Love is the Currency of Heaven

"...be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2

To be a powerful, effective Christian, we just need to start with this reminder from Saint Paul to the Ephesians. "Be patient! Be forbearing." Carry one another's burdens. Listen to others with concern and empathy. Exhibit self-control in all situations. 

"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves." —St. Francis de Sales

Every day we are given opportunities to learn how to love more perfectly. We need to learn because love is the currency in heaven! 

You Are Precious

"That is why I kneel before the Father..." Ephesians 3:14

How immensely blessed the Ephesians were! Saint Paul prayed for them, knelt down before God for them. So that what? So that "the Father would bestow gifts upon them in keeping with the riches of His glory." This was Saint Paul's prayer, which we can also pray for ourselves and others: "May God strengthen you inwardly through the workings of His Spirit. May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, and may charity be the root and foundation of your life. May you be able to grasp fully, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love, and experience this love which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may attain to the fullness of God Himself."

What an important prayer this is, that we know, really know, deep in our being how God loves us, how He values us, how precious we are to Him. This is the very foundation of our life in Christ. And this is what the enemy seeks to destroy, our self image, the true knowledge of who we are. It is such a pity that sometimes we get bombarded with messages that we are not worthy, that we won't amount to much, that we are not enough. My sister used to tutor street children and she had to teach the parents first not to destroy the children's confidence by repeating again and again that they were “bobo”, not intelligent! The enemy finds all sorts of ways to deceive us about who we are. Let's go back to our Father's Word and reclaim our inheritance as God's precious sons and daughters! 

Unfathomable Riches

“To me, the least of all believers, was given the grace to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ...” Ephesians 3:8

Would we believe a man who did an about face from being a passionate enemy of Jesus and His disciples to being His most ardent follower? In the book of Ephesians we see why. Saint Paul says he was given a revelation into the mystery of Christ, a mystery hidden from ages past and now made available to us, as coheirs in the promised inheritance, the inscrutable, inexplicable, unfathomable, inexhaustible, infinite riches found in Him! St. Paul was willing to suffer, be plotted against, persecuted, imprisoned, and finally decapitated. His understanding and knowledge of Christ was so real, so all-encompassing, and so undeniable. 

Today this understanding and knowledge is available to us. We only have to read the Bible and pray that Jesus will reveal Himself to us. There are many stories of Jesus revealing Himself in dreams to many people. The parents of one young girl who was depressed and would cut herself in desperation approached a Youth for Christ staffer for help. The staffer prayed with the young girl and talked to her. “I will pray that Jesus will reveal Himself to you.” 

“I can’t do that,” the teenager protested, “God will strike me down for what I have been doing!” The YFC staffer convinced her not to be afraid. Two nights later, the teenager had a dream of a man who came to her. As He gently touched her where she had been cutting herself, she instantly was filled with joy and peace, and a sense of hope. He spoke to her and assured her of His love. 

Jesus actively seeks to call us to Himself. Let us approach Him with our whole hearts, eager to lay claim to all God has in store for us! 

Be Ready

“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.” Luke 12: 35-36

My neighbor has a lot of horror stories about her house help. One helper would hide pasta and spaghetti sauce and other goodies in a balikbayan box hidden in their laundry area. It was covered with old bottles and other recyclables. Then when the box was full, one of her relatives would fetch the box in a taxi to bring home. Another helper, a cook, would tell all the other new helpers that my neighbors were super strict and would cook very little food for them until the other helpers would leave and she would have the house to herself. Later it was found out that she would bring home the extra food for her family. Then there were two helpers who spent so much time sleeping at the same time. Anyone who rang the door bell or knocked would have to wait a long time before they would hear and open up. 

In Luke 12, Jesus tells us that we are not to be like that, caught sleeping, or it will not go very well for us. He says we are to be ready for His coming at any time, even in the second or third watch. If He finds us alert, we will be blessed because He Himself shall wait on us at table. 

A few days ago, one of our staff had an asthma attack and passed away before she even reached the hospital. We never know when our invisible enemy will hit close to home. That is why we have to be ready at any time to go to our real home. Jesus tells us that if we have “girded our loins and lit our lamps” waiting for Him, He will lead us to a feast, a banquet table. 

We are Jesus’ friends but He also teaches us that we should learn to be servants. When God created us, He gave us a purpose, and He put that in our hearts. We also have a calling, and that’s what we have in our hands. If we want to be good stewards of what He has put in our hands, our gifts and talents, our resources, our time, we need to use it all to fulfill God’s purpose for us. 

Lord, may I be a good servant and use what I have in my hands to fulfill what You have put in my heart. 

