In Matthew 22 and Mark 12, we read about an expert of law asking Jesus what the greatest commandment is? Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40). The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind. In Mark, there is another phrase added as well: "with all your strength." (Mark 12:30). In Luke 10, the table was turned and Jesus asked an expert of law what is written in the Law about what he must do to inherit the eternal life. The expert answered similarly with the greatest commandments.
Previously in my posting of December 24, 2010, I considered what it may mean to love the Lord "with all my mind." Today I would like to meditate on what it may mean to love the Lord "with all my heart."
As I consider what is in my heart, I must agree with what Jesus said: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts — murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matthew 15:19). My heart is full of evil thoughts and I would not be able to love the Lord with such a heart. Even if I could, the love I have would not be acceptable to Him. He knows this fully and said "The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live." (Deuteronomy 30:6). My heart must be circumcised by Him, so that I may love Him with all my heart. All the evil thoughts, facades and pretenses must be cut off from my heart. A "pure heart", a "steadfast spirit" must be created within me (Psalm 51:10).
What would the pure heart be like? I think one expression of love is a desire to be like the person one loves. If, with a new pure heart, I loved the Lord with all my heart, then I would be yearning to have a heart like His. We are admonished to have His mindset, His attitude (Philippians 2:5). Jesus also told us to learn from Him, who is "gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11:29). My expression of love for Him with all my heart would be to yearn to be gentle and humble in heart like Him.
When Jesus spoke the words of Matthew 11:29, it was right after He declared that "all things have been committed to Me by My Father" (Matthew 11:27). He was speaking as One with authority and power over all creatures, as the "I AM", yet He said He is gentle and humble in heart. The Highest One lowered Himself to be the lowest (Philippians 2:6-8). In Jesus, God "made Himself nothing." The Master of the universe became a servant. "I AM" is linked in the same sentence with "gentle and humble in heart." No matter how much I should lower myself, I would never be able to lower myself as Jesus did in coming in flesh, since I am already in a base state. Yet Jesus's humility is what I yearn for and what I should like my heart to be like.
In being gentle, Jesus is able to accept and accommodate all who are labored and heavy-laden and give them rest (Matthew 11:28). All the sinners of the world can come to Him and find rest and restoration. His cross has paid the price of sin for all His people. He is so delicate and careful not to let even little ones stumble (Matthew 18:6). He is so gentle that He will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick (Isaiah 42:3). Even though He is just, He is also compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin (Exodus 34:6-7). He is so meek that even when He was oppressed, afflicted, and falsely accused for our sake, He did not open His mouth like a lamb led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7-8, Mark 15:1-5). Even on the cross, He prayed to forgive those who nailed Him and mocked Him (Luke 23:4). He is the ultimate Forgiver. He sheds tears even for those who are punished for their sin (Jeremiah 14:17).
To love the Lord with all my heart, my heart needs to be like Jesus's. Gentle and humble. I need to know my place as an unworthy servant, who is grateful to be given a task. In all that I do, I must need to be gentle, so that I do not let any little one stumble. I must be accommodating and able to hear and accept the heartaches and torments of my fellow men and women. Rather than being judgmental, I must be forgiving and understanding. My purpose in teaching is their repentance, not their condemnation (II Timothy 2:24-26, Galatians 6:1). I must be humble and gentle in heart, so that my love of the Lord is demonstrated through my love of my neighbors -- all those around me.
Lord, circumcise my heart and remove all my pride, arrogance, and roughness. Create in me a pure heart, a heart that is gentle and humble like Yours. Let me then love You with all my heart and extend that love to my neighbors. In Jesus's Name. Amen.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Being a witness of Jesus Christ (sermon for the youth group, 2/27/11)
Let's all bow down and pray together: "Heavenly Father, we come to you humbly seeking Your presence among us. We pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon us this morning and teach us what You want us to know about You. Give us the discernment and obedience to follow Your guidance and direction. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen."
