Sheep for Slaughter: Warnings to Leaders

As a passionate observer of the modern church, I have observed some "meaningless activities done under the sun."  I have seen churches lacking vision, the will and the power to fulfill God's mission in the world.  I've seen churches focusing on annual one-time-big-time achievements and yet failing to develop sincere, loving relationships amongst the members.  I've also seen preachers not getting the respect that they deserve.  The people are not able to listen to, and be changed by, the message God has sent through the "messengers of His Word." Instead, they dwell on the imperfections, the problems and the faults of these leaders.  Although the churchgoers do want to grow, they suffer a spiritual plateau, or worse they go astray.   They simply cannot put themselves under the guidance of these "faulty leaders."

When I placed these observations under the lens of the Scripture, I've found two reasons why churches are bound to go astray.  I've mentioned one reason in my other blog entry: Sheep for Slaughter: Shepherdless, that it is because (1)the church people  have rejected God as they reject His messengers.  Instead of listening to the message, they criticize the pastors.  Instead of seeking God for His leading, they depended on their own shallow understanding.  Instead of relying on His grace, they depended on their own strength.  Instead of showing mercy, they offer abominable sacrifices.  Instead of repenting, they continue on in their disobedient ways.

Now, hear ye, the second reason is just as important.  It could be (2)the church leaders are leading the church people astray.  

Malachi has provided A WARNING TO THE PRIESTS in the ancient Biblical times, and I think these are just as applicable today.  The priests preserve the knowledge of God; they provide people instruction; they are the messenger of the Lord of Heaven's Armies (Malachi 2:7).  Although in today's times, there are no priests that do ancient church rituals (i.e. burn incense, offer sacrifices), our church leaders and pastors serve the same purpose, as they help direct the entire congregation in their relationship with God.

They are warned to:

A.  Honor God's name
Honoring God's name means "acknowledging God for who he is -- the almighty Creator of the universe, who alone is perfect and who reaches down to sinful people with perfect love" (NLT Study Bible). Knowing that we are a bunch of sinners that deserve death, we must prioritize God who has given us life.  "How?," you might ask.  Begin by "loving Him with all your heart, soul and strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5).  This means listening to what God says in His Word, and then setting our heart, mind and will to do what He says.

Truth be told, our church is not growing.  In fact our numbers are getting smaller.  And sadly we are still holding on to the same ways and structure as we did in the past.  True, the church may have the money to spare, but is this how we should spend our money?  Priests, have you really asked God how to spend the money?  Are these the sacrifices God really wants from you?  Have you prioritized God with your heart, soul and strength?  Are you sincerely seeking Him?  Are you sincerely willing to do whatever He says -- even if it means drastic change?  I cannot forget a "priest" telling me about how he does ministry, "I admit that I am okay with doing what's been tried and tested."

B. Preserve God's Message
Malachi was angry at the priests who were appointed to be God's messengers -- they did not know God's will!  Imagine having pastors, elders or deacons that don't meditate on God's Word or are not acquainted to the different books of the Bible because they were too busy.  How could they preserve the knowledge, if they have no knowledge?  How could they provide instruction to the people?  How could they become a messenger?  How could they lead people to the right path?

Perhaps the book of Malachi would like to keep pastors and leaders in tune to God's Word. Priests, may you be encouraged to dwell on the Scripture more than on any other books and references.  You need to know what it says, what it means and how it applies to daily life.  As a messenger of God, you need to live out the knowledge that you have, and to share the knowledge that you have preserved, in order to turn many from lives of sin.  If you fail to do this, the church would surely be led astray.

On the other hand, we as the flock, also have to responsibility to read the Scripture.  We need to verify if the priests are teaching us rightly about God.

C. Show No Favoritism
There are several classifications of people in the church.  Some have BMWs, while some barely have food on their table.  Some are Filipinos, while some are Chinese.  Some are already octogenarians, while some are still in their teens.  Malachi warned the priests from showing favoritism to the influential and favored people, to those who supported them financially.  "The priests were so dependent on these people for support that they could not afford to confront them when they did wrong" (NLT study Bible).

It is very tempting to give a higher priority to the older and the richer, but God abhors this kind of favoritism.  "If you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers" (James 2:9).  
This is not simply an issue of equality.  Having favoritism shows that we honor men more than we honor God.  The real sin is not in insulting the poor or the young; It is actually insulting God when we despise those whom he has equally given the gospel of grace.  Showing favoritism is the same as questioning his grace, and ultimately, deeming his grace as worthless! (from: Spiritual Favoritism and Why God Hates It).  Let's remember that our significance doesn't lie in the talents, the offerings, the sacrifices, the ministries that we bring before Him.  All of us stand equally before God now that we are a new creation, it is Christ that He sees in us.

____________

Many of the priests today have indeed given up their all for the sake of the call.  They have withstood the initial tests of raised eyebrows and questions like, "Why be a preacher? There's no money there!"  Now that they are in their important appointed positions, the enemy is all the more itching to take them out of the picture, or if not, use them to lead the people astray.

I hope that as messengers of God, you will take heed of these three warnings.  If you forget to honor God and become complacent to your past successes, if you fail to share God's relevant message to the flock or if you show favoritism, God will indeed make you "despised and humiliated in the eyes of all people" (Malachi 2:8).  Your people would know if you truly care enough for them -- you would be sincere in guiding them according to God's will.

As for us, the flock, let us pray for our pastors and leaders that they may not be discouraged in leading us to grow in our relationship with God.  The devil is working against them.  Let us not work together with the devil and give them a harder time.  Instead, let us become a source of encouragement to them.  I've tried becoming a church leader, and when you are in that position, rarely do people you serve affirm you in what you do.  So let's be generous in giving encouragements. It's not that difficult.

The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

~ Malachi 2:7

Sheep for Slaughter: Refocus

Just a month ago, I was asked by a dear friend to answer a survey of today's Fil-Chi church. This survey consists of the strengths and weaknesses of the church, the vision for the church, and the next steps the church must do. It was indeed a very difficult task. Who am I to think about the direction of plenty of hundred people, I thought.

