Response to Faith: Nathaniel under a fig tree ( John 1:35-47)

Jesus’ first disciples were John the Baptist's previous followers. These were Andrew, Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael who was also known as Bartholomew.

In the Gospel according to John 1:47ff, Phillip brought Nathanael to Jesus Christ. In seeking Nathanael, Phillip asserted to him who the Lord was by saying, "We have found Him.., I refer to this as “a friend bringing his friend to Jesus.”

Nathanael's fruity attitude and personality are unveiled in the Gospel of John. Nathanael was later to become one of the Lord's disciples. However, prior to that, he was known for his hesitations and doubts. Originating from Cana of Galilee and with affirmed sorely evident prejudices against Nazareth, a town not far from his own, Nathanael skeptically said Phillip, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

To Nathanael Jesus probably would appear a man no more and no less than a son of a carpenter. If "coming out of Nazareth" formed a mental judgment on Nathaniel’s mind, most probably planted there from previous generations, "coming out of Nazareth." But his good friend Phillip's intention remained unchanged in spite of Nathaniel's skepticism.

Phillip did not preach to Nathaniel a sermon, he did not arguing, neither did he plead with him, but  just a simply versed, unadorned, ineloquent yet forceful, insisting and promising invitation to "come and see". This convinced Nathanael to seek out the Lord Jesus Christ, if not for his own sake at least for Phillip's.

You can imagine how uplifted, enriched and elevated this friendship had become through Phillip's efforts insistence on Nathanael to "come and see" Jesus Christ. Philip's care for his friend had shifted the type of their friendship from being an earthly spiritual friend willing to show him better things in this life.

Nathanael did according to Phillip's request and when the Lord Jesus Christ saw Nathanael coming towards him, Jesus could have justifiably and duly confronted Nathanael about his prejudicial, "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Jesus simply looked beyond Nathanael's well intentioned, harmless personality traits intuitively knowing of his goodness and his pure heart. see Hebrews 12:25.

Immediately, Jesus recognized in Nathanael the admirable and desirable traits of sincerity and directness with others. "How do You know me?" was Nathanael's question to Jesus to which He replied, "I have seen you under the fig tree."

What is Nathanael doing under the fig tree to make him suddenly accept the invitation from Jesus? Was he in a spiritual struggle; was he in a prayerful contemplation asking God to show him the savior? Or was it the Lord's spiritual complexity, His heart's divinity, or simply His supernatural prior.  Was Nathanael hiding beneath the fig tree?

Reading the entire story of in this chapter, Nathanael was no stranger to the teachings of Jesus. He followed Jesus from a far and listened for hours as Jesus tough. Therefore, it was not a mental effort on the part of Nathanael but probably a heartfelt one that led him to acknowledge the Lord. Nathanael could not easily and readily believe just anyone was the Son of God. Phillip just confirmed to him what he knew.

Henceforth, Nathanael and Phillip's lives took on a new spiritual meaning and complexity and their missionary work as the first disciples of Jesus began.

Conclusion

What lesson do we learn from Nathanael's reluctance to accept Jesus as the Messiah?

We know the Lord Jesus Christ never forgot Nathanael, because in the John 21:2 we are told that Nathanael was among those whom Jesus appeared to at the Sea of Galilee after His Glorious Resurrection. Nathanael remained with the Lord Jesus Christ even to the end. AMEN

We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ may spot us even if it were under the home roofs as he did with Nathanael under a fig tree and that he will ease our life and guide us to fulfill His commandment as his followers.

Prayer

Lord, sanctify our spirits, cleanse our bodies, conduct our thoughts and purify our intentions.

Credits and Work cited

·         Commentary of the Gospel of John- Cooper Abrams

·         St. John’s Gospel - Paul S. Berge

·         Henry Matthews Commentary

·         The Bible- RSV, Kings James, and American Standard.

Strength from God during Challenging Times.Psalm 68:35: SIFA CHURCH

God wants to strengthen you. The purpose of God is to make you stronger each day you choose to walk with Him. This is a message on how you can truly live in God’s strength. God wants you to have a deep assurance that His plan is to strengthen you, no matter what the circumstances.

In these days it is a great secret to know the strength of the Lord. This strength comes to those who desire to follow after Christ. This makes it so important to walk in faith, and forsake the things that would block God's presence in your life. By confessing and turning away from any sin, the door opens for God's cleansing grace to wash through you, restoring the strength of God in your life.

Strength from the Lord. “How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee." Psalm 84:5.

 Strength is power for living, is needed by everyone in these challenging times. And God wants to give you His strength, in an abundant supply. Please note that God's ways are higher than man's ways, and God's thoughts are higher than man's thoughts according to Isaiah 55:8&9).

This is without a doubt true, when it comes to the strength of the Lord. God's ways of strengthening you are different than man's ways. God's purpose is to make you strong. The bible says the; "He is the One who gives power and strength to his people." (Psalm 68:35). God's purpose is to strengthen you, and to give you power in His ways.

