The Gifts of Reading (2016, 2017) by Robert Macfarlane, Review

In summary, this short essay by Macfarlane, the author of prizewinning and bestselling books about nature, place, and people, is his reflections on the unique emotional resonance of books given and received and how these acts of generosity "incite generosity." He begins by telling how he met his elderly friend, Don, who gave him books and their walks and conversations about their common love for literature. In between the essay, he shared about half a dozen of books that make a difference in his life and others around him, especially, Patrick Leigh Fermor's A Time of Gifts.

"Not all books received as gifts are transformative, of course. Sometimes the only thing a book gives its reader is a paper cut," writes Macfarlane. Funny and true. Then he continues, "But having been given so many astonishing books over the years, I now, in turn, give away as many books as I can. Birthdays, Christmases - I give books, and pretty much only books, as presents."

This reminds me of what I have done joyfully and aggressively in the past. When I first started blogging in 2010 - and I have a pretty good salary back then when I was working in the management and entertainment industry - I used to giveaways 3 to 5 books per month. I lost most of the connections with the recipients now (since I'm not active on social media anymore except for LEGASI.tv) but I do receive some good feedback from them years after that through email and WhatsApp. Their joy (I assume they were rejoicing) when receiving free books and my joy of giving books are interconnected and mutual. Today I still enjoy giving books but not as often as before. Perhaps this is what Macfarlane meant when he explains, "the gift can be transformative and that the act of giving encourages the onwards circulation of generosity."

Macfarlane ends his essay by telling how he and Don always wrote and sent books to each other after their farewell. One day, Don wrote to say that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and a year or so later, Don died. Rachel, Don's daughter, wrote an email to Macfarlane telling him about the news and letting him know that "reading kept [Don] alive right till the end." I closed the book and walked toward the glass window facing a peaceful lake outside Pustaka Negeri Sarawak library and whispered a thanksgiving prayer: "Thank you for the gifts of reading, Lord. Amen" 

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Biblical Manhood #7 Generous Giver

A man must be "hospitable" (1Timothy 3:2). The Greek word philoxenos, where the word hospital comes from, means 'given to hospitality' or 'lover of hospitality.' Or as I put it: to be generous and caring for others. Why is this characteristic or quality is very important especially for a man? Well, watch the video to learn! 😉⚡💪 #ServeToLead

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The Money G.P.S.

I'm not going to teach you how to be rich. I will if I can. What I'm going to share with you are the most basic principles of managing or controlling your money. This is hard for me because I'm not known in the past as being wise with my own money. Yet, I think this is an important message. 

Dave Ramsey advice, "You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you" #ServeToLead #TheMoneyBasicPrinciples #GivingPayingSaving #GrowingLeader

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5 Vital Characteristics of a Man by Albert R. Macewell

Kamu boleh setuju atau tidak setuju dengan semua karakteristik yang disenaraikan kecuali #1. Itu yang paling asas dan teramat penting bagi seorang lelaki. Lelaki yang sejati ialah lelaki yang takut akan Allah. 'Takut' disini bermaksud hormat, rendah hati dan menyerahkan kehidupan kita kepada-Nya. "Jika Allah bukan TUHAN kita," kata Bro Albert R. Macewell, "maka kita akan menjadikan perkara lain sebagai 'tuhan-tuhan' kita, contohnya hobi dan pekerjaan." Kamu tahu berapa ramai lelaki jatuh disebabkan hal ini? Ramai ❌

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6 Attributes of a Followable Leader from Erika Andersen's Leading So People Will Follow (BOOK REVIEW)

Leading So People Will Follow (2012) by Erika Andersen

"We want good leaders. We crave good leaders. We're hungry for good, worthy, followable leaders in every part of our lives," writes Erika Andersen, a leadership coach and founder of Proteus International and popular Forbes blogger. "We have a deeply wired-in need for leaders who will guide us well and safely; who care more about the success of the enterprise than about their comfort; who call out our best and take full advantage of who we are. And we long to be that kind of leader as well – to evoke that ‘I'm with you – let's go!' response from those who work with and for us." In short, this book is about how to be a truly "followable" leader, one who can build, sustain and grow strong teams and companies in the ever-changing environment today.

