Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matt 20:26-28)
Servanthood is so God's way. Not to Lord it over many. But to be sacrificial, humble and ready to offer service. (Incidentally, when I was in HK, I was struck by how service standards had risen so markedly. Since it was winter sale time, I had a super good time buying a lot of things. Another satisfied customer :)) The sales assistants were attentive, and nothing I asked for seemed to be any trouble at all. They were patient and kind, and proactive in meeting our needs.
On a related matter, I recently read Don Anderson's newsletter from Bible Teaching Ministries on 12 words describing friendship. Many of the qualities here, I believe, also stems from an attitude of servanthood - a willingness to give of ourselves, and serve others with our gifts, time, love and resources.
1. Love
2. Loyalty
3. Availability
4. Communication
5. Comfort
6. Acceptance
7. Appreciation
8. Support
9. Encouragement
10.Respect
11.Defense
12.Family
Prayer today: Father God, pride is so very much the enemy of an attitude of servanthood - both to give help, and to be willing to accept help from others. Grant me the grace to be humble, that I may emulate Jesus, the true servant, and please the heart of my Father in heaven. Amen.
A beautiful, beautiful rendition of the Servant Song by a Filipino acapella group!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Audience of One
Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matt 19:28-30)
I watched the inauguration of Barack Obama on CNN last week. It was awe-inspiring. The millions who crowded in Washington to witness the defining moment saw history in the making. Obama's inauguration speech was oratory at its finest; inspiring and finely delivered. I could see why he would be called a great man, a great leader.
In recent years, many of the leaders of the Wall Street banks would also have been considered great men and leaders - full of acumen, drive, poise - the epitome of success. Many have now fallen from great heights.
Jesus says "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." How many obscure people - people who are marginalised, overlooked, sidestepped by society - will inherit places of honour in God's kingdom because of their service and love for Him? How many successful people - those who have arrived, reached the top, earned great fame and fortune - will find themselves least in the kingdom? When God hands out His rewards, there will be a role reversal because God sees not as man sees. And we need to live to an Audience of One.
Prayer today: Father God, I must confess that my values are still so much the world's values. My measure of success, the world's measure of success. Help me O God to renew my mind. To see as you would see. So that at my life's end, I would have lived with no regrets, having spent my life on eternal things, to an Audience of One. In Jesus' name, Amen.
I watched the inauguration of Barack Obama on CNN last week. It was awe-inspiring. The millions who crowded in Washington to witness the defining moment saw history in the making. Obama's inauguration speech was oratory at its finest; inspiring and finely delivered. I could see why he would be called a great man, a great leader.
In recent years, many of the leaders of the Wall Street banks would also have been considered great men and leaders - full of acumen, drive, poise - the epitome of success. Many have now fallen from great heights.
Jesus says "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." How many obscure people - people who are marginalised, overlooked, sidestepped by society - will inherit places of honour in God's kingdom because of their service and love for Him? How many successful people - those who have arrived, reached the top, earned great fame and fortune - will find themselves least in the kingdom? When God hands out His rewards, there will be a role reversal because God sees not as man sees. And we need to live to an Audience of One.
Prayer today: Father God, I must confess that my values are still so much the world's values. My measure of success, the world's measure of success. Help me O God to renew my mind. To see as you would see. So that at my life's end, I would have lived with no regrets, having spent my life on eternal things, to an Audience of One. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Enormous injustices and forgiveness
Last night, I decided to re-read 'Biblical Healing and Deliverance' by Chester and Betsy Kylstra. I reached Chapter 2, on forgiveness being the key to healing. In the book, there is a story on how Betsy once ministered to a young lady who had been a victim of incest for 4-5 years. The woman was so hurt, she didn't want to hear anything about forgiveness.
One day, she called Betsy saying she had ulcers that were bleeding, and was in great pain. Betsy began asking the Lord how to minister to her. God said, "Her bitterness has already caused her stomach ulcers. If it goes on, it will destroy her colon and eventually affect a third area of her body. It will then progress into a life-threatening condition." The story ends well because as Betsy shared this with the woman, the woman eventually reached a place of forgiveness and her pain disappeared in that moment.
