Christ with us

I do write a new commandment to you … for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. (1 John 2:8)

Are you still basking in the glow of Christmas? Perhaps midnight Mass was especially uplifting this year. Or a holiday concert still has you singing under your breath. Maybe you got to spend quality time with some family members you seldom see, or someone really appreciated the gift you chose for him or her.

These are all instances of “darkness passing away” so that the “true light,” the light of Christ, can shine in your life (1 John 2:8).

Sooner or later, we will take the lights off our trees. The nativity set will go back into its box for another year. We will carefully wrap the ornaments and put away the memories they represent. It’s fine to hold on to those memories, by the way, as well as the happy memories we just made this Christmas. But don’t forget what John tells us here. Lasting light is already shining. With the birth of Christ, something radically new has entered our world. Something—Someone—has filled us with hope and pointed us in a new direction. So besides looking back with gratitude, we can look forward joyfully to the day when we will be in heaven, filled with God’s grace and healed of every wound sin has ever inflicted on us.

Don’t make the mistake of boxing up the gift of Jesus’ presence and putting it away until next year—or even next Sunday. Your life may seem to go on as usual after the end of the Christmas season, but because Jesus has been born into our world and into your heart, everything is new. Nothing can ever be the same. 

It may sound like the same old commandment, “Love one another.” But because God has come to live among us, loving one another is no longer just a shining aspiration. It’s a very real possibility. Christ is in you, and he really can reach out to everyone around you. Give him the chance. It doesn’t take much to start, just a kind gesture or a word of encouragement.

“Jesus, your presence is the greatest gift of all. Help me to live in the light of your love today.”

from wau.org

What child is this?

What child is this?
that angels appear unto men
that kings seek His death
that the learned desire His audience
that makes the virgin a mother.

What child is this?
that a star heralds His coming
that prophets have spoken of His birth
that the devout have awaited
that the star traces His venue

What child is this?
that the wise troop to His cradle side
that shepherds run to worship
that makes the world go into a frenzy
thay lightens our burdens with His presence.

What child is this?
that brings eternal joy to our hearts
that makes the hosts rise up to sing; GLORIA!!
that make the songwriter pick his pen
that makes the sinner repent

What child is this?
that binds families together
that brings the lost home.
This silent night, this Holy night
this child is JESUS

Dear Man. Letter from Satan

I watched this video recently, and as a lover of poetry, I simply had to share:

I shall not want (psalm 23)

Psalm 23 is arguably one of the most recited Psalms, and I believe it’s among the first verses most of us memorized. In this Psalm, David presents to us an imagery of God being a shepherd-a job David himself was very familiar with. Other texts in the Bible, right from the old testament, for example in Ezekiel 34 where this imagery is used to rebuke the selfish leaders of Israel right through to the new testament, where Jesus refers to Himself as the good shepherd in John 10:11. So why a shepherd? Apart from the fact that this profession resonated more with the people of that era, the work of a shepherd is indeed a remarkable one. 

Any shepherd worth his trade is said to know his sheep intimately even though they all seem to look very alike. They are said to spend a considerable amount of time with their flock finding the right pasture for them, thus they build a relationship with their sheep and are said to know the names and even characters of every one of them. He knows their ewes, ram and lamb. He is able to tell when there are changes in behavioral patterns of each one of them. He observes them and can sense problems even before they develop fully.

The shepherd values his sheep. They are willing to take risks to see to the safety and well being of the sheep, protecting them from thieves and predators. I read a story of a shepherd who on one of his travels woke up at night after having a bad dream about one of his sheep. He called home and requested that, that particular sheep be checked immediately. Interestingly, that sheep required medical attention. That's how interesting and amazing the bond can be.  

The shepherd does not just value his sheep, but he loves them and this love provokes these actions for them.  For instance in 1samuel 17:34, we read of how David fights off lions in order to protect his sheep. The shepherd feeds his sheep. They are said to know the best fields to take the sheep at different times of the year, the particular kinds of grass required and when water is needed to refresh and reinvigorate his flock.  The shepherd leads his sheep. In the East it was the custom for shepherds to go before the sheep, to break up the way, to clear paths of danger, to take the safest path. He leads them beside the still waters, in straight paths, through the darkest valley.

The shepherd pursues the sheep. When a sheep is missing or straying, the shepherd does not say, “O well, I’ve got 99 left.” No, he seeks until he finds it (Lk. 15:3ff). No matter how far away, no matter how foolish the sheep has been, no matter how frequent his straying, the shepherd goes after it. 

In psalm 100: 3, we are reminded that we are God’s people, the sheep of His pasture. So as sheep of Jesus the good shepherd, we must remember that He knows us intimately and values us deeply.  We must remember that He loves us unreservedly and consistently provides for our needs. He leads us daily and orders our steps continuously. He pursues us always and desires that we remain part of His flock. David understood these facts and so was able to say “I shall not want”. Today the Lord is drawing our minds to this fact that He is our shepherd and we have absolutely no need to want. He wants us not to just recite these verses but live them.