So I closed my eyes and prayed about it. An image suddenly popped in my head. I believed it was God-given. Because when that image had come, I knew what to pray for and I was instantly filled with God's peace, the peace that transcends all understanding, the peace that I couldn't generate for myself.

If you are curious as to how the image looked like, here it is:

The image shows a wooden fence, topped with a much nicer fence, topped with a strong sturdy cement wall with fine glass doors, and then covered with an equally strong roof and a cross. This signifies the church. The tree on the other hand is the life the structure seeks to preserve. It is the body of Christ.

I realized from this image that we, the church, have been building on a previously set structure, improving it, making it more efficient and grander. But it does not mean that we are effectively participating in the building of the universal body of Christ.

Our focus, our visions, our strategies, our tactics have been set on the internal, very limited people... and not on what the Bible is claiming that we should: the poor, the sick, the oppressed, the orphans, the widowed, basically, the marginalized.

Based on Isaiah 1, the Lord is not impressed with our offerings and sacrifices (works, ministries):

11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
¹² When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
¹³ Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
¹⁴ Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
¹⁵ When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.

Your hands are full of blood!

¹⁶ Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
¹⁷ Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.^[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.

What I'm trying to say here is that we need to seek the right focus; we need to build the structure on where God wants His tree to grow. I know many will disagree with me here when I ask you to seek the right focus, and change the wrong focus to the right focus; because many are allergic to the word change, because it is like "rocking the boat" or ceasing unity. But what I'm saying here are all based on what God wants, not on what I want.. They're based on what the Bible says and not merely on a random book I've read somewhere.

The copy-pasted verse above is just one of the many commands of God to help the poor, feed the sick, etc. And if we are aiming to be like Jesus, I think we need to study who His target markets were. Were they the greatest businessmen then? The high officials? The pharisees and the sadducees? No. They were the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the worst of all sinners -- prostitutes & tax collectors.

I pray that we, the church, would not be contented with all that we're doing now. Being contented would lead us to: (1) become ineffective for God's work. We miss God's plans. We miss God's purpose. We miss what's important; (2) depend on ourselves. Since we are contented, we are in the comfort zone that disables us to see God at work. And in Jeremiah, a church that depends on self is like a dry and parched land, with no love that builds the church up, which leads us back to point number one; (3) fail at worship. We focus only on ourselves, and what we want and can do, and not on God, and what He wants and can do. And this is very dangerous, because we could wrongly identify worldly successes for God's blessings. We might even get to the point of mixing worldly values for biblical ones.

Church, I'm not saying that we should give up everything of our budget for the poor. I would just like you to read your Bible and identify what the Bible wants us to focus 0n. Who are the target markets of Jesus Christ? What are the things that God wants us to do? Is God glorified when what we spend for the camps in hotels and high budgeted events is higher than the amount spent in helping the poor? Is God glorified when we create one big-time medical mission, rather than having many small minimal-budgeted activities targeted to the poor?

Many have told me that we have a different target market.. we target the ones in our network (which is mostly the rich). But is this enough of a reason to disregard the "target market" God says we should have in the Bible? Are we going to be like Sodom and her daughters who were described as "arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." (Ezekiel 16:49)?

I'm not encouraging you to do good works by helping the poor just to be saved. By all means, no. We have been saved through Jesus out of the great mercy He dispensed to a dust like you and me. And we need to share about Jesus to our humbled brethren who have experienced heavier effects of sin. The gospel of Jesus Christ can free them not only from spiritual bondage but also from the effects of sin in this world (i.e. poverty, slavery, injustice). God achieves this through the church.

May we become a blessing to the least of our brothers, for they too deserve to know Jesus Christ. Before we think of who to reach, let us remember why - the compassion of God for the lost. Our families, relatives, friends, and colleagues all need Jesus. But so do the poor, the hungry, the sick, and everyone outside or network of friends. We need to reach everyone, with no favoritism.

Read Church.

Reflect Church.

Refocus Church.

~ o ~ 0 ~ o ~

The content above, particularly the need of the church to help the poor, has become a burden when I started reading Isaiah from the Old Testament; and it just kept on growing as I journeyed through the Old Testament during my quiet time. But I think what frustrated me more than our lack of compassion for the poor, is the missed focus of the church. The church has not been seeking God in humility and trust anymore... and this is such a sad sad thing.

I'm not sure if you agree with me when I say we should add to or shift our focus to the poor. Whether you do or you don't, I respect you. Whether your burden is to disciple the young ones, to help the old people, I am happy for you and I would like to encourage you to go do it! I just hope that more of us will read and be changed by His living Word. The Bible has it all..It can provide us the burden that also burdens Jesus. It can also set out the mission vision of the church.. and of your life!

Let me share how God moved to erase the frustrations I had. It was very humbling actually. Last Sunday, I woke up with an indescribable joy. It was like God, through the Holy Spirit, had placed a lingering truth in my heart.

"The church may have its wrongs, but you also have your wrongs, Mitzi. You have not completely obeyed me too. One disobedience means you've already missed the mark.. you are not considered right anymore. It is not what you did or will ever do that has caused me to make you my daughter. It is only because of My mercy and grace.

"Just like the church, there's nothing you, your pastors, or the leaders can do to make it right. It is only through My mercy and grace that the church will be cleansed."

I realized I myself have to do a big refocus. I am not someone "right" to correct the wrongs of the church. I must shift my eyes from looking at the imperfections around me (that can trigger my Messianic Complex) to the Lord above who is the ultimate source of life and love on this dry and parched land. It is not by my might nor power to right the wrongs in the community, but by His spirit!

If you are also seeing some imperfections in your church, do not allow these thoughts to frustrate you. Perhaps, you can pray this prayer with me?

Dear Lord,

Please teach me to focus on you and not on the problems that I see around me. I lift up the church into Your hands. It is now in Your control. I hope Lord that You will have mercy and teach us, the church, to really depend on You and make Your Word our compass. Even if it will be painful, refine the church, so that each and everyone of us will shine brightly like diamonds.. and nations will see that we are indeed Your people.

May you also enable me to remain faithful, to trust and obey you at all costs, even if it may seem like I am rebelling against the status quo of this world and maybe even of the church. May Your Word enlighten my path each and everyday as I read Your Word. And may You use me in Your grand masterplan.