I thanks Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, state library, for making this book available for me to borrow. This book is simple, easy to read, very instructive and although no new core lessons that I learned, I find that Erika's examples and the applications part are very helpful and valuable (there are Try It section in most chapters). I also love how Erika used the examples of not-so-well-known leaders in this book. I can connect with them as oppose to larger-than-life-kind of leaders. Erika is very creative because she links how humans are so fascinated with folktales and "what to look for and accept in those who lead our day-to-day." She writes her own short folktale story, studies hundreds of leader stories and shows to the readers how The Six (6) Leadership Key Attributes can make one be the kind of leader whom others would follow. A followable leader is:

#1 FARSIGHTED. To be a far-sight leader is to "envision a possible future that responds to and resonates with people's aspirations for their individual and collective success." Leaders who are farsighted see possible futures that are good for the team and company; able to articulate the vision in a compelling and inclusive way ("we" instead of "I" and with confidence); model their vision by live it; see past obstacles by being realistic but don't allow those obstacles to overwhelm them; and have the power of persuasion to invite others to participate in the vision. If everyone knows their missions, everyone is committed.

#2 PASSIONATE. Why do we want to follow a passionate leader? Because we want to feel that he or she will stick with us. It inspires loyalty. That's why I think passion is very important for a leader. Leaders who are passionate commit honestly; make a clear case without being dogmatic; invite real dialogue about their passion with openness; act in support of their passion, they walk the talk; and stay committed despite adversity and setbacks. "When difficulties arise, passionate leaders hold to their principles and find a way forward," write Erika.

#3 COURAGEOUS. Erika observes, "People need courageous leaders to know that someone will make the tough calls and take responsibility for them." If not, "people feel as though they need to protect themselves." That's not good. courageous leaders make necessary, tough choices; put themselves at risk for the good of the team and company even when it may threaten their success; do things that are personally difficult, uncomfortable or frightening; take responsibility for their actions (this is a must!); and admit mistakes and apologize when they are in the wrong.

#4 WISE. The quality of wisdom balances the forward motion of farsightedness, passion and courage. Erika mentions, "When leaders are wise, we see that they're considering our welfare and that they'll do their best to make sure that the enterprise succeeds in a way that supports the success of the greatest possible number of us, their followers." Wise leaders are deeply curious, they listen not just to understand but to empathize; they assess situations objectively and as accurate as possible (in Erika's term "fair witness"); they reflect on and learn from their experiences especially their failures; see patterns and share their insights with others; and act based on what they believe is morally right (on morality, Erika points that leaders "are clear about their moral code, and they live by it." Mostly refers to ethics and common sense morality).

#5 GENEROUS. To be a generous leader, Erika points out that it is more than just being generous in the general term but also, especially "with power." This is a much-needed attribute for leaders today. Thank you, Erika, for emphasized on this side of leadership! Leaders who display this attribute assume positive intent in others, think good of others unless can be proven otherwise; they share power and authority by giving more autonomy, influence, responsibility and support; they share what they know – the information, knowledge and resources – needed for the job and for others to succeed; and they are generous in giving credit, praise and reward.

#6 TRUSTWORTHY. Trust is the bottom line. Period. I would like to recommend a book by Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust on this subject, why character and competence are very important for leaders to gain trust from others. Erika sees the crucial importance of trust when she writes, "We may follow a leader who lacks farsightedness or wisdom if we sense that he or she is working to develop that attribute, but we hesitate to commit to any leader we can't trust." True. Trustworthy leaders tell the truth as they understand it; do what they say they will do; keep confidences and very vigorous about discretion; speak and act for the greater good with integrity; and are capable to get results because of their skills and experience to do the job, competent.

For the last two chapters, Erika suggests that we should get help from others or to use her chapter title, get "Friends for the Journey." Why? Because leadership is about the survival of the whole, it's about people. Being an effective leader not only requires the support OF others; it requires support FROM others. Wow, thanks, Erika Andersen!

