I read this statement the other day, "some Christians have become reverse missionaries: rather than being missionaries from the church to the world; they have instead become missionaries from the world to the church." (Dinesh D'Souza, What's So Great About Christianity?)
How true is that! Somehow some Christians have gotten it backwards! In an effort to be in the world and not of it, they have unknowingly and sometimes quite happily absorbed certain mindsets and patterns of secular society and brought it back to church.
Romans 12
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In my reflections, there are a lot of things I personally tend to adopt. Apathy to the lost, negativity (attitudes and words), and materialism.
But one thing that has really impressed on me is materialism.
As human beings we seem to have this need to always be wanting more stuff. In fact its not just more, but we always want what seems to be the "best". There's almost like a competition in church. Who has the nicest car? Who has the nicest clothes? Who has the most money? That doesn't seem to be a trend that is appropriate in church.
I believe that is ok to have stuff, but it is not ok for the stuff to have you.
You realise you're in danger for that happening when you constantly think about the stuff that you want. Suddenly you're prayer time is all about that thing. You spend every waking moment meditating on that thing. The challenge is to ask ourselves: do I really need that? If the answer is yes, then keep praying! But if the honest answer is no...
Psalm 37:4 tells us "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Notice how it says AND He will give.. not SO He will give. There are times where we almost read that statement that way. Thats what I love about God, He is not unreasonable. He knows we have desires, everyone does. But He also knows what's best for us, thats why it says to "delight ourselves in Him."
Where is your delight? Is it in God or the desire?
Friday, April 10, 2009
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Suffering and Evil; and the Loving, Sovereign God
Introduction
We live in a world that is far from ideal. Our earth is plagued by disasters that claim thousands of lives; earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis. Not only that, there are atrocities committed by various parties; the 9/11 incident comes to mine, Hitler’s reign, names like Pol Pot and Chairman Mao come to mind as well, all responsible for the uncountable lost of lives. Of course there are tragedies that are closer to the heart as well; the passing on of loved ones, betrayal, struggle of daily life. None are exempt. Pain knows no discrimination, and pain is very much real. Of course many have tried to make light of this issue.
Atheists would say that the it is just the way things are, that everything is just the result of particles colliding and rearranging themselves. If that were the case, what rational person should feel any outrage before ostensible “evils” at all? Then there is the pantheist view, adopted by most Hindus and New Age movements. They suggest that the entire universe belongs to one another, that there is not transcendent being in charge. There are only several levels of attainment. Progressive self-realisation and self-improvement would cure the world of all its ills, claims the pantheist. There is also the deist point of view. Deism claims that there is indeed a God, but he is like a clockmaker who simply puts all the pieces together and then winds it up and pretty much leaves it to run its own course. This God of deism is simply too “big” or transcendent to be bothered by our “puny concerns” of evil and suffering.
Of course, all those views do not fit into the biblical description of God. Indeed, the bible very clearly says that God is not only loving, He is sovereign as well. However, many simply cannot reconcile the fact that God is both loving and sovereign, but yet there are suffering and evil. It is easier to accept these two premises. One being that God is indeed loving, but He is not sovereign; therefore He cannot do anything about the ills that befall us. The problem here is that it paints a picture of a God who is simply helpless. He would love to help but He cannot! Putting faith in such a God would be meaningless, after all what good could it possibly bring us? The other would be that God is sovereign, but not loving. He could do something about the things happening here on earth, but He chooses not to. That would quite simply mean that God is a sadist, no different from any of the atrocious characters mentioned before. Why would anyone want to worship or trust this God then? As much as these two premises would soothe the intellectual protest of many, it is simply not biblical. But yet the problem still persists, God is loving and sovereign; but the world is still filled with evil and suffering. Certain points can be made for God’s case in this matter.
Free Will and Sin
Everyone is familiar with the Genesis account of creation. God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1-2) and His verdict repeatedly was that His efforts were “all good”. Next came about the creation of the parents of humankind, Adam and Eve. This is where things get tricky. It must be made clear however, that God was under no obligation to create man. He did it out of His own will and fancy, and He desired to have close relationship with them. The fact that they were both naked and felt no shame before the Lord (Gen2:25) was symbolic of the covenant they shared with God, nothing was kept hidden from one another. God gave them the freedom to eat from any tree they wish, except for the Tree of Life. God strictly warned them that if they were to eat from that tree, they would sure die. (Gen 2:17)
Some would say, why bother putting that tree there in the first place if it would cause so many problems in the end? The simple answer is this: love cannot exist without freedom of choice. An analogy to support this: if a man were to lock up a woman in a room, gave her all that she needed and the only person she ever saw was him, what kind of love would she feel for him? Perhaps she would be grateful that he provides for her, but can he be assured of genuine adoration toward him? Another scenario: if a man provided all a woman needed, but gave her the freedom to venture out to the world and be exposed to other things and other people, but at the end of the day she chose to come back to him, would not this be genuine, sincere love as opposed to the first scenario? That was what God desired. A true loving relationship between Him and mankind.
But of course, Adam and Eve made a wrong choice. They rebelled against God by giving into the serpent’s temptations. This marked the onset of suffering, toil, pain and death (Gen 3). The end of the bible is a promise that there will be repair and restoration, that God will once again dwell amongst His people, and that every tear will be wiped from eyes (Rev 21). The whole idea is that sin, that separation from God, is the original problem. Mankind basically declared that we could make it on our own. That is why years of so called advancement and enlightenment of the human race has not improved matters. The fact is, we need God.
