I know Christ die on the Cross
I know He die for us all.
If a wicked person is crucified, I understand why.
If an average person is cruicified, I may ask why.
If a good person is crucified, I ask why.
If a loved one is crucified, I demand why.
If a good person I love is crucified, I refused any why.
So when I say Christ crucified, what have I understood, accepted and refused?
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
"Is there something I am born to do?"
"Is there something I am born to do?"
This is a million dollar question, well at least for a Career Consultant.
This is the million dollar question I am trying to 'solve' for myself, but I discover it has become an blinded, egoist trip. It is at the end a pursue of self-identity, and it has become a pursue ahead of God. It has become a pursue of its own, or maybe it was the intention of the pursue from the start.
We all have very grand idea about ourselves. Something we are born to do, and it is ususally something great and when the 'job' does not show up, we feel demotivated, short-changed, missing out on our 'destiny'.
Mahud was a simple man who lived in a small village and made his living by selling vegetables at a busy market. He was comfortable enough and liked his work. But one day the angel Khabir appeared to him and told him to jump in the river. Without thinking, Mahud leaped into the flowing water.
He was carried downstream until a man on shore threw him a rope and pulled him out. The man offered Mahud a job in his fishing business and a small room where he could live. Mahud appreciated the man's kindness and took the job and worked at it, rather happily, for three years. Then Khabir appeared to him once more and told him to move on.
Mahub obeyed immediately and walked from village to village until in one place a man offered him a jonb in his fabric shop. This was new to Mahib, but he took the job and learned the trade and worked there relatively happy until the angel appeared again and sent him on. Mahud worked at odd jobd for years in this manner, alwys moving along when the angel instructed.
When Mahud was an old man, he had gained the reputation of a holy man. Peiple begain cxoming to him with their illnesses and worries begging him for cure and counsel. One day a visitor to his village asked him, "Mahud, how did you get to where you are now?"
Mahud thought for a moment and said, "it is difficult to say."
It is difficult to say because Mahud's only talent was his openness to the directives coming from the angel whose name means "The All Aware." Mahud had the precious ability to recognize the call to move on and the openness of the heart to follow it.
This is a story about calling and obedience to the call. But let's remember that at root obedience means "listening". To find your way you have to pay close attention to the signs about when to change your job, when to get unstuck and reenter the flow of life, and when to retire to a life of healing and teaching.
Unfortunately for us, an angel isn't going to physically appear and tell us what to do next. But the angel of the story does represent something that is real for all of us: a sense of destiny, vocation and direction. The word vocation comes from the Latin word vox, voice. A vocation is a call.
Why would a sense of direction in life be called a "vocation"? Is the voice of the angel only supernatural or mystical? Or is there something natural about the capacity of life to "speak" to us and gives us hint where to go?
The question is not so much does the world give us a direction, but are we able to read the world for its information? Are we able to also sense our calling from our internal inclination.
Well, if we are so full of ourselves, can we hear?
This is a million dollar question, well at least for a Career Consultant.
This is the million dollar question I am trying to 'solve' for myself, but I discover it has become an blinded, egoist trip. It is at the end a pursue of self-identity, and it has become a pursue ahead of God. It has become a pursue of its own, or maybe it was the intention of the pursue from the start.
We all have very grand idea about ourselves. Something we are born to do, and it is ususally something great and when the 'job' does not show up, we feel demotivated, short-changed, missing out on our 'destiny'.
Mahud was a simple man who lived in a small village and made his living by selling vegetables at a busy market. He was comfortable enough and liked his work. But one day the angel Khabir appeared to him and told him to jump in the river. Without thinking, Mahud leaped into the flowing water.
He was carried downstream until a man on shore threw him a rope and pulled him out. The man offered Mahud a job in his fishing business and a small room where he could live. Mahud appreciated the man's kindness and took the job and worked at it, rather happily, for three years. Then Khabir appeared to him once more and told him to move on.
Mahub obeyed immediately and walked from village to village until in one place a man offered him a jonb in his fabric shop. This was new to Mahib, but he took the job and learned the trade and worked there relatively happy until the angel appeared again and sent him on. Mahud worked at odd jobd for years in this manner, alwys moving along when the angel instructed.
When Mahud was an old man, he had gained the reputation of a holy man. Peiple begain cxoming to him with their illnesses and worries begging him for cure and counsel. One day a visitor to his village asked him, "Mahud, how did you get to where you are now?"
Mahud thought for a moment and said, "it is difficult to say."
It is difficult to say because Mahud's only talent was his openness to the directives coming from the angel whose name means "The All Aware." Mahud had the precious ability to recognize the call to move on and the openness of the heart to follow it.
This is a story about calling and obedience to the call. But let's remember that at root obedience means "listening". To find your way you have to pay close attention to the signs about when to change your job, when to get unstuck and reenter the flow of life, and when to retire to a life of healing and teaching.
Unfortunately for us, an angel isn't going to physically appear and tell us what to do next. But the angel of the story does represent something that is real for all of us: a sense of destiny, vocation and direction. The word vocation comes from the Latin word vox, voice. A vocation is a call.
