Our Father, Our Friend

“Abba Father...” Matthew 6:9

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray. We should not babble like pagans, like people of other religions. In 1 Kings 18:26, there is an extreme example of the prophets of Baal calling on the name of Baal, dancing wildly, shouting louder and louder, cutting themselves with knives and swords, all morning up to the evening sacrifice. No answer from their god, Baal. 

In contrast, our Father knows exactly what we need even before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8). We can say the prayer Jesus taught, have a conversation with Him, but we can also stay silent in His presence. Prayer is an expression of our intimate, personal relationship with our Father who knows us and loves us best. Just as we are comfortable being silent with a good friend, or our spouse, or sibling, we can be silent with Abba. The important thing is to give Him time, a space in our heart, and a listening ear. 

Love One Another

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Lev. 19:18

In a way, we are the world’s Bible. Our love for one another will prove to the world that we are followers of Christ (John 13:35). Sadly, many of us fall short in this. 

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi often carried a Bible around and would quote from his favorite “Sermon on the Mount”. When Gandhi met with the missionary E. Stanley Jones, they had this conversation: "Mr. Gandhi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?"

Gandhi answered, "Oh, I don't reject Christ. I love Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ. If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.”

What a stinging indictment of the Christians he met and had experience with! If Gandhi met you and me today, would he say the same? That we are so unlike Christ?

Dear Jesus, please help me to be more like You! Help me to love others the way You loved. Give me the grace to obey You and be Your disciple. 

Leading Us to God

“Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that He might lead you to God...” 1 Peter 3:18

Saint Peter further wrote that 8 people were saved through water in the days of Noah. This prefigured baptism which saves us now. I think it is amazing that Peter the fisherman understood what Jesus did, and wrote about it. Unlike Saint Paul who was trained in the law and the prophets in the school of Gamaliel since he was young, Peter had no such advantage. But Peter learned at the feet of the Master, undergoing strict, rigorous on the job training. He went everywhere with Jesus, and even when he failed Jesus, the Lord used it as a teaching moment.

Jesus may not be physically present today, but if we spend time with Him and His Word, He will teach us. Indeed, His whole life was spent, used up, drained, depleted, exhausted, just so He could lead all of us to God. Any time spent getting to know Him and His ways will never be wasted time. He loves us so much that any time or space we spend with Jesus, He will pour more and more of His treasure, His promises, His life, His joy in us! 

Holy Day

“If you hold back your foot on the Sabbath from following your own pursuits on my holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight... I will nourish you...” Isaiah 58:13-14

I am always on the lookout for promises in the Bible because I know God keeps His promises. Here in Isaiah, God says that if we stop engaging in our usual frantic busyness during the day God set apart, slow down and pursue what delights Him who made time and space, He will take care of us. Other translations read, “I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob...”, “and I will give you great prosperity, and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob." This particular version ends with, “Know for certain that the LORD has spoken.”

I am not always faithful to this 3rd or 4th Commandment. Some of my work carries over to the weekend. But we should take it seriously because our Father takes it seriously. I think like all the Commandments it is really more for our benefit. We have only one life to live and to make the most of it does not mean cramming every minute and every hour with activity and movement. Some studies show that a lack of sleep and rest places us at higher risk for diabetes, heart problems, obesity, and even Alzheimer’s. It can impair our learning of new things, our memory and decision making. 

God gave us the Bible, His Commandments, and teachings, because He made us. When we buy an appliance, it usually comes with a manual put together by the maker. We have to read the manual to make optimum use of the appliance, to make it last long, and to find out all it can do. Same with us. How amazing is our Creator, that He emphasizes that once a week, we rest and delight in Him! 

The Fasting God Wants

“This is the fasting I wish: releasing those bound unjustly...setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke, sharing your bread with the hungry...” 

Isaiah 58:6-7

I was listening to the testimony of David Wood. He’s totally crazy, was. He’s a changed man now, but before he was a sociopath who hit his father on the head repeatedly until his father became brain damaged. David choked a friend, and didn’t care at all when his best friend died from a parasailing accident. When he was in jail, he met Randy who was a Christian. Randy turned himself in for 21 felonies and David thought that was stupid. He was constantly ridiculing Randy and his faith. When Randy would fast for 7 days, David would fast for 10. Randy decided to fast for 40 days like Jesus. David decided to fast for 42 days. The prison staff thought he was killing himself because he would black out and fall, so on the 11th day, they put him in an isolation room where he could be watched. He was there all alone with books on philosophy , science, the Bible, and the apologetic books Randy lent him and he would study them. He studied the Bible with the intention of beating Randy at his arguments. 