The bible has commanded us, "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might!" (Ephesians 6:10). God wants you to be strong. Strong in Him, strong in love, strong because you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You must have an unshakable confidence, that God's purpose is to make you strong in Him. When you face situations which you don't understand, or when you encounter obstacles, difficulties, or painful situations which you were not expecting, it is easy for you to lose sight of God's purposes. God's thoughts are not like our thoughts. Our thoughts can become thoughts of fear or discouragement, anger or frustration.

Thoughts like: "I'll never be able to get through this," or, "God must be punishing me for something I've done," or, "The Lord is against me," can become a part of our thinking. But God's thought is to make you strong! His will is to make you stronger, not to tear you down. You must become strong in the ways of the Lord. "The way of the Lord is strength to the upright."Prov.10:29.

Seven pointers on receiving assurance of God’s strength.

1. WAIT ON THE LORD. Isaiah 40:31, You need to spend time waiting before the Lord, thanking Him and honoring Him, and placing your situations in His hands; you need to spend significant, quality time with Him. The Spirit will surely come like the wind, to strengthen you.

 2. CALL ON THE LORD, in earnest and believing prayer: Psalm 138:3

 3. BELIEVE that it is undoubtedly God's purpose to impart strength to you, and to make you strong, no matter what the situation may look like. God's promises are clear, that the will of the Lord is to strengthen you Psalm 105:4, Isaiah 30:15.

 4. You must TURN FROM SIN, to be strengthened by the Lord. Sin is what can make you weak. The Psalmist said, "My strength has failed because of my iniquity." Psalm 31:10 NASB. You must turn from sin, and receive cleansing and forgiveness through the blood of Christ. God will help you to make a fresh start, and to leave the past behind.

5.DRAW NEAR TO THE LORD. It is the Lord Himself who is your strength. Drawing near to Him insures that His strength will dwell in you, because His presence will be near you and in you.

6.BE OF GOOD COURAGE. The Word of God says, "Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart." (Ps.27:14 KJV). If you have courage, God is able to strengthen you. You must have courage and faith when you draw near to God, knowing that it is His will to strengthen you, and to clear a path for you

7.The WORD OF GOD strengthens your faith, and builds you up. The Word of God can be relied upon, with confidence. "Strengthen me, according to Thy Word." Psalm 119:28. Meditate on, and rely upon, the Word of God. Saturate your mind and your spirit with the Word, and the promises of the Word, for your strengthening.

Conclusion

As you do these things, God will impart His strength on you. You will be strengthened to walk in victory, and walk in faith. God will show himself strong on your behalf.

Being strong as a follower of Christ does not mean pushing other people around, dominating other people, or being otherwise obnoxious. Strength from the Lord makes you strong enough to love people, strong enough to be gentle with difficult people, strong enough to do the right things at the right times, with the peace of God in your heart. It is awesome, to have the strength of His love! We must remember that the strength of love is the opposite of the strength of selfishness.

At times God's people can begin to drift, and begin to think along on their own strength. We can gradually begin to do things in our own strength, and not even realize that we are no longer walking in the strength of the Lord. That is why we must seek fresh strength from the Lord day by day and week by week.

We must seek fresh strength in prayer, the Word, and waiting upon the Lord. God's purpose is that we help others to find that same strength. When brothers or sisters in Christ, or others we love are passing through a difficult time, they need someone who can help them find strength from the Lord.

We are to pray for one another, and bear one another's burdens. Then God will use us as His instruments, to bring His strength to those who need it.

RefreshmentFor the Soul Gives Caregivers Some “ME...

 Refreshment For the Soul Gives Caregivers Some “ME TIME” Care givers at my work place, enjoyed a time of stillness on August 7 &amp...

Our Relationship with God- Mark 5:26ff

One of the reasons people tend to see faith as aOne of the reasons people tend to see faith as a religion about God instead of a relationship with God is the sense that they are not worthy of the attention of an Almighty God. 

A few months ago I had and encounter with a patient who pointed out that her problems (Sickness) are too small for God to care about. She was wondering why would God care about her while there are much more bigger problems in the world for God to look after.  How can one so great care for one so small.

Have you ever felt that sense of insignificance?  There have been times when I've gazed into the incredible expanse of the setting sun on the horizon, the stars in the sky, the large water masses of the seas, oceans, lakes, and rivers, and felt even so small and insignificant.  Even our planet is hardly a speck of dust in the bigger universe.

And yet, God is attentive to the heartache and suffering of all persons, no matter how insignificant they may seem to the world around them.

Religion can get in the way of a relationship with God.  Faith is not about rules, regulations and religion. It is about we human beings reaching out to a God who reaches out to us through Jesus Christ who reaches into the pain and anguish of our living. As a hospital chaplain I have seen so much pain, anguish, death and all in people who I believe if God never cared, none would make it from the hospital.

The good news for the people in our scripture lesson is that the barriers of health, pain, and death all fall away under the throne of God.

