Making a decision for college has arguably been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made in my life. I agree that, initially, it didn’t sound to me like a daunting choice either. After college admissions destroys your self-esteem and narrows your choices down to only a handful of schools, you would think that visiting each college and factoring in your personal preferences will help you to quickly crank out a college choice in no time. However, if you got into your dream college that has just about everything you could ever hope for, but God called you to another college that you may not have wanted to go to as much instead, would you obey Him?
Read 1 Samuel 15
Saul was Israel’s first king and the Lord’s anointed one. God chose Saul out of all the other men of Israel to be king over His people. However, God also wanted Saul to love and obey Him. When He called Saul to go to war with the Amalekites, He gave Saul specific orders to put to death all men, women, children, infants, and all of their livestock. God was with Saul when the Israelites battled with and annihilated the Amalekites. However, instead of following God’s orders completely, he only half-heartedly obeyed them. He took the enemy king as hostage and kept all of the best livestock for his army.
Saul’s actions displeased the Lord, who conveyed His message of grievance to His prophet Samuel. Samuel then rebuked Saul and told him that the Lord has rejected him as king over Israel. Saul was not expecting this. He thought he had done the right thing. He didn’t even take the enemy’s livestock for himself, but wanted to sacrifice all of the good things he reaped to the Lord. Saul thought he knew how to do things better than God did and, through his pride and selfishness, disobeyed the Lord’s commands.
After senior year started for me, I knew I wanted to be an economics major and made a plan of all of the colleges I intended to apply to. Out of these schools, I put the University of Chicago as my number one choice for a number of reasons. Not only was it the closest to home, but it was also in Chicago, one of the country’s most exciting and fun-filled cities. I also had a handful of close friends who were already in the city who I met through Teen Camp, WCAC, or school. On top of that, it was also tied first in the nation at economics with Harvard, Princeton, and MIT. Yeah… small wonder I had that school as my first choice.
(Continue Day # 1) I thought I had everything in the bag last fall after I applied to UChicago as early action. My essay for that school was arguably my best yet, my interview with the admissions officer went by very smoothly, my grades in school were decent, and the admissions rate for UChicago was extremely high for its prestige – sitting at almost 30% a year, and even higher for early applicants. When decision day came in early December, I was crushed when I received a skinny envelope in the mail with a short letter inside confirming that I had been deferred. Things seemed pretty hopeless to me at that point. I thought I knew exactly where God wanted me to go to school next fall, but obviously He thought otherwise. Why else would He have deferred me? I knew what I had to do though – trust in God to provide me with the right college that He wants me to go to.
When colleges started releasing their regular decision admissions results, one of the first ones that came out was UChicago. And what do you know? I was arguably one of the happiest people alive at that moment when I found out that I had been accepted. However, a good education seems to always come at a high price as well – a price that cost me nearly $57,000 per year (holy moly)! However, overall, I had already considered myself a UChicago student. Maybe that’s exactly how Saul felt when he went off to do things his own way. He saw the “good” that the enemy’s livestock had to offer and became enveloped in pride and greed.
Likewise, my happiness about being accepted into UChicago didn’t leave any room for God to work in my life and to direct me to the college He wanted me to go to. He intervened and, through my mom, forced me to go on a college visit to Washington University in St. Louis (another school I got into). I was extremely reluctant to go, thinking that it would just be a waste of my time, but I went anyways because of free travel expenses. In the end, my college decision was down to – you guessed it – my dream college that has just about everything I could ever hope for, or a less prestigious school where I’d still be happy and where I thought God might be calling me to go to.
I prayed to God, asking Him to give me some sort of sign that would assure me as to where He would like to go. I ended up visiting UChicago as well, but found that it actually didn’t quite appeal to me the way WashU did. I came home reasonably sure that WashU was where God wanted me to go. I prayed to God again, asking Him if WashU was indeed the college of HIS choice for me. He answered my prayer and solidified my decision by granting me a scholarship from WashU that made it one of my cheapest colleges.
Now, looking back, I can see why God did the things He did and how He works in such amazing ways in our lives. While I was really hurt that I was initially deferred from my top choice, things would have been completely different had I been accepted right off the bat. I don’t think I would have even bothered applying to WashU if I had been accepted early. With the mentality I carried about wanting to go to UChicago for sure, I wasn’t making any room for God in my life. I was following my own plan instead of His, and was obeying the things my mind was telling me rather than what God was telling me. Even when I thought I could crank out more success to honor God with in the future by going off on my own, God would rather just have me obey Him.
Obedience to the Lord shows that we love, trust, and fear Him. How could we say we love our God if we don’t do the things He tells us to do? 1 Samuel 15:22 says, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Saul thought he could make things better for God rather than simply doing what He was told to do. However, God remains the rightful king and sought obedience from his chosen leader Saul. As a result, God rejected Saul and, instead, made David his new Israelite king. I know my story about how I decided on a college isn’t exactly the best parallel for this passage, but obeying God take shapes in a variety of other ways in our lives. We can obey our parents, our teachers, our church leaders, our elders, being respectful to strangers, and always praying to God and reading His word so He can speak to us.
One of the dangers we face is greed. We want to gain recognition for ourselves and, as a result, we over complicate things when it comes to obedience. We don’t just want to obey, we want to impress and gain glory for ourselves. As soon as we lose sight of why we are obeying God’s commands, or even what things we are obeying, we have lost ourselves to sin. Thus, I really encourage you to spend more time with God each day. I know I forget about it too some days, but how else can we obey our Father if we don’t know how to obey him? Luke 11:28 says, “[Jesus] replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” High school will always come with struggles and pressures, but if we trust in Him, He will deliver us from all of the Amalekites in our lives. Nothing makes our Father happier than showing Him that we love him – and to do that, we have to obey!
Monday, May 31, 2010
To obey is better than sacrifice
Making a decision for college has arguably been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made in my life. I agree that, initially, it didn’t sound to me like a daunting choice either. After college admissions destroys your self-esteem and narrows your choices down to only a handful of schools, you would think that visiting each college and factoring in your personal preferences will help you to quickly crank out a college choice in no time. However, if you got into your dream college that has just about everything you could ever hope for, but God called you to another college that you may not have wanted to go to as much instead, would you obey Him?
Read 1 Samuel 15
Saul was Israel’s first king and the Lord’s anointed one. God chose Saul out of all the other men of Israel to be king over His people. However, God also wanted Saul to love and obey Him. When He called Saul to go to war with the Amalekites, He gave Saul specific orders to put to death all men, women, children, infants, and all of their livestock. God was with Saul when the Israelites battled with and annihilated the Amalekites. However, instead of following God’s orders completely, he only half-heartedly obeyed them. He took the enemy king as hostage and kept all of the best livestock for his army.
Saul’s actions displeased the Lord, who conveyed His message of grievance to His prophet Samuel. Samuel then rebuked Saul and told him that the Lord has rejected him as king over Israel. Saul was not expecting this. He thought he had done the right thing. He didn’t even take the enemy’s livestock for himself, but wanted to sacrifice all of the good things he reaped to the Lord. Saul thought he knew how to do things better than God did and, through his pride and selfishness, disobeyed the Lord’s commands.
After senior year started for me, I knew I wanted to be an economics major and made a plan of all of the colleges I intended to apply to. Out of these schools, I put the University of Chicago as my number one choice for a number of reasons. Not only was it the closest to home, but it was also in Chicago, one of the country’s most exciting and fun-filled cities. I also had a handful of close friends who were already in the city who I met through Teen Camp, WCAC, or school. On top of that, it was also tied first in the nation at economics with Harvard, Princeton, and MIT. Yeah… small wonder I had that school as my first choice.
(Continue Day # 1) I thought I had everything in the bag last fall after I applied to UChicago as early action. My essay for that school was arguably my best yet, my interview with the admissions officer went by very smoothly, my grades in school were decent, and the admissions rate for UChicago was extremely high for its prestige – sitting at almost 30% a year, and even higher for early applicants. When decision day came in early December, I was crushed when I received a skinny envelope in the mail with a short letter inside confirming that I had been deferred. Things seemed pretty hopeless to me at that point. I thought I knew exactly where God wanted me to go to school next fall, but obviously He thought otherwise. Why else would He have deferred me? I knew what I had to do though – trust in God to provide me with the right college that He wants me to go to.
When colleges started releasing their regular decision admissions results, one of the first ones that came out was UChicago. And what do you know? I was arguably one of the happiest people alive at that moment when I found out that I had been accepted. However, a good education seems to always come at a high price as well – a price that cost me nearly $57,000 per year (holy moly)! However, overall, I had already considered myself a UChicago student. Maybe that’s exactly how Saul felt when he went off to do things his own way. He saw the “good” that the enemy’s livestock had to offer and became enveloped in pride and greed.
Likewise, my happiness about being accepted into UChicago didn’t leave any room for God to work in my life and to direct me to the college He wanted me to go to. He intervened and, through my mom, forced me to go on a college visit to Washington University in St. Louis (another school I got into). I was extremely reluctant to go, thinking that it would just be a waste of my time, but I went anyways because of free travel expenses. In the end, my college decision was down to – you guessed it – my dream college that has just about everything I could ever hope for, or a less prestigious school where I’d still be happy and where I thought God might be calling me to go to.