God’s perfect love for us was shown through Jesus Christ, whom He sent to pay the price for reconciliation between mankind and God. That rather than continuously trying to figure things out, we should acknowledge our need of Him and turn to Him.
Becoming a Christian however, does not immunise one from the tragedies of this world. It is simply because though we have been restored and renewed in Christ, we still live in a fallen world. It is like carrying an umbrella through a storm. Though we are shielded from most of its effects, we cannot help that some drops will still splatter unto us.
Is God truly Sovereign?
Since we have established that God is loving, next we will need to address whether He is truly sovereign. Larry D. Hart makes a very good point, that “some things that God desires and God determines, other things that God desires and we determine, and finally there are things that we desire and God permits. He dispels what he calls “muddled thinking”: that God must determine everything in order to be truly sovereign and that his foreknowledge of our decision determines them. His infinite knowledge and his transcendence of time enables him to know the contingencies of the future as contingencies and to foreknow our choices. It is only by His grace that we can make the decision to receive His forgiveness and salvation, but that does not relieve us of our responsibility. D.A Carson presents what is called compatibilism, and they are based on two premises:
God is absolutely sovereign, but His sovereignty never functions in such a way that human responsibility is negated
Human beings are morally responsible creatures – they are accountable for their own actions; but this never works in a way that God is absolutely contingent.
This is evident in the case of Job, who suffered viciously under Satan’s attack. But the extent of the damage Satan could do was only what God permitted. Job however had the choice to curse God or turn away from Him. But Job did not, and eventually God restored Job.
Another myth that must be dispelled is that God can do absolutely everything. Being omnipotent simply means that God can do what is physically impossible, but not what is logically impossible. God most certainly cannot create a round square, nor is He able to make a rock too large for Him to carry. Those are simply further muddled thinking. Therefore this re-emphasies the fact that God cannot simply just wipe out sin, which would actually mean wiping out free will. As we established earlier without free will true love cannot exist and God is a God of love.
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
To say that anyone actually has the answer to this profound mystery would be fictitious. But there are reasons that can be thought of. C.S Lewis said that “God whispers in our pleasure; speaks in our conscience; but shouts in our pain. Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” This could be seen even from the start. The consequence of the Adam and Eve’s rebellion was pain. Without pain, we would never know that anything is wrong. The fact is most people would never think of God until a problem arises or a tragedy occurs. That is a sad but real truth; people sometimes only turn to God when they have exhausted all other options.
Sometimes our suffering is necessary for our refinement and building of character. The bible clearly depicts as God as a loving parent who disciplines His children (Deut 8:2-5, Heb 12). We are very finite beings and we tend to view things from a very confined point of view. It is like going very closely to scrutinise the details of the bark of a tree, pointing out all its rough edges as oppose to taking a step back and looking at the tree as of whole. That is how God functions, He is more than capable for turning any evil into something that is good (Gen 50:20), the story of Joseph attests to this.
Conclusion
What is discussed here is merely the throw of a pebble across the surface of a lake. Not all questions can be answered to the satisfaction of everyone. Turkish theologian Ziya Meral said that “the silence of God does not mean the absence of God.” It is with that knowledge, that in all our troubles, He is there for us and is more than able to help us. In the chaos and confusion, He is sovereign still. Having said that, in the most dire circumstances, there is One whom we can put our hope in.
Bibliography:
Carson, D.A - How Long O Lord?
Hard, Larry D- Truth Aflame
Piper, John & Taylor, Justin - Suffering and the Sovereignty of God
Strobel, Lee - The Case for Faith
Yancey, Philip - Where is God when it Hurts?
We live in a world that is far from ideal. Our earth is plagued by disasters that claim thousands of lives; earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis. Not only that, there are atrocities committed by various parties; the 9/11 incident comes to mine, Hitler’s reign, names like Pol Pot and Chairman Mao come to mind as well, all responsible for the uncountable lost of lives. Of course there are tragedies that are closer to the heart as well; the passing on of loved ones, betrayal, struggle of daily life. None are exempt. Pain knows no discrimination, and pain is very much real. Of course many have tried to make light of this issue.
Atheists would say that the it is just the way things are, that everything is just the result of particles colliding and rearranging themselves. If that were the case, what rational person should feel any outrage before ostensible “evils” at all? Then there is the pantheist view, adopted by most Hindus and New Age movements. They suggest that the entire universe belongs to one another, that there is not transcendent being in charge. There are only several levels of attainment. Progressive self-realisation and self-improvement would cure the world of all its ills, claims the pantheist. There is also the deist point of view. Deism claims that there is indeed a God, but he is like a clockmaker who simply puts all the pieces together and then winds it up and pretty much leaves it to run its own course. This God of deism is simply too “big” or transcendent to be bothered by our “puny concerns” of evil and suffering.