Last week, you had a sermon by Teacher Charlie on the Great Commission. That marked the end of our sermon series on the Gospel of Matthew. What is the Great Commission? It is Jesus' commission to us that we are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that Jesus commanded us.
Today marks the beginning of a new sermon series based on the book of Acts. Acts documents not just the acts of the apostles like Peter and Paul, but the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the early Christian church. The key verse in the whole book of Acts is Acts 1:8. This verse is a declaration of a promise by the Lord, Jesus Christ: "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Notice that Jesus does not say "if the Holy Spirit comes on you." Rather, He says, "when the Holy Spirit comes on you." This verse is like a zip file, which, when unzipped, tells the whole story recorded in Acts.
A key word in this key verse is the word "witnesses."
This morning, I would like us to consider two questions regarding "witnesses": First, what does it mean to be a witness, as opposed to being a mere reporter? Second, since we are witnesses, what are we supposed to be witnessing?
First, what does it mean to be a witness?
In the late 1970's, there was a news anchorman named Walter Cronkite, who anchored the CBS Evening News. In 1960's and 1970's, he was voted as "the most trusted man in America" for his unbiased reporting of important news such as the Vietnam War, the assassination of JF Kennedy, and the Watergate scandal. As he neared his retirement in the last 70's, people wondered who could possibly replace the trustworthy Mr. Cronkite. The person chosen to replace him in 1981 was Dan Rather. Mr. Rather's claim to fame in his journalistic career was the fact that he reported like an eyewitness, rather than like conventional reporters who were mere story tellers. When Hurricane Carla hit the Texas coastline in 1961, Rather reported from Galveston Seawall, in the heart of the hurricane. When President Kennedy was assassinated, Rather was the first to be there to report on the news. Rather's reporting style has since been copied many times over. Being able to report like a witness is what elevated Rather to succeed Cronkite.
In a similar way, for us to be a witness, it takes for us to have a personal story to tell from a first-hand experience. Being raised in a Christian home or in the church, we often come to know about Jesus from someone else's story. This someone else might have been your parent, grandparent, or a friend. There is nothing wrong with this. As it says in Romans 10:17, "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." The beginning of our faith comes from hearing someone else telling us about Jesus Christ. But then, we should not stop there. We need to have our own personal experience of Jesus in order to confirm our faith and tell others about how Jesus has made a difference for us.
There are several Biblical examples of this principle: In 1 Kings 10, we read about the visit of the queen of Sheba to Solomon. Before she came, she had heard so much about the unparalleled wisdom of Solomon. After making the visit, she said to him, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard." Her own first-hand experience of Solomon's wisdom not only confirmed the story she heard in her own country, but far exceeded and enhanced it, because his wisdom was even greater than what was told. What we heard about Jesus when we first believed in Him might have been only a glimpse of all that there is to know about Jesus. We should get to know Him more and more with our experience of how He is working in our lives.
Likewise, in John 4, we read about the woman at the well in Sychar of Samaria and her village people. They had come out to meet Jesus initially because of the woman's story. But when they met Him personally, they had much more to say. They said to the woman: "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
You might have to come to know Jesus through someone else's story about Him. But since then, do you have a personal story to tell about Jesus? If you were to ask yourself, "do I have a personal story to tell about Jesus?", what may be the answer? Peter admonishes us in I Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." Do you have a personal answer to the question 'why do you believe in Jesus?' ?
As you ponder that first question, I would like to go back to the second question I posed to you earlier. That is, since we are witnesses of Jesus Christ, what are we supposed to be witnessing?
In Acts 1:3, it says that after Jesus was raised from the dead, He gave "many convincing proofs that He was alive" over a period of 40 days. In the second half of Acts 1, we read about selection of Mathias as the 12th disciple in place of Judas Iscariot. In verse 22, it says that the reason for selection of Mathias was that he "must become a witness of (Jesus') resurrection." What do these verses tell us about what we are supposed to be witnessing?
What we are witnessing is the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead and is still alive. Jesus is real. Jesus is risen. Jesus is alive.