I prayed to God, asking Him to give me some sort of sign that would assure me as to where He would like to go. I ended up visiting UChicago as well, but found that it actually didn’t quite appeal to me the way WashU did. I came home reasonably sure that WashU was where God wanted me to go. I prayed to God again, asking Him if WashU was indeed the college of HIS choice for me. He answered my prayer and solidified my decision by granting me a scholarship from WashU that made it one of my cheapest colleges.
Now, looking back, I can see why God did the things He did and how He works in such amazing ways in our lives. While I was really hurt that I was initially deferred from my top choice, things would have been completely different had I been accepted right off the bat. I don’t think I would have even bothered applying to WashU if I had been accepted early. With the mentality I carried about wanting to go to UChicago for sure, I wasn’t making any room for God in my life. I was following my own plan instead of His, and was obeying the things my mind was telling me rather than what God was telling me. Even when I thought I could crank out more success to honor God with in the future by going off on my own, God would rather just have me obey Him.
Obedience to the Lord shows that we love, trust, and fear Him. How could we say we love our God if we don’t do the things He tells us to do? 1 Samuel 15:22 says, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Saul thought he could make things better for God rather than simply doing what He was told to do. However, God remains the rightful king and sought obedience from his chosen leader Saul. As a result, God rejected Saul and, instead, made David his new Israelite king. I know my story about how I decided on a college isn’t exactly the best parallel for this passage, but obeying God take shapes in a variety of other ways in our lives. We can obey our parents, our teachers, our church leaders, our elders, being respectful to strangers, and always praying to God and reading His word so He can speak to us.
One of the dangers we face is greed. We want to gain recognition for ourselves and, as a result, we over complicate things when it comes to obedience. We don’t just want to obey, we want to impress and gain glory for ourselves. As soon as we lose sight of why we are obeying God’s commands, or even what things we are obeying, we have lost ourselves to sin. Thus, I really encourage you to spend more time with God each day. I know I forget about it too some days, but how else can we obey our Father if we don’t know how to obey him? Luke 11:28 says, “[Jesus] replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” High school will always come with struggles and pressures, but if we trust in Him, He will deliver us from all of the Amalekites in our lives. Nothing makes our Father happier than showing Him that we love him – and to do that, we have to obey!
Read 1 Samuel 15
Saul was Israel’s first king and the Lord’s anointed one. God chose Saul out of all the other men of Israel to be king over His people. However, God also wanted Saul to love and obey Him. When He called Saul to go to war with the Amalekites, He gave Saul specific orders to put to death all men, women, children, infants, and all of their livestock. God was with Saul when the Israelites battled with and annihilated the Amalekites. However, instead of following God’s orders completely, he only half-heartedly obeyed them. He took the enemy king as hostage and kept all of the best livestock for his army.
Saul’s actions displeased the Lord, who conveyed His message of grievance to His prophet Samuel. Samuel then rebuked Saul and told him that the Lord has rejected him as king over Israel. Saul was not expecting this. He thought he had done the right thing. He didn’t even take the enemy’s livestock for himself, but wanted to sacrifice all of the good things he reaped to the Lord. Saul thought he knew how to do things better than God did and, through his pride and selfishness, disobeyed the Lord’s commands.
After senior year started for me, I knew I wanted to be an economics major and made a plan of all of the colleges I intended to apply to. Out of these schools, I put the University of Chicago as my number one choice for a number of reasons. Not only was it the closest to home, but it was also in Chicago, one of the country’s most exciting and fun-filled cities. I also had a handful of close friends who were already in the city who I met through Teen Camp, WCAC, or school. On top of that, it was also tied first in the nation at economics with Harvard, Princeton, and MIT. Yeah… small wonder I had that school as my first choice.
(Continue Day # 1) I thought I had everything in the bag last fall after I applied to UChicago as early action. My essay for that school was arguably my best yet, my interview with the admissions officer went by very smoothly, my grades in school were decent, and the admissions rate for UChicago was extremely high for its prestige – sitting at almost 30% a year, and even higher for early applicants. When decision day came in early December, I was crushed when I received a skinny envelope in the mail with a short letter inside confirming that I had been deferred. Things seemed pretty hopeless to me at that point. I thought I knew exactly where God wanted me to go to school next fall, but obviously He thought otherwise. Why else would He have deferred me? I knew what I had to do though – trust in God to provide me with the right college that He wants me to go to.
When colleges started releasing their regular decision admissions results, one of the first ones that came out was UChicago. And what do you know? I was arguably one of the happiest people alive at that moment when I found out that I had been accepted. However, a good education seems to always come at a high price as well – a price that cost me nearly $57,000 per year (holy moly)! However, overall, I had already considered myself a UChicago student. Maybe that’s exactly how Saul felt when he went off to do things his own way. He saw the “good” that the enemy’s livestock had to offer and became enveloped in pride and greed.
Likewise, my happiness about being accepted into UChicago didn’t leave any room for God to work in my life and to direct me to the college He wanted me to go to. He intervened and, through my mom, forced me to go on a college visit to Washington University in St. Louis (another school I got into). I was extremely reluctant to go, thinking that it would just be a waste of my time, but I went anyways because of free travel expenses. In the end, my college decision was down to – you guessed it – my dream college that has just about everything I could ever hope for, or a less prestigious school where I’d still be happy and where I thought God might be calling me to go to.
I prayed to God, asking Him to give me some sort of sign that would assure me as to where He would like to go. I ended up visiting UChicago as well, but found that it actually didn’t quite appeal to me the way WashU did. I came home reasonably sure that WashU was where God wanted me to go. I prayed to God again, asking Him if WashU was indeed the college of HIS choice for me. He answered my prayer and solidified my decision by granting me a scholarship from WashU that made it one of my cheapest colleges.
Now, looking back, I can see why God did the things He did and how He works in such amazing ways in our lives. While I was really hurt that I was initially deferred from my top choice, things would have been completely different had I been accepted right off the bat. I don’t think I would have even bothered applying to WashU if I had been accepted early. With the mentality I carried about wanting to go to UChicago for sure, I wasn’t making any room for God in my life. I was following my own plan instead of His, and was obeying the things my mind was telling me rather than what God was telling me. Even when I thought I could crank out more success to honor God with in the future by going off on my own, God would rather just have me obey Him.
Obedience to the Lord shows that we love, trust, and fear Him. How could we say we love our God if we don’t do the things He tells us to do? 1 Samuel 15:22 says, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Saul thought he could make things better for God rather than simply doing what He was told to do. However, God remains the rightful king and sought obedience from his chosen leader Saul. As a result, God rejected Saul and, instead, made David his new Israelite king. I know my story about how I decided on a college isn’t exactly the best parallel for this passage, but obeying God take shapes in a variety of other ways in our lives. We can obey our parents, our teachers, our church leaders, our elders, being respectful to strangers, and always praying to God and reading His word so He can speak to us.
One of the dangers we face is greed. We want to gain recognition for ourselves and, as a result, we over complicate things when it comes to obedience. We don’t just want to obey, we want to impress and gain glory for ourselves. As soon as we lose sight of why we are obeying God’s commands, or even what things we are obeying, we have lost ourselves to sin. Thus, I really encourage you to spend more time with God each day. I know I forget about it too some days, but how else can we obey our Father if we don’t know how to obey him? Luke 11:28 says, “[Jesus] replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” High school will always come with struggles and pressures, but if we trust in Him, He will deliver us from all of the Amalekites in our lives. Nothing makes our Father happier than showing Him that we love him – and to do that, we have to obey!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Christianity is the scandal that is Jesus
Christianity, my friends, is the scandal that is Jesus. We need to remember that this same Jesus was the one who had the temerity to publicly say, in front of his mom’s face, “Who is my mother?” and declare that “Whoever does the will of God is my mother, brother, and sister.” (Mark 3: 31-35). Even more insane is his declaration: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14: 26). Is this the Jesus you’ve been waiting for when you sing that song, “This is the One we’ve been waiting for: Jesus, Lord and Savior, this is our God.” Jesus, himself, remained single for the rest of his life – and keep in mind that in those days, it is normal for every young guy to be married, especially by Jesus’ age.
Let me make it even more uncomfortable for you. This is the same God that could, after you worked your tail off all through high school, make sure that the best university you’ll get into is the University of Wyoming. This is the same God that will one day take your mother and (as it was in my, Sally, and Mia’s cases) your father from you. This is the same God that will send you to Singapore even though He knew you’d hate it. I have a friend who was called to (unnamed country) and she confessed that even though she knew it was God’s will for her to be there, she hated it, and is having a hard time saying, “God is good to me.”
But the truth of the matter, my friends, is that God is good to us, but sometimes that good requires sacrifice. Thus, sometimes we need to deny things. The closer I get to the day seminary begins, I’ve been beset with questions. Is this a good idea? God, maybe I should stay in Singapore – at least I’ll make much more money. God, maybe I should stay – my mom and grandparents would be much happier. But the more I thought, the more I realized that if I stayed, I may end up with lots of money, and my family will be together, but I would’ve given up God in the process. And, unfortunately, sometimes you will be faced with such a choice in life. Maybe you might be called to choose between life or Jesus.
And that’s why Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 16: 24 that his followers are to deny themselves and take up their cross. That is what Christianity is about, because nobody takes up his or her cross unless Jesus is first in their lives. Is Jesus so important to you that you will lay aside anything and everything in His name and take up your cross and follow him? Maybe following God requires you to accept that B instead of arguing with your teacher for why you deserve an A. Maybe following God requires you to break the hearts of many people. Maybe following God requires you to be single the rest of your life. Is Jesus that important to you?
