Luke 16:20-31
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell,where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' '
No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
It's so easy to be taken up by this life that we live. The stressful challenges, unreasonable expectations, the desire to succeed, the pleasurable pursuit of self, and a need to secure a good life for the future. There's heaps and heaps of excuses and reasons that we generate to justify our actions and how we choose to live. Sadly, when we die, nothing will be able to justify how we are unable to live according to the warnings of John in 1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or anything in the world."
The bible tells strongly on the agony of hell as we read the desperate expression of the rich man who said "have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire".
Have you ever eaten chilly or super-spicy food that burns your tongue and seems to burn through your into your inner being, and you actually start feel your lips and tongue swell and then you perspire? It's absolutely agonising when you don't have a cool fan blowing and a cold glass of drink to quench that agonising moment. Well if you don't know what I've described, find a chance to watch Christopher eat grilled chicken wings with heaps of fresh chilli sauce to see a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
This parable which Jesus tells is the only one which clearly describes the burning agony that is to be experienced in Hell. But, it isn't his only warning as time and again he warns of the "weeping" and "gnashing of teeth" found in darkness, outside the kingdom of heaven upon judgement. (Matthew 8:12, Matthew 24:51, Luke 13:28)
We know for sure Hell is real. We are not talking about the fictional holleywood movies depicting hell and its resident house of the devil. However, Revelations 20 states the truthful picture of Hell as a lake of fire. On the day of judgement, each person will be judged according to what he had done. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he will be thrown into the lake of fire. Hell is a lake of fire which would burn and torment the soul for eternity and there is no turning back or any more chances to go to heaven.
I know it seems like a freakily scary thought of being burned for all eternity, but not many of us have this eternal persepective that grips us every waking day to live Christ-like lives and guard our salvation. Sadly, if we continue today to live normally and enjoying life, without the need for God, as the rich man did, there may just come a day when our life passes by and we too would have to face the agony of hell.
What can we do then? As quoted in the parable above, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." May we learn to pay attention to the leaders, instructions, warnings and prophesies that God places in our lives that we may live God fearing lives. The agony of Hell should never be an option.
Blessings,
M.
"The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:41-42)
23 August 2006
14 August 2006
Godlessness in the Last Days
2 Timothy 3:14-16
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Over and over, the bible warns of the overwhelming level of godlessness and alarming evil that would make the last days terrible times to live in. Jesus himself warns in Matthew 24:12 that the increase in wickedness would cause Christian hearts to grow cold. Paul reiterates the same strong point to Timothy (in 2 timothy 3:1) that there will be terrible times in the last days.
It all boils down to the same point - godlessness shall prevail in the last days and Christian need to stay on the highest stage of alert lest they succumb to the storm of godlessness that will pummel them.
The beginning of birth pangs have already started and we must see it with big open eyes. We see it in the various rumblings of earth and Tsunamis of nearby Indonesia, typhoons in north Asia, wars and uncertainties of the middle east and UK. But here we are, many of us still living in the comfortable lull of life, blindly struggling with our own little 'life-issues' totally oblivious to the early contractions experienced as the end days undergo its birth pangs process.
As I skim through the entire Isreal-Lebanon saga, my heart stirs because I suddenly realise that everything in the world has been moving too rapidly and I've been blinded by the enemy's deceptful scales of contentment covering my eyes. There must surely be a lot more than my life's 'struggles' of wanting a new job or to have hair regown on that bald patch of my head.
As I separately talked to Matthew and Christopher yesterday over the issue of baptism, I pondered why were they each denying the need to be baptised. There is simply no logical rationale for any of them to hem and haw to provide a reason and rational explanation, especially when publicly each comes to church to openly worship and encounter God. Why are we facing situations of people not keenly wanting to be baptised, or come to church for service & fellowship, or come to church punctually with a fearful reverance of wanting to meet God?
Is there anything more important than to guarantee our own personal eternal salvation? Make haste while we can, we only have a short time left and cannot afford to have eyes that are blinded by the scales of deception and self indulgence. The warnings of the perils of the last days are already provided to us in strong black and white. God has already spoken that the earth has a terminable cancer and as inhibitants, we only have a limited of time before the cancer destroys everything.
Stay firm Christians! Stand firm till the end! Be thoroughly equipped with the word of God. Continue to learn from the word of God and live Godly lifes with Godly decisions. All scriptures is God-breathed that would enable us to prevail as the pregnancyof the end times progress.
