Getting PUSH-y with God

We even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us (Rom. 5:3).

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

So this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might! Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary decided to enter the picture and place negative thoughts into the weary man’s mind: “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't moved.”

Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.

Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in Your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately. "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed.

“But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock."

Even when the outcome doesn't look promising, we can't ever go wrong by being obedient to the Lord. Are we humble enough to accept a task that seems by human standards to be menial? Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Mt. 5:5). I find this Beatitude to be one of the most difficult to live. As a project manager, I'm accustomed to being the one making the plan and managing the work. But even within that paradigm, the Scriptures remind me that even as a manager, I am called to be a servant to those in my purview. Ultimately, there is another Manager to Whom I must answer... Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master' (Jn. 15:20).

Being called to be a friend and servant of the Lord is one of the greatest gifts God gives us, but it comes with a responsibility to go and bear fruit that will remain (Jn. 15:16). If we view an orchard, we don't typically see all the work that goes into the growing process, just the results. But ask any farmer and he will tell you that a good harvest requires tools both large and small. Faith teaches me that it does not matter if I am one of the big tools or one of the small ones, as long as I am a tool in His hands.

Prayer Request: For the gift of humility to accept any task the Lord gives us, no matter how great or small.

Prayer: O Lord, our God, thank You for calling us to be Your servants and friends. Help us to remain pliable in Your hands, knowing that no task is beneath us when we are working for the Kingdom. Forgive us when we fail to trust You and rail against work that seems insignificant or too difficult for us to accomplish, and help us to remember that our real task is to be faithful to Your call. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Freedom

Scriptures: “All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal.” (Psalm 119:160)

Because of the project, I had a few opportunities to go to Hong Kong. The first trip was, of course, the most interesting one. Everything was new and different. Of all the impressive things, driving on the left stood out to be the most impressive one.

Here in the United States, we drive on the right side of the road. As a result, when we cross the road, we have been trained to look to the left first, then to the right. But there in Hong Kong, people have to look to the right first, then to the left. Because of the large number of tourists there every year, they even mark on the curb to advise pedestrians to look to the right first, then to the left.

Taking a cab to the office was a completely new experience, especially when I sat in the front seat, next to the cat driver. I would sit in the left seat, our driver seat here in US. That’s already odd because I would be sitting on the left without a steering wheel. Then, to make things more weird and scary, every time the cab made a turn, left or right, I felt like moving into the wrong side of the road, the opposing traffic, even when it’s actually the “right” side of the road.

It would take a few days before I got used to it. But, by then, it would be time for me to come back. So, the next time I went to Hong Kong, I would have to start all over again. It was really a strange feeling, thrilling and scary all at the same time.

If we stop and think about it, we can say this is simply a matter of habit. Because we are so used to driving on the right-hand side, we find driving on the left-hand side such a different experience. Honestly, as a rule, it is always restricting in some way. But, regardless of driving on the left or right, we know such rule exists for a good reason, to protect us from the potential danger and chaos that could result from the lack of it. And, because we understand why such rule exists and the role and importance of it, it no longer appears as restricting to us. Instead, we feel comfortable and protected when we obey it.

Likewise, the statutes and commandments from God are there for our guidance and protection. That is, if we know why they were given us. The Psalmist said, “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.” (Psalm 119:24) Yes, they were given to direct our choices so that God can be in the center of all our lives. And, as a result, we will find delight in life.

For some reason, rule, statutes, commands all bear the implication of restrictions. And, because of this, people always have a negative feeling towards anything that comes to them as a rule or law. But the words of God work different.

Jesus said, “…If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) Jesus said that the teaching of God is truth and, more than that, it is capable of setting us free; not free to do anything we want, but free from the bondage of sin; more than a freedom from the bondage of sin, a freedom to enjoy all blessings from God and, more importantly, a freedom to enjoy an intimate personal relationship with God, the source of all blessings.

Everyone desires and treasures freedom. But only freedom with righteous boundaries and enforced by divine power is the true liberating freedom that comes with real everlasting peace and security. Such freedom cannot be taken away by any human efforts, nor by circumstantial changes for it is sealed by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus on the cross!

Prayer Requests:
For those traveling, physically and spiritually, in life

Prayer:
Gracious Father, thank You for Your decrees and teachings that guide and edify us. Please help us to learn them by heart and to draw from them the wisdom and strength we need to live a life of praise and worship pleasing to You for we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Dehydration

Scripture:
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. " (Jeremiah 2:13)

This morning my wife and I were talking about "water", of all things, and it occurred to me how we recognize the need to drink water so that we do not dehydrate but we neglect hydrating our spiritual lives with the living water that Jesus offers to us. (John 4:9-15)

In today's scripture, Jeremiah says that his people have committed two sins, the first being that they have forsaken God, who is the spring of living water by not coming to and depending on God. They have also done something else, they have tried to do things by themselves by "digging" or making their own cisterns to hold "water" but they did not do that right either and their cisterns cannot hold water.

The analogy for me is that not only do we need to come to God and drink from His living water, but we need to stop thinking that we know how to direct our lives because all we are really able to do is create cisterns that can't hold His water.

Request:
That only God would direct our lives and that the Holy Spirit would teach us how to walk in His ways.

Prayer:
Dear God, We are only yours. Forgive us for thinking that we can do anything with our lives and teach us to submit to you so that you can make cisterns that can hold water, out of our lives.
In Jesus' name. Amen

Uselessness? Usefulness!

Scriptures: “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be preachers, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”’ (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Recently, I read from an article a testimony of a servant of God. He was born with genetic problems. When he was born, the doctor told his mom that he would not be able to talk, nor walk and he would not be able to live long.

So, upon hearing this, his mom went to God in prayer requesting that, if this baby was not going to be a useful vessel to the Lord, God receive him back to heaven immediately. If this baby was still alive the next day, then that would be a confirmation that God has a different plan for him. When the next day came, the baby was still alive. So, the mother knew that God was going to heal him.