And that is my prayer for all of you, especially the seniors, that Jesus will always remain that important to you. May you always follow in the steps of Jesus, who for our sake carried the cross and allowed himself to be nailed to it, that we may be saved. For it is that same Jesus, Lord and Savior, who is our God yesterday, today, and forever.
Let me make it even more uncomfortable for you. This is the same God that could, after you worked your tail off all through high school, make sure that the best university you’ll get into is the University of Wyoming. This is the same God that will one day take your mother and (as it was in my, Sally, and Mia’s cases) your father from you. This is the same God that will send you to Singapore even though He knew you’d hate it. I have a friend who was called to (unnamed country) and she confessed that even though she knew it was God’s will for her to be there, she hated it, and is having a hard time saying, “God is good to me.”
But the truth of the matter, my friends, is that God is good to us, but sometimes that good requires sacrifice. Thus, sometimes we need to deny things. The closer I get to the day seminary begins, I’ve been beset with questions. Is this a good idea? God, maybe I should stay in Singapore – at least I’ll make much more money. God, maybe I should stay – my mom and grandparents would be much happier. But the more I thought, the more I realized that if I stayed, I may end up with lots of money, and my family will be together, but I would’ve given up God in the process. And, unfortunately, sometimes you will be faced with such a choice in life. Maybe you might be called to choose between life or Jesus.
And that’s why Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 16: 24 that his followers are to deny themselves and take up their cross. That is what Christianity is about, because nobody takes up his or her cross unless Jesus is first in their lives. Is Jesus so important to you that you will lay aside anything and everything in His name and take up your cross and follow him? Maybe following God requires you to accept that B instead of arguing with your teacher for why you deserve an A. Maybe following God requires you to break the hearts of many people. Maybe following God requires you to be single the rest of your life. Is Jesus that important to you?
And that is my prayer for all of you, especially the seniors, that Jesus will always remain that important to you. May you always follow in the steps of Jesus, who for our sake carried the cross and allowed himself to be nailed to it, that we may be saved. For it is that same Jesus, Lord and Savior, who is our God yesterday, today, and forever.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
What Christianity Is About
Read: Matthew 16: 21-28
Make sure you read the passage above first and I warn you that this is not going to be a “comfortable” devotional.
Let me begin at verse 23 and ask what Peter had in mind that Jesus found so objectionable. After all, Peter was defending Jesus, was he not? At least Jesus could’ve said, “Peter, I appreciate your defense, but that’s not what I had in mind.” That would’ve been much better (and nicer) than “Get behind me, Satan!” Plus, we talk about “apologetics” all the time, defending the faith, blah-blah, but when Peter tries to defend Jesus, he gets the Satan-label? Is there some great miscommunication going on?
We need to recall what the Pharisees were hoping for when they prayed for a Messiah. They were hoping for someone who can bring “Change They Could Believe In.” And for them, that change meant kicking the Romans out of Judea, and restoring the glory of Israel. Israel would be that glorious nation that the world’s economy, politics, and culture revolves around. And Peter had that kind of Messiah in mind. So when Jesus said that “he must be killed,” it’s not surprising Peter wanted to save him. Actually, he wasn’t trying to save Jesus - he was trying to save the world’s idea of the “ideal Jesus”. Thus, Jesus rebuked him: “You don’t have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
We are, in case you haven’t noticed, in a new series, where our outgoing seniors leave us with what’s on their hearts. As a non-senior, I do wish to send them off with something that might prove useful… maybe. But the truth is that we live in different times that are changing really, really fast. I was a high school senior only 7 years ago and already, in less than a decade, you guys are facing different challenges than the ones I faced, even those of you heading off to Christian institutions. Many institutions are centers of liberalism, and unfortunately that does have an effect on Christian fellowships. The “liberal” philosophies in many universities across the nation are all about the self, about what makes you feel good. And when an all-powerful, all-knowing God comes into your life, and tells you that you just might be wrong, you don’t feel good – and subsequently, you end up rejecting God.
It is my personal belief that many college students give up their faith because something about Jesus stopped making them feel good. Or, something about Jesus’ followers (Christians) stopped making them feel good. I want to dispel this notion that Christianity is about feeling good. A lot of times, you hear it in the news or whatnot, that Christianity is about the family, about self-esteem, etc. We make a big deal about how Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God. Even better – we say that Christianity is a “personal relationship with Jesus.” All of them, unfortunately, fall short of the Gospel.
Make sure you read the passage above first and I warn you that this is not going to be a “comfortable” devotional.
Let me begin at verse 23 and ask what Peter had in mind that Jesus found so objectionable. After all, Peter was defending Jesus, was he not? At least Jesus could’ve said, “Peter, I appreciate your defense, but that’s not what I had in mind.” That would’ve been much better (and nicer) than “Get behind me, Satan!” Plus, we talk about “apologetics” all the time, defending the faith, blah-blah, but when Peter tries to defend Jesus, he gets the Satan-label? Is there some great miscommunication going on?
We need to recall what the Pharisees were hoping for when they prayed for a Messiah. They were hoping for someone who can bring “Change They Could Believe In.” And for them, that change meant kicking the Romans out of Judea, and restoring the glory of Israel. Israel would be that glorious nation that the world’s economy, politics, and culture revolves around. And Peter had that kind of Messiah in mind. So when Jesus said that “he must be killed,” it’s not surprising Peter wanted to save him. Actually, he wasn’t trying to save Jesus - he was trying to save the world’s idea of the “ideal Jesus”. Thus, Jesus rebuked him: “You don’t have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
We are, in case you haven’t noticed, in a new series, where our outgoing seniors leave us with what’s on their hearts. As a non-senior, I do wish to send them off with something that might prove useful… maybe. But the truth is that we live in different times that are changing really, really fast. I was a high school senior only 7 years ago and already, in less than a decade, you guys are facing different challenges than the ones I faced, even those of you heading off to Christian institutions. Many institutions are centers of liberalism, and unfortunately that does have an effect on Christian fellowships. The “liberal” philosophies in many universities across the nation are all about the self, about what makes you feel good. And when an all-powerful, all-knowing God comes into your life, and tells you that you just might be wrong, you don’t feel good – and subsequently, you end up rejecting God.
It is my personal belief that many college students give up their faith because something about Jesus stopped making them feel good. Or, something about Jesus’ followers (Christians) stopped making them feel good. I want to dispel this notion that Christianity is about feeling good. A lot of times, you hear it in the news or whatnot, that Christianity is about the family, about self-esteem, etc. We make a big deal about how Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God. Even better – we say that Christianity is a “personal relationship with Jesus.” All of them, unfortunately, fall short of the Gospel.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Favorite Verses
Hey guys, I just wanted to share a few thoughts with you, which is just sharing a few of my favorite verses and my train of thought.
The one thing we want from people is approval. So we act accordingly. Whether it be acting cool, tough, funny, flirty, whatever. We try to get people’s attention because it makes us feel good and it makes us feel accepted. It is human nature, even I do it. But there has to be a place where you draw the line. The first thing I want to say is that we are serving God. We are not serving the “in” crowd, the media, our parents (OMG), or any other person or thing that has influence in our lives. Now I’m not saying you should just tell your parents that you’re not going to listen to them anymore. I’m saying that in accordance to God’s will, you will submit to your parents or any other authority. So if your parents tell you to go kill all the citizens of Naperville, you can tell them that you’re not going to listen to that command because God says so. But if your parents tell you to do your homework, you better not go against them. First is because you love learning of course. Second is because you are supposed to be a steward of the good education God has given you. (Some kids don’t get an education, believe it or not). Sometimes by obeying God means obeying other people. But by obeying other people doesn’t always mean you’re obeying God if you get my drift. Here is a verse to reflect upon. 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.”As servants of Christ, we have a higher standard. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We don’t want to be legalistic in our thinking. Don’t do THIS and never do THAT type of thinking. Instead we should be thinking about how we can please God and follow His will. Romans 12:2 “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.” By doing so, we are being an example for our fellow brothers and sisters. It is always very encouraging when, together, we are all serving God. Not a happy feeling, but a joyful feeling. Sometimes, being a Christian isn’t always easy. A quote I always liked was “What’s popular isn’t always right and what’s right isn’t always popular.” Being a true follower of Jesus Christ isn’t always popular. Some people will ask you why you weren’t at that crazy party last night. Some people think you’re stupid in class for standing up for Christianity. Being a true follower of Christ was never easy. But be encouraged to know that some people want to hear the good news of Jesus. Just because 10 people hate you for professing your faith and only 1 person is interested in the gospel, isn’t that a win? So let me give you this verse. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?”
So yup, that was my train of thinking and it might’ve not made sense in some parts but that is ok. The Spirit works through all things. Good luck during finals!