Be faithful Christians! Make every decision a Godly decision! You and I do not know on what day the Lord will come back and we need to do what we can and must to keep the flames of God in our lives from flickering out, lest the Lord comes back and we are left behind because we are not ready.
Blessings,
M.
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Matthew 24:42
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Over and over, the bible warns of the overwhelming level of godlessness and alarming evil that would make the last days terrible times to live in. Jesus himself warns in Matthew 24:12 that the increase in wickedness would cause Christian hearts to grow cold. Paul reiterates the same strong point to Timothy (in 2 timothy 3:1) that there will be terrible times in the last days.
It all boils down to the same point - godlessness shall prevail in the last days and Christian need to stay on the highest stage of alert lest they succumb to the storm of godlessness that will pummel them.
The beginning of birth pangs have already started and we must see it with big open eyes. We see it in the various rumblings of earth and Tsunamis of nearby Indonesia, typhoons in north Asia, wars and uncertainties of the middle east and UK. But here we are, many of us still living in the comfortable lull of life, blindly struggling with our own little 'life-issues' totally oblivious to the early contractions experienced as the end days undergo its birth pangs process.
As I skim through the entire Isreal-Lebanon saga, my heart stirs because I suddenly realise that everything in the world has been moving too rapidly and I've been blinded by the enemy's deceptful scales of contentment covering my eyes. There must surely be a lot more than my life's 'struggles' of wanting a new job or to have hair regown on that bald patch of my head.
As I separately talked to Matthew and Christopher yesterday over the issue of baptism, I pondered why were they each denying the need to be baptised. There is simply no logical rationale for any of them to hem and haw to provide a reason and rational explanation, especially when publicly each comes to church to openly worship and encounter God. Why are we facing situations of people not keenly wanting to be baptised, or come to church for service & fellowship, or come to church punctually with a fearful reverance of wanting to meet God?
Is there anything more important than to guarantee our own personal eternal salvation? Make haste while we can, we only have a short time left and cannot afford to have eyes that are blinded by the scales of deception and self indulgence. The warnings of the perils of the last days are already provided to us in strong black and white. God has already spoken that the earth has a terminable cancer and as inhibitants, we only have a limited of time before the cancer destroys everything.
Stay firm Christians! Stand firm till the end! Be thoroughly equipped with the word of God. Continue to learn from the word of God and live Godly lifes with Godly decisions. All scriptures is God-breathed that would enable us to prevail as the pregnancyof the end times progress.
Be faithful Christians! Make every decision a Godly decision! You and I do not know on what day the Lord will come back and we need to do what we can and must to keep the flames of God in our lives from flickering out, lest the Lord comes back and we are left behind because we are not ready.
Blessings,
M.
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Matthew 24:42
09 August 2006
The Often Unused Shield
Ephesians 6:10-18 (key verse - Ephesians 6:16)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Someday I do hope to be able to learn and then share more about the individual pieces of the armour of God, which Paul speak about. But today, I just want to focus on the Shield of Faith simply because I suddenly realise how underutilised/neglected it has been in the armoury of a warrior.
Last week, I watched a documentary on Alexander and how his army conquered the ancient world with their strategies and skills in Discovery Channel. During a battle, when the army of Alexander stormed head-on to face the opponents, the first row of Romans banded together, used their shields as a wall of protection to deflect the advancing army swords and thereafter to stab their enemies by lowering their shields.
As the Romans advanced forward in the battle ground, they would face the onlaught of the enemy's rain of arrows - what we deem as modern day artillary bombardment. Upon seeing the arrows, the Romans would form a formidable tortoise shell-like shield over their heads that neutralised the arrows raining down on them as they advanced forward.
To the church in Ephesus, Paul's speaks of the need to dorn the armour of God so that in the day of evil, Christians are able to stand (or stand firmly/hold your ground). Every part of the armour is made to equip a Christian to survive the onslaught thrown by the enemy in the last days.
The obvious truth of the armour of God is every single piece is adorn onto the body like a thick shell over the naked, vulnerable skin and body. Only the sword and shield are external pieces which are held up a small distance away from the physical body to provide a projected layer of defence.
Much has been spoken about the word of God as the sword, the only weapon of defence and offense. However, having read the NIV version which states "In addition" to all the bodily protection armour, I am very intrigued by the obvious truth that holding the shield of faith adds increasing value which may Christians fail to neglect.