Good Works

“For we are God's handiwork, His masterpiece, His workmanship, created anew in Jesus to do good works prepared for us in advance..." Ephesians 2:10

Some years ago, Pope Francis said something in one of his daily homilies that created a lot of controversy. Pope Francis usually said mass in St. Martha's House, where he lives, and he gives homilies like a regular priest, without a text to read from. From one of these homilies it was reported around the world that he said that atheists could get to heaven by their good works.

Reading from the transcript, it is apparent that the Pope did not mean this. He said that we all, even atheists, have the duty to do good. And perhaps, because we were created by a good God we have that inner urge, that drive, that need to do good.He said, “The root of this possibility of doing good – that we all have – is in creation." And the Pope went on to say that even non-believers "must. Not can: must! Because he has this commandment within him. . . the Lord has created us in His image and likeness, and has given us this commandment in the depths of our heart: do good and do not do evil”.

“And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good."

And here is the statement that caused such an outcry, when the Pope imagined a dialogue: “But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!”

“But do good: we will meet one another there.”

"There" does not mean heaven, but an agreement, a path towards peace. 

Indeed, Jesus made an example of the good samaritan who was a neighbor to someone in need. We all have a purpose, we all have good works to do. We all need to make time, to use our talents and treasure to bless others!

If I Spare Them…

“Because of His affliction, He shall see the light in fullness of days; through His suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt He shall bear.” Isaiah 53:11

We all want to get to heaven, to dwell in the house of the Lord, don't we? It's beautiful there, glorious, love abounds! But the problem is, how can I, with all my sin, my selfishness, my irritability, my callousness, my carelessness with my speech and thoughts, ever belong there? How can I even get near a holy, sinless, righteous God?

Even if I stand on Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on earth, where I am nearest to the sun, I'm still terribly far from it! The difference is negligible. So even if I try my hardest to be good, all my effort, will not make me more ready for heaven!

It took Jesus, God's beloved Son, who became an abomination, who took our sins, became the sacrifice that satisfied the demands of a righteous God. My sins, my guilt, my shame, heaped upon Jesus' body, and it pleased God to crush Him, instead of me!

Here is a conversation John Flavel, an English Puritan Presbyterian minister, imagined God the Father and His Son had, before Jesus came down to save us. This is the Bargain of all Bargains!

The Father speaks. "My Son, here is a company of poor, miserable souls that have utterly undone themselves and now lay open to my justice. Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them." 

The Son responds. "Oh my Father. Such is My love and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally I will be responsible for them as their guarantee. Bring in all Thy bills, that I may see what they owe Thee. Bring them all in, that there be no after-reckonings with them. At My hands shall Thou require it. I would rather choose to suffer the wrath that is theirs then they should suffer it. 

Upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt." 

The Father responds. "But my Son, if Thou undertake for them, Thou must reckon to pay the last mite. Expect no abatement. Son, if I spare them... I will not spare You." 

The Son responds. "Content Father. Let it be so. Charge it all upon Me. I am able to discharge it. And though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all My riches, empty all My treasures... I am content to take it."

Thank You, Jesus, for bearing all my sin, my guilt and shame. 

The Eyes of Our Mind

“May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, how rich is the glory of the heritage he offers among his holy people, and how extraordinarily great is the power that he has exercised for us believers; this accords with the strength of his power at work in Christ…” Ephesians 1:18-20

If the eyes of our mind are enlightened so we can see, really see, the hope we have in Jesus, how rich our inheritance that He offers us, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. We will surprise even ourselves. 

We have not heard the name of Antoinette Tuff but she is a real hero of the faith. On August 20, 2013, she was able to unarm Michael Hill, a 20 year old man holding an AK-47 assault rifle using words! Antoinette was a bookkeeper at the Ronald E. McNair Discover Learning Academy Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia. That day, there were more than 800 students and 100 employees in the school building.

When six shots suddenly broke, people panicked and fled. All except Antoinette. She prayed first, then stayed to talk with Michael. 

"What is your name?"

"I am Michael Hill."

"My name is Antoinette."

She saw how angry he was, how lost and in need of help.

"I know what it feels like to hurt, just like you are. I have a son with multiple disabilities. My husband of 33 years left me for someone else. But through it all, God carried me and brought healing to my heart. I know it's hard right now, but remember, there is still God who sits high and looks low. He cares for us all."

Michael listened to her quietly and after a moment of hesitation, he set the gun and bullet down on the counter beside him. Then, without a word, he lay down on the floor.

Antoinette then said "If it's alright with you, I'd like to walk outside with you, so they wouldn't shoot you. I want you to be safe." They slowly walked out together and Michael voluntarily surrendered to the police.

When asked how she managed to stop the gunman, Antoinette said, “I shared with him what God did for me during the hardest times in my life."

DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander told CNN, “You just don’t see that type of interaction in these types of situations very, very often at all. There are some things in life you can rehearse for,” he said. “But this is a woman who just kept her calm, kept her wits about herself, maintained her composure in this very dangerous situation.”

