Live, Let Go, and Let Live!

The story I’m about to tell you is true; it happened over a decade ago.

There was a woman my mother and I once knew: Mrs. A, a widow with two children.
No, her husband didn’t die. He had an affair with another woman and divorced Mrs. A before marrying his mistress and settling down in another city.
As would any betrayed (ex)-wife, Mrs. A was deeply hurt and drowned in bitterness. In her hatred and anger, she cursed the other woman, praying that God would strike her ex-husband’s second wife with an illness as lethal as cancer.
She then occupied herself with work, bringing up two kids on her own and getting involved in Christian ministries as a faithful church-goer. Years turned into decades, as she waited, waited, and waited for God to fulfill the curse she cast upon the other woman.

Guess what?
Mrs. A passed away due to breast cancer in her early fifties!

You might feel a slight chill running down your spine after reading this.
You might even be thinking, “Did the curse backfire on her?”

Well, scientifically speaking, medical researches have shown that nurturing bitterness is a fine way of triggering the onset of malignant cell growth in the human body. Cancer is basically the mutation of healthy body cells into malignant ones through certain triggering factors, such as radioactivity, carcinogenic agents, and distress.
As mentioned in Cancer Helps, distress is an emotional state that disturbs the body's cellular balance. When we are constantly in distress, this state potentially incites our body cells to turn hyperactive and malignant, triggering the onset of cancer.

Biblically speaking, let’s read what our Lord said in Matthew 6:44, “I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

It sounds quite impossible to apply in daily life, doesn’t it?
Nonetheless, this is not an admonition. It’s a command!

Apostle Paul was the man who followed this command to his last breath, and he had proven that the Lord’s word is not impossible to perform. If it were, surely Paul wouldn’t say, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ!”
In his letter to the Romans, he explained on how to behave like a Christian, “Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse!”
Again, he wrote, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men,” and “do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Paul was elaborating Lord Jesus's command to love our enemies and do good to those who did us wrong. Simply speaking, the apostle was filling up the details for us to practice kindness – not bitterness – toward others, and our enemies in particular.

Thus, we can conclude:

• Loving others, even those who hate and mistreat us, is God’s command for us to perform. We cannot be justified before Him by living against this command, no matter how much and how great the service and faithfulness we offer Him in return.
Honestly, we can’t bribe God!

• Human vengeance is basically an act of rebellion against God’s supreme control over the universe.
We might wonder why God said, “Vengeance is Mine.” We are the ones who are wronged (not Him!), surely we have the right to avenge ourselves!
Uhm, not really.
Let’s put it this way, through a more universal perspective: when something wrong happens in the universe, it means that one of God’s law had been broken. As a result, an imbalance take place (we see this whenever evil seems to triumph over good; we can read Asaph’s complaint in Psalm 73 and Habakkuk’s groaning in the first chapter of his book concerning this).
Nevertheless, however dire and long-lasting the imbalance might be, there is another law that God had set since the beginning of time. It’s called the law of sowing and reaping.
The law of balance.
Whatever imbalance taking place in the universe must sooner or later right itself (to the Greek, it’s known as “nemesis”), and God always provides the agent(s) of righting the imbalance and restoring the universe to its previous, balanced state – without interference from our part.
Thus, we see that vengeance is purely and solely prerogative to God.
Who are we to challenge His sovereignty?

• Yes, it’s true. It’s much easier to curse and hate those who despise us and did us wrong.
But, then again, try viewing it this way: what good does cursing and hating bring us? By doing so, aren't we simply proving that we’re no better than they are?
The Lord’s wisdom stands!
o Bless those who curse you.
Perhaps, after being blessed, they would change and stop being so hostile toward us.
o Do good to those who hate you.
Maybe their wrong impression would alter afterward, and – who knows? – we might even be friends or allies.
o Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much,” wrote Apostle James. It’s very possible that through the prayer of faith, God opens the eyes of those who persecute us, so they’ll gain a brand new insight and follow the Lord’s way in uprightness.

In short, bitterness, hatred, and vengeance truly don’t pay.
Live and let go – and let live!

Disappointment = A Reason for Giving Thanks (?)

"Better cry for a month than a lifetime."

A friend once told the above words to cheer up his good buddy, who had just completed her divorce papers and had to raise two kids on her own.
I have another idea:

"Better a heartbreak than a divorce."

Do you notice the difference?
Statement #1 = let go, don't cry over spilled milk.
Statement #2 = thank God, you needn't cry over spilled milk.

Happiness and disappointment, success and failure, joy and sorrow, are normal, everyday happenings we face through life. Besides, people can't fully understand the meaning of "happiness" when they have never been acquainted with "disappointment," or grasp the meaning of "success" without knowing what "failure" is. Such is the joy and sorrow, ups and downs, gloom and brightness of life. It's what makes life purely colorful.

Over a decade ago, during a Q&A session attended by youths and senior mentors, a troubled girl proposed a question, eager to know what to do when facing heartbreak.
One of the senior mentors replied, "Give thanks! That means, God is planning to give you a better life-mate!"

