" I thought if this life is still intact then you really don't have a, a launching pad, a starting off point. But, if the most precious thing is taken away from you and your stability is asked, your best years supposedly have come and gone and you're alone. Alone full of grief, full of rage, full of anger, you know, what do I do now? What's the last chapter of my life? There is your starting off point. And I think that people need a mountain to climb. And I also read about a few men who, you know, in their late 50s, who decided to climb the seven largest peaks in the world just to, you know, do it. Well this is literally going out and trying to find a mountain to climb, which is going to really change, not just his life, but the lives of the people around him. "

-Sylvester Stallone

Isaiah 5
A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard

My Well Beloved has a vineyard
On a very fruitful hill,
He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard,
What more could have been done to My vineyard
That I have not done in it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes,
Did it bring forth wild grapes?
-Isaiah 5:3-4

How is it that is His people have become worldly or secularized? They are doing things after the world, changing their thinking because of the world. The world seems to have more influence on us than we are on it. We are secularized when we become too comfortable with the Lord that we really do not have any passion for God. Bible teaches that we should be miserable with the world, not miserable as we spread gloom where ever we go, but here’s what I am saying, as a believer, never become satisfied with the world and the way things are. We should be distasteful! But I’m sorry to say that I don’t see that often in the modern world that we live in! Something is missing! In the book of Esther, God’s people have become worldly and are worshipping pagan gods. And God turned them over to captivity, and they were taken into Babylon for 70 years. Interesting note that the captivity in Egyptian slavery is different from the Babylon captivity. In Egypt the people are starved, beaten and tortured, but notice how it became more different under the rule of king Nebuchadnezzar, the people were given status and allowed to own homes, and even allowed to hold positions, attend school with the Babylonians, have all the rights they have, only that they are considered second class. And so the people became comfortable, and they even have the protection of the Babylonians and so they had a peaceful life over there. And the people became so settled to the point that 70 years after their captivity, when they were given the opportunity to go to Jerusalem and leave Babylon, they had become so comfortable that the bible says that only a few left while a majority of the Israelites stayed. And this is a call for concern, u asked why so? The bible predicts in the last days the people in church will become too comfortable with their riches, with their goods, with their jobs, with their cars, with their positions and actually what will happen to them is that they will become too comfortable till when its time to go home, they really won’t be able to do that because they have settled in Babylon.

Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity,
And sin as if with a cart rope;
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!
-Isaiah 5:18.20-21

Woe to those who join house to house;
They add field to field,
Till there is no place
Where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land!
In my hearing the LORD of hosts said,
“ Truly, many houses shall be desolate,
Great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant.
For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath,
And a homer of seed shall yield one ephah.”
Woe to those who rise early in the morning,
That they may follow intoxicating drink;
Who continue until night, till wine inflames them!
The harp and the strings,
The tambourine and flute,
And wine are in their feasts;
But they do not regard the work of the LORD,
Nor consider the operation of His hands.
-Isaiah 5:8-12

In other words, the people are too familiarized with materialism. They laid one house and they laid another one. If they got this house they will be happy, and when they got another house, they will be happy. And they buy land because they are insecure because they are afraid they will lose it if they don’t get it. Sounds familiar to the generation we are living in? We are all working hard to accumulate more, how to get more, how to attain more. Ever do we have the time to lay them aside and say, “I want more of you!” Verse 11 is saying partying, partying, partying all the time, we are running constantly with the music, with the wine and the drink. But it’s really talking about Christians who are going from one function to another, one entertainment to another, one pleasure to another, and they never have time for the Lord!

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
-C.S Lewis

Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger — according to the way you react to it.Now is our chance to choose the right side.

God is holding back to give us that chance. It won't last forever. We must take it or leave it.

Last call.

"When everybody's in and you're left out
And you feel you're drowning in the shadow of a doubt
Everyone's a miracle in their own way
Just listen to yourself, not what other people say."

- Jon Bon Jovi/Richie Sambora

 

Shattered Drreams

 “Whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you.” –Romans 15:24

One of the most agonizing problems within our human experience is that few, if any, of us live to see our fondest hopes fulfilled. Is there anyone of us who has not faced the agony of blasted hopes and shattered dreams?

In Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians, we see this vexing problem of disappointed hopes: “Whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you.” One of his ardent hopes was to travel to Spain where, at the edge of the then known world, he might further proclaim the gospel. On his return he wished to have personal fellowship with the group of Roman Christians. I can imagine his excitement, his quickening of heart with joy, his anticipation with glee. His preparations now centered in carrying the gospel to the capital city of Rome and to Spain. What a glowing hope stirred within Paul’s heart!

But then again, Paul, never got to Rome according to his pattern of hopes. He was indeed taken there but as a prisoner and was held captive in a little prison cell. Nor did he ever walk the dusty roads of Spain, nor look upon its graceful sceneries, nor watch its busy coastal life. He was put to death, we presume, as a martyr for Christ in Rome. Paul’s life is a tragic story of a shattered dream.

Life mirrors many similar experiences. Who has not set out toward some distant Spain, some momentous goal, or some glorious realization, only to realize that at the end he has to settle for much less? Just like Paul, there are many who never walk as free men through the streets of our “Rome”, instead, circumstances decree that they live within little confining cells. Like Abraham, we too sojourn in the land of promise, but so often we do not become “heirs with him of the same promise.” Always and always and always our reach exceeds our grasp.

Ever present in human history, we see this pattern of life repeats itself. Mahatma Gandhi, after struggling for years to achieve independence, saw a bloody religious war between the Hindus and the Moslems. The subsequent division of India and Pakistan shattered his heart’s desire for a united nation. Woodrow Wilson died before realizing the fulfillment of his consuming vision of League of Nations. Steve Irwin, also known as the Crocodile Hunter, died a from a freak incident.
Bringing it closer to the bible, Jesus, after praying in the garden of Gethsemane that the cup may pass, nonetheless, drank to the last bitter dregs. And the Apostle Paul repeatedly prayed that the “thorn” might be removed from his flesh, but the pain and the annoyance continued to the end of his days.

Shattered dreams are hallmark of our mortal life.

Every now and then i guess we will think realistically about that one day where we fall victim to what i call one's mortality, our life's final common denominator - death. Every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said of me?" 

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, I will tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say.

Tell them not to mention that I have made many accimplishments, that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards, that's not important. Tell him not to mention where I went to school.

I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Ma ZhengXuan, tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Ma ZhengXuan, tried to love somebody. I want you to be able to say that day, that I did try, in my life, to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." - Marin Luther King Jr.

Strength of a Man

So with the Lord He takes and He refuses;
Finds Him men whom others deny.
Neither strong ones nor mighty he chooses;
But such as John, or Gideon or I.
- F.B. Meyer

“Be strong and courageous”, an imperative that has occurs many times in the bible. The verb “be strong” when translated means, “play the man”. The Jewish scholars who first translated the Hebrew bible to Greek rendered with a corresponding Greek word, andridzomai. Paul borrowed the verb and made significant use of it when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “…Play the man, be strong.” The verb, andridzomai, is passive and in that context would be rendered” be made strong.” I think Paul understood well, the only way to be a man is to be made that way.

It's only the weak that can be made truly great. The strong bluster and get in God’s way; the strong can't be trusted with greatness. This principle is best illustrated in the story of Gideon, an ordinary man whom God made extraordinarily strong.

One day, the Angel of the Lord came and sat down at the oak in Ophrah, and said to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.” Now look, Gideon was then found threshing wheat in the winepress. Gideon was greatly afraid of the Midianites, and he had to hide there to save his grain crop. He was a cowardly and insecure man, and he replied saying,” O my Lord (Jesus in angel form), how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The Lord shrugged of Gideon’s retort and said, "Go in the strength of yours and save Israel out of Midian's hand". I sat contemplating this point, for indeed, what is the strength in Gideon that You say he shall go. What strength? Gideon has none! He was the least in his household, he was insecure and greatly afraid. He was nobody. Exactly! Suddenly it dawned upon me and I came to realize that was his strength. He has nothing.

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," I think he was dead wrong. It's the absence of fear that we should fear. Fear is the natural human reaction to any difficult or dangerous undertaking, and God does not condemn it. BUT He does not want us to be dominated by fear. Jesus’ consistent word to His disciples is,” Don’t be afraid.” You know what this means, it is to say, “ Don’t keep on fearing.” God can turn our fear into strength; from weakness we are made strong.