In war, a shield can protect its holder even without wearing bodily armour. But when you adorn a full armour, holding a shield can be sometimes be a chore in bodily combat, given the fact that both hands may be better off trying to wield the sword to attack more efficiently and defend quickly. However, when we recognise the enemy's use of sharp, armour piercing arrows (and flame lit!) that are projected to attack us even before we can face him, the shield starts to play an invaluable role of covering. No one would then see the shield as a cumbersome article to carry.
I'm not sure if the show TROY starring Brad Pitt as Achilles was a good representation of how a soldier is to use his sword and shield. But in one scene where Achilles was battling Hector (played by Eric Bana) it was an impressive show of how even in face-to-face combat, the sword and shield could be masterfully used for both offensive & defensive attacks. A savvy soldier knows that he needs to utilise his shield as it is an essential life preservation equipment. without it, the bodily armoured pieces would be pierced in a few sharp thrusts.
If I could interprete Ephesians 6:16, I would make it a call of "Hold up your faith!", "Lift it up high!" The enemy's fliery armour piercing arrows are meant to stab us deeply and cause us so much agony, grimmacing pain and mental torment that the soldier of God would be crippled and unable to move on. That's YOU and ME that the flaming arrows are targetted at!
So today, don't procrestinate and be lazy. If you haven't been carrying your shield of faith because you found it heavy and cumbersome. If you have be lugging it but failing to utilise it properly - lift it up! Let faith arise in you that you would be able to dispel the attacks that would cause you to waver.
Blessings,
M.
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." 1 Corinthians 6:13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Someday I do hope to be able to learn and then share more about the individual pieces of the armour of God, which Paul speak about. But today, I just want to focus on the Shield of Faith simply because I suddenly realise how underutilised/neglected it has been in the armoury of a warrior.
Last week, I watched a documentary on Alexander and how his army conquered the ancient world with their strategies and skills in Discovery Channel. During a battle, when the army of Alexander stormed head-on to face the opponents, the first row of Romans banded together, used their shields as a wall of protection to deflect the advancing army swords and thereafter to stab their enemies by lowering their shields.
As the Romans advanced forward in the battle ground, they would face the onlaught of the enemy's rain of arrows - what we deem as modern day artillary bombardment. Upon seeing the arrows, the Romans would form a formidable tortoise shell-like shield over their heads that neutralised the arrows raining down on them as they advanced forward.
To the church in Ephesus, Paul's speaks of the need to dorn the armour of God so that in the day of evil, Christians are able to stand (or stand firmly/hold your ground). Every part of the armour is made to equip a Christian to survive the onslaught thrown by the enemy in the last days.
The obvious truth of the armour of God is every single piece is adorn onto the body like a thick shell over the naked, vulnerable skin and body. Only the sword and shield are external pieces which are held up a small distance away from the physical body to provide a projected layer of defence.
Much has been spoken about the word of God as the sword, the only weapon of defence and offense. However, having read the NIV version which states "In addition" to all the bodily protection armour, I am very intrigued by the obvious truth that holding the shield of faith adds increasing value which may Christians fail to neglect.
In war, a shield can protect its holder even without wearing bodily armour. But when you adorn a full armour, holding a shield can be sometimes be a chore in bodily combat, given the fact that both hands may be better off trying to wield the sword to attack more efficiently and defend quickly. However, when we recognise the enemy's use of sharp, armour piercing arrows (and flame lit!) that are projected to attack us even before we can face him, the shield starts to play an invaluable role of covering. No one would then see the shield as a cumbersome article to carry.
I'm not sure if the show TROY starring Brad Pitt as Achilles was a good representation of how a soldier is to use his sword and shield. But in one scene where Achilles was battling Hector (played by Eric Bana) it was an impressive show of how even in face-to-face combat, the sword and shield could be masterfully used for both offensive & defensive attacks. A savvy soldier knows that he needs to utilise his shield as it is an essential life preservation equipment. without it, the bodily armoured pieces would be pierced in a few sharp thrusts.
If I could interprete Ephesians 6:16, I would make it a call of "Hold up your faith!", "Lift it up high!" The enemy's fliery armour piercing arrows are meant to stab us deeply and cause us so much agony, grimmacing pain and mental torment that the soldier of God would be crippled and unable to move on. That's YOU and ME that the flaming arrows are targetted at!