When we broaden the scope, the above admonition also applies in other areas of life: "Give thanks for your present disappointments/failures/setbacks, for it means that God is planning better things ahead!" -- as long as you look beyond the present anguish you're experiencing.

Sometimes, we tend to focus too much on whatever we have in sight. We struggle and strive for something we think as best for us at the present, without realizing the hidden negative potential it contains, which might just be a time-bomb ready to explode in the future.

God is good.
He unravels the hidden threats long before the countdown stops and routs our plans from the very beginning. Indeed, it may plunge us into great disappointment, but disappointment is much more useful than regret. When we're disappointed, we turn to God so as to cling to His plan and His way, whereas regret is incapable of bringing any meaningful impact for the betterment of our situation.

Are you facing heartbreak? Has your proposal been turned down? Did the other party cancel the project or contract?
Whatever you're facing: Give thanks! God has already planned something (much) better ahead!

[Read the Indonesian version: My Facebook Notes]

Prayer -- Demand or Trust?

A study on theology had kept me occupied these last two months (which explains the reason behind the vacuum of posts in this blog). A long and laborious effort on translation indeed, but I have always loved the way translation projects broaden my insight on life -- and everything it has to offer.
Shall we continue with the story I have to offer, then?

Once upon a time, there lived a woman in the East, who was beautiful and much loved by her husband. Her name was Rachel.
Despite her beauty and graceful appearance, Rachel was barren. Even after years of marriage, she bore her husband, Jacob, no children. On the other hand, her unloved sister, Leah, had given birth to six sons!
In their community, children were considered as valuable heritage, and sons were greatly prized. There was nothing a woman could desire more than giving birth to many sons, to build the family's name.
Grieved by her unfortunate condition, Rachel prayed and prayed and prayed to God for a son, out of jealousy toward her elder sister.

Many centuries afterward, a woman from among her descendants suffered the same fate. Hannah was deeply troubled, for she could not bear children.
One day, she prayed to God, that if He granted her a son, she would dedicate her baby to the Lord's service for the rest of his life.
The Lord listened to Hannah's plea, and opened her womb.
Hannah gave birth to a son, and -- in great joy -- named him Samuel, "God grants."


Rachel, after struggling with her sterility for many years, was finally granted her wish. God remembered her, and in His time, gave her the son she asked for.
Rachel was overjoyed, and called her baby: Joseph, "may He add."
God gave her a son, and she asked for more sons, to rival her sister, Leah.
Well, she did give birth to another son -- Benjamin -- several years later.
But it cost her life, for she died in childbirth.

And Hannah?
After she weaned Samuel, she took him to the house of God and left him there under the high priest's care, to be trained in the way of the Lord -- never did it cross her mind that Samuel would grow up to become one of the greatest prophets Israel ever saw.
Hannah came home to the mountains of Ephraim, feeling content and at peace. She glorified the Lord for His goodness in granting her a son, and He was pleased with her thanksgiving. So, the Lord gave Hannah three more sons and two daughters!

Can we discern the difference between these two women?
Even though they faced the same problem, felt the same anguish, and fought the same struggle, but the outcome for each was not similar.

How come?
Here, we see the contrast between a demanding prayer and a trusting prayer.

A demanding prayer is the kind that forces God to bend to our will, our motives, our methods. Most of the time (if not always), this sort of prayer is founded on self-interest.
Rachel didn't submit her will to the will of God. She chose her own path and forced God to follow her down a steep road which she didn't know where it led. Eventually, she had to pay for it dearly.

Hannah, on the other hand, linked her plea with God's will.
She didn't ask for a son to fulfill her self-interest. By asking for a son, she was plainly asking God to take away her disgrace, and in return, she would return the boy to Him.
She believed that the blessing of children was God's to give, and understood completely that the son He would give her actually belonged to Him. As a parent, she was nothing more than a caretaker of God's blessing.
By trusting that everything came from God and should only be used for His glory, she conceived, gave birth, and dedicated her son for a lifetime of service. God was pleased with her humility, and granted her five more children she had never asked for!

Perhaps, it would be prudent if we reflect on the Lord's words: "If you remain in Me, and My Word remains in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15:7).


Many people simply quote the last half of this verse: "Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
They neglect the first half of it -- the requirement any prayer needs! Without it, there's no way our prayer will be heard: "If you remain in Me, and My Word remains in you."
Meaning: our will and prayer should be in harmony and concurrence with God's Word. If we are one with God, we shall understand His thoughts, and anything we ask from Him will not stray from His good and perfect will. Only then, will our prayer be heard and granted.

The Choice

There was a lesson I learned yesterday from reading Mark 5:1-20.
Here's how the story goes:

One day, Jesus was sailing in a boat with His disciples. Arriving on the other side of the lake, He was met by a demon-possessed man dwelling in the graveyard.
The man was so infamous for his violent behavior, everyone in the village was afraid of him. But Jesus commanded the evil spirits to come out of him, and they did.
The demons went out from the man and went into a large herd of pigs. Instantly, they ran down the steep bank and were drown in the lake.
The men tending the pigs hurriedly ran into the village to tell:

1. What Jesus had done to heal the demon-possessed man.
2. What happened to the pigs after they got demon-possessed.

So, all the villagers went out to the site, and found:

1. The man was already dressed, sitting by the feet of Jesus, and in his right mind.
2. The pigs were really drown in the lake just as reported, two-thousands of them.