When he was two, he started to walk. At three, he could talk. By the time he was six, he was completely healed. More than that, he was given the gift of perfect pitch and, throughout his life, he dedicated his musical gifts to worshiping God and brought great revival to the lives of many.

Who could have known the plan of God on this baby? But God saw to it that his life was preserved, nurtured, and equipped so that the name of God may be glorified, just as Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

This is definitely an amazing story and, throughout the history of God’s people, there are many other amazing stories like this one. But, what I took away from this story was that, as tragic and impossible as it appeared to be when he was born, God had a special plan for him and had prepared all the gifts he needs in life for that plan to be successfully completed.

If God has a plan for such a baby who did not seem to have any chance in life, then for those of us who are so well developed and functional in every aspects, what kind of plan or plans would God has for us? Maybe we don’t have the perfect pitch he had. Maybe we don’t have the creativity of Thomas Edison. Maybe we don’t have the writing skills of William Shakespeare. But, surely there is something we can do for our.

By God’s grace, we have been called for “works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Ephesians 4:11) In other words, each one of us has been called to minister and, when all of us respond to this calling of services, the body of Christ will be built up.

What is it that we can do for Him? If we can sing, then let’s dedicate our voices to the praises of Him. If we can paint, then let’s dedicate our talents to the presentation of the beauty and majesty of His creation and presence in our lives. If we can write, then let’s devote our writings to the sharing of the amazing grace He has in store for all His beloved people.

Even if we cannot do any of the above, I am sure we can dial a telephone. Let’s pick up our phone and call someone to tell them about this amazing story where “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

What is it that we can do for Him? I am sure if we come and humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father, submit our whole life to Him and ask Him to guide us in finding the gifts He has in store for us, we will find the gifts we can dedicate to Him for His glory!

Prayer Requests:
For those agonizing over the future of their children

Prayer:
Aba Father, help us to first of all be willing to submit our lives to You for Your use. Then, and only then, help us to see the gifts and the opportunities in which we can dedicate all these gifts for Your glory because we desire that the name of Jesus be exalted in our lives, in our homes, in our churches, and in our work places. Hear our prayers as we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Go Someplace Quiet

I get emails from a number of missionaries I either know or pray for. The other day I got one that really impressed me which I would like to share today.

The missionary's name is Jacob Bock and he leads an evangelism ministry in Madrid, Spain. (I think I have mentioned him before.) Well one day he asked his kids the following question at the dinner table. "What did Jesus mean when he said that we should go into our closet and seek him, so that he could reward us openly?" Here is the response his son Ben said. (photo of Ben)

Ben said, "It's like a man who's on a business trip in Switzerland. His boss calls him while he is at a party in the evening. There is so much noise in the room that he can't hear a word the boss is saying, so he goes to a quiet room and shuts the door. Then, in the silence of the room, he hears his bosses voice clearly and receives instructions for the following day."

Then my missionary friend wrote.

"So I meditated on that thought and understood why Jesus had to break away from the ministry, the healings and the preaching.... and go to a quite place.... to get instructions from the boss."

"So must I."

Prayer:

Our Father, Help us to find that quiet place, so that we can hear your voice and do what Michelle said yesterday.

Do Whatever He Tells You

His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever He tells you.” Jn. 2:5

Four years ago this month, my church choir went to Italy on tour. We sang in churches in every city we visited – Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome – and on the bus during the drives between cities! In Rome, our final stop, we sang for the Sunday evening Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, and later gave a concert at the Gesu Church across town. I got to conduct for all of those and it was the thrill, bar none, of my musical life. I still have the poster from the concert hanging in my office and, from time to time, relive that experience with great fondness.

While we were leaving St. Peter’s, one of the men in the choir approached me, gave me a big hug and exclaimed, “Do you realize what you just did?” At the time, I couldn’t fully appreciate the magnitude of the experience. After 10 days of touring and all the pent up emotional energy that went into the preparation, I was completely spent. Still, the experience was one of those magical moments in my life as a church musician, and it took quite a long time to come down off the “high” that followed, and get back to the less glamorous business of learning new music, running rehearsals, etc.

Most of us can remember that seminal moment when we first made our commitment to the Lord. Even those who were raised in devout Christian homes can usually point to some defining moment. We also remember pivotal moments in our spiritual journey. It might be some profound insight that came in prayer, an experience of anointing, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, or some other experience that takes us “somewhere else.” For some people, such an outpouring may come when dealing with grief or loss, such as the death or serious illness of a loved one, loss of employment, family problems, etc. – those moments when we realize and, more importantly, accept our utter and total dependence on God.

However it happens, each of those moments is a special touch of God’s grace that allows us to say “Yes” to Him in a new way. In such moments of transfiguration, particularly the more euphoria-producing ones, it can be tempting to be like Peter and want to build a tent and stay on the mountain (cf. Mk. 9:5), to try to freeze that experience in time. But such moments of grace are not given us to cling to or to brag about, or to hoard away only for ourselves.

So you might say, “OK, I’ve said ‘Yes’ to the Lord. Now what? What does one do with such graces? The account of the wedding feast at Cana can give us some insight here. Grace is like the water jars that were standing there when Mary told Jesus, “They have no more wine.” The servants could have filled them as they were asked, and then walked away. Instead, they went a step further and did exactly as Jesus told them. They not only filled the jars with water, but they trusted Him and risked ridicule by taking some to the chief steward. We can well imagine that the lives of those servants were never the same after witnessing what happened next – that personal touch of God.

Whatever our spiritual experiences might be, whatever we might think we’re being asked to do, the litmus test is this: Does the experience bring me closer to Christ? Does it cause me to want to know Him better and understand His will for my life? Do I want to live that out, whether it is convenient or inconvenient (2 Tim. 4:2)? We need to make sure that we don’t just enter the race, but that we push on to the finish line, that we might win an imperishable crown (1 Cor.9:25).