I must confess that I struggled with this story and the notion of God's fairness. God! She has already suffered greatly in the hands of her brother. Why is it that you would allow this bitterness (which is a natural human reaction under such circumstances)to afflict her body too? I know what God says about forgiveness, I just felt it didn't seem very fair for the price of unforgiveness to be so high for someone who has gone through enormous injustice and pain.
I suppose God must have known because today, He reminded me that all of us have been forgiven much, much more than we can ever imagine. The debt He cancelled is higher than any debt we will ever cancel. The pardon He granted is greater than any pardon we can ever grant. It cost Him his life. So, to what can we compare any enormous injustice that has befallen someone? It would not be as great as the enormous injustice that befell the Lamb of God - "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:21)
"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[b] was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." (Matt 18:23-35)
Prayer today: Father God, help me understand that we are a people who have been forgiven much. On that basis, you ask us to forgive others too. It's not always easy, but grant us the grace to obey you from our heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.
One day, she called Betsy saying she had ulcers that were bleeding, and was in great pain. Betsy began asking the Lord how to minister to her. God said, "Her bitterness has already caused her stomach ulcers. If it goes on, it will destroy her colon and eventually affect a third area of her body. It will then progress into a life-threatening condition." The story ends well because as Betsy shared this with the woman, the woman eventually reached a place of forgiveness and her pain disappeared in that moment.
I must confess that I struggled with this story and the notion of God's fairness. God! She has already suffered greatly in the hands of her brother. Why is it that you would allow this bitterness (which is a natural human reaction under such circumstances)to afflict her body too? I know what God says about forgiveness, I just felt it didn't seem very fair for the price of unforgiveness to be so high for someone who has gone through enormous injustice and pain.
I suppose God must have known because today, He reminded me that all of us have been forgiven much, much more than we can ever imagine. The debt He cancelled is higher than any debt we will ever cancel. The pardon He granted is greater than any pardon we can ever grant. It cost Him his life. So, to what can we compare any enormous injustice that has befallen someone? It would not be as great as the enormous injustice that befell the Lamb of God - "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:21)
"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[b] was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." (Matt 18:23-35)
Prayer today: Father God, help me understand that we are a people who have been forgiven much. On that basis, you ask us to forgive others too. It's not always easy, but grant us the grace to obey you from our heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Power of agreement
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. (Ex 17:10)
Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.(Matt 8:19)
Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. (Lev 26:8)
On New Year's Day, I joined a worship/prayer watch group led by Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong of Cornerstone Community Church. From the 30th floor of High Street Centre, we prayed and worshipped from 10pm to midnight for God to bless the nation of Singapore in 2009. It was a blessed time! We were community.
It's interesting to note that while we can pray alone (and Jesus often retreated on his own to the mountains to talk to his Father), there is great power in agreement. Interestingly, the battle against the Amalekites was won and lost on the top of the hill, through an act of faith and the joint effort of three men, Moses, Aaron and Hur. Jesus says where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of them. Five will chase a hundred, but a hundred will chase ten thousand.
Prayer today: Father, you call us to be part of a church community, because there is power in agreement, and it is blessed when others lift us up in our weakness. Thank you Father for the prayer team and its members, and continue to bless us in the ministry. We need your leadership, counsel, guidance, wisdom and protection O God. May we be united in you, Jesus. Amen.
ps. Two more names of God - The Lord my Banner (Ex 17:15), and The Lord my Healer(Ex 15:26)
Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.(Matt 8:19)
Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. (Lev 26:8)
On New Year's Day, I joined a worship/prayer watch group led by Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong of Cornerstone Community Church. From the 30th floor of High Street Centre, we prayed and worshipped from 10pm to midnight for God to bless the nation of Singapore in 2009. It was a blessed time! We were community.
It's interesting to note that while we can pray alone (and Jesus often retreated on his own to the mountains to talk to his Father), there is great power in agreement. Interestingly, the battle against the Amalekites was won and lost on the top of the hill, through an act of faith and the joint effort of three men, Moses, Aaron and Hur. Jesus says where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of them. Five will chase a hundred, but a hundred will chase ten thousand.