You might ask back that unlike the disciples, we have never really seen the resurrected Jesus. We have heard and read that Jesus was risen from the dead, but have not really seen the risen Lord. It is true that we were not there when Jesus was risen from the dead. But it is also true that we can still have a personal experience with the risen Jesus Christ, who is still alive today.
The main question is "Have you had such a personal experience of the risen Lord, so that you can be a first-hand witness of Him?"
As you ponder that question, I would like to share a personal story of mine. I was born to a very devout family. My father was a pastor; my mother is now working in the missions. I was taught about Jesus Christ as my Savior and fully embraced Him from my youth. But adding to this is the fact that repeatedly in my life, the Lord has been there whenever I had a threat or a difficulty. As a little child, I had a head trauma, being hit in the head with a rock, but escaped it without any remaining complications. I then got involved in an automobile accident with a truck, as I was crossing a street; the truck was damaged while trying to avoid me, but I was unscathed. In the junior HS, I was taken into an enclosed room and was in danger of a possible gang assault, but got out without getting hit once. I immigrated to the U.S. when I was almost 15, barely speaking English. If I look back at my 36 years of immigrant history, the Lord has been with me every step of the way, to guide me, lead me, and carry me through the thick and thin. Because the Lord has done that in the past, I also know that He will continue to do so in the future and that I will have an inheritance in the Heavenly Kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ is as alive today in my life as ever.
I will pose the question to you again: "Have you had a personal experience of the risen Lord, so that you can be a first-hand witness of Him?"
If your answer is Yes, praise the Lord. If your answer is No or Not Sure, then this sermon is for you. Let's open to Isaiah 55:6-7 and read the verses together: "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon." I believe these verses are a promise from the Lord that He will meet us, if we seek Him, turning away from our wicked ways and turning to Him.
I would like to ask all of you to close your eyes and focus for the moment on your own heart. Ask yourself, have I met the risen Lord personally in my life? Is He as real and alive to me as my friend sitting next to me, or actually more real and alive than my friend sitting next to me? If your answer to these questions is No or Not Sure, please place your hands on your heart silently.
Next I ask you, if you have not met the risen Jesus personally, do you want to seek Him? Do you believe the verses of Isaiah 55:6-7, that when we turn away from our ungodly ways and seek the Lord, He will be found and will meet us? If your answer to these questions is YES, then please raise your hand. Let us all pray and cry out to the Lord in an audible way.
Last week, you had a sermon by Teacher Charlie on the Great Commission. That marked the end of our sermon series on the Gospel of Matthew. What is the Great Commission? It is Jesus' commission to us that we are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that Jesus commanded us.
Today marks the beginning of a new sermon series based on the book of Acts. Acts documents not just the acts of the apostles like Peter and Paul, but the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the early Christian church. The key verse in the whole book of Acts is Acts 1:8. This verse is a declaration of a promise by the Lord, Jesus Christ: "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Notice that Jesus does not say "if the Holy Spirit comes on you." Rather, He says, "when the Holy Spirit comes on you." This verse is like a zip file, which, when unzipped, tells the whole story recorded in Acts.
A key word in this key verse is the word "witnesses."
This morning, I would like us to consider two questions regarding "witnesses": First, what does it mean to be a witness, as opposed to being a mere reporter? Second, since we are witnesses, what are we supposed to be witnessing?
First, what does it mean to be a witness?
In the late 1970's, there was a news anchorman named Walter Cronkite, who anchored the CBS Evening News. In 1960's and 1970's, he was voted as "the most trusted man in America" for his unbiased reporting of important news such as the Vietnam War, the assassination of JF Kennedy, and the Watergate scandal. As he neared his retirement in the last 70's, people wondered who could possibly replace the trustworthy Mr. Cronkite. The person chosen to replace him in 1981 was Dan Rather. Mr. Rather's claim to fame in his journalistic career was the fact that he reported like an eyewitness, rather than like conventional reporters who were mere story tellers. When Hurricane Carla hit the Texas coastline in 1961, Rather reported from Galveston Seawall, in the heart of the hurricane. When President Kennedy was assassinated, Rather was the first to be there to report on the news. Rather's reporting style has since been copied many times over. Being able to report like a witness is what elevated Rather to succeed Cronkite.
