re:flexion

May GOD Bless You With

2011-11-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

A Franciscan Prayer

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

What is Prayer?

2011-06-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

Biblical Reflections On Prayer #1
Ephesians 2:4-7; 3:16-20; Hebrews 4:14-16; John 15:1-17;
1 John 4:9-10; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; Matthew 6:5-14

You are GOD's Beloved! Neither let peoples opinions or expectations dictate you. Nor let your good works define you. Be secure in GOD's love for you in Christ.

Praying is not talking about GOD, but communing with GOD Himself.

We don't have to have everything in life in order before we pray. We are called to pray just as we are, in the here and now. GOD listens!

Prayer is not something we do to impress people. It is not an outlet to brag about our good works or display our eloquence. It is a discipline of becoming aware of GOD and laying ourself bare before Him with no pretensions.

Authenticity in prayer means we don't pray as we ought to be, but we pray as we are, raw and real. GOD can handle it.

Praying may or may not bring about the change we want to see in all our situations; but praying will always bring about change in us.

A Lenten Prayer For The Church

2011-03-09T06:16:00.000-08:00

by Walter Brueggemann

Loss is indeed our gain

The pushing and the shoving of the world is endless
We are pushed and shoved.
And we do our fair of pushing and shoving
in our great anxiety.

And in the middle of that
you have set down your beloved suffering Son
who was like a sheep led to slaughter
who opened not his mouth.
We seem not able,
so we ask you to create spaces in our life
where we may ponder his suffering
and your summons for us to suffer with him,
suspecting that suffering is the only way to come to newness.

So we pray for your church in these Lenten days,
when we are driven to denial-
not to notice the suffering,
not to engage it,
not to acknowledge it.
So be that way of truth among us
that we should not deceive ourselves.
That we shall see that loss is indeed our gain.

We give you thanks for that mystery from which we live.

Amen.

(NOTE: The Painting is the creative work of Pastor Laura Gentry)

GOD is Gracious, Active and Loving

2011-03-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

Gracious GOD,
have mercy on us for being frugal givers
please move us from here to become radical lovers.
may our words catch up with our actions
and our actions fulfill our words.

Active GOD,
would you cause us to
love beyond all superficiality,
act beyond all feelings, and
reach beyond all status quo's.

Loving GOD,
as we are doing it,
help us to always remember that
we love, because you first loved us.

Amen!

Dear GOD, Change Us!

2011-03-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

A Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr

GOD, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

Acknowledging and Accepting Our Powerlessness Before GOD

2011-02-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

A Prayer by Larry Hine, Spiritual Director as quoted by Brennan Manning

May all your expectations be frustrated
May all your plans be thwarted
May all your desires be withered into nothingness
That you may experience the powerlessness and the poverty of a child
And sing and dance in the compassion of GOD who is Father, Son and Spirit.
Amen

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

2011-01-29T10:31:00.000-08:00

John Calvin's stunning preface to Pierre Robert Olivétan’s French translation of the New Testament (1534).

Calvin wrote:

Without the gospel

everything is useless and vain;

without the gospel

we are not Christians;

without the gospel

all riches is poverty,
all wisdom folly before GOD;
strength is weakness,
and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of GOD.

But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made

children of GOD,
brothers of Jesus Christ,
fellow townsmen with the saints,
citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven,
heirs of GOD with Jesus Christ, by whom

the poor are made rich,
the weak strong,
the fools wise,
the sinner justified,
the desolate comforted,
the doubting sure,
and slaves free.

It is the power of GOD for the salvation of all those who believe.

It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone.

For, he was

sold, to buy us back;
captive, to deliver us;
condemned, to absolve us;

he was

made a curse for our blessing,
[a] sin offering for our righteousness;
marred that we may be made fair;

he died for our life; so that by him

fury is made gentle,
wrath appeased,
darkness turned into light,
fear reassured,
despisal despised,
debt canceled,
labor lightened,
sadness made merry,
misfortune made fortunate,
difficulty easy,
disorder ordered,
division united,
ignominy ennobled,
rebellion subjected,
intimidation intimidated,
ambush uncovered,
assaults assailed,
force forced back,
combat combated,
war warred against,
vengeance avenged,
torment tormented,
damnation damned,
the abyss sunk into the abyss,
hell transfixed,
death dead,
mortality made immortal.

In short,

mercy has swallowed up all misery,
and goodness all misfortune.

For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit.

If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things.

And we are

comforted in tribulation,
joyful in sorrow,
glorying under vituperation,
abounding in poverty,
warmed in our nakedness,
patient amongst evils,
living in death.

This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from GOD the Father.

How Well Have You Grasped The Gospel?

2011-01-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

by TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN

I know these are tough questions to ask yourself but honest answers to these questions will tell you how well you grasp the Gospel and how qualified you are to lead GOD's church.

Do you rejoice in position, power, accomplishments, entitlement, control, degrees, knowledge, status, authority, numbers, and rank?

Or do you rejoice in service, mercy, sacrifice, pastoral care, love, prayer, prudence, grace, relationships, and repentance? Are you proud or humble?

Do you put others before yourself?

Do you find your daily security and significance in your own accomplishments or in Christ’s accomplishment for you?

Do you seek first place or last place?

Do you boast on yourself or on Christ?

Do you talk about yourself a lot?

Are you prone to envy and do you get defensive easily?

Do you weep with those who weep?

Do you love people and look for opportunities to serve and shepherd them?

Do you revel in self-confidence or self-sacrifice?

Do you have people in your life that you confess specific instances of sin?

Do the people in your life find it easy to correct you?

Caring and Not Caring

2011-01-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from Subversive Spirituality by Eugene H. Peterson

Teach Us to Care

Teach us to use all these occasions of need that are the agenda of our work as access to God, access to neighbor;

Teach us to care by teaching to pray so that human need becomes occasion for entering into and embracing the presence and action of God in this life;

Teach us to care by teaching to pray so that those with whom we work are not less human through our caring but more human;

Teach us to care so that we do not become collaborators in self centeredness but rather companions in God-exploration;

Teach us to use each act of caring as an act of praying so that this person in the act of being cared for experiences dignity instead of condescension and realizes the glory of being in on the salvation and blessing and healing of God and is not driven further into neurosis and the wasteland of self.

Teach Us Not to Care

Teach us to be reverential in all these occasions of need that are the agenda of our work, aware that you were “long beforehand” with this person, creating and loving, saving and wooing;

Teach us the humility of not-caring so that we do not use anyone’s need as a workshop to cobble together makeshift messianic work that inflates our importance and indispensability;

Teach us to be in wonder and adoration before the beauties of creation and the glories of salvation, especially as they come to us in these humans who have come to think of themselves as violated and degraded and rejected;

Teach us the reticence of restraint of not-caring so that in our eagerness to do good we do not ignorantly interfere in your caring;

Teach us not to care so that we have time and energy and space to realize that all our work is done on holy ground in your holy name, that people and communities in need are not a wasteland where we feverishly and faithlessly set up shop but a garden in which we work contemplatively.

My Beloved

2011-01-13T06:14:00.000-08:00

by Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey

Many voices ask for our attention.

There is a voice that says, "Prove that you are a good person."
Another voice says, "You'd better be ashamed of yourself."
There also is a voice that says, "Nobody really cares about you,"
and one that says, "Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful."

But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, "You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you."

That's the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen.

That's what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us "my Beloved."

Trust Your Unchanging GOD With Your Changing Tomorrows

2010-12-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

"Every time you pray you are graced with the reminder that you were not hardwired to make it on your own"-PAUL DAVID TRIPP

"It takes pride to be anxious- I am not wise enough to know how my life should go"-TIM KELLER

"Both worry and stress reek of arrogance"-FRANCIS CHAN

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? The last day of 2010 is quickly fading away right before our own eyes. What this means is that one chapter of our life is coming to a close and another about to begin. As I prayerfully reflect on the year that had just passed and anticipate the new year that is yet to begin, I can’t help but wonder what kind of changes the future holds.

This past year involved changes for most of us. We were prepared for some while others came unexpectedly. Either they were pleasant and refreshing or difficult and uncomfortable to deal with. Today, with one foot in 2010 and the other about to step into 2011 we wonder what other changes are lurking around the corner for us.

WITH CHANGES COME UNCERTAINTIES. Sometimes changes become a breeding ground for fear and doubt within us. Often, when we confront change in our lives we go into a panic mode, don’t we? We suffocate ourself with the What, When, How, Where and the Who questions of life. This forces us to resist anything new or different making us want to hold on to the familiar.

What do you think provides us the stability in this changing world? What could prepare us for the uncertainties of life? What could give us the confidence to face the New Year regardless of what it holds for us? If we are honest, we would confess that this world or the things of this world cannot help us the way we want them to as they themselves are constantly changing.

GOD, on the other hand, is eternal and does not change. Scripture reminds us that GOD does not change (Malachi 3:6) and that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). So, it only makes practical sense to trust an unchanging GOD as we journey through this changing world. Jesus promised us that he would be with us to the end. People change, places change, fads change and time changes, but Jesus, His love, justice, mercy and grace for us remains the same.

I AM URGING YOU TO STEP INTO THIS New Year with me anticipating difficult as well as refreshing changes in our lives. What gives us the confidence to face them, engage them and use them for GOD’s glory is the awareness that Jesus is with us and that His grace is enough to sustain us through all that 2011 has in store for us.

So, are you willing to accept changes in your life knowing that an unchanging GOD holds our changing tomorrows?

On Prosperity, Poverty and Our Daily Bread

2010-11-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income" Ecclesisates 5:10

DISCONTENTMENT SEEMS TO be one of the themes of our generation. For one reason or the other, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the jobs we hold, the gadgets we use, the house we live in and the relationships we have - seem to leave us empty and disgruntled, always wanting for something bigger or something better.

