At the recent church baptism service, I encouraged the candidates and the people present to
Be: being precedes doing - Mary has chosen the one thing that is necessary ie. to sit at Jesus' feet (Lk 10:41-42)
A
People: we are a special people because God has chosen us and showered His mercies on us (1 Pet 2:9)
Transformed: in our attitude, behaviour and concern for others (2 Cor 5:17)
Into
Spiritual
Maturity: the writer to the Hebrews remind us to grow up and not be dependent on milk; instead we ought to study and apply God's Word in our lives - through constant use we are able to discern good and evil (Heb 5:12-14)
Goinng through water baptism is not a badge that Christians acquire in their faith pilgrimage but rather a pledge before God and the congregation to live a life worthy of God's calling. Hence there is a need to strive towards spiritual maturity - to become more like Jesus. How do we go about doing so?
Firstly, like Mary of old, we need to imbibe the Word of God and talk to Him in prayer on a daily basis.
Secondly, as God's chosen people and royal priesthood, we are to worship God regularly and witness to His eternal grace and mercies.
Thirdly, we need the help of the Holy Spirit to transform us into Christ's image (1 Sam 10:6).
Fourthly, we must not only be hearers but doers of God's Word; it is only through obedience that we grow towards spiritual maturity.
The life of King Saul showed us that one can be anointed of the Lord but yet fail through disobedience (1 Sa 15:22-23). The words highligted in bold above are all the necessary ingredients for Christian growth and maturity. May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18)..
Friday, April 12, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Memory
One of the signs of old age is memory lapses. Sometimes we forget where we put our things. At one time, I misplaced my key pouch, containing my house keys. We are also creatures of habit and usually like to put things in a usual place. So when I tried to retrieve my key pouch from the side pocket of my car door (where I usually put it), I found it wasn't there; instead I found a packet of sweets. I thought I left my key pouch at home and went up to my flat to search for it. But it wasn't at home either. Of course at this point in time, I was scratching my head (or memory) to ascertain where my key pouch could have gone. Could I have dropped it somewhere? I breathed a prayer to God. I went back to my car to have a closer look and did some searching. I opened up the glove compartment, lo and behold it was there! At that point, my memory came back to piece the jigsaw. I remembered earlier I took a sweet from the glove compartment and somehow by mistake I left the key pouch in the compartment and the sweet in the side pocket.
Such memory lapses are not as bad as those that progresses towards total memory loss leading to Alzheimer's disease or those related to dementia. People will forget events and not recognise themselves or those that they love. I remember an elderly brother in church who often asked me to pray for his memory as he fears losing it. One way to keep our grey matter (and memory) working in our old age is to do things that would engage our mind such as reading, playing mahjong, doing crosswor puzzles, having a conversation with people, etc. Not forgetting to eat healthily and have regular exercise to keep the blood circulating in our brain. It is certainly not an easy thing to take care of a person who is suffering from dementia; it would take a toll on the care-givers. So we can do our loved ones a great favour by taking care of our own physical and mental health.
Our memory is at its best when we are young. That's why it's important to teach our children (whether knowledge, skills, values or attitudes) when they are still below the age of 10. The Bible instructs us, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them'" (Eccl 12:1). Troubles will definitely come in life and if our children do not have anchors for their souls, they would be tossed about in a sea of distress and confusion. As such, in the foundational years of our children, they should be brought up in the fear and instruction of the Lord through age-appropriate, fun activities that direct their thoughts and meditation toward God. We used to have regular family time when our children we much younger comprising of 4 components: Worship, Bible reading, Prayer and Games. Because there were four of us, we rotate about taking charge of each component. The Games component was the one that the children enjoyed the most as they had lots of fun.