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen.

Sheep for Slaughter: Warnings to Sheep

Recently I've been hearing about issues of pastors having conflicts with church leaders, pastors having conflicts with church members, and church leaders having conflicts with church members. It's like the church is in complete disarray. Funny thing is I am not surprised to hear all these, I have been expecting them actually. Because the problems of the Israelites then -- Old Testament time, are the same problems that we are facing now. These same problems have been reiterated over and over again through the different books in the Bible, and sadly now that we have the complete view of the Bible, we, like the Israelites, haven't learned from history. Solomon's very smart to say something like, "History repeats itself" in Ecclesiastes.

Go for a short adventure to Zechariah's little book, and jump to chapter 11. You would find there the heading, The Good and Evil Shepherds. When I was reading it, I couldn't help but utter, "This is sooo true" more than a couple of times. Because it is. It talks about pastors having no compassion for their flock and maybe some of them are even causing the flock to go astray. But before you sigh with discouragement and defeat, and decide to just leave your church, let me tell you something, don't sigh and don't leave...

IT IS PART OF GOD'S WILL.

In chapter 11, God used Zechariah as an illustration of God being the shepherd and Israelites being the flock. God removed the three unfit shepherds and placed Zechariah as a shepherd during a time of spiritual confusion. Later God used Zechariah to play two types of shepherds: the rejected shepherd and the worthless shepherd.

REJECTED SHEPHERD

In v8 we see that God through Zechariah became impatient with His sheep because the flock fed on their own greed and evil desires. The sheep hated the shepherd, the sheep rejected the shepherd, and these made the shepherd vow in anger, "I won't be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And let those who remain devour each other."

Can you see the similarities of then and now? The church members and leaders reject our pastors. The church is more critical with the personality of the pastor than with applying what the pastor is really teaching. I don't think the pastors God has placed in our churches lacked compassion for the flock earlier in their ministry. It is the fault of the flock -- the church leaders and members -- who have grown to hate them. The church people who have not only rejected them but also looked down on them. Check verse 12. Zechariah asked his people how much he was worth to them. These people (his flock) said 30 pieces of silver -- this is an insult because this was the price paid for a slave.

Let me ask you..

How much is a pastor's worth to you?

How much respect do you have for a pastor?

How important are the messages coming from his mouth?

If you say little to no importance to at least one of the questions above, then I would understand full well if you do not feel any compassion from your pastor.

WORTHLESS SHEPHERD

Moreover, if you are looking for a new shepherd, to become something like a.. umm.. Senior Pastor, just because you have rejected the current shepherds. BEWARE!!! You might just experience the second type of shepherd. I couldn't help but feel the remaining verses (15-17) is a prophecy. Israel would not only reject the true shepherd; it would accept instead a worthless shepherd. We might suffer the same fate.

I believe that pastors are given a burden to serve a particular flock by God. It is not their option to choose where and when they want to serve. I don't think anybody in his right mind would give up a high-paying corporate job to minister in the church unless God calls him to do so. It is ultimately God who places this pastor in a place that would fit His bigger masterplan. God sets the timing, the place and the pastor's heart for a ministry. But if the rebellious flock intentionally looks for a shepherd and provides him extrinsic motivation (only God can provide intrinsic motivation), then I would expect this shepherd to care for his own well-being. "This illustrates how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for those who are dying, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves."

WHAT NOW?

If you are part of a flock that is ready for slaughter, why not work together with your pastor for common good -- God's good? He may not be the perfect shepherd, but He is still God's appointed one. Listen to him. Respect him. And instead of thinking what he can offer you, which is VERY selfish, think of what you can do to edify your shepherd who has a big responsibility.

Remember your pastor is not perfect and Satan works double time against him. Isn't it more reasonable for us to have double prayers than have double standards?

SEMPER FIDELIS: Jubilee Evangelical Church Powercamp 2011

For the first time in Jubilee Evangelical Church's history, Powercamp - a camp once for yuppies, but now for all ages - was scheduled in the third quarter of the year. The big jump from the hot summer days to a rainy, potentially typhoon-filled August was considered a big risk, yet I think it was a risk worth taking.

Even though the powercampers had met (typhoon) Mina in Hotel Kimberly, Tagaytay, the camp was as my cousin says, "rebuking, refreshing and renewing." It was fully-packed with faith-invigorating messages and fun bonding activities. And in between those two were three buffet meals, two snacks and loads of laughter and heart-felt kwentuhan.

The first night was all about make-up and make-believe. We all got dressed up in classic storybook outfits. I was Nancy Drew for a night.

L-R: Wendy, Alice, Snow White, Nancy Drew, Maid Marian, Another Detective

I was invited to solve a mystery in an old English library. Believe it or not, someone had the guts to kill/kidnap King Henry VIII! I quickly dressed up in my black trench coat, cowboy cap, tights and long socks and brought with me my handy-dandy magnifying glass. There in the crime scene, I met Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and her three bear friends, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz and many more!

L-R: Evil Queen, Goldilocks, Dorothy, Juliet

I was surprised to find Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland and also Crocodile from Peter Pan too. Oddly, they were not included in the prime list of suspects.

The Alice in Wonderland Cast

The next day, we started the morning with a devotion. I loved my counseling group of three ladies. Not only did they come prepared, they were also very open and honest about everything. The make-up and make-believe ended the same night when the mystery was solved (Cinderella burned the king by the way. Gasp!). They also understood my indecisiveness and my inability to expound on the word, "generative." There was a time I had felt that I was not worthy to be their counselors. I was not mature enough, knowledgeable enough, nor experienced enough. But praise God for making me realize that this drowning thought came from Satan. As a counselor, I can't change lives, nor can I make them grow in their faith. I could only listen and encourage them through God's word. The time and ability to listen as well as the words and ability to speak all come from God.

The praise and worship made jumping to the beat very tempting. I could see our praise and worship leader's and the band's passion in leading the campers to sing praises to the Lord. The success was apparent 12 hours later, when I caught myself still singing, "Home is heaven, one day Lord I will live in your courts.." I hope in the next Powercamp, there would be more slower, reflective songs in the though.