With the Christmas season fast approaching these desires only intensify. Our minds are already working extra hours scheming ways to make use of this holiday season to get the bigger and better things our hearts have recently set on. Often times, the things we desire are the things we do not need. In other words, they are not our daily necessities, but just ‘wants’ that reflect our greed, envy, and discontentment.

CHRISTIANS, IN SPECIFIC, have a tendency to over emphasize either Prosperity or Poverty in trying to deal with their discontented hearts.

Therefore, it is not uncommon to see some christians desire prosperity to live comfortably and to help people in need. If they are not careful this desire can quickly turn into an unhealthy craving and obsession for wealth to satisfy the demands of their wants. Jesus said that we can't serve both GOD and money. In reality, we will end up loving one and hating the other (Matthew 6:24).

It is also not uncommon to see some Christians who have had enough with wealth and materialism. So they camp on the other extreme. If they are not careful, their desire to abandon wealth in order to identify with the poor and help them can quickly turn into pride and judgementalism of those who do not hold the same kind of conviction or choose the same kind of lifestyle. The Apostle Paul does not choose poverty over prosperity or prosperity over poverty. He reminds us to be content regardless of what situation we are in (Philippians 4:12-13).

Both these camps are adamant that they are right and look with suspicion over the other's desire. The problem here is that both these claims cannot be applied universally in all cultures, in all contexts and to all people groups.

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT pushing prosperity or poverty universally in the name of GOD is not healthy. What could be helpful is learning and teaching contentment. I think Agur’s prayer in Proverbs 30:7-9 sheds some wisdom on this.

“Two things I ask of you, LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and
disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my GOD.

Here, we see that Agur neither prays for prosperity nor poverty. He neither craves for his wants, nor denies his daily needs. Agur acknowledges his needs and asks GOD to supply them.

Not only that, Agur is also fully aware of the temptations he could face when his basic needs aren’t met and when his wants take control of him. He expresses his concern that too much or too little wealth can get in the way of his commitment to GOD and his relationship with people. So, he wisely prayed for his daily bread.

IF GOD CHOOSES TO PROSPER US, may we acknowledge that it is He who has blessed us and positioned us to share it with those who are in need. And, if we feel convicted to abandon wealth to serve the poor, that is great too. Let us educate and partner with those whom GOD has blessed with resources and together reach out to the needy.

As Agur points out, having a slant on either prosperity or poverty, claiming one to be better than the other can come in between our relationship with GOD and people. A healthy balance is learning to be content in all situations GOD places us in and sharing what we have been given with those who are in need. As it is said, anyone who is generous by giving some of his food to the poor will be blessed (Proverbs 20:9).

Did you realize that Agur's prayer is no different than Jesus's teaching on prayer? Jesus did not teach us to ask for nothing or ask for all our wants.

On the contrary, Jesus taught us a prayer of contentment:

"Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:9-13).

Pray In All Circumstances

2010-11-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

QUESTION:
What must I do when I feel....
scared, brave, lonely, confused, proud, loved, cheated,miserable, furious, stupid, nervous, sad, unloved, ignored, angry, afraid, excited, bored, special, happy, smart, empty, disgusted, jealous, shamed, embarrassed, frustrated, disappointed, guilty or worried?

ANSWER:

PRAY, whether you are MAD, SAD,GLAD or aFRAiD!

In other words, express yourself to GOD in all circumstances. Don't sweep your feelings under the carpet and pretend as if nothing is going on inside of you. The last thing you want to do is put on a show. GOD is not pleased with pious poses, but he accepts genuine prayers. Your outward acts can fool people, but not GOD (1 Samuel 16:7).

So, identify, acknowledge and address your feelings to GOD - with no pretentiousness. And, receive what GOD is so ready to give-His mercy and grace to help you in your time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

The Wind, The Whale and The Worm

2010-10-28T08:24:00.001-07:00

FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE, my brother and I loved giving birth to stories.We were progressively getting good at story telling, whether it was the one we had to make up to appease our anxious parents for coming home past our curfew hour or the ones we made up for missing school as we could not finish our homework on time. I seriously don't know where we learnt to come up with stories in such short notice.

I wonder if it all began when we started spending some weekends and summers as kids with our younger cousins. The saying ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ is true. I could say that my cousins became desperate when they ran out of games to play and movies to watch and decided to turn to my brother and I to tell them stories and entertain them. Sometimes, they would name things, people, birds, insects or animals and we would make up a spontaneous story for them with their choice of characters.

Most of all, we loved to make them laugh with our crazy imagination and our animated stories. I can still picture us rolling on the floor laughing till our stomachs hurt and our eyes teared. To this day, these memorable moments of playfully sitting together and sharing stories are treasured and we as cousins continue to talk and laugh about it in our family gatherings and conversations.

STORIES HAVE A WAY WITH US, don’t they? Whether they are fabricated or based on true experiences they fascinate us and engage us. They capture our imagination and invite us into its world of smell, color, texture, emotions and characters. The more we step into it the more we laugh hysterically, chuckle sheepishly, cry frantically, get scared out of our wits and sometimes even become furiously angry. If told well, a good story not only engage our senses, but also invites us into the life of the other - to share in their joy and suffering.

One of my favourite stories is the story of Jonah. Some may argue that it is a fabricated and ridiculous story that could not have happened. I beg to differ. The very fact that Jesus believed it really happened and talked about it - settles the issue for me (Matthew 12:38-42).

Every time I read or listen to the story of Jonah, the images, the sounds and smell almost seem to come alive and capture my imagination. As a child I was not only spellbound by a big fish that swallowed a man, but I was also going wild with imagination thinking about someone praying in the belly of a fish.

As an adult, I see that there is more to the story than just a man and a big fish. Now, I see GOD as its central character and whose love is stubborn and crazy. Although the people of Nineveh were living wicked and ungodly lives and deserved to be punished, GOD was patient towards them and extended his mercy and grace by sending Jonah, a reluctant prophet, to call them back to Himself. The more I read, the more I am amazed by this merciful and gracious GOD who satisfies His anger and reconciles us to Himself in and through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

TODAY, AS I REREAD THE STORY for the umpteenth time I began to reimagine it all over again. Let me share some of my observations this time around.

First, GOD is sovereign and it is very evident in this story.

Second, we see GOD's intervention and interaction in the life of people. GOD controlled the Wind (1:4), directed the Whale (1:17) (The Whale is the biggest fish I can think of today) and prepared the Worm (4:7) to bring attention to Himself and clarify His purposes to Jonah. In other words, GOD uses His creation to accomplish His purposes.

Third, Jonah’s story is GOD’s story. And, GOD’s story is our story. When we read the story of Jonah we are reminded that GOD does not exist to serve us and our purposes. On the contrary, we exist to serve GOD and His purposes.

Fourth, we cannot frustrate GOD’s ways and plans by our disobedience. What He desires to accomplish through us will come to pass, despite all our kicking and screaming.

Fifth, GOD has good plans for us and will see to it that it unfolds in our lives (Ephesians 2:10).

IN LIGHT OF JONAH'S STORY, what is the Wind that GOD is causing in your path to get your attention? What is the Whale that GOD is directing in your way to bring you back to live for His purposes? What is the Worm GOD has provided in your circumstances to teach you about His love and grace that is not only available for you, but also for the people in this world?

If we come to think of it, wouldn’t it be much easier if we, unlike Jonah, would obey and submit to GOD instead of running, kicking or screaming?

Are You Even Listening?

2010-10-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other.

Act on what you hear!

Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like."

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

The Pulley

2010-10-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

Classic. Provoking. Relevant.

The Pulley
by George Herbert (1593-1632)

When God at first made man,
Having a glass of blessings standing by;
Let us (said he) pour on him all we can:
Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie,
Contract into a span.

So strength first made a way;
The beauty flow'd, then wisdom, honour, pleasure:
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that alone of all his treasure
Rest in the bottom lay.

For if I should (said he)
Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
He would adore my gifts instead of me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature:
So both should losers be.

Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness:
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to my breast.

All of Life is Grace

2010-10-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF we just took time to reflect on our life and captured it with all its laughters, tears, celebrations, tragedies, wins and failures, both in its significant moments and in the everyday mundane things?

I think it would leave us super humbled and awestruck as we begin to notice the grace of GOD at work in every facet of our life.

Thats exactly what happens to me every single time I look at my life as a whole.

TO THIS DAY, my parents remind me that my life is a miracle. The story goes that as an infant I had some complications and became very ill. The doctors were puzzled with my unique case and my family was afraid that they would lose me. But, GOD by his grace intervened and my life was spared.

During my teen years, I was tormented by low self esteem, struggled to find acceptance and love in relationships with family and friends and battled failures in school. Eventually in 1994, I was overwhelmed by loneliness and went into depression for few months. One day, my frustration grew worse and I decided to end my life. But, the day I had planned to take my own life, GOD by his grace made a friend visit me and through that conversation opened up my eyes to see His unconditional love and everlasting presence. Again, my life was preserved.

In 2000, during a mission trip to the Middle East, I met with an accident. The brakes in the van I was traveling in failed and it almost flung itself off the cliff. I had a near death encounter which to this day is very vivid in my memory. Yet again, GOD by his grace intervened and my life was protected along with everyone else in that van.

TODAY, AS I LOOK AT MY LIFE, both in its significant moments and in the everyday mundane things, I can confidently say that it is GOD’S grace that preserved me from my mother’s womb, sustained me in my confused teen years, protected me from dangers, found me and showered love upon me even when I was indifferent and drenched in sin and continues to uphold me and keep me.

Not only that, It is the amazing grace, forgiveness and love that Jesus displayed on the cross that gives meaning, purpose and hope to my life in the here and now and continues to compel me to extend that same grace, forgiveness and love to others. In other words, as John Ortberg rightly puts it, “All of life is grace.”