Their response?
They begged Jesus to immediately leave their region!
His act of miracle just caused them to lose a great deal of fortune!

Well, doesn't the above story quite typically represent our generation?
We don't mind accepting salvation as long as we don't need to pay for it.

Alright, Folks, here's the news:
To receive the new life, we need to let go of our old lives!

Salvation is offered for free.
True: there's no amount of gold or treasures in this world that we can give the Lord in exchange for eternity.
But there is something He demands that exceeds the value of money by far.
He desires our soul: one thing that is far more precious than any earthly treasures.

Once we accept God's all-precious redemption, He expects us to give up our former lives and follow Him in full devotion.
There is no way we can achieve eternal life without severing our ties to the vanity of the transient one.

The problem with the villagers in the above story is that they clung too desperately to the material world, their eyes were blinded to see the everlasting mercy of God.

One lost soul was saved from the Devil's clutch.
To God, it was invaluable beyond all matters.
To men, who would care if the man lived or perished?

Once again, they followed human standards, not God's.
And we know what humans are: mortal, vain, imperfect, and transient creatures.

For us, the story serves as a reminder.
Two roads diverge before us: either we choose to live by God's way, or the way of the perishing world.
Truly, we can't decide to travel on both.

May we learn to choose wisely.
Amen.

Understanding God

Understanding God is one extremely unfathomable subject.
Due to His infinity, perfection, and holiness, we, frail, imperfect, mortal creatures have difficulty comprising full knowledge of our God as much as a bloodhound trying to understand its master.

Many times, we fail.
Even God's servants fail.
Even prophets and holy men failed!

For one thing, God is invisible.
Whereas we tend to measure many aspects of life based on what is visible.
It's simply human.
And that's exactly the reason why we can't measure up to His standard.
How can we possibly use human standard to analyze God's greatness?

Nevertheless, we must be thankful for His great compassion, immeasurable love, and understanding of our weaknesses -- without which, we would all perish.
Only by God's grace, we live and have our being.

But how do we understand God?
Honestly, we can't.
It will be so much easier if we take ourselves as bloodhounds, and God is our master.
We can never understand our Master's thoughts, but we may well understand His commands.
That is what He provides us the Bible for.
Listen carefully to what He says, read the instructions He has inscribed, and we won't stray from His perfect way and will.

Then, perhaps one day, when we reach the invisible realm of infinity, we shall get the whole picture -- and understand Him as much as He understands us.

Miracle is A Two-Way Street

Recently, I often hear people claiming they believe in God, who walks in the realm of impossibility. They have faith in the Lord, who makes all things possible for all who trust in Him.
I say "Amen!" to that.

But, sometimes, people respond to the above notion a bit out of the intended scope. Yes, it's true: our Lord, the Creator of the Universe, is the "Maker of Miracles, working wonders."
Nevertheless, He does not always work that way!
If He does, what's the need to establish the natural axioms of the universe for?

Let's take some miraculous examples:

- Abraham had a son at 100 years old. How miraculous!
But, look at it closely: there was a span of 25 years between the moment God gave the promise until it was finally fulfilled. Abraham had to prove his faith to God and serve Him wholeheartedly until he was proven worthy to receive the fulfillment of God's promise.
Beside, Isaac was not born out of thin air. He was conceived for nine months and was delivered naturally from the womb of his aged mother, Sarah.

- Joshua cried out to God and the entire solar system stopped moving. Awesome!
But it only happened because Joshua was out on a military campaign prompted by the will of God, not his own.
It was God's will and power that stopped the movement of the sun and moon, and He heard Joshua's prayer because he was a general who understood the will of God.

- Over 5,000 people were fed and be filled when Jesus broke the five loaves and two fishes. But Jesus did not perform the miracle before they had followed Him for three days on foot, only to listen attentively to His teaching.
Their faith and longing for His words were the reasons behind their following the Lord, despite the long journey, hunger, and thirst. In turn, it moved the Lord's heart with compassion. And a miracle happened!

- Many people were healed from their illnesses and demon-possession in the days of the apostles. But, did they simply come casually and received healing without a price? No!
During the early years of the church, Christianity was banned and considered a threat to the status quo. Anyone who believed and accepted the teaching should be marked as a traitor and ought to answer to the authority.
So, these people came to the apostles to be miraculously healed in full understanding that, by doing so, they could forfeit their very lives! It was their faith and courage that allowed God to perform miracles in them.

What I am saying is: God is truly the God of miracles who walks in the realm of impossibility, but in all things, there is a process!

We can't expect God to work miracles in our lives and blow our problems away in a single flick of His fingers!
That is not His modus of operation.
This is God's way of dealing with man: teamwork.
Meaning?