The messages in one word was, POWERFUL. Perfect for POWERcamp. We toured the ancient days when Noah and his family were the only people in the world. Followed by Abraham's willingness to go out of his homeland.. travel to wherever God leads him.. and give up his "one and only, beloved" Isaac. Then came Joseph who had undergone severe trials in His life, being sold by his brothers, being accused for something he did not do and yet remaining faithful to the Lord. These biblical characters were not perfect like you and me, but they were faithful. It was their faith in the Lord that had counted them as righteous. (I haven't actually touched the gist of the messages yet. This is simply a minute tip of the iceberg that killed Titanic.)

"Are you willing to commit to be semper fidelis?" That was asked of us. Many of us said yes, yet we knew at the back of our minds that it's not possible, especially to do it 100%. This made me appreciate God even more, that no matter how unable we are, God is and will forever be faithful. Although Noah got drunk and lay naked and Abraham knowing full well God's promise still agreed to sleep with Sarah's servant, Hagar, God was faithful to them. He did not forsake them. Instead, He still fulfilled His promises.

The highlights of the camp for me were the heartfelt sharings and teary prayers. Those were the times of sincerely lifting "Isaacs" up to God. Another were the sudden commitments to do something for the Lord (which I hope and pray will not die down). There were also springing up of accountability partners and prayer partners. There was the sudden surge of love for the brothers and sisters in Christ. There were biblically-guided decisions made, i.e. to forgive and to accept, to be still and wait for the Lord. There were those who acknowledged and appreciated God leading them through a painful, yet wisdom-filled, journey.

All these only God can do. All the praises and glory be to God indeed.

Semper fidelis, because God is Faithful!

Worst Sin Test: Guilty or Not Guilty?

For me, murder is NOT the most dangerous sin in the world. Although it may turn out to be quite gruesome -- i.e. a woman's body cut into pork-chop pieces with her blood licked by the murderer straight from the chopping board, it's still not the worst kind of immorality.

Do you know that there is one terrible sin invisible to the naked eye? It is a sin that may kill you without you even knowing it, or one that allows you to be unconsciously guilty of murder (Matthew 5:21-22). It acts like a cancer spreading in the innards of person, be it a corrupt politician or a 30-year Christian. It is a sin that no one is courageous enough to admit.

What sin is this you may ask? Make a quick guess.

That sin is nothing but PRIDE. The sin of Israel. If you read the accounts of Israel from Jeremiah to Hosea, God was enraged because of their pride. This is also the sin of the current church. Nothing new. As they say, Everything that goes around, comes around." Or in the words of Solomon (Ecclesiastes 3:15), "Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account."

And perhaps, the is also the sin of you and me. Here is a short test to check if you are guilty of this very dangerous sin.

1. Do you feel that your relationship with the Lord is dry?

Dryness is a situation where there is no joy and gladness in doing the Lord's work. Each day becomes a drag. You feel burdened, burnt-out and bored. This happens when you depend solely on your own strength. Our strength is (almost always) inadequate to love, to live peacefully and to have hope because of our inherent moral decay. Pride hinders us from turning to the Lord because we think that we can still do everything based on our own strength.

Do you depend on your gifts/talents and resources, just as the Israelites had depended on their own weapons and chariots? Do you depend on your power and network just as the Israelites had depended on their own armies and partnerships?

2. Do you have time to work and no time to listen?

Here is the word of the wise (Ecclesiastes 5:1), "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong." I've witnessed several times in the church that people are ready to serve the Lord, and yet when asked about their relationship with Him, it's nada. They don't spend quiet time with Him within the week. Neither praying nor reading His word is part of their agenda.

God is NOT pleased when anyone sacrifices through one's own ways or means. Doing something for God without the love for, listening, and being with, Him is nothing but an empty mockery to Him. If you are guilty of this item, pause and listen to Him. Do what He wants you to do, not what you think He wants you to do.

• "The multitude of your sacrifices--what are they to me?" says the Lord, "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats." (Isaiah 1:11)
• Though they offer the sacrifices to me and though they eat the meat, the Lord is not pleased with them. (Hosea 8:13)
• "What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me." (Jeremiah 6:20)

Of course, we do not see much burnt offerings as "sacrifices" in churches nowadays. There are still sacrifices being made though. The time and effort we put into preparing projects for the Lord (i.e. Evangelistic events, camps, Medical mission). The voices we exert when we sing praises to Him every sunday. The tithes and offerings we place in white envelopes. The small groups that we lead with tears, perspiration and dedication.

However, the degree of effort that we put in does NOT equate to the degree of God's delight in us. God may not be pleased with our hardwork when our heart is away from Him. He asks us instead to "Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord." ~ Hosea 10:12

3. Are you tired of other people's actions?

Or, do you think you are any better than them? Pride magnifies the sins of others in order to minimize one's own. Pride pushes the other people down by looking at the speck of dust in the other's eye, without realizing that there's a plank in one's own eye. I was guilty of this too. It was God's word in Hosea that pierced my heart and convicted me that: I get ticked off by actions of other people of which I myself am equally guilty of. The character traits that we abhor in another are most probably the same character traits that we fail to see in ourselves.

Try observing and analyzing. If you are irritated with a brother who seems to be not caring, check yourself.. Have you been caring for other people? If you abhor people who are boastful..have you been humble? Before you criticize another, look at yourself in the mirror.

4. Do you see yourself as good?

When was the last time you repented wholeheartedly? When was the last time you acknowledged a sin and sought the Lord? Pride blinds us to our faults and our weaknesses. Pride hinders us to accept the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, because we do not see a need for it. The more we do not need Christ, the more we need Him. Pride leads to death, dear readers.

~ ~ ~

If you answered YES to at least one (1) question, this is what you must do:

Return (Israel) to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. (Hosea 14:1-2)

If you answered NO to all four (4) questions, this is what you must do:

Find a mature Christian, accountability partner or a cellgroup mate that you trust. Ask them to do the same assessment of you. If their answer is still no to all four, then praise be to God! At the same time, "make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8).