Of course, all those views do not fit into the biblical description of God. Indeed, the bible very clearly says that God is not only loving, He is sovereign as well. However, many simply cannot reconcile the fact that God is both loving and sovereign, but yet there are suffering and evil. It is easier to accept these two premises. One being that God is indeed loving, but He is not sovereign; therefore He cannot do anything about the ills that befall us. The problem here is that it paints a picture of a God who is simply helpless. He would love to help but He cannot! Putting faith in such a God would be meaningless, after all what good could it possibly bring us? The other would be that God is sovereign, but not loving. He could do something about the things happening here on earth, but He chooses not to. That would quite simply mean that God is a sadist, no different from any of the atrocious characters mentioned before. Why would anyone want to worship or trust this God then? As much as these two premises would soothe the intellectual protest of many, it is simply not biblical. But yet the problem still persists, God is loving and sovereign; but the world is still filled with evil and suffering. Certain points can be made for God’s case in this matter.
Free Will and Sin
Everyone is familiar with the Genesis account of creation. God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1-2) and His verdict repeatedly was that His efforts were “all good”. Next came about the creation of the parents of humankind, Adam and Eve. This is where things get tricky. It must be made clear however, that God was under no obligation to create man. He did it out of His own will and fancy, and He desired to have close relationship with them. The fact that they were both naked and felt no shame before the Lord (Gen2:25) was symbolic of the covenant they shared with God, nothing was kept hidden from one another. God gave them the freedom to eat from any tree they wish, except for the Tree of Life. God strictly warned them that if they were to eat from that tree, they would sure die. (Gen 2:17)
Some would say, why bother putting that tree there in the first place if it would cause so many problems in the end? The simple answer is this: love cannot exist without freedom of choice. An analogy to support this: if a man were to lock up a woman in a room, gave her all that she needed and the only person she ever saw was him, what kind of love would she feel for him? Perhaps she would be grateful that he provides for her, but can he be assured of genuine adoration toward him? Another scenario: if a man provided all a woman needed, but gave her the freedom to venture out to the world and be exposed to other things and other people, but at the end of the day she chose to come back to him, would not this be genuine, sincere love as opposed to the first scenario? That was what God desired. A true loving relationship between Him and mankind.
But of course, Adam and Eve made a wrong choice. They rebelled against God by giving into the serpent’s temptations. This marked the onset of suffering, toil, pain and death (Gen 3). The end of the bible is a promise that there will be repair and restoration, that God will once again dwell amongst His people, and that every tear will be wiped from eyes (Rev 21). The whole idea is that sin, that separation from God, is the original problem. Mankind basically declared that we could make it on our own. That is why years of so called advancement and enlightenment of the human race has not improved matters. The fact is, we need God.
God’s perfect love for us was shown through Jesus Christ, whom He sent to pay the price for reconciliation between mankind and God. That rather than continuously trying to figure things out, we should acknowledge our need of Him and turn to Him.
Becoming a Christian however, does not immunise one from the tragedies of this world. It is simply because though we have been restored and renewed in Christ, we still live in a fallen world. It is like carrying an umbrella through a storm. Though we are shielded from most of its effects, we cannot help that some drops will still splatter unto us.
Is God truly Sovereign?
Since we have established that God is loving, next we will need to address whether He is truly sovereign. Larry D. Hart makes a very good point, that “some things that God desires and God determines, other things that God desires and we determine, and finally there are things that we desire and God permits. He dispels what he calls “muddled thinking”: that God must determine everything in order to be truly sovereign and that his foreknowledge of our decision determines them. His infinite knowledge and his transcendence of time enables him to know the contingencies of the future as contingencies and to foreknow our choices. It is only by His grace that we can make the decision to receive His forgiveness and salvation, but that does not relieve us of our responsibility. D.A Carson presents what is called compatibilism, and they are based on two premises:
God is absolutely sovereign, but His sovereignty never functions in such a way that human responsibility is negated
Human beings are morally responsible creatures – they are accountable for their own actions; but this never works in a way that God is absolutely contingent.
This is evident in the case of Job, who suffered viciously under Satan’s attack. But the extent of the damage Satan could do was only what God permitted. Job however had the choice to curse God or turn away from Him. But Job did not, and eventually God restored Job.
Another myth that must be dispelled is that God can do absolutely everything. Being omnipotent simply means that God can do what is physically impossible, but not what is logically impossible. God most certainly cannot create a round square, nor is He able to make a rock too large for Him to carry. Those are simply further muddled thinking. Therefore this re-emphasies the fact that God cannot simply just wipe out sin, which would actually mean wiping out free will. As we established earlier without free will true love cannot exist and God is a God of love.
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
To say that anyone actually has the answer to this profound mystery would be fictitious. But there are reasons that can be thought of. C.S Lewis said that “God whispers in our pleasure; speaks in our conscience; but shouts in our pain. Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” This could be seen even from the start. The consequence of the Adam and Eve’s rebellion was pain. Without pain, we would never know that anything is wrong. The fact is most people would never think of God until a problem arises or a tragedy occurs. That is a sad but real truth; people sometimes only turn to God when they have exhausted all other options.
Sometimes our suffering is necessary for our refinement and building of character. The bible clearly depicts as God as a loving parent who disciplines His children (Deut 8:2-5, Heb 12). We are very finite beings and we tend to view things from a very confined point of view. It is like going very closely to scrutinise the details of the bark of a tree, pointing out all its rough edges as oppose to taking a step back and looking at the tree as of whole. That is how God functions, He is more than capable for turning any evil into something that is good (Gen 50:20), the story of Joseph attests to this.