Prayer Request: For those taking their first steps on their spiritual journey.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank You for reaching into our humanity with those special touches of Your grace. Grant us the gift of discernment, that we might know Your will and desire more fully to do it. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Lost & Found

Scriptures: ‘And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” ’ (Luke 15:5-6)

After lunch, a mother put her little two-year old boy to sleep. It was his everyday afternoon nap. Thinking that he would not be awake for another 30 minutes at least, she took their laundry and went to the laundry room in the apartment complex.

Not long after she left, the little boy woke up from his afternoon nap and did not find his mom. So he decided to look for her. Mom was not anywhere in the house. So, he opened the door and went outside to look for her. Not knowing where she could have been, he just wandered around in the apartment complex. Then, a man who happened to be passing by saw this little boy wandering. So, he stopped to ask the boy where he was going. The boy could only say, “Mama, mama!” Not knowing whose boy this was, this man decided to take this boy to the Manager’s Office.

Meantime, the mother came home from the laundry room and found her boy missing. She was panic! She ran outside and screamed for her son, calling his name, only to find no answer. She ran into their downstairs’ neighbors, she pleaded for help. They all went in different directions to look for this little boy.

As she was running around in the complex, she spotted this man and the little boy walking toward the office, she screamed for her son and ran to him, in tears and relief. The little boy was more than excited seeing his mom. He held her tight and kept calling “Mama, where have you been?” When she finally calmed down and looked up, the man was no where to be seen. She was frightened, exhausted, but thankful!

For those of us who are parents, or even grandparents, I am sure we can all identify with this mom. Children are like members of our body. Losing, or injuring, any one of them is more than heartbreaking, it’s devastating. We will surely do everything we can to find or heal them.

Our Heavenly Father’s heart for us is the same. As much as we would like to believe that we are grown-ups and know what we are doing, so often we go astray because we are not sensitive to the guidance of God, nor are we spiritually discerning enough. As a result, we grieve the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father would have to come and find us to bring us back.

When Jesus told the parable of the Lost Sheep, He did not emphasize on the anguish the Shepherd went through to find the lost sheep. Instead, He emphasized on the joy when the lost sheep was found and reunited with its master. His description of the heart of the Father was very clear. It pleases our Heavenly Father greatly that we return to Him and our relationship be restored to the way He intended it to be.

In relation to Him, where are we today? He is searching everywhere for us, calling our names, and wanting to guide us back to the position close to His heart where we can find rest and be re-united with Him. We will no longer have to find pastures, nor healings, on our own for He will make us lie down in green pastures and lead us beside quite waters.

Let’s respond to His calling so we can join Him in His heavenly celebration!

Prayer Requests:
For those exhausted of fighting for life alone

Prayer:
Our Lord, our Great Shepherd, thank You for finding us and carrying us home through the Holy Spirit! Please help us to be sensitive to Your love and longing for reuniting the lost with Yourself and be willing to submit to Your calling to serve as your vessels to end this spiritual Lost and Found search for everyone You bring to our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

In Training

Scriptures: ”And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29)

The other day, when I as shopping in a supermarket for food, I heard a little girl from behind me asking her mom, “Mom, do we need apples?” “No, honey! We still have some at home.” Replied her Mom. In a few seconds, she asked again, “Mom, should we buy some potatoes?” “Yes!” was the reply. “How many?” she asked again, “is two enough?” “We need four, honey!” Her mom replied. Then, I saw the girl happily picking up four potatoes from the stand and put them into the little cart she was pushing which had a small flag saying “Customer In Training”.

I couldn’t help smiling at such a scene. It fit perfectly with what was going on then. The little girl was obviously very interested in doing exactly what her mom was doing, shopping for food. More than that, she knew exactly where to go to for answers for all her questions. I truly think the customer training program was working for her.

This reminded me of our Christian life. Though comes with troubles and challenges, Bible says that, in our lives, “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) The Apostle Paul said that our lives, as the children of God, are not without purposes. By relationship, we are the ones who love Him, our Father in Heaven. By ministry, we were called with a purpose.

More than these, Paul said that, in everything that happens to us, God intends them to work for our good. The best part that will come out of it is that we will be transformed to conform to the likeness of our Lord Jesus. Such is a wonderful promise for everyone who labor to attain it.

Yes, at the same time, there are so many of us, including ourselves, that constantly struggle with our daily chores, relationship issues, and all kinds of work / ministry related problems. We often set goals in everything we do for ourselves and, if not able to achieve the goals we set, we would become disappointed and even discouraged.

We often forgot that this life is a process in the hands of our Lord to train and transform us to be in His likeness. It’s a training program. As such, each incidence or event in our lives is there for a reason, to make us a better child of God and a better bearer of the image of Christ our Lord.

The little girl paid attention to the way her Mom does shopping. She probably also knew the kind of food is needed at home. But, I think the most important lesson I learned from her is that she knew who to turn to for questions and answers. If only we know the importance of spending more time with our Lord and Master, we can also learn from Him the things essential to a mature heavenly life through our daily walk with Him. If only we see that each of us is a trainee in a Saint In Training program, I am sure we will be a lot more capable of loving others unconditionally, as our Lord Jesus does to us!

Hopefully, on the day of graduation from this Saint In Training program, our Lord Jesus will say to each of us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)

Prayer Requests:
For those tired and weary of serving in His ministries

Prayer:

Our loving Father, thank You for the blessings of knowing and serving You! Please help us to see that all things in our lives are more than blessings. They are opportunities to know You better and to grow more Christ-like. Help us to make the best use of every circumstance to learn from You and to glorify You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Good Trees

Scriptures:
"Each tree is recognized by its own fruit ... For out of the overflow of his heart a mouth speaks." (Luke 6:44,45)

I have been thinking a lot about trees and vines and fruit because I feel that God is leading me to preach on this subject on Sunday. One of the things that I observed in this passage is that our Lord is reasoning with us to help us to understand that fruit is the result of what is already in our hearts. You and I can not just create our own fruit, we must cultivate it in our hearts.

