My wife and two boys are currently on a short-term mission trip to Peru. I miss them. While she is away, I am wearing the wedding band and at times look at the ring, which is a reminder of her. Whereas a husband and a wife can wear rings to remember each other while they are apart, God, who is our husband (Jeremiah 31:32), uses something more than a ring to declare that we are His.
The Holy Spirit Himself is the seal that affirms our status as the Lord's bride and God's children (Ephesians 1:13-14, II Corinthians 1:21-22). We are marked with the Holy Spirit, the seal of God's ownership. When God sees us, He sees the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19) and knows that we are His. We are His bride, His children, His heir, who has a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. The Holy Spirit is like an indelible imprint that is in us.
As if this is not enough, God says that He has engraved us on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). Sometimes I write things on my hands, because that is the most convenient place to look up and find. When something is engraved on the hands, there is no chance of forgetting it. God has engraved our name on His palms, where He will never forget us -- never forget that we are His.
A contract between men may be breached. Even a marriage covenant is sometimes broken. But the covenant God has with us is sealed with the Holy Spirit and backed up by inscription of our names on His hands. It is an everlasting covenant that will be kept.
"Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name." (Revelations 3:12)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Using a physician's help
It has been said by some that the first medical specialty was anesthesiology, that was followed shortly by surgery -- both practiced by the Lord God Himself. "So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, He took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man." (Genesis 2:21-22). Jesus compared Himself to a physician who needs to attend to the sick (Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31), rather than the healthy. The gospel writer Luke was also a doctor (Colossians 4:14) and his keen sense of observation and documentation of details come through in his writings (Luke and Acts).
Yet, seeking help from a physician for one's illness is seen by some believers as equating to lack of faith or having little faith. They would ask, if one can pray to God and He can heal you, why should you bother to seek human medical help? Christian Scientisits are infamous for often forgoing medical treatment in favor of prayers only, although their official position is not to condemn medical treatment.
In fact, I have not found any Biblical basis to forgo medical treatment. In II Chronicles 16, we read that King Asa had an ailment in his feet and though the disease was severe, he "did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians." (v 12). It is implied that this was another indication that he was not relying on the Lord. But the problem with Asa was not so much the fact that he sought help from the physicians, but the fact that he sought help ONLY from the physicians, without seeking help from the Lord. We know that Joseph the patriarch had a whole group of physicians working under him (Genesis 50:2). Gilead was known for its balms and physicians (Jeremiah 8:22). With His comparison of His own ministry to that of physicians attending to the sick, Jesus in a way justified the medical profession and its function.
What are we to do as Christians when we become sick? First, of course, we should pray. James specifically admonishes that if anyone is sick, he should call on the elders of the church to pray and anoint oil on him (James 5:14-15). David prayed even when their enemies became ill (Psalm 35:13). God is our Lord and Helper. It is only right and natural that we should seek help from Him, when we are sick.
At the same time, we should also seek appropriate medical help. This may mean, among other things, taking medications, seeing a physician, undergoing a surgery, receiving radiation treatment, and/or, when appropriate, getting non-Western medical modalities such as acupuncture or herbals. The physicians are using God-endowed wisdom and knowledge in applying their learnings to maintenance and restoration of health and treatment of ailments and, as such, are professionals in their trade. They need to be respected as such and their orders and instructions for treatment should be followed. If a physician is instructing you to take two pills of a certain medicine twice a day, it is not ok for you to decide to take only one pill once a day. Without following instructions, your treatment may not only be ineffective, but may even be harmful.
It is not a sign of strong faith to forgo appropriate medical treatment. It may rather be an act of putting the Lord God to the test, which we are not to do (Matthew 4:7). Jesus spoke of signs that will accompany those who believe in Him (Mark 16:15-18). "In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." We note that one of the signs was to pick up snakes without getting harmed and this sign was exemplified with Paul shaking off a viper's bite with no ill effects (Acts 28:3-6). God is able to work that miracle as a sign among believers. But this does not mean that one should go around and pick up vipers and see if he may get hurt -- that would be putting God to the test. That is not a sign of faith. Analogously, when God has made medical help available to us, we need to use it wisely and appropriately. God can certainly heal us without the use of medical help, but can also work through medical care. It is up to Him to decide how He will manifest His mighty works and wisdom in our lives, not up to us to dictate to Him.
God is our Creator and our ultimate Physician. He can heal us physically and spiritually. He has also given some people the profession of being physicians, so that they can help those who may become ill. God's wisdom and authority is beyond measure and I praise Him for that. Praise Him!
Yet, seeking help from a physician for one's illness is seen by some believers as equating to lack of faith or having little faith. They would ask, if one can pray to God and He can heal you, why should you bother to seek human medical help? Christian Scientisits are infamous for often forgoing medical treatment in favor of prayers only, although their official position is not to condemn medical treatment.