Conclusion
What is discussed here is merely the throw of a pebble across the surface of a lake. Not all questions can be answered to the satisfaction of everyone. Turkish theologian Ziya Meral said that “the silence of God does not mean the absence of God.” It is with that knowledge, that in all our troubles, He is there for us and is more than able to help us. In the chaos and confusion, He is sovereign still. Having said that, in the most dire circumstances, there is One whom we can put our hope in.
Bibliography:
Carson, D.A - How Long O Lord?
Hard, Larry D- Truth Aflame
Piper, John & Taylor, Justin - Suffering and the Sovereignty of God
Strobel, Lee - The Case for Faith
Yancey, Philip - Where is God when it Hurts?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Submission
Hey guys, after a break I'm back again and ready to share some thoughts. This is something I picked up from an Old Testament Survey class at college, its great stuff.
Now the word in the title does not sit well with many. Some times we struggle to fully submit, why I say fully is because there is the case for just submitting because of obligation, in which case is done out of resentment or with a lousy attitude. I would like to think thats not what true submission is about. For those who want to read more on this, go and get Undercover by John Bevere. I promise you it is an amazing book and its truly worth spending on, this is one of the very few books that I will say is a must have for all believers.
Here's a few scriptures which are very much self explanatory.
Romans 13:1-5 (New International Version)
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
1 Peter 2:13 (New International Version)
13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority,
Hebrews 13:17 (New International Version)
17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
What would I like to add is that submission is only valid when it comes under challenge. How easy it would be to submit because we like our leader, we agree with them, we think they are wise etc. But when we struggle to really submit, be it out of pride or insubordination, is when we truly must humble ourselves to do so, because what does the word of God say? All authourity is appointed by God, as much as it is difficult to comprehend at times. Now of course I'm not saying to obey when a leader asks you to sin, but other than that extremity there is no other justifiable reason for us to refuse. Lets take a look a a biblical example.
David was a man who had every right to not to submit to Saul. Saul was incredibly threatened and insecure about David. Saul was already on the verge of losing his title as King because of his wickedness so he tries to do whatever he can to prevent David from taking his crown. But David never once attacks Saul back, he TWICE had the chance to kill Saul. The end of his troubles could have been done right then! Just finish Saul off, and its done! You would think that would make perfect sense. But David does not, and even telling his companion Abishai "I will not strike the Lord's annointed." That is an incredible biblical concept there. (events told from 1 Sam 18-26)
My lecturer Ps Brendan Roach said that "You learn more being submitted to a bad leader than a good one." I would agree with him on that. I'm sure David learnt a whole lot as well.
What we don't realise is that when we "attack" God's annointed, what we are actually doing is.. we are attacking God! David understood that, he understood that God was the one who put Saul on the throne as King, and knew for a fact that it was not his place to determine that it was a wrong decision under any circumstance. That is what people do sometimes, either it is through criticism of a leader, through gossip, disobediance, or even witholding support from our superiors. All are signs of disobediance and as the bible says he who rebels is rebelling against God and therefore bring judgment upon themselves. (read scripture quoted above.)
One last point I would like to add, whoever claims "I am only submitted to God!" ; "I obey none but God Himself!", I would like to suggest these people have an enourmous problem. Let me make this clear, it is NOT a biblical concept to be only submitted to God. God made us a body (1 Cor 12), and whoever thinks they should operate on their own accord are deceiving themselves. After all, does not Ephesians 5:21 tell us Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. I would say that I am much happier that I am actually submitted and have the covering of people whom can correct me when I make mistakes and will back me up when I need help. It is easy to try to be superstar for Christ, but I would say that would not get you very far.
Submission is really a thing that needs mastering, I am not quite there yet myself. But I do understand however it is an essential characteristic to have in the kingdom, I pray that you do.
Now the word in the title does not sit well with many. Some times we struggle to fully submit, why I say fully is because there is the case for just submitting because of obligation, in which case is done out of resentment or with a lousy attitude. I would like to think thats not what true submission is about. For those who want to read more on this, go and get Undercover by John Bevere. I promise you it is an amazing book and its truly worth spending on, this is one of the very few books that I will say is a must have for all believers.
Here's a few scriptures which are very much self explanatory.
Romans 13:1-5 (New International Version)
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
1 Peter 2:13 (New International Version)
13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority,
Hebrews 13:17 (New International Version)
17Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
What would I like to add is that submission is only valid when it comes under challenge. How easy it would be to submit because we like our leader, we agree with them, we think they are wise etc. But when we struggle to really submit, be it out of pride or insubordination, is when we truly must humble ourselves to do so, because what does the word of God say? All authourity is appointed by God, as much as it is difficult to comprehend at times. Now of course I'm not saying to obey when a leader asks you to sin, but other than that extremity there is no other justifiable reason for us to refuse. Lets take a look a a biblical example.
David was a man who had every right to not to submit to Saul. Saul was incredibly threatened and insecure about David. Saul was already on the verge of losing his title as King because of his wickedness so he tries to do whatever he can to prevent David from taking his crown. But David never once attacks Saul back, he TWICE had the chance to kill Saul. The end of his troubles could have been done right then! Just finish Saul off, and its done! You would think that would make perfect sense. But David does not, and even telling his companion Abishai "I will not strike the Lord's annointed." That is an incredible biblical concept there. (events told from 1 Sam 18-26)
My lecturer Ps Brendan Roach said that "You learn more being submitted to a bad leader than a good one." I would agree with him on that. I'm sure David learnt a whole lot as well.