Friends, life is not an accident. Nor is it just a series of meaningless events. It is a beautiful gift. As time unwraps this gift, may we be grateful that we get to live it and partake in GOD's gracious active work in us and in others.

It Was Our Sins

2010-10-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 53
"He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that GOD was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole."

The Church: Spotless and Tainted

2010-10-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

by Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey

"The Church is the people of GOD called out of slavery to freedom, sin to salvation, despair to hope, darkness to light, an existence centered on death to an existence focused on life.

When we think of Church we have to think of a body of people, travelling together. We have to envision women, men, and children of all ages, races, and societies supporting one another on their long and often tiresome journeys to their final home.

The Church is holy and sinful, spotless and tainted. The Church is the bride of Christ, who washed her in cleansing water and took her to himself "with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless" (Ephesians 5:26-27). The Church too is a group of sinful, confused, anguished people constantly tempted by the powers of lust and greed and always entangled in rivalry and competition.

When we say that the Church is a body, we refer not only to the holy and faultless body made Christ-like...but also to the broken bodies of all the people who are its members. Only when we keep both these ways of thinking and speaking together can we live in the Church as true followers of Jesus."

What makes our chaotic lives liveable?

2010-10-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Last night, I met up with my men’s group over a nice hot meal at a Korean restaurant.

There is something about eating together that makes people more relaxed and open in conversations. In fact, the deepest, honest and most vulnerable conversations I have had in my life with people were over meals.

One of the guys shared about his recent disturbing experience. He witnessed a woman being hit by a car. He said, “she did everything right. She pressed the cross walk button, looked to the left and to the right and then crossed the road. But, a speeding car hit her.” He was paralyzed by just looking at her mangled body fly right in front of his eyes because of the impact. Later, after the police arrived and got his testimony he went home in shock. The woman was taken to a hospital with life threatening injuries (He read about it in a news article the next day). He confessed that the disturbing image of the incident continued to linger vividly in his mind.

This story led us to reflect on life, death and suffering. To some degree it was an overwhelming conversation. We shared about our fears and concerns. All of us contributed to the discussion from our own experiences reminding our self that life is a vapour. It is here today and gone tomorrow. The moments we get to live today is not easy, but nevertheless should not be taken for granted.

We continued to ponder further on life. Life as we experience it is affected by sin. Our world is full of injustice, destruction, selfishness, pain, suffering, sickness, death, war, crime and various kinds of inhumane activities. We can’t ignore it, nor escape it. The scary thing is that it arises from within us as well. It is our present day reality.

Imagine what would have happened if my friends and I had ended our conversation on living in a messed up world with nothing to look forward to. We would have returned home with our heads held low, downright depressed and hopeless.

But, we chose to end with GOD.

The reality of GOD being present in the midst of all this chaos is comforting. Believing in the good news of Jesus coming and living in our midst, facing the same chaos and suffering to identify with us, and then overcoming sin and death by his death on the cross so that we could experience GOD and live for his redemptive purposes - makes our lives liveable and meaningful. Not only that, it keeps our hopes alive and puts everything into perspective.

So, to answer the question, what makes our chaotic lives liveable?
GOD makes our chaotic lives liveable.

Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33). None of us are exempted from trouble. We can't escape the sin affected realities of our day, but GOD with you and me in this chaos is able to make our lives come alive and be fruitful. If it wasn’t for GOD, revealed in Jesus, I wonder what living a life in this chaotic world (with nothing to hope for and no purpose to live for) would look like...

...just wondering!

People or Projects?

2010-10-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

What do you tend to focus on the most- People or Projects?

Do you use 'people' as a means to get your own work done and your ambitions fulfilled? Do you do things for people (or in front of people) to please them so that they would like you more and praise you well? Do you feel proud of yourself and/or have a sense of accomplishment when you help others?

Are your relationships compromised in the business of life? Is your life at present fixated with paying your bills, building your assets and meeting projects, deadlines and appointments? Can you say that you are fully present in the moment to enjoy, celebrate and appreciate the people (family, friends and strangers) in your life?

These are questions I ask myself when I do a prayerful self examen. To be honest, sometimes I just do things without paying attention to my relationships. This is when life becomes a set of chores and people become a burden. Truth be told, I don't want to love everyone and I don't have the time to love everyone in my life. I prefer to pick and choose the moments I can express my love. And because I am selfish and I have made love into something I fall into and fall out of easily at my own convenience I am guilty of using people for my own security, attention and accomplishments.

The Bible reminds us that GOD created us to be human BEINGS and not human DOINGS.

Life is precious and is never meant to be a set of chores that we do for people or through people for mere attention, self esteem, pleasure and/or brownie points. Life, as designed by GOD, is about LOVE relationships. What good is it if we do a lot of things and get all the attention we want, but have no love? To be fully human is to be in love - both with GOD and our neighbor. Love should be the essence of our life and should dictate everything concerning life. It must not be used for our own convenience.

So, what does this love look like? Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

"This is how GOD showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son (Jesus Christ) into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved GOD, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since GOD so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen GOD; but if we love one another, GOD lives in us and his love is made complete in us" (1 John 4:9-12).

There is a time and a place to reflect on our past experiences and revel in our future hope. BUT, if we don't pay attention to the present reality- the GOD given moments of the "here and now," we will miss opportunities to BE fully present to the people in our life and BE in love.

May we live as human beings. May we humble ourself and ask GOD to continue to teach us what it means to love. May we 'BE' in love relationships the way we were meant to be, BOTH with GOD and our neighbor. May all our "doings" be a manifestation of our "being" in love.

It's OK to be INTERRUPTED!

2010-10-08T08:20:00.001-07:00

"a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt COMPASSION for him. GOING OVER to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them."

Doodle Day

2010-10-07T11:45:00.001-07:00

The JOY of the LORD is my STRENGTH

When the oceans RISE and the thunders rOaR...

They JUDGE me before they even know me - Shrek

Gather Me

2010-10-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

by Ted Loder, Guerillas of Grace

O GOD, gather me now to be with you as you are with me.
Soothe my tiredness;
quiet my fretfulness;
curb my aimlessness;
receive my compulsiveness;
let me be easy for a moment.

O LORD, release me from the fears and guilts which grip me so tightly;
from the expectations and opinions which I so tightly grip,
that I may be open to receiving,
to learn something refreshingly different.

O GOD, gather me to be with you as you are with me.
Forgive me for claiming so much for myself that I leave no room for gratitude;
for confusing exercies in self-importance with acceptance of self-worth;
for complaining so much of my burdens that I become a burden;
for competing against others so insidiously that I stifle celebrating them and receiving your blessing through their gifts.

O GOD, gather me to be with you as you are with me.
Keep me in touch with myself,
with my needs,
my anxieties,
my angers,
my pains,
my corruptions,
that I may claim them as my own rather than blame them on someone else.

O LORD, deepen my wounds into wisdom;
shape my weakness into compassion;
gentle my envy into enjoyment,
my fear into trust,
my guilt into honesty,
my accusing finger into tickling ones.

O GOD, gather me to be with you as you are with me.

A Blessing

2010-09-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

ben·e·dic·tion

May you accept the extravagant love of GOD the Father and choose to be defined by it alone;

May you experience the amazing grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and extend it to one another in your everyday situation;

May you be comforted, helped and empowered by the life giving presence of the Holy Spirit to think, speak and act in the challenging realities of the here and now.

Just Be

2010-09-17T07:52:00.001-07:00

A Meditation on Psalm 46:10

BE.
BE STILL,
BE STILL, and
BE STILL, and know
BE STILL, and know that
BE STILL, and know that I
BE STILL, and know that I AM

BE STILL, and know that I AM GOD

BE STILL, and know that I AM
BE STILL, and know that I
BE STILL, and know that
BE STILL, and know
BE STILL, and
BE STILL,
BE.

Remaining Anchored in LOVE

2010-09-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

by Henri Nouwen, Bread For The Journey

"When we are anxious we are inclined to overprepare.

We wonder what to say when we are attacked,
how to respond when we are being interrogated,
and what defence to put up when we are accused.

It is precisely this turmoil that makes us lose our self-confidence and creates in us a debilitating self-consciousness.

Jesus tells us not to prepare at all and to trust that he will give us the words and wisdom we need. What is important is not that we have a little speech ready but that we remain deeply anchored in the love of Jesus, secure about who we are in this world and why we are here.

With our hearts connected to the heart of Jesus, we will always know what to say when the time to speak comes."

From the Inside Out

2010-08-13T09:15:00.001-07:00

WHY IS IT that we are quick to lead others
and slow to lead our self?

Dear GOD,
teach us to lead,
from the inside out.

Without Christ - Nothing!

2010-07-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified.
1 Corinthians 1:22-23

"A sermon without Christ as its beginning, middle, and end is a mistake in conception and a crime in execution. However grand the language it will be merely much-ado-about-nothing if Christ be not there. And I mean by Christ not merely his example and the ethical precepts of his teaching, but his atoning blood, his wondrous satisfaction made for human sin, and the grand doctrine of “believe and live"."

C.H. Spurgeon,
Sermon titled "Without Christ- Nothing" preached in 1881.
(NOTE: *Emphasis added )

A Prayer for Micah's Family

2010-07-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Micah Hezekiah Williams July 15, 2010

GOD of Grace,
You alone are our refuge, our strength and our comfort;
You alone see our tears and hear our thoughts;
Thank you for your grace that covers us, sustains us and keeps our knees from buckling down during difficult times like these.

GOD of Life,
You alone enable us to live, move and have our being;
You alone can speak into our darkness and breathe new hope;
Thank you for not only creating life, but also life everlasting.