For example, yesterday morning when we were all getting ready to go to work, my wife and I noticed that Seth's mom, Katie, seemed to be on edge a little in the way she was talking to Seth, getting him ready for school. We both tried to intervene a little, like all grandparents will do. Afterward my wife said to me that she thought Katie might be upset because it was Valentine's day and she (Katie) did not have a valentine.

What was in her heart, the sadness of what she might have been feeling, made its way out of her mouth when she was speaking to her own son. Do I think she even realized it? Probably not. The same is true when I spend my 30 minute commute to work, listening to worship music and praising & worshipping God. I usually come in the front door at Avery and I can feel the joy I have inside come out to the people I say hello to. Ask Gloria.
Now I am not boasting here. I just want us to focus on the importance of cultivating our hearts with activities that bring us joy, peace & praise, instead of letting the pains and disappointments of our lives get a hold of us and poison our hearts. We have a choice, we can choose to counter the negative with the positive which will in turn, pour out of our lives onto others.

Remember, we are judged by others and by God by the fruit that is in our lives. Take the initiative and manage what goes into your life. We are good trees because Jesus has saved us, now let's "work out our own salvation" by cultivating our hearts with goodness.

Request:
Pray that God would help us to cultivate goodness in our lives so that it will touch the lives of others.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, all that is around us is constantly battling against us by attempting to poison the good spirit that is inside us. Help us to keep our hearts clean and holy and just so that the fruit in our life glorifies you and touches others for your purposes. Amen. "Each tree is recognized by its own fruit ... For out of the overflow of his heart a mouth speaks." (Luke 6:44,45)

Blessed Foolishness

I will espouse you to Me forever; I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy. I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord (Hos. 2:21-22).

Today is Valentine’s Day, and each time I’ve walked through the lobby, I’ve noticed yet another bouquet of flowers that has been delivered for some fortunate and much loved person. I am the happy recipient of one of those bouquets. We make a big deal about Valentine’s Day here in the States. I think it’s probably outdone only by Mother’s Day. It’s right and proper that we should have such outward expressions of our love for those special people in our lives. But it begs the question if we each do that for the One who is our Ultimate Love.

God’s love isn’t a once or twice-a-year proposition. His love for His people is expressed in the Scriptures using the metaphor of marriage for a reason – that bond is eternal and unbreakable. King David understood that love, and he was unabashed in his expression of love for Yahweh. David came dancing before the Lord with abandon, as he and all the Israelites were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and to the sound of the horn (2 Sam:6:14). He also understood that his relationship with God was not something to be done once in a while, or only when he felt like it. He extolled God’s greatness in the good times: Every day I will bless You; I will praise Your Name forever (Ps. 145:2) and in the bad times: O God, whom I praise, do not be silent, for wicked and treacherous mouths attack me (Ps. 109:1).

It can be tempting to hide our love for God, especially in business settings, or around friends and relatives for whom faith is not a priority. Such people find our faith foolish, a waste of time. Yet, the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Cor. 1:25).

Teenagers often make fools of themselves when they are trying to get the attention of someone to whom their attracted. I remember when my son was first smitten by a young lady. He spent hours in front of the mirror (amazing since he had never been much concerned about appearance!), changed clothes a hundred times before a date, and ran up the phone bill trying to express his feelings for someone he cared about.

Every day, God shows us how much He loves us. Just in the past few weeks, we’ve seen snow-covered mountains, rainbows and beautiful sunsets. Trees along many of the parkways are starting to blossom. There is a definite hint of spring in the air. Some would say that God is a fool for bothering with people who so often turn their backs on Him. Yet, because of His great love for us, He persists in His “foolishness.” Are we willing to similarly be “fools” for Him?

Prayer Request: That we will be bold in showing our love for the Lord.

Prayer: O Lord, our God, forgive us for those times when we shy away and avoid acknowledging our love for You. Bless us with greater faith and boldness to proclaim You with the same courage and abandon that King David and Paul did, that we might be blessed fools for You. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Flu Shots

Scriptures: ”A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” (Galatians 5:9)

Recently, cold and flu have been rampaging. Both of my sons got it, one after another, coughing and sneezing. Now, my wife is not feeling well, either. I look around and find that people in my office, some to the left of me and some to the right of me, are sick, too. It’s everywhere!

I am thankful that I am still doing well now. I think it might have something to do with the flu shot I got last year. With that flu shot, my immune system was strengthened and became better in defeating the attacks from the viruses and bacteria. It is precisely in these times of suffering that we realize just how important our physical health is. We only wish we realize sooner than later!

I think, in many ways, our spiritual health is the same. There are all kinds of viruses and infections all around us, liberalism, humanism, post-modernism, and many more, trying to influence our world views and value systems. Some of them stemmed out of biblical teachings, only to derail at some point in time. Others are flat out against the teachings of bible. Like it or not, they are out there and, if not careful, we are prone to accept their world views without realizing it.

And, just like our physical health, prevention is always the best measure. So, what would be a good spiritual “Flu Shot”? I think a daily dose of bible study and quiet time before our Lord will be what we need. When it comes to bible study, I think accurate interpretation is key to a true understanding of this book we call the Word of God.

So often I find people come to bible with preconceived notion of what to look for. As a result, they put a context of their own around the text they read and they can really come up with some peculiar interpretations of bible verses that are so far out in the left field that I can’t even see with a telescope. People always want the easy way out. Instead of spending time to research on the context of the passage they are reading, historical context, cultural context, linguistic / grammatical context, author and audience context, the textual context, and others, they just put their personal context as the context of the passage. To me, this is equivalent to putting our words into God’s mouth. I am sure this is why there are so many strange and unbiblical teachings out there, some of them later turned into cultic teachings.

