Many of us spend the majority of our adult life wanting to be better than the other person (we call it working). The beauty of it all is that, after sacrificially being put to death,God the Son, rose and went back to His glory and said, "I will plead your case (pray for your weaknesses) since I understand what you go through." Is this something I would want to do for the rat? Probably not. It is more than experiencing what the other person is going through. It is called LOVE everlasting.

Monday, July 14, 2008

YOU CAN BE A WINNER IF YOU TAKE A REST

My Youth Pastor preached about the value of rest in God's kingdom. He made a simple illustration as follows. Two wood cutters entred into a competeition to see who would cut the largest amount of wood. They had the whole day to compete. Wood cutter 1 worked very hard and only taking a short break for lunch. Wodd cutter 2, equally worked hard but took quite a number of breaks between cutting the wood. At sunset, judges came to announce the winner. Surpise, surprise, the winner was wood cutter 2 who took not less than 5 breaks. Wood cutter 1 was quite disturbed and wanted to find out how it happened that he had less wood than wood cutter 2. Wood cutter 2 responded that the trick was his breaks. He took time to sharpen his axe each time he took the break, thus he cut his wood with efficiency. Likewise, people recharge and work better after a break. It is no wonder that God rested on the 7th day when he created the world. He encouraged those he created (us) to take a break every week.Shouldn't you?

Friday, June 13, 2008

BRUXY CAVEY

I am reading a book by Bruxy Cavey called "The end of religion." Bruxy is a Pastor of a church from Toronto. Before I picked his book, I heard him at Briercrest Seminary at Caronport where he was the key note speaker. Bruxy's message is simply that God came in human form and He doesn't want any extras or frills before you can know him personally. He is not interested in traditions, structures nor experiences. It is amazing how people have complicated God's good news. What is more, the first Christians did not have any churches. They met in houses. They heard the good news and got baptized there and then! Today, we complicate matters by demanding what Bruxy calls add ons. This is all religion which takes us away from God. His message is to come as we are. It is wonderful to be connected to a mainline church for encouragement and fellowship. It is however a consequence of becoming a child of God and not a pre-condition.

Monday, May 19, 2008

LIVING

"Plan as though you 'll be living for a century; live as though you'll be leaving tomorrow." Our Daily Bread, May 17, 2008

QUOTE OF NOTE

"Whenever the church gets into bed with political powers, the church becomes the state's whore." Bruxy Cavey

Monday, March 24, 2008

EASTER 2008

Easter is a reminder of what we hope for i.e. life after we pass on. I attended a number of Easter events but the study of easter as expounded in the 4 gospels was the most memorable. The first humans to see the risen Lord were women. What a significant role our women have in God's kingdom contrary to what the male dominated society tells us!! They were the first evangelists. They went out and told the men the good news.

Followers

Blog Archive