GOD of Comfort,
You alone can understand the pain of Micah’s absence from our midst;
You alone can continue to remind us that He is forever present in your hands;
Thank you for your comfort and peace that transcends all our understanding.

As we continue to experience your healing and comfort in this journey of life,would you continue to teach us to hope in the day to come when we will see you face to face and in your presence Micah’s adorable gaze.

Amen.

Listening to the Spirit

2010-07-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

"Our emotional lives and our spiritual lives have different dynamics. The ups and downs of our emotional life depend a great deal on our past or present surroundings. We are happy, sad, angry, bored, excited, depressed, loving, caring, hateful, or vengeful because of what happened long ago or what is happening now.

The ups and downs of our spiritual lives depend on our obedience - that is, our attentive listening - to the movements of the Spirit of God within us. Without this listening our spiritual life eventually becomes subject to the windswept waves of our emotions."

Henri Nouwen, Bread For the Journey

Why So Negative?

2010-07-12T12:58:00.001-07:00

I could say that I am a very positive person for the most part. Many who know me well would agree with that statement. But, this post is not about that side of me. It is about the remaining part which tends to dwell in the negative and is absent to the naked eye.

Have you ever enjoyed swimming in negative thoughts about others? I am talking about googling, blogging, emailing, chatting, texting, dreaming, thinking, searching, digging, analysing and probing into the negatives of others. These are thoughts that makes you feel better, stronger, prouder, higher, superior, greater and more spiritual than others.

I dont know about you, but I do.

There are times when I catch myself flirting with all the wrongs in others. If I am honest about it I do this to feel good about myself. Not only do I feel good about myself, but these negative things I see in others tend to consume my mind spilling out in my negative responses towards them.

In these better, stronger, prouder, higher, superior, greater and more spiritual moments- I am reminded, time and time again, that the Word(JESUS) who became flesh and made his dwelling among us was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). If Jesus was full of grace and truth, and I am a follower of Jesus, where is grace and truth in me? Why am I the first one to condemn others and why do I enjoy broadcasting the negative that I see in others when I can use that opportunity to teach about GOD's grace - that while we were still sinners Jesus died for us. Why can't I be an agent of grace? Didn't Jesus display that for you and I? When did the GOSPEL change from GOOD NEWS to really bad news?

While I was a negative person, indifferent to GOD, self centred and enjoying sin- GOD showed His grace to me in and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Having said this, I have to also say that being "full of grace" does not mean you do not speak up and stand up against sin and injustice. Jesus was not silent, he acted. Yet in his thought, speech and action, he was full of grace. I can say confidently that only those who understand the grace they have received in Jesus rightly will extend grace freely.

So, let us incline ourselves and be attentive to GOD's grace, not human depravity. May we not be negative or go looking for negatives in people. Instead, let us become aware of GOD's grace in our own life and seek opportunities to extend that grace to others.

Listen to Apostle Paul's words, "GOD is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
2 Corinthians 9:8

We Are All Wounded People

2010-07-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

"Nobody escapes being wounded. We all are wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not "How can we hide our wounds?" so we don't have to be embarrassed, but "How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?" When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.

Jesus is God's wounded healer: through his wounds we are healed. Jesus' suffering and death brought joy and life. His humiliation brought glory; his rejection brought a community of love. As followers of Jesus we can also allow our wounds to bring healing to others." (1)

"Praise be to the GOD and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the GOD of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from GOD. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." (2)
________________________________
(1) Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey
(2) Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

STOP, THINK, PRAY.

2010-06-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

"Praying puts us at risk of getting involved in GOD's conditions. Be slow to pray. Praying most often doesn't get us what we want but what GOD wants, something quite at variance with what we conceive to be in our best interests"

-Eugene Peterson, Working the Angles

Love Beyond Feelings

2010-06-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

"Often we speak about love as if it is a feeling. But if we wait for a feeling of love before loving, we may never learn to love well. The feeling of love is beautiful and life-giving, but our loving cannot be based in that feeling.

To love is to think, speak, and act according to the spiritual knowledge that we are infinitely loved by GOD and called to make that love visible in this world.

Mostly we know what the loving thing to do is. When we "do" love, even if others are not able to respond with love, we will discover that our feelings catch up with our acts."

- Henri Nouwen, Bread For The Journey

Do I Smell Rotten Eggs or Lay Good Ones?

2010-06-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

JUST THE OTHER DAY I WAS having breakfast with one of my close friends. I treasure those moments in the midst of my busy summer schedule. We quickly moved from superficial talk to what was actually happening in our life, in the here and now. You know exactly what I mean. We didn’t spend too much time talking about the weather, the world cup, the summer movies or the TV shows. We decided to delve right into our life and exchange our personal stories.

One story in particular that I shared caused some deep emotion to surface in me. Some of which I was aware of, some came as a surprise. After listening to me vent; my friend asked me one simple question. As I heard his words I was dumbfounded. I stared at him for some time wondering if he was really serious. I thought to myself, “I know he is validating my feelings. I know he cares for me and understands me. But, why isn’t he giving me permission to linger in them. ” We finished our breakfast and went to our work places.

WHAT IF HE WAS RIGHT? What if my UNTHANKFUL attitude was actually taking BITTER roots in me like he pointed out? I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I knew it was not healthy for me to continue in my indulgence of unthankfulness. My pride on the other hand, gave me permission to stand my ground and continue to fan into flame my bitter unthankful attitude.

That evening as I was reflecting at home, I remembered something that happened 12 years ago. Let me preface it with a little bit of background. Before moving to Canada, I used to work at a Christian organization in Chennai, India. This organization was founded by the late Dr. Alfred George and assisted disabled and destitute men, women and children in India by meeting their spiritual, social, educational, and rehabilitation needs through its various projects and services.

Dr. George was a great mentor and friend during my brief stay there. Every time I looked at him I was amazed at the impact he had on thousands of people. He had the habit of making casual visits to my room to chat with me on a regular basis. One day, he walked into my office and pulled up a chair next to me. We started talking about life, relationships and ministry. For some reason I ended up asking him, “Dr. George, how are you able to stay so optimistic in life and always have so many positive things to say to others and about others?” He paused and gave me his trademark smile. I can still remember it as if it happened to me yesterday.

He told me that he was not always like this. There were times when he was angry with GOD for allowing him to lose his sight at a very young age. Those were times when he was bitter and frustrated with life, people and GOD. But, according to him, once he started reflecting on GOD’s love displayed by Christ on the cross, GOD’s persistent and consistent love for the very ones who were hurting and rejecting him- something in Dr. George clicked. He was overwhelmed by this crazy love and reconciled with GOD. As a result, he became thankful to GOD for what was at hand and stopped complaining about what he didn’t have. He decided to not dwell on what had happened to him, but on who he was and what he could do to make this world a better place. The rest is history.

DR. GEORGE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WAS ALWAYS LEARNING to be thankful everyday and desired to encourage and build up others instead of breaking or pulling them down. Then he went on to tell one specific story. He regularly travelled to many cities and some countries to share about God’s love and raise support for his work. During one of his many trips he brought home gifts for his three kids. He asked them to pick one each as he was holding the bag. The oldest one put her hand into the bag and felt everything inside. She then picked the softest gift. The youngest one rushed in and put his hand inside the bag and pressed hard on everything that was inside and picked the one that interested him and with an excited scream ran away to play with it. The middle one, he said, was standing silently.

Dr. George asked her to take the remaining gift from the bag. She dipped her hand and without wasting time- picked it up, looked at the toy and said in her cute little voice, “Thank you, daddy.” He stretched out his hands and asked her to show him what she had picked. Without hesitating she gave the doll to him. He started to touch the gift to know what it was. His hands felt the broken pieces of the doll and he asked her if the doll was broken. To which she replied, “Yes.” Dr. George said that tears started rolling down his eyes. While his other kids picked their choice of gifts and went away to play with it without uttering a word, my middle kid stood there with her broken gift in her hand to thank me. He told me, “Sam, in her brokenness she gave thanks to me. In doing that she has taught me to give thanks even in my brokenness.”

GOD REMINDED ME YET AGAIN of Dr. George’s story the same way he had reminded me several other times since i’ve heard it. It puzzles me as to how easily I forget and take other people and the things that I have in my life and even my own life for granted. To top all of this, as I was listening to Ravi Zacharias’ speech this week I was challenged with the question, “ Some people like to smell ROTTEN eggs, but others choose to lay GOOD ones. Which one am I?”

May I be thankful, even in my brokenness. May I stop criticizing and complaining and make the world a better place by who I am and by what I say and do with what I have.

MINISTERS, NOT MESSIAHS

2010-05-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

A Future Not Our Own

"It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own."

The Story Behind The Words

ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO (1917-1980) SERVED the people of El Salvador and was assasinated in 1980 while he was leading a worship service in El Salvador. Read his brief gripping biography here written by Dr. Victor Shepherd to know and understand the story behind the words, "A Future Not Our Own."

SOURCES
1.A Future Not Our Own: http://www.journeywithjesus.net
2.Picture:http://www.visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org

Totally Graced Out

2010-04-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

You and I are GRACED by GOD.

We are graced in the morning, graced in the noon time, graced in the evening and graced at night. We are being graced left, right and centre. We were graced in the past, are graced in the present and will be graced in the future. The truth is that we are totally 'Graced Out.'

It is the Grace of GOD
that helps us to come before GOD
with confidence in our hearts.
All our deeds, including what we have done or have not done for GOD and to one another
does not dictate GOD's acceptance of us.

We get to be in relationship with GOD
not because of
our sincerity,
our morality,
our genealogy
or our genorisity.
But, by the grace of GOD alone.

It is the GOD of Grace
Jesus Christ, who came to us and gave His life for us
even while we were sinners, indifferent and helpless.
'Salvation' is not a result of good things we’ve done, It is a gift.
We can’t earn it or take credit for it, we just receive what GOD has done, in faith.

