The orange season is starting, and I, being a fan of this natural source of Vitamin C decided to buy some imperial mandarins -- the one-of-a-kind member of the orange family that is easy to peel and doesn't create too much mess.
So I went to my local store a few weeks ago and bought a few. They were so sweet, I decided to go back to the same store over and over again, thinking that they would keep stocking the same, if not better, quality imperial mandarins. I did browse around trying to find them at lower price, but for some reason my heart always goes back to my local store.
I bought another kilogram of imperial mandarins today. At my local store. As of 5 minutes ago I have jut consumed two of them; and to my surprise, they weren't as sweet and as juicy as the ones I bought earlier.
My mind immediately said to myself: my local store no longer stocks up good oranges. I now have to search for new stores that will give me sweet imperial mandarins.
I paused for a few seconds. Then I replied to myself (in my mind): why do you blame your local store for the oranges that they sell? Isn't it just an intermediary who doesn't have no control over how sweet or how juicy the oranges will be?
I have encountered a lot of real-life scenarios around me where people leave the church they have grown fond of for many years of their lives simply because they were having a "rough season" with God. Frustrations got the best of them, and they began blaming the church, who are simply a messenger, for making them experiencing the season they were in. Before long, they left the church and went to another church, thinking that everything would be alright from then on.
It is very easy for us to blame those who are close to us, and make them our scapegoats. However, if we really want to get to the root cause of it, we should really take it up on God and not our church. Talk to him, get close to him, and get him to reveal his plans in our lives.
Don't shoot the messenger.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7)
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Living under borrowed 'light'
Today on the news was the cancellation of Lady Gaga's concert in Indonesia after threats from muslims in the country opposing Lady Gaga's widely known explicit values(1).
It got me thinking: where were the Christians in the story? And why did not this uproar also happen in Christian-based countries? Shouldn't they have shared the same values in opposing the entertainment with declining social and moral values?
Have the believers become lazy? Have they finally taken the idea of "hate the sin, love the sinner" a few steps too far and forget to stand up to what they believe in? Have they finally sinked into an excuse that Jesus could have stopped it if he wanted to and therefore they don't have to do anything else to prevent it?
Have we been living under borrowed 'light' of other people instead of shining our own light? Have we fooled ourselves into thinking that the idea of "faith without action is useless" doesn't apply to a circumstance like this? Is it wrong to "overturn the tables" just like Jesus did with those of moneychangers on the temple courts(2)?
I am drawn to Jesus' words in Matthew 24: "At (the end of age) many will turn away from the faith... and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."(3)
It is quick for us as believers to take these verses and say that it is just part of the sign of the end times when any of these degradations of godly values appear. However, most of us fail to reflect on a verse right above these verses: that we "will be hated by all nations because of (Jesus)."(4) Why should we not try to make this a reality? Why are we so afraid of being hated by others because of our love towards Him who love this world so much he was willing to pay it with His own blood?
Why can't we be bold? Have we skipped the next verse in the chapter which states that "the one who stands firm to the end will be saved"(5)? Or should we really say that this whole chapter is out of context in regards to the news?
Or can we answer these questions by saying that what we hear on the news was the results of our prayers? That God has answered our cry for holiness and sent other people to act on our behalf instead of calling his own children to do it? How confident can we draw this conclusion in an absence of concrete explanation?
Or to the contrary, am I merely a victim of the fast-paced world we live in and think that if we are to make an impact it has to be right here and right now? Has the idea of "instant results" polluted the arguments that I made for this case?
I can only utter more and more questions as it looks like I as believer for once have run out of excuses to answer all of them.
1) http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/lady-gaga-cancels-indonesia-concert-after-threats-from-islamic-hardliners/story-e6frfn09-1226368434793
2) Matthew 21:12
3) Matthew 24:10-12
4) Matthew 24:9
5) Matthew 24:13
It got me thinking: where were the Christians in the story? And why did not this uproar also happen in Christian-based countries? Shouldn't they have shared the same values in opposing the entertainment with declining social and moral values?
Have the believers become lazy? Have they finally taken the idea of "hate the sin, love the sinner" a few steps too far and forget to stand up to what they believe in? Have they finally sinked into an excuse that Jesus could have stopped it if he wanted to and therefore they don't have to do anything else to prevent it?
Have we been living under borrowed 'light' of other people instead of shining our own light? Have we fooled ourselves into thinking that the idea of "faith without action is useless" doesn't apply to a circumstance like this? Is it wrong to "overturn the tables" just like Jesus did with those of moneychangers on the temple courts(2)?
I am drawn to Jesus' words in Matthew 24: "At (the end of age) many will turn away from the faith... and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."(3)
It is quick for us as believers to take these verses and say that it is just part of the sign of the end times when any of these degradations of godly values appear. However, most of us fail to reflect on a verse right above these verses: that we "will be hated by all nations because of (Jesus)."(4) Why should we not try to make this a reality? Why are we so afraid of being hated by others because of our love towards Him who love this world so much he was willing to pay it with His own blood?