So today, don't procrestinate and be lazy. If you haven't been carrying your shield of faith because you found it heavy and cumbersome. If you have be lugging it but failing to utilise it properly - lift it up! Let faith arise in you that you would be able to dispel the attacks that would cause you to waver.
Blessings,
M.
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." 1 Corinthians 6:13
03 August 2006
Blaspheme
Exodus 20:7
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain."
This commandment addresses the need to reverently treat God. The people were warned of the consequences of use God's name profanely or as an obscene language, and if they were to make oaths using God's name, this decision was not to be trifled or used rampantly.
In the days of Moses, God had decreed the sacredness and sovereignty of His name and told the people "anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death." (Leviticus 24:16 )
Against the Honour of his Holy name, Jesus warns in Matthew 5:37 that the people of God are not to swear using his name, instead they are to let their "yes" be "yes" and "no" be "no". There was no need to be like the triad and invoke the name of god or proclaim "may the heavens strike me dead, if I didn't do as I say". I recall petty days as a child when we childishly "swore and crossed our hearts" for issues that we had stated and others simply didn't believe. Those truely were simple-minded days of innocence, but now I know better.
Weirdly, in today's context very few of us need to make oaths or administer promises under oaths. (except in a court of law). However, in the care-less environment that we live in, we fall guilty of treating the name of God irreverently.
How often have we seen characters in movies blaspheming in exclamation "Oh god!" or "Oh my god!" or even to have ourselves type in msn or in blogs the short form "OMG!". It may seem of little reason to make a fuss about it, afterall, with all that vulgarities spewing forth and coarse, crude language being used in our generation, what is a fuss over this short exclamation of shock that is accepted colloquially?
But even in what we consider the little things to us, it is before God a sin of blasphemy as we irreverently use His name. When we stand before Him when we die, there is no such excuse as "I didn't mean it", "it was a slip of the tongue" or "It was acceptable then."
Like it or not, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His standards, decrees and warnings to humans as we live are absolute and not subject to trends of time or evolution of time. So may we stay alert and embrace the statues of God clearly that we may not be deceived or sin ignorantly.
Blessings,
M.
'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:12)
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain."
This commandment addresses the need to reverently treat God. The people were warned of the consequences of use God's name profanely or as an obscene language, and if they were to make oaths using God's name, this decision was not to be trifled or used rampantly.
In the days of Moses, God had decreed the sacredness and sovereignty of His name and told the people "anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death." (Leviticus 24:16 )
Against the Honour of his Holy name, Jesus warns in Matthew 5:37 that the people of God are not to swear using his name, instead they are to let their "yes" be "yes" and "no" be "no". There was no need to be like the triad and invoke the name of god or proclaim "may the heavens strike me dead, if I didn't do as I say". I recall petty days as a child when we childishly "swore and crossed our hearts" for issues that we had stated and others simply didn't believe. Those truely were simple-minded days of innocence, but now I know better.
Weirdly, in today's context very few of us need to make oaths or administer promises under oaths. (except in a court of law). However, in the care-less environment that we live in, we fall guilty of treating the name of God irreverently.
How often have we seen characters in movies blaspheming in exclamation "Oh god!" or "Oh my god!" or even to have ourselves type in msn or in blogs the short form "OMG!". It may seem of little reason to make a fuss about it, afterall, with all that vulgarities spewing forth and coarse, crude language being used in our generation, what is a fuss over this short exclamation of shock that is accepted colloquially?
But even in what we consider the little things to us, it is before God a sin of blasphemy as we irreverently use His name. When we stand before Him when we die, there is no such excuse as "I didn't mean it", "it was a slip of the tongue" or "It was acceptable then."
Like it or not, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His standards, decrees and warnings to humans as we live are absolute and not subject to trends of time or evolution of time. So may we stay alert and embrace the statues of God clearly that we may not be deceived or sin ignorantly.
Blessings,
M.
'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:12)
21 July 2006
Is your life worth it?
Matthew 16:26
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
In the late 1940's two American teenage boys were growing up. They had the look of greatness about them, and every one who met them thought, "we'd better keep our eyes on these two kids - they'll go far". In College, they rose to become student leaders, respected and admired by peers and faculty alike.
Instead of living successful lives, they gave up their dreams and decided to commit a life of hardship as a missionary to Ecuador for God. One of them wrote out the driving force behind his seemingly foolish decision: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose ".