The woman with the flow of blood for 12 years mentioned in Mark 5:25ff, for Jairus and for the little girl who was restored to life as recorded in Luke 8:41-4 - the greatness of God and the good news of Jesus Christ eliminate all obstacles to health and life.

Shouldn’t we be grateful that Christ cares more about our wholeness and our living than he does about our religions, denominations and religious convention?

When we are in anguish and wish for the presence of Christ, we do not need to worry that we are sinners (Romans 3: 23) or that some folks would consider us to be unacceptable. Jesus cared for a woman who was a social reject and for a little girl that was not among the children of his followers. The woman was un-touchable and a little girl about to be forgotten.  How can one so Great Care for one so small?

Material Things Does not Buy a Ticket to Heaven

My first funeral to perform was in my early days in the ministry of a young but well to do man in the community. Because of his status and wealth, he had accumulated during the 45 years he lived it seems that everyone has something to say about his death.During the funeral service, there were many thoughtful eulogies that highlight his incredible life of success; stories that give in details how his passing was unfortunate and yet he and the living could not do anything to stop it; it was not under anyone’s control.
As interesting as many of those stories were, the real story that needed to be told at this point in time, is the story of how each one of us living will stand before God and gave a final account of our life; the story of how no amount of wealth and power could stop that inevitable journey that we will all make someday - Amen.

The deceased young man did indeed have a profound impact on his community, and many of those stories were certainly worth telling, but when someone with lots of wealth and influence passes away, may are the questions that go through our minds unanswered. Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. Psalm 144:4

Our lives rush by quickly, and regardless of the level of our material achievements during life on earth, death washes it all away and becomes the great equalizer.  Beyond the grave, there are no wealthy people, no celebrities, no social elite, no CEOs- God equalizes them all Matthew 5:3

In the world we live in today, we have a tendency to judge people based on their accomplishments and material success.  However, on the other hand God judges all of us equally according to his perfect standards, and we all equally fail to meet those standards.  It is only by trusting in Christ that we are made acceptable in God’s eyes Matthew 19:24

For the young man in question, with his earthly wealth and influence, he will judged in the same manner and by the same standards as the poorest of those that may have died on the same day. While I acknowledge that all of those stories about his life’s accomplishments were with good wish, let’s not forget that he had a soul, a soul whose eternal fate, good or bad, was taken away just like any other soul will, Job 1:21.

This should be a source of serious contemplation for all of us.  His death should be a sober reminder of how quickly this life goes by.  It should also remind us that we need to store up our treasures in heaven, not on earth, and that ultimately the only thing that truly matters is our relationship with God.

As the officiating pastor during this rich young man’s funeral, I did appreciate many of the incredible stories of his accomplished that were shared, but it’s all meaningless if “he gains the world, but loses his soul,” Matthew 16:26. Yet, I used the moments as a teachable moment to give many among the congregation an opportunity to search their souls and have them put there faith in Christ and not in wealth, accomplishments, firm or any material things of this world.

A New Heart, and a New Spirit- Ezekiel 36: 26, 27....

In the words of Ezekiel we find, in the one promise, this twofold blessing God bestows through His Spirit very strikingly set forth. The first is, 'I will put within you a new spirit,' that is, man's own spirit is to be renewed and quickened by the work of God's Spirit. When this has been done, then there is the second blessing, ' I will put my Spirit within you,' to dwell in that new spirit, Where God is to dwell, He must have a habitation. With Adam He had to create a body before He could breathe the spirit of life into him. In Israel the tabernacle and the temple had to be built and completed before God could come down and take possession. And just so a new heart is given, and a new spirit put within us, as the indispensable condition of God's own Spirit being given to dwell within us. 

The difference is the same we find in David's prayer. First, 'Create in me a clean heart, 0 God ! and renew a right spirit within me;' then, 'Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.' Or what is indicated in the words, 'That which is born of the spirit is spirit :' there is the Divine Spirit begetting, and the new spirit begotten by Him. So the two are also distinguished, 'God's Spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God! Our spirit is the renewed regenerate spirit; dwelling in this, and yet to be distinguished from it, is God's Holy Spirit, witnessing in, with, and through it.' 

The importance of recognising this distinction can easily be perceived. We shall then be able to understand the true relation between regeneration and the indwelling of the Spirit. The former is that work of the Holy Spirit, by which He convinces us of sin, leads to repentance and faith in Christ, and imparts a new nature. Through the Spirit God thus fulfils the promise, ''I will put a new spirit within you.' The believer is now a child of God, a temple ready for the Spirit to dwellin. Where faith claims it, the second half of the promise is fulfilled as surely as the first. As long now as the believer only looks at regeneration, and the renewal wrought in his spirit, he will not come to the life of joy and strength which is meant for him. But when he accepts God's promise that there is something better than even the new nature, than the inner temple, that there is the Spirit of the Father and the Son to dwell within him, there opens up a wonderful prospect of holiness and blessedness. It becomes his one great desire to know this Holy Spirit aright, how He works and what He asks, to know how he may to the full experience His indwelling, and that revelation of the Son of God within us which it is His work to bestow. 