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Abram Faith-Direction: If You Go Left, I’ll Go Right, If You Go Right, I’ll Go Left (Genesis 13:5-11)

\“Lot, who was traveling with Abram, was also rich in sheep and cattle and tents. But the land couldn’t support both of them; they had too many possessions. They couldn’t both live there—quarrels broke out between Abram’s shepherds and Lot’s shepherds… Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not have fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds. After all, we’re family. Look around. Isn’t there plenty of land out there? Let’s separate. If you go left, I’ll go right; if you go right, I’ll go left.’ Lot looked. He saw the whole plain of the Jordan spread out, well-watered (this was before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), like God’s garden, like Egypt, and stretching all the way to Zoar. Lot took the whole plain of the Jordan. Lot set out to the east.”

(Genesis 13:5-11, The Message)

When there was trouble between Abram’s servants (shepherds) and Lot’s, Abram humbled himself. He extended a graciousness that reflected the grace he had received from God. The two households would have to go their separate ways. As the elder relative, Abram had the very right to dictate to his nephew, Lot, the terms of the separations. But… he didn’t… surely not like me… Abram let Lot choose which land to take (since Abram and Sarai doesn’t have any children, they may treated Lot as their own son).

I wonder, why was Abram willing to leave that big-important decision to another? What great faith is this! Then again, I think Abram may understood that actually neither he nor Lot was really making the decision. God was at work, and God was the One who would be giving Abram the land He wanted Abram to have.

If you read further to chapter 14, you’ll find out that as it turned, Lot’s choice to settle in the “well-watered” plains of the Jordan didn’t make him a great patriarch. Lot and his families lived among the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Bad. Very bad. On the other hand, God rewarded Abram’s act of faith with a renewal of His promise: “Everything you see, the whole land spread out before you, I will give to you and your children forever” (Genesis 13:15). That land, by the way, included the Jordan Valley, which Abram had just given to Lot!

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Abram Let God Makes the Decision (Genesis 13:5-11)

“Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s… So Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.’ Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt… So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east”
(Genesis 13:5-11, NIV).

When there was a conflict between Abram’s servants and Lot’s, Abram extended a graciousness that was similar to the grace he had received from God. The two households (uncle and nephew) would have to go their separate ways. As the elder relative, Abram had every right to dictate to his nephew the terms of the separation. But he didn’t. He let Lot choose which land to take. Wow!

Why was Abram willing to leave that most important decision to another? Perhaps he understood that neither he nor Lot was making the decision. God was at work, and God was the One who would be giving Abram the land he wanted Abram to have.

As it turned out, Lot’s choice to settle in the “well-watered” plains of the Jordan didn’t make him a great patriarch. Life among the wicked cities of the plains – including Sodom and Gomorrah – wrecked Lot’s family (read Genesis chapter 18 and 19). God rewarded Abram’s act of faith, on the other hand, with a renewal of His promise: “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever” (Genesis 13:15). That land, by the way, included the Jordan Valley, which Abram had just given to Lot!

I like what Ray Stedman writes, “Everyone dwells in a world exactly like that of Abram and Lot. A world in which material values constantly clamor for us to make a choice. We have only so much time to invest, so much life to spend, and we are pressured to try to grab the best for ourselves while we can. We can say with Lot, ‘I want what the world can offer me now, I want the cities of the plain.’ Or we may wait with Abram, content with our tent and altar, enjoying the blessings of the land by faith now, and waiting for God's fulfillment of all His promises in that wonderful age yet to come. The Christian who is content to let God make his choices finds it easy to fulfill the New Testament word: ‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Makes Us Sons and Daughters of God (1 John 5:1-2)

"Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"
(Matthew 12:50)

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments”

(1 John 5:1-2, NLT).

The Apostle John feels so strongly about what he is trying to say that he repeats the same truths several times. But he keeps bringing up new applications or examples to make his message clear. In these first two verses of chapter 5, John reminds us that we are born into a family – the family of God. We do not live like nomads in the jungle so we can keep away from other people or tribes. Instead, we grow as we remain close and care about these other family members.