On the morning of 8 January 1956, those two young men, and three companions, climbed into an amphibious Piper airplane in Ecuador, South America. They flew half an hour out over the Amazon jungle, to an Indian village they had spotted just a few days earlier. They had made contact with this village before, and had successfully dropped gifts for the people in a specially designed bucket. They felt that now was the time to attempt to meet the villagers face to face, and were planning to land on the river.
The village was one of the villages of a tribe of Indians known as the Aucas. This was a name given to them by the surrounding Indian tribes – it means "savage". They were untouched by civilisation, and throughout the centuries had gained a reputation for being brutal, and killing all outsiders. These five young missionaries were hopeful that they would be able to make a breakthrough this morning.
As they approached the Indian village, they saw a large group of men coming to meet them. The waited as this group approached them. Then the leader of that group, a man named Guiquita Waewae gave a shouted command, and the villagers raised their spears, and savagely murdered the missionaries with their three-metre chonta wood spears.
When the men did not return to their base, a plane was sent to find them, and their bodies and wrecked plane were seen lying on the sandbar, in pools of blood. They died, murdered by the very people they came to love. They died in pain, without graves or any achievements to boast.
I don't know about you, but when I hear a story like that, I am humbled at my own puny attempt at living a Christian life. I wonder if I'm accountable to God for all that I have lived and done. If I die today or anytime in the next few days is there fulfillment of my life because I have been walking in the will and instructions of what God wanted me to? Am I able to truely say that I am living in the will of God and can embrace life and death like Paul and boast "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain". (Philippians 1:21)
Unlike the missionaries of the story above, not many of us have this persepective that grips us to give up our dreams and live according to the intense heartbeat of Christ. Instead you and I willingly sacrifice anything in order to pursue after our future success and desires of life.
However, one thing we need to be sure, there will come a day where our life would end and we would stand before God and be made accountable for the life we have lived. Would we be able to say, "I have lived a life worthy of the calling of Christ and passed away with all Glory going to God" or would we only realise that we have lived a worldly life and forfeited our soul? By then, it will be too late to repent.
May we always be mindful to guard our souls from the eternal flames of hell, because there is no available means except we live a Christ-like life everyday of our life.
Blessings,
M.
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" - Jim Elliot
Final Note:
A few years later, two of the wives of those missionaries had the privilege of being among the first outsiders to make contact with the Auca Indians. And the wife of the leading missionary that was murdered was able to lead Guiquita, the man who had killed her husband, to the Lord.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
In the late 1940's two American teenage boys were growing up. They had the look of greatness about them, and every one who met them thought, "we'd better keep our eyes on these two kids - they'll go far". In College, they rose to become student leaders, respected and admired by peers and faculty alike.
Instead of living successful lives, they gave up their dreams and decided to commit a life of hardship as a missionary to Ecuador for God. One of them wrote out the driving force behind his seemingly foolish decision: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose ".
On the morning of 8 January 1956, those two young men, and three companions, climbed into an amphibious Piper airplane in Ecuador, South America. They flew half an hour out over the Amazon jungle, to an Indian village they had spotted just a few days earlier. They had made contact with this village before, and had successfully dropped gifts for the people in a specially designed bucket. They felt that now was the time to attempt to meet the villagers face to face, and were planning to land on the river.
The village was one of the villages of a tribe of Indians known as the Aucas. This was a name given to them by the surrounding Indian tribes – it means "savage". They were untouched by civilisation, and throughout the centuries had gained a reputation for being brutal, and killing all outsiders. These five young missionaries were hopeful that they would be able to make a breakthrough this morning.
As they approached the Indian village, they saw a large group of men coming to meet them. The waited as this group approached them. Then the leader of that group, a man named Guiquita Waewae gave a shouted command, and the villagers raised their spears, and savagely murdered the missionaries with their three-metre chonta wood spears.
When the men did not return to their base, a plane was sent to find them, and their bodies and wrecked plane were seen lying on the sandbar, in pools of blood. They died, murdered by the very people they came to love. They died in pain, without graves or any achievements to boast.
I don't know about you, but when I hear a story like that, I am humbled at my own puny attempt at living a Christian life. I wonder if I'm accountable to God for all that I have lived and done. If I die today or anytime in the next few days is there fulfillment of my life because I have been walking in the will and instructions of what God wanted me to? Am I able to truely say that I am living in the will of God and can embrace life and death like Paul and boast "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain". (Philippians 1:21)
Unlike the missionaries of the story above, not many of us have this persepective that grips us to give up our dreams and live according to the intense heartbeat of Christ. Instead you and I willingly sacrifice anything in order to pursue after our future success and desires of life.
