Learning His Ways

Exodus 33:7-17; Psalm 103:7

"The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.... If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways...." (v. 11, 13)

"He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel."

I remember in college during a philosophy class where we were discussion about sending a clock back to the early ages of man. If the time of history was when sundials were used, would man learn anything more about time if they stumbled across a 20th century clock? Would they learn anything about how a clocked worked?

Probably not. They would need to take time to look at it carefully, learn as much as possible, and then hopefully they will learn to open it without breaking it. Once opened and undamaged would they have a chance to learn about the clock. They will then need more time to learn how it worked.

Without acquiring any further knowledge, the clock would only be as useful as their sundial (other than the fact that it is portable if it was a small clock). In their eyes, it may simply be an ugly looking sundial.

Do we see God in these similar eyes as well? We are so eager to seek God when a particular action is required. Most of our prayers are about blessing us, our family, our homes, our work, our health, our food, and anything we seek or need. We tend to focus on the things that God had done in the past, the present, and hopes for the future. How about God Himself? How much time do we seek to know Him more? To know His thoughts and ideas? After all, God does provide, but He our Father to whom our image was created from. He seeks our fellowship... our relationship.

Let's decide to spend more time with Him. Especially during the Christmas season, let us remember how God indeed loved us so much that He sent His only Son. Let us focus on this love and spend time with Him.

Bodies as Living Sacrifices

Romans 12:1-8

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in a view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." (v. 1)

I was given additional responsibilities at work that included an expansion of a new department. I was given the responsibility of developing and maintaining all college web sites and services. A major accomplishment we had completed was the implementation and enhancement of a content management system. In selling the concept, I had to explain the separation of duties: presentation, structure, and content. The whole idea was that individual departments were able to focus on the content and not worry about the other two.

While working on this, I came to realize that although it was true, there can never be a complete separation of the three elements. The text is primarily content, but if a different color, font, and size are chosen, it does affect the presentation. Although limited, it does affect how the website looks and feels.

Similarly, although there is a mind, body, and spirit, there can never be a clear and total separation as we live today. The mind cannot survive separated from the body. The body is but a shell if the mind is no longer. The spirit cannot exist elsewhere praising God while the body is sleeping. Although separate, they currently depend on one another.

Therefore, we must also keep our bodies in shape. If we are healthy and strong, then we can serve God, serve others, and give God the glory. When we are sick, we have difficulties doing these things. Let us therefore eat healthy, sleep well, and exercise our bodies so we can also praise God with our best.

Tombstone

2 Timothy 4:6-8

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (v. 6-7)

Several years ago there was a comical commercial about a man's last wish in front of a firing squad. His answer to the question was "pepperoni and mushroom." As you may have guessed if you haven't seen this before is that the commercial is about a pizza named "Tombstone." Okay, it wasn't really that funny at all. However, the commercial did work in that it left a lasting impression with me.

I also recall learning about a famous person who stated that you can live eternally... through the memories of others. Although we know the truth of eternal life is with our acceptance of the gift through the death and resurrection of the Son of God. However, there is something to be considered with regards to what lasting impression is left with others.

In both instances, it is about you and what you have accomplished that is left in the memories of others. If done well, then it can be a joyous long-lasting memory. If not, then most would want to forget about it. We all have good intentions. However, it is those who follow through with those intentions that leaves a mark. Otherwise, there is very little to remember by. If we consider those people that has left an impression in our memories, we will find people who took personal risks to achieve a goal they had set out to do. We all want to help others, stand firm for our faith, and attempt to better the lives of others. However, it will all go unnoticed if actions are not taken. It is a race with the intent to finish, but left incomplete. Who knows how it would feel to finish the race? How well would we have finished? Without finishing these questions will be left unanswered.

Let us therefore be encouraged... let us inspire one another, and finish the race. Let us be remembered for the actions we had courage to follow through with.

Prayer (Part 2): Learning His Will

Matthew 6:5-15

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (v. 7-8)

Yesterday we learned that prayer is not about what we say, but to also listen to what the Lord has to say to us. It not only builds our relationship with the Lord, but it helps understand our Father's will. Prayer is not about attempting to convince God to do good things. It is not to plead to change His mind. It is to learn of HIs will for us.

It is not about just the listening part of prayer, but also about what we say or think. As we begin to pray, not only do we look at ourselves and our circumstance, but also about God. We must begin by having faith in Him, have some understanding, and then attempt to make our request in tune with His will.