In a similar way, for us to be a witness, it takes for us to have a personal story to tell from a first-hand experience. Being raised in a Christian home or in the church, we often come to know about Jesus from someone else's story. This someone else might have been your parent, grandparent, or a friend. There is nothing wrong with this. As it says in Romans 10:17, "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." The beginning of our faith comes from hearing someone else telling us about Jesus Christ. But then, we should not stop there. We need to have our own personal experience of Jesus in order to confirm our faith and tell others about how Jesus has made a difference for us.
There are several Biblical examples of this principle: In 1 Kings 10, we read about the visit of the queen of Sheba to Solomon. Before she came, she had heard so much about the unparalleled wisdom of Solomon. After making the visit, she said to him, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard." Her own first-hand experience of Solomon's wisdom not only confirmed the story she heard in her own country, but far exceeded and enhanced it, because his wisdom was even greater than what was told. What we heard about Jesus when we first believed in Him might have been only a glimpse of all that there is to know about Jesus. We should get to know Him more and more with our experience of how He is working in our lives.
Likewise, in John 4, we read about the woman at the well in Sychar of Samaria and her village people. They had come out to meet Jesus initially because of the woman's story. But when they met Him personally, they had much more to say. They said to the woman: "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
You might have to come to know Jesus through someone else's story about Him. But since then, do you have a personal story to tell about Jesus? If you were to ask yourself, "do I have a personal story to tell about Jesus?", what may be the answer? Peter admonishes us in I Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." Do you have a personal answer to the question 'why do you believe in Jesus?' ?
As you ponder that first question, I would like to go back to the second question I posed to you earlier. That is, since we are witnesses of Jesus Christ, what are we supposed to be witnessing?
In Acts 1:3, it says that after Jesus was raised from the dead, He gave "many convincing proofs that He was alive" over a period of 40 days. In the second half of Acts 1, we read about selection of Mathias as the 12th disciple in place of Judas Iscariot. In verse 22, it says that the reason for selection of Mathias was that he "must become a witness of (Jesus') resurrection." What do these verses tell us about what we are supposed to be witnessing?
What we are witnessing is the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead and is still alive. Jesus is real. Jesus is risen. Jesus is alive.
You might ask back that unlike the disciples, we have never really seen the resurrected Jesus. We have heard and read that Jesus was risen from the dead, but have not really seen the risen Lord. It is true that we were not there when Jesus was risen from the dead. But it is also true that we can still have a personal experience with the risen Jesus Christ, who is still alive today.
The main question is "Have you had such a personal experience of the risen Lord, so that you can be a first-hand witness of Him?"
As you ponder that question, I would like to share a personal story of mine. I was born to a very devout family. My father was a pastor; my mother is now working in the missions. I was taught about Jesus Christ as my Savior and fully embraced Him from my youth. But adding to this is the fact that repeatedly in my life, the Lord has been there whenever I had a threat or a difficulty. As a little child, I had a head trauma, being hit in the head with a rock, but escaped it without any remaining complications. I then got involved in an automobile accident with a truck, as I was crossing a street; the truck was damaged while trying to avoid me, but I was unscathed. In the junior HS, I was taken into an enclosed room and was in danger of a possible gang assault, but got out without getting hit once. I immigrated to the U.S. when I was almost 15, barely speaking English. If I look back at my 36 years of immigrant history, the Lord has been with me every step of the way, to guide me, lead me, and carry me through the thick and thin. Because the Lord has done that in the past, I also know that He will continue to do so in the future and that I will have an inheritance in the Heavenly Kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ is as alive today in my life as ever.
I will pose the question to you again: "Have you had a personal experience of the risen Lord, so that you can be a first-hand witness of Him?"