What we don't realise is that when we "attack" God's annointed, what we are actually doing is.. we are attacking God! David understood that, he understood that God was the one who put Saul on the throne as King, and knew for a fact that it was not his place to determine that it was a wrong decision under any circumstance. That is what people do sometimes, either it is through criticism of a leader, through gossip, disobediance, or even witholding support from our superiors. All are signs of disobediance and as the bible says he who rebels is rebelling against God and therefore bring judgment upon themselves. (read scripture quoted above.)
One last point I would like to add, whoever claims "I am only submitted to God!" ; "I obey none but God Himself!", I would like to suggest these people have an enourmous problem. Let me make this clear, it is NOT a biblical concept to be only submitted to God. God made us a body (1 Cor 12), and whoever thinks they should operate on their own accord are deceiving themselves. After all, does not Ephesians 5:21 tell us Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. I would say that I am much happier that I am actually submitted and have the covering of people whom can correct me when I make mistakes and will back me up when I need help. It is easy to try to be superstar for Christ, but I would say that would not get you very far.
Submission is really a thing that needs mastering, I am not quite there yet myself. But I do understand however it is an essential characteristic to have in the kingdom, I pray that you do.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Praise
Praise.. that word took a significant turn for me today. Before, praise was just something that I did. I just praised God. Why? Because of His goodness! Because He is worthy! But of course there were times when we just don't feel like praising. Like in my previous entry, sometimes it does not spontaneously come. This is the reality, sometimes it is a bit hard to praise, because certain things may come and cause us to be discouraged. That happened to me very recently.
The natural thing for me to do was to go away and to seek God. To get answers. To get the situation fixed. I prayed and pleaded with God, I implored with Him. I raved and ranted, my heart was in total disarray. I was in a mess. Chaos and confusion was abundant, and there was nothing but heart break in sight.
So I turned to heavens, I looked up. I looked up at God and the heavenly hosts, the angels, the living creatures and the elders, and I asked, "Will you grant me this desire?"
To my surprise, and a bit of shock, a question was thrown back at me.
"Will you still praise?"
Suddenly, the whole of heaven was focused on me. The heavens as well as the demons were all looking to me in anticipation. The question, though so simple, but had a meaning so profound that it made me pause in my step and really consider what that really meant.
Suddenly I realised, that God wanted me to embark on a journey. A journey of total delight and joy in Him. Fulfilment in Him. That God alone is more than enough.
Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and He will grant you the desires of your heart.
The revelation to me was that delight in God is the end to everything. It is the end result, not the second part of the verse. Often we emphasise on taking joy in God so that our desires will be fulfilled. But it dawned upon me, that joy and delight in God alone is the means to all ends. It is the bottom line. The omega. The answer to everything.
I begin to realise, that the first thing we do everyday, is to not ask how much we can glorify God, or how much we can serve, or how much we can give, but how much joy can we find in Him.
Still awe struck, I responded by lifting my hands, though not literally as it was in a public place that God spoke, but I decided, yes. Ever will I still praise my God. For He is God. That alone i reason enough for me to praise Him.
Ladies and gentleman, it is not the answer to your problem that matters, but it is your response to the situation.
Hallelujah for He reigns.
The natural thing for me to do was to go away and to seek God. To get answers. To get the situation fixed. I prayed and pleaded with God, I implored with Him. I raved and ranted, my heart was in total disarray. I was in a mess. Chaos and confusion was abundant, and there was nothing but heart break in sight.
So I turned to heavens, I looked up. I looked up at God and the heavenly hosts, the angels, the living creatures and the elders, and I asked, "Will you grant me this desire?"
To my surprise, and a bit of shock, a question was thrown back at me.
"Will you still praise?"
Suddenly, the whole of heaven was focused on me. The heavens as well as the demons were all looking to me in anticipation. The question, though so simple, but had a meaning so profound that it made me pause in my step and really consider what that really meant.
Suddenly I realised, that God wanted me to embark on a journey. A journey of total delight and joy in Him. Fulfilment in Him. That God alone is more than enough.
Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and He will grant you the desires of your heart.
The revelation to me was that delight in God is the end to everything. It is the end result, not the second part of the verse. Often we emphasise on taking joy in God so that our desires will be fulfilled. But it dawned upon me, that joy and delight in God alone is the means to all ends. It is the bottom line. The omega. The answer to everything.
I begin to realise, that the first thing we do everyday, is to not ask how much we can glorify God, or how much we can serve, or how much we can give, but how much joy can we find in Him.
Still awe struck, I responded by lifting my hands, though not literally as it was in a public place that God spoke, but I decided, yes. Ever will I still praise my God. For He is God. That alone i reason enough for me to praise Him.
Ladies and gentleman, it is not the answer to your problem that matters, but it is your response to the situation.
Hallelujah for He reigns.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Worship
Sometimes I wonder what does worship really mean? Is it just an orderly practise that is carried out on Sundays just before the preacher goes up? Is it that slower paced songs after the jumpy praise ones? Is it a religious act or ritual where we lift our hands up and sing the words on the screen? Is it group karoke? Or is it perhaps a lifestyle?
