Saturday, July 8, 2017

To move forward

If you have read my previous post, "A swear word?" you may think I dislike politicians. I don't. However, I struggle with giving them a listening ear because the reputation that precedes them is usually negative. This is one of the many areas in my life on which I need to work. The truth is that I am not much different than a politician. My confession is not meant to be a comparison but the truth that my conduct also falls short many times. Also, please note that my goal in the previous post was not to encourage you to use swear words. My hope is that you honestly examine the conduct of our politicians as well as how we help to contribute to their conduct. Politicians need us as well as we need them. We have a responsibility to help our politicians become effective leaders. How? Christians must do so through prayers. There must also be accountability in order to help bring about effective leadership. You may think it is too late to bring about any meaningful change. However, our current global economic crisis is just the opportunity we need to have such a change. The change has to be holistic and includes all of us. How can we bring about this change? The God of The Holy Bible has to become the center of our lives. 

Agree or disagree, the truth is that only the God of The Holy Bible can bring about any lasting meaningful change. Examinations of the different philosophies and ideologies established will reveal not only their inadequacies but failures. I am not advocating for theocracy, if you were wondering. This post is about Christians fully submitting to the God whom they serve. To borrow a line from a friend, "It is about looking God-ward not inward". All crises are entrenched in a system that has been well crafted and continues to evolve. This system has a much stronger and darker force than many are afraid to admit. This analysis may seem simplistic but it does not make it less true. In effect, this force has corrupted and is strangling the essential of life - relationship with God and each other. Therefore, any establishments apart from God only serve to deepen this system's corruption and strengthen its stranglehold. 

Christians have a privileged position in Christ. If only that position is understood and believed then there will be a stronger testimony. Christians are not church-goers or just pastors or preachers. Christians are in every sphere of society. This means the relationship in Christ has far-reaching implications for every sphere. This position is not due to human effort or performance. It is of God's own choosing and cannot be taken away after it has been received. The living out of this relationship will result in the weakening of the stranglehold of this dark force. Thus, relationships will be radically transformed.  

What is so important about relationships? The economic crisis did not only affect bankers but everybody. The crisis did not only affect the US but all other countries too. Thus, whatever systems are established influences and have far-reaching effects. Relationships at all levels will be affected. No one is immune. The rich may seem to be sheltered but they are not. The panic even amongst the rich was palpable as the economic crisis was unraveling. What this points to is that money as a security is not really much of a security. Any security outside and apart from Christ is no security at all. Why? These are fragile, volatile and performance-based. 

Therefore for Christians to move forward is to first look upward not inward. It then entails choosing to obey and learning to trust God to work in his own time and choosing. 

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Disciples & Crowds

From Matthew 5:1-12

The text begins by letting us know that Jesus was teaching His disciples specifically, not the crowd. These disciples would be the ones to teach others to obey Jesus' commands. They would teach others what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. They are those who respond to the call to repent (i.e., turn from sin & self-righteousness), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). They have been brought into a right relationship with God. As such, we can see that disciples are both born and made. They are first born, then made.

They are born from above (e.g., John 3:3). This is a work of God for which no disciple can take credit. This work is possible because of the life and work of Jesus. Being born from above positions a disciple in Christ. This position makes disciples different from the crowds. From this position flows their motivation and devotion to live as disciples.

They are made as they follow Christ (e.g., Matthew 4:19). Their position therefore motivates their practice, not the other way around. That is, they do because they are. They don't do to become. Therefore, they will, by their practice, bear the name of Jesus. This means they will live for the cause of Jesus alone. They won't do so perfectly. However, as they come to know who and whose they are their devotion to Jesus will grow.

The crowds are different. The crowds are motivated by self-interests. The crowds want the experience without commitment. The crowds desire to go along, but not follow. The crowds draw near because of intrigue, but not for transformation. The crowds are easy to identify. Yet, Jesus did not turn the crowds away or refuse to minister to them. Some in the crowds did come to repentance and faith. By the time of Jesus' ascension we know there were 120 disciples (Acts 1:15). Three thousand were added on Pentecost (Acts 2:41). After that more and more people became and continue to become disciples.

Interestingly enough, there was among the twelve disciples one whose motivation was similar to that of the crowds. He chose to betray Jesus for his own selfish motivation (John 13:21-30). It seems that one can be among the disciples and not be a true disciple. Unlike the crowd, a false disciple is not easy to identify. Such disciples are full of man-made religion. This is true by choice or by deception. They appear to be born from above, but are not. Following man-made religion deceives people into thinking they are right with God. Such people are depending on their own works and self-righteousness to be right with God. They obey the scriptures and do all the right things with the hope to attain salvation. Their motivation is all wrong, but sadly they can't or refuse to see it. A false disciple is still part of the crowds. It's just that they don't see or believe it.