This is holy week and we remember our Lord's death on the cross through the sacrament of holy communion which Jesus instituted. God knows that we are frail humans who forget His goodness and grace easily; that's why the emblems (bread and wine) are there to remind us. The children of Israel celebrated the Passover to remind their descendants of God's deliverance from death and slavery. An act by our Lord which is not often enacted by the Protestant church is the washing of the disciples feet. Through this act, Jesus wants His church to demonstrate humility in service, just as He came to serve and not to be served. While we remember God and His works, God also remembers us! One of the dying thieves on the cross asked Jesus to remember him when He comes in His kingdom (Lk 23:42). Jesus promised that he would be with Him in paradise that very same day. We are also told that a book of remembrance will be written for those who fear and serve the Lord (Mal 3:16-18), and the Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19). What a comforting thought! Should the time come when our memory fails us, we know that the Lord would not fail to remember us.
Such memory lapses are not as bad as those that progresses towards total memory loss leading to Alzheimer's disease or those related to dementia. People will forget events and not recognise themselves or those that they love. I remember an elderly brother in church who often asked me to pray for his memory as he fears losing it. One way to keep our grey matter (and memory) working in our old age is to do things that would engage our mind such as reading, playing mahjong, doing crosswor puzzles, having a conversation with people, etc. Not forgetting to eat healthily and have regular exercise to keep the blood circulating in our brain. It is certainly not an easy thing to take care of a person who is suffering from dementia; it would take a toll on the care-givers. So we can do our loved ones a great favour by taking care of our own physical and mental health.
Our memory is at its best when we are young. That's why it's important to teach our children (whether knowledge, skills, values or attitudes) when they are still below the age of 10. The Bible instructs us, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them'" (Eccl 12:1). Troubles will definitely come in life and if our children do not have anchors for their souls, they would be tossed about in a sea of distress and confusion. As such, in the foundational years of our children, they should be brought up in the fear and instruction of the Lord through age-appropriate, fun activities that direct their thoughts and meditation toward God. We used to have regular family time when our children we much younger comprising of 4 components: Worship, Bible reading, Prayer and Games. Because there were four of us, we rotate about taking charge of each component. The Games component was the one that the children enjoyed the most as they had lots of fun.
This is holy week and we remember our Lord's death on the cross through the sacrament of holy communion which Jesus instituted. God knows that we are frail humans who forget His goodness and grace easily; that's why the emblems (bread and wine) are there to remind us. The children of Israel celebrated the Passover to remind their descendants of God's deliverance from death and slavery. An act by our Lord which is not often enacted by the Protestant church is the washing of the disciples feet. Through this act, Jesus wants His church to demonstrate humility in service, just as He came to serve and not to be served. While we remember God and His works, God also remembers us! One of the dying thieves on the cross asked Jesus to remember him when He comes in His kingdom (Lk 23:42). Jesus promised that he would be with Him in paradise that very same day. We are also told that a book of remembrance will be written for those who fear and serve the Lord (Mal 3:16-18), and the Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19). What a comforting thought! Should the time come when our memory fails us, we know that the Lord would not fail to remember us.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Fears
Fear (or phobia) is a valid human emotion which all of us have experienced in one form or another. In fact, there are so many different types of fear that linguists have coined words to label them. It can range from the inanimate such as fear of heights (acrophobia) and fear of darkness (achluophobia) to the animate such as fear of insects (acarophobia) and fear of people (anthropophobia). People who have many fears are suffering from polyphobia. Fear is an instinctive human response to potential danger, whether they be rationale or otherwise. What happens when we are fearful is that chemicals would be released in our body causing our heart to beat rapidly, our blood pressure to increase and so forth. We can identify with this kind of responses when we we have a near-missed or an actual car accident on the road; of course, we are still alive to tell the tale.
Children are often fearful of the dark, imagining all kinds of creatures that could lurk there. They will usually grow out of it when they are older. Creepy crawlies is another common fear among children; even adults may be fearful of them. Just recently, I saw a girl in school jumped up when she saw a monitor lizard on the trunk of a tree, though she was quite a distance away from it. Many children, including adults, are afraid of cockroaches, especially the flying kind. They would run away to hide or lock themselves in their rooms. But seriously, the monitor lizards and cockcroaches won't be able to kill us (logically speaking) but for some of us, just the thought of them crawling all over us can already send a spine-chilling sensation down our body and that is the fear factor. As a parent, even though you may be fearful of creepy crawlies, you would have to overcome your fear to get rid of them, especially in the home, unless of course you have a helper at home to do the job. My colleague was sharing that if there is a cockroach in the house, she would ask her domestic help to get rid of it. She does not want to let her children know as they were not afraid of it and would catch it to frighten her.