Paul emphasizes this understanding in Phil 3:19 where he writes that my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. As the sheep is defenseless and is totally reliant on the shepherd, we need to depend on the Lord completely, understanding that He is aware and cares for our needs. As the year is drawing closer to an end, the Lord is reminding us tonight to keep on holding unto Him, the good shepherd. Regardless of the circumstance He encourages us to understand that so far as we remain with Him we shall not want. 

So what should we do as His sheep? We need to understand and remember this fact and live it. We need to be still and know that He is God. He is the shepherd of our careers, of our plans and projects, of our marriages; the list goes on and on. Examples of people who lived this fact are strewn across scripture. But one which strikes me is the widow of Luke 21:1-4, the popular story of the widow’s mite. This widow captures Jesus’ attention because she gave her all. She gave her all not out of frustration or despondence, but I believe that she gave all because she understood that her good shepherd will provide. This widow was not named and indeed she is not even mentioned past verse 4 but her action is etched in time. 

So have you forgotten about your good shepherd? Have you strayed away from His flock? Have you ignored His voice calling you home? Have you been depending on your own abilities for finding pasture and safety? He reminds us tonight of His loving role and encourages us not to be anxious because He is there, so that like David we can boldly say the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Amen.   

Before and After

One of the several ways advertising professionals market a product be it cosmetics or a workout plan, is to show the pictures of individuals before and after the use of that product. More often than not, emphasis is made on the extremely sharp contrast between the two images, all with the intention of playing on the minds of the consumer. 

Last week Sunday we celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost day. We recall the workings of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the early disciples and how the early church was brought forth. It is however striking to observe the sharp changes that occurred in the lives of the disciples that were present at that time.

Fortunately for us, as believers in this age, we have the privilege of seeing the before and after pictures of the early believers of that era, and how their lives were transformed by the descent of the Holy Spirit. 

Let’s consider the apostle Peter.  Peter was an unlearned fisherman with no training in Mosaic Law or Greek, the scholarly language of that time. He was often impulsive and zealous in his actions, and this can be seen in how he was usually the first to speak up, for instance in Matthew 16: 14-16 “¹⁴ They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ Then Jesus said to his followers, “And who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

In that same chapter, we see how he takes Jesus aside to rebuke him in Mathew 16:22.

In Matthew 26:33-35 : “³³ Peter answered, “All the other followers may lose their faith in you. But my faith will never be shaken.”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “The truth is, tonight you will say you don’t know me. You will deny me three times before the rooster crows.”

³⁵ But Peter answered, “I will never say I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.”,

We see how Peter assured the Lord that he will never leave him regardless of the circumstance. However, some few hours later, he denied Jesus three times.

Again we are reminded of his over-zealous and impulsive nature in John 18:10 : “¹⁰ Simon Peter had a sword, which he pulled out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

 

However in Acts 2, the day of Pentecost and the in subsequent chapters, we see a different image. Being enabled by the Holy Spirit, we see Peter standing before the crowds of Jewish pilgrims, convincing about three thousand of them that Jesus is the Messiah. We see Peter publicly healing the sick and boldly speaking before the Sanhedrin- the rulers, teachers and elders of the law. We read of Peter in Acts 15 addressing and directing the church in the first church council, in Jerusalem. In his letters to the churches in Asia minor in 1 and 2 Peter, we see the encouragement, guidance and wisdom he imparts to the early believers. From these we can observe was an obvious transformation of the Peter before, to the Peter after.

Saint Paul also stands out in his Before and after images. Paul was a well trained, astute pharisee, with training from Gamaliel, a renowned rabbi. In Philippians 3:5 he refers to himself as a “Hebrew of Hebrews and as being faultless in regards to legalistic righteousness”. His zeal for Judaism was manifest in his actions as he moved from place to place persecuting this new Christian movement. In Acts 26:9 he says “I too, was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth....”and he gave the stamp of approval in the killing of Stephen in Acts 7.  

However in Acts 9, we read of how Saul was transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit with his experience in Damascus. Acts 9: 17-19 reads “¹⁷ So Ananias left and went to the house of Judas. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road when you came here. He sent me so that you can see again and also be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately, something that looked like fish scales fell off Saul’s eyes. He was able to see! Then he got up and was baptized. ¹⁹ After he ate, he began to feel strong again”. The evidence of his transformation is seen through the scriptures with the many letters he wrote to the early believers and how now, we consider these writings to be pivotal in our theology, worship and pastoral life.

Many examples can be given for these Before and After scenarios from scripture and also from the lives of the saints. But the question that pertains is, can we as individuals describe our Before and after images? As we have invited the Holy spirit to come into our hearts and be stirred up in us on several occasions, how have we allowed Him to transform our lives? Are we still remaining in our old ways and comfort zones? 