In contrast, true disciples (i.e., those born from above) are motivated by God's love and holiness in Jesus. His love is undeserved, unconditional, steadfast, sure, faithful. His holiness is transcendent, absolutely pure and separate above all creation, gloriously beautiful and awesome. True disciples are repentant in the truth of God's holiness and confident in the grace of God's love. They will be committed to obeying and teaching people to obey Jesus' commands. They obey, not to gain righteousness to be in Christ, but to practice the righteousness that's theirs in Christ. They teach, not to gain favor with God, but to proclaim the love & holiness of God in the face of Jesus. They trust that God will use their obedience and proclamation as a light to those in the crowds and to the false disciples. They pray for the crowd and false disciples to come to repentance and faith in Christ, just as they have come. True disciples, because they are in Christ, are motivated by their position to grow in their practice of God's love and holiness. Are you a true disciple?

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for the truth that disciples of Christ are born from above. You call and bring people to repentance and faith in Christ, and they obey. Thank You for the truth that disciples of Christ are made. They follow Christ and grow to be conformed to His image and likeness. Use the lives of disciples of Christ, their obedience and proclamation, to bring the crowds and false disciples to repentance and faith in Christ all across this world. Amen!

Friday, January 16, 2015

J-E-S-U-S

The one we glorify,
the one we magnify,
who is forever nigh,
J-E-S-U-S

The one whose name we praise,
whose name on high we raise,
the ancient of days,
J-E-S-U-S

The one whose name we bless,
the one who gives us rest,
on whom we cast our stress,
J-E-S-U-S

The one of highest name,
who's coming back again,
and will forever reign,
J-E-S-U-S

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Stand Up

Lord help me to stand up for You
even through the darkest hours of night
Lord help me to stand up for You
even if the sun does not shine
Lord help me to stand up for You
even when the world calls me to deny
Lord help me to stand up for You
even if it costs me my life
Help me to stand up

Help me to stand up
in my trials and testing
stand firm in You 
the One I'm trusting

Help me to stand up
even in the face of danger
for You alone, Lord,
are my savior

Help me to stand up
even if for Your name
they persecute me
insult me or falsely accuse me

Help me to stand up
even if they were to enslave me
for in You Lord
I'm already set free


Help me to stand up
no matter what the costs
for Your sake 
to count all things as loss

Help me to stand up
every night and day
from Your paths & truths
never to stray

Help me to stand up
even if they say I'm strange
Let me never 
Your name exchange

Help me to stand up
even if it's alone
Lord You 
to never disown.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Holiness Day-by-Day

The following is from an online daily devotion by Jerry Bridges of the Navigators.
 

Devotional for Friday, March 7, 2014
The Acceptable Motive
Today's Scripture: 1 John 5:2
"We love God and obey his commandments."

Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)

Although obedience is the primary way we express love to God, it's not the same as love. Love is essentially a motive. "Love is a verb, not a feeling," the saying goes. Indeed, Jesus said we're to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

In another sense, however, love is not a verb but the motive that prompts and guides other verbs—certain actions. I love my enemies first by forgiving them for their harmful actions toward me, then by seeking their welfare in appropriate ways. Love needs other verbs to give it hands and feet. This can be seen in 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul used love as a noun, the subject of a whole list of action statements: love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, and so on.

The converse truth is that love gives validity to my actions and makes them acceptable to God. I can seek my enemies' welfare so they won't harm me again. That's manipulation, not love. It's looking out for my welfare under the guise of looking out for theirs.

Love for God is the only acceptable motive for obeying him. This love may express itself in reverence for him and a desire to please him, but those expressions must spring from love. Without love, my apparent obedience may be essentially self-serving. I may fear God's punishment or his withholding of blessing, or I may conform to a certain standard of conduct because I want to fit in with the Christian culture around me. I might even obey simply because I have a compliant temperament.

All these motives may result in outward obedience, but not obedience from the heart. Only conduct arising from love is worthy of the name obedience.

The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website.

Visit The Navigators Resources website for more devotional resources.

Friday, January 24, 2014

For the Kingdom

For the sake of the Kingdom
will you surrender it all
to follow God's call
whether "big" or "small"
to go "fishing" for all

For the sake of the Kingdom
will your answer be yes
to call those in distress
to repent and confess
preaching the gospel no less

For the sake of the Kingdom
will you commit to obey
and consistently pray
that the lost will today
find the narrow way

For the sake of the Kingdom
is the call to align
not to your will or mine
but to the savior divine
who is the true Vine

What will you do for the sake of the Kingdom? Whatever God requires or your desires?
Where will you go for the sake of the Kingdom? Wherever God sends or does it depends?
How much will you give for the sake of the Kingdom? All or nothing? 
May we give our all. God did!

Thirst for God [Psalm 63:5-8]

Psalm 63:5-8 [ESV]
My whole being will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember You upon my bed,
and meditate on You in the watches of the night;
for You have been my help,
and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.
My whole being clings to You, 
Your right hand upholds me.

Questions:
Is God truly the one who satisfies your whole being? 
Is He the one to whom your whole being clings?
Is He the one who consumes/occupies your thoughts?
Is He the one you fully depend on with confidence?

Consider:
If no, joy is lacking. If yes, joy is present and it is full!

Prayer
Dear God, if our answer is no, cause us to want You with our whole being. And, move us to be devoted to You. Thanks! If our answer is yes, thanks! It's all your doing. Amen!