We handle all the possible, He'll handle the impossible.
We work out the process, He'll come out with the result.
We follow His will through His words, He'll fulfill His wonderful plans in our lives.
We pray, He'll act.

Miracle is a two-way street: we do our part, God does His.
And when the miracle takes place, we'll realize that He doesn't merely change the situation. He changes our hearts as well.
And compared to the new person He has forged us into, the miracle itself will seem smaller than it's expected at the beginning.

Our God is not only beyond impossibility.
He is way beyond imagination!
Amen.

Our Weakness, Our Strength

"Never show a sign of weakness in the heat of combat!"

When these words came out of the lips of Gemini Kanon, I realized that the author, Masami Kurumada, was quoting Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest samurai ever walked on earth. Typically Japanese code of honor!

But the implication it holds is far from being solely Japanese.
Weakness is an inevitable trait of man. We are, after all, frail creatures with undeniable shortcomings and tendency to be broken apart under unbearable pressure.
Even saints have weaknesses!

Open the Bible anywhere and pick any character, and you'll find they're always marred by weakness:

- Abraham was crowned the father of faith, but he feared the Egyptians and so lied about his wife, Sarah.
- David could dispatch entire Philistines troops, but could not control his lust over a woman.
- Samuel was a perfect judge, priest, and prophet, but he failed in shaping up his sons into God-fearing men.
-Elijah prayed and fire came scorching down from heaven, but when faced to the words of Queen Jezebel, he fled and asked God to take his life instead.
- Peter was very courageous, but he faltered and denied the Lord at the question of a maidservant.
- Paul was flawless in all his ministries, but he was tormented by a thorn in his flesh that he couldn't rid.
- James was a man of integrity and great apostle, but he became so after the Lord appeared to him post-resurrection, not beforehand.

But what does the Bible say about the flaws of God's holy people?

"Weakness was turned to strength" (Hebrews 11:34)!

How come?

Because God's power "is made perfect in (our) weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9).

It is only when we acknowledge our weaknesses and cast them on the feet of the Lord, He will work through us and in us, to beam His radiant glory within us, making us the vessel of His strength.
Therefore, for us, weak earthlings, the power that's so overwhelming, that enables us to perform whatever task we might bear, comes not from our fragile ability, but from God who strengthens us.
That is why we can say together with Paul, in confidence:

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).

In the midst of tribulation, through the storm of life, in the heat of combat, how unwise it is for us to give in to our weakness!
Rather, as we realize our flaws and weaknesses, let us remember that these weak points are God's means to exhibit His ultimate power within us. And so, give it all up to Him!
Let Him turn our weakness into strength!
Then, we will come out victorius, for the glory of His name!
Amen.

Priceless!

Nearly two decades ago, I was a naïve teenager gazing up at the brilliant night-sky with a heart in anguish. A good friend of mine was suffering from chronic ulcer at that time and I was in great anxiety regarding his health.
As I fixed my eyes on those billions of twinkling dots up in the heavens, a realization entered my mind and pierced my soul. I knew that, if my friend died, I wouldn’t be able to find one so unique to replace him, even in the whole universe.

A reminder came to me in my daily devotion several days ago.
God said in Isaiah 66:1-2, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me? Where will My resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things, and so they came into being? This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.”
Relate these two verses to I Corinthians 3:16 and I Corinthians 6:19, and we come to a shocking truth: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”

In the Old Testament, God declares that even the whole heaven and earth is not spacious enough to hold His divine being. But in the New Testament, He states that He dwells within the life of each faithful believer who fears and worships Him. The Bible teaches us that every living individual who lives for Christ is a “living tabernacle of God” – the very dwelling place of the eternal, infinite God.
Combine the two statements, and we realize the value of each and every human being on earth: each of us is worth a whole universe in the sight of the Creator!
Isn’t this a marvelous phenomenon?!
There is nothing, not even the whole galaxies, to replace the value of a single soul in the eyes of God! So great is the price He sets for us!

But why?
Why does God cherish and prizes us so greatly and preciously?

The answer is in Genesis 1:27, “God created man in His own image.”
We are created as the copy of the Divine Creator. When God created the first man, He also transferred some of His personal traits to Adam: holiness, perfection, power, immortality, eternal life – things that are so immensely great which even a universe cannot fathom or contain.
Yes, sin did corrupt and marred the image of God within man, robbing us of our divine attributes and confining us to mortality, decay, imperfection and countless limitations. Nevertheless, it did not alter our internal blueprint and value in the sight of God. We are, and will always be, more precious and priceless than the whole universe to Him.
Realizing this great truth, shouldn’t we be more grateful to God for how and what He had created us to be? Shouldn’t we treat our neighbors with more respect and honor, knowing how indescribably great the value of each living soul on earth truly is before the Creator?
Let us all live in awe of God’s greatness shown to us – and in us!
Amen.

When Prayers Seem to Remain Unanswered

Prayer plays a crucial role in the life of every believer.
We pray each day. Some of them are quickly answered, some are not, and the rest seem to be queueing on God's waiting list.
Well, whenever our prayer receives a quick reply, we rejoice aplenty. But what do we do when our prayer is not yet answered? Do we grumble? Do we grow impatient? Do we feel disappointed?

