Dead Dreams Restored

Isaiah 26:19

But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.

I attended the youth service with the living springs ER on 16 Aug and this was the verse and topic shared. One of the activities which we did was to write down the dreams and aspirations which we had when we were young. It was refreshing to rethink what I wanted to be when I was young and review it.

Sadly, the few adults who were present realised that over 50% of our dreams never materialised. Yes some were hilarious to review because they were idealistic dreams common to children but in adult years, most of us would never want to do such a job. Examples include a fireman, road-sweeper or nurse.

We were given some time to review our list and as I reviewed mine, I realised that some dreams were indirectly fulfilled and often they were used to glorify God. When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher because I wanted many school holidays to play and enjoy. However, as I did my part-time teaching, I realised that teaching in school was never my cup of tea. But I did end up fulfilling that dream because I joined the teaching ministry in church. That to me was a lot more rewarding that I ever expected, except that I don't enjoy school holidays.

What about you? what innocent dreams did you aspire to have or would still like to have? Life comprises more than just the current realities. We need visions and dreams to move ahead in life. Surely, life in Christ comprises of more possibilities and opportunities to extend our capacity and eventually lead towards God being glorified.

Today, won't you do like what I did. Write and review your dreams because that which is honest, true and worthy, God can restore.

blessings,
M.

For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. (Ecclesiastes 5:7)

Grace

Titus 2:11-12
"For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world."

Many professing Christians today utterly ignore the biblical truth that grace "instruct us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age". Instead, they live as if grace were a supernatural "Get Out of Jail Free" ticket with no strings attached, a general leniency and self-awarded immunity from what we should be living morally. It is really an attitude of complacency which have taken root in us, especially if we have sat in the pews of church for years and yet lived as if Christ was never going to come back in our life.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German Lutheran pastor and Nazi resister spoke powerfully against the secularization of the church during the Nazi Regime"

"Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian "conception" of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure the remission of sins. The Church which holds the correct doctrine of grace has, it is supposed, ipso facto a part in that grace. In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God. Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. "All for sin could not atone." The world goes on in the same old way, and we are still sinners "even in the best life" as Luther said. Well, then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world's standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin" - Quoted from The Cost of Discipleship [New York: Collier, 1959], 45-46).

Summary of the quote above is a call for us to humbly understand that the church cannot afford to live as the world does. Someone died to redeem us from our sinful lives and have us the gift of eternal life! Therefore we who call ourselves Christians should live 'fearfully' to meet the standards of God, and not live lives like a non-believer.

We live each day in undeserving grace. It was the loving choice, plan and power of God though and by His son Jesus that we can someday go to heaven. This should keep us humble and make us grateful to learn of him. We did nothing to deserve it. Oh that you and I can start to understand His love, His power, His choice, His patience and the cost to sacrifice His Son just so you and I have hope.

blessings,
M.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Death

Ecclesiastes 7:2
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.

Today while lunching with 2 colleagues we ended up talking about death and I started sharing with them my ideal dying age if I was single and if I was married, much to their horror/amazement. Despite my justification and answering all their queries of why I only wanted to die by the ages, they could not reconcile my idealogy and concluded I was extremely cukoo.

Death is inevitable, the only question is how and when. It's interesting that Ecclesiastes professes that we should keep the notion of death closely to heart. Why? I realise that if we comprehend that our lives are delicate and transient, it would make us live life fully, treasure what is important and discard the petty things.

William Wallace says "Every man dies, not every man really lives". What time of life are you living for today? Are you bogged down with issues that really don't matter in the long term? Are you living like Paul did with eternity in mind as he told the church of Galatia: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."Importantly, should you pass away anytime in the next few weeks or months would you recognise that the life you had lived, no matter how short, was well lived?

Someday we will die, it could be the near future, or many years ahead. May you be able to answer to God and man that our lives have been purposeful and of value to all.

blessings,
M.

"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (Ps. 139:16).