Prayer today: Father, you call us to be part of a church community, because there is power in agreement, and it is blessed when others lift us up in our weakness. Thank you Father for the prayer team and its members, and continue to bless us in the ministry. We need your leadership, counsel, guidance, wisdom and protection O God. May we be united in you, Jesus. Amen.
ps. Two more names of God - The Lord my Banner (Ex 17:15), and The Lord my Healer(Ex 15:26)
Monday, January 26, 2009
I will be with you
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 And God said, "I will be with you." (Ex 3:11-12)
God calls Moses to a seemingly enormous task. One too big for Moses. Moses rightly asks who is he that he should undertake the assignment. God's reply is simply, "I will be with you."
In my own life, there are many times when God calls me to do something 'big' (to my fear-stricken heart, it's big anyway). Halfway through the assignment, I usually get stricken by thoughts of inadequacy, fear and the notion that "God, I'm in way over my head here." Then I struggle with doubts over whether God is greater than the enemy, and I'm sure the enemy is glad to keep me there. This is why one of my resolutions this year is to simply know God better - not to learn more doctrine, or theology - just to know God better, per Tozer's advice below.
A.W Tozer writes, "When I think of the angels who veil their faces before the God who cannot lie, I wonder why every preacher in North America does not begin preaching about God - and nothing else. What would happen if every preacher just preached about the person and character of God for an entire year - who He is, His attributes, His perfection, His being, the kind of God He is, and why we love Him and why we trust Him? I tell you, God would soon fill the whole horizon, the entire world. Faith would spring up like grass, by the water courses. Then let a man get up and preach the promises of God, and the whole congregation would join in chorus "We can claim the promises, look who made them!" This is the confidence, this is the boldness.
When God calls us to do something we cannot do in our own strength, His only assurance is "I will be with you." What a great assurance - if only we knew how BIG, how POWERFUL, how FAITHFUL is our God, who cannot fail.
Prayer today: O God, I want to grasp fully just how great is the assurance contained in those five simple words "I will be with you." Help me know you so intimately that I will not fear even in the face of insurmountable odds, because then I will be able to say, "I know whom I have believed!" In Jesus' name, Amen.
God calls Moses to a seemingly enormous task. One too big for Moses. Moses rightly asks who is he that he should undertake the assignment. God's reply is simply, "I will be with you."
In my own life, there are many times when God calls me to do something 'big' (to my fear-stricken heart, it's big anyway). Halfway through the assignment, I usually get stricken by thoughts of inadequacy, fear and the notion that "God, I'm in way over my head here." Then I struggle with doubts over whether God is greater than the enemy, and I'm sure the enemy is glad to keep me there. This is why one of my resolutions this year is to simply know God better - not to learn more doctrine, or theology - just to know God better, per Tozer's advice below.
A.W Tozer writes, "When I think of the angels who veil their faces before the God who cannot lie, I wonder why every preacher in North America does not begin preaching about God - and nothing else. What would happen if every preacher just preached about the person and character of God for an entire year - who He is, His attributes, His perfection, His being, the kind of God He is, and why we love Him and why we trust Him? I tell you, God would soon fill the whole horizon, the entire world. Faith would spring up like grass, by the water courses. Then let a man get up and preach the promises of God, and the whole congregation would join in chorus "We can claim the promises, look who made them!" This is the confidence, this is the boldness.
When God calls us to do something we cannot do in our own strength, His only assurance is "I will be with you." What a great assurance - if only we knew how BIG, how POWERFUL, how FAITHFUL is our God, who cannot fail.
Prayer today: O God, I want to grasp fully just how great is the assurance contained in those five simple words "I will be with you." Help me know you so intimately that I will not fear even in the face of insurmountable odds, because then I will be able to say, "I know whom I have believed!" In Jesus' name, Amen.
One + God is a majority
13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:13-14)
Tonight the thought occurred to me, God has poured out so much grace to me. So much grace. Everything good in my life, God has initiated:
1. He initiated my salvation - the greatest gift of all. Praise God.
2. He initiates my sanctification. "The Lord disciplines those He loves." (Heb 12:6) God has lovingly reproved me when I haven't even known I was sinning against Him with my heart attitude. But I would have it no other way. This too, is a sign of His love toward me.