What is actually happening UP THERE when God decides not to answer our prayer just yet?

Genesis 2:2-3 "By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing. So on the seventh day, He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done."

He word "rested" in the above passage is written "qadash" in the original Hebrew tongue, meaning: savoring, enjoying, delighting in, consecrating, making holy.
Do we not realize that at the time God seems to be doing nothing, saying nothing, and caring about nothing, is actually the moment of His savoring our lives?

Look at Abraham, Job, Daniel, and Joseph, men of great faith and integrity in the Lord. Did the Lord always answer their prayers? Did He always talk to them at all times, whenever they lifted up their plea to His presence?
No!

There are times in the lives of the above-mentioned Biblical characters when God seemed to be silent. God seemed to have abandoned them, leaving them to face deadly perils and great trials on their own.
And, what do we read about these men?
The Scripture records that they remained faithful to the Lord despite their circumstances. Whatever befell them: loss of loved ones, poverty, disappointment, imprisonment, and even dead sentence, these men remained true to their One and Only God.
And, THAT, my friends, is the moment of God's delight in their lives. THAT is such a moment in which we please the Lord's heart by staying obedient and keeping His statutes through time of pain and suffering.
And we can be assured, that when this phase subsides, the Lord will surely answer our prayer and lift us up to a higher ground.

Are we ready to please the heart of God today, and present our lives and faithfulness as a fragrant aroma rising up to the presence of the Lord?

Letting Go Anxiety

How many times in a day we find such cases in our neighborhood:
- A dysfunctional family quarreling about each member's share of the estate?
- A couple undergoing divorce and disputing over the right to raise their children?
- A man or woman being slandered for no wrong?
- A teenager lacking love at home that falls into reckless living?
- A child abandoned by his/her irresponsible parents?

Each of the above stories is enough to cause us real pain and distress. And, this is what happens in everyday life.
With so much sorrow and aggravation we face each day on the planet, we tend to ask God, "Why?"
Why all these troubles? Why all the cares, pain, and hardship?
Some even say, "Why is God tempting us?"

My Friends, God does not tempt anyone, "but each man is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (James 1:14).

I guess it will help to view all the pain and sorrow in this world as part of the transient nature of life. Take a good look, and soon they're gone. As soon as one considers them, they vanish like a vapor of smoke. Mere illusion life on Earth is!
Solomon said it so well in the Scripture:

"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate, and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6).

Anger, anguish, pain, grief, disputes, quarrels, vengeance, hatred (and the list goes on) are not worth clinging on to.
They don't last!
Who would remember who we were, what our problem was, how we managed to solve (or ruin) our lives, and why had we settled our matters, after we have died? A hundred years from now there will be no rememberance of our lives aside from meaningless names carved on forgotten tombstones!
Why take to heart things so fleeting?
Why choose the path of joyless life?

The Teacher presents us the key to live a full, joyful life while living in this transient world: CONTENTMENT.
We know that our problems, anxiety, and unhappiness would diminish by far if each of us knew how to be content and grateful with what we have (that is, what God grants us to have), not with what we don't have!
As Apostle James would say, "If you know how to control your desire, you won't fall into temptation!"

This is Solomon's advice to us:

"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart (be grateful with your everyday's blessing), for it is now that God favors what you do (love the job you're running). Always be clothed in white (maintain an upright outlook and attitudes), and always anoint your head with oil (be filled with God's guiding Word and Spirit). Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love (cherish and nurture love in your marriage and family), all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun -- all you meaningless days (make the best use of your lifetime). For this (contentment in all things) is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might (do the best while you can)" (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10).

What a wonderful place this planet would be, if each of us knows how to be content and grateful, instead of filling our hearts and minds with desires that lead to much pain and suffering?
Do the world a favor: spare yourself of discontentment!
Enjoy life to the fullest while you still have the chance!

The Material and the Divine

Ever heard the "Prosperity Belief" among Christians these days?
This belief ensures that God blesses a believer abundantly in matters of material wealth as the result of their faith in Him. Whoever is NOT materially wealthy, then, is either doubted to possess true faith in God, or reckoned as one who has done some sinful acts (or retained sinful way of living) that prevent God's material blessings to be poured richly into his/her life.
Alright, we all believe that God does bless all His children. He always provides the needs of those who put their faith and trust in Him -- material needs included. But does money matter above all else?
I don't find such notion in the Scripture.
The Bible says about all who trusts in the Lord and does what He pleases:

"To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner, He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God" (Ecclesiastes 2:26, NIV).

Are we sure that the abundant amount of wealth we are gathering indicates that we are blessed by the Lord for being upright and living to please Him?
Not necessarily so!
The above verse states clearly that when a man of faith pleases the Lord, He grants him (1) wisdom, (2) knowledge, and (3) happiness.

What does it mean?

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Proverbs 1:7, NIV).

