God Uses Mustard Seed-sized People

I read that the mustard plant in Israel is actually a weed. You know what you usually do with weeds. When you see them in your garden, you just rip them up and throw them away or burn them. You won’t find weeds in a nursery or flower shop. They are seen as useless. I read that is why in Israel the rabbis banned mustard seeds from being sown in gardens because they would overwhelm the natural plants growing there. What is the picture before us here today? God uses the things that are unimpressive to overwhelm the natural, i.e. sinful world and bring about God’s order in this world. That is why no one can ever use an excuse like “I am not ready” or “I am too young” to avoid serving God. No one is ever too young or unequipped that God cannot use him or her. All a person needs is to be faithful and available. God’s grace will help us to make his Kingdom a reality to those around you.

I never dreamed that one day I would go to Bible College and become a pastor. If fifteen years ago, anyone had told me I would be a pastor, I would have laughed derisively at the idea. Fifteen years ago I was still in the Helping Hand and just five years on the road to recovery from a long-term drug habit. I used to look out each morning at the people going about their work in the morning and I would ask God, “These people have so many skills to offer you. What can I do for you, God?” After I finished my program, I was asked to become a staff-helper. My work was like that of an office boy. I kept the files, cleaned the tables, mundane things like that. But God gave me opportunities to grow in my service there. When the staff in charge of the publications resigned, I was given the task of writing and editing the newsletter articles. When the admin staff resigned, I was given the task of writing letters representing the ministry. When they needed staff to run a halfway house in the Philippines, I was sent there and I learnt to preach. God used the process of growth to slowly shape me. In all these tasks of preaching, teaching, writing, never did I think I would ever be good at them. Even today, I dare not say I am good. However, I walk in the faith that God has not finished working with me. I believe that as long I keep busy doing the ministry that I can do know, he will continue to lavish his grace on me and help me to grow even more.

I believe this is the principle of God’s Kingdom. God uses people who make themselves available.  And while using them as his instruments, his grace also empowers them and helps them to grow so that he can use them more effectively still. God can help you to grow if you are not busy in his kingdom. So you are never too young or too inexperienced to start being useful to God. Never think of what you cannot do. Think first of what you can do and just do it. Trust in God’s grace to help you do the things you think you cannot do.

You Are A Priest

1 Peter 2:9 gives us a good picture of how we are to act in the world, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

As the chosen people of God, we are called to declare the praises of Jesus Christ who is the reason for our being born-again. How do we do this? As 1 Peter 2:9 calls us to be a body of priests, the question then is, “what does it mean to be a priest?” In October, we Protestants normally celebrate Reformation Sunday on the last Sunday. This is to remember the Protestant Reformation which occurred around 400 years ago which gave us our Reformed faith. Church history tells us about 400 years ago in Germany, a monk named Martin Luther began to meditate on certain truths of the Bible, ideas that had been lost for centuries. He brought these ideas back into the Christian faith. One of the most radical of these ideas was what he called "the priesthood of all believers." In those days, the church taught that there was a body of men set aside to be a special group of priests. They taught that these men were the only ones who could act as intercessors between God and ordinary men. Martin Luther buried the idea. He taught from the Scriptures that there is no such doctrine at all. Martin Luther might well have had 1 Peter 2:9 in mind when he expounded this idea. Instead every person who comes to know Jesus Christ is made a priest under God and that he or she joins with the great high priest, Jesus Christ himself, in a ministry of mercy, blessing, and service to a broken and disordered world.