If your answer is Yes, praise the Lord. If your answer is No or Not Sure, then this sermon is for you. Let's open to Isaiah 55:6-7 and read the verses together: "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon." I believe these verses are a promise from the Lord that He will meet us, if we seek Him, turning away from our wicked ways and turning to Him.
I would like to ask all of you to close your eyes and focus for the moment on your own heart. Ask yourself, have I met the risen Lord personally in my life? Is He as real and alive to me as my friend sitting next to me, or actually more real and alive than my friend sitting next to me? If your answer to these questions is No or Not Sure, please place your hands on your heart silently.
Next I ask you, if you have not met the risen Jesus personally, do you want to seek Him? Do you believe the verses of Isaiah 55:6-7, that when we turn away from our ungodly ways and seek the Lord, He will be found and will meet us? If your answer to these questions is YES, then please raise your hand. Let us all pray and cry out to the Lord in an audible way.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Walking with God
Enoch was a 6th generation grandson from Adam (Genesis 5). When he became 65 years old, he begat Methuselah, known as the man who lived the longest and lived 969 years. After Enoch begat Methuselah, he "walked faithfully with God 300 years" (Genesis 5:22). Three hundred years is a long time and to be faithful for that long is exceptional. Enoch was commended as one who pleased God and was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death (Hebrews 11:5).
What does walking with God mean? For two to walk together, they need to be in agreement (Amos 3:3). For Enoch to walk with God, he had to know what God's will is and be in agreement with Him. Oftentimes in the past, I would pray (somewhat incorrectly) that God would walk with me, meaning that wherever I go, He would come along and protect me. As I think about how Enoch walked with God, I realize that it is I who should be walking in steps with the Lord, not God who should follow me around. He is the leader and I am the follower. I must discern His will and follow Him.
When the Israelites were journeying in the wilderness after coming out of Egypt, they were led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). If the pillar of cloud or fire moved, then the Israelites moved. If the pillar stayed in a place, then the Israelites stayed encamped there until the pillar began to move again. The Israelites were able to walk together with the Lord that way. It was not that the pillar followed the Israelites wherever they went.
Lord, I want to walk with You. Help me discern Your will and Your way and follow You, wherever You may go or stay. "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). Your will be done in my life, as I follow and obey You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
What does walking with God mean? For two to walk together, they need to be in agreement (Amos 3:3). For Enoch to walk with God, he had to know what God's will is and be in agreement with Him. Oftentimes in the past, I would pray (somewhat incorrectly) that God would walk with me, meaning that wherever I go, He would come along and protect me. As I think about how Enoch walked with God, I realize that it is I who should be walking in steps with the Lord, not God who should follow me around. He is the leader and I am the follower. I must discern His will and follow Him.
When the Israelites were journeying in the wilderness after coming out of Egypt, they were led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). If the pillar of cloud or fire moved, then the Israelites moved. If the pillar stayed in a place, then the Israelites stayed encamped there until the pillar began to move again. The Israelites were able to walk together with the Lord that way. It was not that the pillar followed the Israelites wherever they went.
Lord, I want to walk with You. Help me discern Your will and Your way and follow You, wherever You may go or stay. "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). Your will be done in my life, as I follow and obey You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Career choice
Over the years, I have had several occasions when I stood at the crossroads of career. I may be standing at one such place at present. Should I leave or stay at the current employment? If leaving, should I go to A or B? Where is God's will? How do I know where He wants to take me? These are all questions that arise, when standing at the crossroads.
The questions and answers are similar to what would be asked and answered when asking oneself about one's ministry. All Christians are to do works of service (Ephesians 4:12), so that the body of Christ is built up. While the main work of service by Christians is to preach the good news about Jesus Christ the Savior (Matthew 28:18-20), there may be different ways that different people may go about doing it. Each Christian, I think, needs to find his or her ministry field and target and serve that person or people.