Saved people get to do good works
because of the graciousness of
GOD's presence
GOD's strength
GOD's mercy
and GOD's love.
Only in and through the GOD of grace alone.

Dear, GOD of grace,
May we always acknowledge your grace that awakens us to your love, enables us to love others and sustains us in that love.
None of us can boast or take credit
for what you have done or continue to do-
for us, in us and through us.

By your grace, oh GOD, may we extend
the same unmerited favor, love and mercy
we have received from you
to our neighbors.

____________________
Ephesians 2:8-10

In Life And In Death

2010-04-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

Do we "own" our self?
Can we live life the way we want to?

When we live for ourselves, the results are very clear:
Greed, sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness and wild parties.

If we belong to GOD, how then shall we live?

The results of a life in GOD is very clear as well:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.(1)

We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds.
We are not our own: Let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh.
We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours.

Conversely,

We are GOD’s: Let us therefore live for Him and die for Him.
We are GOD’s: Let His wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions.
We are GOD’s: Let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward Him as our only lawful goal(2)

If we live, we live to the LORD;
and if we die, we die to the LORD.
So, whether we live or die,
we belong to the LORD.(3)

As for me,
to live is CHRIST
and to die is gain.(4)

________________________________________________
Sources:
(1) Galatians 5:19-23
(2) John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion
(3) Romans 14:8
(4) Philippians 1:21
(5)Image: www.flickr.com/photos/24976736@N00/58297470/

Thank God, I am Lucky

2010-02-15T11:18:00.000-08:00

“Thank God, I am Lucky.” Interesting statement, isn't it? Let me ask you a question: Can ‘GOD’ and ‘LUCK’ co-exist?

The dictionary defines ‘luck’ as something good or evil that happens to a person by chance. “Best of Luck on your exams,” “You are lucky to have such good parents,” “He’s lucky to be alive,” “Good luck on your new business venture,” “I didn’t have any luck finding what I wanted,” “I’ve had nothing but bad luck all week,” “We were lucky to get tickets to the game,” and “I am lucky to have food on my table” are some common usages of the word “LUCK” in our day to day conversations.

Now, before I tell you what I think about ‘GOD’ and ‘LUCK’, there are some hard questions you should ask yourself about what it is that you mean when you use the word, “luck.”

Yesterday, after our Sunday worship service, I actually counted the number of times people used the word “luck” around me. There were four occurrences. I asked myself, “Why is it that as Christians we say that we believe in the sovereign GOD and His providence and continue to use the word ‘luck’ in our daily language?”

For more than a decade I have intentionally taken care in not using the word ‘luck’ in my everyday language as it contradicts my belief in GOD. My inquisitiveness pushed me to ask my Christian friends as to why they use it and are not bothered by it. Have they given into culture? Some told me that they use it because everyone uses it or they use it, but don’t really mean it or use it as it’s an old habit that is hard to break. I sit and wonder, “Why say it, if you don’t mean it or if it goes against your belief?” I think as Christian’s words should not be taken lightly and must be given equal importance as good works. Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart, our mouth speaks.

Please understand. I am not trying to be nitpicky. Today, I see lot of Christians living by a philosophy called luck. They are not living by the truth that there is a GOD who is sovereign and who controls the universe. Imagine, things unfolding in your life. How do you respond? “I was lucky today” or “GOD in His providence allowed that thing for His purpose.”

As Christians if we don’t have GOD in our everyday equation it will be easy to not notice GOD’s hand at work in both small things and big things in our life. If we don’t look at our life as something precious given by GOD to live for His purposes, everything in life will eventually be viewed as just luck and chance. There will be no awareness of GOD and God will not be acknowledged and chance will be encouraged.

Friends, you and I cannot have ‘GOD’ and ‘chance.’ The two are incompatible. I hope you think twice before you use the word ‘luck’ as a Christian.

May GOD be GOD in your life. The Psalmist says this best:
“O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.
You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
Psalm 139:1-10.

Into the Sunset

2010-02-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

(This is the last article my uncle,Rev.Dr. Theodore Williams, wrote before he went to be with the LORD)

Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming,when no one can work “(John 9:4). He was talking about the sun set in each life.

There are different stages of life we all go through if the Lord grants us life. Each stage has its ups and downs.Blessed is the person who has learned to accept, enjoy and use it for the Lord. This is the month of Thanksgiving and let us celebrate the stage of life in which we are, each one of us, boys and girls, young people, men and women and senior citizens who are walking into the sunset and let us express our Thanksgiving.

The Lord said, “For you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go our and leap like calves released from the stall “(Malachi 4:2). In Luke 1:78 Zechariah prophesied, “The rising sun will come to us from heaven.”

The time of sunrise is a time of joy, hope and strength. This is the experience of childhood and youth. No clouds in the sky, many desires, plans and ambitions loom large over the horizon. Standing at the threshold of life, the sky seems to be the limit. If we do not allow sin to make inroads and take control and if we keep our desires and plans committed to the Lord, it is a road of victory and fulfillment. We can thank our Lord for His continued protection and guidance.

Then there is the noonday experience. Our physical, intellectual and emotional powers are at their height. To achieve, climb high and reach out for the top rung of the ladder seems to be the passion and the drive. The danger is that we may become driven people and not a God-led or God-directed people. There can be emotional and spiritual accidents and catastrophes manifested in the family life and in the spiritual life. This too can be a time of Thanksgiving and Joy provided we have the Lord as the Captain of the ship and not assume mastership of our own destinies.

Finally there is the sunset. Some of us including myself are in this stage of life. We do not know how long it will be before the sun will set but we are moving into it. There is so much to give thanks to the Lord for. We can thank Him for life itself. He has saved us from 30 Dec. 09 / Jan. 2010 serious illnesses and deadly accidents and brought us thus far. We can thank Him for the spiritual enrichment and the spiritual heights through which He has led us. For the privilege of being useful to Him and to others and for making our lives meaningful we can thank Him.

There are struggles and battles peculiar to the sunset period. There is the struggle against loneliness. This is not just the absence of company or people around us. You may live in a crowded family with umpteen relatives around you each one trying to help you and order you around. Or, you may have a lot of friends offering their counsel and advice. In the midst of all this, you may have a gnawing sense of loneliness, of being an orphan. Bereavement might have robbed you of the constant companionship of a spouse. You might have had your fights, arguments and cold war sessions but the fact that she or he was there was a source of strength. But now, you feel cruelly alone! It is at such times that we remember the words of our Lord, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). He spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit to be our companion for ever. Is this not an occasion of Thanksgiving? There is the struggle against loss.

Sometime back I received Dr John Stott’s personal newsletter. He is moving into the sunset with poise and dignity. One of the things he mentions is the list of things he misses which he has lost. In his prime time he traversed the length and breadth of this world preaching and teaching the Word of God and enjoying his hobby of bird watching. But now, he is confined to a wheel chair, so dependent on others. The risen Christ told Peter, “When you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18).

We have celebrated our independence and self sufficiency. Now is the time to celebrate the fact that God is our Strength and we can lean upon Him and also thank Him for those whom He has given in the family of God who are there for us. Is this not a matter of Thanksgiving?

There is also the time when we part with our possessions and past time which we cherished and held close to us. The house we built, the hobbies we cherished and the recreation which we enjoyed most, all of this we have to part with. There are physical handicaps and ailments which prevent us from doing those things which we did earlier. There is the loss of opportunities and avenues of service. But there are unexpected opportunities that come at sunset. So there is much material for Thanksgiving.

Of course, the sunset is not the end. It leads to a glorious new day and heavenly glory. Hallelujah!

God @ Work

2010-02-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

It is fascinating how Jesus interrupted Paul's self centered life. He exposed his sins, enabled him to grow, guided him and made him shine for His glory. It was Jesus, all the way - from beginning to end. This same Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is at work in your life and mine.

The Story, GOD's Story, that involves YOU and ME is still unfolding.

Friend, trust GOD, it's going to have an awesome finish. Don't give up.

Do I Hunger?

2010-02-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Discipline of SELF- EXAMEN: Do I hunger after GOD and the things of GOD? Does GOD's Word govern my life? Do I live to please GOD or please people? Do I grieve over sin? How quickly do I repent when I see my wrong? Am I sensitive to the Spirit's prompting me? Do I live a life of obedience to GOD and His WORD?

Powerhouse

2009-09-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

No Shortage
If you ask around, read books and articles or watch the media, its mind blowing to see the different images people have of Jesus in our world.

Today, there is no shortage for opinions. Everyone has an opinion about Jesus – He is My Homeboy, a Good Person, Mr. Nice Guy, a Good Teacher, a Great Prophet, a man with a Cool Goatee, an Obedient Son, a Political Leader, a Crazy Radical, a Holy Man, a Jewish Carpenter, a Profound Mind, a Married Man, a Close Friend, a Cult Leader, an innocent Man, a Suffering GOD, so on and so forth.

Some references are true, some are partially true and some are out rightly stupid. People’s opinions about Jesus vary based on their experiences, knowledge, teachings and exposure. Lot of them are formed either because Jesus was misrepresented to them or plainly due to lack of proper study and research.

The Powerhouse
The Jewish community associated GOD with light. They were taught to sing “The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear.” 1 This was not just another song, but was a song that reminded the community of how GOD had protected and provided LIGHT during their journey in the dark wilderness for 40 years. GOD was their flashlight, their lamp, their campfire, their lighthouse –their entire powerhouse.

One day, Jesus encountered them and said “I am the LIGHT.” This rocked the world of the people who heard it. Jesus not only said he was the light, but he also claimed to be the “I AM.”

The Jewish community associated GOD with the name “I AM.” I AM is the name by which GOD revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush. Now, Jesus comes into the picture and associates himself to the name that belonged to GOD and claimed to be that very GOD.