The one thing we want from people is approval. So we act accordingly. Whether it be acting cool, tough, funny, flirty, whatever. We try to get people’s attention because it makes us feel good and it makes us feel accepted. It is human nature, even I do it. But there has to be a place where you draw the line. The first thing I want to say is that we are serving God. We are not serving the “in” crowd, the media, our parents (OMG), or any other person or thing that has influence in our lives. Now I’m not saying you should just tell your parents that you’re not going to listen to them anymore. I’m saying that in accordance to God’s will, you will submit to your parents or any other authority. So if your parents tell you to go kill all the citizens of Naperville, you can tell them that you’re not going to listen to that command because God says so. But if your parents tell you to do your homework, you better not go against them. First is because you love learning of course. Second is because you are supposed to be a steward of the good education God has given you. (Some kids don’t get an education, believe it or not). Sometimes by obeying God means obeying other people. But by obeying other people doesn’t always mean you’re obeying God if you get my drift. Here is a verse to reflect upon. 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.”As servants of Christ, we have a higher standard. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We don’t want to be legalistic in our thinking. Don’t do THIS and never do THAT type of thinking. Instead we should be thinking about how we can please God and follow His will. Romans 12:2 “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.” By doing so, we are being an example for our fellow brothers and sisters. It is always very encouraging when, together, we are all serving God. Not a happy feeling, but a joyful feeling. Sometimes, being a Christian isn’t always easy. A quote I always liked was “What’s popular isn’t always right and what’s right isn’t always popular.” Being a true follower of Jesus Christ isn’t always popular. Some people will ask you why you weren’t at that crazy party last night. Some people think you’re stupid in class for standing up for Christianity. Being a true follower of Christ was never easy. But be encouraged to know that some people want to hear the good news of Jesus. Just because 10 people hate you for professing your faith and only 1 person is interested in the gospel, isn’t that a win? So let me give you this verse. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?”
So yup, that was my train of thinking and it might’ve not made sense in some parts but that is ok. The Spirit works through all things. Good luck during finals!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Walking by Faith without Insurance
Read: Mark 10: 17-31
Isn’t it depressing how life sometimes turns out? Sometimes, people are gifted with things that seemed to serve life to them on a gold platter. My mom had a friend whose two children had perfect GPAs and both went on to Brown University (turning down acceptances with scholarships from Harvard and Yale) because Brown had one of those 7-year MD programs. The rest of us, unfortunately, had to work our tails off and pray to God that we might make it to the second round of admissions decisions. Maybe you feel that way during finals week. Some people are just so smart, they don’t need to study to get an A. You’re studying, it’s 3 AM in the morning, and your parents are up your case about studying more. And, worse, that A is looking more and more elusive the more you study. The next thing you know, you think your future’s in the trash can because the best you can do in the exam is to muster an earth-crushing, shame-slapping, and dignity-destroying B+.
But in the narrative in Mark 10, Jesus seemed to say otherwise. The rich young man, much like many in Singapore today, had gobs of money. Let’s just say he has a net worth of $50 million. But he was a devout person, having gone so far as to follow all the commandments! Very, very impressive, indeed, by any standard. Now, young 20-some-old people generally aren’t rich, unless of course you received that wealth as an inheritance. It’s quite clear, it seems to me, that the rich young man had life handed to him on a gold platter. Lots of money and lots of faith.
But before we move on, note the next thing: Jesus loved him. Jesus, of course, knew what’s about to happen next, but how reassuring it is to us that Jesus loved us before we even knew it. The young man expected Jesus to say, “Good work, my faithful servant!” but no. Jesus responded, you’ve got lots of money and lots of faith. Now give up all your money and follow me on faith alone. Of course, the young man walked away. It is not that the young man had a hard time choosing between Jesus and Money. The problem is that the man was only willing to follow Jesus with his money as insurance, in case things don’t work out. If following Jesus ends up being a waste of time, at least he can go home and continue buying food for himself for the rest of his life. But the challenge is that Jesus is calling the young man to remove his “golden parachute” and throw all his chips into the Jesus basket; to trust in Jesus alone. That, my friends, is a tough sell. No wonder the rich have a hard time entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
Maybe you don’t have a lot of financial wealth, but society has conditioned us to think that if you study well in school now, if you get all A’s and go to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, you will end up having financial wealth. If you get just one B+ and your GPA drops below the sacred 5/4, you can’t be successful in life. But wait – if you’ve read the passage above, you should know that Jesus was never interested in “successful lives”. He was only interested in whether we’d follow him.
So I ask all of you to rest your hearts and not let your final exams get the best of you. Don’t give up on spending some time in meditation and devotion, at least for a few minutes every day. Of course, you should study so you can perform the best you can in your exams. But if the best you can do is a B+, do not despair. Your future and your worth is not preconditioned upon your GPA, but based on how God sees you. And how does God see you? The same way he saw the rich young man: he loved him.
Isn’t it depressing how life sometimes turns out? Sometimes, people are gifted with things that seemed to serve life to them on a gold platter. My mom had a friend whose two children had perfect GPAs and both went on to Brown University (turning down acceptances with scholarships from Harvard and Yale) because Brown had one of those 7-year MD programs. The rest of us, unfortunately, had to work our tails off and pray to God that we might make it to the second round of admissions decisions. Maybe you feel that way during finals week. Some people are just so smart, they don’t need to study to get an A. You’re studying, it’s 3 AM in the morning, and your parents are up your case about studying more. And, worse, that A is looking more and more elusive the more you study. The next thing you know, you think your future’s in the trash can because the best you can do in the exam is to muster an earth-crushing, shame-slapping, and dignity-destroying B+.
But in the narrative in Mark 10, Jesus seemed to say otherwise. The rich young man, much like many in Singapore today, had gobs of money. Let’s just say he has a net worth of $50 million. But he was a devout person, having gone so far as to follow all the commandments! Very, very impressive, indeed, by any standard. Now, young 20-some-old people generally aren’t rich, unless of course you received that wealth as an inheritance. It’s quite clear, it seems to me, that the rich young man had life handed to him on a gold platter. Lots of money and lots of faith.
But before we move on, note the next thing: Jesus loved him. Jesus, of course, knew what’s about to happen next, but how reassuring it is to us that Jesus loved us before we even knew it. The young man expected Jesus to say, “Good work, my faithful servant!” but no. Jesus responded, you’ve got lots of money and lots of faith. Now give up all your money and follow me on faith alone. Of course, the young man walked away. It is not that the young man had a hard time choosing between Jesus and Money. The problem is that the man was only willing to follow Jesus with his money as insurance, in case things don’t work out. If following Jesus ends up being a waste of time, at least he can go home and continue buying food for himself for the rest of his life. But the challenge is that Jesus is calling the young man to remove his “golden parachute” and throw all his chips into the Jesus basket; to trust in Jesus alone. That, my friends, is a tough sell. No wonder the rich have a hard time entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
Maybe you don’t have a lot of financial wealth, but society has conditioned us to think that if you study well in school now, if you get all A’s and go to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, you will end up having financial wealth. If you get just one B+ and your GPA drops below the sacred 5/4, you can’t be successful in life. But wait – if you’ve read the passage above, you should know that Jesus was never interested in “successful lives”. He was only interested in whether we’d follow him.
So I ask all of you to rest your hearts and not let your final exams get the best of you. Don’t give up on spending some time in meditation and devotion, at least for a few minutes every day. Of course, you should study so you can perform the best you can in your exams. But if the best you can do is a B+, do not despair. Your future and your worth is not preconditioned upon your GPA, but based on how God sees you. And how does God see you? The same way he saw the rich young man: he loved him.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sing to Him a New Song
Psalm 33
Whenever I’m asked the question, “have you done your devos today?” my immediate response is to think, have I read my bible this morning. And its true, reading my Bible is an opportunity to get to know the Living God, the creator of the universe. But quiet times, devotionals is so much more than just reading verses on a page. Or critically analyzing the literary structure of a particular book. The real question is, “have you spent time with Jesus today?” And not just 30 minutes of my already packed schedule, but “have you spent your day with Jesus?”
Spending time in intimacy with God isn’t restricted to just reading a chapter or verse. We can speak with God in a conversation, engage him in a song, wait on him in stillness, read from His living word.
Read Psalm 33 (Not to critically analyze the passage, but just try and imagine the Psalmists’ emotions as you’re reading)
The Psalmist starts off by saying, “Shout for joy in the LORD…Give thanks to the Lord…make melody to him…Sing to him a new song.” The following verses from Psalm 33:4-22 is the Psalmists song of praise for all the things that God has done. It’s a song of praise about his character (4-5) It’s a song of praise for his works (6-7) It’s a song of praise for his power (8-9) It’s a song of praise for his dominion (10-12) It’s a song of praise for his compassion and care for his people (13-17) It’s a song of praise for his salvation (18-22)
Sometimes, maybe what we need to do in our time with God is to do what the Psalmist is encouraging the people to do. Sing Him a song. God created us to bring Him praise. Throughout the Old & New Testament we’re given the ability and task of singing songs of praise and adoration to God.
Spend sometime this morning singing songs of praise to God. As you sing, reflect on the words, make the song your prayer or your declaration. Just sit in the silence and let your heart and mouth respond in worship. Even as I’m writing this God is putting a song on my heart to sing to Him. I hope that you allow Him to do that in you. This is my love song to Jesus today.
“My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now
I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now
In mansions of glory and endless delight
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.”
Whenever I’m asked the question, “have you done your devos today?” my immediate response is to think, have I read my bible this morning. And its true, reading my Bible is an opportunity to get to know the Living God, the creator of the universe. But quiet times, devotionals is so much more than just reading verses on a page. Or critically analyzing the literary structure of a particular book. The real question is, “have you spent time with Jesus today?” And not just 30 minutes of my already packed schedule, but “have you spent your day with Jesus?”
Spending time in intimacy with God isn’t restricted to just reading a chapter or verse. We can speak with God in a conversation, engage him in a song, wait on him in stillness, read from His living word.
