Reason to rejoice

29/11/14

S: Luke 10:1, 17-20 The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. ... When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

O: We as human beings like to have power and authority, so when the 72 disciples saw that they had power & authority over demons, they were understandably happy about it. But Jesus put things in perspective. Power and authority is temporal. God's gift of salvation is eternal.

A: In response to God's amazing grace — His undeserved favour to us — in appreciation, we are motivated to follow Him — all the more so since following His directives for us benefits us in the long run.

P: Father, when I am tempted to do what is wrong, remind me of this. Not by might, not by power, but by Your Spirit, O Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

His body broken for us. His blood poured out for us.

22/11/14

S: Mark 14:22-25 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

Mark 14:34-36 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

O: In the Old Testament, there are regular animal sacrifices to atone for sins. An year-old (i.e. young adult) male sheep with no defects would be slaughtered, the blood poured out as an offering to God, and the body burnt on the altar. A part of it would be eaten.

This prefigures the ultimate sacrifice that the Messiah Jesus would make on the cross.

Before he went to the cross, he instituted what we now call Holy Communion or Eucharist. He took the bread and wine at the passover supper and, in some mystical way, it became his body and blood, broken and poured out for us, for our sins. What a great sacrifice he made for us! (For a discussion about this matter in more detail, see http://ianjuliane.blogspot.com/2011/02/and-now-for-something-completely.html and http://ianlifejournal.blogspot.com/2011/07/god-gives-grace_13.html)

It was not easy for Jesus to do this for us, as we read in Mark 14:34-36. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, so his humanity dreaded the horrible death on the cross. But nonetheless, he went ahead with it for our sake.

A: Christ's great sacrifice for us should motivate me to live for him. Yet time and time again I give in to temptation and sin. Yet God's grace through Christ's sacrifice means that there is room for repentance.

So, when I am tempted, I must remind myself what Christ has done for me. And if I do sin, I must repent and turn back to him, because he has provided a sacrifice for my sins.

P: Father in heaven, thank you for your provision. Jesus, thank you for your great sacrifice. Holy Spirit, thank you for quickening my conscience when I am tempted. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

We are family!

8/11/14

S: Mark 3:31-35 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

O: I used to think, "How rude of Jesus! His family came to see him and he ignored them" before the Jesus film pointed it out to me that it's quite likely that he took the opportunity to make this a teaching moment before he got up to go see his family.

Given that, what was Jesus trying to teach here? Our family is no longer only our biological family. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are also our family. That's why the early Christians started the tradition of calling each other brother and sister, to the point that the Romans, when persecuting Christians, accused us of incest — because they misunderstood when a "brother" and a "sister" were husband and wife.

A: Being family, we ought to love one another and help one another like family should. "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." (I Corinthians 12:26)

P: That's why the early Christians in Jerusalem lived communally like a family and shared everything. (Acts 2:44-45, Acts 4:32-37) Of course, as the body of believers grew, this became impractical. They had to deal with the fact that there would be people who sought to take advantage of the system (Acts 5:1-11) and just the fact that with a large number of people, someone could fall through the cracks (Acts 6:1-7) However, the spirit of all of us being adopted into God's family remained and the idea that we should look out for each other like family remained, e.g. believers outside Judea gathering money to support the believers in Judea due to the famine. (1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8:1–9:15; Romans 15:14–32)

So, we should likewise not only be concerned for ourselves and our own biological family, but also for our brothers & sisters in Christ. "If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad." (1 Corinthians 12:26).

P: Father, help me to be sensitive to the needs of others and not just be concerned for myself. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

The Abomination of Desolation

1/11/14

S: Matthew 24, Luke 21:5-36, Mark 13

O: In the last century, there has been much confusion about what the "the abomination of desolation" refers to. Many Evangelicals interpret it as something to do with the Antichrist which many Evangelicals believe is coming in the future, after or around the time of the Rapture.

However, the Matthew and Mark passages aren't the only testimonies of this discussion. Luke also records it, but he never mentioned "the abomination of desolation".

These parallel passages describe the same incident: the disciples are admiring the grandeur of the Temple in Jerusalem, which prompted Jesus to predict its destruction.

The sign that people should flee from Jerusalem to the hills, as stated in Luke 21:20, is "when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies", instead of "when the abomination of desolation stands in the Holy Place".

The rest of the passages seem to be so much in congruence that it suggests that these two signs are the same thing. Luke was written to a Gentile audience while Matthew was written to a Jewish audience. As Gentiles ourselves, we can get confused by what the "the abomination of desolation" means, so Luke explains it for us, "when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies".

To a Gentile, Jerusalem being surrounded by armies isn't a sign of "abomination of desolation stands in the Holy Place". But to the Jews of Jesus' time, it could well mean that.

History tells us that before A.D. 70, as Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem, the Christian Jews in Judea heeded Jesus' warning and fled. The non-Christian Jews did not, and were massacred. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple so completely that it was said that you couldn't even tell that there was once a city there. Decades later, the Romans under Emperor Hadrian rebuilt as a totally Gentile city and renamed it Aelia Capitolina. Jerusalem remained non-Jewish for almost two millennia after that.

A: When we find things that are confusing and unclear in the Bible, if we can find clarifications from other parts of scripture, it is better to look at that instead of making up fanciful imaginations of our own.

P: Father, thank You for preserving for us Your written Word. Help us to understand it. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

Sola fide? Yes, but...

