Sunday, July 31, 2005
The unconditional Love of God is like this:
A bus driver was driving an old bus with many passengers.
Ony day while he was driving, he found out that his brakes were faulty. The only thing he could do to bring the bus to a halt is drive up a little hill in front of him and turn into a carpark up ahead hopefully stopping the bus.
He did it like so, but when he came to the car park, there was a 5 yr old boy playing in the car park. He thought for a split second. I cant stop the bus. I have to choose, save the boy and lose all the passenger's life, or lose the boy's life and save the passengers.
The bus driver slammed right into the boy and of course the boy died instantly.
Passengers scolded him, "why!? WHY?! why did you kill that boy!? he is only 5!"
The bus driver replied, "I had no choice, the brakes where faulty!"
The passengers continued, "then why didnt you honk?"
The bus driver sadly said, "I could, I could. But it would be of no use... He is deaf. He is my son"
The Love of God the Father, to sacrifice his son, to save you, the ungrateful passengers who only scolded the bus driver, God, for everything he did or didnt do. But still! He did it! Just to save YOU!!! He 'killed' his son!
God loves you! and he is asking you, Do you love me?
Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments..." His words, his commandments...
Do you love me?
Feel Lonely @Sunday, July 31, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Show me Your Glory!
Yahweh said to Moses,' Again I will do what you have asked, because you have won my favour and because I know you by name'. (Exodus33:17)
A sole leader, Moses, leading millions of people out of Egypt, straight into the wilderness. God promise Moses that HE Himself would be with Moses in verse 14. If that was not enough, God said to Moses that he could ask anything because he has won favour with God!
Now, what will this leader, who just made history for leading the largest mass exodus, ask for?
The Hebrews faced many challenges in the wilderness, especially battles/wars. Could Moses have asked for more pillars of fire? or warriors?
Millions of whinning, unappreciative, hungry, impatient, idol worshipping ex- egyptian slaves on his back. You have Moses who became a shepherd when he ran away. Could he have asked God to turn them into sheeps?
Moses knew exactly what God could do. With God's infinite power, a shepherd's staff became snake, the nile became blood, gnats fill the air, locusts layered the ground, blackness even at noon, flesh covered boils and funerals for first-borns overnight.
And if the above didn't satisfy, God turned the Red Sea into their Red Carpet. Indeed Moses knew what God could do!
Moses said, " SHOW ME YOUR GLORY
, i beg You".(Exodus 33:18)
Was Moses dumb? He could have asked for more powers! Probably, "Carry us to the promise land!" But Moses said, Show me Your Glory.
I want your heart-stopping, ground shaking, sea splitting extraspectalularness.
We have no small issues/ problems. We don't need a small god!No thank you! We need your glory! and Just like Moses did, we also cry out to God the same way, Show me your glory! Asking for God's glory is like asking for almost anything. His glory comes with him!
What is this glory? It is simple but so Glorious.
A 5 yr old boy went for his first funeral. 5 years of his life had not prepared him for death. Aunties weeping loudly, Uncles staring wide-eyed at the casket. Fear over took him. How much could this 5 yr old take? Weeping ladies frightens him, the uncles puzzle him and the dead guy spooks him! But! As he looks up, he sees his father smiling softly back. Everyone else is wailing, the guy in the coffin is still dead. But if Dad, in the midst of all, smiles and says it's okay, then it's enough.
He realised something. He could actually look around and find fear, or look at his father and find comfort and faith.
He chose his father.
So did Moses.
So can you!!
Amen.
Feel Lonely @Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Matthew 25:1-13
'then the kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, "The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him." At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, "Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out". But they replied, "There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves". They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaid arrived later. "Lord, Lord," they said "open the door for us." But he replied, "I tell you solemnly, I do not know you" So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.
Jesus speaks about the kingdom. In the gospel, what exactly is this oil? the Oil is the Love within our hearts and we are the lamps. Some may ask, why were the bridesmaids so selfish in not sharing the oil and furthermore, they could still enter the hall. Well, they just couldnt share it. The love we build is what we have and Love cannot be given or bought. It is gained. The love we build here on earth is important.
If we do not build this love, how can we possibly enter God's house and be with the one who is all loving?
Let us prepare our oils and lamps to welcome the Lord. Yes indeed we do not know the day nor the hour. all the more we should prepare our oils and lamps. We should Love! We should make sure our lamps, bodies, are able to illuminate this light from the oil.
Christ is our light, the person that loves us. we are the little lights leading towards him. May our love grow and be stored and when the bridegroom comes he may see the oils, lamps and light and he shall acknowledge us and admit us into his kingdom.
Amen.
Feel Lonely @Tuesday, July 19, 2005