Read Psalm 33 (Not to critically analyze the passage, but just try and imagine the Psalmists’ emotions as you’re reading)
The Psalmist starts off by saying, “Shout for joy in the LORD…Give thanks to the Lord…make melody to him…Sing to him a new song.” The following verses from Psalm 33:4-22 is the Psalmists song of praise for all the things that God has done. It’s a song of praise about his character (4-5) It’s a song of praise for his works (6-7) It’s a song of praise for his power (8-9) It’s a song of praise for his dominion (10-12) It’s a song of praise for his compassion and care for his people (13-17) It’s a song of praise for his salvation (18-22)
Sometimes, maybe what we need to do in our time with God is to do what the Psalmist is encouraging the people to do. Sing Him a song. God created us to bring Him praise. Throughout the Old & New Testament we’re given the ability and task of singing songs of praise and adoration to God.
Spend sometime this morning singing songs of praise to God. As you sing, reflect on the words, make the song your prayer or your declaration. Just sit in the silence and let your heart and mouth respond in worship. Even as I’m writing this God is putting a song on my heart to sing to Him. I hope that you allow Him to do that in you. This is my love song to Jesus today.
“My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now
I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now
In mansions of glory and endless delight
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.”
Friday, May 21, 2010
You know… you don’t have to do this alone.
Taken from the Extreme Teen Bible
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” –John 14:16
Have you ever needed help? Of course you have. You may need help right now. All of us need help at some time or another. None of us is immune to the storms of life, but the good news is God sent the Holy Spirit to go with us through these storms. Not only did he come to fill us with power, but He was also sent to help us with every trial, every temptation, and every circumstance.
You may be going through something at this very moment, but you know what? The Holy Spirit is there right now ready and willing to help, even as you read this. In fact, if we will become aware of God’s presence in us there isn’t anything that the devil can throw at us that we can’t handle. Jesus, the greater One, lives on the inside! Nothing can stop us now! We have victory! He’ll help you!
“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” – Psalm 33:20
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning that cannot be uttered.” – Romans 8:26
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” –John 14:16
Have you ever needed help? Of course you have. You may need help right now. All of us need help at some time or another. None of us is immune to the storms of life, but the good news is God sent the Holy Spirit to go with us through these storms. Not only did he come to fill us with power, but He was also sent to help us with every trial, every temptation, and every circumstance.
You may be going through something at this very moment, but you know what? The Holy Spirit is there right now ready and willing to help, even as you read this. In fact, if we will become aware of God’s presence in us there isn’t anything that the devil can throw at us that we can’t handle. Jesus, the greater One, lives on the inside! Nothing can stop us now! We have victory! He’ll help you!
“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” – Psalm 33:20
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning that cannot be uttered.” – Romans 8:26
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
You Complete Me Moment
For those that have seen the movie Jerry Maguire, it is a movie starring Tom Cruise as a sports agent. He leaves a top agency and learns a great deal about loyalty, friendship and relationships. At the end of the movie, we have this build up between him and a love interest where Tom indicates “You complete me.” Your heart has been brought to a point of melting as you understand the depth of the journey and closeness between the two.
Here in 2nd Corinthians is the “You complete me” moment that Paul is having with the church in Corinth. He is writing them this letter that is so deeply intimidate about their issues and problems and also who he is in dealing with all this. You have seen some of this from yesterday’s devotion and now continue in these thoughts.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:14-21 (read it more than once as it needs to sink in)
Verse 14 Paul indicates that “what I want is not your possessions but you.” That is the “ahhhh……” moment where we have our hearts melt as we understand how close Paul is with the Corinth church. He goes into a metaphor that he is like their father figure. He is the father of their faith and he should be helping them and saving for them. I think we get that because we live in a culture where our parents give us all the opportunities to learn and have a better life. We don’t think about supporting our parents and saving money for them (well, not until much later in life). So Paul continues to share how he is pouring out his life for the Corinthians. Not just Paul but also his companion Titus.
Paul wants so much that they live lives that are holy and honoring God. He wants them to be able to see them grow and that they would be filled with the things God wants from believers rather than sinful acts.
For many of you who find WCAC youth group as your home, you have done much to try to help others in their walks and really desire to see people grow. For those that have been on Doulos, you know that you have taken a servant leadership role to grow God’s kingdom. So can you imagine leaving youth group and going to college, and then you come back and the youth group is in disarray. There are people that haven’t been living out all the teachings and guidance that you hope to leave people with, but rather they are living in immoral worldly ways. This is how Paul was feeling with the church in Corinth. So his desire in writing this was a warning to them which can be seen as a love note because he is so concerned for them. In the same way, I hope that we continue to do our part to love the group and really be concerned for the ways we want to be a youth group that is living lives that are filled with the Holy Spirit and bearing spiritual fruit, rather than being people that are disobediently and living out sinfully.
Take some time to pray about this and reflect on things that God would place on your heart about our group and your involvement in what God is doing.
Here in 2nd Corinthians is the “You complete me” moment that Paul is having with the church in Corinth. He is writing them this letter that is so deeply intimidate about their issues and problems and also who he is in dealing with all this. You have seen some of this from yesterday’s devotion and now continue in these thoughts.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:14-21 (read it more than once as it needs to sink in)
Verse 14 Paul indicates that “what I want is not your possessions but you.” That is the “ahhhh……” moment where we have our hearts melt as we understand how close Paul is with the Corinth church. He goes into a metaphor that he is like their father figure. He is the father of their faith and he should be helping them and saving for them. I think we get that because we live in a culture where our parents give us all the opportunities to learn and have a better life. We don’t think about supporting our parents and saving money for them (well, not until much later in life). So Paul continues to share how he is pouring out his life for the Corinthians. Not just Paul but also his companion Titus.
Paul wants so much that they live lives that are holy and honoring God. He wants them to be able to see them grow and that they would be filled with the things God wants from believers rather than sinful acts.
For many of you who find WCAC youth group as your home, you have done much to try to help others in their walks and really desire to see people grow. For those that have been on Doulos, you know that you have taken a servant leadership role to grow God’s kingdom. So can you imagine leaving youth group and going to college, and then you come back and the youth group is in disarray. There are people that haven’t been living out all the teachings and guidance that you hope to leave people with, but rather they are living in immoral worldly ways. This is how Paul was feeling with the church in Corinth. So his desire in writing this was a warning to them which can be seen as a love note because he is so concerned for them. In the same way, I hope that we continue to do our part to love the group and really be concerned for the ways we want to be a youth group that is living lives that are filled with the Holy Spirit and bearing spiritual fruit, rather than being people that are disobediently and living out sinfully.
Take some time to pray about this and reflect on things that God would place on your heart about our group and your involvement in what God is doing.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Who Are You Trying to Impress?
All throughout 2 Corinthians, Paul has been defending his ministry from attacks within. Members of the church in Corinth have been accusing him of wrong doing, doubting his ability, and thinking less of him in comparison to other church leaders. Under this barrage of insults on his ministry, its interesting how Paul responds.
Read 2 Corinthians 12:11-21
Through all of the struggles of ministry, Paul has defended himself to the Corinthians. He has demonstrated the fact that he is as qualified as the other apostles. He has performed signs and wonders among them. Additionally, Paul had done no wrong in proclaiming his right to support from the church without exercising that right. Paul has ably defended his ministry. The Corinthian church should be impressed right?
The fact of the matter is, Paul is not defending himself so the Corinthian church will accept him. Paul realizes that how he looks in their eyes matter a lot less than who he is in God’s eyes. In verse 19 Paul says,
Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding beloved.
There will be times in our lives where people make an incorrect opinion of us. Maybe we are accused of doing something when we haven’t. Its important for us to remember that what we do matters not in their eyes, but in God’s eyes. We’re not trying to impress people, we’re trying to be obedient to God. 1 Peter 2:21-23 gives us Jesus as the perfect example of living for God and letting Him be the judge.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
So, who are you trying to impress?
Read 2 Corinthians 12:11-21
Through all of the struggles of ministry, Paul has defended himself to the Corinthians. He has demonstrated the fact that he is as qualified as the other apostles. He has performed signs and wonders among them. Additionally, Paul had done no wrong in proclaiming his right to support from the church without exercising that right. Paul has ably defended his ministry. The Corinthian church should be impressed right?
The fact of the matter is, Paul is not defending himself so the Corinthian church will accept him. Paul realizes that how he looks in their eyes matter a lot less than who he is in God’s eyes. In verse 19 Paul says,
Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding beloved.
There will be times in our lives where people make an incorrect opinion of us. Maybe we are accused of doing something when we haven’t. Its important for us to remember that what we do matters not in their eyes, but in God’s eyes. We’re not trying to impress people, we’re trying to be obedient to God. 1 Peter 2:21-23 gives us Jesus as the perfect example of living for God and letting Him be the judge.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
So, who are you trying to impress?
Friday, May 14, 2010
We got Nothin’ on God
Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Reflect upon this passage before continuing with the devotional.
Sometimes, when we are doing God’s work, Satan tries to distract us from it. It can come in several forms such as temptation or persecution. Yeah and it sucks because sometimes we’re praying for God to deliver us in our times of weakness. Who likes being weak or looking weak? Nobody! That’s the reason why guys work out, look buff, play sports and wear nice clothes. True that makes guys look cool… in the worldly sense. The culture around us tells us to hide our weaknesses and hide behind this mask that we create. You may be saying, Hey I’m “perfect” and “untouchable”. That’s probably the wrong way to go about things.