It is true that we must ask in order to receive. However, it is ultimately for our benefit by drawing closer to Him and learning about His will for us. Therefore, if we seek to understand His will for us, then we must take time to pray to Him.

Prayer (Part 1): Joys of Listening

Matthew 6:5-15

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (v. 7-8)

Growing up, I have always been either confused or wrestled with this verse. If God is omniscience and knows all things, then he knows my needs and especially my heart. The Bible verse states that God even knows our request even before we ask Him. It's comforting to know that He knows us so well. In fact, He knows us better than we do ourselves. Then why do we need to pray? Why do some people spend countless hours praying about things that God already knows. He knows when things happened and what exactly the needs are. It's not like He has bad memories and need to be reminded. It's not like God needs to be convinced since He is love. So, why do we pray?

It is so we can be in tuned with God. It is to know His will and to follow. One of the first fundamental mistakes we make and think about prayer is that it is all about our speaking with the Lord. It is also about listening to the Lord. At first, most of us feel awkward about the silence. However, it is about "being still" before the Lord. Emptying our minds of all things faithfully knowing that our Father will help us. It is about "listening" to what God has to say to us, and fill us with His blessings. If we do not take the time to listen, then our Father is no more than a prayer request box. We just keep dumping requests to Him, and walk away in hopes that it may be answered.

Our Father seeks our fellowship with Him. As a father, I usually know what my children wants. However, it is so sweet and warming to the heart when they would come to me and say, "Daddy, could you...." And then to see how my children warms up when I am able to provide their request brings further joy.

Let's not lose precious time with our loving Father. Let us spend time praying by speaking with Him and listening to Him.

Accepting His Grace

Hebrews 4:14-16

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (v. 16)

My son is so different from my daughter. My daughter is usually very calm, shy and holds back her emotions. My son at first may appear shy in new situations, but later very outgoing and definitely very expressive of his emotions. When it was birthday, he would be so excited when receiving his gifts. He would tear into the wrapping paper, and quickly examine the gift. If he really likes one better than the other, he would levitate to it quickly. Sometimes he may be distracted over one gift that the excitement of opening other gifts begin to fade. Regardless, he did not leave one gift wrapped... he continued to tear through them and was somewhat disappointed that it ran out.

Similarly, our Heavenly Father has so much to give us. His greatest gift of all was the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ so that we may have new life as adopted sons and daughters. However, even after accepting this priceless gift, He continues to pour into us other gifts. He has made available so much, but we also need to accept these as well. He continues to provide us endless grace, especially in our time of need, if we approach Him and accept these with confidence. He freely gives us, but the key thing is that we accept.

Let us therefore build our faith, look to Him in all circumstances (both good and bad), and accept His precious gift of grace. Let us not leave gifts wrapped and unopened, but let us tear into these gifts with great joy and confidence.

Making Our Requests

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

As my daughters continues to grow, I can see the maturing of her mind. She is able to learn what mom and dad approves and disapproves. More importantly, she is learning to discern what is right and what is wrong. Being shy, I can see time when she would want something or do something, but was unsure if dad would approve and therefore attempts hard to move on without even asking. I would encourage her to share with us if she has any desire. We want her to ask anything without hesitation. If possible, we would be happy to approve and assist. Without asking, she would never know whether it was possible. If it was not possible simply because she wasn't ready, then we could help her understand and help her be ready in the future. There may be times when she may be pleasantly be surprised that she can get something or do something.

As she has been asking, she has been growing to understand us more. If she is uncertain or believes the answer to be no, she would ask but we could see this through her hesitation. However, she does ask... most of the time. And she has been surprised on some occasions.

Similarly, God wants us to approach Him with everything. Our Father in heaven would always provide for our needs. He wants everything for our very best. As we spend more time with Him, we begin to understand Him more. We begin to discern better, and will find our prayers to change along with it. Our prayers will be more precise to be more in tune with the mind of our Lord. We should also find peace knowing that God will always give our best.

Preparation for Battle

Ephesians 6:10-20

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (v. 13-17)

I remember when I was younger I would always look forward to Saturday morning. Although it was exciting that there was no school that morning, the real excitement was the Saturday morning cartoons. The entire morning would be filled with cartoons. It was a child's heaven to be able to sit through hours of television. There are many good memories of most of the cartoons. As an adult looking back, I didn't realize how violent they were. However, this is for a different discussion.

One of the famous cartoons is Bugs Bunny. There were many similar episodes where Bugs was "dueling" with a different character such as Daffy. During the duel, each of the characters would run off the screen and return with a bigger weapon. Each time, the other would attempt to "outgun" the other.