In fact, I have not found any Biblical basis to forgo medical treatment. In II Chronicles 16, we read that King Asa had an ailment in his feet and though the disease was severe, he "did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians." (v 12). It is implied that this was another indication that he was not relying on the Lord. But the problem with Asa was not so much the fact that he sought help from the physicians, but the fact that he sought help ONLY from the physicians, without seeking help from the Lord. We know that Joseph the patriarch had a whole group of physicians working under him (Genesis 50:2). Gilead was known for its balms and physicians (Jeremiah 8:22). With His comparison of His own ministry to that of physicians attending to the sick, Jesus in a way justified the medical profession and its function.
What are we to do as Christians when we become sick? First, of course, we should pray. James specifically admonishes that if anyone is sick, he should call on the elders of the church to pray and anoint oil on him (James 5:14-15). David prayed even when their enemies became ill (Psalm 35:13). God is our Lord and Helper. It is only right and natural that we should seek help from Him, when we are sick.
At the same time, we should also seek appropriate medical help. This may mean, among other things, taking medications, seeing a physician, undergoing a surgery, receiving radiation treatment, and/or, when appropriate, getting non-Western medical modalities such as acupuncture or herbals. The physicians are using God-endowed wisdom and knowledge in applying their learnings to maintenance and restoration of health and treatment of ailments and, as such, are professionals in their trade. They need to be respected as such and their orders and instructions for treatment should be followed. If a physician is instructing you to take two pills of a certain medicine twice a day, it is not ok for you to decide to take only one pill once a day. Without following instructions, your treatment may not only be ineffective, but may even be harmful.
It is not a sign of strong faith to forgo appropriate medical treatment. It may rather be an act of putting the Lord God to the test, which we are not to do (Matthew 4:7). Jesus spoke of signs that will accompany those who believe in Him (Mark 16:15-18). "In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." We note that one of the signs was to pick up snakes without getting harmed and this sign was exemplified with Paul shaking off a viper's bite with no ill effects (Acts 28:3-6). God is able to work that miracle as a sign among believers. But this does not mean that one should go around and pick up vipers and see if he may get hurt -- that would be putting God to the test. That is not a sign of faith. Analogously, when God has made medical help available to us, we need to use it wisely and appropriately. God can certainly heal us without the use of medical help, but can also work through medical care. It is up to Him to decide how He will manifest His mighty works and wisdom in our lives, not up to us to dictate to Him.
God is our Creator and our ultimate Physician. He can heal us physically and spiritually. He has also given some people the profession of being physicians, so that they can help those who may become ill. God's wisdom and authority is beyond measure and I praise Him for that. Praise Him!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Journeyman
In Hebrews 11:13, it is said that the patriarchs of faith lived as aliens and strangers on earth. Their true home was in heaven and their abodes on earth were considered temporary. With no place on earth worthy to be called a permanent home, they were on the move quite often. Looking back on my own life, I can count at least 21 moves I have made; that is almost a move every two years. The longest I stayed in one place was for thirteen years and the shortest was for less than a year. According to the US Census Bureau, Americans move to a new home every 5 years on average (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/85673.html) or about 16 times over their lifetime. It is not surprising that as an immigrant, I have been moving more than the average.
Despite the frequent moves, I think one of the most difficult decisions of life has to do with whether one should stay in the same place or move to another. How should the decision be made?
The simple answer to that is that one should take the lead from the Lord. As the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness for 40 years, they were led by a pillar of cloud and fire of the Lord (Exodus 13:21-22). "In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." (Exodus 40:36-38).
The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire -- the guiding presence of the Lord -- determined two things. First, the pillar determined the time to move and the time to stay put. In the Bible, a recurring theme is that of the appointed time. At the appointed time, God's promise of a son for Sarah was fulfilled (Genesis 18:14). At the appointed time, the Israelites were to appear before the Lord to celebrate the Feasts (Exodus 23:15, 34:18, Leviticus 23, Numbers 9). God chooses the appointed time (Psalm 75:2) and directs man's history according to His appointed times (Daniel 8:19, 11:27, 29, 35). Jesus' redemptive ministry was according to the appointed time (Matthew 26:18) and His judgment will occur at the appointed time as well (I Corinthians 4:5). God is in charge of history and of my life's timeline. The best course is to follow His timeline. Second, the pillar determined the direction of move, serving as a guide to the Israelites. The Lord guides us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake (Psalm 23:3). As He guides us, He will turn the darkness into light before us and make rough places smooth (Isaiah 42:16). Even if we should be in a sun-scorched land, He will satisfy our needs and we "will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." (Isaiah 58:11). Now the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13). This God is our guide for ever and ever, until the end (Psalm 48:14).
