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

The Gate

His Love.

Being appreciative of Gods love makes you more aware of His deep seated love for you. I will like to share with you an article I read this morning:

Jesus chose to end a short discourse on the end of the world with the command to stand up straight. In essence, he tells us not to bow in fear over what might come: desolation, punishment, “terrible calamity,” or “wrathful judgment.” Don’t be afraid of these, he tells us, but stand erect, unbowed by anxiety, mistrust, alarm, or misgivings. Why? Because your redemption is at hand.

Yes, you can stand erect in the midst of calamity, if it visits you, because God is always near to you. You can stand because you are created in his image and likeness. You reflect the glory of the Lord, and no matter what you think about how you look or how well you follow Jesus, that reflection remains. He breathed his life into you in the beginning, and he has not withdrawn it! So you never have to stand alone. What’s more, you are more than just an ordinary person. You radiate the life of God in you!

When trouble strikes, remember that almighty God loves you and treasures you immensely. He loves you so deeply that he gave his only Son to save you from sin and bring you into his presence. Nothing pleases him more than to spend time with you and to speak to you. So stand erect, knowing that you are worth more to him than all the riches of the universe.

But don’t just stand. Move! You have a vital role to play in the unfolding of God’s plan. You are not an accident or a random occurrence. People depend on you. The Church needs you. The lost and unbelieving rely on you. Your witness, your words, your intercession, your service—it all makes a huge difference in this world. Even if you can’t see how, you matter!

So don’t let troubles or difficulties keep you down. You’re too important, too beloved, and too dignified to let them get the upper hand. Instead, stand up straight, look to your Father, and see what he is doing today. Then move forward, helping prepare for the day when the Son of Man comes “with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).

“Jesus, I believe in your love for me. I will stand erect and raise my head today, ready to advance your kingdom in this world.”

from wau.org

You're invited

You’re invited! The God of the universe is inviting you—personally! He says to you, “Come, dine with me. Sit next to me, and talk with me.” Let that invitation sink in. God wants to share his thoughts with you. Not only that, but he is inviting you to share your thoughts with him. He is eager to spend time with you—not just at the banquet of the Mass but in daily prayer and in simple conversation as you go through your day.
It’s easy to be occupied mentally, to be busy physically, to have excellent reasons why “now” is not a convenient time. Still, God is inviting you! He’s worth rearranging your schedule, just as you would cancel all your other appointments if you were invited to a state dinner or if you had the chance to meet your favorite performer backstage. So ask the Lord to stir your heart once again today, so that you can accept his invitation, even at the expense of the other good things you have to do.

from wau.org