It was not long after that this atheist began to realize the truth. It registered that believing life was formed without any intelligence behind it was extraordinarily stupid when even the bricks in his prison cell could not have been put together like that. Lying in his prison cell, David asked God to forgive him and prayed, “God, I don’t know if I’m going to believe in you tomorrow but I believe in you right now. If you can do anything with me, you’re welcome to it.” Now, David goes around telling everyone, even jihadists, he’s a Christian. He evangelized Nabeel Qureshi, the Christian apologist, who wrote the book, “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus”. 

David Wood was chained, imprisoned, and now he is free. Many people are bound by anxieties, fear, insecurities, poverty, emotional wounds, sickness, depression. They may be our neighbor, our officemate, our friend. We can pray for them, talk to them, love them, share our blessings, but especially not turn our back on them in indifference. That is the fasting God wants us to do this Lenten season. 

Book of Life

“Choose life then that you and your descendants may live...” 

Deuteronomy 30:19

There are movies about finding the mysterious “Book of Life” so the hero can have riches and power, and sometimes bring the dead to live again. What we usually take for granted is we can all have this Book of Life. If we read it every day, we will have true riches that will not rot, need not be put in the central bank to be protected, and will not lose its value when we leave earth. We will also have power (Acts 1:8) as Jesus promised, when the Holy Spirit dwells in us and enlivens our spirit. And when we die, we can have life everlasting. 

Do we read the instructions in this amazing Book of Life so we can have everything the author promises? It says in Proverbs 4:20-23 that we have to pay attention to His Words, keep it in our hearts, our ears, in front of our eyes. It’s not enough to have the Book on a shelf, and open it when we need help or some inspiration. The power God’s Word promises is very real and can protect us from the “fiery darts of the enemy” (Ephesians 6:16). Our enemy is real but he wants us to think he’s just a figment of our imagination. If we don’t believe in him, we will not fight him and we will not protect ourselves against him. We will not go to war against the garbage he throws at us daily. Fear, anxiety, insecurity, these are all part of his arsenal. 

Let’s choose to open our Book of Life and study it so we can have all that God wants to give us! 

WOYWW: Him who Loves Us Best

I am playing with my planner. 

My desk today is out in the garden with Oreo.

“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart...” Joel 2:12

For Valentine’s day, shouldn’t we celebrate the greatest love story that makes all our love stories possible? Whatever we do, we can never run far enough, or be beyond the reach of God’s love. 

“...neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

I am reminded of Francis Thompson’s poem, “The Hound of Heaven”, which begins: “ I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears...” 

And then ends: ““Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, I am He whom thou seekest! Thou drawest love from thee, who drawest me!” 

I know a man who tried to run from God. He tried to escape from the Lord by taking up Law and other diversions. Today he is a priest. 

Will we give our heart to Him who loves us best? 

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Blessings!

Patsy  

Amazing Gifts!

“...every perfect gift is from above...” James 1:17

We don’t realize it but many, many gifts tumble down one after the other from heaven. I like to count my blessings and write them down in my notebook after I read Ann Voskamp’s book, “One Thousand Gifts”. I’m up to 6,488 today, but those are all concrete blessings like “thank You for keeping Josh safe” or for “good sales”, etc. I have not counted how God gave me miracle skin, that no matter how many times I dirty it up, I can clean it. When I get a wound, it heals! Even the fact I can feel pain is a gift. I get a warning that I’m in danger if I get too near a heat source!  Our skin regenerates every 27 days, and even without me consciously directing my body, my heart pumps, my kidneys and lungs work, my hair grows! So many amazing gifts! 

But the most amazing gift is God’s love that surrounds us, sustains us, and allows us to grow in His light. We take so many things for granted, but God does not take us for granted. We have a Covenant with Him, and we walk in blessing!

All Joy

“Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials...” James 1:2

Joy? Trials? The two words do not go well together at all! Joy is what we have in our heart when all is going well, no one is sick, no one is depressed, no one is undergoing financial difficulties, no one is having a hard time teaching a child with dyslexia, no one is crying because a father deserted the family... In other words, joy would be impossible in the midst of this world full of troubles! And yes, Jesus did warn we will have troubles (John 16:33) It’s inevitable! 