Today the Lord is drawing our minds to a transformative relationship with the Holy spirit, such that our lives become totally reliant on Him. He is asking us to yield ourselves over to the Holy spirit, that we would only move when He moves. He is asking us to search the depths of our hearts and remove the barriers we have placed in His way. He is asking us to rise up and declare like Mary in Luke 1:38 that “... Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word”

I strongly believe that the transformation of Saints Peter and Paul was a gradual process, where they had to learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in carrying out the various tasks the Lord brought their way. Jesus said in John 14: 17 that “The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” Like Peter and Paul, we are being asked as Christians of this age to say yes to the promptings of the Spirit. Those promptings that urge us to give up a certain habit or share a word with a dear colleague at work or in school. Those promptings that urge us to stand in the gap and intercede in prayer for family and friends; Those promptings that urge as to volunteer at that charity or to make that financial pledge even in the midst of scarcity. For the more we learn to say yes to Him, the more we would recognise Him when He speaks.

 

Even as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit we can be assured that He will lead us to achieve the purposes that the Lord Himself has planned for our lives, and like Peter and Paul we will be true ambassadors of Christ and our before and after transformation would serve as an encouragement to others.

 I pray that we will avail ourselves everyday to the Holy Spirit and that we will consistently seek to have a deeper relationship with Him.

So shall we all pray; 

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth

 

Amen.

Acceptance

Luke 7:36-50 

This text presents to us two personalities: the Pharisee and the sinful woman. It is interesting to note that even though Jesus publicly rebukes the Pharisees in Matt 23, and obviously did not agree with their way of leading the people, yet he agreed to honor the dinner invitation from one of them and presumably went without any hesitation. What is even more striking is that even though Jesus knew that this invitation was not a genuine one and it was a trap because He was not accorded the courtesies given to welcome a guest in the Jewish tradition at that time i.e. The washing of His feet, the giving of kiss, He still decided to recline at the Pharisees table as seen in verse 36- He was relaxed in the Pharisees presence as though He was in the house of a bonafide friend. In verse 39, we are made aware of the internal monologue of the Pharisee and of how he condemned the sinful woman and Jesus, his supposed guest. After this point, Jesus begins to address him by name, Simon. 

It is interesting to see that from that time onwards the inspired writer, Luke, no longer referred to him as the Pharisee but as Simon. I believe that the Lord wants to draw our attention as members of the body of Christ to His call of evangelization by addressing our practical way of living in relation to how we welcome and accept all, into His fold. Jesus could have been equally hostile to this Pharisee but He chose to address him as a friend. He reclined at his table, and even called him by name. A reference by name connotes a certain level of relationship with a person. Jesus desired to have a relationship with Simon. Jesus desired that he did not remain as just the random Pharisee, but as Simon the Pharisee who had a relationship with Jesus. How do we respond to the people around us who we might not necessarily agree with, or who show a certain degree of hostility towards us, e.g. the gentleman or lady at work, in the class, that neighbor two blocks from you, over even in that member in the church committee you belong ? 

Today the Lord Himself lays down the template we must follow. He is asking us to reflect His accepting love to all such people. Just as He called Simon by name to acknowledge his identity and offer a hand of acceptance into His welcoming love, He calls out through us to these people we encounter. Are we ready to accept them? Again He sets an example of acceptance for us by receiving the gesture from the “sinful” woman. This was a woman who was renowned throughout the town for her sinful lifestyle. Presumably she had been shunned by the whole community but she recognised Jesus as the source of love. She sought for this love and expressed her joy at finding Him through her actions. If she had succumbed to the negative reaction from her community she would have missed the chance of encountering the Lord. In our quest to have a closer relationship with Jesus, are we being distracted by the other members of the community? Do we compare ourselves to Bro A or Sis B to the detriment of our spiritual growth? We can learn from the perseverance of this woman and continue to make Jesus our focus. In Luke 8:15, Jesus comments that through perseverance we can bear good crop. 

Again, The Lord wants to emphasize to us tonight the need to keep an open heart to accept all peoples into the Christian community. Unfortunately there are many complaints against the church today pertaining to our rejection or isolation of people from the body of Christ due to one flaw or another. How many people have been heartbroken and withdrawn by the church because they were look down upon? Like Jesus’ openness to this sinful woman, we’re being asked to be Jesus to all people. He implores us to cease the self-righteous attitude and seek to express His love to others. So in this text the two characters are placed side by side- the self righteous Pharisee and the renowned sinful woman. Jesus opened His arms to receive both of them in love. Today, the Lord is asking us to be Jesus to all people we may encounter. I pray that through the strength of the Holy Spirit, we will rise up to this task. Amen.

Worship Closet: A Perfect love song by Anita Wilson

The lyrics of this song always strikes a chord within me and I thought its worth sharing

Crucifixion type love