Six Lessons on Prayer

"If you want to get close with God, there's one thing you can do -- pray," says Rev. Arnel Tan. Rev. Arnel Tan is the station manager of Far East Broadcasting Co. in Davao City, the Senior Pulpit Minister at Davao Chinese Baptist Church and the Senior Pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church. He was one of the guest speakers in FCCF One Thing Youth Conference last May 22 to 26, 2011 at BE Resort Mactan, Cebu.

Once upon a time, Rev. Arnel Tan was given a responsibility to head a six decade old church. After sixty years of existence, only 12 people were attending its weekly praying meeting. Rev. Tan was puzzled and disheartened with the fact that the church is supposed to be a house of prayer but how come only few are willing to come and pray? Then he realized, there was something wrong with the church. Together with the church leaders, they acknowledged that the church had problems, it was dry bordering to dying, in spite of all the activities they had held onto to keep the church moving.

There was only one thing they could do; that was to pray a very dangerous prayer. They knelt down on their knees, and uttered a simple yet extremely scary prayer...

"Lord, please cleanse this church or close it."

God answered their prayer. God chose to cleanse the church and, as a result, a great number of people --members and nonmembers-- realized the need for God and communing with God. Soon, the number of members grew exponentially. Rev. Arnel Tan emphasized that this growth was not because of his or the church's strengths; it was truly by the power of the Spirit.

He shared with us some insights on prayer within his two-hour talk.

Six lessons on prayer:

1. The role of problems may be God's invitation to prayer. God uses problems to make us vulnerable.

It is only when we are really helpless that we are really praying. It is at the point of helplessness, a full and life-long dependence on God, that we see Him at work. Hannah desperately wanted a child, but was helpless when God closed her womb. Through this instance, Hannah was moved to utter a breath of prayer in the house of God.

What problems are you experiencing lately? Have you talked to God about them?

2. The reward to prayer is not the "YES" from God. Rather, is it the very privilege of talking to God.

Rev. Tan shared about church members who had asked him to dedicate their businesses and pray for the sick. Many were disappointed because some of the businesses closed down and some of the sick died. The purpose of prayer is not for God to fulfill your will. Rather, is it a beautiful bonding moment with God, through Jesus Christ. It aligns your heart to His, at the end of the day, you might just discover God's amazing purposes.

If you want something from God (i.e. for God to bless your plans, to make your ministry to grow or your business to flourish), that is not Christian, that is Chinese. It is called investment

Have you prayed for God's will? Pray also for the strength to pursue God's will.

3. Cruise on a sailboat and not on a speedboat.

The Holy Spirit leads a person or a church like how the wind blows a sailboat. Throughout the journey, one is not only awestricken taking in the view but also experiences the soft gentle breeze caressing on one's skin. However, our sinful, selfish, self-reliant, shortcut-loving nature would rather sweep the waters through a speed boat which is stirred by man and is moved at a desired pace. In the speed boat, although one can surely feel the strong gust brushing across one's face, there is no room for appreciation. The focus, is on the destination rather than the journey. And the destination of our churches is marked by the attendance, the budget, the building or the cash and not the believers' experience with God.

God's work cannot be done by men. When men attempt to do God's work in their own limited strength, and not by the power of God's Spirit, the church will become like a dry and parched land. Instead of a rich bountiful vineyard, we find.... no love, just work; no fruit just chaff.

The moment you depend on God, it is effortless. You will see the difference. Are you cruising on a God-dependent sailboat or a self-dependent speedboat? How about your church? Do you see God at work? Or does it seem dry?

4. Pour out your heart to God.

In Rev. Tan's words, we can actually "shake, rattle and roll" as we pray. Hannah probably looked like that when she was praying, and surprisingly, she was judged by a priest named Eli. He accused her of being drunk. There may be people like Eli in churches today who remain prayerless, and judge other people who are praying. Perhaps they think when a person prays and cries, he is weak, weird or emotional.

Do you pour out your heart to God? Do negative thoughts come to your mind when you see people shaking, rattling and rolling while they pray? Is your church encouraging this type of prayer?

5. While in prayer, surrender.

Many times when we pray to God, we already have a made-up plan at the back of our head. Instead of pausing for a moment to seek Him, we continue on with the "tried and tested" plans of leading our church, and even our lives. At the start of every year, we pack the church with scheduled activities that must be performed, thinking these are the very demands of God's covenant. And you may be wondering why your church is not growing even with your prayers. This is because you are not really praying! You are simply planning and asking God to bless your plans.

Perhaps, it is time to surrender all the plans to God and clean the church of its activities until God fills the church back with His plans and purposes again. Make the congregation know that your church is a house of prayer, not a house of camps, of events, of practices, and of meetings. Encourage -- no, I think this is still a very light word -- drive the church to trust God for His leading amidst the coming uncertainty.

No more shortcuts, you surrender

No more demands, you surrender

No more hurry, you surrender

No more envy, you surrender

No more manipulation, you surrender

No more regrets, you surrender

No more revenge, you surrender

When you surrender, you will have the surprise of your life. It's a beautiful, overwhelming experience.

Have you surrendered your life to the Lord? How about your plans and your dreams?

6. When God gives you a surprise, you will be fully prepared to enjoy it.

Many times, God will prepare you until you are ready to face the surprise of your life. God will let you undergo a process before you receive a blessing. What are considered God's surprises? God's surprise is to enrich your faith. God surprise is to glorify Himself. God's surprise is connected to the purpose of God.

Now, there is one greatest surprise that God has given. That is Jesus Christ Himself.

More than healing, the healer. More than salvation, the Savior.

No blessing, no gift, no surprise can fill you completely.

Only Jesus Christ can.

Are you filled with Jesus? Or are you more preoccupied with your goal setting? Have you had any surprise from God? What did you go through to discover it?

'The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.' ~ Psalm 145:18

FCCF One Thing Camp: Beyond Expectations!

I couldn't believe I still passed as youth when I was invited to attend the FCCF Youth Camp last May 22 to 26, 2011. I almost did not join when I heard the word youth. But since many of my friends were going there as counselors and a couple were attending as delegates, I decided to hop on the plane with them and headed to Cebu, Philippines. Never did I regret a second since then. The whole experience was very beautiful, quite surreal.

If I were to express my whole camp experience in two words, like the name of the resort, it is: BE -- Beyond Expectations.

