Superb Jan 2011

Jan 2011 going to end in one week. I can say, I have a great and superb January except coming back to seminary to face my academic studies. It is superb month because I've experienced, and experiencing, and continue to experience answered prayers. I've shared some to the church how God has answered my prayers just in the first 2 weeks of January. It really increases my faith and my trust in the Lord that He is always there when I pray. Even simple prayer like looking for a nice parking I experienced it this month when I pray and trust in it!

Let me share one quote from Hudson Taylor that makes my year to be fruitful: God's works done in God's way will not lack God's supply

Picture taken in CEO center, Bangalore

Isaac

Holding the right thing

I saw the "washing machine"

kaabooooo....

I'm back in STM and the so-called retreat has over. The semester will be starting tomorrow. Nervous! Thesis!

Just want to share some thoughts which is in my mind now. Yesterday, in a small group discussion, we were discussing things that we can give thanks for; so I shared that I give thanks because I'm alive today because 4 years ago I nearly drowned during a water rafting game. After sharing this, I kept on thinking back on the incident.

In 2007, I went for water rafting at Padas River during a staff retreat. Thank God that all of us were safe under His grace. We rented two boats and we were the only two boats that prayed before we started the game, and we were the only two boats that capsized! I sat in front of the boat, and we went into the "Washing-Machine" section. Once our boat hit on the water current, the impact was so great at the place where I was, so I flew few meters away from the boat, but because of the current which was so fast, I was pushed near-by the boat but that time I was in the river already. I went down to the water, I came up and saw the boat and I was supposedly to hold the rope at the side of the boat, but instead of holding it, I hold back my pedal!: I went down into the water and came up, the boat had gone far from me. I tried to yell for help, but the voice just couldn't come out from my throat! Cut the story short, I was saved.

In our lives, we sometimes hold the wrong thing to secure our lives. We thought that what we are holding now will secure us, but it is actually a burden in our lives that caused us into depression, stress and lost our focus in our lives and eventually find that life has no purpose. I was supposed to hold the rope, but I hold the pedal which could not save me from being drowned! Only the rope can. I missed the robe and I was saved because someone on the boat throws the robe back to me. The decision I have to make is to hold the robe so that I can be saved from drowning.

Today, for those of you who are reading this post, if you have missed the first rope, there is the second chance. The rope is from our Lord Jesus Christ. Now your decision is just to accept the rope and be saved for eternity!

Isaac

God heals!

Second half of the year, I faced a hard question. The question arose from an incident over a controversial song. Most of us know the controversial song from Hillsong entitled "Healer". The question came when my friend and I were discussing about it. He recognizes that the song is controversial, but, he adds on, that God can use the song to heal people with the main reason that through this song, many people were healed. This was the question which is in my mind until recently: The song, Healer heals a lot of people. My question is that, why a song which was written with false testimony can heal people?

I've been pondering about it. During one of my devotions, I got an answer: it is God who heals. I have doubt because my focus is on the song which heals, and I did not focus on God who heals. I believe all those who had been healed either from singing this song or just listening to it, was healed by God. It is not the song which heals, but God. By saying this, I am not saying or encouraging people to simply write songs to manipulate people psychologically, but songs must be written firstly through the meditation of the Word of God and with our experiences with God. This is what is lacking in today's Christian songs!

Question came now, will I use the song in church. My stand is, I will not! Because it is God who heals by His grace and His will. Our focus should not be with the power of the songs, but our focus must be with the power of God who heals!

God heals,

Isaac

Effort Based or Academic Based?

After receiving my year one, first semester results, I was disappointed with the results that I have for one of my subjects. This subject requires us to do 2 weekly reflections: one on the lecture, another on the book. Except for one week, I never miss to hand-in any of my reflections on time. At the end of the day, I got a B+ for that subject. I thought it was alright. But when I got to know certain people got an A- for that subject, I began to question the marking system in STM. I question because of the character of the person who got that result: always rushing assignment in the last minute. I try my best not to compare, but recently the negative feeling was so strong in me.

I admit my English is not that best, do not have solid reasoning skills, and I do not have the ability to make argument or debate, or may I say, twisting facts. But in every assignment, I put all the effort that I can; try my best to reason beyond my ability; read more books that I can. But, sometimes, or perhaps, the school does not recognized this; those who do last minute assignments; it can be one night before the due dates; or sometime taken lecturer's grace for granted, can get higher marks than those who put a lot of effort in it! I can understand if it is only one or two assignments you did that. But if you do it in every semester for every paper, I think the school seriously need to think about this.

This is not the character formation that a seminary should produced. To be minister of God, we need discipline in serving. If the students can do this in seminary, and yet is not being told that they have discipline issue, I think, then they will have problem after they graduated from the seminary: preparing last minute sermon, only read the Bible when preaching day is approaching, and etc. If the seminary's vision is to equip God's people for ministry and mission, then I think the seminary should be able to identify the people, and take action on them.