1 Corinthians 10:31(NIV)
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
For the glory of God. True worship is indeed a lifestyle, a life that pursues causes and things that glorify God. Worship is not just confined to the songs you sing, but the steps you make. It is in everything. How you treat your brother, how you manage your finances, how you speak to strangers, how you deal with difficult people, how you live your life. Because whatever you do, you are reflecting whom you are. So are you of the world, or are you of Christ?
Ephesians 5:1-7 (New Living Translation)
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.
True worship is also born from a willing heart.
1 Chronicles 28:9 (New Living Translation)
9 Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
I read something very interesting in John Piper's book:
Almost everyone will agree that worship involves some kind of outward act. The very word in Hebrew means to bow down. Worship is singing, lifting of hands, praying, preaching, etc. But the fact is that these things can be done in vain, it can be useless and empty.
In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees with scripture from Isaiah 29:13:
This people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me, in vain they worship Me.
I believe true worship, is worship as an end to itself. Meaning, that it is a birth of a genuine and spontaneous desire in us, something that we do not consciously have to manufacture. Let me explain.
If you are stranded out in the sea, and land is in sight. You do not stop to ponder, "Oh my, how much joy should I feel now that I have found a place to supply me with food and water?" It is not something planned, like booking a hotel or buying a bus ticket.
Or consider fear. If you have not prepared for an exam and it begins in 2 hours, you do not go, "So now that I am in big trouble, how much fear should I be feeling?" No! You will be hysterical. Or imagine camping out in the woods and you hear a growl and see a silhouette of a huge bear coming towards your tent, you do not calculate the good results that might come from the fear the adrenaline produces, you do not rationalize whether it will be of good use to be fearful, you just do!
When I was in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Overlooking the vast and beautiful blue sea, with snow capped mountains standing majesticly in the background, and the air was as fresh as I could ever experience, and the surroundings so peaceful and serene you would wonder whether that was truly heaven, would I have said, "Now to what end do I feel awe and wonder before this beauty?"
When a little child opens up a Christmas gift and finds his most favourite and most wanted toy, which he has wanted for months, he does not think "Now to what end shall I feel happy and thankful?"
Or when a kid enters kindergarden and he gets picked on by the other kids, and his big older brother comes and takes his side, he does not "decide" to feel confidence and love welling up in his little heart. He just does.
That is how it should be when we come to the Throne of grace and glory to give our praise and worship as well. Not grudgingly, not reluctantly. Nor do we have to decide how high should I jump, how loud should I sing. What we should decide, is to give our hearts completely unto Him. For if we truly had a heart for God, and if we truly loved Him with our all, we can rest assured, we shall never worship in vain, but our affections will be like sweet smelling incense unto him.
1 Corinthians 10:31(NIV)
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
For the glory of God. True worship is indeed a lifestyle, a life that pursues causes and things that glorify God. Worship is not just confined to the songs you sing, but the steps you make. It is in everything. How you treat your brother, how you manage your finances, how you speak to strangers, how you deal with difficult people, how you live your life. Because whatever you do, you are reflecting whom you are. So are you of the world, or are you of Christ?
Ephesians 5:1-7 (New Living Translation)
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.
True worship is also born from a willing heart.
1 Chronicles 28:9 (New Living Translation)
9 Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
I read something very interesting in John Piper's book:
Almost everyone will agree that worship involves some kind of outward act. The very word in Hebrew means to bow down. Worship is singing, lifting of hands, praying, preaching, etc. But the fact is that these things can be done in vain, it can be useless and empty.
In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees with scripture from Isaiah 29:13:
This people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me, in vain they worship Me.
I believe true worship, is worship as an end to itself. Meaning, that it is a birth of a genuine and spontaneous desire in us, something that we do not consciously have to manufacture. Let me explain.
If you are stranded out in the sea, and land is in sight. You do not stop to ponder, "Oh my, how much joy should I feel now that I have found a place to supply me with food and water?" It is not something planned, like booking a hotel or buying a bus ticket.
Or consider fear. If you have not prepared for an exam and it begins in 2 hours, you do not go, "So now that I am in big trouble, how much fear should I be feeling?" No! You will be hysterical. Or imagine camping out in the woods and you hear a growl and see a silhouette of a huge bear coming towards your tent, you do not calculate the good results that might come from the fear the adrenaline produces, you do not rationalize whether it will be of good use to be fearful, you just do!
When I was in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Overlooking the vast and beautiful blue sea, with snow capped mountains standing majesticly in the background, and the air was as fresh as I could ever experience, and the surroundings so peaceful and serene you would wonder whether that was truly heaven, would I have said, "Now to what end do I feel awe and wonder before this beauty?"
When a little child opens up a Christmas gift and finds his most favourite and most wanted toy, which he has wanted for months, he does not think "Now to what end shall I feel happy and thankful?"
Or when a kid enters kindergarden and he gets picked on by the other kids, and his big older brother comes and takes his side, he does not "decide" to feel confidence and love welling up in his little heart. He just does.