Let me tell you my top 8 BE experiences (based on the order of appearance).

1. Calm Chamber

When I swiped in my keycard and opened the door to room 422 of BE Resort Mactan, all I could say was wow! What I saw was beyond my expectations. I felt like Percy Jackson on his first trip to Vegas. It was too beautiful to be a camp room that a thought like, hmm... could Satan be luring me? came to mind. I later realized, it was simply one of God's blessings to me that I should be thankful for.

I felt like melting in the calm colors of the room.. the hues of blue and green.. the plumped up pillows.. the climb-in-like-a-queen beds. I absolutely loved the soft coffee colored window seat with its accessorized pillows and the very witty display of frosted glass with round mirrors of varying sizes of which reminded me that Hey, we also have a beach! But nah, I'd rather curl up in the window seat and read a good book until the sky paints red and then fades to black.

2. Woman in White

My roommate and I were feeling a bit off on our third day. She had colds and I had a bit of sore-throat, so that morning we decided to drop by the hotel clinic for a quick check-up. A petite nurse with a warm smile opened the door and ushered us in. She checked our blood pressure and gave my friend the last cold medicine from her kit. As for me, she admitted apologetically that they had no available lozenges. That afternoon, I received a call from a camp officer saying that my lozenge was already available. I received a set of 10-pcs Strepsils inside a Mercury Drug Store plastic.

In the next days of camp, I heard that this woman in white would ask the unwell campers how they were doing when they'd bump into each other at the lobby.

3. Surprising Seat

At first glance, this wooden chair is as hard as mini wooden logs clumped and tied together to be used for roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. But when I sat on it, it was delightfully soft and comfortable. It followed the curvature of my body. Later I learned that unknown to the naked eye is the foam underneath the numerous wooden cylinders.

4. Breakfast by the Beach

It was my first time to enjoy a meal of bangus with garlic rice and a bowl of Arroz Caldo on the beach, with (rocky) sand under my shoes and the sound of tides in the background. Soon, I found that all meals were set on the beach.

5. Packed with Punch

I realized I wasn't too old for this youth camp. The camp may have a broad target group, but surprisingly (almost) all the scheduled talks were substantial and helpful for the young and old. The teens were silent and behaved as they listened intently and laughed occasionally when the speakers threw in some jokes (evident that they were not sleeping). The older ones listened just as attentively. Sometime during those days, you might have caught me, my seatmates, some counselors (males even) tearing up.

The messages were very powerful. Like the breath of the Holy Spirit, they filled and guided the attendees, blowing them (those who were open and willing) forward and upward. The speakers spoke with utmost honesty and strong conviction of the truth. There was a message on prayer by Pastor Arnel Tan, a pep talk by Elder Cecilio Pedro, four revival messages by Pastor Jebo Banzuelo and four theme messages on the four chapters of Philippians by Rev. Chris Chia. Learnings were definitely beyond expectations!

6. Selfless Speakers

It was my first time to encounter guest speakers giving spontaneous messages during their supposed free time. Both Pastor Jebo and Reverend Chia gave additional sessions on separate occasions (mind you they did not overlap) for those who raised their hands to go full-time and those who are already in ministry, respectively. I sensed their genuine concern for those who heeded the royal call to do the royal task.

7. Compassionate Counselor

Cathy Chi (older sister) met with us fifteen minutes earlier than the designated group devo time. She knew that we would be too tired to read, digest and answer the devotional questions late at night. And so she gave us time to read the passage silently during the morning devo time and patiently waited until we were already moving about in our seats, before she asked us to share the principles we got from the passage. She also tried to provide as much help as she could for our individual growth, in life and in ministry, during our short stay in the camp. She's indeed one of the sweetest!

8. Solemn Signature

The final climactic stage of the camp was the dedication night wherein attendees would be asked to make one of the biggest, life-changing, earth-stopping decisions in their lives. After much prayers they would be asked to choose between (1) To dedicate one's life to the Lord, (2) To rededicate one's life to the Lord, or (3) To commit one's life to full-time ministry.

God knew how lost I was (and honestly, still am). I am at a crossroad of my life where I don't know which path to take... north, south, east west, forward, backward, sideward, diagonally. Every path seemed probable and reasonable. I may not know my path, but God knows. I choose to let God take hold of the "full"-ness of me and lead the way. And so I walked to the front with my eyes filled with tears and feet trembling, I placed my name on the yellow poster together with the others who've decided to do number 3. My signature doesn't tell people that I am already a pastor or a missionary. It just says, "No reservations anymore, Lord. Wherever you take me, your princess is willing."

Dry and Parched Land

I'm not sure if you have passed through a dry and parched land in your own adventure. You are leading a ministry in church and you've invited some people to become officers. You had to persistently ask people to accept the open positions. And finally when a number did, you had to push them to move and sometimes wait tirelessly for them to respond to your texts or emails. There just don't seem to have an oil that keeps the machine running on its own. You had to push and push.

Other times, you try to give your time, resources, energies to them and yet all your efforts seem to be in vain. Have you experienced these things? I haven't heard anyone who dare to talk about this matter openly, and so I dare you to think about this, read the bible about this, and be brave enough to rattle the comfortable status quo.

I got to experience this when I was heading a ministry. I spent resources and time to make the group happy, to make them want to attend the group meetings. I tried to create fun activities. I tried to talk to them individually, asked them how they were, told them I'd be there for them whenever they need me. But it seemed like I wasn't getting through to them. I felt the dryness and I somehow got tired. Dryness is a distressing condition of loneliness and pain which is caused by separation from God.

I only got to learn that there's such a thing as spiritual dryness in Jeremiah recently! One main cause of spiritual dryness is found is Jeremiah 17:5: when we depend on the human flesh. Depending on one's own strength may come in different shapes and sizes. It may be hidden under the achievements of different ministries or under the pile of your wisdom and knowledge. This self-dependence is not easily seen by the naked eye, although many times, it can be seen the in the local church's culture. If the culture tends to uphold people for the skills that they possess to perform certain ministries, then we diminish the value of Christ in the church.