What does God promise us in verse 9? “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Isn’t that awesome? First, he assures us that we don’t have to worry about being weak because his grace and love covers over all our sins! Second, he says that even if we are weak, he can display his awesome power. Not only is his power being shown through us, but even through people in the past AND in the Bible! Men like Moses, King David, Job, and the guy who wrote this letter, Paul! They all have flaws, but God works through them! Hey, this should make us joyful even through all the pain and weakness we suffer! This is why we have our testimonies, our life stories, because they glorify God even though we live broken lives. We got nothin’ on God, because he redeems even what we think is the worst. How does this redefine your perspective of weakness?
Reflect upon this passage again.
Reflect upon this passage before continuing with the devotional.
Sometimes, when we are doing God’s work, Satan tries to distract us from it. It can come in several forms such as temptation or persecution. Yeah and it sucks because sometimes we’re praying for God to deliver us in our times of weakness. Who likes being weak or looking weak? Nobody! That’s the reason why guys work out, look buff, play sports and wear nice clothes. True that makes guys look cool… in the worldly sense. The culture around us tells us to hide our weaknesses and hide behind this mask that we create. You may be saying, Hey I’m “perfect” and “untouchable”. That’s probably the wrong way to go about things.
What does God promise us in verse 9? “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Isn’t that awesome? First, he assures us that we don’t have to worry about being weak because his grace and love covers over all our sins! Second, he says that even if we are weak, he can display his awesome power. Not only is his power being shown through us, but even through people in the past AND in the Bible! Men like Moses, King David, Job, and the guy who wrote this letter, Paul! They all have flaws, but God works through them! Hey, this should make us joyful even through all the pain and weakness we suffer! This is why we have our testimonies, our life stories, because they glorify God even though we live broken lives. We got nothin’ on God, because he redeems even what we think is the worst. How does this redefine your perspective of weakness?
Reflect upon this passage again.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The false teachers sought to endear themselves to their listeners
Paul was seeking to endear his listeners to Christ. Paul sought to reconcile them to God through Christ. He wanted the Corinthians to see God reconciling the world to himself through the message of the gospel.
False teachers emphasized their strengths endeavoring to persuade their listeners to place their faith in their teachers. Paul emphasized his weakness to persuade the Corinthians to place their faith in Christ. Paul's emphasis was on the power of the risen Christ to overcome his weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:1-6
I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows. And I know that this man-whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. (NIV)
False teachers sought to rationalize their sins in an effort to live in sin. Paul faced his sin squarely through the grace of God. Paul rejoiced in his weaknesses.
How do you face sin? Do you face it as Paul did squarely through the grace of God?
Take some time to rejoice in the things God is doing in your life.
False teachers emphasized their strengths endeavoring to persuade their listeners to place their faith in their teachers. Paul emphasized his weakness to persuade the Corinthians to place their faith in Christ. Paul's emphasis was on the power of the risen Christ to overcome his weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:1-6
I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows. And I know that this man-whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. (NIV)
False teachers sought to rationalize their sins in an effort to live in sin. Paul faced his sin squarely through the grace of God. Paul rejoiced in his weaknesses.
How do you face sin? Do you face it as Paul did squarely through the grace of God?
Take some time to rejoice in the things God is doing in your life.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Godly Foolishness
Read: 2 Corinthians 11: 22-33
Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes we enjoy testimonies where people talk about their weaknesses. Why the fetish with weaknesses? Because it is in our weaknesses that God is oftentimes magnified. Our world is preoccupied with strength, power, wealth, etc. But when the things of this world is pierced with exceptions, it is a pleasant reprieve. What a blessing when people like Martin Luther King, Jr. combated racism not with brute force, but with serene peace. What a pleasure when people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer attacked an unjust nation (Nazi Germany) despite his inglorious position as a jailed pastor? And what a treasure when people such as Mother Teresa lived in stark opposition to the glorification of wealth in the world?
My brothers and sisters, let us not fear weakness, but see it as a powerful way for God to show Himself strong.
During my visit at WCAC, I was able to see some of the EGITA videos. They all were amazing, by the way, and it was my loss that I couldn’t attend. But, I’d like to direct your attention to two videos. Spend some time watching one (or both!), and perhaps pray to God that He may show more of Himself to you and through you, despite your strengths...
... and weaknesses.
Note: if you are using the paper version of the devotional, please go to http://wcacyg.blogspot.com to view the videos.
Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes we enjoy testimonies where people talk about their weaknesses. Why the fetish with weaknesses? Because it is in our weaknesses that God is oftentimes magnified. Our world is preoccupied with strength, power, wealth, etc. But when the things of this world is pierced with exceptions, it is a pleasant reprieve. What a blessing when people like Martin Luther King, Jr. combated racism not with brute force, but with serene peace. What a pleasure when people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer attacked an unjust nation (Nazi Germany) despite his inglorious position as a jailed pastor? And what a treasure when people such as Mother Teresa lived in stark opposition to the glorification of wealth in the world?
My brothers and sisters, let us not fear weakness, but see it as a powerful way for God to show Himself strong.
During my visit at WCAC, I was able to see some of the EGITA videos. They all were amazing, by the way, and it was my loss that I couldn’t attend. But, I’d like to direct your attention to two videos. Spend some time watching one (or both!), and perhaps pray to God that He may show more of Himself to you and through you, despite your strengths...
... and weaknesses.
Note: if you are using the paper version of the devotional, please go to http://wcacyg.blogspot.com to view the videos.
Fools Boast About Your Own Strength
This passage is smack dab in the middle of what you guys should have read yesterday from the beginning of Chapter 11 where Paul is defending himself as credible witness of Jesus and not one of those false apostles. Tomorrow, you will see more of Paul’s argument of what he is boasting about. So let’s begin by reading the passage.
Read 2 Cor 11:16-21
Paul knows where his argument is leading. He is going to start boasting about his human distinctives. He doesn’t want to however because he realizes that only fools are the ones that do that. I mean the things that God allows us to do are from Him and we don’t have to show our godly resume and boast in that. However, Paul is facing a situation where his argumentation is not getting through to the people. He wants to make sure again that they understand that he doesn’t condone this type of boasting however he will do it to make sure they understand.
Paul continues to share in 11:17 that his boasting will be that of a fool. Since it will not be the kind of boasting that honors the Lord by exalting in his grace and gifts. Instead, it will be foolish boasting that takes pride in its own distinctive, spiritual endowments, and/or leaders, as if these were not all gifts from God. Such boasting is rooted in the world’s values, devoid of the Spirit.
Nevertheless, Paul feels compelled to conform to such boasting for the sake of winning back the Corinthians, since they are gladly bearing with Paul’s opponents, the real fools.
So what’s the application here. We have to see Paul’s heart in all this. The reason for him doing this is not for his selfish gain, but it was to make sure the Corinthians would come back to God. This is a really tricky line and we have to be careful in the ways we understand what we are doing. We can quickly say, I am not bragging to make myself look good but I am doing this all for “you” – but this could all really be said to mask the truth which is that we really are bragging about ourselves. So what can we do to make sure we don’t fall into the trap of selfish motives rather than motives that are for God and His Kingdom. Paul continues to try to show them what is God honoring, he doesn’t try to hide that this boasting is a good thing, he realizes it is bad. So he does it only to make his point. He actually puts himself down for doing this but says he does it for their sake.
I think God has given us some other very special things. He has given us the Holy Spirit and also community. If we rely and live by the Spirit, we know that we will reflect the fruit of the Spirit. So in “boasting” we know that it would be out of love and patience, not out of selfish gain. Also, we have brothers/sisters that we can turn to and ask for honest feedback to help us understand if we are doing something out of our own selfish reasons or out of love.
I have looked to many godly people in my life for this kind of counsel and I have to say they have been so great in helping me avoid disastrous things from the flesh. Please turn to God for wisdom, seek the Holy Spirit and also godly people around you to help you in your desires to build God’s Kingdom.
Read 2 Cor 11:16-21
Paul knows where his argument is leading. He is going to start boasting about his human distinctives. He doesn’t want to however because he realizes that only fools are the ones that do that. I mean the things that God allows us to do are from Him and we don’t have to show our godly resume and boast in that. However, Paul is facing a situation where his argumentation is not getting through to the people. He wants to make sure again that they understand that he doesn’t condone this type of boasting however he will do it to make sure they understand.
Paul continues to share in 11:17 that his boasting will be that of a fool. Since it will not be the kind of boasting that honors the Lord by exalting in his grace and gifts. Instead, it will be foolish boasting that takes pride in its own distinctive, spiritual endowments, and/or leaders, as if these were not all gifts from God. Such boasting is rooted in the world’s values, devoid of the Spirit.
Nevertheless, Paul feels compelled to conform to such boasting for the sake of winning back the Corinthians, since they are gladly bearing with Paul’s opponents, the real fools.
So what’s the application here. We have to see Paul’s heart in all this. The reason for him doing this is not for his selfish gain, but it was to make sure the Corinthians would come back to God. This is a really tricky line and we have to be careful in the ways we understand what we are doing. We can quickly say, I am not bragging to make myself look good but I am doing this all for “you” – but this could all really be said to mask the truth which is that we really are bragging about ourselves. So what can we do to make sure we don’t fall into the trap of selfish motives rather than motives that are for God and His Kingdom. Paul continues to try to show them what is God honoring, he doesn’t try to hide that this boasting is a good thing, he realizes it is bad. So he does it only to make his point. He actually puts himself down for doing this but says he does it for their sake.