The question will be asked, How these two parts of the Divine promise are fulfilled ? simultaneously or successively ? The answer is very simple: From God's side the twofold gift is simultaneous. The Spirit is not divided: in giving the Spirit, God gives Himself and all He is. So it was on the day of Pentecost. The three thousand received the new spirit, with repentance and faith, and then, when they had been baptized, the Indwelling Spirit, as God's seal to their faith, on one day. Through the word of disciples, the Spirit, which had come upon them, wrought mightily on the multitude, changing disposition and heart and spirit. 

When, in the power of this new spirit working in them, they had believed and confessed, they received the baptism of Holy Spirit to abide in them. And so still in times when the Spirit of God moves mightily, and the Church is living in the power of the Spirit, the children which are begotten of her receive from the first beginnings of their Christian life the distinct conscious sealing and indwelling of the Spirit. And yet we have indications in Scripture that there may be circumstances, dependent either on the enduement of the preacher or the faith of the bears in which the two halves of the promise are not so closely linked. So it was with the believers in Samaria converted under Philip's preaching; and so too with the converts Paul met at Ephesus. In their case was repeated the experience of the apostles themselves.

We regard them as regenerate men before our Lord's death ; it was only at Pentecost that the promise was fulfilled, 'He shall be in you!' What was seen in them, just as in the Old and New Testaments,-the grace of the Spirit divided into two separate manifestations,-may still take place in our day. When, the standard of spiritual life in a Church is sickly and low, when neither in the preaching of the word nor in the testimony of believers, the glorious truth of an Indwelling Spirit is distinctly proclaimed, we must not wonder if, even where God gives His Spirit, He be known and experienced only as the Spirit of regeneration. 

His Indwelling Presence will remain a mystery. In the gift of God, the Spirit of Christ in all His fulness is bestowed once for all as an Indwelling Spirit; but He is received and possessed only as far as the faith of the believer reaches. 

Blessing of the Hands to Mark Nurses Week

Hospitals depend on medicine to heal, but patients, families and staff rely on spiritual help as well. This week OakBend Medical Center celebrated Hospital/Nurse’s week by blessing of the hands to affirm the sacred dimension of healthcare.

The reliance on spiritual help and the recognition that hospital staff needs to be encouraged to be instruments of compassion as they fulfill their daily tasks, “A Blessing of the Hands” service offered in recognition of this important role provided by health care providers was conducted by Chaplain Kei at the Hospital’s Chapel.

The chaplaincy Services at OakBend Medical Center embraces the spiritual dimension of life and is committed to providing spiritual care to patients, families, caregivers and community. For this purpose, the chaplaincy program exists to minister to the entire (Body, Mind, and Soul) patient, as well as hospital staff who face difficult situations on a daily basis.

The Blessing of the Hands at OakBend Medical Center is a very important service considering the demanding careers of health care professionals.  As much as the blessing of the hands serves as a time of reflection on the healthcare vocation, it is also time to reach out and minister to the employees of the hospital and let them know that God cares and that they are appreciated by the hospital for the work they do.

The blessing of hands honors the health care providers by reaching deep into their spiritual beings. It verbalizes a pastoral understanding of the work they perform. It acknowledges sensitivity to the energy and emotion they give to those they serve. It conveys confidence in them and empowers them to continue on with a renewed compassion for others. Their jobs are full of challenges and questions, but to hear something positive and to let them know that they are appreciated for their work really impacts them as they perform their daily tasks.

Though the blessing itself was brief, the message was clearly understood by the spiritual core of the staff. A few of the participants were overheard saying,” It feels good,” Yet another said, this is what I needed,” Later during the day a nurse said to chaplain, “That was great, I wish we could do it more,”

The blessing of the hands rivets the participant’s mind to remember why they choose the careers of healthcare, namely to offer compassion and healing to those in need. It was important to remind the hospital staff that what they do matters and is a service to the Lord. It was the best way to celebrate Nurse’s week.

During  the 20 minutes session  a reading from third chapter of Colossians  verse seventeen, “And whatsoever you  do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him ... And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

Individually, staffers stepped forward and extended their hands over a hot towel

And the chaplain said these words as he blessed the hands of each participant, “May the God, who created you, bless the care that you give others. May your hands bring healing to all who you touch. May you be blessed and appreciated for all you do in this hospital.”

This event was a reminder that all of the stories about Jesus’ healing ministry were found in larger narratives about our common humanity, compassion, human dignity, shared responsibility, and God’s intention for our health and wholeness.