The first step in finding one's ministry target or deciding on a career choice may be to look for people in need, for whom one has compassion. During His public ministry on earth, Jesus began each work with compassion for the people in need. When He saw the crowd that followed Him to the countryside near Bethsaida, He had compassion on them and healed them (Matthew 14:14). After healing the multitude on a mountainside, Jesus had compassion on them, who had been with Him for three days and had nothing to eat (Matthew 15:32). He then proceeded to feed the four thousand. When two blind men cried out to him near Jericho, He had compassion on them before opening their eyes (Matthew 20:34). Likewise, I should look for people in need, for whom I have compassion.
The second step may be to learn to discern which need God wants me to minister to. It may not be that all needs that I have a compassion for are needs that I am equipped to address. If it is a need that God wants me to work on, then He will have also provided the means with which to meet the need. "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." (Romans 12:6). There are different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and different kinds of working (I Corinthians 12:4-6). The Holy Spirit gives out different gifts to different members of the body of Christ, so that each can fulfill his or her function. If God wants me to do A, He will have equipped me for that service or work. If God wants me to do B, then likewise He will have equipped me for that service or work. So, the discernment about which need God wants me to minister to is really a discernment about what God has equipped me to do.
If I choose the right ministry and the right service, the proof of the right choice may be in the fact that ministry or service opportunities will be effective and multiply. People in need which you can meet will come to you -- maybe in droves. Jesus never advertised on TV or Internet, but the news about Him and His ministry spread to the whole countryside and people came to him in flocks (Mark 1:32-34, 1:45, Luke 4:14, 7:17). If I am in the right service or ministry, then there should be confirmatory messages from people with the same or similar needs.
One note of caution here may be that I should be careful to watch for any creeping in of my sinful desires trying to influence my choice -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:16). These will cloud my mind and mislead me, so that I end up laboring on what does not satisfy (Isaiah 55:2).
Lord, I want to hear You and follow You. Lead me, so that I may truly live and "delight in the richest of fare." Lord, freely pardon all my pursuits of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- none of which are truly satisfying. My true delight is in You, Lord. Make me a witness to the peoples. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
The questions and answers are similar to what would be asked and answered when asking oneself about one's ministry. All Christians are to do works of service (Ephesians 4:12), so that the body of Christ is built up. While the main work of service by Christians is to preach the good news about Jesus Christ the Savior (Matthew 28:18-20), there may be different ways that different people may go about doing it. Each Christian, I think, needs to find his or her ministry field and target and serve that person or people.
The first step in finding one's ministry target or deciding on a career choice may be to look for people in need, for whom one has compassion. During His public ministry on earth, Jesus began each work with compassion for the people in need. When He saw the crowd that followed Him to the countryside near Bethsaida, He had compassion on them and healed them (Matthew 14:14). After healing the multitude on a mountainside, Jesus had compassion on them, who had been with Him for three days and had nothing to eat (Matthew 15:32). He then proceeded to feed the four thousand. When two blind men cried out to him near Jericho, He had compassion on them before opening their eyes (Matthew 20:34). Likewise, I should look for people in need, for whom I have compassion.
The second step may be to learn to discern which need God wants me to minister to. It may not be that all needs that I have a compassion for are needs that I am equipped to address. If it is a need that God wants me to work on, then He will have also provided the means with which to meet the need. "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." (Romans 12:6). There are different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and different kinds of working (I Corinthians 12:4-6). The Holy Spirit gives out different gifts to different members of the body of Christ, so that each can fulfill his or her function. If God wants me to do A, He will have equipped me for that service or work. If God wants me to do B, then likewise He will have equipped me for that service or work. So, the discernment about which need God wants me to minister to is really a discernment about what God has equipped me to do.
If I choose the right ministry and the right service, the proof of the right choice may be in the fact that ministry or service opportunities will be effective and multiply. People in need which you can meet will come to you -- maybe in droves. Jesus never advertised on TV or Internet, but the news about Him and His ministry spread to the whole countryside and people came to him in flocks (Mark 1:32-34, 1:45, Luke 4:14, 7:17). If I am in the right service or ministry, then there should be confirmatory messages from people with the same or similar needs.
