Posts from — July 2010

“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” -Hosea 6:3 (NIV)

While I was working at a summer camp in western Ontario, we once had three consecutive days of unbearable heat. The moment we stepped out of our cabins, it would feel like we stepped into a desert! Compounding this was the fact that the campground, although quite beautiful, was also quite large. It required a lot of walking to get from one point to the other. One can imagine how exhausting it must have been to do camp activities under such circumstances. I could see on the sweaty and fatigued faces of child and counsellor alike that we all hoped for rain. When it came the next day however, all of us greeted God’s provision with jubilation and ecstasy. Regular activities were brought to a halt as everyone allowed the cooling rains to soak every bone in their bodies. We even brought out small cups to collect raindrops and throw them on each other! Although naturally I caught a cold after our adventure in the rain, it was completely worth it!

We all go through times where our situations seem too difficult to bear. Hoping to find deliverance, we look in many places, only to find that they can bring only temporary relief. Such faulty remedies do not adequately deal with our situations and leave us in our despair. At other times, in order to escape the heat of our circumstances, we look for shelter. Thinking that we have found where we need to be, we don’t realize that the shelter we have chosen is ready to come crashing down on us at any moment. When that time comes, we are left destitute and broken. But God promises in His word that He will bring relief and provision to those who call upon His name and acknowledge Him. Like the refreshing rains, He will bring peace and restoration for the parched soul. The once previously barren gardens of our lives will flourish and teem with life. However, God gives us choices. We can choose to acknowledge Him or to reject Him. If we reject Him, we will have to go through this life on our own; trusting our limited wisdom and wandering through the desert of our circumstances chasing one unfulfilling mirage after another. But if we choose Christ and are in complete dependence on Him, He will be faithful in His promises to provide for those who call upon Him and we will rest in the assurance that He is always faithful.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” -Romans 1:20 (NIV)

I was never one inclined to the study of mathematics. However, after learning about fractals, I never looked at trees the same way again. In essence, fractals are progressively miniature replications, though not exactly the same, attached to a shape that serves as the original model. We can see this sequence in trees where a tree trunk splits into two large branches, which then each split into two smaller branches, and so on. The fascinating thing is that it is universal in all trees. It is beautiful to observe! Even snowflakes and plants, such as ferns, follow this pattern. This fact continues to remind me that God does nothing without reason, and governs the world through principles and laws that are derived from His perfect wisdom and character.

Some use creation to disprove God. Others go towards the other extreme and worship creation as God. But if anything, creation’s intended purpose was to point heavenward towards God. From the created world around us, we can obtain so many truths about God’s character, and how He expects us to live as His children. Jesus knew this full well. He implored those who heard His words to be as industrious as an ant, and as carefree as a sparrow who finds rest in God’s provision. However, we cannot ignore the fact that creation, although it has retained some of its primordial splendour, is largely fallen. We can see clearly that death, physically and by sin, has tainted the created order. This was not meant to be. When God sent His son to die on the cross for the sins of humanity, it was to inaugurate a restorative mission that would not only redeem man, but all of creation as well. In the new world which will come after Christ’s second coming, the lion will sleep with the lamb, and the infant will be able to put his hand into the snake’s den without being harmed. Creation bears testimony to the power and wisdom of God, and can open our eyes to His truths and His plan of salvation for the world. But it is only by acknowledging the Creator, Jesus, as our personal Lord and Saviour will we be able to partake of the restored world that is to come.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“A man reaps what he sows.” –Galatians 6:7b (NIV)

Some have taken the Biblical idea of reaping what we sow as equivalent to the Hindu concept of karma. However, there is one fundamental difference. Karma is tied to the idea of reincarnation; that when we die we are reborn into another life on Earth. Under the idea of karma, the actions of our previous lives determine the consequences in our present lives. Not only is this is unfair, because essentially we have to bear the consequences of wrong actions that were committed in a previous life that we cannot even recollect, but it also becomes hard to attach responsibility. There is no way to determine whether or not the consequences we face in the present, good or bad, are a result of actions committed by ourselves in the present, or by a former self in our past lives. The system of karma can also give license to someone to indulge in sin in the present, with the nominal acceptance that they will pay it off in their next lives. Thus, it can be easy to dodge responsibility for our present actions.

But the Bible is very clear. According to Hebrews 9:27 man is destined to die once and stand before God’s judgment seat. The consequences that we face in the present are not attributed to actions, pure and wicked, committed in a supposed previous life, but those committed in the here and now. Responsibility for our actions is squarely placed on what we have done in the single, present life that God has given us and we will pay for those actions in this life as well. It is paramount therefore that we be careful in our actions. If we sow the seeds of sin, folly, and wickedness in our lives, do not be surprised when the damaging consequences of our actions come knocking at our door. God allows us to endure the ramifications of sin now so that we would reconcile ourselves to Him. In doing so, we realize our need to pursue righteousness only by walking closely with Him and relying on His constant help and grace. Conversely, God rewards those who sow virtue and purity. We can take great comfort in the fact that He will bless the faithful who have been obedient to His Word and continue to persevere in living in love and integrity. When we walk closely with Christ, our eyes will be opened to what we are sowing and, with His wisdom and guidance, we will be able to reap a harvest of righteousness even in times where turmoil surrounds our lives.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” -1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)

Sometimes, the road which God has called us to walk can become hard to endure. Despite our faithfulness and diligence, obstacle after obstacle, and discouragement after discouragement, seem to be our only rewards. In the face of such adversity, it is easy to lose hope. We begin to question why we are even on this path and look for ways to escape. But as the prophet Jonah would find out centuries before us, running away from our problems is not the solution. God, with gentleness and firmness, will always bring us back to the point where we will have to confront the mission which He has laid out for us.