It’s kind of like our human families. Though there are exceptions, most of us are born or adopted into a family which includes parents, and maybe some brothers and sisters. We may have other relatives like cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. In a healthy home, parents love their children. And the children will love and appreciate their parents, since it is with their parents they have their first experiences of feeling cared for and loved. Unless our parents are abusive or mean, this love is a natural feeling for our parents and us. When we love our parents we will naturally love the other family members as well. Most often, the same feelings we have for our parents tend also to be expressed towards our brothers and sisters.

[Not that some arguing isn’t natural. In most families, mine for sure, fighting and disagreeing seem to be a part of learning how to love and communicate. But, hopefully, there’s more in the family relationship than just conflict and tension.]

It is kind of like that with God’s family (The Father is our parent and we’re God’s children). We really can’t be members of God’s family unless we love and respect God and “obey his commandments”; that’s part of what builds a healthy relationship. And if we love God, we will also care and “love his children” too. We just can’t have one without the other. When the teachers of religious law asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus Christ replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God will all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31). Both are equally (like, similarly, resembling) important.

Notice again how John summarizes what we need to do as growing Christians: to believe Jesus is God’s Son; to obey what God wants us to do; and to love God and other people. To be a follower of Christ, then, involves our minds, our feelings, our actions, our values – everything. Whatever we are and whatever we do will be touched by our commitment to Christ. This is what it means to live life to the fullest! Amen.

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Jesus Loved Us [First] While We Were Still Sinners (1 John 4:9-10)

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son [Jesus Christ] into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins”

(1 John 4:9-10, NLT).

The Apostle John reminds us here about the fact that “God is love” (1 John 4:7) is not based on some theory or idea which someone thought up. Instead, God put love into action and demonstrated His love for us by giving us the very best gift of all – the gift of His “one and only Son, Jesus Christ.” Why? “So that we might have eternal life through him.” And the gift was not given because people are so great and deserve such a gift. In fact, God not only held nothing back and gave the best He had but He gave it to a world full of people who really do not deserve such love. The Apostle Paul summarizes it very well: “[God] showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).

Let’s try to make this truth more practical. Think of something you have that is your most prized possession. Is it a special shirt or blouse? A smartphone? A car? A savings account? Or what? Now think of people you know who are really hard to love or at least hard to like. They are either bullies or obnoxious – the kind who have very few friends. Imagine that you decide to give your prized possession to those persons, even though they do not deserve such a gift. And you really do not have to give it! But you give it anyway and don’t expect anything in return. Now, would that be hard for you to do? I know what might happen to me: I would think too much, I might change my mind a few times, and get angry. I might come up with a less valuable gift and then maybe give it away somewhat reluctantly… and then… expect at least equal value in return.

But God is not like that. God could be mean and angry, One who does nothing but scream and punish. But we know that our God loves and cares, accepts, and listens. God gives love and eternal life. What a difference! God not only loves us but He provides us with a way that we can live with and close to Him, that is through the death of Jesus who gave His life because of our sins. Jesus came “to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath]” (1 John 4:10, Amplified Bible). God is great!

What is even more amazing is that God gives us the free will to decide if we want to be close to Him or not. Again, God could have made us robots who had no minds and could make no choices. But instead, He lets us decide what is most important in our lives, and if we want to accept this great gift from Him. Whatever our choice is, God knows. Jesus knows. Regardless, this truth remains true: not that we love Jesus, but that he loved us first. How do you want to respond to His amazing love? Read 1 John letter one more time.

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Jesus Sends the Holy Spirit to Live within Us (1 John 2:26-27)

“I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. But the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true – it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ”

(1 John 2:26-27, NLT).

As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the Apostle John is presenting two safeguards to help believers keep from being led “astray.” The first safeguard is to keep living according to the Word which has been heard about Jesus Christ from the beginning of the Christian church (1 John 2:24). Use this Word as an anchor or reference point. Now John mentions a second safeguard to help us prevent a disaster as far as our faith is concerned: to remain in a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ because of the work of the Holy Spirit who “lives within us.”