A priest is basically someone who helps others to see the presence of God as they commune with one another. Practically speaking, for us that would mean to look to the needs of others and to help them fulfil that need. This is the ministry of helps, of extending mercy to one another. A few years ago, I was very encouraged by our church members. Isaac, one of our youths, had contracted a kind of cancer that affected young people. As a result, his life became a series of chemotherapy cycles, blood tests and hospital stays. It can be quite a traumatic experience for any 17-year old boy. What encouraged me were the actions of many of our church people. There were offers to ferry them to hospital for the chemo sessions, the visits and other practical help. I am very sure that the family was very encouraged and strengthened by the fact that many other people also were standing with them in this moment of adversity. That is what believers in a community do for one another. They look at others’ needs and they examine themselves to see how they can play a part in fulfilling that need. That is the work of a priest, to reflect God’s love in the broken lives of others. This is the offering of spiritual sacrifices, mentioned in 1 Peter 2:5, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” This is our ministry, yours and mine; this is the calling to which God has called us. Aren’t you excited that God has called you into this ministry?

The people of Luther’s time were very excited. They were radically impacted by this idea of being a priest of God. It brought about what we call the Protestant Reformation. And out of the Reformation arose a new zeal for God’s work. Mission organization later arose that called people into the mission fields, ordinary men and women like you and your children. These were not just organizations that brought the Gospel. They were concerned for the needs of the people they ministered to. Orphanages and hospitals were built, schools were commissioned. Christians were caught up in this ministry of the priesthood of believers. It was an exciting idea that led to exciting times. And we who form this community of believers are also to be seen as a priesthood, a body of Christians that looks to the needs of others. May the beauty of Jesus be seen in his priesthood of believers.

Jesus Christ, Our Cornerstone

In the Old Testament, God dwelt among his people, the Israelites. As they travelled to the Promised Land, they carried with them the Tabernacle. They encamped with the tabernacle at their centre symbolizing God dwelling with them. When they settled into the land Solomon built a temple. When Solomon’s temple was commissioned, the glory-cloud of God filled the temple, again symbolizing that God was dwelling among his people. But in 1 Peter 2:5, we see a radical shift in this idea for the NT disciples, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  God would no longer dwell among his people. Instead, God now dwelt IN his people because of the work of Christ on the cross. Peter describes Jesus as the cornerstone of the church (1 Peter 2:5a), “see, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone”.

Two ideas spring from the word ‘cornerstone’. One is ‘a stone representing the nominal starting place in the construction of a monumental building, usually carved with the date and laid with appropriate ceremonies’. A second definition is ‘something that is essential, indispensable and forms the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed’. The first definition is seen in the fact that Jesus Christ, our cornerstone, constructed the church through his death and resurrection. However, Jesus is not just the founder of the church but he is also the foundation on which we, the living stones that form the church, are built. This illustrates the second definition.

In this life, all of us are builders. We build our lives and we also seek to build the lives of those around us. To build a life, we need a cornerstone too. The question is who is our cornerstone?  If we are not building our lives on Jesus then we are must be building our lives on something else.

Do we know what our cornerstone is? One way is by tracing our thoughts when the chips are down. When we go wrong, who or what do we turn to? Is it our own personality, our own morality, our own intellect, etc.?  In my former ministry at the Helping Hand, I observed something interesting. Many of the residents were able to follow the program faithfully while in the program. They woke up early each morning to read the Bible and pray. They would write what they learnt in a journal. Before morning chapel, they would go early and prepare themselves in silent meditation. This attitude would also be seen in their work. They served willingly and even cheerfully when given extra duties. They become shining examples of the delivering power of Christ. But yet when they finished their program, they would relapse almost immediately. Why?

It could be that the cornerstone of their faith was not Jesus Christ. Could their cornerstone have been obedience to the ministry rules? They wanted a trouble-free stay so they followed the program faithfully just as they used to while in prison. But when the program ended, their cornerstone was taken away. Without that cornerstone, their freedom became shaky and immediately they fell from grace.

What is the cornerstone on which our faith and our church stand on?  Is it Jesus Christ?  Is it our own intellect?  Is it the programs that are offered? Is it our service to the church ministry? If it is Jesus Christ, we will endure whatever may threaten or afflict us. “…the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame” 1 Peter 2:6b.

Prayer

A great way to pray is to look for God’s presence in your life. More than 400 years ago St. Ignatius Loyola encouraged prayer-filled mindfulness by proposing what has been called the Daily Examen. The Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and to discern his direction for us.  