3. He initiates the inner healing that has taken place in my life; uncovering the areas He wants to deal with so I can be set free. Everything is in His perfect timing. He leads us step by step - "The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little." (Deut 7:22)
If God is the great initiator, I can totally believe He is also the great deliverer. "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to stand still." We need only to call upon Abba Father to help us.
Prayer today: At the end of the day, Father, everything we are, everything we have, every good gift we own originates from you because you initiated it all. I thank you Father, because you are active in our lives, to do us good and to bless us. Even in the day of battle, you will intervene on our behalf. You say, "Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me." (Psalms 50:15) With such a great God in our lives, what is there to fear. Hallelujah. Amen.
Tonight the thought occurred to me, God has poured out so much grace to me. So much grace. Everything good in my life, God has initiated:
1. He initiated my salvation - the greatest gift of all. Praise God.
2. He initiates my sanctification. "The Lord disciplines those He loves." (Heb 12:6) God has lovingly reproved me when I haven't even known I was sinning against Him with my heart attitude. But I would have it no other way. This too, is a sign of His love toward me.
3. He initiates the inner healing that has taken place in my life; uncovering the areas He wants to deal with so I can be set free. Everything is in His perfect timing. He leads us step by step - "The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little." (Deut 7:22)
If God is the great initiator, I can totally believe He is also the great deliverer. "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to stand still." We need only to call upon Abba Father to help us.
Prayer today: At the end of the day, Father, everything we are, everything we have, every good gift we own originates from you because you initiated it all. I thank you Father, because you are active in our lives, to do us good and to bless us. Even in the day of battle, you will intervene on our behalf. You say, "Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me." (Psalms 50:15) With such a great God in our lives, what is there to fear. Hallelujah. Amen.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Worry - a health warning
You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people's heart has become calloused. (Matt 13:14-15)
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (Matt 13:22)
There is a saying, that for praying people, there are good days and bad days. On bad days, the ceiling seems to be made of brass, and our prayers don't penetrate beyond. That, of course, is perception - totally untrue of course, as if God doesn't hear us whereever we are. "Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely Oh Lord." (Psalm 139) On the flipside, there must be days when God probably thinks our hearts are like brass - where nothing penetrates it, because as He says, our hearts have become 'calloused'. It's interesting how the 'worries of this life, and the deceitness of wealth' can conspire to cause our hearts to be hardened. So when Jesus says, 'Do not worry about tomorrow', or to the church of Laodicea, 'You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked', He means serious business. I have always known that worry, stress and anxiety are bad for physical health. They are bad for spiritual health too.
Prayer today: Father God, for a worrywart like me, it's hard not to be anxious about many things. But you say this worry chokes the hearing of the word. Help me O God, to cast all my cares upon you, to be at rest, that your word may take root in the good soil of my heart. I want to care about the things that matter, the things that have eternal value. I want to be tenderhearted toward you. In Jesus name, Amen.
ps. Off to HK tomorrow, back in a week's time. Happy Chinese New Year everyone!
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (Matt 13:22)
There is a saying, that for praying people, there are good days and bad days. On bad days, the ceiling seems to be made of brass, and our prayers don't penetrate beyond. That, of course, is perception - totally untrue of course, as if God doesn't hear us whereever we are. "Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely Oh Lord." (Psalm 139) On the flipside, there must be days when God probably thinks our hearts are like brass - where nothing penetrates it, because as He says, our hearts have become 'calloused'. It's interesting how the 'worries of this life, and the deceitness of wealth' can conspire to cause our hearts to be hardened. So when Jesus says, 'Do not worry about tomorrow', or to the church of Laodicea, 'You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked', He means serious business. I have always known that worry, stress and anxiety are bad for physical health. They are bad for spiritual health too.
Prayer today: Father God, for a worrywart like me, it's hard not to be anxious about many things. But you say this worry chokes the hearing of the word. Help me O God, to cast all my cares upon you, to be at rest, that your word may take root in the good soil of my heart. I want to care about the things that matter, the things that have eternal value. I want to be tenderhearted toward you. In Jesus name, Amen.
ps. Off to HK tomorrow, back in a week's time. Happy Chinese New Year everyone!
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