So why does James write, “Count it pure unadulterated joy when you are enveloped in trials of any sort. Be assured and understand that the trial brings out endurance, steadfastness, patience and perseverance. Let endurance and steadfastness have its perfect result, that you may be perfect, mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

In the first place, my definition of joy was incorrect. Joy in the absence of suffering is not what James was talking about. I don’t think God put us on this earth to enjoy ourselves, to satiate ourselves with pleasure. We have to see ourselves as athletes running the race to the finish line. God is our coach and He puts us through our paces so that we will be victorious in the end. 

I like the story of a little boy with a basket following his dad in a supermarket. The dad picks stuff off the shelf and puts it in the basket. As the contents of the basket grows, an old lady asks the little boy, “Isn’t your basket heavy?”, and the boy answers, “My dad knows exactly how much I can carry.”

Trust. Confidence. We can only have joy beyond understanding if we know our Father loves us, has a plan for us, and knows exactly what we can carry! 

Make Me Clean

“If you are willing, you can make me clean...” Mark 1:40

If I was full of scabs and sores, surely I would be on my knees, begging for relief, healing, and restoration. The leper in the 1st chapter of Mark, pleaded with Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean!” And Jesus took pity on this wretched man, stretched out his hand and touched him, “I am willing. Be cleansed.”

Of course Jesus is willing. That’s why He came in the first place, came as a vulnerable baby, dependent on man for His first food, drink and caring. Of course He is willing. That’s why He trudged on to Calvary, knowing what was in store for Him who knew no sin. He was and is, in the eternal, the willing sacrifice who took the place of you and me. We are as wretched as that man, full of sores, and oozing wounds, and Jesus is willing to set us free of our wretchedness. We need only come to Him like the leper and He will touch us, touch our lives, and make us whole. During Lent, starting on the day we set aside to celebrate love, we will fittingly start on a journey to rediscover God’s eternal love for each one of us.

The Loaves in our Hand

 "How many loaves do you have?" 

Mark 8:5

In the 6th chapter of Mark, Jesus feeds the 5,000 and He tells His disciples to feed them. Of course they were flabbergasted and said, "With what? It would take a small fortune to buy food for this huge a crowd!!!" We would say the same, don't you think? Here in chapter 8 of Mark, there are less people, 4000. The disciples ask the same thing, but with less incredulity. "How are we supposed to find enough food for them here in the wilderness?"

"How many loaves of bread do YOU have?" Jesus asked.

I like these passages about the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, because it shows that miracles start with what we have in our hand. What we have available. I always remember when our little group giving the Good News in QC Jail was asked by the prison admin to prepare 200 gift bags for the inmates for Christmas. I was just as incredulous as the disciples! How would we do that? But that Christmas we were able to prepare 300 bags! And what a wonderful sight to behold the inmates' faces as they opened their bags to find a pair of shorts, food, shampoo, laundry soap, etc. They told us it was like they received 2 bags! It was more than they expected! And we have been able to do this for 9 years now. I know many of my friends who just give what is in their hand. And God is able to use that and multiply it!

How many loaves do YOU have? Put it in God's hand and see miracles!

The Word Before the World

And gazing up to heaven, Jesus groaned and said to him: “Ephphatha,” which is, “Be opened.” Mark 7:34

When people brought a deaf and mute man to him, and begged Him to heal the man, Jesus did something different. Jesus took the man away from the crowd, away from all the gawking onlookers waiting for miracles. He then put His fingers into the man’s ears, and spitting, touched his tongue. Then gazing up to heaven, Jesus groaned and commanded the man’s ears to hear. 

It’s good to go away with Jesus now and then, to leave the hustle and bustle of our day, to stop checking our phones, and not be slaves to the urgency of our to do lists. What do we do first thing in the morning? That sets the pace of our day. Do we put the Lord and plant His Word in our hearts first before allowing the world with its myriad concerns to intrude? Just like the deaf and mute man, if we go away with Jesus, we may be able to hear Him speak to us. If we go away with Jesus, He can open our ears to hear rightly, our eyes to see the truth, and our tongue to speak life giving words to others!

We can choose the “better portion” like Mary in  the 10th chapter of Luke. A joyful life of intimacy with the Lord awaits us if we put the Word before the world! 

Scraps for the Puppies

“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Mark 7:24

This is one Bible story I am not very happy about. A Greek woman went to Jesus on one occasion, fell at his feet, and begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. I assume that it was because she was not a Jew that Jesus answered the cryptic: “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children to throw it to the dogs.” 