Conclusion prayers were said for all healthcare workers, for God to strengthen them to use their hearts, hands, and voices to raise their vision for a health care future that includes everyone and works well for all… Amen

God's Promises Are Real. Sermon Topic Chapel

We read in Scripture that Jesus was crucified along with two robbers on either side of him.  The gospels of Mark and John say little about these men. While Matthew tells us that both robbers insulted Jesus,Luke's account tells us that one of the thieves asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom.  Despite the fact that he was dying, the condemned man finally understood that the one who could save him for all eternity was on the cross right next to him.

So many times our problems cause us to think that God has forgotten us.   It is hard to understand that the Source of our strength and our Provider in all things is already with us.  When a situation seems hopeless, it is difficult to not grow weary and lose strength.  But we are told in Scripture to keep trusting and believing in all of our trials even when we don’t see the answer.  We read in Romans 8:24, “Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what he sees?”  Our faith must transcend the boundaries of what we hear, see and feel.  We must trust that the God we serve is working out his plan in our lives through every battle we face.  Faith doesn’t see the future – it trusts the One who holds the future!

Everything that God allows in the life of a believer has been divinely designed.  There are no mistakes in the plan that was made for you long before the foundation of the earth.  Whatever is happening in your life that doesn’t seem right or fair has been allowed for a distinct purpose.  It is never easy to suffer through our painful trials, but it is the working of our faith that gives us endurance to stay in the race and not give up.

Step By Step with God- Words of encouragement to ...

Are you thirsting for a more intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father? Can you sense in your heart that God is calling you to a deeper level of Christian spiritual growth than you have ever experienced before?

God’s desire is for the two of you to share a deeper intimacy than you may have ever dreamed possible. But, like any relationship, developing this kind of oneness with God is not something that happens over night - It takes time and work. 

And it’s that four letter word - WORK - that keeps so many of us bound by the chains of religion instead of being free to experience the deeper relationship with God that He has waiting for us.

But, if the true desire of your heart is to take your Christian spiritual growth to the next level, you can start on that journey today right from where you are. 

How do you begin? One Footstep at a time...

Footstep #1 - Develop an Understanding of Who God Really Is. 

The foundation for any relationship truly knows the other person. If you do not know them - their heart and their true character - then how can you ever really trust them? If you don’t truly trust them, then what kind of relationship do you really have after all?

In order to connect with God, you have to understand the depths of who He is and who He wants to be in your life. You have to begin building a true friendship with your Heavenly Father. 

Footstep #2 - Get Real With God...And With You.

As Christians, it is easy to get in the habit of walking around in what I like to call our "Perfect Christian Mask." We pretend that nothing gets to us. Nothing shakes our faith or breaks our heart. On the outside, we look tough as nails - But on the inside, we are not as strong as we would like others to think.

The danger of the "Perfect Christian Mask" is that you are not perfect. There are times when your faith IS shaky and your heart IS broken. But, having those moments does not make you a bad Christian any more than trying to ignore them makes you a good one.

A true sign of Christian Spiritual Growth is when you can go to God and say - I need help. I fear. I hurt. And, you are the only one I can tell because You are the only one who can help me.

That kind of nakedness before God is what will move you from religion to relationship and truly transform your life.

Do you really want to experience dynamic Christian spiritual growth? 

Step out on faith. Begin your journey by taking these two footsteps. They may seem small, but you will be amazed at what God can do inside your heart when you truly know Him, and let down your guard enough to let Him truly know you too.

The Meaning of Christmas-

Why is there so much controversy and confusion in people's minds over Christmas and its meaning both in our personal lives and in the cooperate world? Some people feel it is a Christian holiday, holding no special meaning for them. Others take the viewpoint that it is a holy day that is cheapened and diminished by all the festivities there of. Yet few, if any, when really pressed, are willing to give up the Christmas holiday, in spite of their ambivalent feelings.

What is the real meaning of Christmas season?  Recently I read an article from a Christian magazine that pointed out that, “Christ is the reason for the Season.”

This being the case, Christmas becomes the season not about human kind but about Christ.  A time when we should focus on redemption (salvation) of the sinful human race. It is during Christmas we should focus away from fear and focus on joy and healing we receive from Christ.

The Christmas Season emphasizes two important redemptive issues all based on the importance of the Season; one is the rebirth of the soul (John 1:29), and the second is the return of the light (John 18:37-38) to earth. It’s therefore biblically correct to point out that Christ’s birth is the Reason for the Season that is provided for us during the darkest season, to bring us light, and provide us with salvation.

Yet even knowing the true meaning of the Christmas season is not enough to convince some people of its importance. That is why the season is full of "Peace! Goodwill! Happy holidays!" The Season becomes like so many others diluting what Christ came for.

There is a way to feel the real meaning of the season. There is a way in which your own heart can experience the love and light pouring into the earth during this time of Christmas, John 17:3. Knowing the only True God means having an intimate, personal relationship with Him – not just knowing about Him. That way you will participate in the rituals of the season and you will understand the true meaning of Christmas.

