Collaborating with God

Sorry for blogging so late.
It is so true that all of us drag to go to work or school after 2 days of resting. I remember when I was little, I hated Monday. Once a while I pretended I was sick so I could stay home. Rarely my plans were successful but also I had to pay the consequences of lying to my parents.
As I was reading the reflection today, the last paragraph that Stott wrote stood out for me. He said," our work becomes a privilege when we see it as collaboration with God." It is a great honor to be part of God's team. It is like far more privileged than appointed by US president. One thing I want to add to Stott's comment is that We are privileged and honor to be used by God by knowing us who we are in relation to Who God is. God can do everything alone. Remember God created this universe without even moving His finger. We will never fathom the magnitude of who God is therefore we are overwhelmed by the fact that He wants to share His work with us. Moreover in God's eyes there is no insignificant work as long as our hearts are right with Him and we do for the glory of God. Just to share what happen today related to our devotion today. Caleb started school last week and Jacob will start his preschool after the labor day. Before when they both attended school same days and same times, I enjoyed couple hours of ME time twice of week. Now because they attend different schools, ME time is pretty much gone. I have been in complaining mood and tired from taking care of them. Anyways, I took the kids to the play ground for late afternoon after playing a baseball with Jacob for over an hour. As I was pushing swings that Caleb and Jacob were on, I lifted up a little prayer for the boys and asked God's strength. God graciously filled me with inconceivable joy at the moment. It is truly God that granted Il and me with the wonderful gift and invited us to share in His work by raising them to be a man and a woman of faith.
I am looking forward to spending time with children because I am partnering up with God to raise Nina, Caleb, and Jacob to be the followers of Jesus Christ.

The Creation's Worship

The pictures that is painted in Revelation 4 is difficult to imagine and understand -- who are the living creatures, the twenty-four elders, etc.. But clearly John is given this revelation so that we might see that the focus of heaven is centered on the glory, and greatness of God. And the message that came out of the throne room in heaven is our meditation text: "You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being." God is worthy of our worship simply by the fact that he created us. You and I, by our sheer dependence on God for our very lives owes God praise and honor. Just as good parents are worthy of honor by their children, so God, in whom we move, and have our being, is worthy of greater honor and praise. But the question needs to be asked, 'in what ways are we honoring' God? The answer I believe is obedience. Just as children honor their parents by their obedience so we are to honor our heavenly Father through our obedience. Are we obeying the Lord?

Posted by Pastor James

holding the keys of the kingdom

"what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open"
(Revelation 3:7)

i have to respectively differ from mr. stott's understanding of this passage, in which he sees the open door as the door of opportunity for missions. i took it to mean the door to eternal life.

Jesus describes Himself as the One "who is holy and true, who holds the key of David". what is that key? i wonder if it meant the key to the kingdom of david, namely, God's kingdom, namely, eternal salvation.

"what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open" (verse 7).

right now, Jesus says to the church in philadelphia, "See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut". Jesus alone has the power and the authority to open the door to salvation. it is an open invitation to the philadelphian church to enter into eternal life, to persevere in the work of God, "to endure patiently" (verse 10).

the door will not be open forever. no one else can shut it but Jesus, but once He shuts it, no one else will ever be able to open it.

i understood this passage as both an encouragement and a warning. the time to enter eternal life is now while the door is open. there will be a time, however, when the door will be decisively shut and no amount of pleading, weeping and gnashing of teeth will induce Him to open it.

The Letter to Pergamum - Truth

The church of Pergamum stood strong amidst the paganism, satanic influences and false teachings surrounding them. Today's reflection is a good reminder on how as a church we need to stand strong for truth even amidst everything that is going on in the world around us --especially today where truth is so 'relative' in today's society. The congratulations that they received from Jesus is something we should stive for too. That one day we can also receive congratulations that we 'fought the good fight!' together. :)

Faith and works

There is always the danger of emphasizing one truth over another, to be imbalance in our spiritual life. And this is the case with regards to the issue of the relationship between faith and works. Some will rest content with the fact that they believe in Jesus and that is just about all they think they need to do. While others will rest on their works, whether that work is done at church or some social or missional organization. But what God desires from us is that our relationship to Him be characterized by both faith and works. Both are needed but for different reasons. The way I like to look at the relationship between faith and works is like that between belief and evidence. If we truly believe in Christ, the evidence for this is that our faith will produce works of love. Let us all ask ourselves this question with regard to our relationship to Jesus Christ: Are there evidences in my life, works that I do for Christ, which shows that my faith and love for him is genuine and true?

Resisting the Pressures of the World

Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned.

2 Timothy 3:13~14

In today's scripture reading (2 Timothy 3:1~17), Paul urges Timothy to continue in the same path as he learned and knows to be "profitable" because there will be terrible times in the last days.

All the things mentioned in the first part of the reading are happening all around the world, even within ourselves as we speak. I know I'm guilty of most of them if not all. More and more I realize that I'm being sucked into the pressures of the world, I feel the need to meditate on God's word because I remember in my short walk of faith that I had less fluctuation when I read the bible regularly. I slowly drifted away from that habit and I find it extremely difficult to get back into it.

My walk of faith has had a lot of ups and downs so although I know it is about time for me to stay consistent and I feel that I'm almost taking advantage of the fact that God's grace is free, but I also know that God will never stop intervening and never completely neglect his own. Now you may argue that this is doesn't justify anything and yes, I agree, but that's who He is and all I'm saying is that I refuse to make the mistake of convincing myself and think that I drifted too far and there is no way that God will forgive me AGAIN.

Although I won't bet on the fact that God will take me back because that's entirely upto Him, but I will desperately continue to hold onto the truth and acknowledge the undeniable fact that He is my Lord, my Savior and my Father.

RE: Christianity is Christ

Stott's comments on Philippians 1:21 is a much needed reminder to us all in that what's needed in the Christian life is for us to know the "surpassing value" of Jesus Christ. The key that unlocks the door to all that God has for us, is to keep growing in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The profit-loss example helps us to see what's really at stake. The comparision is Jesus Christ vs everything. And for Paul, it was Jesus Christ hands down! In fact he goes on to say that compared to Jesus Christ, "everything" is dung! And I believe, he wasn't exaggerating either.

In fact Paul entire life after his conversion was wholly devoted to proclaiming Christ. As I've said in my message on Sunday, it all comes down to whether the gospel is precious, a gospel that is everything about Jesus Christ -- his birth, his life, his ministry, his suffering, his example, his teachings, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his glory, his promises, etc. Let us join with Paul in praying, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death."

Posted by Pastor James