For our spiritual health, we need to be sensitive to the teachings of God. But what did God teach us in the pages of bible? Well, I think it’s only reasonable to allow bible to speak for itself. I don’t believe we can benefit spiritually from reading bible if we don’t interpret the passages in their proper contexts. We will not know how to apply the teachings of God unless we know what God’s teachings are.

Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The word of God is powerful and capable of guiding us through all storms in life, provided that our understanding of it is truthful. Only when we truly understand what God wants to tell us can we be equipped to steer our lives away from sin and into His riches and glory.

Let’s not take our bible studies, personal or congregational, lightly for our lives depend on it. Just as Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) His words are the best “Flu Shots” anyone can get for spiritual health. Let’s humble before Him and be submissive to His words so we will not be “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14)

Prayer Requests:
For those seeking understanding of God’s words

Prayer:
Our gracious Lord, thank You for the blessings of knowing You and Your words. Help us to be truthful and faithful in our responses to Your teachings and equip us with wisdom and discernments so we can be effective vessels of Your grace and faithful stewards of Your truth. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

I am the Vine

Scripture:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

This Sunday, the pastor of my church has asked me to preach in the 9:30 am English service and my heart has been focusing on the words of our Lord in John 15:1-8. We have all heard that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches but there is so much more to this passage. First of all there are three main characters, Jesus, the Father and us and the chapter does not begin with Jesus and us, it begins with Jesus and the Father. Right from the very beginning of this passage we are told the the Father is the gardener and he "cuts off every branch" that "does not bear fruit."

Now think about this for a moment. God cuts off the branches. What does that mean? Jesus says that such branches, that is those that do not bear fruit, are "thrown away", it "withers" and it "thrown in the fire and burned." Now, I don't know about you, and I have not done a word study on the word fire, but I do know what image comes to my mind when I think about the word "fire". Yes, the lake of fire.

So we are the branches as it says in verse 5, but if we don't bear fruit, God will cut us off and we will end up in the fire. Now I know this is going to upset those who believe in eternal security, but I can't see how this passage can mean anything else unless we don't look at these words literally, and they are Jesus' words, and we look at them figuratively and say things like, "well, it can't mean hell, because that does not agree with what I believe."

The second thought I have about this passage is how important abiding in Christ and his Words are. Jesus says that if we remain or abide in Him, which I would contend is our praying and worship Him, and His Words abide in us, which I would think means reading, studying and obeying His Words, then and only then, will be bear "much fruit".

That being said, what is "fruit"? Well let's begin with what it says in Galatians 5:22-23 it says, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Even if we only look at this one passage about fruit and we look at it in conjunction with Luke 6:43 it says, "no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit," it would seem to me we are in big trouble. Unless, we work very hard a confessing our sins and at doing that "if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and save us from all unrighteous." (1 John 1:9) All unrighteousness, that sounds like bad fruit to me. So it would seem that by confession we can eliminate the bad fruit and by abiding in Jesus and the Word we can grow good fruit.

Request:
That God will give me the words, the love and the anointing to preach what he has for the the church.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we are your vessels. We want to surrender everyday to you. We want to know you Jesus and we want to learn from you Holy Spirit. Cause us to see our sin, confess it and repent from it so that you can live your holy life through us. We surrender all, anoint us with your power to minister to the lives around us that need you so much. In Jesus' name. Amen

Iron Gates

Scriptures: ”For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace.” (Ephesians 2:14-15)

Many years ago, when I was still a high school student, we came home from a family night out to find that the door to our home was damaged. Apparently, someone attempted to break in. Fortunately, there was an iron gate inside the front door and prevented the burglar from getting to anything of values in the house.

Immediately after that incidence, my Dad replaced the door with a door that had steel plate built inside the door so that, even if the burglar tried to break that door, they would not succeed. Within a matter of a few months, all units in our apartment, and many others in the community, added iron gates to their doors. Wherever you go in the city, you would see iron gates outside people’s houses and windows.

There was only one reason why people did that, security. Did it work? Perhaps. But, while iron gates kept the burglars out, they kept the people in, too. It’s all because of the need for security. But, somehow, I think the need for security really stands for fear. People are fearful. All the modern technological advancements and scientific breakthrough, while adding comforts to our lives, have not removed, nor reduced the fear in life.

George Bernard Shaw, in his comments on capitalism, once said, “The wealth accumulates and man decays.” How true! With the possession in life increases, the conveniences and luxury in life grows, so do the fear and the sense of insecurity in life. What are we really buying for ourselves? I wonder!

Because of this increased level of fear and insecurities, people find more anxiety and less peace in life. Friendship is becoming a rare and vanishing commodity. Psychiatric and psychological problems have risen to an unprecedented level. As prevalent as clubs of all sorts are everywhere, they are really bound by their common interest, not by love or caring for each other. People really don’t find love, peace and support in those circles. There seems to be an invisible iron gates somewhere in our hearts that locks everyone else out and keeps ourselves in.

Such is a powerful divider among people. We have become so much more self-conscious, conscious of our needs, our rights, and our ideals, and much less thoughtful of others, not to mention trusting others. We believe that, by focusing on ourselves, we will grow, mature and become a better person. But, have we? We seem to have lost the capacity to love and care for others and, somewhere in this process of self-seeking, we dropped the place that God deserves in our lives. This is another misconception of security that, by locking others out, we will be safer and stronger. But, the reality seems to say that we have become more isolated, fearful and vulnerable.

God sees our loneliness and fearfulness. God also sees that great wall that separates us from Him and from each other. He wants to tear all these great walls down. He wants to bring us back to Him where we can find true love and fellowship, true peace and security. The psalmist said, “He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.” (Psalm 61:6-7)

While the sin of this world continue to rampage, Apostle Paul told us that Christ “HAS destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” (Ephesians 2:14) Therefore, we do not need to lose heart because our Lord has triumphed over all these sins and crimes. He is our refuge in times of troubles. More than that, He has promised eternity of His presence and glory for the faithful. Let’s not lock ourselves in our fearfulness and limitedness. Let’s be open to His power and mercy so He may tear down all barriers that have hindered us from becoming His effective witnesses and co-workers in His glory!