"Wisdom is supreme. Therefore, get wisdom! Though it costs all you have, get understanding!" (Proverbs 4:7, NIV)

It means that the Lord values spiritual treasures far above earthly ones. Wisdom and knowledge are the most precious matters on the planet, the Scripture says. This does not refer to worldly wisdom, but the divine one: the wisdom that springs from our fear of the Lord and flows into full knowledge of His divine being.
That is the one thing we should pursue!
When we are wise enough to fear God and grasp the knowledge of Him, He will send everlasting happiness and joy into our lives -- things money can never buy!

Why busy gathering treasures that will not last?
When God does bless us with abundant material wealth, as the above verse suggests, use it to gain wisdom and knowledge of God! Spend our worldly wealth to store up heavenly treasures, not only for ourselves, but for others as well!
Then, and only then, will we be rich in the sight of God.
The Lord blesses us all!

Do Everything in Love!

"Do everything in love!" wrote Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 16:14.
As I came across the above chapter in my daily devotion, the verse stabbed me! It was not an ordinary admonition, but a profound life-changing rebuke.
The church in Corinth was the most troublesome among all the churches in the days of the apostles. Oh, yes. They did possess material wealth in abundance, as well as spiritual gifts. But, something was fundamentally wrong with this church: the gifts of the Holy Spirit were misused, the congregation was divided four ways, the church members had no appropriate honor and understanding of the Holy Communion, and they had not mature in their spiritual life as they should, but remained "infants" in spirit.
It took Apostle Paul two long letters to straighten up the matters in the Corinthian church, teaching them (all over again): Godly wisdom, the true foundation of the church, the basic principles of marital life, the proper application of spiritual gifts, and so forth.
But the last command he wrote down for them, as the sum of all the teachings and exhortation, was the above verse: "Do everything in love!"
These four words stand like a mirror for the churches in our days:
If we have love, we will care for one another and will not be divided.
If we have love, we will use our spiritual gifts appropriately for edification of the church.
If we have love, we will grow and mature in the faith.
If we have love, we will know God and understand His good will and purpose in our lives.
If we have love, we will come to perfection.

Love is the key to everything!

Why do we complain?
Why do we quarrel?
Why do we find our ministry a burden?

Let's examine our foundation: have we done everything out of love, or not?
Jesus founded His church on love. That was why He gave His life as an atoning sacrifice of redemption in exchange for our condemned souls.
Shouldn't we now do the same, building our ministry on our love to Him who has loved us so?

Take Up Your Cross

"If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me," said Jesus as recorded in Luke 9:23.

For centuries, the cross has become the symbol of suffering, affliction, and self-denial, that whenever a believer is in tribulation or distressing situation, we refer to him/her as one "bearing the cross." A woman undergoing great struggle once told us, "I guess this is my cross to bear."
Yes, we take up our cross and follow Jesus when the journey is tough, through the valley of the shadows of death, resting our hope in Him who always guides us and had set His bloody footprints for us to follow along the way. We believe He will strengthen us and lead us to a place of shelter and peace.
And, He always does.

But, what do we do after He does deliver us from tribulation?
What happens after the Lord leads us to a spacious place where our burdens are turned into blessings and our tears replaced with laughter?
Let's consider the fact: believers tend to find it much easier to trust in the Lord in times of trouble than in times of joy!
Most of the time, when life has gone soft on us, the wind of tribulation has been stilled, and God's provision is in abundance, we tend to lay the cross aside, thinking it's no longer necessary to take it up when the road is smooth and easy.

Did Jesus say so?
No!
The Lord had stated it very clearly, "He must deny himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow Me!"
The word "daily" comprises every single moment of our life, in joy and sorrow, in pain and blessing, in good times as well as bad times. There should never be a day in our life that we stop bearing the cross of Jesus!

The cross doesn't merely talk about pain and suffering, tribulation and hardship, in following the Lord. It speaks of living as the Lord's redeemed people who always honor, cherish, and reflect Christ's atoning sacrifice in every aspect of our life, every single day on Earth, whatever the circumstances may be.
This is the foundation of Christian life and the basis of our following the Lord. The cross is our strength as well as shield and weapon. Without it, we will not be able to withstand the attack of the Enemy.

And the Enemy knows how alluring the comfort of abundance really is.
Once the Lord has lifted up our burdens and replaced it with blessing, the Devil comes and tricks us into laying the cross aside. The blessing God has provided can be turned into a trap when we are not careful of the Devil's subtle ways and be seduced into forsaking the Lord's cross.
That's the moment of a believer's downfall!

Let's remain alert at all times, keeping in mind to take up our cross DAILY and follow the Lord. Only in focusing on Jesus in every circumstance we can stay solid and immovable in our faith to Him.
Amen.