One note of caution here may be that I should be careful to watch for any creeping in of my sinful desires trying to influence my choice -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:16). These will cloud my mind and mislead me, so that I end up laboring on what does not satisfy (Isaiah 55:2).
Lord, I want to hear You and follow You. Lead me, so that I may truly live and "delight in the richest of fare." Lord, freely pardon all my pursuits of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- none of which are truly satisfying. My true delight is in You, Lord. Make me a witness to the peoples. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Seeking God's will
In Exodus 18, we read an account of Jethro's visit with Moses. Jethro was Moses' father-in-law and brought Moses' wife and children to him. During the visit, Jethro observed that Moses was taking his seat to serve as judge for the people, who came to him with disputes to seek God's will. There were hundrends of thousands of Israelites and just one Moses to let them know of God's will. Jethro suggested that Moses should appoint capable men to become judges of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands and people should only bring to Moses difficult cases that could not be judged by the officials of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. Moses took up the suggestion and did likewise.
In order for this new system to work, Moses had to do a few things first. First, he had to teach the people God's decrees and laws that told the people how to live and the duties they are to perform (v. 20). Second, the officials that were chosen were to be God-fearing, trustworthy men who hated dishonest gain (v. 21). Then they could decide simple cases (v. 22).
I wonder if this is the same way God lets His will known to us. For simple things, we can decide based on God's revealed laws and decrees in the Bible, acting in God-fearing and trustworthy manner without seeking dishonest gain. God has given us (Christians) mental faculty to do that much. We can decide whether to eat spinach or cabbage, as long as not in excess or gluttony. We can decide where to stop to fill the car with gas. We can decide to favor one clothing over another, as long as not being licentious. We do not have to wait to hear God's specific instruction each time we do such a simple task, because He has given us instructions on how to live dutifully and harmoniously. We should still pray and seek to stay God-fearing and trustworthy in all matters, simple or difficult.
I remember my childhood days, when I would stop to pray after every move of playing marbles or anything else. After each play, I would crouch and curl up to pray briefly. I do not remember exactly what I said in prayer. I might have prayed to repent about any evil thought that might have entered me since a few seconds ago and to be better henceforth. As I got older, I stopped doing that. I am not sure if I could have continued it and maintained a "normal" life. That probably was not what God would have demanded of me. I think a certain amount of exercise of judgment and discernment based on what I have learned of the Word of God is allowed.
On the other hand, as Israelites did even after appointment of officials of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands, all "difficult" matters are to be brought to God to seek His will.
What are the difficult matters for which I should seek a clear revelation of God's will, in addition to mere application of what I already know as the revealed truth of the Bible? Biblical examples abound. First, David was a man of God, who endeared the Word of God as sweeter than honey and more precious than pure gold (Psalm 19:10) and probably meditated on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). He prayed to the Lord all the time and was in close touch with Him. Yet each time he faced a difficult situation, he asked the Lord. Any major question of coming or going was directed to Him. For example, David inquired of the Lord on whether he and his men, who were chased after by Saul, should go to Keilah to save it from the Philistines (I Samuel 23:1-2) and whether to leave it afterwards when Saul was coming after them (I Samuel 23:11-12). Second, the Apostles inquired of the Lord before selecting Matthias to replace Judah as one of the Twelve (Acts 1:12-26). Setting apart Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for the work of evangelization was done at the specific direction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2-3). Any major selection of people for God-appointed tasks needs to be inquired of the Lord. Third, I take a lesson from the mistakes of Joshua and the Israelites in entering into an oath with Gibeon (Joshua 9). Because Joshua and the Israelites did not inquire of the Lord (v. 9), they entered into a treaty they should not have. I should seek God's will before any treaty, agreement, or commitment.