On the second safeguard, John mentions here that we have all “received the Holy Spirit” or translated as “anointing” in the Amplified Bible. He is referring to the fact that, back in the Old Testament times, anointing was only for the privileged few, such as kings or prophets. Since Jesus came, this anointing is for every believer because of what He has done for us. There has been some question regarding what the actual anointing means. Some people think that anointing refers to our baptism. Another interpretation – and the one which seems to make the most sense in this context to me – is that the anointing is the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives when we become Christians. So it is more a symbolic (of a spiritual) anointing than a literal anointing with oil or water. But it is nevertheless a real anointing.

When Jesus’ disciples were upset and confused about why Jesus had to die, He promised that the Holy Spirit would live in all who believed in Him: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him because he lives with you now and later will be in you… But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:16-17, 26). This is what makes the Christian faith so special and different from all other religions. We believe in a God who has personally shown how much He loves us by sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins and be our Saviour – and give us the Holy Spirit to “lives within us.”

But we not only believe in a God “out there” or “upstairs,” we believe in a God who “lives within us”, who moves into our lives once we confess and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And God then continues to lead and guide us to know what is right and true, as well as what is wrong or false. The more the Holy Spirit teaches us and helps us understand how to live as God’s children, the more we become rooted or stabilized in God. Back in the Gospel, John refers to Jesus as the true vine and to believers as the branches (read John 15:1-11). Without being part of a vine, a branch will quickly wither and die. So we need to continue to be rooted in Christ Himself to keep on growing and receiving the nourishment we need.

Notice, John, ends this section with the same challenge with which he began it – to “abide” or “remain in fellowship with Christ.” In other words, as we are confronted by people seeking to lead us astray, or when we feel discouraged or like giving up, hang in there; stay rooted – remain with Christ. When we feel pressured, unsure, doubted, or knocked down, in those times of growth, we are not alone. The Holy Spirit lives within us. God is with us to guide, direct, and encourage us. So friends, hang in with God. God won’t let you down. Amen.

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Jesus is More Concerned about Your Future than Your Past

Labels. A fellow gave me the other day. We got into a lively discussion about some ethical issues. Somewhere in our conversation he asked me what kind of work I was in. I told him I was minister, and he said, “Oh, I see,” and grew silent.

            I want to say, “No, you don’t. Don’t you put me in that box. I’m not a minister. I’m Max-who-ministers. Don’t you put me in that box with all those hucksters and hypocrites you may know. That’s not fair.”

            Labels. So convenient. Stick them on a person, and you know what pantry to use.

            What if God did that to us? What if God judged us by our outward appearance? What if He judged us based on where we grew up? Or what we do for a living? Or the mistakes we made when we were young? He wouldn’t do that, would He?

            “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:1-2).

            Becareful when you judge. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t discern. That does mean we shouldn’t pass the verdict. The amount of grace you give is the amount you get.

            Jesus had another view of the man born blind. Rather than see him as an opportunity for discussion, He saw him as an opportunity for God. Why was he blind? “That the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3).

            What a perspective! The man wasn’t a victim of fate; he was a miracle waiting to happen. Jesus didn’t label him. He helped him. Jesus was more concerned about the future than the past.

            Who do you best relate to in this story? Some of you relate to the man born blind. You have been the topic of conversation. You have been left out on the outside looking in. You’ve been labelled.

            If so, learn what this man learned: When everyone else rejects you, Christ accepts you. When everyone else leaves you, Christ finds you. When no one else wants you, Christ claims you. When no one else will give you the time of day, Jesus will give you the words of eternity.

            Others of you will relate to the observers. You’ve judged. You’ve labelled. You’ve slammed the gavel and proclaimed the guilt before knowing the facts. If that is you, go back to John 9:4 and understand what the work of God is: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

            What is the work of God? Accepting people.

Loving before judging. Caring before condemning.

            Look before you label.

[From A Gentle Thunder by Max Lucado]

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Jesus Gives in Abundance even Beyond Our Wildest Expectations

“Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!”
(Matthew 14:19-21, NLT).