I think we can conclude that Antoinette lived her faith. That is why she showed strength and courage in this life or death situation! 

Only Luke is with Me!

"Only Luke is with me." 2 Timothy 4:11

Today, October 18, is the Feast Day of Saint Luke the Evangelist. He is known as the patron saint of artists, physicians, bachelors, surgeons, students and butchers. In Christian tradition, Saint Luke is known to be the first icon painter, having painted the Madonna and child several times. The well known Black Madonna of Częstochowa is believed to be his work. He even illustrated a gospel book with miniature paintings! It's amazing to know that we who paint in our Bibles follow in the tradition of Saint Luke! 

I love reading about the saints. We can discover how ordinary men and women place their God-given gifts, their time, their resources, their voices, at the feet of Jesus, offer their lives to God, and discover their purpose. The saints come in different sizes, colors, temperaments, and professions, but they all point to Jesus. 

Saint Luke was not a Jew, but when he discovered the Savior, he decided to know as much as he could about Him. He interviewed Mary and wrote the most beautiful account about her in the Gospels. He was Paul's companion several times as Saint Luke mentions in the Book of Acts which he also wrote. I am sure he tried to learn as much as he could from Saint Paul and others as well. We find 6 miracles and 18 parables in his gospel not found in the others. 

Luke is mentioned in Paul's letter to Philemon, where Paul calls him "my fellow worker". And after Paul is deserted by everyone else in his final imprisonment, only Saint Luke remained with him. Do we get to know Jesus with all the resources available to us today? We may not be able to interview Mary or Saint Paul, but we can prayerfully read the gospels. We can listen to people who study God's word and learn their insights. We can sit at Jesus' feet and listen to Him. He may not speak clearly at first but if we persevere, God will surprise us. After all He said if we knock, He will open the door. Like Saint Luke, let us open our hearts to discover all that God has in store for us! How exciting it is to wake up every morning to God's marvelous love and generosity! 

Every Spiritual Blessing

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed you and I in Christ with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING in the heavens, as He chose you and I in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before Him. In love, He destined you and I for adoption to Himself through Christ Jesus." Ephesians 1:3-5

There are many legendary misers. Hetty Green was called "Americas Greatest Miser" because her stinginess was legendary. She wore one old black dress and had only the dirty hem washed. She ate cheap pies and cold oatmeal because she hated spending for heating it. Even if she had millions from her success in real estate and investments, when he son broke his leg as a child, she tried to get him treated in a free clinic. Because of delay and years of poor treatment, his leg had to be amputated. When she died in 1916, she left an estate of $100 million. 

Then there’s Jemmy Wood, a wealthy banker who would scrounge around the docks in his raggedy clothes to snatch pieces of coal that fell to the ground which he would then use to build a fire to warm himself. The American billionaire J. Paul Getty was so stingy he had a pay phone installed in his mansion so his guests wouldn’t use his phone. Then there’s Daniel K. Ludwig, a shipping magnate, who fired a captain of one of his tankers for using a paper clip on a two page letter! Another well known miser was Daniel Dancer, an Englishman who inherited his wealth from his father. He made his sister his housekeeper and forced her to cook partially decomposed animals he found in the wild. When she got sick, he wouldn’t pay the doctor and she died. 

We don't want to be like them, do we? So let's not be misers with OUR riches. And let us not wait to discover how rich we are! God has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing! That's more valuable than any earthy blessing! More valuable than $100 milllion or 200! God’s spiritual blessings are to be shared, not kept for ourselves. That is the only way it will increase, and we can be fruitful. And the best part is, He chose us to be adopted into His family! So exciting!

The Way of the Wicked

“For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Psalm 1:6

The way of the wicked will perish, but while the wicked roam they make hell on earth. I read a missionary’s account of his trips to Somalia in 1992 when he represented many Christian relief organizations to see what they could do to help the people. The book is entitled, “The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected” by Nik Ripken. 

Somaliland was in the grip of a terrible drought, and caught in a brutal miserable civil war. Nik’s first stop was Hargeisa. For the seventy thousand people who still ‘lived’ there, only seven houses had roofs still covering it. All the rest were just wandering hopelessly through their devastated city with no destination. On top of that there were thousands and thousands of land mines scattered around the city.

Nik was informed by his contacts that in Somali there was “ninety percent unemployment, eighty-five percent starvation or severe malnutrition rate, more than three hundred thousand citizens starved to death over the preceding six months, as many as three thousand starvation deaths a day.”

When Nik went outside of Hargeisa, he just saw more despair and signs of violent and inhumane cruelty. Armed raiders destroyed the old fashioned hand pumps and permanently sealed off the wells by filling it with rocks and sand. All along the way there were rotting carcasses of camels, goats, and even people. The smell was horrific. In the little villages they visited, emaciated mothers were begging that they take their children. In others, all they found were stick thin dead bodies. 