It was about that time that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the people from the east conducted one of their annual raids and encamped in the valley of Jezreel Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, who mustered his clan, along with the three tribes of Israel located in that vicinity -- Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali… Judges 6:33-35

Here we began to see Gideon having nerve failure, something that often happens on the eve of doing the thing we fear. Gideon asked for a sign that God was still with him. Twice Gideon asked for something contrary to nature, but God met Gideon where he was, giving him the assurance he needed. I think God acceded to his request because He knew the demand on Gideon's faith was greater than he could bear. Faith is a growing thing. We grow from faith to faith as Paul said and as the disciples prayed for an increment in faith. Jesus said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.”

The next scene God, wanting to teach Gideon to operate on his strength, stripped him of every human resource. But knowing the state of his fledgling faith he gave him another assurance: "If you are afraid to attack, go down to the enemy camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they're saying" - Judges 7:10 And of course we know that Gideon was afraid, and so he and his servant made their way under cover of darkness to the outskirts of the camp where they heard two soldiers discussing a dream: one of them had seen a round barley loaf roll into camp and flatten their commander's tent. The barley loaf was none other than Gideon.

In the gathering of these crowds of warriors, in the notoriety he had achieved, in the loyalty of the three hundred, there was much to inflate his pride. Therefore God had to bring him face to face with himself. He was only a cake of barley bread at the best. Before God can uplift, use, and anoint us, He must show us what we are, humbling and emptying us, bringing us into the dust of death. Before God can use thee to work a great deliverance, He must convince thee of being only a cake of barley bread. – F.B Meyer

Here I will show you a revelation. Remember the feeding of the 5000, we see a miracle of a little made much. Gideon is a "five barley loaves, and two small fishes" which God uses to topple a tent, or a kingdom, to demolish strongholds. - 2 Corinthians 10:4

And the story ends with Gideon making an end route of the Midianites and resounding victory of the Lord.

Just like Uzziah, Gideon was greatly helped until he became strong. - 2 Chronicles 26:15

"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies"
- Hebrews 11:32-34

I only ask one thing of Thee;
Give Thou Thyself and all is given
I am not strong nor brave nor wise;
Be Thou with me -- it shall suffice.
- Annie Johnson Flint

 

Encouragement to myself

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way." -Psalms 37:23

"...those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." -Hebrews 6:12

You told me not to give up, You said I am to get my hands on the plough and hold on, for I am to build a tabernacle in the wilderness.

Thanks Jon, what you said to me was in sync with what He has spoken to me. I almost walked out.






 

By God's grace I am what I am

The bravery of God in trusting us! The way we continually talk about our own inability is an insult to the Creator. Yet many times I bemoan my own incompetence. Like Paul, who says he is the least worthy of the apostles, who am not fit or deserving to be called an apostle, I do have my pangs of insecurities and doubts.

Jesus Christ's life was an absolute failure from every standpoint but God's. Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death; He led every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. But what seemed failure from man's standpoint was an emphatic triumph from God's, because God's purpose is never man's purpose.

"… And they understood none of these things."- Luke 18:34

Seems so for the baffling call of God in our lives too. The call of God is like the call of the sea; no one hears it but the one who has the nature of the sea in him. The test is really to trust and to believe that God knows what He is after. The things that happen do not happen by chance, they happen entirely in the decree of God. God is working out His purposes.

I believe in a divinity to shapes our end. But who can grasp this truth? As we go on in the Christian life, we are inclined to say,” Why did God allow this and that?" But the thing is when we recognize that He is taking us into His purposes; we shall no longer try to find out what His purposes are. A Christian is one who trusts the wits and the wisdom of God, and not his own wits.

"For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome." - Jeremiah 29:11

There is only one relationship that matters, and that is your personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. Let everything else go, but maintain that at all costs, and God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God's purposes, and yours may be that life. Amen.

"His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain." - 1 Cor 15:10


 

He never insisted on having authority; He never says," Thou shalt..." He leaves us perfectly free; so free we can spit in His face, as men did; so free we can put him to death; as men did; and He will never say a word. Though Heir of all things, the Prince of the kings of the earth, He was despised and rejected of men,” a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief".

What a descent His love to us compelled him to make! O see how low He fell to lift us from our fall! God's own Son, heaven's darling and earth's Prince, and He was now a lowly man of Nazareth... sits there and wear the cruel chaplet which wounds both mind and body at once. For us He became a lamb, for us he laid aside His glory,

O head so full of bruises!
Brown that its lifeblood loses!
O great humility.
Upon His face are falling
Indignities most galling;
He bears them all for me.

Me...?
I...?
Ah, its one of those nights when cynical thoughts came...
When my confidence waver...
When doubts assailed...
When I seem to lost myself...