I would like to discuss regarding the fear of death or dying (thanatophobia) which may be plaguing many people. The Bible does talk about this in Heb 2:14-15 (NIV):
"Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."
Death is no respecter of persons. Whether we are young or old, rich or poor, famous or unknown, all would be subjected to it. The only exception would be the believers living during the time when Christ returns. In the verses above, we are told that the devil has the ability to put fear in people through his control over the power of death. This fear can be paralysing for some because they do not know what lies beyond the grave. But for those of us who know Jesus Christ, we have the blessed assurance that we will meet Him when we die. God used the death of His beloved Son on the cross of Calvary to overcome death, both physical and spiritual.
Spiritual death has to do with separation from God. Whether Jews of Gentiles, we, who were once far away from God, have been brought near to Him by the blood of Christ restoring the broken fellowship that the devil initiated at the garden of Eden (Eph 2:13-18). When we are restored in our relationship with God, the devil can no longer enslave us through his power of death. Some may not believe in the spiritual realm, thinking that death is the end of all things. Yet others may believe in moving on a different realm of existence whether through reincarnation or otherwise. According to their beliefs, people will live out their lives on earth.
Physical death has to do the ceasation of our vital human organs, especially the heart and brain. When that happens, the body would turn cold with its life taken out. The physical body is but a housing for our soul and spirit which would live on. Our current body is stained with sin and sickness, and cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. God has in store for the believers glorified bodies which He would give on resurrection day. That is when the spirit and soul would be clothed with immortality and death would have been swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:54). Death would no longer reign but rather life, because Jesus is the Life (Jn 11:25; 14:6).
We can face death in the face when we have Jesus in our hearts. And in the words of the hymn:
And because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
And because I know, I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives
Children are often fearful of the dark, imagining all kinds of creatures that could lurk there. They will usually grow out of it when they are older. Creepy crawlies is another common fear among children; even adults may be fearful of them. Just recently, I saw a girl in school jumped up when she saw a monitor lizard on the trunk of a tree, though she was quite a distance away from it. Many children, including adults, are afraid of cockroaches, especially the flying kind. They would run away to hide or lock themselves in their rooms. But seriously, the monitor lizards and cockcroaches won't be able to kill us (logically speaking) but for some of us, just the thought of them crawling all over us can already send a spine-chilling sensation down our body and that is the fear factor. As a parent, even though you may be fearful of creepy crawlies, you would have to overcome your fear to get rid of them, especially in the home, unless of course you have a helper at home to do the job. My colleague was sharing that if there is a cockroach in the house, she would ask her domestic help to get rid of it. She does not want to let her children know as they were not afraid of it and would catch it to frighten her.
I would like to discuss regarding the fear of death or dying (thanatophobia) which may be plaguing many people. The Bible does talk about this in Heb 2:14-15 (NIV):
"Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."
Death is no respecter of persons. Whether we are young or old, rich or poor, famous or unknown, all would be subjected to it. The only exception would be the believers living during the time when Christ returns. In the verses above, we are told that the devil has the ability to put fear in people through his control over the power of death. This fear can be paralysing for some because they do not know what lies beyond the grave. But for those of us who know Jesus Christ, we have the blessed assurance that we will meet Him when we die. God used the death of His beloved Son on the cross of Calvary to overcome death, both physical and spiritual.
Spiritual death has to do with separation from God. Whether Jews of Gentiles, we, who were once far away from God, have been brought near to Him by the blood of Christ restoring the broken fellowship that the devil initiated at the garden of Eden (Eph 2:13-18). When we are restored in our relationship with God, the devil can no longer enslave us through his power of death. Some may not believe in the spiritual realm, thinking that death is the end of all things. Yet others may believe in moving on a different realm of existence whether through reincarnation or otherwise. According to their beliefs, people will live out their lives on earth.