Prayer Requests:
For those fearful of their safety

Prayer:
Our loving Father, thank You for being our rock and refuge in times of troubles. Thank You for the work of our Lord Jesus that has torn down all barriers of hostility that create fears in us and hinder our sharing of Your love. Please help us to keep coming back to You for guidance, wisdom, and support to be Your mighty vessels of grace to reach beyond all visible and invisible iron gates in people’s lives and to bring them the love and peace You have in store for all. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen!

Return to Me

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is He, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment (Joel 2:12-13).

The season of Lent has come very early this year. We’ve barely got the Christmas decorations put away, and already it’s time to break out the sackcloth and ashes. Four words in the above Scripture passage have significant meaning for me: with your whole heart.

In my Lenten journey this year, a key question is, “What am I still withholding from God?” No matter how much I want to love the Lord, there always seems to be something that I keep tucked away - a habit I find hard to break, or an attitude that needs an adjustment. More often than not, I’m blinded by pride and/or fear that keeps me from bringing those things out into God’s light.

Some of you know that I make a silent, week-long retreat in Colorado each summer. On the first day of last year’s retreat, the Lord asked me in prayer a number of questions that would become significant throughout the week that followed. One of them was, “Why won’t you let Me wash your feet?” (cf. Jn. 13:6-10). I didn’t understand the question at the time, but it became crystal clear as I meditated a few days later on the Passion narrative in the Gospel of John.

As I was contemplating the crucifixion scene, the Lord brought to my memory some long-forgotten, unconfessed sins from my past. I can remember stiffening up as I fought to push those memories out of my mind. I didn’t want to go there. But my conscience wouldn’t relent, and all day long, I struggled with myself, feeling like Jacob wrestling with the angel. With my heals still dug in, I saw the Lord in my soul’s eye, hanging on the Cross. He looked at Me with a look of love that I had never seen before and asked me, “Are you going to do this to Me all over again?” My heart was cut to the quick and I collapsed in a pool of tears. I don’t remember ever weeping that hard or that deeply. In that moment, I understood how King David must have felt when the prophet Nathan told him, You are that man. (2 Sam. 12:7, 13).

But returning with our whole heart doesn’t have to involve some great revelation. Small cobwebs are still cobwebs that need to be swept out for the house to be truly clean. And that’s what I want to do – give my spiritual house a really good cleaning, for nothing unclean can enter heaven (cf. Rev. 21:27).

Prayer Request: That we will have the courage to leave no stone unturned as we do our spiritual housecleaning.

Prayer: O Lord, our God, we thank You for the mercy that constantly calls us to return to You with our whole hearts. Reveal to us those things that impede our relationship with You and grant us the grace and courage to do what we must to eradicate them from our lives. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

How to Study the Word of God, Part 4

Scriptures:
"But this people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed." (John 7:49)

It was during the feast of Tabernacles that Jesus went to the temple and went to teach. The Jews there we amazed out Jesus' teachings and he said to them, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me." (v. 16) Of course word got back to the chief priests and they sent the temple "police" to bring Jesus back to them but they did not do it, saying, "Never did man speak like this man!" (v. 46) As you can imagine the Pharisees were probably quite mad at this point and answering them (the police) they (the Pharisees) said, "this people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed". (v. 49)

All this to say that even the Pharisees knew that if you did not know the Law of God then you were cursed. The Pharisees believed that knowing the Law of God we crucial to "salvation" and they (the Pharisees) "knew" the law so they were the "saved" ones. Jesus, however, said that "you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" and what He (Jesus) was referring to was that we would be set free from the curse OF law . (John 8:32). Thus, knowing the law, and in our case the Word of God, is very important so that we know that we are cursed under the law and that we know how to be saved from the curse of the law.

To continue with ways of studying the Word of God, I want you to know that I have been able to find time to listen to the book of Ephesians about 40 times so far. I decided to listen to book only 50 times in English and listen to it in spanish the other 50 times since our Bible Study on Wednesday night in this book is in spanish. But what I want to suggest in this post is what do you do with this method of study, that is of listening to or reading the scriptures multiple times.

First of all, after about 10 or 20 times through, you will begin to start quoting short phrases or verses that you recall. These short passages of scripture will begin becoming a part of your life. For example, in a couple of my previous posts, you will notice that the book of Ephesians is being quoted a number of times. Why is this? Because my current study in this book is so fresh in my mind that when the Holy Spirit speaks to me about what to share in these posts, He has been bringing to my mind scripture from Ephesians. We can see that by just simply saturating our minds with multiple readings of the scriptures the Holy Spirit has something to use to help us grow.

One of the things that may happen is that your "mind" will start saying, "I know that already" and begin to stray to other thoughts. I don't believe it is my "mind" that is speaking, I believe it is one of our enemies that is trying to distract me. Knowing this, I first rebuke the thought and the enemy that said it and I concentrate even more on what I am listening to. Now this is cool because, I begin to mouth the parts of scripture I am begining to know and focusing on the parts I don't really know or understand yet. Then, I will say from time to time, "Holy Spirit, teach me to know this passage of scripture. Second here is the spiritual battle that comes, and the prayer to, and dependency on, the Holy Spirit which will be part of your study of the Scriptures because the enemy does not want us doing this. (I am sure we can see this by how little so many Christians do not study, or even read, the Word of God.)