In other words, Jesus was saying, I am not created – I am the Creator, I don’t have a beginning – I am the beginning, I am not working for GOD – I am GOD.

It’s interesting to hear the different opinions people have of Jesus. But, who did Jesus actually say He is? He didn’t say, “I am your Homeboy,” did he?
He said, “I am the Light.” He said, “I am.”

He said I am God. Not just any god that we create and that serves us and our purposes, but the very CREATOR GOD who redeems us, cleanses us, changes us and uses us to serve His purposes.

Powerhouse Encounters
Jesus said, “I am the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 2

One day a man called Saul was encountered by Jesus, the Light. His life was not the same anymore; it was turned upside down – for the good.

The Light EXPOSED his SINS: Jesus the Light exposed everything that was dark in his life. The sins of self righteousness, hatred, anger and pride scattered like cockroaches exposed to the light. Jesus brought everything to the surface and Saul, now called Paul who thought he was righteous did not find himself righteous anymore. He had to deal with his sinfulness in light of Christ’s holiness. He realized that he was sinful and needed God’s forgiveness and grace found only in Jesus.

The Light ENABLED his GROWTH: Living things need light to grow healthy. Only the light can enable growth. Paul thought that he had it all before he met Jesus. He had a great resume as a religious leader, had a zeal for God that made others look irreligious and was active and efficient in doing things for God. But, at the end of the day, none of it enabled him to grow. Doing Religion, playing church, judging others, beating down people with words and actions or comparing himself with others did not help him to grow. His degrees, status, knowledge did not make him grow. It was His fellowship with Jesus the light that made him grow. Some plant, some water, but it is Jesus the Light who makes us grow.

The Light GUIDED his Every STEP: Paul, before he met Jesus, did a lot of irrational things in the name of God bringing more damage and heart break in the lives of people. His decisions were self centered and heartless. When Jesus the light encountered Him, he provided light to his mind, life and path. Paul was humbled. His dreams, plans, ambitions and decisions were brought to submission to the bigger purposes and plans of God. He lived his life in the midst of his struggles in step with the Spirit so that God’s purposes would be accomplished in and through His life. Paul was led by the Spirit and learnt what it meant to live beyond himself.

The Light SHONE IN and THROUGH him: The bible teaches us that God is light and in him there is no darkness. Jesus said, “I am the light and those who follow him will never walk in darkness.” Jesus also said that we are the light of the world. Interesting, right? Listen, it has nothing to do with what we can do or what we cannot do. It is about the life of Jesus the Light displayed in and through us. The Apostle Paul lived this. He shone the light of Jesus in and through his words and actions that many people were naturally drawn to Jesus by his life. Some of us have a tendency to hide this light. Aren’t we called to Shine? We are meant to be on a lamp stand so that Jesus can be displayed in and through us. Let's not be ashamed or hesitate to commit.

Shine Jesus, Shine!
What fascinates me is that 'Jesus the light' encountered Paul on the road to Damascus. He exposed his sins, enabled him to grow, guided him and made Him shine for His glory. It was Jesus, all the way - from the beginning to the end. Jesus is the alpha and the omega.

Friends, it’s not about what you and I can do or cannot do, it’s all about staying in fellowship with Jesus the light. it's about allowing the life of Jesus be displayed in and through us and seeing God’s purposes accomplished in and through us. Trust me, when Jesus, the light – the powerhouse, encounters us, our world will turn upside down - for the good.

Let me close with two quotes:
Mother Teresa rightly points out,

“We need to find GOD, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. GOD is the friend of silence…The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what GOD says to us and through us. All our words will be useless unless they come from within; words that do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.”3

N.T. Wright writes,

"The longer you look at Jesus, the more you will want to serve Him in His world. That is, of course, if it's the real Jesus you're looking at."4

May we fellowship with Jesus, the Light, so that He shine's in and through us.
____________________________
1) Psalm 27:1, NIV.
2) The Gospel of John 8:12, NIV.
3) Mother Teresa, a Gift for GOD: Prayers and Meditations.
4) N.T. Wright, Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Dicipleship

Maybe

2009-05-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

God's Word is like fire in my bones.

Sometimes, I tell myself that I shouldn't freak people out by talking too much about God or His Word.

Sometimes, I wonder if I should water down my speech or even carry conversations in a way without any reference to God.

Maybe then, I convince myself, people will be more comfortable around me. Who knows, maybe they will even like me more. Sometimes, I assume, if I speak what people like to hear I won't come across as a Jesus freak or too spiritual.

My mind is filled with maybe this and maybe that. Deep inside I have somehow become a people pleaser. I have compromised countless times just to be accepted.

To be honest, I can't do this anymore.

I need to be true to myself.
I need to be true to my calling.
Most importantly,
I need to be true to my God.

"If I say I’ll never mention the Lord
or speak in his name,
his word burns in my heart like a fire.
It’s like a fire in my bones!
I am worn out trying to hold it in!
I can’t do it!"

Jeremiah 20:9

My Ministry Is Dearer To Me Than Life

2009-02-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Dr. Victor Shepherd is a great Scholar with a Pastor's heart. According to me, this is a very rare combination to find in a person.

For those of you who do not know him, Dr. Shepherd is the professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Tyndale Seminary, Toronto. He is also Adjunct Professor at Trinity College and Wycliffe College, University of Toronto where he supervises doctoral students.

In 2005, he was made Professor Ordinarius of The University of Oxford, U.K. He has been invited twice to the International Calvin Studies Colloquium, those deemed to be the world's best one hundred Calvin scholars.

Apart from being a scholar, he is also an active minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

Five years of studying at Tyndale Seminary, especially under this great "man of God" were unforgettable and impact filled years for me. Dr. Shepherd's class lectures weren't just informative, intellectually stimulating and thought provoking but also convicting, heart warming and pastorally empowering. I remember devouring everything taught in the class like a hungry lion. His lectures on "Holiness" have challenged my own lifestyle and have given me a fresh reverence for God.

I must confess that after five years of taking several courses with him, a year of being his research assistant, countless conversations with him about theology and the historical giants like Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and having casual discussions on heart wrenching issues in pastoral ministry,not to mention my quiet observations of his passion for God and ministry-- have deeply impacted my very own life and ministry.

Dr. Shepherd has mentored me in so many ways intentionally and unintentionally. I think it is appropriate to say that my passion for Christ, the Word of God and ministry has been fanned into flame by his teaching, life, ministry and writings.

To all the pastors, lay leaders, students of the Word and to all of you reading this...I just wanted to share an excerpt from his sermon titled "My ministry is dearer to me than life."

As you read the following, may you continue to be stirred up for the Cause of Christ.

" I am 64-years old. I am in the twilight of my ministry. Nonetheless, every time I exercise this ministry I get a thrill. Whether it’s when I step into a pulpit on Sunday morning and see the expectant faces of the congregation, or whether it’s when I’m helping someone to die in peace, or whether it’s when I sit by myself and intercede for those whom God has laid on my heart – whenever I exercise the ministry to which I’ve been called I get a thrill. And as often as I’m thrilled I’m also startled, sobered and awed, for I recall Jean Vianney: “If we really knew what it is to be a pastor, we couldn’t endure it.”

I relish teaching in a seminary, and relish it for several reasons. One reason is that it keeps me probing the work of the giants in theology. Another reason is that it keeps me acquainted with men and women (younger than I) who are preparing for ordination. Entirely too often, however, a student remarks that after his first degree in theology he plans to do a second and third degree – i.e., a doctorate – because a doctorate will be the ticket out of the pastorate and into a professorship. The first degree in theology lets one into the pastorate; the final degree lets one out. The truth is, I heard as much when I was a seminary student myself forty-one years ago.

Whenever I hear this I tell students most emphatically that the real Doctores Ecclesiae, teachers of the church, were pastors first. Luther worked as a pastor every day in addition to teaching, writing, travelling, and wrestling with most vexatious problems in church life; e.g., the predicament of nuns who left the convent in response to the message of the Reformation and then had no means of support.

Calvin preached on average every second day. Yet his writings are so massive that his 2000-page Institutes represents only 6.8% of his written output. In addition he sat with the dying, married the living, visited the sick, sorted out conflicts in the wider church (rural pastors, for instance, complained vociferously that they should be paid the same as urban pastors in Geneva .) He ordered provisions for the city hospital. And he had to endure the humiliation of his sister-in-law’s repeated adulteries.

Why did the real giants of theology persist in shouldering such a hugely variegated pastoral work, doing vastly more than merely the scholarship for which they will never be forgotten?

Calvin spoke for them all when he wrote 450 years ago,
“My ministry is dearer to me than life.” "

2face

2009-01-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

This is the season for the movie awards.Everybody is exposed to this movie craze in one way or the other.The media goes to all extents to cover it,the newspapers love talking about it and the critics make use of this opportunity to either puff up or crush a movie. Not only that, I keep running into people and conversations that passionately discuss about the movies.To top it all off I catch myself thinking about it.

My favorite one in the action genre for the year 2008 is without a doubt the Dark Knight. From the cinematographers to the actors, every single person has contributed to the huge success of this movie.

Every person (I know) who has seen this movie talks about
either Christian Bale’s character as the “Batman” or Heath
Ledger’s character as the psychopath villain, the “Joker.
Both of them deserve credit for their work, especially Heath
Ledger.

I remember jokingly telling my friends in the words of
Russell Peters, “If Heath Ledger doesn’t get an Oscar,
somebody’s gonna get a hurt real bad.” Seriously,
Ledger’s role as the Joker was so mind blowing that I
am sure you would agree with me in saying that he deserves
an Oscar for his convincing performance.