If I was this poor woman, would I have understood what Jesus meant? It was like a puzzle, a mystery that required the right answer. Fortunately, the mother had the “missing piece” she needed. She answered, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”

Dogs? Dogs!!!! Even if Jesus meant puppies, or beloved pets of the household as some commentaries explain, it was still an insult. But this woman did not mind the disparagement. She was humble, she was focused, she was persistent, she was resolved to get her daughter healed. I think before approaching Jesus, she asked questions about Him, “researched” in a way. Who was he? Was he really a healer, a miracle worker, prophet? Along with the tidbits, she learned He was a Jew, and some called Him the Messiah who came for the chosen people. That’s why she knew the “winning answer”! 

Jesus said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” Oh, happy day when our prayers are answered! Do we know how to approach Jesus? We need to be humble, focused, persistent and resolved. Ever since the early Church, the people of God prayed back to God the Words He had given them. We NEED to know God and His promises so we stand on sure ground when we pray. 

Lord, sometimes we do not understand. Help us to understand, to trust and believe. Give us, gracious Father, crumbs from Your Table, and we shall be saved. 

God’s Plan

“...the things that proceed out of a man are what defile a man.” Mark 7:15

Jesus emphasized in Mark 7:15 that we are not defiled by what we eat. We are defiled by what we say and do. In verse 20, He points out that it is our thought-life that defines us. “For from within, out of a person’s heart come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God.” 

And so we must ask, “Why make us this way, Father? Why make man so disgustingly evil?” God is love. He is the very source and outpourer of love. He did not want “robots” that could not love back. And that is why we have free will and the freedom to accept or reject His love. When we accept God’s love, we get to know Him, and realize He made the sacrifice of His Son so would be free of sin and the power of sin. He Himself provided the sacrifice that restored our relationship with Him. In Genesis 22:8, as Abraham walked down with his son, he said, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." The plan was set in place thousands of years ago. The plan to bring you and me into our eternal home. 

Honor Me

“This people honors me with their lips but their hearts are far from me...” Mark 7:7

Only God can give this judgment for only God can see our hearts. Many of us go to church and prayer meetings on Sundays, honoring Jesus with our lips, perhaps raising our hands, but what do we do other days of the week? An evangelist said we need to do some soul searching. We go to our meetings in search of a spiritual high, and we look for another church if we do not find that high in ours. Or others look for a priest who gives a short homily so the mass doesn’t drag on too long for their comfort. 

In our parish we used to have a priest who would pointedly time his sermons. Afterwards he would point to his watch and say something like, “20 minutes only.” I talked to him saying, “Father, it’s not the length of time. If what you teach has substance, your parishioners can listen to you for a very long time!” 

Feelings should follow belief, not create belief. Our belief should come from a solid foundation grounded on the Word of God. Our hearts will be won for the side of God only if we pray and study the Bible. Otherwise we will be easily swayed by emergent churches with a great worship band and a charismatic pastor. Our lips will sing, we will praise and sing loudly. Let us make sure that we do not live in a doctrinal vacuum but know what we truly believe in. Our God is an awesome God and He should be worshiped in Spirit and truth. 

Scurrying to Jesus

“They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was.” Mark 6:55

Wherever Jesus went, people followed. I like the word used in this translation: scurried. It means to hasten, rush, run. Even today, people have a tendency to crowd around certain people with a gift of healing, but the enemy tries to deceive us with fake healers and crying statues. Skepticism takes the upper hand, and we do not pray over people as much as we should. 

Should we not scurry to bring the sick to Jesus? For that is what praying over them means. It does not mean that we are the ones healing them so we need not be ashamed if nothing happens. Even the disciples experienced disappointment and had to ask Jesus why their prayers did not work. (Matthew 17:16) But they did not give up. They kept praying, scurrying to bring the sick to the attention of Jesus. 

 

Compelled

“I am compelled by God to do it.” 1 Corinthians 9:16

Saint Paul explains in 1 Corinthians that if he preached the Good News, it was no reason for him to boast. He did it because an obligation, a necessity was imposed on him. He was compelled to do it. Woe to him if he did not do it! Do we feel the same?

Christine Caine, a remarkable international speaker, author and evangelist told a story about when she was a young, insecure Christian at the University of Sydney. She had a friend named Debbie who was beautiful, rich, and did well academically. Christine thought why should she tell Debbie about Jesus, Debbie already had it all? Then one day in the cafeteria, after she noticed Debbie had been absent for 3 days, she saw Debbie approach her with excitement in her eyes. 