18/10/14

S: Matthew 7:12-27
The Golden Rule
¹²“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
The Narrow Gate
¹³“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. ¹⁴But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
The Tree and Its Fruit
¹⁵“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. ¹⁶You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
True Disciples
²¹“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²²On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
Building on a Solid Foundation
²⁴“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

O: Ephesians 2:8-9 points out, ⁸God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Some Christians, e.g. Paul F. Pavao, thinks that this means you're saved by faith alone, but then after that, you're judged by works.

However, while I agree with much of what Parvao says, I stumble over passages like Galatians 3:1-4 which seem to say that the Galatians were foolish in trying to add works to their faith when it was their faith that saved them in the first place.

Traditional Evangelical doctrine, for example as expressed by this page, says works play no part in salvation at all, and that works is merely an evidence for faith, as in James 2:14-26.

Catholic theologian Christopher Malloy points out that Catholic theology only accepts justification by faith when in conjunction with charity.

A: So what do we make of all this? I take a page from the Eastern Orthodox Christians who live with mystery. Mystery in this sense isn't a mystery story, but rather, acceptance that there are things of God which are beyond human ability to understand.

Just because it is beyond our ability to understand doesn't make it untrue. For example, we can teach chimpanzees sign language and hence be able to hold a conversation with chimps. We can teach chimps how to count, and perhaps even how to add and multiply. But it is impossible to teach chimps calculus. Does that make calculus any less true? We build bridges, skyscrapers and airplanes with calculus, and they work. So a chimp's inability to understand calculus is more of a statement of the limitations of chimpanzee intellect than a statement of the truth of falsity of calculus.

So, in the end, how do we respond to this? The Bible clearly says that we are saved by grace through faith. The Bible also clearly says that we must do good works, and sometimes it says this is tied up with our salvation.

I don't understand how it all fits together, and that's OK. I do know that I must have faith in Christ, and that I must follow Biblical teachings and have good works as well. So whether you have Lutheran theology, Catholic theology, Arminian theology, Calvinist theology, Evangelical theology, we are all united in this: Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24)

P: Father, I need to continue in faith in You and Your Christ, and continue in following Your teachings. Help me to keep to the narrow path of righteousness, while not wasting time worrying but resting in Your grace through faith. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

Purposeful Prayer

11/10/14

S: Matthew 6:5-9 ⁵“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. ⁶But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.⁷“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. ⁸Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! ⁹Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
¹⁰May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today the food we need,
¹²and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
¹³And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.

O: I find it ironic that this very prayer which Jesus prefaced with “use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (as verse 7 is rendered in the King James Version) has been turned by so many people into a “vain repetition” itself.

The words Jesus showed us in the “Our Father” are wonderful, but if you just rote repeat them, they lose their meaning.

The same thing goes for the liturgy. Coming from a mostly non-liturgical background, I love listening to the liturgy when I find myself in a liturgical mass. It is so full of Biblical meaning. Yet most people seem to just rote repeat it without paying attention to the meaning.

But lest we from non-liturgical denominations become smug, we are also susceptible to just “going through the motions”. And “praying so that people can see us” is a temptation that faces people from non-liturgical traditions even more, perhaps.

A: Let us pray purposefully! Let us come before our heavenly Father in spirit and in truth.

P: Father, sometimes I find my own prayers are just “going through the motions”. Fill me with Your Spirit and keep my faith fresh. In Jesus’ name, amen. P: Father, thank You that You give us meaning in life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

Is life meaningless?

5/10/14

S: Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:1,7-8, 12-14 Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless. Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless. Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” ... For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” ... But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

O: Solomon showed such great promise. As a young king, God had offered him whatever he wanted, and he had chosen wisely: instead of asking for wealth and power, he asked for wisdom to be able to govern the country well. God commended him for that, and gave him wisdom and wealth and power. (1 Chronicles 1)

However, he let his wealth and power go to his head. While being wise in running the country, he wasn't so wise in running his own life: he ignored God's injunctions about kings not to multiply wives and for people to be faithful to God. So he married many wives, most of whom appeared not to be followers of God, and he followed them into idolatry. (1 Kings 11)

The book of Ecclesiastes is a chronicle of his attempts to find fulfillment in life without God. He had everything; he tried everything. He tried wine, women and song. He tried the satisfaction of a job well done. In the end, it was all meaningless. It goes through his changing thoughts as he thought through these things. That's why it is very dangerous to quote a verse from Ecclesiastes — it's as likely to be false as it is to be true, since Solomon went through many false thoughts as he thought through this matter.

Too bad for Solomon, in spite of his wisdom, he only realised this at the end of his life: there is no meaning in life if you just try to live for yourself! Only God gives ultimate meaning to one's life.

A: Let's not waste our lives and only realise this at the end of our lives. Let's live for Jesus while we are young, while we are middle-aged, and while we are old. Then we will hear the words of our Saviour, “Well done, good and faithful servant” welcoming us in the end. (Matthew 25:21)

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” — Jim Elliott, martyr.

The people in this song all had meaning in the lives. Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian were killed by Huaorani warriors due to internal Huaorani politics during their attempts to reach them for the Gospel. Yet “the blood of the martyrs are the seed of the church” — and today that Huaorani tribe has been transformed from bloodthirsty murderers that were going to wipe themselves out by their bloody lifestyle into peaceful Christians who love God and love their fellow human beings. Eric Liddell gave his life to bring the Gospel to China, eventually dying in a Japanese prison camp during the second world war. Yet his legacy lives on in the lives of many Chinese Christians today.

Their lives were full of meaning — because of Christ.

P: Father, thank You that You give us meaning in life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)