A Lesson from the Vultures

Three vultures were being released into the wild. After spending years of "captivity" inside the giant preservation cage since chicks, these members of an endangered species were finally set free to enjoy the rest of their lives in liberty.
Guess what happened next!
They did soar above the clouds and took their flight around the mountains -- just to return to their previous cage!
Sometimes, as Christians, we fall into the same pattern. Not understanding the unsurmountable grace granted us by the Lord's redemption and the privileges owned by every member of the citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom, we repeatedly fall back into old habits, weakness and lack of faith that we really should have left behind the day we welcomed Christ and His power into our lives.
The Spirit and the divine power resting in our lives as believers is greater than the one that is in the world (see I John 4:4). So, now, after we have been set free from the bondage of sin and granted the full-measure of freedom as children of God, why are we so easily tempted by our old self with all its weaknesses?
As Apostle Paul put it, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!" (II Corinthians 5:17)
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:1-2).
In other words: start living our new citizenship. We're free vultures, not birds of the cage!

Turning Worry into Action

Don’t worry! Be happy!
We often hear or read this expression as we drive along the way, walk down the road to our office, or wait on the line at the local grocery.
Easier said than done, most of us would silently scoff back at the expression. Who is free of worries in this hustle and hurry world?
Nevertheless, even the Bible encourages us not to worry. Matthew 6: 34 says, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
When Jesus said those words, He didn’t mean for us not to plan our future. The emphasis is on anxiety, not anticipation!
Planning is good. Having a plan is necessary. But trouble, distress, and headache come when we fear that our plan won’t work! Worrying is doubling the burden on a task that should take half the energy when done without being anxious.
The point is: make your plan and anticipate whatever circumstance that may take place, but leave the rest to God. Worrying won’t do any good.
Paul Borden, for example, gave some good tips on how to turn anxiety into reasonable steps:
1. Write down the things you’re worrying about. Family life, work at the office, children’s future, whatever things might occupy and/or obscure your mind.
2. Pray for the worries you’ve written down. Ask God specifically to help you face or go through those worrying circumstances.
3. Turn them into action. Try jotting down any effort you may take to solve specific, worrisome problems. This step makes things more reasonable to face and cope with.
After you’ve written down, prayed for, and planned on solving the problems that have been casting a net of anxiety over your heart and mind, trust God to guide you through – He will certainly turn all your worries into provision and solution!

God and the Apple of His Eye

"His eyes are like doves by the water streams...."

Such was how Solomon depicted the eyes of the Bridegroom in the book Song of Songs, which clearly portrayed the eyes of our Heavenly Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we behold those eyes from afar, they might seem as no more important than a pair of marbles, small and insignificant. But the closer we approach God's eyes, we behold how those pair of divine eyes shine like two mirrors in which we gaze into our own reflection. The closer we come to the Lord, the more we see our personal wrong-doings and shortcomings.
And, we are unwise if, after reflecting upon those mirrors, we turn away because we do not wish to behold or confess our weaknesses for Him to restore and change.
When we gaze upon those eyes deeper..... we shall see how gentle they are, full of love, compassion, grace and power!
He is full of compassion and grace; our Lord is the God of love who never stops loving sinful man, no matter how great our sins are. And He is full of grace, to lift us up out of the deepest pit.
He is all-powerful to change our wretched condition into the same likeness we see in Him, and He has all the power to transform all our vileness and blemish into a perfect being through Him.
We have learned that we, His church, His body, is the apple of God's eye, who always receive His attention and marvelous care -- for we are precious in His sight.
Whenever we, the apple of His eye, are ill, or have done some improper conducts against His will, or sadden/hurt His heart, or fall into mistakes due to our yet imperfect condition, God always washes us with His tears, with the water of His Living Word. Every time we do wrong, the washing by the Word of God comes to cleanse us of guilt.
Let us always become God's precious apple of His eyes, pleasing His heart at all times! Amen.

--Mrs. J.W. Totaijs, KRISTUS GEMBALA Magazine, August 1976--

Betsy

Julie had eleven dolls in her room. Some of them were very expensive. One could even cry and shed tears. However, among all her dolls, Julie's favorite was an old, rag doll that she named Betsy.
Whenever Julie's friends came to play at her house, they always chose the expensive dolls to play with. Julie was the only one who played with Betsy. She loved playing with Betsy, even at the times she was playing alone.
One day, Julie's mother asked her why she was always playing with such an old and ugly rag doll. Julie looked up and replied, "Mommy, if I'm not playing with Betsy, who would've wanted her?"

Sometimes, we, too, are like the above story...
Perhaps all our friends are invited to a party while others take no notice of us. When even our closed ones reject us, it seems that no one cares about us. Sometimes we feel as if nobody were concerned about us.
Nevertheless, when there is no one who does, God is there as the only Person who cares for us.
As a matter of fact, we are not worthy to be loved, due to our sins and badness. But God loves us more than Julie loves her rag doll, Betsy. The Lord is willing to die in our stead, no matter how bad and sinful our condition really is.
Apostle Paul once said that in the past we were adversaries of God, but He had made us His friends through the death of His Son.
As we ask ourselves as Julie did, "If God doesn't love us, who will?", perhaps we'll find no one. But Jesus loves us above all matters -- and He will never stop loving us!