I encounter only one lecturer that will judge our assignments based on our effort. Being an 'A'- student does not mean that you are a good minister and justify your pastoral hearts in the field. Excuses like, "I only can do my works last minute when there is pressure on me" is not valid at all!

I think our works should be evaluated based on effort too. If I've been evaluated on purely academic, I think I will not be able to achieve the requirements here. This is the hidden curriculum that we have to learn while doing the works of God including study: paying all effort in this studying ministry.

Servus Servorum Dei

Isaac

Worship

John 4:23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Disclaimer!!

Make sure you read this if you cannot sleep at night!!

Three weeks ago, the passage on John 4:23 came to my mind during the church service. I've forgotten where the verse came from. They next day, as I was doing my devotion, I read this passage again. I was wondering what God is trying to speak to me.

In the midst of pondering the passage, another passage came to my mind, Colossians 3:16. Gosh, so I keep on pondering the relation with these two verses.

As I study the verse, Col. 3:16 I began to see some light. It is so true that, if you keep on meditating or reflecting on certain verses, it will speaks to you. That is the power of God's Word. In Col. 3:16, "The Word of Christ" is the subject. The main verb is "to dwell" (imperative/command). The Word of Christ must dwell in us richly. When the Word dwells in us richly, the next three verbs are the consequences: to teach and to admonish, and to sing (all three are in participle form). [I know is a bit academic here, but to be faithful to the Word of God, we do need to go back to the original text to have a better insight]

Recently, I've encountered a lot of "debates" or "insights" of what worship is? I believe these two verses have spoken to me. Our worship, our preaching, our giving, our daily life and etc is the consequences of the Word of Christ that dwelt in us. We can't just worship the Lord just because of our feeling as Christian that God loves us, therefore we worship him. But we must let the Word of God dwell in us, and with conviction, from inside out we worship our God. Not only in worship, but also in preaching. How can we preach unless the Word of God dwell in us and has convicted. To dwell in us, it is not just having understood the passage, but from inside-out, in practice, we are able to show what has been dwelt in us (1John 4:16b, 20 - God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him; if someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen).

What then shall I say? (wow! Like St. Paul arguing certain issue, :D) Am I saying that the Word of God is the most important? Yes! Last Friday, there was a person was arguing that in a service, everything is important. She said, we cannot say the Word is more important than worship, and worship is more important than any other "items" in a service. I think she got it wrong! In a service, all that we are doing are the consequences of the Word that has been dwelt in us. I believe that everything that we do in a service must be Christ centered, and the CLIMAX of the service is the Word of God (the reading and preaching) because that is where the word is proclaimed to us (the Reading) and where through the preacher, we believe that God is using him to reveal the Word to us so that it speaks to us in our current context which in the end lead us to Christ who is our stronghold, and in Him we shall not be afraid (Psalm 27:1b).

Conclusion? Our worship, preaching (or even sharing in a devotion), is the effects of the indwelling of the Word in us. By then, true worshipers that have understood the dwelt Word and practice it will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Therefore, we need the Holy Spirit, our Helper, the Spirit of truth (John 15:26) who will remind us what Jesus had taught us (John 14:16) to worship God our Father. Worship not just as in singing praise and worship, but also in prayer, preaching and our daily lives.

Our action: Read your Bible and pray everyday so that God's word will dwell in you richly!

Isaac

Syncretism?

I wonder what would John Calvin says a bout this or even the Presbyterian?

I just need a prayer

I began to understand the book of Job slowly now. I'm having severe back pain now. It affects my breathing and my left hand movement. I posted this in FaceBook. Only two people offered their prayer to me while others were analyzing the cause of the pain and if I say something some replied me "faith without deeds in nothing". How ironic that people can use scripture for their own benefit, benefit in defending their analysis is correct.

The cause of my back pain is more towards the bed's slats were put wrongly! This has caused my bed sink in the middle! Moreover, I do not have a flat platform on top of the slats! How ironic again that this seminary is lead with a lot of 'doctors'! but do not know how to put a bed slats! Second cause is of course the mattress itself which has been used for more than 10 years. If we ask for a change, it will be replaced from the one in the store room. What is the point?! To change a new one perhaps it will took months to be replaced. Need to go through a lot of meetings perhaps to decide whether need to buy a new mattress or not! Is not that I do not try, but this is the nature of this place and the system here! If we ask for a better one, perhaps the students will be judge why we asking for a luxury stuff and began to tell their old story 30 years ago! Moreover the mattress is neither made from latex or fiber. It's just a foam! Imagine it has been used for more than 10 years by more than 100 people include some campers!

Anyway, I find explaining all these is meaningless. Perhaps, it is better for the three friends of Job to continue remain in silent rather that start their speeches and analyzing what happened to Job, maybe he has sinned against God or just be patient during this suffering. I think, none of them can understand Job more than God and Job himself.

All I need is just a prayer that God will heal me not analyzing from people! It is easier to say. Try and feel the pain!

God please heal,

Isaac