It is unfortunate that the reason for the Christmas has been overshadowed by beauty of ornamented Christmas trees, lights hanging on gutters, Santa’s visit through the chimney, or the mysterious and mythological characters such as; Rudolf the red noise Reindeer, Frosty the snow man, The  Grinch  among other fantasies and characters. Joy is replaced by sadness when choosing gifts to delight and surprise those you love. Why should we sing “joy to the world?”  Psalms 98.

There is only one way to know the true meaning of Christmas; and that is to know that it is about redemption and salvation brought by Jesus Christ, who is the Reason for the Season, and to try to bring joy to self and to every person, creating joy to every person during the Christmas.

But there is one more thing you can do to amplify this experience a thousand fold. That is to enter the season of Christmas with the intention of being a personal messenger of light and love, and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas by knowing Jesus in a personal way. Nothing transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary more directly than the intention to serve the Almighty.

When we celebrate Christmas with such an intention and desire to becoming massagers of light and love, we not only experience Christmas . . . we actually become  agent of rebirth of the soul and the bringer of light( light bearers).

Therefore, the best gift you can give to yourself and the world during this Christmas season is the knowledge that Christ is the reason for the Season, and let others know about it.

What God Knows about Me. Psalm 139:23f

Prayer. Why do we pay so little attention to it? Do we think that we've heard it all before? We do it--we come into contact with God--but what do we expect to happen? Could I suggest that sometimes we have become forgetful of prayer, and maybe we've not given enough thought to what there might be about prayer that we who live at the end of the end must know? I confess that I don’t pray as often as I am required to.

There are some things about us that will only be changed through prayer--Some things that need to be changed. Did you hear the prayer of David in Psalm 139:23-24? "Search me, O God?" Why was David concerned? Was there something about him that he thought maybe God had missed? Of course not. But still David pleads with his Maker, "Search me, O God." I think that David knew God's goal for him. Surely he knew that God's goal is to not to save man in sin, but from sin (Matthew 1:21). And we know that he knew about God's purpose for his end time people. Do you, Do I, Do we?

David understood that people who live for God will be changed people, Which probably accounts for his words in Psalm 17:3: "Thou hast proved mine heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tired me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."

What did David say? That verse we just read could be rephrased like this: "God, You are helping me to grow. In the end, you'll have Your finished work in my life, and I'll be a man who has ceased from sin." David didn't preach the "new theology." He preached the "old theology," the theology that God had from the beginning. When the fall of humankind took place, heaven was ready with a plan that would repair the damage; that would produce a repaired people. So I guess I believe in new creation.

God will produce a people, who although born into broken natures that are not prone to sin, don't sin. If it's true, it can only mean one thing: God has alot of work to do! And He has laid some very major claims with His gospel. He claims that it "is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). He claims that His righteousness will be revealed in His people through His gospel (Romans 1:17). That being the case, then I believe, God has quite a lot of work to do in us, and that we are still in the making, and that we are not done yet.  Satan tells Him "You can't change these people." But who is the ruler of the world?

 

Awake Oh Sleeper - Bible study at Friendship Church

The Holy Spirit clearly teaches us that laziness; indolence and idleness in the physical realm will bring one to poverty. He said, "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. So shall thy poverty come . . . " (Prov. 6: 10, 11). But just as we can easily see the truth of this principle in physical things, we should also be fully aware of spiritual poverty that is produced by the same process. Consider at least these three matters:

Christians may often be inclined to fold their hands in slumber while immorality impoverishes the land and perhaps even the brotherhood. Read your Bible and notice that God has always respected and loved good people. Of course they must be obedient to his commands, but some seem to think they can be baptized and then live like Satan and yet be approved of the Lord. And many who would not think of engaging in immoral practices turn their face the other way, refusing to be alarmed and declining to get excited about corruption. Preachers are tempted to preach about everything else and leave divorce, adultery, dishonesty, profanity and other such things alone. Elders may be inclined to rebuke the gainsayers, admonish the indifferent and coax the complacent, at the same time folding their hands regarding wickedness. Parents contribute to spiritual poverty when they are unconcerned about dancing, drinking, and other such evils among the youth.

Some brethren may think the battle is over regarding institutionalization, and without really intending to do so, may cause many to be overcome with that dreadful spiritual affliction. We never can afford to quit teaching against instrumental music in worship, against wrong church activities, against unscriptural church organization, and other innovations. These issues are never "settled." Just a little slumber on the part of the faithful and ruin will come to many. Constant vigilance, wakefulness and watchfulness are necessary to avoid this spiritual poverty that actually means apostasy.

But when we have opposed everything that is wrong, we must stand for the things that are right. Perhaps here we "fold our hands" the most often. We are aware of the obligation, we are conscious of the opportunity and we acknowledge humanity's necessity. But we often seem to say, "Let others do it." Many of us may content ourselves with tearing down false doctrines. We join the wrecking crew and work feverishly but when it comes time to build we engage only in a "little folding of the hands." Preachers may often think of themselves as defenders of the faith instead of sowers of the Seed. The elders may sometimes be more concerned with keeping error out than they are with bringing souls in. 