There are two effects of depending on one's own strength: (1) You turn away from the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5); and (2) The whole land is desolate, and no one even cares (Jeremiah 12:11).

Now, why do we experience spiritual dryness when we depend on the flesh? It is because we do not see our need for (or if we do see, we do not completely believe that we need) JESUS CHRIST. This leave us little reason to appreciate the very big news that Jesus Christ died for our sins on the cross. And why don't we appreciate that good news? It is because we do not see ourselves as SINNERS.

Yes, sometimes we forget about our wretchedness, we do not experience the 'down' of being lowly pitiful sinners, and so we fail to experience the 'up' or the high of receiving God's grace and mercy. This entails more than a mere humble view of self. Knowing that we were (and still are) sinners, with only Jesus Christ to make us sinless before God, it entails an utter dependence on God, a desperate need for Him. That's why the first of Jesus' beatitudes is this, "Blessed are those who are poor in spirit and realize their need for Him for the Kingdom of heaven is theirs." God didn't say "They MUST be poor in spirit to be blessed." We are already poor in Spirit to begin with. It is just a matter of realizing it. As Lloyd Jones said, "Ultimately, the only thing which is going to drive a man to Christ and make him rely upon Christ alone, is a true conviction of sin." And it is through this conviction of sin that brings us to repentance, and allows us to turn back to God.

While I was walking to a meeting awhile ago, one quote suddenly popped in my head. I shared it with a group and I would also like to share it with you, "You do not need me, you need Christ." It is wonderful to feel needed, but in reality no one needs us. We can boast of nothing in us that is as important as Christ. Let's point to Him always.

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Additional readings:

What are the Symptoms of Spiritual Dryness?

1. We pursue ministry and not the presence of God. In sincerity we begin by ministering to the needs of others but along the way we forget to minister the gospel in our own lives (Eccl. 10:10). Perceived success in ministry feeds this proclivity to operate outside of God’s power and before long we are too busy to pray, to meditate on the Scriptures or to do good works out of a Spirit-responsive heart. We do these things to perform our weekly act.
2. We are over-extended in our time, relationships and finances. Dry hearts always seek refreshment. Unrepentant hearts seek it by doing more stuff with people who can advance our goals and costing us money we can’t afford. But we do it in faith that God is opening doors and He will provide.
3. We focus on the faults of others and we resort to cynicism, sarcasm and criticism. If we can “discern” the weaknesses of others, perhaps our spiritual dryness will not be revealed. And if we can do it in a way that is humorously mocking, we can hide our sin even more stealthily. Those people that we criticize the most are the ones who are radically devoted to a pursuit of God. It makes us feel better if we can marginalize those who could accentuate our dryness.
4. We resort to creativity or knowledge or charisma to build a ministry. We watch other mega-church pastors online and we think they are ministering from human skills, so we try to emulate them. As I got to know many of these pastors, I discovered that their gifts are secondary to their passion for God. Some are even embarrassed by their rock-star status. Whenever I have lacked spiritual depth, I leaned into my talents and convinced myself that people in the church didn’t recognize my spiritual dryness.
5. We distract ourselves with other interests—almost compulsively. When our joy and peace and satisfaction is not in God, we have to replace that with hobbies, sports, family, exercise, food, politics, social causes, social media and even ministry.
6. We entertain sin in our minds and hearts to find relief from the demands and pressures of ministry. We may never sin with our hands—because we are proud of our “holiness”—but we often sin in our minds and in our hearts by lusting after bigger churches or opportunities or relationships. We sin in our hearts before we sin with our hands and giving in to temptation is inevitable over time if we do not repent.
7. We promote self to impress man. John the Baptist said that he must decrease and Jesus must increase. The opposite seems true today. The Apostle Paul called himself “the very least of all saints”(Eph. 3:8). We justify this by believing that if we get our name out there, it will advance the gospel.

Source: Acts 29 Network: http://www.acts29network.org/acts-29-blog/spiritual-dryness/

Discover Your Culture

CULTURE, as defined by my MBA professor, Mr. Efren Cruz is "the beliefs and expectations shared in an organization." An individual may act one way when outside the organization, but when joined in a collective group, he may act differently. He illustrated, "Inside my class, some of you may be very quiet. But I'm sure many of you are loud and would love to joke around outside this class." I saw many of my classmates smirked, we understood the point perfectly.

An organization has shared beliefs, values and expectations. These beliefs, values and expectations shape up an organization, these may differentiate one business from its competitor, or a daughter church from a mother church. These BVEs become the norm in a structure that everyone is expected to follow. But just as they step out of the structure of the church, they do not necessarily have the same BVE any longer.

Now, how do we know what the church's beliefs, values and expectations are? Are these etched on the structure or monument or printed on a banner? Are these the mission, vision and core values typed on the website? Are these the things being preached every Sunday? NOT NECESSARILY. One way you may discover your organization's real beliefs, values and expectations, the ones that lie in the core of the organization is through ROLE STORIES.

Role stories are stories being shared informally during lunch breaks, coffee time, or a few seconds brush through the hallway. These are the stories shared by churchmates who chitchat after the service, or officemates who happen to have lunch-outs together. Of course when they are together, they talk to each other. They share role stories. Role stories mirror the beliefs, values and expectations in their organization.

My professor cited an example, "You know my previous students would like to share things about me to other students. They would scare other students perhaps they would like to brag. They'd say, "Ang hirap talaga ng STRAMA, bawal mambola kasi boboldyakin ka."" (Strategic Management class is really difficult, you cannot woo the professor because the professor would snap at you.)

He learned this by listening to students and their stories. In each of the role story, there is always a hero or a villain. In my professor's illustration, he was the villain and perhaps the student who passed the course was the hero. The belief there was that the class was really difficult; and the expectation was that if you woo the professor you would be deadmeat.

Culture is not really like principles or policies that you can easily set in an organization. It is something to be discovered, something that has grown and developed through years of experience.

This got me thinking. What is the culture of the church nowadays? What do you hear after the service or prayer meeting when everyone's ready to head home? I've heard a couple of stories plenty of times. Listen and help me analyze these role stories:

1. "Napapagod na ako sa ministries, ang dami dami kong kelangan gawin." (I'm getting tired of the ministries, there are so much things I have to do!)