When God has placed us in situations, it is not without reason. Although we may not see it immediately because of the limits of our human perception, God is fulfilling His perfect will for our lives and for others. He never calls us to a task only to watch us fall. It would go against His nature, and His promise to never abandon us. Our role is to simply carry on the work He has called us to do and trust Him in His divine plan. When we encounter hard times and the pressure is against us, it is in these moments where our faith in Him who is able to overcome will be strengthened; that is if we continuously hold on to Christ. Resting in His promises to always catch us when we fall and that any good work done in His name will not return void, will encourage us when hardship seems to be our lot. By standing on the promises of God we will be able to labour diligently and joyfully knowing that victory belongs to Him. In this assurance, we will be able to enjoy watching His plan unfold before us and stand in awe of His infinite wisdom.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” -1 John 4:20 (NIV)

In my teenage years, I never understood Christians. I understood and loved Christ, or at least I thought I did, but not His followers. Seeing the decadence, hypocrisy, and coldness of some who called themselves Christians, I slowly developed a distrust and aversion for anyone who claimed to be a follower of Christ. I thought I was living the Christian life and honouring God by obeying His teachings and witnessing to my non-Christian friends. But God had to show me that if I was accusing Christians of being hypocrites, I was guilty of that sin as well. I claimed to be a child of God while refusing to obey His call to love unconditionally; a love that was to extend to everyone regardless of who they were and what they have done, for I myself am in need of God’s grace! He had to teach me how to love as He did and bring me to the realization that unconditional love does not pick favourites.

God is love. John 3:16 doesn’t say, “For God so loved this people…” or, “For God so loved that group…”. It says that, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that those who believe in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” His redeeming sacrifice was meant for all because He sees everyone, past, present, and future, as having intrinsic worth and deserving of His love and grace. He will never close the doors of salvation on anyone. Therefore, there can be no room for hatred in the hearts of His children. Not only will hatred suffocate us and deprive us from enjoying the life God has given us to the fullest, it will also harm our witness for Christ. When we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour we enter into a process where, through His help, we conform ourselves to His likeness. This means to surrender all our inhibitions and simply love those around us regardless of their identity and their past actions. In doing so, we will see all people as Christ sees them; as being equal in bearing the image of God, and equal in their need of His grace. Anyone can hate, and anyone can show love to those who will reciprocate that love. But it takes Christ to help us love those who seem to us as being unlovable. If we truly love God, we must ask Him to help us love unconditionally as He has done for us. This in turn will show the world that His wellspring of love will never run dry.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.” -Psalm 112:5 (NIV)

Our culture has taught us to be tight-fisted. When we have been fed with subtle messages which tell us to essentially hoard as much as we can and trust no one, we tend to become rather insular in our giving. Consequently, generosity is looked down upon as a sign of weakness and naivety because it requires us to open ourselves and all that we have; thus making us susceptible to manipulation and exploitation. Since we don’t want that to happen, we harden ourselves and become guarded in an effort to protect what we have and our self-esteem. Why should we open ourselves only to get trampled on? But, when we have built our sense of ease on material things, the distrust and possessiveness we have fostered will only cripple us.

God has implored us to be good stewards of what He has graciously given to us. In response, our stewardship should lead us to generously give to others all that is truly His. He loves a cheerful giver; one who gives out of love and concern of the other while not expecting anything in return. It is how Christ loves us. He was generous with Himself by sacrificing His own life in order to pay for our sins so that we may be free from its shackles and have eternal life. Therefore, there can be no room for avarice in the heart of the child of God. When we begin to see that nothing truly belongs to us and that everything really belongs to God, we will know the weight of our so-called treasures in relation to God’s eternity. All our wealth and possessions will count as nothing to us and when we surrender them to God, we will be able to be a blessing to others and find that we too will be blessed. We will also be reminded of the importance of not taking advantage of other people’s charity. Just as we cannot take advantage of the grace of God by deliberately persisting in our sin, we cannot abuse those who graciously extend the hand of kindness. When the Spirit of God has consumed our lives, we will be able to be obedient to His calling on our lives to be generous with what we have and to likewise act with integrity when under the benevolence of someone else. By doing this, we will show to those around us that the God we serve is one of compassion and justice.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” -Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Materialism is a lie. It promises us security and the perfect lifestyle through the accumulation of wealth and possessions. But rarely does it deliver on its promises. If anything, it makes us more insecure over that fact that we don’t own enough. When we are governed by materialism we are always chasing the proverbial carrot; ignoring everything else and never being completely satisfied. Materialism teaches greed, and greed is never content with what it has. It will do anything to accumulate more, even if it is at the expense of ourselves and those around us. We trade everything, including the things that materialism is supposed to promise, for a false sense of security that will unravel itself the day when all our wealth and possessions are gone.

There is nothing inherently wrong in trying to better yourself. However, if our whole lives revolve around the pursuit of money and material wealth, we will be trapped in a cycle that will never bring us true happiness. Where our treasures are, our hearts will be there as well. Yet why is the draw of materialism so appealing? In a world that is often chaotic and confusing, we yearn for a sense of security and comfort. Seeking to meet these needs through material things is tempting because they are tangible. We can see them, feel them, and therefore keep track of them. But we were not meant to find our security and worth in things that will pass away. We were meant to find it in the eternity of God our Creator. However, when we deliberately chose sin we separated ourselves from Him. Yet in His perfect love and compassion for us, He sought to redeem us through His death and resurrection so that sin’s grip over our lives may be broken and our relationship with Him would be secured. When we willingly choose to be a part of His family, our satisfaction and security will be complete knowing that our rest is found in our eternal Heavenly Father who will never abandon or forsake us.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.