Don’t Waste God's Loving-Kindness: Don't Waste Your Life!

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me” (Matthew 25:34-36NLT).

The small acts of kindness done to the least important of Christ’s brethren [which, in my The New Bible Commentary: Revised (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1970), seem to mean all men rather than just Christians] are done to Him. When you give food to the hungry, for example, it is as if it is done to the Lord. Mind you, the acts of kindness in Bible verses above are not as an act to gain acceptance from the Lord, no, but they are the outcome of a living faith in Christ. Because of their faith in Christ, they do these things, not vise versa. Now, since the Christians are saved by God’s grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) – every acts of kindness to others based on faith is not wasted acts; God will remember. Therefore, don’t waste the opportunities to show God’s loving-kindness to others as long as you lived. Don’t waste your life!

If I buy a food to a hungry fellow, my life is not wasted. If I give a cup of cold water to a thirsty traveler, my life is not wasted. If I give shelter a homeless child, my life is not wasted. If I give my clothes to a naked beggar, my life is not wasted. If I care for my friends, my life is not wasted. If I visit a prisoner, my life is not wasted. If I weep with one that weeps and rejoice with another that rejoices, my life is not wasted. If I guide and mold others into honorable man or woman, my life is not wasted. If I set in motion one little bit of influence for good, my life is not wasted. If I lift up one fallen person, my life is not wasted. If I read one Scripture to a soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness, my life is not wasted.

In the end, I don’t want to waste my life, no, don't waste your life, by wasting the opportunities that God had given to us to show His loving-kindness to others. Yes, don’t waste your life! Emily Dickinson writes,

“If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain.

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting Robin

Into his nest again,

I shall not live in vain."

DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE! Live to Glorify God.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Spirituality behind Vanilla Chocolate chip Ice-cream

“God wants us to grow up,
to know the whole truth and tell it in love
—like Christ in everything” (Ephesians 4:15Msg)

Introduction

My friend bought me an ice-cream. Vanilla Chocolate chip Ice-cream. She knew that I’m a poor guy, so she bought it out of her friendly-sympathy and to cover-up her own craving desire to indulge herself over her favorite; Mint Chocolate chip ice-cream. To shut my mouth from judging her. And I felt into her cunning trap. “Enjoy it!” she said. I do.

As I licked that sweet expensive dessert, I thought: ‘What make ice-cream, ice-cream? What if it’s hot, would we still call it ice-cream? What if it’s bitter, would we still call it ice-cream? Hmmm… maybe not’. After I went back home, I remember reading the Scripture that says, “…speaking the truth in love”. Cold and Sweet. Love and Truth. What a good illustration! Ice-cream is ice-cream if it’s cold and sweet; so it is with being God’s people, Christian is Christian if “we love each other” and “show the truth by our actions” (1 John 3:18NLT).

Cold and Sweet. Love and Truth.

Love makes truth pleasant to ‘taste’, acceptable, satisfactory to the mind and feelings; while truth make love practical. Truth without love breeds legalism, while love without truth breeds insincerity. Truth without love kills, love without truth lies. Truth without love is powerless to change lives, while love without truth could change them in a wrong direction. Warren W. Wiersbe writes, “Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.” Love and Truth is inseparable – they are One.

You must love one another because Jesus is Love and deeply loves us, for the Scripture says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8NLT); and “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16NLT). And you must know and tell the Truth because Jesus is the Truth, for Jesus says in the Scripture, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6NLT); and He tells the Truth for the Scripture also describes him as the "faithful and true witness" (Rev. 3:14). Love and Truth is inseparable – they are One.

Conclusion

Ice-cream is ice-cream if it’s cold and sweet. Christian is Christian if they follow the Master who is Love and the Truth. Therefore, let us love each other and show the truth by our actions. THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Don’t Waste You College Life

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever [including your studies] you do,
do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, bracket mine)

Last night after finished sharing words with my student-friends about: “Don’t Waste Your Life”, a friend come and tell me that she don’t want to waste her college life. She asked as a Christian: ‘How not to waste my 3 precious-years of student’s life so that I can maximize this opportunity to glorify God?’ This is a good question. Yes, this is a crucial question a student could ever ask for. How?

Pic taken from: mycampuslife.co.uk

In the nutshell, I said to her: study to the glory of God with the mind of Christ. For the believers, Paul writes, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Far too many spiritually-minded students have an attitude that intellectual is the lowest form of spirituality. Thus, many in my observation tend to divide spirituality with intellectual studies. Why? Hmmm… because, I think, some view that the Christian life is often (wrongly!) translated as doing a lot of so-called-'spiritual' activities: reading the Bible, praying, attending Christian meetings & concerts, praise & worship sessions, etc. – while academic studies get the lowest level of ‘spirituality’ or worst, have no place at all in Christian life! It saddens me when I heard someone said, “Academic studies is not important, Christ first!” Wrong, so wrong…

We, Christians are told to love God with all our minds (Mark 12:30), and this includes thinking deeply and responsibly about His world. Kevin Offner in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/US website writes;

“When you take classes in the natural or physical sciences, you learn more about the kind of universe God has created. When you study the social sciences or humanities, you have the privilege of learning more about human beings. A Christian student has to work extra hard. Not only must you do all the mandatory reading and writing required of all your colleagues, but you must further reflect, with a Christian mind, about the various truth claims which are being made. How is what you’re learning compatible with a Christian world view? What bearing does your loyalty to Jesus play in the way you think about issues or moral dilemmas presented in class?”

