Vacationing in Delaware

I haven't been able to post anything since I am in Delaware right now. I will be back home in Houston on June 2nd. I hope to resume blogging before June 2nd though. Expect a new post tomorrow.

Bye. God Bless.

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Caught in Sin?

Are you a "Christian" caught in some kind of sin? When I mean caught, I mean trapped in it to the extent that it seems to you that there is no way out. If you are, I want to let you know that there is hope for you. Do not be in despair,  for there is a God that saves. The fact that you are despaired itself is the greatest sign that in the end you will have victory.

Many so called Christians live in sin without having the slightest sorrow. But if you have a sorrow and dissatisfaction about your sinful life, that proves that you are a candidate for salvation. I want to share something that God has taught me clearly in the past few months. First, let me tell you the reason why you are caught in sin. It is simply because you are yet to be born again. A person who is born again will not and cannot live in habitual sin anymore. I am not saying that born again sinners don't sin, I am saying that they will not live continuously and in slavery to any sinful lifestyle. So, the key is to be reborn. How then can one be reborn. Well, what role did you play in your physical birth. Absolutely nothing. In the same way, being born again or born from above has nothing to do with your acts. God saves those whom he wills and if you cry out to Him he will save and transform you. That is your only hope.

There are a few things you need to know and do urgently:

1.  Don't compromise: Never ever compromise because everyone seems to be doing it or because you haven't felt the consequences of your actions yet. If the Bible says something is wrong and is abhorred by God then that is the final word. 
2. You are helpless on your own: This might seem odd to you, but truly you are helpless. You cannot change your addiction on your own. No amount of trying is going to give you a permanent solution to your problem. You might be wondering how this agrees with point #1. I will explain. When you fall into sin, understand that you have sinned, then get up and ask for forgiveness and carry on.
3. Cry out to God: After you have sinned, besides asking for forgiveness, cry out to God asking him to deliver you. Tell him that you want out, but you can't. Tell him that you tried and tried and that you are now sure that only God can help. You will feel Godly sorrow when you cry out, then you will truly repent of your sin. Repentance leads to new birth.
4. Being Born again: In God's time, you will be born again. Not by anything you do, but because God worked in your life. You will no longer feel the old urge to sin again. You will be made a new creation. But the most important point is that you come to the end of yourself and admit that you need some divine intervention.

I hope this helps.

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The Cross

I don't know if I can explain the cross of Christ better than this song can. I am pretty sure I can't.

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Interruption

Normal blogging will be resumed once I am free from the formalities of my graduation. 

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Watch Yourselves (Luke 21 & 22)

Luke 21 and 22 are the two chapters that we will be discussing today. In these two chapters, we see Jesus has entered the last phase of his mission on earth. The time of the betrayal, the cross and the resurrection was at hand. It is believed that Jesus spent the last week of his life in Jerusalem. Luke 21 and 22 talks about the events of this last week.

Luke 21 begins with Jesus' observation of the poor widow who put in two small copper coins into the offering box. Here is a woman, who needs help desperately but still makes a point by giving away her last two coins. She gave sacrificially and in God's eyes she had given far more than the rich that were present at that time. This teaches us that all giving must be sacrificial. One preacher once said, if your giving doesn't hurt a bit, you haven't given much. However, since giving is not the topic we will be focusing today, I don't wan't to dwell on it any longer.

Soon after the widow's offering, Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. this aroused the curiosity of the disciples who then wanted to know the exact timing of these things and the signs that would signal the beginning of the end. Jesus then spoke about the signs that they were to expect, namely false christs, wars, earthquakes, pestilences, famines etc. These signs have always been part of human history but we can expect the signs to become more common as we near the Lord's day. Jesus ends his teaching on the end times, by issuing a solemn warning that we ought to heed with utmost care. 

But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

Despite all the signs that will herald His coming, Jesus says that it will be far too easy to miss these signs if one is not watchful and waiting for His return. There is a drunkenness and dissipation (waste) that can keep one from heeding the warnings and seeing the signs. This is evident especially in our generation, where people are obsessed with social media, inflating their lifestyles by making it seem more exciting to gain more followers on their twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. I am not saying that being on social media is a wrong thing, but if it is wasting your time and other resources, it might be time to step down and take a step back. As disciples of our Lord, let us not play the world's game of show off and pride, we have far more serous things to attend to. If we do not watch, pray and study from His Word, surely we will fall in the tribulation that is to come. The disciples found this out when all of them abandoned Jesus in his final hours, even Peter who emphatically stated that he would die with Jesus. Their failures can be tracked down to their lack of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus on the other hand prayed even more earnestly at that most testing of times and came out victorious fulfilling every iota that was meant to be fulfilled. Such is the power of watchfulness and incessant prayer.