God is my Father (Romans 8:15). As a father of my three children, I take delight when my own children ask for my advice. I think my heavenly Father will also take delight whenever I inquire of Him on what I should do. Yes, He has given me some wisdom and discretion and has even put His laws in my heart (Jeremiah 31:33). Yet I remain clueless without His guidance and direction. I need His guidance and direction in all phases of my life.
Heavenly Father, I want to stay in close contact with You. Forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me, so that I may hear You. Give me clear directions on all matters that affect me -- what I have to do for myself, what I have to do for my family, what I have to do at work, what I should do and be in all facets of my life. Father, I cry out to You to lead me, so that I may follow You. In Christ's Name. Amen.
In order for this new system to work, Moses had to do a few things first. First, he had to teach the people God's decrees and laws that told the people how to live and the duties they are to perform (v. 20). Second, the officials that were chosen were to be God-fearing, trustworthy men who hated dishonest gain (v. 21). Then they could decide simple cases (v. 22).
I wonder if this is the same way God lets His will known to us. For simple things, we can decide based on God's revealed laws and decrees in the Bible, acting in God-fearing and trustworthy manner without seeking dishonest gain. God has given us (Christians) mental faculty to do that much. We can decide whether to eat spinach or cabbage, as long as not in excess or gluttony. We can decide where to stop to fill the car with gas. We can decide to favor one clothing over another, as long as not being licentious. We do not have to wait to hear God's specific instruction each time we do such a simple task, because He has given us instructions on how to live dutifully and harmoniously. We should still pray and seek to stay God-fearing and trustworthy in all matters, simple or difficult.
I remember my childhood days, when I would stop to pray after every move of playing marbles or anything else. After each play, I would crouch and curl up to pray briefly. I do not remember exactly what I said in prayer. I might have prayed to repent about any evil thought that might have entered me since a few seconds ago and to be better henceforth. As I got older, I stopped doing that. I am not sure if I could have continued it and maintained a "normal" life. That probably was not what God would have demanded of me. I think a certain amount of exercise of judgment and discernment based on what I have learned of the Word of God is allowed.
On the other hand, as Israelites did even after appointment of officials of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands, all "difficult" matters are to be brought to God to seek His will.
What are the difficult matters for which I should seek a clear revelation of God's will, in addition to mere application of what I already know as the revealed truth of the Bible? Biblical examples abound. First, David was a man of God, who endeared the Word of God as sweeter than honey and more precious than pure gold (Psalm 19:10) and probably meditated on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). He prayed to the Lord all the time and was in close touch with Him. Yet each time he faced a difficult situation, he asked the Lord. Any major question of coming or going was directed to Him. For example, David inquired of the Lord on whether he and his men, who were chased after by Saul, should go to Keilah to save it from the Philistines (I Samuel 23:1-2) and whether to leave it afterwards when Saul was coming after them (I Samuel 23:11-12). Second, the Apostles inquired of the Lord before selecting Matthias to replace Judah as one of the Twelve (Acts 1:12-26). Setting apart Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for the work of evangelization was done at the specific direction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2-3). Any major selection of people for God-appointed tasks needs to be inquired of the Lord. Third, I take a lesson from the mistakes of Joshua and the Israelites in entering into an oath with Gibeon (Joshua 9). Because Joshua and the Israelites did not inquire of the Lord (v. 9), they entered into a treaty they should not have. I should seek God's will before any treaty, agreement, or commitment.
God is my Father (Romans 8:15). As a father of my three children, I take delight when my own children ask for my advice. I think my heavenly Father will also take delight whenever I inquire of Him on what I should do. Yes, He has given me some wisdom and discretion and has even put His laws in my heart (Jeremiah 31:33). Yet I remain clueless without His guidance and direction. I need His guidance and direction in all phases of my life.
Heavenly Father, I want to stay in close contact with You. Forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me, so that I may hear You. Give me clear directions on all matters that affect me -- what I have to do for myself, what I have to do for my family, what I have to do at work, what I should do and be in all facets of my life. Father, I cry out to You to lead me, so that I may follow You. In Christ's Name. Amen.
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