Why can't we be bold? Have we skipped the next verse in the chapter which states that "the one who stands firm to the end will be saved"(5)? Or should we really say that this whole chapter is out of context in regards to the news?
Or can we answer these questions by saying that what we hear on the news was the results of our prayers? That God has answered our cry for holiness and sent other people to act on our behalf instead of calling his own children to do it? How confident can we draw this conclusion in an absence of concrete explanation?
Or to the contrary, am I merely a victim of the fast-paced world we live in and think that if we are to make an impact it has to be right here and right now? Has the idea of "instant results" polluted the arguments that I made for this case?
I can only utter more and more questions as it looks like I as believer for once have run out of excuses to answer all of them.
1) http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/lady-gaga-cancels-indonesia-concert-after-threats-from-islamic-hardliners/story-e6frfn09-1226368434793
2) Matthew 21:12
3) Matthew 24:10-12
4) Matthew 24:9
5) Matthew 24:13
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Salt and Light Revisited
There have been many discussions, thoughts and ideas about salt and light, but the uncovering of salt and light from Pastor Frengky Utana was one great revelation that takes it to a whole new level.
Salt needs to come at the right amount in order for food to become delicious. When there is not enough salt in the food, people will quickly notice and say "there is not enough salt in this food". The same happens when there's too much salt in the food, in which they will say "there is too much salt in this food."
However, when applied at the right amount, the praise will go towards the food and the chef who cooks the food, but not the salt.
The same goes with light. People will immediately comment if the light is too dim or too bright, but when it is of the right brightness, the focus will not be on the light but rather on the subject that the light shines on.
Many believers have mistakenly led to believe that to become an impact to the world they live in, they have to be noticeable, and that they need to occupy the spotlight in order for the world to notice how great their God is.
Jesus suggested otherwise when he asked us to become salt and light. Our impact comes by applying ourselves on the world that needs our salt and light -- and when we apply it correctly, the acknowledgement will not be directed towards us but towards the world that God loved so much that we unreservedly gave his only Son.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Salt and Light?
For a while now I have struggled with the idea of becoming a salt and light to this world. Should we be pro-active or should we wait until the opportunity presents itself? Should we move with courage or should we exercise caution? Where is the line that would tell us whether we are in the "salt and light" zone or in the "you've gone too far" zone? And who gets to decide where we should draw this line?
We are called to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). A salt by itself is hazardous when consumed, unless it blends itself with food. A light by itself it not pleasing to the eye when stared at, but would provide clarity when shone upon an object.
The world and all its culture is a food to be salted. The world with all of its majestic properties (or lack thereof) is the object to be light upon.
However, some believers would argue otherwise and condemn the use of this world's culture as the "food" and the "object" for our salt and light. They would argue that the salt and light alone will be sufficient to reflect God's glory.
Furthermore, they would advise that we should never go near this world to avoid being contaminated by its culture.
As a result, we are unable to salt this world's culture and elevate it to its original intention. We fail to shine this world's culture and expose its lack of glory in order to restore it to its original purpose. Instead, we become an annoyance for people around us by force-feeding them with nothing but pure salt, and blinding the eyes of those around us even further by forcing them to stare at a light without an object.
Yes, I am fully aware that we are not to conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:12), but the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Just like Jesus, we should not be afraid to dine with the "sinners" and "tax collectors" of this world, for we know that whatever happens, we know that the outcome would always be the Lord's victory and that his love will never be apart from us, no matter where we go to salt and light this world.
I will leave you with some excerpts taken from Romans 8:31&37-39:
"If God is for us, who can be against us? In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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."
We are called to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). A salt by itself is hazardous when consumed, unless it blends itself with food. A light by itself it not pleasing to the eye when stared at, but would provide clarity when shone upon an object.
The world and all its culture is a food to be salted. The world with all of its majestic properties (or lack thereof) is the object to be light upon.
However, some believers would argue otherwise and condemn the use of this world's culture as the "food" and the "object" for our salt and light. They would argue that the salt and light alone will be sufficient to reflect God's glory.
Furthermore, they would advise that we should never go near this world to avoid being contaminated by its culture.
As a result, we are unable to salt this world's culture and elevate it to its original intention. We fail to shine this world's culture and expose its lack of glory in order to restore it to its original purpose. Instead, we become an annoyance for people around us by force-feeding them with nothing but pure salt, and blinding the eyes of those around us even further by forcing them to stare at a light without an object.
Yes, I am fully aware that we are not to conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:12), but the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Just like Jesus, we should not be afraid to dine with the "sinners" and "tax collectors" of this world, for we know that whatever happens, we know that the outcome would always be the Lord's victory and that his love will never be apart from us, no matter where we go to salt and light this world.
I will leave you with some excerpts taken from Romans 8:31&37-39:
"If God is for us, who can be against us? In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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."
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