I think God has given us some other very special things. He has given us the Holy Spirit and also community. If we rely and live by the Spirit, we know that we will reflect the fruit of the Spirit. So in “boasting” we know that it would be out of love and patience, not out of selfish gain. Also, we have brothers/sisters that we can turn to and ask for honest feedback to help us understand if we are doing something out of our own selfish reasons or out of love.
I have looked to many godly people in my life for this kind of counsel and I have to say they have been so great in helping me avoid disastrous things from the flesh. Please turn to God for wisdom, seek the Holy Spirit and also godly people around you to help you in your desires to build God’s Kingdom.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Paul Defends His Ministry
Have you ever had a time when you felt you were unjustly being accused of wrongdoing when you had done nothing wrong? Our response in those moments says a lot about our maturity in Christ. Sometimes, we respond in anger and bitterness, lashing back at our critics. Other times, we feel defeated and retreat in pain and hurt. I know, I’ve done both of those things when faced with criticism and false accusations. But how does God want us to respond? We see an excellent example in the life of the Apostle Paul.
Read 2 Corinthians 11:5-15
The Corinthian church was giving Paul a hard time. They were accustomed to the speaking of the Sophists, distinguished men of Corinth who debated and used speech to demonstrate their knowledge and power. The Sophists typically were paid to speak, and when Paul didn’t accept the church’s money, they thought less of him. But Paul’s response was that he had done nothing wrong. It is plain that Paul was not pleased with the Corinthian’s line of thinking. However, he didn’t respond in bitterness. Paul rightfully defends his actions. Paul is fully aware that it is within his right as a preacher of the Word to be supported by the church he is ministering to. In 1 Cor 9:14 he wrote, “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” Paul however relinquished that right to take from the Corinthian church. Paul is defending his reasons for turning down the support because he had adequate support already, and also to show that those who were preaching and teaching for selfish gain were not servants of Christ. Read 2 Cor 11:12-15 again.
So what for us? How do we respond when falsely accused? Paul’s grounds for his defense were rooted in the fact that God was the one who judged Him. And Paul was confident that God knew his heart, that he was doing the right thing. In 2 Cor 11:10-11 he writes, “As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!” Paul could defend his ministry without bitterness because he ultimately knew that it was God who judged him. Take a moment to reflect on the moments in your life when you feel wrongfully accused. Surrender those to God who is the judge. In 1 Peter 2:23 we have the perfect example of how to do this: Jesus.
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Read 2 Corinthians 11:5-15
The Corinthian church was giving Paul a hard time. They were accustomed to the speaking of the Sophists, distinguished men of Corinth who debated and used speech to demonstrate their knowledge and power. The Sophists typically were paid to speak, and when Paul didn’t accept the church’s money, they thought less of him. But Paul’s response was that he had done nothing wrong. It is plain that Paul was not pleased with the Corinthian’s line of thinking. However, he didn’t respond in bitterness. Paul rightfully defends his actions. Paul is fully aware that it is within his right as a preacher of the Word to be supported by the church he is ministering to. In 1 Cor 9:14 he wrote, “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” Paul however relinquished that right to take from the Corinthian church. Paul is defending his reasons for turning down the support because he had adequate support already, and also to show that those who were preaching and teaching for selfish gain were not servants of Christ. Read 2 Cor 11:12-15 again.
So what for us? How do we respond when falsely accused? Paul’s grounds for his defense were rooted in the fact that God was the one who judged Him. And Paul was confident that God knew his heart, that he was doing the right thing. In 2 Cor 11:10-11 he writes, “As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!” Paul could defend his ministry without bitterness because he ultimately knew that it was God who judged him. Take a moment to reflect on the moments in your life when you feel wrongfully accused. Surrender those to God who is the judge. In 1 Peter 2:23 we have the perfect example of how to do this: Jesus.
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Friday, May 7, 2010
We are yoked with Christ
Read 2 Corinthians 11:1-4
Society is in trouble. Yes, we’ve heard that divorce rates are higher than ever before. What is even worse is that divorce rates increase, the more marriages you go through. It is 41% for first marriages, 60% for second marriages, 73% for third marriages. These are pretty scary numbers. Just look at them! What happens in the fourth or the fifth marriage? You might think that this is terrible! Yes it is. And somehow it is a reflection of our spiritual lives. Our repeated offenses against Christ hurt him. And every time we sin against Him, it is easier to do it the next time. This situation is like a downward spiral that we desperately want to get out of. He is faithful to us. Why can’t we be faithful to him?
I’m sure many of us have heard the metaphor of the Church being Christ’s bride. Indeed this is a very powerful image. Christ loves us and we love Christ. But sometimes we are unfaithful to Him, even though he is unconditionally loving and faithful to us. Why do we do this to our “husband”? Why are we being led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ? The answer is simple. It is because we are human. It is our nature to sin. We are not perfect. Even though we are like this, our attitude should not be a negative one. We can’t be like, “Oh, I am way too sinful and unfaithful to Christ. He can’t possibly love me.” Or like, “Oh, God will forgive me. His blood covers over ALL my sin right?”
Read Romans 6:1-2
That should be our attitude, living a new and transformed life. To be the best wife we can be to Christ, we are to be a pure virgin to Christ.
What sins are causing us to be unfaithful to Christ?
How are you going to obey God in the present time?
Reflect upon this powerful metaphor.
Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to remain faithful
Society is in trouble. Yes, we’ve heard that divorce rates are higher than ever before. What is even worse is that divorce rates increase, the more marriages you go through. It is 41% for first marriages, 60% for second marriages, 73% for third marriages. These are pretty scary numbers. Just look at them! What happens in the fourth or the fifth marriage? You might think that this is terrible! Yes it is. And somehow it is a reflection of our spiritual lives. Our repeated offenses against Christ hurt him. And every time we sin against Him, it is easier to do it the next time. This situation is like a downward spiral that we desperately want to get out of. He is faithful to us. Why can’t we be faithful to him?
I’m sure many of us have heard the metaphor of the Church being Christ’s bride. Indeed this is a very powerful image. Christ loves us and we love Christ. But sometimes we are unfaithful to Him, even though he is unconditionally loving and faithful to us. Why do we do this to our “husband”? Why are we being led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ? The answer is simple. It is because we are human. It is our nature to sin. We are not perfect. Even though we are like this, our attitude should not be a negative one. We can’t be like, “Oh, I am way too sinful and unfaithful to Christ. He can’t possibly love me.” Or like, “Oh, God will forgive me. His blood covers over ALL my sin right?”
Read Romans 6:1-2
That should be our attitude, living a new and transformed life. To be the best wife we can be to Christ, we are to be a pure virgin to Christ.
What sins are causing us to be unfaithful to Christ?
How are you going to obey God in the present time?
Reflect upon this powerful metaphor.
Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to remain faithful
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Zero Bragging Rights
I am a good violinist, but Sarah Chang was recording concertos at the age of 12. I am a professional dancer, but Last 4 One in Korea, who have 16 year olds in their crew, is sponsored by Levi’s Jeans. I am a regional championship diver, but my friend Ted is nationally ranked at age 14. I play tennis well, but Josiah and Peter Huang can destroy me any day of the week. I can play the piano, but I’m a subway beggar with a 12-key Little Tykes keyboard compared to Priscilla and Ariel. I can play guitar, but Dustin owns the frets in a way I never can. I’m a lead singer in a band, but Nichole and Jon Mann have voices like angels. I have a 6.18 mile time, but Stephen can run circles around me while asleep. I can bench 165 pounds, but Michael Rau makes me look like the Little Mermaid. I’m a nice guy, but Stephanie shines warmth and kindness. I play drums for Worship Team, but Jeff Huang, who is self taught by the way, is the next Travis Barker. I’m smart, but Victoria is borderline genius. I can do a layup, but Emily can Kobe me any day. I can Ollie, but Harry Tong is skating beast. I may be good looking, but Josh is beating back crowds of girls from his porch every day. I can bump-set-spike but I’d get totally blocked by Jen Tang. You see? I really have nothing to boast about. There is always someone better. When you realize that for everything you are good at, there is someone better, then there really is no room for pride. Where there is no room for pride, there is vacancy for Christ.
Read 2 Corinthians 10:12 - 18
Take this time to think about some of the things that you can boast about. Write them down and then the names of people you know that are better.
Read 2 Corinthians 10:12 - 18
Take this time to think about some of the things that you can boast about. Write them down and then the names of people you know that are better.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
To Be Told You’re Wrong
Read: 2 Corinthians 10: 7-11
The decades leading up to World War 1 were often seen as “the Gilded Age”. On the surface, everything was nice and glittery. The stock markets were amazing, everyone was doing reasonably well, there was peace and security. But underneath that gilded surface was nothing but rot. Peace and security were gone when the network of military alliances led to World War 1. Not long after the last bullet was fired, the stock market crisis in 1929 officially inaugurated the Great Depression. The unemployment rate in the USA was 20%. The rot was definitely destructive in its scope.
Humans are prone to look at things so superficially, and the Corinthians were no exception. Imagine if you received regular (and rather angrily-toned) letters from some pastor far away with some praises, but some criticisms. It won’t be long before people start talking. Who does that guy think he is? What does he know - he’s rarely here in the first place! Maybe the guy is angry in his letters, but preaches like a wimp. Maybe the guy doesn’t even know anything! This was what Paul had to deal with.