In real life, if were in war, wouldn't we prefer to be behind the bigger guns than our enemy. The cartoons are funny, but in real life your life may be at stake. If we knew that war was imminent, then would we not "drop everything" and prepare for battle?

It is clear that we are constantly in battle - not physically, but spiritually. There is a constant struggle, and there are real enemies that want us to fail. Do we want to enter these battles unprepared? How "lucky" do you feel to run into a middle of battle without your helmet and a gun? Well, "it's not time yet." "It's not my responsibility, but the Sargent's." "I don't look good in green." "Let me sleep five more minutes, and I'll definitely do my best afterwards." "Let's compromise, I believe in peace." We may not receive physical wounds and feel any pain, but spiritual warfare does leave wounds and lead to bleeding to death if untreated. We are less effective when we become wounded, and struggle.

Therefore, let us not wait until we feel pain to prepare ourselves. Let us indeed put on the full armor of God everyday. Let us sharpen our swords and use it all times. Let us not just admire it, but exercise it to improve our skills. Let us be prepared and be victorious.

Becoming

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (v. 21)

I remember when I first accepted Christ. I was 10 years old, and it was during my first camp away from home. It was the first time I heard the story of Christ, and was compelled to walk up to the pulpit to accept this wonderful gift. At the time, there was nothing else in my mind but to do this. I was uncertain what this all meant, but nothing else mattered. It became a life changing experience. As young as I was, my journeys in walking with God was ever so strong. It didn't make much sense then, but I knew it was all about life.

As time had passed, my walk with the Lord became more important. However, there was a period of time when I felt as if I had not done enough. I was building an expectation that something miraculous should've happened to me by then and that I should be involved with miracles. Unfortunately, I felt that I had failed because of the continued sin in my life and the little change. As a "new creation" I still had many of the old habits and behaviors as the "old."

I then realized that accepting Christ is a miracle in itself. Accepting the gift does make me a "new creation" in that I have been adopted as His son. The change however is a process requiring time. In the Scripture it does not state that we might "be" the righteousness of God, but that we might "become."

I have watched my daughter not only grow physically, but spiritually. Her prayers have matured in time. However, I have also realized how much she has learned from the prayers she hears. As she prays, she also prays from what she has heard when I prayed. Similarly, when we spend time with our heavenly Father, we too begin to take on His character.

Let us therefore take every measure to spend time with Him, and become more like Him with each new moment.

Friend for Life

Psalm 142:3-4

"When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life."

There will be times in our life when our friends and family will not be able to save us from our circumstances. In some cases their circumstances outweigh our own. In some cases, they simply can't do anything. In other cases, they simply may fail us. Regardless, when those times come, we sometimes can feel abandoned and alone.

Fortunately, when we walk with God, He will never leave our side. We do not need to feel either abandoned or alone. He will always be on our side helping us and cheering for us if we choose to accept His company and love. Let us always look to Him, and place our lives in His hands... hands that will never leave us or fail us.

Survivor

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes no on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Reality shows have become very popular in the past few years. Most of them is a competition of survival to be the last sole survivor to claim the prize. It is amazing how much determination one has when they are fixed on one goal. Normally, they would not go though the agonizing sufferings both physically and mentally, but would to claim their prize.

As sons and daughters, we are in a similar position, but far greater. We have already been given the greatest gift of all (our prize) as we have been adopted into the family of God. Unfortunately, we will also live through sufferings and persecution as long as we are in this world. However, this is very temporary compared to eternal life. We will be given a new body and will live in the full presence of the Lord where there will be no suffering but only love. Let us therefore not be discouraged, but have hope and a goal much like the survivors knowing that we will be winners in the end to claim our next prize.

Everyday Blessings

James 1:17

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

I remember watching the evolution of family shows as I was growing up. They were somewhat the representation of the culture at that time. In many cases they were overly emphasized (for comedy sake), but they did reflect the times and ideas. Shows such as "I Love Lucy" and "Leave It to Beaver" to "The Brady Bunch" to "The Cosby Show", "Family Ties", and "Who's the Boss" to "Roseanne" and "Married with Children" were some of the popular ones.

With each new decade, each of the shows sometimes "pushed the envelope" on a touchy subject. Unfortunately, it promoted tolerance and acceptance of cultural changes. "Married with Children" demoralized not only each individual unit of the family, but the family as a whole. Unfortunately, it too was somewhat representative of a changing and accepting culture. One aspect is that the father was only good for his money. Father was always suspicious when his children was being kind and around him. The first question was how much money they wanted. They were never around when things were going well for them... only when they needed dad for money.