When you study with the mind of Christ, you’re glorifying God. This is your opportunity to know God in unique way. You get to study the wonder of God in the Universe, the beauty of God in Mechanical & Science, the complexity of God in numbers & figures, the majesty of God in human anatomy… These things you can’t get anywhere else – only in your college! Remember that you are in college to learn, not to impress your professor or build up a résumé. Try to care a little less about grades. Trust God to take care of your future; your responsibility is to be faithful in using your mind to its fullest capacity. 

Don’t waste your college life! 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Christ Incomparable? Come and See

“Come and see," (John 1:39).

 

Oswald Sanders, in his book Christ Incomparable, tells of an outstanding Brahman scholar disturbed by the progress of the Christian faith among his people in India. He decided to do all in his power to combat it. After careful consideration he decided to prepare a pamphlet that would set forth the weaknesses and failings of Jesus. With this purpose in mind, he purchased a New Testament and began a careful study of it. For eleven years he pursued his search for some inconsistency or weakness in the life of Jesus. Not only was he unsuccessful, but he was more and more convinced that the One he sought to discredit was indeed the Son of God. He accepted Him as his Savior.

Before you die... investigate honestly
what the Bible says about Jesus;
and make your OWN conclusion about Him.

If one really search for the Truth and look for it in the Bible, God’s Word [no matter either you want to believe it or not] with brutally honest and willingness to learn and to be open to it – I can assure that your search will make a significance impact in your life. I say ‘significance’ because only God can really open your heart to receive the Truth; and it is also true that – only if you allow Him to reveal the Truth to you. I’m convinced, fully persuaded that; “All Scripture [the Bible] is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17NLT, bracket mine). Study the Word of God; the Bible, carefully. Find what it says about Jesus and His identity; His life and divinity; His power and authority; His love and mercy; His death and resurrection story. It cost you nothing if Jesus is not what He claimed to be, but it cost you everything if He is indeed in reality the Son of God – the Almighty Living God.

                                                  “He is Greater than any ruler…

Mightier than any warrior…

Nobler than any king…

Wiser than any sage…

Bigger than any kingdom…

Better than any crown…

Lovelier than any name…

Worthy of worship…

Deserving of praise (Roy Lessin).

“Come and see,” Jesus said (John 1:39).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Startfish Story

The Story:

An old man, walking along the beach at dawn, noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the youth, he asked what he was doing. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning came up.

“But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish,” exclaimed the old man. “How can your effort make any difference?”

The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. “It makes a difference to this one,” he said.

My comment:

We surely cannot meet all the world’s needs, but we can certainly meet some. Will it make any difference in the end? Of course it will, for those whom we are able to help. START SMALL.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Brother Lawrence, Kitchen Duties and the practice of the Presence of God

[This post I dedicates to UiTM’s degree students who being very helpful to FES Sarawak during Leadership Training Seminar for doing the glorious-important kitchen duties to on-stage performance! Crazy! You inspired me and the team to serve more humbly – thank you]

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Brother Lawrence, a cook in the seventeenth-century French monastery, gave the world a phrase that well describes deep friendship with Jesus: the practice of the presence of God. As this humble monk washed dishes and served food to his brothers, he communed with God, and the glow of God’s presence gave him menial kitchen duties richness and significance. He writes,

"It is not necessary for being with God to be always at church. We may make an oratory of our heart wherein to retire from time to time to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love. Everyone is capable of such familiar conversation with God, some more, some less. He knows what we can do."

Living in God’s presence; the practice of the presence of God is a wonderful experience! When you practice being aware of God’s presence, your senses are activated to pick up His signals all through the day. At work, at home, at playground, in your car, in your room, while washing dishes, while gardening, while playing futsal or wherever you are, (in my case, also, while in the washroom) you can freely begin to dialogue with the Lord. You share your heart with Him, and you know He’s listening. It has nothing to do with being in the church building or on your knees. I mean, that’s not the only time to communion with God – anywhere, everywhere, whenever is available to practice the presence of God. God is omnipresent, meaning; He is everywhere at all times. Our God, the God of the Bible, who own the universe and Creator of All is in and around you – “Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Sir, ma’am, brothers, sisters, young kids – practice the presence of God in whatever you do. Yes, even while doing kitchen duties!

God in the Book of Jeremiah said, “When you pray, I will listen.
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (29:12-13NLT)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Leaders, Remember: It is not about You

“Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table [reclined together]… Then they begin to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them” (Luke 22:14,24NLT).

If you study the Middle East cultures, the seating arrangements at a Jewish feast were very important. The host would always take the middle seat at the table. On the right side of the host would sit the first guest of honor, on the left side the second guest honor; on the second right side would sit the third guest of honor, and so forth.

It seems that the disciples spent much time worrying about their position at dinner table and in the kingdom of God (though they do not really clear about ‘the Kingdom’ at this time). Scripture tells us that this argument, dispute had been going on among the disciples for some time. Apparently, the disciples had a hard time hearing Jesus’ message about servant-leadership: “Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant” (Luke 22:26NLT), or in Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase: “Let the senior among you become like junior; let the leader act the part of the servant” (The Message). Jesus wanted the disciples to understand that following Him was not about position; it was about service – it’s not about you, it’s about serving others. The disciples did not fully understand this until later.

In their book Lead Like Jesus, Ken Blanchard & Phil Hodges writes,

“The first challenge for a Lead Like Jesus leader is to recognize that it is not about you. Your leadership is not about your position or your title or the amount of money you make; it is about following the servant leadership example of Jesus. The disciples were slow to understand this, and many leaders today do not understand this either! As you decide to lead like Jesus, remember this: ‘It is not about you.’ What God wants is really matters.”

It’s not about you. Even Jesus in His humanity, the Son of God in obedience to the Father said, “For I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).  Leader should be like servant. Leader act the part of the servant. It’s not about you; it’s about serving others. It’s not about you; it’s about what God wants. Leaders, it’s not about you.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.