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Small Man, Big Change (Luke 19 & 20)

In today's post we will look at one of the most repeated stories of the New testament. From Sunday School to VBS, the story of Zacchaeus has been told innumerable times to children because of its somewhat interesting circumstances. Zacchaeus is introduced as a chief tax collector who was also very rich. Being a chief tax collector he was probably in charge of a large tax district and had other tax collectors working for him. His profession was one of the most hated professions of the day, since tax collectors made their wealth by taxing more than what was warranted. In addition to this, these tax collectors were working for the Romans, who everyone considered to be the "Bad guys" and the agents of evil. Sinners and tax collectors is an usage we see numerous times in the Gospels, to describe the outcasts of the society. Zacchaeus was such an outcast, he was rich in material wealth, but he suffered from spiritual poverty.

Zacchaeus felt a great desire to see Jesus, possible because Jesus was everything he was not. Jesus was loved by the common people, respected and honored in stark contrast to how he was treated by the general public. However, his short stature stood in his way of seeing Jesus. We read that Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree which was a easy tree to climb because of its low branches. A small man could easily get on one of the limbs hanging over the road and see over any assembled crowd. Once Jesus was under the tree on which Zacchaeus was perched, the Bible says that He looked up and commanded that He wanted to dine with him that very day. This is the only time in scripture were we see Jesus inviting himself into someone's house. It could be that Zacchaeus himself desired an occassion to talk and learn from Jesus. In any case, Zacchaeus received Jesus "joyfully" not only into his house but into his heart.

The genuine nature of Zacchaeus' salvation is seen from the fact that he was ready to make restitution for the money he had unlawfully taken from the people. On top of that, he also promised to share half of his wealth with the poor. Giving away four times what he had unlawfully taken, and half his wealth was not an easy thing to do, but Zacchaeus had found someone greater than all the wealth in the world. The story of Zacchaeus stands in stark contrast to the story of the rich young ruler who went away disappointed because Jesus told him to give his riches to the poor. Here, we see a man who wasn't asked to give, but rather gives cheerfully from his heart not to earn his salvation, but as a heartfelt deed that indeed showed the true nature of his salvation. Yes, it is difficult for those who have great wealth to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But, what is impossible with men is possible with God.

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Chinese Christians' reaction to the Bible

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Bible Study (Luke 17 & 18)

In today's Bible study we again find ourselves in a rich portion of scripture filled with practical wisdom and teaching from our Lord Jesus Christ about a variety of issues. Here is an outline of the two chapters:

Luke 17

• Temptations to sin
• Woe to the one who causes temptation
• Rebuke brothers caught in sin
• Forgive without limit
• Faith
• Faith as small as a mustard seed is strong enough, if it is aligned with the will of God.
• Unworthy Servants
• Jesus cleanses ten lepers
• The incident shows the rarity of gratitude.
• The coming of the Kingdom

Luke 18

• The Parable of the Persistent widow
• Pray without ceasing
• Promise that God will hear and answer the prayers of those who cry out to him day and night.
• Blessing of the little children
• One must become as a child to enter the kingdom.
• The Rich Ruler
• Once again Jesus reminds his disciples how wealth can keep one out of the Kingdom
• Jesus foretells his death
• Jesus heals a blind beggar

As you can see there are so many topics covered in this chapter. But, as I mentioned in yesterday's post I would like to focus on just one section of these two chapters for the sake of brevity. 

Today, I want to focus on the parable of the unworthy servants. In a sense this is not a parable but a rhetorical question asked by Jesus so that he can explain the dangers of entitlement.

"Will any of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at the table'? Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, "We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty. - Luke 17:7-10

Many Christians reckon that since they lead a "Holy life" they are entitled to certain special rewards while on this earth. Jesus through this mini parable comes against this type of thinking. The feeling of entitlement has its origins in pride as one focuses on their 'achievements' while overlooking their many failures. If God were to give us what we deserved according to our merit, we would all be in sever judgement. But, the proud soul forgets this and demands that God give him what he has earned. This can also lead to many people calling God unfair when they don't get what they want. In reality, God is merciful to not give us what we deserve, which is judgement. So, let us not fall into the trap of entitlement especially in this "me, me" culture and understand that being a disciple is our duty, our calling and our privilege.

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Bible Study (Luke 15 and 16)

In today's post I want to turn your attention to the parable of the Prodigal son. Although these two chapters contain other parables, I want to focus on this one only so as to keep the post as short and concise as possible.

Before we delve into the parable itself, it is imperative that we study the context in which it was told by Jesus. Not knowing the context fully, will keep us from grasping the finer details of this parable.