Try this version of St. Ignatius’s prayer.

1.     Become aware of God’s presence. Look back on the events of the day in the company of the Holy Spirit. The day may seem confusing to you—a blur, a jumble, a muddle. Ask God to bring clarity and understanding. 

2.     Review the day with gratitude. Gratitude is the foundation of our relationship with God. Walk through your day in the presence of God and note its joys and delights. Focus on the day’s gifts. Look at the work you did, the people you interacted with. What did you receive from these people? What did you give them? Pay attention to small things—the food you ate, the sights you saw, and other seemingly small pleasures. God is in the details. 

3.     Pay attention to your emotions. One of St. Ignatius’s great insights was that we detect the presence of the Spirit of God in the movements of our emotions. Reflect on the feelings you experienced during the day. Boredom? Elation? Resentment? Compassion? Anger? Confidence? What is God saying through these feelings? God will most likely show you some ways that you fell short. Make note of these sins and faults. But look deeply for other implications. Does a feeling of frustration perhaps mean that God wants you consider a new direction in some area of your work? Are you concerned about a friend? Perhaps you should reach out to her in some way. 

4.     Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to something during the day that God thinks is particularly important. It may involve a feeling—positive or negative. It may be a significant encounter with another person or a vivid moment of pleasure or peace. Or it may be something that seems rather insignificant. Look at it. Pray about it. Allow the prayer to arise spontaneously from your heart—whether intercession, praise, repentance, or gratitude. 

5.     Look toward to tomorrow. Ask God to give you light for tomorrow’s challenges. Pay attention to the feelings that surface as you survey what’s coming up. Are you doubtful? Cheerful? Apprehensive? Full of delighted anticipation? Allow these feelings to turn into prayer. Seek God’s guidance. Ask him for help and understanding. Pray for hope.

St. Ignatius encouraged people to talk to Jesus like a friend. End the Daily Examen with a conversation with Jesus. Ask forgiveness for your sins. Ask for his protection and help. Ask for his wisdom about the questions you have and the problems you face. Do all this in the spirit of gratitude. Your life is a gift, and it is adorned with gifts from God. End the Daily Examen with the Our Father.

FROM

http://ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/how-can-i-pray/

Christian one-liners

 

 

1.                 A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

2.                 Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift.

3.                 Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.

4.                 Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

5.                 Don't put a question mark where God puts a period.

6.                 Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church.

7.                 Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord.

8.                 Give God what's right -- not what's left.

9.                 Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler.

10.            God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

11.            He who angers you controls you.

12.            He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.

13.            In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma but never let him be the period.

14.            Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- God's way leads to an endless hope.

15.            Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.

16.            Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive.

17.            Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

18.            Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

19.            Read the Bible -- It will scare the hell out of you.

20.            Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.

21.            The church is prayer-conditioned.

22.            WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.

23.            We don't change God's message -- His message changes us.

24.            When God ordains, He sustains.

25.            When praying, don't give God instructions -- just report for duty.

26.            Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.

Taken from the Internet

 

Arise

In John 20:18, we read that Mary brought the news of Jesus’ resurrection to the disciples. Yet, this news did not immediately strengthen or encourage them - “the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). That is quite ironic. Mary’s message meant God had even conquered death but the disciples were concerned with self-preservation. Imagine if an organisation were to form a Disciple search committee to look for people to carry Christ’s message. Would these disciples be on the list of candidates? I think their names would probably be at the bottom. Yet Jesus did not shunt them aside but continued to stand with them and call them.

We have heard this before, “God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” Nowhere is this seen more clearly in this text, as Jesus appears before his disciples and gives his disciples the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). From then on, the Holy Spirit would live in them and empower them to do the task he had assigned them – “as the father has sent me, I am sending you.” This is the life to which they were, as we are called to, today – to extend forgiveness in his name and bring life to others. There can be no higher calling than that. With God there is no Plan B. He calls us and then empowers us through the Holy Spirit to fulfil our calling. As we have studied, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us the moment we receive Christ as Saviour, never to go away again. When we move through fear to embrace our calling, God’s Spirit empowers us to participate in God’s mission.