Relief agencies were hesitant to help because over 80% of the relief goods were stolen and never reached the hungry. 

Nik asked why the callousness, and one of his staff answered with a Somali saying he had heard all of his life: “Somalia against the world; I and my clan against Somalia; I and my family against my clan; I and my brother against my family; and I against my brother.” This is the essence of evil: selfishness. 

I pray that I will root out any selfishness within me. But I cannot do it on my own. Only by God’s spirit will we be saved.

“Brothers and sisters: If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” Galatians 5:18-25

More Than Conquerors!

“Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” Luke 11:39-41

 

When my mother was still alive, we went on a pilgrimage to Europe because we found out she had tongue cancer. On the very first day, we waited to have lunch in a Chinese restaurant in Paris. While seated inside, we noticed that the waiters removed the tea cups from a pail, and the insides of the cups were filthy with the tea residue. After discussion, we left, along with many of our tour mates. The dirt inside the tea cups was easy to see. Even the pail was yukky. What a disgusting experience in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! 

In contrast, only God can see what is inside us! Jesus saw that the Pharisees were hypocrites, that they were experts in making people feel guilty about small matters of the law, while they themselves neglected what was more important to God, loving our neighbor and putting God first. In Psalm 139, David wrote, “O Lord, You have probed me and You know me...You understand my thoughts...my journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways You are familiar.” 

Yes, God knows us inside out. We cannot hide from Him. He made us and we are His. We cannot fool Him. Just as He probes us, let us probe ourselves as well, observing what we need to repent of. He loves us in spite of our weakness and sin. He is willing to help us to be more than conquerors!

Sign of Repentance

"The only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah." Luke 11:29

Trying to test Jesus, the crowd asked Jesus for a miraculous sign from heaven, and Jesus replied that the only sign He would give them was the sign of the prophet Jonah. The sign of Jonah is the sign of repentance.

I was quite impressed with Angelina Jolie's movie "Unbroken". It is the true story of Louis Zamperini, an American prisoner of war, who survived horrible maltreatment at the hands of sadistic captors. During his 47 day ordeal at sea before he was captured by the Japanese, Louis vowed that if God would save them, he would devote his life to serving Him.

He forgot about this prayer, especially during his harrowing captivity, but remembered it when he and his wife joined a Billy Graham Crusade. After Louis accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he suddenly had respite from years of having nightly nightmares about strangling the "Bird", his especially sadistic and violent torturer. "It was a miracle!" he said.

In 1950, he went to Japan, and embraced and forgave some of the guards from his prison camp. Some even became Christians. In 1998, he attempted to meet with the "Bird", but Mutsuhiro Watanabe refused to see him.

How sad that Watanabe could not see God's gracious sign of forgiveness and His calling His son to return to Him and repent! No matter how black our heart is, no matter what evil we have done, God is ready and willing to accept us if we repent. Are there any signs we are missing? Or perhaps we need to be God's sign to someone badly in need of God's healing presence?

The Eye of the Needle

“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25

There is an urban legend that this verse is about a small gate in Jerusalem called the "Needle's Eye" during the time of Jesus. It is so small that if a man on a camel were to pass through, he would have to get down, remove all the baggage from the camel and drag the camel through, kneeling on its haunches. So for a rich man to enter heaven, he would have to divest himself of his earthly goods, and kneel humbly before God. But there is no such gate in Jerusalem in Jesus' time and so Jesus did not mean this.

He literally meant it was impossible for a rich man to get to heaven on his own merit. Wealth was a sign of God's favor in Jesus' time, and even today. So the disciples were astonished, bewildered, exceedingly amazed, dumbfounded, when Jesus flat out said that the wealthy had no chance, zilch, of going to heaven. “So who can be saved?" they asked.

Jesus then says it is impossible for men. It is not only impossible for the rich, but also for the poor. It is impossible for any one. Because we would have to give up not only our wealth, but also our children, our parents, our spouses, our lands, our work. Everything. We would have to put God first. 

But Jesus does not leave us without hope. He said- "With God ALL things are possible." In Ephesians 2:8 we read, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this not of your own doing, it is the GIFT OF GOD!" Whew!!!! 

We shouldn't give up on ourselves just because we can't follow Jesus perfectly! Just because we can't give up everything and go to the ends of the earth and spread the Gospel. Just because we get impatient with little things and are ungrateful or cannot really forgive.  Jesus already paid the price for our salvation.  We just need to follow Him day after day, and He will change us slowly but surely. We should not be like the rich young man in Mark 10:17-22, who turned away from Jesus because he could not follow what Jesus said, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” He should have stayed beside Jesus, learned from Him, and perhaps one day, he would get that aha moment and be able to do what Jesus asked. 

Lord Jesus, teach me Your ways and make my heart like yours.