Physical death has to do the ceasation of our vital human organs, especially the heart and brain. When that happens, the body would turn cold with its life taken out. The physical body is but a housing for our soul and spirit which would live on. Our current body is stained with sin and sickness, and cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. God has in store for the believers glorified bodies which He would give on resurrection day. That is when the spirit and soul would be clothed with immortality and death would have been swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:54). Death would no longer reign but rather life, because Jesus is the Life (Jn 11:25; 14:6).
We can face death in the face when we have Jesus in our hearts. And in the words of the hymn:
And because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
And because I know, I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives
Monday, February 25, 2013
Hedonism, Hostility, Humility
I was reading the book of James from the Maxwell Leadership Bible recently on problem solving. Problems in life are often related to people problems. In particular, James addresses the issue of human pride and lust in chapter 4 that causes fights and quarrels.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Jas 4:1-4 (NASB)
When our own self-centred desires (hedonism) are not fulfilled, it often results in hostility against others and God. The story of Sodom's depravity is a good case in point (Gen 19). The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and wanted to fulfill their own sexual lusts with the visiting angels in Lot's house. They demanded that Lot bring them out. Because Lot refused them, they became hostile to such an extent that they would have broken down the door of his house and invaded their privacy had the angels not intervened. Such attitudes are quite common nowadays when hedonistic desires are not being fulfilled and people resort to vehement violent means to get their own ways. Let's check our own attitudes in life in this area, lest we fall into the devil's trap.
The way of the world and of the devil is to resort to hostility. To be a friend of the world is to be God's enemy. Lucifer fell because of pride and became the devil. James says that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:6). The cure therefore for human conflict is to submit (humble) ourselves to God and resist the devil. If we do not take a stand against the devil, he would be more than happy to continue feeding our ego with pride so that we can fulfill our carnal desires. On the other hand, if we lament, mourn and weep over our sins, we will find that our souls would be healed and God would lift us up, which is very much different from being lifted up in pride (Jas 4:7-10). I would rather that God lift me up than me lifting myself up.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Jas 4:1-4 (NASB)
When our own self-centred desires (hedonism) are not fulfilled, it often results in hostility against others and God. The story of Sodom's depravity is a good case in point (Gen 19). The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and wanted to fulfill their own sexual lusts with the visiting angels in Lot's house. They demanded that Lot bring them out. Because Lot refused them, they became hostile to such an extent that they would have broken down the door of his house and invaded their privacy had the angels not intervened. Such attitudes are quite common nowadays when hedonistic desires are not being fulfilled and people resort to vehement violent means to get their own ways. Let's check our own attitudes in life in this area, lest we fall into the devil's trap.
The way of the world and of the devil is to resort to hostility. To be a friend of the world is to be God's enemy. Lucifer fell because of pride and became the devil. James says that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:6). The cure therefore for human conflict is to submit (humble) ourselves to God and resist the devil. If we do not take a stand against the devil, he would be more than happy to continue feeding our ego with pride so that we can fulfill our carnal desires. On the other hand, if we lament, mourn and weep over our sins, we will find that our souls would be healed and God would lift us up, which is very much different from being lifted up in pride (Jas 4:7-10). I would rather that God lift me up than me lifting myself up.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Confessions
Currently there is this Confession fad going on in Facebook under various organisations and institutions. In them, you’ll find people confessing to their shenanigans, whether they have taken place in the past or in the present. Many recount the memories of life in organisations or institutions they were or are from. Some admitting to certain sexual orientation or sexual exploits, their crushes, mischief and misdeeds; a reflection of the changing social mores in our present day society. Do such confessions go about alleviating the guilty conscience of people? Let’s see what the Bible has to say.
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." Jas 5:16 (NASB)
In order to understand what this verse means since there is the word therefore, we have to look at the preceding verses which talk about the sick requesting the elders of the church to pray over him. Although there may be anointing of oil in the name of the Lord, it is the prayer of faith that brings healing both to the body (seen in restoration) and/or soul (seen in forgiveness of sin). Because of the efficacy of the prayer of faith to heal the soul as well, James next encourages believers to confess their sins to one another. Not so much as to gossip about them but to lay them before the Lord in prayer. Notice the word 'and' connects confess to one another with pray for one another.