And so he responded quite matter-of-factly. The Corinthians were only looking at this superficially. They weren’t paying attention to the message, so much as they were paying attention to how much they didn’t like the criticisms. Instead of changing from their sinful ways, they only criticized Paul back! Oh - and the tone of the letter. Paul assures the Corinthians that if his letters were angry already, he’d be at least as angry in person!
I wish the Church is a church that accepts criticism well, but in all truth and honesty we don’t. We don’t like criticism. We like to be prim, proper, and - as Cheryl would put it - uppity. In short, we like to be right, and if we’re not right, we’d like criticism to be delivered in a nice, neat package. We don’t like being told we need to repent for our sins like gossip, spending time doing the wrong (note: not necessarily bad) things, pornography, getting involved with unwholesome relationships, etc. We prefer to be told that “our sins is just between us and God.”
So let us be a church that is not afraid, but entirely embracing of wise criticism. Let us wisely build each other up, wisely criticize each other, in order that everyone flourishes in faith. Let us, together, strive for righteousness and empower each other to do just the same.
The decades leading up to World War 1 were often seen as “the Gilded Age”. On the surface, everything was nice and glittery. The stock markets were amazing, everyone was doing reasonably well, there was peace and security. But underneath that gilded surface was nothing but rot. Peace and security were gone when the network of military alliances led to World War 1. Not long after the last bullet was fired, the stock market crisis in 1929 officially inaugurated the Great Depression. The unemployment rate in the USA was 20%. The rot was definitely destructive in its scope.
Humans are prone to look at things so superficially, and the Corinthians were no exception. Imagine if you received regular (and rather angrily-toned) letters from some pastor far away with some praises, but some criticisms. It won’t be long before people start talking. Who does that guy think he is? What does he know - he’s rarely here in the first place! Maybe the guy is angry in his letters, but preaches like a wimp. Maybe the guy doesn’t even know anything! This was what Paul had to deal with.
And so he responded quite matter-of-factly. The Corinthians were only looking at this superficially. They weren’t paying attention to the message, so much as they were paying attention to how much they didn’t like the criticisms. Instead of changing from their sinful ways, they only criticized Paul back! Oh - and the tone of the letter. Paul assures the Corinthians that if his letters were angry already, he’d be at least as angry in person!
I wish the Church is a church that accepts criticism well, but in all truth and honesty we don’t. We don’t like criticism. We like to be prim, proper, and - as Cheryl would put it - uppity. In short, we like to be right, and if we’re not right, we’d like criticism to be delivered in a nice, neat package. We don’t like being told we need to repent for our sins like gossip, spending time doing the wrong (note: not necessarily bad) things, pornography, getting involved with unwholesome relationships, etc. We prefer to be told that “our sins is just between us and God.”
So let us be a church that is not afraid, but entirely embracing of wise criticism. Let us wisely build each other up, wisely criticize each other, in order that everyone flourishes in faith. Let us, together, strive for righteousness and empower each other to do just the same.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Invisible Children
I remember a few years ago that for youth group movie night we watched “Invisible Children”. It was a movie about the abduction and forced enlistment of children by the sectarian Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. It was eye opening and heart wrenching as we watched what was happen to the young people that were brainwashed and forced to kill others and also to be killed. It was so horrifying to hear of the children constantly on the move and also living in fear of being abducted. One would think in order to battle this type of evil, we have to wage war and get bigger guns then them to make them stop. This has not been the case because the only way that change has been happening is through what God is doing through the church and Christians throughout Uganda. The government feels helpless but many will point to things that are happening that bring about change and peace. This is not from the war with earthly weapons, but this is with the power and strength of a mighty God and God’s use of His people.
Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6
1By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! 2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
Paul writes in a time and context that is different than the conflict written above in Uganda. However, Paul was writing in a way that continued to defend the fact that God is the one that sent Him on this mission to share the gospel with the world. The message that he gives is not one that comes with violence or him trying to gain power to share his message, but the exact opposite and one that follows Christ’s model of humbleness and meekness.
A group who call themselves “Invisible Children” have called upon the power of media to inspire young people to help end the longest running war in Africa. Their model has proven effective, and hundreds of thousands of people have been called to action through our films and the volunteers that tour them. They are mobilizing a generation to capture the attention of the international community, and make a stand for justice in the wake of genocide.
What are the kind of things God is calling you or our group to do to make a difference in this world that would bring light to such darkness? What are the ways you are called to do that humbly and as ones dependent on God for power not this world?
Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6
1By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! 2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
Paul writes in a time and context that is different than the conflict written above in Uganda. However, Paul was writing in a way that continued to defend the fact that God is the one that sent Him on this mission to share the gospel with the world. The message that he gives is not one that comes with violence or him trying to gain power to share his message, but the exact opposite and one that follows Christ’s model of humbleness and meekness.
A group who call themselves “Invisible Children” have called upon the power of media to inspire young people to help end the longest running war in Africa. Their model has proven effective, and hundreds of thousands of people have been called to action through our films and the volunteers that tour them. They are mobilizing a generation to capture the attention of the international community, and make a stand for justice in the wake of genocide.
What are the kind of things God is calling you or our group to do to make a difference in this world that would bring light to such darkness? What are the ways you are called to do that humbly and as ones dependent on God for power not this world?
Monday, May 3, 2010
Money, money, money, money?
Most of us grew up hearing about the 10% rule when it came to tithing or giving offering at church. When I was younger I remember every week I dropped a quarter or two into the KFC bucket now being used as a offering bucket. As I got older, I still tried to adhere to the 10% rule and started putting in dollar bills, then $5, $10, $20 etc. Where does that 10% come from? Maybe from Leviticus 27:32 which says, “And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy unto the LORD.” Definitely a starting place for us, but how does the New Testament expand on the idea of giving to the LORD?
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
I want to unpack for us a few questions concerning giving. So get ready for a mini-sermon, then reflect on how to apply this to your life.
What do we give?
I think the simple answer would be money, but I believe its more than that. Paul says in 2 Cor 9:6 “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” God is calling to give to Him from the resources that He has so richly blessed us with. This does mean our finances, but also includes other things God has blessed us with. Our time, our homes, our gifts and abilities. To neglect to give in any of these areas to God and His work would be selfish of us. That being said, I do think that in our culture, money is the most difficult thing for us to give, even though in comparison to much of the world, we have an extreme abundance of it.
Why do we give?
Paul unpacks for us the two major reasons that we give. 2 Cor 9:12 says, “For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” We give to support God’s people, both those in ministry, but also those in need. This is how the body of Christ cares for one another. But our offering a sacrifice to God is also an expression of thankfulness to Him for all that he does for us. How can we acknowledge that God is our provider and not respond in thanksgiving?
Who do we give to?
God calls us to give to the Church. Giving to the local church is our way of giving to the local body of believers. From there, our gifts go to support different people, like the pastors and church staff. This is a biblical concept Paul lays out for the church to do in Galatians 6:6. “One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.” But giving to the local church ought to also be a way of giving to those in need, since churches should be actively meeting needs within its community. But giving is not limited to the local church. We are called to give to the Church. This means we are to take part in the work of the Kingdom around the world. All the reasons we support pastors and give in the local church can be applied to the mission field as well, whether at home or abroad.
How do we give?
This isn’t a question of “check or cash?” but rather, how should our hearts be when we give? 2 Cor 9:7 says, “Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” God doesn’t want to give because we feel obligated, but to give out of the generosity that is a reflection of His generosity. 2 Cor 9:8 also reminds us, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” God continues to bless and sustain and provide for us, so that we can be generous with what He’s given us.
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
I want to unpack for us a few questions concerning giving. So get ready for a mini-sermon, then reflect on how to apply this to your life.
What do we give?
I think the simple answer would be money, but I believe its more than that. Paul says in 2 Cor 9:6 “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” God is calling to give to Him from the resources that He has so richly blessed us with. This does mean our finances, but also includes other things God has blessed us with. Our time, our homes, our gifts and abilities. To neglect to give in any of these areas to God and His work would be selfish of us. That being said, I do think that in our culture, money is the most difficult thing for us to give, even though in comparison to much of the world, we have an extreme abundance of it.
Why do we give?
Paul unpacks for us the two major reasons that we give. 2 Cor 9:12 says, “For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” We give to support God’s people, both those in ministry, but also those in need. This is how the body of Christ cares for one another. But our offering a sacrifice to God is also an expression of thankfulness to Him for all that he does for us. How can we acknowledge that God is our provider and not respond in thanksgiving?
Who do we give to?
God calls us to give to the Church. Giving to the local church is our way of giving to the local body of believers. From there, our gifts go to support different people, like the pastors and church staff. This is a biblical concept Paul lays out for the church to do in Galatians 6:6. “One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.” But giving to the local church ought to also be a way of giving to those in need, since churches should be actively meeting needs within its community. But giving is not limited to the local church. We are called to give to the Church. This means we are to take part in the work of the Kingdom around the world. All the reasons we support pastors and give in the local church can be applied to the mission field as well, whether at home or abroad.
How do we give?
This isn’t a question of “check or cash?” but rather, how should our hearts be when we give? 2 Cor 9:7 says, “Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” God doesn’t want to give because we feel obligated, but to give out of the generosity that is a reflection of His generosity. 2 Cor 9:8 also reminds us, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” God continues to bless and sustain and provide for us, so that we can be generous with what He’s given us.
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