However, one thing we need to be sure, there will come a day where our life would end and we would stand before God and be made accountable for the life we have lived. Would we be able to say, "I have lived a life worthy of the calling of Christ and passed away with all Glory going to God" or would we only realise that we have lived a worldly life and forfeited our soul? By then, it will be too late to repent.
May we always be mindful to guard our souls from the eternal flames of hell, because there is no available means except we live a Christ-like life everyday of our life.
Blessings,
M.
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" - Jim Elliot
Final Note:
A few years later, two of the wives of those missionaries had the privilege of being among the first outsiders to make contact with the Auca Indians. And the wife of the leading missionary that was murdered was able to lead Guiquita, the man who had killed her husband, to the Lord.
12 July 2006
Standing firm. A sign of salvation
Philippians 1:27-30
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Ancient Israel’s King Solomon started off in life as one of the most impressive Godly man. I recall many sunday school lessons that pointed out the answer of Solomon to God when God appeared to him in a dream and spoke to him "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."
Humbled and with a heart full of love for God he gave the most impressive model answer beyond the ordinary man "give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (1 Kings 3:9)
The bible records that God was so pleased with his answer that He blessed Solomon with a wise and discerning heart. Moreover, both riches and honor will be added, so that in Solomon's lifetime He will have no equal among kings. Throughout the sunday school lessons, we often marvelled at how awesome was Solomon's added bonus because he choosed to answer God humbly.
Contrasted this with my answers when as a young boy I told myself that if I ever get an Aladdin's lamp that entitled me to 3 wishes, I would use the wishes for superhuman powers, infinite resources and the last wish would be for more unlimited wishes.
Everything seemed right for Solomon after his life changing encounter with God in 1 Kings 3. Many years later, as he builds the finest temple for God, 1 Kings 9 records how the LORD appears to Solomon a second time and promises to bless him as long as he walks before God in integrity of heart and uprightness.
During the years of Solomon, he wrote wise Proverbs such as "Keep your heart with all diligence" (4:23) and "Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding" (14:33).
Hoever, despite having been blessed with wisdom and knowing the connection between the heart and wisdom, 1 Kings 11 records a backsliden king who disobeyed God by marrying foreign women and end in corrupt sin.
"As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done." (1 Kings 11:4-6)
How sorry it is to see a man who started so well, end in such a tragic state. However, starting well with God is not a guarantee of eternal salvation.
Paul in his letter to the Philippians highlighted the need for all Christians to remain steadfast and firm inspite of difficulties. In his letter above, he brings to mind the truth that the choice to stay in faithful to Christ in hard times is a given. Paul merely states the reality that because the standard of Christ are different from the world, we will need to suffer for Christ, but He would provide us with the strength and grace to endure. This is the same as the commands of Christ "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"
Whatever happens, may you conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ that you may start and end strong. May others see the sign of Christ salvation in unwavering trust and faith.
Blessings, M
"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21)
06 July 2006
Sabbath - Fallowing of Your life
Exodus 23:10-12
For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. "Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed. "
I recall studying in geography about the orang asli, people who practice shifting cultivation. As normadic dwellers, they go around and clear any suitable land for subsistence cultivation and live there for a couple of years. Without the use of fertilisers, after a few years, the nutrients of the land will soon be exhausted. Thus, they pack up, leave it to idle (fallow) and move onto another plot of land. Many years later, the original piece of land would regain its nutrients and moisture and be suitable for them to go back and use it.
Even in commercial farming, leaving the field idle to fallow for a period of time warrants an important role as it not only helps retains nutrients and moisture, it also reduces soil disturbing activities and allows for a time of rest. Thus all these helps ensure that the ground never goes barren and remains useful for continual cultivation of crops.
In the above passage, God leaves clear instructions to the people of Isreal to leave the ground to fallow for 1 year after 6 years of use. Likewise, the people, beasts of burdens and slaves were also to follow suit but in a timeframe of 1 day of rest for every 6 days of work. Compare this in light of the 10 Commandments which states
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."(Exodus 20:8-11)
When God created the universe, the bible records that for each day of creation, God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. On the 7 day, Genesis 2:2-3 records that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
God did not rest because He was exhausted from all that effort of creating. I believe that the Almighty God choosed to observe and take in the beauty of His perfect completion. Thus on the 7 day, there was nothing more to be done but to step back and observe the beauty functions and working splendour of His creation efforts. Thus, He blessed that day because it marked the completion of His majestic works
Haven't we all notice that when a school building or significant structure is built, it is not the installation days of the key elements that we commemorate and celebrate but the actual official date of completion when all can look, walk around and observe. Similarly this official opening celebration of creation was called the Sabbath.