We say, He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing in me; I am not of any value. The bravery of Him in trusting us! That is why He chose you. As long as you think there is something in you, He cannot choose you because you have ends of your own to serve. But if we allow Him to let us into the end of our suffiency, there and then He can bring with us to Jerusalem, and that would mean the fulfillment of the purpose He would not discuss with us.

I am always apt to say because a man has natural ability and talent, therefore he will make a good Christian. But contrary to that, it is our poverty and not our equipment; not of what we bring with us. but of what He puts in us; strength, knowledge and experience of our own is of no avail to this matter. He can do nothing with the man who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not out for our own cause at all, we are out for the cause of God, which can never be our cause. We do not know what God is after, but we have to maintain our relationship with Him whatever happens.

" Then He took the twelve aside and said to them... but they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken." Luke 18:31-34

What is it You see in me
That makes You believe
No matter how far I stray
I will still find the way
Just when I think I'm not strong enough
You reach out to me and You lift me up



Time and time again
When I think I've reached the end
It's Your voice I hear
That draws me near
I don't know what makes You stay
When I act this way
No matter what we've been through
I can turn to You

Just when I think I'm not strong enough
You reach out to me and You lift me up
You find the beauty in my imperfections
The guiding light in all my misdirection
And when I think You've finally given up
You fill my heart with unconditional love


One thing You have asked me to look after, the relationship we have, I will not forget.
And I thank you.

 

Purpose of Sorrow

"Happy are those who know what sorrow means, for they will be given courage and comfort." -J. B. Phillips

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. The word "mourn" has more then just a reference to sorrowing over a loved one; it includes all those experiences in life where we may feel crushed, broken or sorrowful.

You ask," Has the Lord allowed me to go through deep waters?" "Why should people who are caught up in the throes of distressing and sorrowful experiences be happy? But indeed the joy of the Lord is our strength. Yes, the joy of the Lord is our strength. David knew who his God is and proclaimed,” Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" He came with the revelation of who God is, and there he ran towards Goliath from Gath, which speaks of oppression, and with a slingshot he felled the giant. If we want to get ahead in life, we need to fight some giants. God doesn't leave us alone to fight, He gave us His Word, the sword of the Spirit; just as David went against Goliath, he has the Word. He has to use the sword to cut Goliath head. God sent out His word to prepare us, to equip us.

When we are willing to experience sorrow and grief, then God is able to use these encounters to sensitise our spirits. Strength does not come from mountain peaking experiences but from every valley experience. I am, indeed, greatly fear this truth. I realised that they make me more concerned about myself than about others. However Scripture tells us that God permits pressure for a purpose, and that sorrow and grief will produce tremendous benefits in our lives. But provided we let them! They are worth much, much more than they cost.

Asaph says in the Psalms 81, with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you. We all know honey doesn't come from rock. For indeed out of the hardest place of our lives, that is where honey flows out. The joy comes from resisting come what may.

He is the rock of salvation, the stone of deliverance. Amen.

Father, how tragic that, down the centuries, so many have got Your truth the wrong way round - they have tried to follow Your principles before first knowing You in Person. Help me never to go wrong here - ever.

The Experience Must Come

"And he saw him no more."-2 Kings 2:12

There will always be an Elijah in our lives. It is not wrong to depend upon Elijah as long as God gives him to you, but remember the time will come when he will have to go; when he stands no more to you as your guide and leader, because God does not intend he should.
You say, "I cannot go on without Elijah." God says you must.

Verse 14 speaks of Jordan, which is the type of separation where there is no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one can take the responsibility for you. You have to put to the test now what you learned when you were with your Elijah. You have been to Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are up against it alone. It is no use saying you cannot go; this experience has come, and you must go. If you want to know whether God is the God you have faith to believe Him to be, then go through your Jordan alone.

Verse 15 speaks of Jericho, which is the place where you have seen your Elijah do great things.
When you come to your Jericho you have a strong disinclination to take the initiative and trust in God, you want someone else to take it for you. If you remain true to what you learned with Elijah, you will get the sign that God is with you.

Verse 23 speaks of Bethel where you will find yourself at your wits' end and at the beginning of God's wisdom. When you get to your wits' end and feel inclined to succumb to panic, don't; stand true to God and He will bring His truth out in a way that will make your life a sacrament.
Put into practice what you learned with your Elijah, use his cloak and pray. Determine to trust in God and do not look for Elijah any more.