It’s not about us. It’s never about us. It’s about the Holy Spirit working in and through us. So when God calls us to serve him in ministering to others, we must remember that it’s not about us. It’s about the Holy Spirit working in and through us as we humbly submit to his leading and guidance. We should walk in faith and not think of what we cannot do but what God can do through us.

This is the way it is. God is omnipotent and sovereign over all things. That means he can accomplish his purpose for his creation without us. But in his grace and love for us, he has called us to bring life to others. However, he leaves that choice to us. God is just like a millionaire who goes out into the streets, picks up orphans and brings them into his home and family to clean them up. After that, he invests his personal resources in training and developing the orphans, i.e. us. After we have been trained and developed, he uses more of his resources to open up markets and fields to enable us to use the talents and gifts he has developed in us. That is the power of his amazing grace at work in our lives. It’s not about us; it’s about God working in us. The message of Resurrection Sunday is “Arise”. Jesus Christ did arise from the dead about two centuries ago. He gave the Holy Spirit to his disciples so that they too might arise and bring his message of forgiveness far and wide without fear. That is what they rose up to do. The Holy Spirit is also given to each one of us who declares Christ as Lord and Saviour. This Easter, may each one of us arise to fulfil all that God has called us to do.

Living the Gospel-witnessing Life





In Acts 5, we read of the Sanhedrin forbidding Peter and the apostles to preach the Gospel. However, the apostles, despite the risk to their lives, refused. Providentially, through Gamaliel’s intercession, they were not killed. Instead the Sanhedrin decided to whip the apostles and then release them. What was the apostles’ response after the flogging? “They left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name (of Jesus)” Acts 5:41. Even after being whipped badly, they continued their task of proclaiming the Gospel as v42 tells us. To them the Gospel was worth suffering and dying for.

I remember an extraordinary woman whose story I read years ago. Many have heard of Wang Ming Dao, unofficial architect of the house church movement in China during the middle part of the 20^th Century from the 50s onwards. Despite oppression and persecution, the house churches in China grew, led by men such as him and others. His wife was Deborah Wang or Auntie Wang as friends called her. When Wang Ming Dao was sentenced to prison for so-called “anti-revolutionary activities”, his wife also followed him into prison. For twenty years, she was in a Northern Chinese prison where winters were extremely cold. Despite insufficient food and winter clothes, seeing her husband only three times in that twenty years, she never complained and never lost her Christian faith. After their release, their home continued to be used by their Christian friends. Even after her husband died, her spiritual strength never diminished and she said, “I will not be lonely; I was not lonely before.”  What a remarkable woman!  She too rejoiced because she had been found worthy of disgrace for Jesus.

You may not have to suffer for your Christian faith like the apostles or Deborah Wang, but you can be sure that the world will always examine Christians hyper-critically. You may not be jailed or beaten but you can be sure that you will also be ridiculed and disliked as you faithfully live for Christ. That’s normal since sticks and stones are only thrown at trees bearing fruit. That is what God warned us of in 2 Tim3:12 where Paul writes, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus WILL be persecuted.”  So when you live out your faith by refusing to cheat on your homework or stand up against the school bullies or refuse to victimise the weaker ones as some of your school mates do, you will make some people unhappy. When you refuse to pilfer the company goods like your colleagues do, lie for your boss or work on Sundays, you will upset your boss or colleagues. When you do these things, you can be sure that people will not be happy and they will look for ways to make your life difficult. Be encouraged, the lesson we learn from Easter, which we will celebrate next week, is that we have a risen Saviour. His commendation is far more important than any hostility or adversity that we have to bear here. This life on earth is not all there is. We have a far better one awaiting us in Heaven. It is there where, if we have walked in obedience and lived our lives for our Lord, we will hear his commendation, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come now and share your master’s happiness.”

May the Lord’s grace empower and bless us to witness and live for Him as so many others before us have done for our Lord and Master Jesus.