In deciding whether to move or to stay, the decision becomes easy if we leave it to the Lord and follow His lead. The decision should not hinge on worldly concerns like wealth, fame, and pride. Rather the discernment is about whether it is the right time according to the Lord's timetable and whether it is in the direction that the Lord is taking us.
Lord God, You are my Shepherd and my Guide. You lead me to green pastures and still waters -- bread and drink for my spirit. I will follow You, wherever You lead me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Despite the frequent moves, I think one of the most difficult decisions of life has to do with whether one should stay in the same place or move to another. How should the decision be made?
The simple answer to that is that one should take the lead from the Lord. As the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness for 40 years, they were led by a pillar of cloud and fire of the Lord (Exodus 13:21-22). "In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels." (Exodus 40:36-38).
The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire -- the guiding presence of the Lord -- determined two things. First, the pillar determined the time to move and the time to stay put. In the Bible, a recurring theme is that of the appointed time. At the appointed time, God's promise of a son for Sarah was fulfilled (Genesis 18:14). At the appointed time, the Israelites were to appear before the Lord to celebrate the Feasts (Exodus 23:15, 34:18, Leviticus 23, Numbers 9). God chooses the appointed time (Psalm 75:2) and directs man's history according to His appointed times (Daniel 8:19, 11:27, 29, 35). Jesus' redemptive ministry was according to the appointed time (Matthew 26:18) and His judgment will occur at the appointed time as well (I Corinthians 4:5). God is in charge of history and of my life's timeline. The best course is to follow His timeline. Second, the pillar determined the direction of move, serving as a guide to the Israelites. The Lord guides us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake (Psalm 23:3). As He guides us, He will turn the darkness into light before us and make rough places smooth (Isaiah 42:16). Even if we should be in a sun-scorched land, He will satisfy our needs and we "will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." (Isaiah 58:11). Now the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13). This God is our guide for ever and ever, until the end (Psalm 48:14).
In deciding whether to move or to stay, the decision becomes easy if we leave it to the Lord and follow His lead. The decision should not hinge on worldly concerns like wealth, fame, and pride. Rather the discernment is about whether it is the right time according to the Lord's timetable and whether it is in the direction that the Lord is taking us.
Lord God, You are my Shepherd and my Guide. You lead me to green pastures and still waters -- bread and drink for my spirit. I will follow You, wherever You lead me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
A Helper's Reward
Every Sunday, my pastor and his wife drive 1 1/2 hours to serve at a small church, that is not financially independent and is not able to support a pastor of its own. Usually it is the pastor's wife, who drives for 3 hours. The other day, as I was talking with her, she half-jokingly said, "When I go to heaven, I will be a driver there, too." As I listened to her half-joke, I pondered whether she will be rewarded as a driver, --- or more.
I think the biblical answer is that she will be rewarded the same as her husband.
In speaking of rewards to be given to someone who receives a prophet, Jesus said, "Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward." (Matthew 10:41) When we get to heaven, it is not just those who served as prophets or famous preachers who will receive accolades and rewards. Anyone who receives and serves them because they are men and women of God will also receive the same rewards. What an encouragement to all those who stay behind in their home country and financially and prayerfully support those who are at the missionary front! This is the reward system that the Master has decided and there is no argument about it. This is fair to all involved, including the prophets and their supporters, because the Master has the right to do what He wants with His property and because any reward that He gives out is out of His generosity (Matthew 20:15).
The story of David and his men in I Samuel 30 can be understood in the same vein. The story occurred while they were living in the land of the Philistines, to escape the pursuit of King Saul. When David and his men returned from the war front to their hometown of Ziglak, they found that the town had been raided by the Amalekites and their wives had been taken captive. They decided to pursue the Amalekites, but on the way at the Besor Ravine, two hundred men were too exhausted to contiue and stayed behind, while the remaining 400 men continued the pursuit. David and the 400 ended up not only recovering everyone and everything, but also plundering the Amalekites. Upon their return, there arose a dispute as to whether the 200 who stayed behind should take part in the plunder. Although the "evil men and troublemakers" among David's followers said that the 200 should have no part in the plunder, David's response was different. He said, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." (I Samuel 30:23-24). This became a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day on. Note what David acknowledges. The plunder is not what they earned, but is what the Lord has given to them. The Lord has given generously and all who are in the Lord's family have a share in the inheritance.
In Genesis, we read that God created woman to be a helper for her husband (Genesis 2:18). Though the man of the house may go out to toil and earn an income for the family, the woman of the house who stays behind and maintains the house is doing a work that is just as worthy. One cannot do what he or she is doing without the other doing her or his part. The helper's work is as important as that of the one being helped.