Why would a sense of direction in life be called a "vocation"? Is the voice of the angel only supernatural or mystical? Or is there something natural about the capacity of life to "speak" to us and gives us hint where to go?
The question is not so much does the world give us a direction, but are we able to read the world for its information? Are we able to also sense our calling from our internal inclination.
Well, if we are so full of ourselves, can we hear?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
UNable but ENabled
In recent I have come to some realization of the word “ENABLED”
Prior to this, in all honesty, as much as I acknowledge God but I know things I can still get done somewhat. God is just a nice icing on top on the cake. Many a times, I was working from a position of “I KNOW and I am ABLE”.
But for the last one years and more, I landed in a fallow period. I have stepped into a place of “I do Not KNOW and I am UNable”. But it was a needful fallow.
In this position and reading the Bible, I realise living out the Word of the Lord is not only difficult, but also humanly impossible,
When that was revealed, I was invited into another understanding of the Lord - learning the way and the work of the Spirit. It is a calling to have a real experience of the way of the Lord, the enabling of the Spirit. "I still do not know, and I am still Unable but I am ENabled”.
All throughout the Lord is guiding. But it is only in hindsight that I am able to understand and appreciate what I have been through, where I am now and shall be going next.
If I can try to quote the words from the testimony of a pastor: “I began to feel what I call now the tangible anointing that I never felt before. I began to understand that was the gift of the Spirit working.”
Prior to this, in all honesty, as much as I acknowledge God but I know things I can still get done somewhat. God is just a nice icing on top on the cake. Many a times, I was working from a position of “I KNOW and I am ABLE”.
But for the last one years and more, I landed in a fallow period. I have stepped into a place of “I do Not KNOW and I am UNable”. But it was a needful fallow.
In this position and reading the Bible, I realise living out the Word of the Lord is not only difficult, but also humanly impossible,
When that was revealed, I was invited into another understanding of the Lord - learning the way and the work of the Spirit. It is a calling to have a real experience of the way of the Lord, the enabling of the Spirit. "I still do not know, and I am still Unable but I am ENabled”.
All throughout the Lord is guiding. But it is only in hindsight that I am able to understand and appreciate what I have been through, where I am now and shall be going next.
If I can try to quote the words from the testimony of a pastor: “I began to feel what I call now the tangible anointing that I never felt before. I began to understand that was the gift of the Spirit working.”
My Lord is so sure and assured
My Lord is so sure and assured. But I am not.
1. "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49)
My Lord is so sure and assured. My Lord is not lost. He knows where He is to be because He knows who He is. He is His Father's son and He is to be at His Father's house.
But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. (Luke 2:50-51)
Though those around did not what he meant, it did not bother him. Instead he chose to be obedient and patient.
But me. I am always confused and lost. Trying to be at all places.
When I could not understand or others could not understand, I move.
I am all over the place - trying to understand and be understood.
2. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, ... (Philippians 2:6-7)
My Lord is so sure and assured. He is so sure of who He is in God, not men, that He is able to stoop low for God's sake and men's sake.
Born to the house of Joseph and Mary.
Working as a carpenter.
Washing our feet.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient ...(Philippians 2:8)
He never deemed it humiliation because of who He is. For he understands who He is, He is able to obey with humility.
One identity lives all manners of life.
But me. I let my identity dictates my manners of life.
My hands give not but grasp more.
I stoop low with God in order to stand tall with men. I feel humiliation but pretend humility.
3. The hour has come. Rise! Let us go! (Mark 14:41-42)
My Lord is so sure and assured. He is not afraid. Though He knows what is before him, He is not afraid, because He knows what goes before him.
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36)
But me. I am always afraid and timid, everything is not possible for me.
Indeed not what I can but what will me.
Indeed not what God can but what will me.
My Lord is so sure and assured. And I know everything is possible for Him and me.
1. "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49)
My Lord is so sure and assured. My Lord is not lost. He knows where He is to be because He knows who He is. He is His Father's son and He is to be at His Father's house.
But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. (Luke 2:50-51)
Though those around did not what he meant, it did not bother him. Instead he chose to be obedient and patient.
But me. I am always confused and lost. Trying to be at all places.
When I could not understand or others could not understand, I move.
I am all over the place - trying to understand and be understood.
2. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, ... (Philippians 2:6-7)
My Lord is so sure and assured. He is so sure of who He is in God, not men, that He is able to stoop low for God's sake and men's sake.
Born to the house of Joseph and Mary.
Working as a carpenter.
Washing our feet.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient ...(Philippians 2:8)
He never deemed it humiliation because of who He is. For he understands who He is, He is able to obey with humility.
One identity lives all manners of life.
But me. I let my identity dictates my manners of life.
My hands give not but grasp more.
I stoop low with God in order to stand tall with men. I feel humiliation but pretend humility.
3. The hour has come. Rise! Let us go! (Mark 14:41-42)
My Lord is so sure and assured. He is not afraid. Though He knows what is before him, He is not afraid, because He knows what goes before him.
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36)
But me. I am always afraid and timid, everything is not possible for me.
Indeed not what I can but what will me.
Indeed not what God can but what will me.
My Lord is so sure and assured. And I know everything is possible for Him and me.
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