That is how it should be when we come to the Throne of grace and glory to give our praise and worship as well. Not grudgingly, not reluctantly. Nor do we have to decide how high should I jump, how loud should I sing. What we should decide, is to give our hearts completely unto Him. For if we truly had a heart for God, and if we truly loved Him with our all, we can rest assured, we shall never worship in vain, but our affections will be like sweet smelling incense unto him.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Compromise
Compromise. It is a word often used to defuse a heated situation, to come to a mutual understanding, or to develope a solution to most problems between individuals and/or parties. But sometimes, there is a call for NO compromise. Today, I am going to address something that requires absolutely no compromise, and that is who God is and what He is about.
Hebrews 5:13-14 (New International Version)
13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
"Father, I pray right now, it is You who is speaking and none of Jon Ngan speaking, may Yours bring conviction and empowerment for us to do Your will. In Jesus name I pray, amen."
As an aspiring preacher, I have often wondered what would my life message be. What kind of style would I adopt? I listen and read about a lot of pastors/preachers and the messages they preach and the style they adopt, but recently God told me to look at one preacher whom is the Big Kahuna of all preachers. Jesus Christ.
On one hand, Jesus is gentle. He teaches about love, grace, healing, blessings, forgiveness, etc etc. That is all great, and it is all true. But one thing about Jesus, he did not compromise. He was not a people pleaser. Evidence? Remember how he flipped the tables, called the mob a brood of vipers? That was certainly not people pleasing! When it came to HARD truths, he spoke it! Causing some of the disciples to leave him! This is true, its in the bible! All of which I will quote soon. Many of us like to think that Jesus is Mr Nice Guy and all He wanted was to make people feel good about themselves. But my friends, that is so not true.
You see, like how my pastor Matt Fielder said, you change the methods, but you do not change the message. Often, we preach the resurrection but not the crucification. What do I mean? The Resurrection life brings blessing, brings healing, brings peace, brings joy, brings all kind of wonderful things. BUT.. we sometimes forget in order to get the resurrection, there has to be a CRUCIFICATION. I'm not suggesting we hang ourselves on a cross and beat ourselves to death. But I am merely asking, has there really been a death to self?
It is so easy to read the bible and only take what we like, and leave out all the things that don't sound too "nice" or "flowery". Oh that might offend people! SO WHAT? It is the truth! Whom are you pleasing? Men or God?
Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2:4
On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
Now, lets go to our focal verse of the day.
John 14:1-4 (New International Version)1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
This was Jesus speaking. When I first read it, God asked me, "Jon who do you think I was speaking to?" I replied, "Believers / Christians of course." BUt God corrected me, He was speaking to the disciples!
Now, I hope that is shaking or stirring some of you.
You see, in the book of John, Jesus did tremendous things. He changed water to wine, he heals people, he feeds five thousand people with two small fish and 5 loaves of bread, he walks on water, its amazing stuff! People will naturally be flocking to him, all wondering, WOW! Who is this guy?But then, Jesus goes a little deeper. He talks about the bread of life, which is of course himself, which says that the only way to God is through Jesus. Notice what happens next.
John 6:60 (New International Version)
60On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
These were his DISCIPLES questioning, the people who followed God. The minute things started getting a bit hard and challenged them, they started questioning, and worse still, in verse 66, they leave!
Now, think about it this way, if the messages preached and the stuff taught was not pleasing to you, what are you gonna do about it? Will you be them? Or will be like the remaining disciples whom Jesus promises a place in heaven at the end.
John 6:68-69 (New International Version)
68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Do we truly believe that the ALL of word of God is true and eternal, or are we being selective of what we wanna accept or throw away?
It is a burden for me, and I am truly heart broken to see that many people are deceived into thinking that as long as they turn up to church on a Sunday, they can do whatever they please on Monday to Saturday.
Let me throw another truth to you, there are MANY CHRISTIANS, but very FEW DISCIPLES. The word disciple means, "to follow after", and I think all of us who have received Christ should not just stop at that, but to really pursue and seek Him and whats on His heart.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
I challenge us as people who are comitted to following Jesus as well as become more like him to not just preach rosey nicey things, but to lay down certain truths as well. You see God is many things, He is a Father, a Friend, a Provider, a Lover, a Healer, but He is a King as well. God is not called a just God without reason. He is not father christmas or the fairy godmother, but He is full of integrity and character as well.
The first thing I wanna talk about, is sin. To many, sin has become more of a legalism thing rather than a relational thing. We think, just because we don't smoke, drink, have pre marital sex, swear, murder, steal or all this outward things, we think we are all good! The Greek word in the New Testament that is translated in English as "sin" is hamartia, which literally means missing the target. Salvation is reconciliation and a genuine relationship with Christ. Sin is an absence of that genuine relationship. You see, look at Jesus. He was called sinless. He did not do anyt of the things I mentioned before because He was always intimate with God. Always.
When you are close with God, you wont feel the need to do any thing that God does not desire you to do, in fact God will convict you bout such things. So if there is an absence of such conviction, answer this, how is your relationship with God?
In closing, I will leave you with this, who is truly in control of your life? God, or you? What I have said, I promise you, is not Jon Ngan trying to be a big meanie and raining down judgment on people, but I truly sincerely believe it is what God is saying.Sometimes, truth is easier to believe than lies, why else would Jesus say this:
John 8:42-47 (New International Version)
42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
God does want to bless you, He does want to heal you, He does want to do all kinds of things for you, but remember, before you wanna enjoy the resurrection life, you have to crucifiy your flesh first, which means totally submitting yourself to the will of God.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness AND all these things will be given to you as well.