[ Translated from KRISTUS GEMBALA Magazine, November-December 1974. ]

The Sparrow

My patronus is a SPARROW...??
Geez, when I took the quiz, I was hoping to receive a completely different result: a bear, for example. An eagle, a snow-leopard, a wolf, or perhaps a hound at the very least.
But, no. My patronus is a sparrow, a small, plump, brownish-grey bird with a short tail and stubby beak.
As I meditated the result, my mind suddenly flew to a verse I've read so many times in the Bible.
Jesus said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God! Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows!" (Luke 12:6-7).

There's an old hymn that goes:

Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for Heav'n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

"Let not your heart be troubled,"
His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth
But one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted,
Whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing,
When hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him,
From care He sets me free:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He cares for me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He cares for me.

As I desired greatness and pride (something to boast about), God revealed to me that basically I'm just an ordinary human being: frail, small and weak compared to life's obstacles and challenges, unable to stand a chance against the forces of nature.
But to such a frail creature, God shows His unsurmountable mercy and provision. It's only because of His grace that we, human, live and have our being. We are kept safe only by His abundant love, protected from all harm that might befall us.

My patronus is a sparrow. And I'm glad it's no other.

Divine Vengeance

There was a saying I once heard, "Vengeance is never just. It's always two eyes for an eye."
How true!
As corrupted mortals, we always demand greater recompense than the harm done us. That's why Gandhi, in his peace-promoting concept, said, "An eye for an eye only turns the whole world go blind!"
At all times, it hurts to forgive. But it's something demanded of us, if we want this world to grow into a better place for all man.
"But what about those evildoers?" you might ask in aggravation.
Surely, God never sleeps, and He never lets justice suffers lost. We are to submit to His will, lay our case on His feet, and let it go -- then, God will act in our place to bring justice to victory.
I've seen many cases of God's followers mistreated, and how in the end they are vindicated through divine intervention.
Here's one example:
There was a true story of a devout woman my late mother-in-law once knew. Her husband was seduced by another woman, and left her with their children behind. She was filled with grief and disappointment, no doubt.
Nevertheless, she didn't do a single thing to repay her husband or his mistress for the wrong done her. She went her way, clinging to the Lord and working hard to make ends meet for her children's future.
Two decades afterward, she was a happy grandmother of loving grandchildren. All her children had successfully finished their education and got good jobs, by which they helped supporting their mother.
God had proven Himself to be her Mighty Protector and Faithful Comforter, who cared for all her family's needs.
What about the other woman?
The mistress delivered a baby boy suffering from psychic disorder from birth! Two decades afterward, the boy quarreled with his mother, struck and murdered her!
The homicide was printed all over the newspapers!
My husband gasped as he incidentally read the news, and showed it to my mother-in-law (still in her prime condition those days). She sighed and shook her head.
"Divine vengeance," she whispered.
God never lets injustice triumphs or His faithful followers harmed. "Be sure of this: the wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free" (Proverbs 11:21).
How dreadful it is to fall under God's divine vengeance!
Ought we not be careful to keep ourselves from doing others wrong, since He who holds justice in His hand is One far mightier than us?

When Empathy Fails

It is said that when others are in need or pain, we should response with empathy, not sympathy.
I agree – to some extent.
While there is a major difference in perspective between the two (empathy views the matter from the victim’s eyes, whereas sympathy views it from the beholder’s – which puts quite a contrast in the matter of understanding the problem), it is somewhat pitiable that our sense of empathy, as humans, is marred with imperfectness.
Take the example of Peter.
How did he respond to Jesus’ statement about His going to be betrayed into the hands of sinners, tortured and crucified – and on the third day be raised from the dead?
I love the way NIV puts it, “But Peter insisted EMPATHICALLY, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You’” (Mark 14:31).
Peter replied with his human empathy, which sprang forth out of the depth of his heart and emotion. Nevertheless, as we need to keep in mind, as true and noble as a man’s heart can be, we are imperfect beings who are not immune to failures and shortcomings.
When the moment of trial and crucifixion came, as Jesus had predicted, Peter disowned Him. Not once, but thrice! His empathy melted, and he quivered before the pointing finger of a maid!
What caused Peter’s denial?
Fear.
He feared the Jews. He feared the heat of torment. He feared that slow and excruciating way of dying upon the cross. And so, he abandoned his Master.
But Jesus endured to the end. Even after Peter’s denial, even after all His beloved disciples deserted Him and He had to die alone on Calvary, He remained true to His promise: that He would give His life as a ransom for mankind.
What motivated Jesus’ endurance?
Love.
When all else fails, God’s love stands firm to the end.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (I John 4:18).
It was God’s unfailing love that succeeded over all fear, pain, misery, and soared higher beyond our spheres of sorrow and despair.
And, for Peter, it was granted that he, too, was given the privilege to understand and receive this love of God that surpasses all understanding. It was after that moment of grace, as he accepted God’s love and sacrifice, that Peter was able to go through all trials and tribulations, and endured all sufferings for the sake of the Lord’s name – even to the death at the cross.
When empathy fails, look up to the cross of Calvary!
The love of God remains a safe anchor for eternity!