Having said this, what I found interesting is that it was
neither the “Batman” nor the “Joker” that kept me thinking
after I saw this movie. It was another character that was
overshadowed by the heroics of the good guy Batman and the
craziness of the bad guy Joker that stole my imagination.

If you haven’t guessed it yet, I am talking about Harvey
Dent, a District Attorney and a friend of Batman in the
movie. After, the Joker’s scheme disfigures half of
his face with acid; Harvey Dent goes insane and becomes
the Two-Face. He is a great example of how a good guy
turns bad due to the circumstances and situations in his
life. He chooses “bad” over “good.” As a result he becomes
judgmental, angry and self obsessed. In other words, Harvey’s
life becomes a two faced tragedy.

Did you know that the Bible talks about “Two face?”

Well, it’s not in reference to a good guy’s face disfigured
by acid like in the movie the Dark Knight. But, it is in
reference to people who say they love God, but in all reality
they don’t. It is in reference to people who pray loudly in
public, fast, give, help and volunteer in a way that others
would take notice of them. They do all this in the name of
God but their hearts are far away from God. In living to
please the people they fail to please God. The word used to
refer to this action in the bible is hypocrisy.

What does Hypocrisy mean? It is derived from the Greek word
hypokrisis. The idea behind this word is someone who plays
a part on the stage or someone who puts on a mask to fake
reality.

The image here is of actors who play multiple roles with
the help of masks. When they say the comedy lines they would put
on a smiling mask. The people watching them on stage would respond
with laughter. Then they would switch to a sad mask and speak lines
of sadness which would bring tears to those who were watching.
The actor here was referred as a hypocrite. Although this term
initially meant something positive, overtime, it is believed,
this term took a negative meaning.

When Jesus used it, he was referring to people who were
pretending to be someone while actually they were someone else.
This kind of pretentious living is condemned in the bible.
Jesus did not hesitate to address people who wore masks in real
life. He did not tolerate false godliness or character. His
presence and His words exposed everyone who was two faced.

Today, we have a tendency to link hypocrisy with Christians.
I think it’s mostly because of Christ’s stance towards it. We
see hypocrisy in the words, attitudes and actions of people
who claim to know Christ. These are people who give lip service
to God, but their hearts are far away from God.

Imagine faking love towards God and people? Thinking about
it wants to make us puke, right? How can Christians fake love?

Well, Paul writes to the Roman Church “let love be without
hypocrisy” (Romans 12:9). There are Christians who actually
fake their love. They fake love towards God and towards people.
In doing this they fail to recognize that man sees the outside
while God sees what’s in the heart.

Now, think about the word “hypocrite.” Who comes to your mind
right away? Is it a Christian friend you know, a pastor, the
TV preacher, the church next door or the members of your own
family? Before we point our fingers at others I would
like us to consider something.

In James 1:23-25, we read that the Word of God is like a
mirror. When we read it we see our own reflection. When
we see our reflection in the mirror,do we see just one
face or do we see a nicely camouflaged two face?

If we do see a two face, then, seriously it is time to take
off our masks. We need to say “enough is enough” to our double
standard lives. This is our time to stop blaming people and
situations and be accountable to God for our own actions.

Jesus condemned the two faced people, especially those who
talked about love, purity and humility but who in actuality
cared mostly for their own well being instead of others. If
you and I are a follower of Jesus Christ, we need to check
what our reflection is like in the mirror of God’s word.

Today, you might be a leader, a pastor, an elder, someone who
serves faithfully, someone who claims to love God and others
or even someone who is shouting at others with anger and
frustration saying, "You two faces!"

I would like to ask you a soul searching question. Forget about
others for a moment. Are you a two face? If you are and if
I am, then God wants us to have a makeover.

The Apostle Paul writes,

"And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no
going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd.
They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost
touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can't
think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves
go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

But that's no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption
is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well
instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus.
Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance,
everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that
old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through.
Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of
life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside
and working itself into your conduct as God accurately
reproduces his character in you.

What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies,
no more pretense."

(Ephesians 4:17-25, MSG)

Gracious God,

We come before you just as we are. Help us to acknowledge
that we are people who are two faced. Help us get rid of
our masks and be authentic people. Help us to be honest
with our self and with one another.

Today, we say no to our two face. We refuse to be like
actors on stage who desire to fill our self with people’s
praise and applause. Help us not to make a big scene when
we pray, fast, give, volunteer or love.

Help us not to expect anything in return when we love,
serve and give. Help us to do it for the very fact that
we love you. And, when praise comes our way, help us to
give you the credit for everything.

Amen.

You Said

2009-01-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

This is what God said:

"Before I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
that's what I had in mind for you."

But I said, "Hold it, Master God! Look at me.
I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!"

God told me, "Don't say, 'I'm only a boy.'
I'll tell you where to go and you'll go there.
I'll tell you what to say and you'll say it.
Don't be afraid of a soul.
I'll be right there, looking after you."

God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,
"Look! I've just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!
See what I've done? I've given you a job to do
among nations and governments—a red-letter day!
Your job is to pull up and tear down,
take apart and demolish,
And then start over,
building and planting."

Patrick's 360 Degrees Prayer

2009-01-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, and in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I call this the 360 degrees prayer.It is a prayer attributed to Patrick of Ireland (389-461). It is said that he was an active Christian missionary in Ireland during his time.The prayer itself is a sincere plea for "Christ" to increase and the "I", which is the self to decrease. In other words it is a passionate prayer asking Christ to reign 360 degrees in one's life. Hence, it is one of my favorite prayers.

It's not enough to just have Christ as our Savior, is it? Is He also the LORD of our life? Does He reign in every area of our life?

In other words, has His Kingdom come and if so, is His will being done in and through our life?

For some of us, these questions might sound irrelevant.
Think about it. How can GOD's creation, created for GOD's pleasure, purpose and glory tell GOD that He is irrelavant? It doesn't make sense, does it?

For the others of us, these questions make us feel uncomfortable as the idols in our life are threatened. Again, think about it. Why are we so afraid to confront our idols and be reigned by GOD?

Surrendering our self to Christ is asking GOD to be GOD in our life. It is us exchanging our way of living for GOD's way of living. We were created to be in relationship with GOD. You and I can try to do things our way, live life as we please and make choices that give us temporary pleasure. The truth is that the more we rely on self, the more we will feel miserable, frustrated, empty and without purpose.

Why?

In the words of St. Augustine, "Our hearts will be restless till we find our rest in GOD." When we are not living in relationship with GOD we are in fact not living life the way we were meant to live.

Contrary to popular belief, in dying to self we do not lose our individuality or personality. In dying to self we actually live. We don't lose our self but we find our true self in Christ. The truth is that we won't lose life, but we gain it to the fullest.

Therefore, praying the 360 degrees prayer and seeing it unfold in our life by the grace of GOD does not threaten our existence as a person. It does not squeeze out the fun from one's life. In all reality, it actually solidifies and grounds us as individuals. It makes us come alive and enables us to become fully human. It gives meaning, fulfillment and purpose to our existence. It establishes our true identity,which can be found in Christ Jesus alone.

It's easier said than done, isn't it?

Every Christ like action is preceded by a desire to live it. GOD gives us that desire and helps us to pursue it and live it.

So,
Let us not give excuses.
Let us not be threatened.
Let us not be hesitant.
Let us not be proud.
Let us not be insecure.
Let us not be discouraged.
Instead, Let us desire Christ.

The Bible reminds us that GOD gives grace to the humble. Let us humble our self and approach Him.

May we bring our brokenness, our mess, our mistakes,our weakness and our sins to Christ and see Him deliver us and breathe purpose and passion into our life. As the Bible says, "we live and move and have our being in Christ." May we acknowledge it and live everyday as a day that is centered on Christ from start to finish. May Christ the King reign and his kingdom be manifest in and through us.

I say "Amen" to the 360 degrees prayer.

Would you?

I do

2008-10-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Where would you rather be? At a friend's actual wedding Service or the reception that follows? Both are good and fun to be at.

I personally like the wedding service.

Wedding is God's idea. Every time I witness the celebration of a wedding, specifically when a man and a woman start their life together as a couple in the presence of God and people, I come out feeling blessed and happy.

Weddings are also a time when I am interrogated by some people. Statements like, "You are next, right?" "You are not growing any younger," "What kind of girl are you looking for?" or "You need to get married soon" can sometimes be frustrating to respond to, no matter how well meaning the person who asks the question intends to be.

As much as it gets tiring and frustrating to answer the same set of questions to each person, I don't loose my sleep over them. Mainly because I believe that my times are in God's hand and in His timing and by His grace all things will unfold. Worrying will not make things happen soon. In fact, it never helps in any way.

Last Friday, I was at a wedding. It was beautiful and sacred. God was acknowledged and His presence was obvious. It was awesome to see the excitement and love in the couple as they started their life together with God in the center of their relationship. On the other hand, it was tiring as I responded to people with their questions and concerns about my wedding.

In the midst of the celebration and the frustration I experienced, the phrase "I do" resonated with me. "I do" is one of the most misused phrase in weddings. People say it in their wedding vows all the time, but fail to live it out as days go by.

Why do you think people quit in relationships? I think it's because they base their love for the other on their feelings. One day its there and the next its completely gone. It's sad to see that a love that started with so many promises ending up with heartaches and regrets. It is important to remember that feelings are only one aspect of love and are not the know all and end all of love.

The pastor pointed out in his sermon, "The vows take few minutes to say, but a life time to live it." He reminded the couple and all of us who were listening that human love is conditional and selfish. On the contrary, God's love, which is agape[greek word for God's love] love is unconditional and giving.

As Christians, when we live in a relationship with God, His love fills us and spills out in our words and actions, refreshing the lives of others, bringing them warmth and comfort.