In the beginning of Luke 15, we see that the Pharisees had gathered around Jesus and that they were apparently disgusted that Jesus was receiving and eating with sinners. Understanding their thoughts, Jesus comes up with   three parables each representing a "Seeking and Saving God" who rejoices at the sight of a repenting sinner. The parable of the prodigal son is the third in this series of parables. If you have never read this parable before, I urge you to read it at this point before going any further.

Let us look at the fine details of this parable:

The Son asking for his inheritance

The son's request was tantamount to saying that he wished his father were dead. No one gets an inheritance when his father is already alive. To ask for such a thing would be a disgrace and most fathers would have disowned the son at that very instant. This shows that the son had some idea of the gracious nature of his father and was ready to misuse it. This represents the sinner using the grace and long suffering nature of God to indulge in sin.

Going away to a far away country

Obviously Jesus added this detail to the parable to show how much the son wanted to be as far away as possible from his father. This portrays the sinner's desire to be left alone in the temporary bliss of sin.

When he came to himself

An utterly sinful lifestyle can sometimes leave a person flat on his back at rock bottom with no other option but to return to God, that is if he has a previous knowledge of the Father. If the sinner doesn't have a previous knowledge of God, this state would lead him to further dismay until someone shines the gospel into his heart. This is why the preaching of the true gospel is crucial.

The Running Father

The Father who has no doubt been waiting and looking for his son's return embraces the son not even allowing him to finish his rehearsed speech of repentance. He sees his son, he knows his heart and that is enough. No magical words are necessary. What is lost has been found, the father knows it, the son knows it and everyone else knows it except the older son.

The Older son

The villain of the whole story, the older son represents the Pharisees of Jesus' day and the self righteous religious person of today. They hang around seemingly in the presence of God, but their hearts are far from him. This is evident from the fact that the older brother refused to share his father's joy. What an apt description of the legalistic, holier than thou attitude so many in the "church" have. 

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Bible Study (Luke 13 and 14)

The following are some notes I jotted down after my study of Luke 13 and 14. I pray and hope that these might be useful to any that happen to read this. I also hope that I will be able to do this regularly. I know that with my own strength I won't be able to do this, because it takes a lot of time and I am simply not disciplined himself to do this unless he strengthens and teaches me to do so.

Luke 13:1-5
Repent or Perish

• "All" who do not repent will perish
• Calamities and Catastrophes are not always signs of some grave sin.

13:6-9

Parable of the barren fig tree

• Repentance leads to fruit (works)
• works are the inevitable fruit of true repentance. (Mat 3:8)

13:10-17

Healing on the Sabbath

• Man is more valuable than beast in the eyes of God. Sabbath is not a time to cease to do good. Its always a good time to do good unto others.

13:18-20

The Kingdom as a Mustard seed

• great things often have small beginnings.
• Three and a half years of Jesus' teaching and service has changed the world.
• Repentance can change a life.
• The Kingdom has a pervading influence that no man can stop. In the end, the Kingdom of God will prevail.

13:22-30

The Narrow door

• Entering the kingdom is not based on merit. But, there exists a struggle against the flesh, world and the devil. To enter the kingdom through the narrow door, one must shrink, become humble.
• There is a time limit to enter the Kingdom. Once the door is shut, it will never open again. The door shuts for a person either at death or at the second coming of Christ. One must make sure, the door shuts behind him after he has entered.

13:31-35

• Jesus had complete control over the events of his life, including the exact timing of his death. Herod cannot change that divine time table regardless of how hard he tried.
• Most of the OT prophets were killed by Jews itself in Jerusalem and not by foreign enemies. The pattern would repeat itself when Jesus would die. Yet, Jesus laments over Jerusalem showcasing the extent of his love.

14:1-6

• Healing on the Sabbath

14:7-11

• Parable of the wedding feast
• Those who humble themselves will be exalted and those who exalt themselves will be humbled.

14:12-24

• Give gifts to the poor who cannot repay so that God will repay you at the resurrection.
• Give hoping not to be repaid. Do not give in expectation of something in return.
• The invited represent Israel. Israel rejects its invitation opening up room for the Gentiles.

14:25-33

The Cost of being a disciple

• Great crowds followed Jesus
• Jesus didn't want admirers, he wanted disciples-followers who would be like him in their lives.
• Complete surrender and devotion to Jesus that makes all other things secondary.
• Count the cost before being a disciple to avoid shame in the future.
• The one who truly wants to follow Jesus is willing to trade everything so that he might become a disciple.
• Discipleship is in a way a kind of slavery. Paul calls himself the bond-servant of Christ.
• This is the best way to lead life and it flies in the face of a narcissistic, individualistic and libertarian culture.

14:34-35

• Salt was used as a preservative
• If the salt was found to be ineffective, it would be then used to keep the footpaths free of vegetation.
• False disciples are good for no one.

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