“Debbie! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you!” she started. “Christine! Christine!” Debbie held her animatedly. “I just came from a rave! I haven’t slept for 3 days! I’m so happy! There was just love, joy and peace all around! I thought Christine should experience this too!” 

And there in her hand, Debbie held out the secret she wanted to share with Christine. It was half a tablet of Ecstasy! It was like a bomb exploded in Christine’s head. So many revelations! Debbie was a better friend than she was! Debbie was so eager to share her new found “treasure”. Her friend who she thought had everything, was looking for something but Christine knew love, joy and peace couldn’t be found in any tablet! Why didn’t she share Jesus with Debbie? Was she afraid Debbie would laugh? Was it easier to share about drugs, dirty jokes, the latest celebrity gossip, the best bar to hang out in? 

Saint Paul says in verse 17 that if he shares the good news he will be rewarded. One thing we have to remember, for this warning came from Jesus Himself: “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26)

What Do You Want?

“What do you want? Ask and I will give it to you!” 1 Kings 3:5

Imagine if God, the giver of every good thing, asked us this! What would we ask? Many will ask for riches, power, fame, beauty, healing, intelligence, etc. Will we ever think of asking God for a wise and understanding mind? Will we ever plead for a compassionate heart full of love for God’s people? 

God was well pleased with Solomon, King David’s son, who wanted wisdom so he could govern God’s people well. “I will give you what you asked for,” God answered him, “I will also give you what you did not ask for- riches and honor... and if you follow and obey my commands, I will give you long life.” 

Many people are blessed with riches, power, fame and beauty. If they do not follow and obey God’s ways, they often find that life is meaningless. Oscar Wilde once said, “I can resist anything except temptation.” He lived up to his name and lived wildly and flamboyantly in fashionable circles. Wilde believed pleasure and beauty would replace utilitarian ethics. After living a profligate life with both women and men, he spent a brutal two years in prison. 

In prison, Wilde read the Bible, and in one of his letters, he wrote, “I wanted to eat of the fruit of all the trees in the garden of the world... And so, indeed, I went out, and so I lived. My only mistake was that I confined myself so exclusively to the trees of what seemed to me the sun-lit side of the garden, and shunned the other side for its shadow and its gloom.” 

After he was released from prison, he wrote to the Jesuits, asking for a 6-month Catholic retreat. Sadly, Wilde was denied this request and he wept. 

Before he died of meningitis, he pleaded with his companion to get a Catholic priest to say the last rites for him. 

What a sad life for a promising and talented young man! If only he used his gifts to give His creator glory! The pursuit of pleasure is a modern day addiction too. Sugar consumption, mobile phone use, lack of sleep, pornography, drug use are all up, and so is depression and suicide. Most of the time, the more pleasure we seek, the more unhappy we become, and the more addicted. Lord, may we not be caught up in the pursuit of the pleasures of this world. May we turn to You in prayer and ask for Your gifts and fruits! 

http://patsypat.blogspot.com

Amazing Love

“...that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:17

“To expiate for our sins” means to atone, make up for, or pay for. A non-Christian asked a Christian how can an ordinary man pay for all the sins of all the people in the world, past and present? “It’s like me paying for our billion dollar national debt with my meager bank account!” The Christian answered that it was no problem for Jesus. He is God with an infinite bank account. 

A judge presiding in court had to deal with his daughter’s traffic infraction. She was facing him in front of the judge’ bench. After meting out her punishment, he left his chair, went down the elevated platform, and paid the penalty for his daughter. We too are like that erring daughter. Our Father loves us and He paid the price for our sin, so we can join Him in heaven. 

Thank You for Your amazing love, Father! 

Take Courage

“Take courage and be a man.” 

1 Kings 2:2

A Polish man in the UK who had an otherwise exemplary character, got caught soliciting a woman to have sex with his 14-year old son. The woman turned out to be a police officer. The judge on the case, Jonathan Teare, told the father, “You have a duty of care to your son and that is to look after his moral welfare, not as you might think to break him in to the ways of sex through a prostitute.” 

Unfortunately, many fathers think that is how to bring up a son!  King David was different. When he was on his deathbed, he made sure to instruct his son Solomon, “I am going the way of all flesh. Take courage and be a man. Keep the mandate of the Lord, Your God, following His ways and observing His statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees... that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you turn...” (1 Kings 2:2-3)

The best legacy we can leave our sons and daughters is teaching them to love God and neighbor, to follow God’s ways and not the world’s ways! 

http://patsypat.blogspot.com