 

And herein dies another vital error: we often utilize all our opportunities to teach the Word locally but we fail to "lift up our eyes" to other fruitful fields. In fact, we sometimes preach our heart out to people who never will obey and "fold our hands in slumber" concerning strange people, far away who are so eager to hear, believe and surrender to Christ. And while we fold our hands honest souls, precious to the Lord, eager for salvation but ignorant of the Way drift on in the worst kind of spiritual poverty that leads them to eternal ruin. And what of us? If we carelessly sleep now, will we be less poor than those whose slumber we could have stopped? "Awake, thou that sleepest" (Eph. 5.14).

The Cost of being a Disciple of Christ- Matthew 14...

To follow Christ truly, we must consider the cost. Jesus first lays out, the costs of discipleship (14:26-27); then, He gives two parables (14:28-32) that make the same overall point, namely, that a person must give careful consideration to the cost before he rashly jumps into it.  Then He states a third cost of discipleship (14:33).  He then (14:34-35) gives an illustration about salt to illustrate the cost of not truly following Him.  He concludes by warning, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Before we look at the costs that Jesus spells out, think with me for a moment about the phrases, “sit down and calculate the cost,” referring to the man building the tower (14:28); and, “sit down and take counsel,” referring to the king considering going to war (14:31).  Both refer to careful, detailed, rational thinking in which you consider all aspects of what you’re getting into before you make the commitment. Such careful thinking is opposed to quick decision made in a moment of intense emotion, without much thought about the consequences. Our evangelistic methods today are big on emotion and little on reason. “Trust in Jesus Kind of Faith and everything will be okay”

We get people into crusades to hear testimonies from famous evangelist or preachers about how Christ changed their lives. Then they hear a eloquent speaker promise how Christ can meet the person’s every need. Then the invitation is given and counselors are primed to get out of their seats and walk forward so that people on the verge of a decision think that others are going forward. The choir or band is playing a song of invitation. Going forward feels like the right thing to do. In a swell of emotion, the person gets out of his seat and “decides for Christ.”

But did the person get saved? By God’s grace, some do. But even the well-known evangelists admit that the long-term “stick with it” rate for those who make a decision is only about 10-15 percent. All too often, their decision was based more on emotion than on careful thought about what it means to follow Christ.

Here, Jesus says to the crowds who were interested enough to be going along with Him “Consider the cost of following me. We must consider the cost of following Christ. Jesus spells out three costs: (1) we must hate our families and ourselves (14:26). We must carry our own cross 14:27 and, we must give up all our possession 14:33.

Whoa! Doesn’t the Bible say that we are to love our families? Doesn’t it say that no man ever hated his own flesh? Is Jesus contradicting the Bible?  Of course not!  But He puts it in these terms for shock value, to get us to stop and think about the stringent demand that He is making.  He means that our allegiance and love for Him must be so great that by comparison our love for our families and even for our own lives looks like hatred.

Normally, there is no conflict between loving Christ and our family members also.  But sometimes a tug of war develops, where a family member puts pressure on us to back off from or even abandon our love for Christ. In those difficult situations, we do not love either Christ or the family member if we accede to the pressure. We do not love the family member, because if we bow to the pressure, we are saying that Christ is not worthy of being followed above all others, and we keep the family member from seriously considering the claims of Christ.

We do not love Christ because we have put a sinful human being, who did not give himself for our sins, in a higher place than the spotless Lamb of God who freely offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. In his book “The Cost of Discipleship” Dietrich Bonheoffer says that “Grace is not cheap, if it were cheap it would be sold in market.” Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man’ will gladly go and self all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Following Christ is that costly if we are truly his disciples

Whoever Welcomes You, Welcomes Me- David Wiggs

 

Recently I was sent this story. The author said, I saw him in the church building for the first time on Wednesday. He was in his mid-70’s with thinning silver hair and a neat brown suit. Many times in the past I had invited him to come. Several other Christian friends had talked to him about the Lord and had tried to share the good news with him. He was well respected, honest, a man of good character. He acted much like a Christian would act, but he never came to church or professed Christ. After I got to know him well and we had talked about a wide range of subjects I asked him if he had ever been to a church service. 

 

He hesitated. Then with a twisted grimace told me of an experience he had as a boy. He was raised in a large family. His parents survived the depression but they struggled to provide food and clothing for the family. When he was around ten years old a friend invited him to go to church with his family. 

He went – the Sunday School class was great. The songs were fun to sing and the stories, oh the great Bible stories, were exciting to hear. He had never heard anyone read from the Bible before. As class ended the teacher pulled him aside and said, “Son, please don’t come again dressed as you are now. We want to look our best when we come into God’s house.” 

 

He looked down at his old hand me down overalls that were certainly worn and tattered. He thought about that for a moment and said softly, “No ma’am I won’t ever.” Then he looked at me, the author wrote and said, “And you know what… I never did.” It was clear that he was done with that conversation. 