It says seek first AND it will be added on, not SO it will be added on. Thanks for reading this guys, bless you all heaps! Praying for all of you.
Hebrews 5:13-14 (New International Version)
13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
"Father, I pray right now, it is You who is speaking and none of Jon Ngan speaking, may Yours bring conviction and empowerment for us to do Your will. In Jesus name I pray, amen."
As an aspiring preacher, I have often wondered what would my life message be. What kind of style would I adopt? I listen and read about a lot of pastors/preachers and the messages they preach and the style they adopt, but recently God told me to look at one preacher whom is the Big Kahuna of all preachers. Jesus Christ.
On one hand, Jesus is gentle. He teaches about love, grace, healing, blessings, forgiveness, etc etc. That is all great, and it is all true. But one thing about Jesus, he did not compromise. He was not a people pleaser. Evidence? Remember how he flipped the tables, called the mob a brood of vipers? That was certainly not people pleasing! When it came to HARD truths, he spoke it! Causing some of the disciples to leave him! This is true, its in the bible! All of which I will quote soon. Many of us like to think that Jesus is Mr Nice Guy and all He wanted was to make people feel good about themselves. But my friends, that is so not true.
You see, like how my pastor Matt Fielder said, you change the methods, but you do not change the message. Often, we preach the resurrection but not the crucification. What do I mean? The Resurrection life brings blessing, brings healing, brings peace, brings joy, brings all kind of wonderful things. BUT.. we sometimes forget in order to get the resurrection, there has to be a CRUCIFICATION. I'm not suggesting we hang ourselves on a cross and beat ourselves to death. But I am merely asking, has there really been a death to self?
It is so easy to read the bible and only take what we like, and leave out all the things that don't sound too "nice" or "flowery". Oh that might offend people! SO WHAT? It is the truth! Whom are you pleasing? Men or God?
Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2:4
On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
Now, lets go to our focal verse of the day.
John 14:1-4 (New International Version)1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
This was Jesus speaking. When I first read it, God asked me, "Jon who do you think I was speaking to?" I replied, "Believers / Christians of course." BUt God corrected me, He was speaking to the disciples!
Now, I hope that is shaking or stirring some of you.
You see, in the book of John, Jesus did tremendous things. He changed water to wine, he heals people, he feeds five thousand people with two small fish and 5 loaves of bread, he walks on water, its amazing stuff! People will naturally be flocking to him, all wondering, WOW! Who is this guy?But then, Jesus goes a little deeper. He talks about the bread of life, which is of course himself, which says that the only way to God is through Jesus. Notice what happens next.
John 6:60 (New International Version)
60On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
These were his DISCIPLES questioning, the people who followed God. The minute things started getting a bit hard and challenged them, they started questioning, and worse still, in verse 66, they leave!
Now, think about it this way, if the messages preached and the stuff taught was not pleasing to you, what are you gonna do about it? Will you be them? Or will be like the remaining disciples whom Jesus promises a place in heaven at the end.
John 6:68-69 (New International Version)
68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Do we truly believe that the ALL of word of God is true and eternal, or are we being selective of what we wanna accept or throw away?
It is a burden for me, and I am truly heart broken to see that many people are deceived into thinking that as long as they turn up to church on a Sunday, they can do whatever they please on Monday to Saturday.
Let me throw another truth to you, there are MANY CHRISTIANS, but very FEW DISCIPLES. The word disciple means, "to follow after", and I think all of us who have received Christ should not just stop at that, but to really pursue and seek Him and whats on His heart.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
I challenge us as people who are comitted to following Jesus as well as become more like him to not just preach rosey nicey things, but to lay down certain truths as well. You see God is many things, He is a Father, a Friend, a Provider, a Lover, a Healer, but He is a King as well. God is not called a just God without reason. He is not father christmas or the fairy godmother, but He is full of integrity and character as well.
The first thing I wanna talk about, is sin. To many, sin has become more of a legalism thing rather than a relational thing. We think, just because we don't smoke, drink, have pre marital sex, swear, murder, steal or all this outward things, we think we are all good! The Greek word in the New Testament that is translated in English as "sin" is hamartia, which literally means missing the target. Salvation is reconciliation and a genuine relationship with Christ. Sin is an absence of that genuine relationship. You see, look at Jesus. He was called sinless. He did not do anyt of the things I mentioned before because He was always intimate with God. Always.
When you are close with God, you wont feel the need to do any thing that God does not desire you to do, in fact God will convict you bout such things. So if there is an absence of such conviction, answer this, how is your relationship with God?
In closing, I will leave you with this, who is truly in control of your life? God, or you? What I have said, I promise you, is not Jon Ngan trying to be a big meanie and raining down judgment on people, but I truly sincerely believe it is what God is saying.Sometimes, truth is easier to believe than lies, why else would Jesus say this:
John 8:42-47 (New International Version)
42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
God does want to bless you, He does want to heal you, He does want to do all kinds of things for you, but remember, before you wanna enjoy the resurrection life, you have to crucifiy your flesh first, which means totally submitting yourself to the will of God.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness AND all these things will be given to you as well.
It says seek first AND it will be added on, not SO it will be added on. Thanks for reading this guys, bless you all heaps! Praying for all of you.
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