With Christ in our lives we become aware that love is not just a feeling, but it is a commitment. Love is not selfish, but it is sacrificial. In other words, when we say "I do" as Christians we are called to follow through with it even when we don't feel like it.

The truth is that our "I do's" are often taken for granted and easily forgotten. As I partook in the celebration, I was convicted and challenged in my love for others.

May God, who is love, revive our love for Him, for our self and for others. May God help us to live selflessly and sacrificially. May all our "I do's" be followed through with commitment and not waver with our feelings. May we exercise our trust and confidence in God every time someone asks us the "why?" and "when?" questions of life.

Three Questions

2008-09-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

I am at my desk at the Hospital sipping some hot “Tim Horton’s” coffee and reflecting on what had just happened today. I can't help but type my thoughts down. It’s been few hours since one of the patients had died on the operating table and I was called to provide grief and pastoral ministry to the daughter who had just heard the devastating news.

“I wish I could have spent more time with her,” “I was praying all night and all morning for her healing,” “I told her everything is going to be okay, but I wish I knew that I wasn’t going to see her again,” “What am I going to do without my mom?” “How can I live life without her?” were some of the things she said as she cried uncontrollably.

I was at a loss for words. My mind was racing and thinking through what to say and what not to say. I was feeling desperate to break the silence from my end. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours as I sat there listening to her memories of her mom and her feelings about her sudden loss. Instead of giving answers to her tough questions, which I had none anyway, I validated her feelings of shock and sadness.

In my training as a spiritual care provider I have been taught to expect the three heart wrenching questions from patients and their family members- “Why me?” “Where is God?” and “What am I going to do now?”

In the hospital where people constantly deal with anxiety, suffering, pain and loss, these questions are inevitable. But, are these questions only heard within the walls of a hospital? If we expect to hear a different set of questions outside the hospital, you and I are in for a big surprise.

Be it in a hospital, a school campus, a college party, a family gathering, among friends, in a worship service, in a business meeting or lying alone on your bed these three questions are repeated in different shapes and forms during times of tragedy, loss and despair.

These questions are not new to me. In fact, I sometimes catch myself asking one of them when my mind gets clouded with grief. For some reason, every time I reflect on these questions or hear someone ask them, it reminds me of the immensity of these questions in regards to human life.

Today, people have a tendency to discourage others from asking questions. The Bible is full of men and women who had questions that they raised to God. Asking these questions is not wrong in itself. It only exposes and affirms our humanness. But, in asking are we willing to be open for a response? The Psalmist says, “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted” (Psalm 77:1-2). We, like the psalmist, direct our questions to God. But, because of how our human relations have failed us in the past, we question God’s presence and faithfulness and refuse to be comforted.

I am sure all of us are aware by now that, human responses are limited. They disappoint us. Promises are broken and love is made conditional. The instability we have experienced from people around us have somehow shaped us into “comfort” haters. We like throwing questions at God as we face frustration after frustration, but refuse any responses from Him.

On the contrary, our God’s response is a comforting presence. In the midst of all the chaos and the feelings of loneliness, His response, unlike any human responses has been tested and proven by time. His response never changes. It is not conditional. It does not hurt. It does not disappoint. His presence is a staying presence. It never leaves nor forsakes. He weeps when we weep. He comforts even when we refuse to be comforted. He listens to our cries. He hears our pain. He knows our anxiety. He pays attention to our life. Our God, the God of the Bible, embraces us tightly in our pain and says, “I will never let you go and we are going to make it through together.” He is a God who affirms. He is a God who stays faithful to His promises.

It is interesting to see the different contexts in which people ask the three questions. Within experiences of broken relationships and loss of a loved one to failures and loneliness, questions arise. Some ask more and some ask less. I have asked many questions to God. Each difficult situation is unique and forces me to talk to Him regarding my questions, concerns and confusions. To this day, I continue to ask questions. God always gives me one response when I seek an answer. This is a response I am able to acknowledge and receive gratefully in certain occasions, but a response that I refuse to pay attention to at other times.

He speaks loudly and clearly through the Bible and says, “Trust me Sam, I am different than the others you know.” He says in His ever tender comforting voice, “O Sam, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Sam, Why would you ever complain that God has lost track of you? Why would you say He doesn't care what happens to you? Don't you know? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind” (Isaiah 40:27-31)

Friends, it is true when trouble, distress and loss chokes us and clouds our mind, it is not always easy to remember the encouraging words of our God and acknowledge His comforting presence in our life.

My prayer is that as Jesus said, “My sheep will hear my voice,” we’d hear His comforting voice as we walk through the dark valleys in life. May we always remember that there is no one like our God. May we know that He never abandons His children. May we believe from the core of our being that He stays with us and walks with us through all that life throws at us.

Almost everyday I hear from others or ask myself one of the three questions: “Why me?” “Where is God?” and “What am I going to do now?”

After the noise of all the questions settle down and I listen closely, I hear one response.

"You are not alone. I am always with you."

Just as I am

2008-09-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

I experienced a “special blessing” after the completion of my Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Michael’s Hospital. The “special blessing” was the opportunity for me to speak at my Church’s children’s retreat and lead a team from my church on a mission trip to Cape Croker, a native reserve which involved a VBS for the kids.

I call it a “special blessing” intentionally.

I love teaching kids about God’s love and grace. But, ministering to kids has not always been fun and easy for me. I have done lot of ministry around kids in the past. I was a leader in a kids camp in 2002 in Toronto, did programs with the kids in London, England 2002 and 2003, spoke in children’s services in Muscat, Oman for nearly two months in 2000 and was involved with children’s’ ministry occasionally in India prior to 2000.

When I started engaging in ministry with kids, it didn’t take me long to come to the awareness that kids intimidated me. Yes, you have heard me right – they intimidated me. My involvements with kids have always been genuine, but I struggled with anxiety of not knowing what to expect from them, fear of being disliked by them and feelings of inadequacy to impact them.

I found their honesty to be brutal at times, their inability to pay attention for more than a minute [It’s a generalization, but it was true at least in my past experiences] and their unpredictability and hyper activeness frustrated me and stretched me. I figured my ‘time outs’ from their presence were more than my time with them.

As I look back, things have dramatically changed. What happened to all the discomfort I had had around kids? What happened to the anxiety, fear and feelings of inadequacy? When did things change? How did I become comfortable around kids again?

As I reflected on it, I was reminded of how much Jesus loves children and was protective of them. He even says that we must become childlike in our faith. Jesus’ special love for the children and his interaction with them has taught me a lot. As a result, the last few years I have learnt to look at children from a different perspective. I not only minister God’s grace and love to the kids; but they also minister God’s love and grace to me and bless me in a special way. Let me explain.

Being around kids has been a tremendous blessing to me. They have taught me a lot and enriched my own relationship with Jesus. Their innocence and transparency in expressing their feelings have challenged me to get real with God and others.

Few years ago, I realized that somewhere down the line I had allowed my prayers to become sophisticated. My conversat ions with God were well rehearsed and had become very formal and stale. They lacked the rawness.I had been coming before God “as someone I wanted to be” but not “just as I was.”

When kids are brutally honest, they teach me to be honest with my own feelings with God. In other words, they teach me to be real in my relationship with God. Well, for most of us who grew up in church we have the excuse that God knows everything and we don’t have to verbalize everything to him.

In any given relationship if there is no raw talk, that is being transparent and verbalizing the feelings for what they are instead of what they should be, the relationship will be affected due to lack of authenticity.

I have learnt that being raw and real before God has strengthened my faith in God and has allowed me not to be superficial and hypocritical, but to be real. Now, I shout when i feel like shouting in God's presence, I dance, I sing, I cry, I express my joy, peace and also my fear, loneliness, frustration, anger and sadness. I come to Him "just as I am." This has helped me in my own emotional, spiritual and physical healing and growth.

Today, I can boldly say that kids do not intimidate me. I love them. They invite me into a deeper relationship with God.I take every opportunity I get to minister God’s grace and love to them very seriously. But, it doesn’t end there. I also take time to listen to what they have to teach me. Every time it’s something new or a reminder of what I have forgotten.

I love learning from the kids. May I always be open to what they have to teach me about God’s grace and love. May I always be "raw" and "real" before God trusting him with all my feelings.

May I always come before God "Just as I am."

Life Unfolds

2008-09-30T20:50:00.001-07:00

I have lots of questions about "Life."

Have you ever wondered why growth takes time? Why do we need experiences in life for maturity? What if we can be transformed like Jesus in a day, in weeks, in a month? What's up with this waiting? Why can't we grow completely in the here and now?

Well, to be completely honest with you, I have been wrestling with questions in relation to the themes like "growth," "maturity," and "patience." The poem that I am quoting helped me in my reflections.

Thank God for Scripture that continues to shed light on "Life" and "Living." Read the following poem "Life Unfolds" written by Macrina Wiederkehr, I promise you it can be a door to deeper reflections on life.

Life Unfolds

Life unfolds
a petal at a time
slowly.

The beauty of the process is crippled
when I try to hurry growth.
Life has its inner rhythm
which must be respected.
It cannot be rushed or hurried.

Like daylight stepping out of darkness,
like morning creeping out of night
life unfolds slowly
a petal at a time
like a flower opening to the sun,
slowly.

God’s call unfolds
a Word at a time
slowly.

A disciple is not made in a hurry.
Slowly I become like the One
to whom I am listening.

Life unfolds
a petal at a time
like you and I
becoming followers of Jesus,
disciplined into a new way of living
deeply and slowly.

Be patient with life’s unfolding petals.
If you hurry the bud it withers.
If you hurry life it limps.

Each unfolding is a teaching
a movement of grace
filled with silent pauses
breathtaking beauty
tears and heartaches.

Life unfolds
a petal at a time
deeply and slowly.

Jesus said, "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give you a rich and satisfying life" - John 10:10