Jesus, acting as the host of the soon-to-be banquet, took the loaves and fish, thanked God beforehand for the provision he was about to give, and then broke the loaves – and the miracle occurred in Jesus’ hands. He gave the bread to his disciples to then give “to the people.” He did the same thing with the fish. The disciples acted as waiters (reminds me of doing part-time as waiter at the Hilton and Riverside Hotel), taking the bread and fish, distributing it, and then returning to Jesus to get more. They continued to serve the crowd until everyone had had enough to eat.

What an amazing miracle. Before the eyes of the disciples and the gathered crowd, the small offering of food had somehow multiplied so that everyone had more than enough to eat. Through this miracle, God was authenticating Jesus as his Son and portraying the generous blessings of the Kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as God had provided manna to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16) and had multiplied oil and flour for Elijah and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-16) and oil for Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-7), he was providing bread for the people on this day.

The people, especially those far from the scene, probably couldn’t see Jesus multiply the loaves and fish. On the other hand, they had been watching Jesus perform miracles all day. The disciples had also seen the healings, yet even they wondered about Jesus’ ability to provide food for them and the crowd. Jesus took that small donation and increased it to an incredible amount, plus leftovers! (“…twelve baskets of leftovers”). God can do anything. He can, and will, multiply what we give to him – beyond our wildest expectations. Think about this: God gives in abundance. If we take the first step in making our time, abilities, and other resources available to God, he will show us how greatly we can be used to advance God’s Kingdom.

“If we just give God the little that we have,

We can trust Him to make it go around”
(Gloria Gaither)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Commissions the Twelve: Responsibility to bring the Message and to Care for the Messenger

I doubt Jesus looked like this. Just a picture.

“Don’t take any money in your money belts – no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveller’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed. Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day” (Matthew 10:9-15, NLT).

Jesus commissioned the twelve (read Matthew 10:1-8). These instructions were given to them. It seem, at first, to be contrary to normal travel plans (I’m thinking of our last Timor Leste medical mission trip. We brought lots of medical stuffs and our bags are heavy), but they simply reveal the urgency of the task and its temporary nature. This was a training mission only; the apostles were to leave immediately and travel light, taking along only minimal supplies. Instead of being sent out as an isolated individuals, Jesus sent them in pairs (Mark 6:7). Each pair of disciples would enter a city or village and stay in the home of a “worthy person.” What does it mean by “worthy person”? “Worthy person,” based on the context, is someone who are eager to “welcome” and “listen” to their message.

The disciples’ dependence on others had four good effects: 1) It showed that the Messiah had not come to offer wealth to his followers; 2) It forced the disciples to rely on God’s power and not on their own provision; 3) It involved the villages, making them more eager to hear the message; and 4) it built long-term relationships. As we do mission, let us take notes of these four dependence effects of Jesus’ command to his disciples.

Jesus also had harsh words concerning those who would reject them and their message. Shaking the dust from their feet would demonstrate to the people that the disciples had nothing further to say and would leave the people to answer to God. Jesus was clearly stating that the listeners were responsible for what they did with the Gospel. As long as the disciples had faithfully and carefully presented the message, they were not to blame if the townspeople rejected it. Likewise, we have the responsibility, but we are not responsible when others reject Christ’s message of salvation.

Think about this: These days, with instant communication, modern transportation, and other high-tech resources, we can be tempted to maintain our independence or to rely on impersonal ministry methods. But God created us to live in relationship and to do his work with others. This training assignment implies that we have clear responsibility to care for those who minister among us, especially those who visit from out of town or those who are not normally among us. What can you do to relate more personally to those who minister in your community? Also this training shows that we are very much responsible to bring the message of the Kingdom of God to the town, village, campus or community that we are in right now. Besides ministering the message through social media (like what I do with my Blog and Facebook now) are you building a long-term and personal relationship with the people you’re ministering now? One more lesson: There is no “lone ranger” in the work of God. Find your partner.

I have to rethinking my own ministry now. Pray.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

What Christians Ought to Be Known

I just love this picture, that's all... 

Question: What Christians should be known for in thirty years from now?

Simply put, I thinks Christians ought to be known for loving people outside of their social comfort zones. Today we’ve become pretty good at loving people like ourselves, but the kind of love I hope Christians are known for in thirty years breaks our social love boundaries.