James also mentions that there must be no confession without the determination to be healed, to be rid of the sin. Just as the listener needs to examine his motives, not to be an idle person with an itching ear, but to bring himself to the sole intention of praying for his friend, so the confessor must also examine his motives, for sin cannot be confessed in a spirit of exhibitionism, without any real abhorrence of it or longing to see it gone. This is the kind of confession that believers ought to engage in and not simply declare to all and sundry without any attempt to repent of our sins.
The Greek word for confess means “to speak the same as”. In other words, when we confess our sins we use the same language God uses to describe them. It is more than merely saying, “I’m sorry”. It is calling a spade a spade and not something else. True confession involves sincere repentance, forsaking the sin and willingness to confess to others and make restitution.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Success factors
I read the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell recently which looks into the behind-the-scene stories of successful people such as Bill Gates and Bill Joy. Once you know their stories, you would recognise that they are not outliers or one in a hundred kind of occurrence. But rather they are those who had been given opportunities and they "strike while the iron is hot". It was also a combination of history, community and legacy as well. It is an interesting read and I would recommend that you read it if you have not already done so.
There is a chapter on the 10,000 hour rule whereby he explored those who had the opportunity to hone their talent or craft by being at the right place and the right time. The amount of time that Bill Gates and the Beatles were able to build up their computer knowledge and singing talent respectively totaled more than 10,000 hour before the age of 20. And when they were at the prime of their life, they stood out and became famous. This speaks, of course, about hard work and our willingness to hone our talent/skill when given the opportunity to do so. Even though work may be hard but if it's accompanied by a sense of purpose (meaning) and satisfaction, the rewards will be great.
The Bible mentions that whatever a man sows that he shall reap (Gal 6:7). If we are prepared to cultivate the value of hard work in our lives and in the lives of our children, we shall certainly reap success, at least in the material sense. The wise man in Proverbs made a number of proclamations concerning the diligent and lazy person:
There is a chapter on the 10,000 hour rule whereby he explored those who had the opportunity to hone their talent or craft by being at the right place and the right time. The amount of time that Bill Gates and the Beatles were able to build up their computer knowledge and singing talent respectively totaled more than 10,000 hour before the age of 20. And when they were at the prime of their life, they stood out and became famous. This speaks, of course, about hard work and our willingness to hone our talent/skill when given the opportunity to do so. Even though work may be hard but if it's accompanied by a sense of purpose (meaning) and satisfaction, the rewards will be great.
The Bible mentions that whatever a man sows that he shall reap (Gal 6:7). If we are prepared to cultivate the value of hard work in our lives and in the lives of our children, we shall certainly reap success, at least in the material sense. The wise man in Proverbs made a number of proclamations concerning the diligent and lazy person:
"He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich." Pr 10:4 (NKJV)
"The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor." Pr 12:24 (NKJV)
"The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich." Pr 13:4 (NKJV)
Inasmuch as we put in effort in our study or career/business, likewise, we need to put in effort in our daily Word intake. Paul exhorted Timothy (and us) to "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2 Tim 2:15 NASB). The Word of God is able to guide us in our life's journey and our success in this life (and the life to come) is dependent on us meditating on Sciptures. And mind you, the success God has for us is not necessary in dollars and cents. It could be peace of mind, divine health and strength, and bringing people into the kingdom of God.
'This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." Josh 1:8 (NASB)
May we learn to walk in the success and prosperity of God in 2013.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Blessed New Year 2013!
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go." Is 48:17 (NASB)
As humans living in time, this is the beginning of a new year based on the Gregorian calendar, used by most of the world. A new year usually marks a new beginning. When the Lord instituted the Passover during the time of deliverance for the Israelites, he told Moses "This month (Nisan) shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you." (Ex 12:2). The religious calendar introduced by the Lord signifies and foreshadows the great work of redemption and celebration He was about to bring to the world starting with the feast of Passover (Pesach) all the way to the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Even though God lives outside of time in eternity, He has planned times and seasons that would take place on earth to herald the second coming of Jesus Christ (Acs 3:19-21).