Third thing that we can do during or after we have listened to the Scriptures multiple times is begin to write down what comes to our minds. Now this can be things you never recognized before when studying a more familiar passage like Ephesians. We could write down things that the Holy Spirit tells us during our listening. We can also write down more structured thoughts like, How is this book divided? What are the major parts or themes? Who are the people in this book? What are things I need to do, or am learning? (more about this questioning technique in a future post)

Now I suggest you create some kind of a journal using a notebook of some type. Since I am very comfortable with a computer and can type fairly well with few major typos, I have almost eliminated writing things down, when it comes to studying the scriptures. For example, when I am listening to a passage of scripture or reading an article about some theological subject, I copy the text into a Word document. Then while I am listening to an audio file on the computer I highlight certain parts I want to review or recall in colors. I also type notes in either notepad or another Word document. Another way I journal, is by typing my spiritual thoughts, and/or prayers in a blog much like the one we use here.

This does three things for me; One, it gives me a central location where I can journal anything I want from anyplace I am. Two, it eliminates all the paper clutter and filing needed to keep things on paper. Three, it creates an electronic version of what I have recorded so I can search, reference and use in other places my notes both easily and quickly.

One additional thought, if you decide to use a blog to do this journaling, make sure you use one that you think is reliable and will not "disappear" tomorrow. And even if you do, I suggest you keep a local copy of this website, which you can do by downloading a website copying program, on your own computer or some other backup. It would be a shame to journal months or years of notes, only to find out that Google sold out to IBM and in the process lost your journaling.

Request:
That we continue to enhance our bible study techniques so that we will know the Word of God better and so that the Holy Spirit and have more to work with in and for our lives.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit of God, thank you for teaching us through the Bible more about our Lord and the will of God for our lives. Empower us to make the commitment to find more time to study the Word that and bring to our attention all the tricks the enemy uses to inhibit this commitment so that we can rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

My Sin

Scriptures: As it is written: ”There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10)

The other day, as I was driving to work, I noticed a car before mine. It was a nice car, an Infiniti G35, with a license plate that read “MI-SIN.” I don’t know the owner of the car, nor the story behind using “MI-SIN” on the license plate. But it reminded me of the issue of Sin in our life.

Sin has always been a disturbing subject, a subject that makes people uncomfortable, Christians and non-believers alike. Rightly so! But, people always question the validity of calling everyone sinners. They consider it offensive because, to a large extent, I believe they equate sin with crime and do not know what sin is.

Everyone has a frame of thinking that allows them to tell right from wrong. It’s a frame they choose for themselves. So, someone could, on the one hand, be strongly against stealing and, on the other hand, take a pen or a folder home from office for personal use without feeling any sense of guilt. Or, they could be adamantly against death penalty, on the one hand, and at the same time be so attracted to fur coats. To them, as long as things fit in their frame of thinking, and the resulting value standards, they are acceptable.

I remember a news interview in which a reporter asked the criminal how he could break the law and committed such a horrible act of violence. The criminal replied, “What law? I didn’t break any law. They (the law enforcement) were the ones that broke the law. They broke my law!” It’s so sad!

I think we find the issue of sin so offensive because it challenges our frame of thinking and our judgments. It basically tells us that our standards are not good enough and, therefore, we are not good enough. We don’t like it because it hurts our pride and makes us feel inferior. But, that really needs not be the case.

For us Christians, we need to know that, in the original language, i.e. Hebrew, sin means missing the target, as in shooting arrows. In other words, sin is everything we do that does not live up to the expectation or standard of God. Bible tells us that God created us in His image, His moral image. That image was His expectations. Since He is perfect in every way, His standard / expectation for us is also perfection.

This means that, we sin when we do things we are taught not to do by God and, if we don’t do the things we were taught to do, we also sin. Sin is a reality and, whenever we are called sinners, we are reminded of this reality and of the need to come back before our loving Father in heaven to seek His forgiveness and guidance so we may come back on track.

We hear this all the time that, for effective medical treatments, the first step is to face and accept the reality of the medical condition and problems and then to seek help and treatment. This is common sense to most of us. But we need to realize that it is also true spiritually. To grow and mature spiritually, we need to first face the reality that we are sinners and, then, that the only hope we have in solving this sin problem is in our Lord Jesus.

He, being the perfect God-Man, is our model. His choices to approach and to abstain, to forgive and to rebuke, as well as to obey and to command are all examples of a God pleasing life. Such a perfect and God pleasing life came to this sinful world for one reason, and one reason only, that is our sin.

So, let’s not look away from this sin issue and look to our Lord Jesus for teachings and guidance in how to live a righteous life for His kingdom and glory!

Prayer Requests:
For those seek to live a God pleasing life

Prayer:
Gracious Lord, thank You for leaving all riches and glory behind to come to us, sinners. We ask that, with the help of Your Spirit, we may be constantly reminded to come to You for reflection on our way of life and to seek Your guidance in growing to maturity like our Lord Jesus so we may have a life pleasing You. In His name we pray, Amen!

Angels Among Us

Scripture:
"For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11)

This past Christmas I gave my wife a small book about people who have encounters with Angels. Almost everynight she reads a testimony from the book and the other night she read the following story to me.

There we two teenage girls who did some shopping at the mall and they had lingered until almost everybody was gone. The noticed that their car was the only car in a particular section of the parking lot and it was dark. They waited a bit hoping someone would come out the exit they were at because they were concerned about walking in a dark parking lot all alone. They finally decided to quickly run to the car.

When they did they observed two men heading toward them. They quickly jumped into their car and locked the doors and tried to start the car. Nothing. The two girls held hands and said, "Dear Lord, we need a miracle." The two men were about to break through the window but this time when she turned the key the car started and they drove off.

Filled with the emotion of their near assault attempt, the girls drive home and they told their father what had just happened. He listened intently, expressed his gratitude that they were ok and said, "don't you ever to that again."

After that the father went out to the garage to see what might have been wrong. When he looked under the hood, he know exactly how they got home because there was no car battery.

Request:
To thank God because he continues always to protect his children with His angels.

Prayer:
Thank you Lord for protecting these two girls and for all the many, many times you send your angels to protect us. Hallelujah.