Of course, love is too difficult a word to define. But let me try listing what I think the future of Christian love ought to involve:

§  Loving without putting our acts of kindness on a pedestal. What happened to giving in secret? Glamourous charity is not charity at all.

§  Loving without strings, unconditionally, no bait and switches.

§  Being unconcerned about being unnamed, rewarded, or repaid.

§  Prioritizing the other, even in the midst of personal discomfort.

§  Advocating for the undefended.

§  Being a voice for the voiceless.

§  Being better listeners to those who need to be heard.

§  Being a church without walls – simple church, organic church, megachurch – it’s all good. We’re one church.

§  Seeing the church as a home of the fringe, the misfits, and the marginalized, where these same people lead with real authority.

§  Being willing to die for others, laying our lives down like the first-century Christians did when pandemics struck their cities. They would stay to serve the afflicted while others left.

§  Responding immediately to any global crisis.

§  Thinking of long-term commitment to radical and sacrificial compassion for the poor.

§  Being a gentle conversationalist with the world.

§  Showing love for Christ more than love for Christianity as a culture.

§  Creating a place where all are truly empowered, led and seen. A place where the next generation finally reflects the majority, multicultural world. Jesus really didn’t have blue eyes! (or did he?)

Dave Gibbons

Pastor of New Song Church

Quote from Unchristian by David Kinnaman and Fermi Project (Baker Books, 2007) pg. 228-229

Original title as ‘Love’

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Smell of Money, A Folktale

Not recorded in the Bible. A legend, folktale about King Solomon told by Jewish rabbis. Nevertheless, this story is rather funny and amusing and at the same time – teach us lesson about justice and the use of wisdom. Very make sense! Here is the story:

Hannah earned money for her family by making brooms. She gathered long stiff grass into a bundle, then tied the bundle to the end of a long stick to make a broom. She carried her brooms to the marketplace and stood there all day, selling them to earn a few coins.

At the end of the day, as she was walking home, she passed a bakery. “Oh,” she thought. “Maybe I could spend one coin on something tasty.” Then she decided, “No, my family needs the money. I’ll just enjoy the smells and be on my way.”

So Hannah stood outside the bakery door and smelled the freshly baked bread, the warm honey cake, and the sweet almond cookies. The baker saw her at the door and grew suspicious. “What are you doing?” he asked her.

“I am smelling your delicious breads and cakes,” she answered. “It’s almost as good as eating it.”

“Smell my breads and cakes? You will have to pay for that.”

And he tried to grab her sack of coins.

“But I didn’t eat anything,” she cried. “I didn’t eat them. I just smelled them.”

Everyone in the market came rushing when they heard her. Some said the baker should be paid. Others said the girl owed nothing. They argued more and more until someone shouted out,

“Ask the king. Let Solomon decide!”

So they took Hannah and the baker to King Solomon, the wisest king of all.

Solomon sat on his throne. “Speak,” he said. “I will listen and I will judge.”

The baker pointed his finger at Hannah and said, “That girl has to pay for what she took. I worked all day to make bread and cake and cookies. She stood at my door and smelled it all. It filled her with pleasure. She even admitted that it was practically as good as eating it.”

“I should not have to pay,” said Hannah. “The smell of the food was floating on the air. I only breathed the air. Do I have to pay to breathe?”

“Baker,” said Solomon. “Do you care so much about money that you want to be paid even for the air around you?”

“The law says that you must pay if you take something that someone makes. She took the smells of the food that I make, so she must pay.”

“That is the law,” said Solomon. “The young woman must pay for what she took.”

Everyone in the crowd looked at each other in surprise.

“Young woman,” said King Solomon, “take out your money.” So she did.

“Now shake the coins together in your hands.”

She shook them once, twice, three times.

“Did you hear that?” said Solomon to the baker. “Now she has paid you.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“She has paid for the smell of your breads and cakes with the sound of her money.”

Hannah shook the coins again and again, and everybody else shook with laughter.

This is funny! [Smile]

The “sound” of money is the right kind of payment for the “smell” of cakes.

One sense exchanged for another sense makes sense!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.