In this new year, we may have plans or concerns relating to finances, health or relationships. Surely, they are valid - without any source of income, it would be difficult to live and support ourselves and our loved ones; if we have to cope with an illness or support someone who does, it would also take a toll on us; building strong family and friendship ties are important, at the same time, we need to have the courage to break off unwholesome ties that have a negative influence on us (1 Cor 15:33). Where relationships are concerned, it's important to be freed emotionally, that is, forgive those who have hurt us as well as recieve forgiveness from those whom we have hurt (Mt 6:14-15).
Let us commit all our plans for the new year to the Lord (Pr 16:3). Is 48:17 tells us that God is our teacher who will show us what is the best for our lives. The wise man says that the plans of the heart belong to man but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord (Pr 16:1). Yes, we can go ahead and make plans for our lives but we need to seek the Lord whether it is something that He wants us to do, otherwise we could be running in vain. The second part of Is 48:17 tells us that God is our leader - He leads us in the way we should go. There's no two way about it; either you lead or He leads. To allow God to lead, we need to surrender our lives into His hands. Submission and surrender to God should be a daily affair as we are prone to take charge of our own lives; to be self-sufficient as opposed to being God-dependent.
The revelation of God being our teacher and leader (Lord) is also found in Jn 13:13-17 (NASB)
13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
The disciples of Jesus called him Rabbi and Master. Noticed that Jesus reveresed the order - Lord and Teacher - to illustrate a point that if He is truly their Lord, then they ought to follow His example as no disciple is greater than the master. As disciples of Christ, if we follow in His example, we shall be truly blessed! This is how you and I are going to receive the blessings of 2013 - by following in the footsteps of Jesus. I wish you Jesus, our Lord and Teacher, in this new year.
As humans living in time, this is the beginning of a new year based on the Gregorian calendar, used by most of the world. A new year usually marks a new beginning. When the Lord instituted the Passover during the time of deliverance for the Israelites, he told Moses "This month (Nisan) shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you." (Ex 12:2). The religious calendar introduced by the Lord signifies and foreshadows the great work of redemption and celebration He was about to bring to the world starting with the feast of Passover (Pesach) all the way to the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Even though God lives outside of time in eternity, He has planned times and seasons that would take place on earth to herald the second coming of Jesus Christ (Acs 3:19-21).
In this new year, we may have plans or concerns relating to finances, health or relationships. Surely, they are valid - without any source of income, it would be difficult to live and support ourselves and our loved ones; if we have to cope with an illness or support someone who does, it would also take a toll on us; building strong family and friendship ties are important, at the same time, we need to have the courage to break off unwholesome ties that have a negative influence on us (1 Cor 15:33). Where relationships are concerned, it's important to be freed emotionally, that is, forgive those who have hurt us as well as recieve forgiveness from those whom we have hurt (Mt 6:14-15).
Let us commit all our plans for the new year to the Lord (Pr 16:3). Is 48:17 tells us that God is our teacher who will show us what is the best for our lives. The wise man says that the plans of the heart belong to man but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord (Pr 16:1). Yes, we can go ahead and make plans for our lives but we need to seek the Lord whether it is something that He wants us to do, otherwise we could be running in vain. The second part of Is 48:17 tells us that God is our leader - He leads us in the way we should go. There's no two way about it; either you lead or He leads. To allow God to lead, we need to surrender our lives into His hands. Submission and surrender to God should be a daily affair as we are prone to take charge of our own lives; to be self-sufficient as opposed to being God-dependent.
The revelation of God being our teacher and leader (Lord) is also found in Jn 13:13-17 (NASB)
13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
The disciples of Jesus called him Rabbi and Master. Noticed that Jesus reveresed the order - Lord and Teacher - to illustrate a point that if He is truly their Lord, then they ought to follow His example as no disciple is greater than the master. As disciples of Christ, if we follow in His example, we shall be truly blessed! This is how you and I are going to receive the blessings of 2013 - by following in the footsteps of Jesus. I wish you Jesus, our Lord and Teacher, in this new year.
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