 

The author reflected, I am sure that the Sunday School teacher meant well and in fact was representing the feeling of the majority of the folks in that church. But what if, what if she had put her arms around the dirty little boy in the ragged overalls and said, “Son, I am thrilled that you came this morning and I hope you will come every chance you get to hear more about Jesus because he loves you so much.” Moreover what if she would have talked with her pastor or her friends in the church and mobilized a full blown outreach effort to help this family make ends meet. 

 

What if that church would have thought, Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Or whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple will receive a great reward (v. 40 & 42) 

 

The story ended like this: Yes I saw him in the church house for the first time on Wednesday and I cried as I looked at the immaculately dressed old gentleman lying there in his casket. He was looking his best. But all I could think of were those words of an impressionable little ten-year-old boy echoing in my mind, “No ma’am I won’t ever.”

Handing Difficult Times- A Biblical Approach to Pr...

Problems are as old as the world itself. The creation of the earth was a solution to an existing problem. God had to face the problem and proffer a solution to it. The beautiful earth we live in today was born out of a problem; out of chaos. Problems are meant to be solved. As humans, we cannot shy away from the fact that we face problems everyday of our lives (Job 14:1). The level we are today is as a result of the problems we have solved or failed to solve. We can’t run away from problems, they existed before each of us came to be.

My wife and I had a discussion one night about the problems we are facing as a young family struggling to raise three teenage girls. According to my wife’s opinion, I fall asleep too quickly than think about the issue at hand before I fall asleep. Needless to let you know, I take less than five minutes to fall asleep once I jump on my bed at night. My response to her opinion was that it is now time to sleep, and I can solve, or think about the problems when I wake up.

It is true that problems exist in our lives and the best way to deal with them is to handle them as they manifest themselves.

SOME TRUTHS ABOUT PROBLEMS1. Problems are meant to be solved - face it!
2. There is a solution to every problem - find it!
3. Problems existed before the world came to be - Understand it!
4. You can out-live your problems – stand firm!
5. You can be better through hard times – Endure it!

WHY? WHY? WHY?
In my daily work routine as a chaplain barely a day goes by without encountering a patient or family with the WHY question. This question is usually right on our lips when we face problems or passing through hard times. We ask questions such as “why me?”, “why now?”, “O’ God, why?” However, most of the time we do not ask such questions because we want answers; we simply ask in agony or in despair, lending ourselves to depression and discouragement. But, why does God allow us to go through hard times? Why does God allow problems to come our way?( See my article: "THE ABSENT PRESENCE OF GOD)"

1. To prove God’s sovereignty
2. To show us our limitations 
3. To bring us closer to God

HANDLING DIFFICULT TIMES
The major problem we have in hard times is not what we are going through but finding a solution to the situation. Undoubtedly, some problems appear to be irreparable; yet, we can be better through them. In order to handle difficult times effectively, we must apply the following principles in solving the problem at hand:

1. UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM (Hosea 4:6).Reinhold Niebuhr an American Theologian once prayed; “Lord, give me the grace to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Several times, we cry over spilled milk. Understand the problem: Is it something you can change? If not, trust God for the grace to accept it.

2. COMMIT IT TO GOD (Gen. 1:2, Acts 12:5). The situations in Genesis 1 and Acts 12 have something in common – God was involved. Solution came in Genesis because the Spirit of God was present; Peter was delivered because prayer was made to God. Several times, we are quick to complain and ask questions instead of committing the problem to God.

3. LEARN FROM THE PROCESS: There is always a positive lesson in every negative circumstance. No matter how bad the situation may appear to be, there is something good we can learn from it. The best time to learn and grow as Christians is in difficult times. (James 1:2 – 4).

4. PROPHECY (Ezek. 37:7, Amos 3:8). This is where most of us fail. Instead of allowing ourselves to be pitied or becoming an object of scorn and despair, we ought to open our mouth and prophecy the mind of God to the situation. “If you shall say to this mountain…………” So many “mountains” will not move until they are spoken to. As I write this article I am dealing with a major issue that, I need to speak to. For the last one year I have been hit by some crazy drivers more than 5 times, the last time being yesterday (May 22/2011) as I was leaving church. Five accidents in less than one year all hit from back?????; This is where speaking to the problem become practical

5. PRAISE GOD (1 Thess.5:18; Eph. 5:20). The most difficult time to praise God is in hard times. Yet, it is the most effective time to praise God. Everyone can praise God when the going is smooth; but, how many of us can truly praise God in difficult times (Hab. 3:17 – 18). Genuinely praising God in hard time adds to our maturity and compels God to step into the situation.

Problems are part of life. We face them every day. As Christians, we must bear in mind that God is greater than every problem that comes our way. Note however that whether we are in problems or not, God does not charge, He remains  the same God, on the Throne- HE IS IMUTABLE. Hence, let go and let God. He will carry you through. Your father Knows…….