God did it!

I was reading through Acts 2, and the thought that hit me was that "God did it!". It was unmistakably a "God-thingy". Then I thought of my life: How much of my life is a "God-thingy" or a "my-thingy"? I concluded that it was majority a "my-thingy" because I do not really notice God working around me. It is me, me, me and more me! 

Bill Hybels likes to use this phrase a lot when he notices something God did: "Only God!" I like that. May we all learn more and more to take notice of God's silent hands at work around us...and exclaim, "Only God!"

Even More

I touched on the parable of the lost sheep as found in Luke 15:1-7 during my message last sunday. I came to this conclusion: People matter to God...but people outside God's Kingdom matter EVEN more! 

I did not like that conclusion when I first made it. I felt that it was, well...unfair to faithful believers of God. Why should God care more about those outside God's kingdom and not His own children? It's like going into all the world to help and save the millions of homeless in the world but neglect your own children. 

Nevertheless, that's what it means in the parable. Care more about the lost and rejoice more when they enter into the Kingdom of God when they repent. Rejoice even more than those who faithfully live the Biblical lifestyle. Rejoice even more than those in the Christian family. 

Hard to swallow? How do you figure this out? This is a toughie. 

What's really underneath us...3Ds?

Currently, the floors in my house are being laminated. As I watched the workers pull out the carpets, that was the first time I saw what was beneath it...and it's not pretty! After being wrapped up like that for so long, not seeing sunlight, it just got dull, dusty and dirty (3Ds).

That reminded me about sin that is kept bottled up in us. When sin is not let out by confession and the "carpets" covering it not pulled away, out heart die a slow death...it gets easier the next time round to do wrong and eventually it becomes habitual. That's why we are told to confess our sins (1 John 1:9) and not deny it or hide it away under our layers of carpet skin (1 John 1:10). Or else, our hearts become dull to sin, dusty with "dust" from the world and making us feel dirty. (consider Psalm 32:1-5).

My floor is being covered with new laminated wooden flooring. It is beginning to look real good. Furthermore, the bedroom feels cooler too. My wife says, its because the wooden floor is cooler than a carpeted floor. So, let's all stay cool...

Materialism - we have it too!

We have more the spirit of materialism in us than we care to admit. Just looking at the things I have in my own home is proof enough. I have more clothes and ties than I can wear in a month. I tend to look at and read about the latest gadget out in the market to "help us save time". My store room is full of things I rarely or never use anymore. 

King Solomon (supposedly the wisest man in his time) once indulged himself in an extreme experiment in real life. He put it this way: "“Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure…” (Ecclesiastes 2:10). That's as good a description of the materialistic outlook as it can get. 

Joseph Stowell makes a sharp observation about materialism:

The real point of materialism is

• Not how much we have, but what has us.
  
• Not what we hold, but how tightly we hold it.
  
• Not what we have, but how we got it.
  

If I think about this seriously enough, it gets pretty uncomfortable. How much of a grip does materialism have in our lives? Does it matter? 

Money, money, money...

There was a time when I had to live by faith. I went to serve as a missionary on MV Doulos of Operation Mobilisation. Going out without a guaranteed support was scary and I was only in my early 20s. Yet, God provided faithfully during the two years away. My support was met all the time. For that, I was very grateful. Even though I did not have much money when I was on board the ship, yet I had learnt to tithe and continued to do so. It was actually quite a miserably small sum...which I would be embarrassed to mention. 

But this reminds me of the story of the poor widow in Mark 12:41-44. She gave out of her poverty and Jesus loved it...far more than the big givings of the rich. Jesus said she put in all that she had. That is really challenging and also disturbing. Does that mean, we need to do the same? Does it mean that we should give until we hurt? What do you think?

Desiring to be better...

I wish I was more holy than I appear to be. It is easy to put up a mask of "holiness" as long as we don't spend too much time with people. It is hard, though, to be continuously good because somehow the old man (flesh) do hit us from the side when we least expect it.

I was thinking of this at the traffic lights at Queen Elizabeth Hospital today and a thought came to me. A love for God will motivate us to desire holiness but a fear of God will make and keep us holy. Consider this verse from the Bible:

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3:7)

"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)

What is this fear of the Lord? Let me ponder more on this and see where it leads us...

Esteeming God

I think I have been guilty of taking God too casually. Thinking of God as a buddy just don't seem to cut it for the God who is so other compared to me. He is so much more holier, powerful and exalted.

A.W. Tozer says that what we think about God is the most important thing in life. I agree. So, if we think wrongly about God, we err seriously in life. But if we think rightly about God, it will make a huge, positive difference.

So, I am now trying to think of God with greater respect and awe.

What brought this about? I was attending the funeral of a friend and standing at the casket saying my last goodbye surfaced all kinds of feelings. Among it was my own creatureliness...how fragile life is.

My only comfort was to place my hope in God and esteeming Him as the One in full control.