The hero here I guess is the person speaking ("ako" or "me") because he is the one tasked to do all the ministries. Ministries are valued as services for the Lord in the church and they are considered to be good. The expectation is that the ministries are too many and are tiring to do. Another possible expectation is that we have to do the ministries, for some it is a sign of growth, for others it is a must for every Christian.

Let us analyze this culture, why then do we get tired of doing the ministries? Perhaps it is because we have the wrong focus. We focus more on the service and not on the ONE whom we are serving. We worry about our to-do list that we are left with little time to commune with our Father in Heaven. This is the Martha culture.

2. "Mr. Plato is such a good pianist! I'm sure our praise and worship this Sunday will be successful!"

The hero here is obviously Mr. Plato who is the good pianist. He is believed to be talented and skilled. And because of this, the expectation is that on Sunday, if he were to play, the praise and worship would be successful.

This is the human pride culture. They value (or they look highly) on gifts, skills, talents, achievements, knowledge and the like. If these are the values of the church in order to "succeed" in doing its mission, then, we are guilty of Jeremiah 17:5. It says there, "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord."

Trusting in man means we do not trust the Lord. It is mutually exclusive my dear readers. It is either we trust man to do God's work or we trust in the Lord. It's either we trust Mr. Plato to move the hearts of people to sing praises to the Lord, or we trust the Lord. It's either we trust Ms. Sophie to teach entertainingly that the Sunday School kids would instantly have passion in reading the Bible, or we trust the Lord. It's either I trust myself to encourage you as you read this or I trust the Lord to do that.

What I noticed in these two examples are that the Martha Culture and the Human Pride Culture are similar in so many ways. First, their beliefs, values and expectations are focused on what man can do. The hero is the man who has done something good for the church and not the Savior who has saved the man from sin and enabled him to have eternal life and do the good works. Second, both of them turn the hearts of people away from the Lord. The previous takes the focus away from the Lord, the latter takes the trust away from the Lord.

I don't know what the culture in your church is. Try listening to role stories on Sunday. Compare them with the best standard of culture in the world, the Biblical Standard.

Happy listening everyone! :)

P.S. If you have noticed that your culture is different from the culture in the Bible, change is definitely possible.

STEP 1: Identify facets of present culture that prevent the organization from meeting its mission and vision. Compare it with Biblical Standard.

STEP 2: Pray about it.

STEP 3: Talk openly about problems of the present culture and what behaviors will bring us closer to the Bible culture.

Note: The examples above were written for illustrative purposes only. They were not intended to pinpoint any person specifically.

A Biblical Definition of Religion: Is yours for real?

What is religion? That is when we go to church, we sing praises, we worship, we attend weekly fellowships, we kneel down in prayer, we raise our hands high in adoration, and then we go to church again, we sing praises, and maybe add a few days of fasting. We let go of meat, of meals, of tv, etc.

But, are you sure? If this is how you define religion, then better read on. You are straying away from God's original framework for "religion". The REAL religion is not a scheduled ritual in church. Believe it or not, even if you are loaded with ministries, you may not be practicing the real religion in which God blesses.

A real religion acts upon the Scripture. The only proper way of dealing with the Scripture is doing it.And this is how we should act according to the Bible. If you would read James 1, James enumerated the three components of a real religion.

1. Bridles his tongue and doesn't deceive his heart

People who are easy to find faults in others, who are easily angered, are not practicing true religion. They see themselves as "more religious" than others who have fault. They forget that they too are sinners and imperfect; that they too need the grace of God to be saved. True religion is also free from hypocrisy. It doesn't show a doble kara where you wear the pious hat only on some days and in front of some people.

2. Shows compassion to the oppressed

I realized that many of us are lacking in this aspect. If you would read Isaiah 1:10-17, God rejects people's worship however lavish because they use it as a pious evasion of the self-denying demands of helping the weak. Even lifting their hands in prayer avails nothing (ESV Study bible). God also defines the true meaning of fasting in Isaiah 58:6-7. The fasting that He chooses is more than dieting. It is to loose the bonds of wickedness; undo straps of yoke; let oppressed go free; share bread with the hungry; bring homeless into the house; and cover the naked.

Now, you might excuse yourself saying, "How can I help the poor? If I give them money, they might use it wrongly or give it to syndicates." Well, it's not only money that they need. They'd also need food, clothing, shelter, justice and freedom. Are you willing to help them even if it'd cost you? The real religion helps people who are in need, those who cannot give anything in return.

I am emphasizing this number because as evangelicals, we are guilty of sharing what is most convenient. Words. Mouth service. Talks. Thoughts. Most of the ministries that relate to the poor start with sharing the gospel (through a story, an event, an outreach, a medical mission) and end with it as well. It usually lasts one day long. After that, we leave them behind and hope that God would work in the "seed" that we've planted. I know that the Gospel is the most important gift mankind can ever receive. But I hope you would consider the broader scope of the gospel message. I hope that you would look at its entirety. Faith is not limited to proclaiming the gospel message in words and training followers to do the same. Faith is "doing" the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation no matter what it takes.

Test your heart, are you sharing the Word only because it is the most convenient? Telling a story and praying for someone is a lot easier than inviting the crippled homeless man living under the bridge you see everyday on your way home from work. The previous is free; the latter, uncomfortable.

3. Unstained of the world

In one word: UNWORLDLY. Remaining "not of this world" in this world is definitely going against the flow of society. This would mean that our vision, mission, personal strategies and daily decisions should not base on the world's measure of success, but on God's measure of righteousness.

...

My quiet time today pointed out that I am so unreligious (if there is such a word) or ungodly (ouch!) because I am not able to practice the real religion that God has set out for me to do. And so I pray that God may forgive me for engaging in a comfortable religion far too long. May God give me the idea as to how I should help the oppressed with the gifts that He has given me. May I learn to share more, to give more and to love more, especially to those that the world ignores.

I hope that you would do the same. Let's us take each day as an opportunity to share to the marginalized.. to the child that knocks at the car window, to our maids, to the old man sleeping on a cardboard box. May we see each instance as a divine appointment for us to share God's love and word.

God bless you!