In The Hands of The Holy One

Scriptures: “because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” (I Thessalonians 1:5)

Many years ago, when I was still a student in Dallas, I went to the school gymnasium to play basketball one day. It was an afternoon and there weren’t many people in the gym. I was all by myself shooting some hoops on one end of the court. On the other end of the court were a father and a son playing.

The son was a little boy, about 3 or, at most, 4 years old. He could barely hold the ball. His Mother and a few friends were chatting on the sideline. His Father looked really like a basketball player. He was probably about 6 ft. 8 to 10 inches tall. He was really tall! At first, he was just shooting some hoops, like me, while the little boy was running around.

Then, this father decided to have some fun with his child. So, he summoned his son and gave the ball to his son who grabbed the ball and held it in his arms. Then, this father lifted up his boy and pushed him toward the rim, really close to the rim, and the boy raised his arms and threw the ball into the basket. When the boy threw the ball into the basket, he was so excited. He kept shouting, “I did it! I did it!” And all his Mother and friends on the sideline were all screaming, cheering, whistling, and applauding. It was really a beautiful picture of a happy family, a picture still vividly in my mind to this day!

Now, we all know that this little boy couldn’t possibly score on that basketball court at that age. It was his father who made it all possible. It took two things for this beautiful picture to become a reality. One is the father’s willingness and ability to make this happen. The other was the boy’s willingness to score and to be lifted up by his father.

I think, in many ways, if not all, our spiritual walk with our Lord is exactly like that. Before ascending to heaven, Lord Jesus specifically told us that Holy Spirit would come and empower us to do His will. He also said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

In the scriptures for today’s sharing, Paul also told us that he preached the gospel of Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit. It seems obvious to me that the fruitfulness and the effectiveness of our spiritual walk depends heavily, if not entirely, on our willingness to the leading and instructions of the Holy Spirit.

Yet, it’s unfortunate to see so many Christians, for one reason or another, see Holy Spirit, our Comforter, as mysterious, foreign, or even mythical. If we care to survey the scriptures, not only will we find Holy Spirit to be personable, loving, and powerful, we will also find Him to be everything we expect from God, all the attributes we expect from our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus!

We have been commissioned to testify for our Lord Jesus and Jesus told us that Holy Spirit comes to us for exactly the same reason, to testify for Jesus. So, at a minimum, He is our co-worker in testifying for Jesus. The reality is, He is much more than that. Jesus also told us that the Holy Spirit is the One who is going to teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus has said to us. He is the One who actually helps us to know God and enables us to walk in His wills. I am convinced that’s why Paul said “…gospel came to you…with the Holy Spirit…” (I Thessalonians 1:5)

I think it’s high time we recognize the important role the Holy Spirit plays in our everyday spiritual walk and learn from that little boy to be willing to submit ourselves to His teaching, leading and anointing so as to bear much fruit for our Lord Jesus to give glory to our Father in Heaven!

Prayer Requests:
For those seeking ministry effectiveness

Prayer:
Precious Lord, thank You for the gift of salvation and for the gift of the Holy Spirit who will lead us deeper into Your riches and glory! Please help us to know our Comforter better and to be more submissive and sensitive to His leading in serving You because we desire to testify and glorify Your name in our everyday lives. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

I Lied

Scripture:
You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother." (Mark 10:19)

How frequent it is that opportunities come up when we need to bring to light the truth but we let things go by, or we "slip" and do not communicate the truth. I am sure you know what I mean. Somebody asks you a question that they really should not have asked, or you feel it is really none of their business, so you give them an answer without really answering their question. Why? Because you don't want to say anything that will put them off, and at the same time you don't want to answer the question. So you either say something that is not really true or you let the believe something that you know is not the truth, for whatever reason. Am I not correct about this?

Well today that happened to me. Now I try to really, really hard to always say the truth and sometimes I hold back for a good and loving reason and reveal the truth later, but today I got cornered. Basically it had to do with something that I should have done but forgot, and when asked point blank, I did not give a direct answer because I did not want it known that I did not do something. But it did not stop there, then someone else asked me more directly and I said yes, when I should have said no.

Now the good part about all this is that, the only thing that was damaged was me, but it is amazing how much it bothers me, and I am glad. One of the things I learned in the conference is how important it is to protect the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God and sin damages that anointing. We are told in Ephesians 4:30 to "do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God" and that "all liars will have their place will be in the fiery lak.e" (Revelations 21:8)

Now I am convinced this one sin does not qualify me for that latter of these two verses but I am absolutely sure that it did hurt the anointing of God by grieving the Holy Spirit because I felt it. Not only did my conscience bother me, but I could feel a difference in me and though I confessed it immediately to God, I know that sometimes we have to fix things better then that. What do I mean?

In some cases God requires us to make restitution for our wrong. Many places in the Law it says, "he must make full restitution" particularly when someone else suffers damage because of our wrong doing. In other cases, the sin is either against God or even against ones own self. 1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us that "every sin a person can commit is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body." That includes sins in our mind. Like Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, that "everyone who looks at a woman (or man) to lust for her (or him) has already committed adultery." So what should we do?

The first thing is that if our relationship is right before God then any sin, no matter how "small" it should hurt our conscience and we should feel the grieving of the Holy Spirit. If not I think there is a more serious problem to be dealt with. The second thing is to confess our sin and "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The third thing is to make restitution, if harm has come to another, and sometimes in Scripture a restitution offering was required. Now this maybe hard to do, but the Scriptures make it very clear how important restitution is by saying "if he is unable (to make restitution), he is to be sold " (Exodus 22:3), that is into slavery, and that "the law of the restitution offering ... is especially holy." (Leviticus 7:1)

Request:
That the Holy Spirit of God will help us keep our lives and hearts and minds pure and the anointing strong.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, forgive us for not telling the truth and thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit whom we can feel greiving when we sin so that we restore our relationship with you and make restitution to those we have harmed.