We have all somewhat fallen into this trap. How often do we run to our heavenly father when things go well? How often do we run to Him when we need help? Do we thank Him for the many small things that do go well for us? Most often we are either content when things go well and chalk it up to a job well done by ourselves or it was luck that brought us this fortune. We do give God credit when big things do come our way, especially after we have prayed for Him, but forget him when it comes to the daily good things that do happen.

All good things, including the everyday small ones, comes from our heavenly Father. He is always watching over us and providing for our needs. Let us always look to Him, and give our praise for all things.

"How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you." (Psalm 31:19)

Boldness

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

"Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." (v. 12)

I remember one day as I was rollerblading in a park. It was fairly new to me, and so I was still learning to use these. As I slowly picked up seed, I lost my confidence and ended on the grass. I was quickly embarrassed, and so I quickly looked around to see who may have seen me. No one. However, a girl and her mom caught my attention. It seems as if the girl was learning as well. After the mom gave a demonstration and some instructions, the girl was up and she was riding along. She was doing better than I.

It was amazing to think about how psychology affects our performance. I spent countless hours reading the internet and magazines on the techniques on how to rollerblade. I learned the correct posture, form, and motion. However, as I consciously remind myself of these things, my mind is also actively thinking of how badly I can fall. If I fall, I may break an arm. It would be painful, and I would need to go to the hospital and have a cast placed. A broken arm or hand would mean I couldn't work (since most of my work was on the computer). If I couldn't work could mean I lose my job. If I lose my job, I will lose my house. I couldn't let that happen... I couldn't have my family live on the streets. With that thought, I had stiffened... right unto the grass.

Now a child would most likely not be worried about these things. They couldn't care less about having the right technique. They were just having fun and had all the confidence in the world that they can do it. It is amazing what confidence can do.

With increased confidence, most of us are willing to risk a bit more. Daredevils do it all the time. After several successful tricks they complete, they build their confidence. As they build their confidence, they raise the bar further for a larger thrill.

Similarly, if we know that God is for us, who can be against us? If we are saved, and have eternal life, what is their to fear. Let us have confidence in the Lord, and go out and be who we are. Let us not hide behind who we are as sons and daughters. Let us speak the truth, and share the gift we had received with others.

I Can Only Imagine

Ezekiel 1:1-5, 22-28

"In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking." (v. 1, 28)

It's amazing to see how some teenagers (and adults) can go so wild when they meet their idol whether it be a musician or a movie star. Some would the unthinkable only because they are so star struck. Just to touch them or even be so close would just rattle their emotions; enough in some cases to cause them to faint. Some would do anything if they could take just a small part of them with them.

As sons and daughters of God, we would lift up our hands and/or bow while we worship. We are awed by the grace and love of God. In the NT, the word worship is found 54 times translated from the Greek word "proskunevw". In this word, it is defined as "to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence" and/or "kneeling or prostration to do homage."

When watching movies, you will witness how all the people would have their heads lowered and bow before kings and queens to show respect to their leader. Often it is done because it was a required tradition. However, with our King of kings, I believe it would be more like the teenagers who are awe struck. I cannot imagine what it would be to be at the feet of our Lord. Our heavenly Father is always with us, but to fully sense His presence is unimaginable. I believe like Ezekiel who only came close to His likeness of the Lord, I believe I would be prostrated as well in reverence. It would just be absolutely amazing to feel his radiance of love just showering us from His presence. Oh, how wonderful it would be when we meet Him in heaven!!!

When I'm Afraid

Psalm 56

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise - in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you. For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life." (v. 3-4, 10-13)

If we were to add up all the times we either worried or were afraid and the times we spent thinking of circumstances including times we spent preparing for it, I would believe we would find years of wasted time. Although there are some truth to what one CEO had stated that "only the paranoid survive," these are probably very few cases. We should always do our best in everything that we do including preparing for undesirable circumstances. A better statement is to "prepare for the worst, but always hope for the best." If we were to only do one part of this, then our lives would be miserable. Always hoping for the best and not preparing for the worst only invites disaster. To always prepare and have no hope leaves us with a constant gloomy outlook in life.

Fortunately, as sons and daughters of God, we have even greater confidence; "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" We must continue to do our best to be prepared. However, we not only have hope, but the confidence that our heavenly Father will deliver us. As long as we walk with Him and place our faith in Him, then we have nothing to be worried about... there should be no fears.

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or maine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31, 35, 37-39)