Likewise in the church, all the belivers are parts of the same body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:14-27). Some may function like an eye, some may function like an ear, some like a mouth, some like an arm, and some like a foot. No part is dispensable; if any is missing, the body is no longer whole. Every part doing its portion for the sake of Christ will be receiving its reward in heaven. While the work of a minister may be honorable, if I serve him because he is a minister of God, then I would also get the minister's reward in heaven. Wow, what an amazing reward system that our Father has for us!
Whatever task the Lord assigns me to do in the church, my job is to be faithful to the task. "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." (I Corinthians 4:2). When the Lord returns to hold me accountable, what He will look for will be whether I have been a good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:14-30), rather than how much I have accomplished. In the end, what I accomplish or do matters little to the Lord; what He wants to see is whether I have loved, honored and respected Him to obey Him faithfully. Even if I accomplish little, if I am faithful, I will be rewarded as a good and faithful servant. If I am faithful as a servant and a supporter of the important task that the minister carries out, I will be rewarded like the faithful minister. No sense in trying to promote myself to become a deacon, an elder, or a minister for my personal glory and gain; rather in whatever position the Lord has put me in, I should strive to be faithful and serve those who have been placed in positions of leadership and seeming importance.
Lord, let me be a good helper to your minister, because he is your minister. Let me be a good and faithful servant in all that You have assigned me to. In Jesus' name. Amen.
I think the biblical answer is that she will be rewarded the same as her husband.
In speaking of rewards to be given to someone who receives a prophet, Jesus said, "Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward." (Matthew 10:41) When we get to heaven, it is not just those who served as prophets or famous preachers who will receive accolades and rewards. Anyone who receives and serves them because they are men and women of God will also receive the same rewards. What an encouragement to all those who stay behind in their home country and financially and prayerfully support those who are at the missionary front! This is the reward system that the Master has decided and there is no argument about it. This is fair to all involved, including the prophets and their supporters, because the Master has the right to do what He wants with His property and because any reward that He gives out is out of His generosity (Matthew 20:15).
The story of David and his men in I Samuel 30 can be understood in the same vein. The story occurred while they were living in the land of the Philistines, to escape the pursuit of King Saul. When David and his men returned from the war front to their hometown of Ziglak, they found that the town had been raided by the Amalekites and their wives had been taken captive. They decided to pursue the Amalekites, but on the way at the Besor Ravine, two hundred men were too exhausted to contiue and stayed behind, while the remaining 400 men continued the pursuit. David and the 400 ended up not only recovering everyone and everything, but also plundering the Amalekites. Upon their return, there arose a dispute as to whether the 200 who stayed behind should take part in the plunder. Although the "evil men and troublemakers" among David's followers said that the 200 should have no part in the plunder, David's response was different. He said, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." (I Samuel 30:23-24). This became a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day on. Note what David acknowledges. The plunder is not what they earned, but is what the Lord has given to them. The Lord has given generously and all who are in the Lord's family have a share in the inheritance.
In Genesis, we read that God created woman to be a helper for her husband (Genesis 2:18). Though the man of the house may go out to toil and earn an income for the family, the woman of the house who stays behind and maintains the house is doing a work that is just as worthy. One cannot do what he or she is doing without the other doing her or his part. The helper's work is as important as that of the one being helped.
Likewise in the church, all the belivers are parts of the same body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:14-27). Some may function like an eye, some may function like an ear, some like a mouth, some like an arm, and some like a foot. No part is dispensable; if any is missing, the body is no longer whole. Every part doing its portion for the sake of Christ will be receiving its reward in heaven. While the work of a minister may be honorable, if I serve him because he is a minister of God, then I would also get the minister's reward in heaven. Wow, what an amazing reward system that our Father has for us!
Whatever task the Lord assigns me to do in the church, my job is to be faithful to the task. "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." (I Corinthians 4:2). When the Lord returns to hold me accountable, what He will look for will be whether I have been a good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:14-30), rather than how much I have accomplished. In the end, what I accomplish or do matters little to the Lord; what He wants to see is whether I have loved, honored and respected Him to obey Him faithfully. Even if I accomplish little, if I am faithful, I will be rewarded as a good and faithful servant. If I am faithful as a servant and a supporter of the important task that the minister carries out, I will be rewarded like the faithful minister. No sense in trying to promote myself to become a deacon, an elder, or a minister for my personal glory and gain; rather in whatever position the Lord has put me in, I should strive to be faithful and serve those who have been placed in positions of leadership and seeming importance.
Lord, let me be a good helper to your minister, because he is your minister. Let me be a good and faithful servant in all that You have assigned me to. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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