We are not gods. All of creation needs rest. Even as we observe the needs of nature and its need to fallow to regain its strength and remain sustainable in the long run. How often we forget the importance of experiencing a Sabbath - a period where we can rest and allow the 'nutrients and moisture' that refreshes us and makes us strong again.
As we forge onwards in the pressures of the world, we must always remember the truth in Romans that we have to be set apart and are already given an inheritance of God's perfect will in our lives. "Do 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." (Romans 12:2)
Sadly, how often it is that we forget that we are God's chosen and become ensnared by the systems, expectations and pressure of the world that we do everything like everyone else. When everyone rushes home to study for exams or complete their projects on our Sabbath, so do we. When everyone is panicking because the pressure is kicking in, so do we. When our human confidence fails and in our sight we are doomed, we choose to do all we can to save the situation but fail to throw ourselves and find refuge and restoration in the presence of the Almighty Creator God.
I believe whole-heartedly that if the day before the biggest exams/project/life-or-death situation rests on a Sunday, the person who chooses to abide in that Sabbath day will find himself/herself refreshed and restored in body, soul, spirit and mind. For God has decreed in the days of Moses and today that "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work".
Blessings
M.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)
For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. "Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed. "
I recall studying in geography about the orang asli, people who practice shifting cultivation. As normadic dwellers, they go around and clear any suitable land for subsistence cultivation and live there for a couple of years. Without the use of fertilisers, after a few years, the nutrients of the land will soon be exhausted. Thus, they pack up, leave it to idle (fallow) and move onto another plot of land. Many years later, the original piece of land would regain its nutrients and moisture and be suitable for them to go back and use it.
Even in commercial farming, leaving the field idle to fallow for a period of time warrants an important role as it not only helps retains nutrients and moisture, it also reduces soil disturbing activities and allows for a time of rest. Thus all these helps ensure that the ground never goes barren and remains useful for continual cultivation of crops.
In the above passage, God leaves clear instructions to the people of Isreal to leave the ground to fallow for 1 year after 6 years of use. Likewise, the people, beasts of burdens and slaves were also to follow suit but in a timeframe of 1 day of rest for every 6 days of work. Compare this in light of the 10 Commandments which states
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."(Exodus 20:8-11)
When God created the universe, the bible records that for each day of creation, God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. On the 7 day, Genesis 2:2-3 records that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
God did not rest because He was exhausted from all that effort of creating. I believe that the Almighty God choosed to observe and take in the beauty of His perfect completion. Thus on the 7 day, there was nothing more to be done but to step back and observe the beauty functions and working splendour of His creation efforts. Thus, He blessed that day because it marked the completion of His majestic works
Haven't we all notice that when a school building or significant structure is built, it is not the installation days of the key elements that we commemorate and celebrate but the actual official date of completion when all can look, walk around and observe. Similarly this official opening celebration of creation was called the Sabbath.
We are not gods. All of creation needs rest. Even as we observe the needs of nature and its need to fallow to regain its strength and remain sustainable in the long run. How often we forget the importance of experiencing a Sabbath - a period where we can rest and allow the 'nutrients and moisture' that refreshes us and makes us strong again.
As we forge onwards in the pressures of the world, we must always remember the truth in Romans that we have to be set apart and are already given an inheritance of God's perfect will in our lives. "Do 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." (Romans 12:2)
Sadly, how often it is that we forget that we are God's chosen and become ensnared by the systems, expectations and pressure of the world that we do everything like everyone else. When everyone rushes home to study for exams or complete their projects on our Sabbath, so do we. When everyone is panicking because the pressure is kicking in, so do we. When our human confidence fails and in our sight we are doomed, we choose to do all we can to save the situation but fail to throw ourselves and find refuge and restoration in the presence of the Almighty Creator God.
I believe whole-heartedly that if the day before the biggest exams/project/life-or-death situation rests on a Sunday, the person who chooses to abide in that Sabbath day will find himself/herself refreshed and restored in body, soul, spirit and mind. For God has decreed in the days of Moses and today that "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work".
Blessings
M.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)