Seeking What Is Right Instead of What is Easy

Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." (Luke 9:58)

What fascinated me in Beijing was that I could see so many birds nests all over the place. While travelling from one place to the next, these nests were very visible from the highway streets. It reminded me of how wonderfully God made us to be able to live and survive in this world. While in the zoo, I also took notice of the foxes that were very playful and would go in and out of their burrows. Surely the holes keep them safe and warm.

When Christ was born, he only laid on a manger. And even in his death, the tomb wasn't His. The birds and the foxes are even more comfortable than He was on occasions when truly resting was required. The Christian life is not a promise of an easy life. Its promise is a purposeful life, leading to eternal life.  When we look at the word discipline, we will see its connection to the word disciple. The cost of Discipleship is to live a disciplined life while the world presents an easy way out. Choosing to be honest instead of accepting or giving bribes, choosing to study instead of cheating in the exam, and choosing to pray and read scripture when laziness sets in.  These are some examples of discipleship amidst the comfort of worldly lures.

Secularism, relativism, consumerism, and materialism, gives in to man's resistance to discipleship.  Man refuses the discipline of Christian morality and reasons to be able to design the world according to his comfort and ease.  We can start to ask ourselves, "In what aspect of my life do I lack the discipline?".

The consequence of discipline is actually a happy life.  An easy life does not equate to a happy life. "He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward" (Hebrews 11:26).  Those who are disciplined, those who can delay gratification, will reap great rewards. Although Christ suffered on earth, he was raised to be Lord of all.  While the saints and martyrs didn't have it easy, they are now in eternal happiness with the Lord in heaven.

Lord, make me strong in my conviction as a disciple. Grant me the grace of discipline, so I may seek what is right instead of what is easy.

Worth It

While in the Holy Land, we went through the "Via Dolorosa" or the way of suffering.  It also the name of the street referring to the path that Jesus walked while carrying the cross.  As part of the pilgrimage, we took turns in bearing the cross and stopping at the very locations of the fourteen stations.  The cross I carried was light.  I was not tied to it nor was I being whipped to get me moving. I did not carry it all the way to the crucifixion site and had just about 7 minutes in carrying the cross with the support of my wife Michelle at the back end. With the cold breeze, I was wrapped in my comfy jacket and scarf while Jesus was almost naked and fresh with wounds from the whipping and crowning of thorns.

It was an experience for me to even more appreciate the depth of Christ's love for mankind. He could have chosen not to suffer at all, but He chose to save us. For Him, we were worth it.

What are the crosses you carry?  Are you carrying them for the Lord, just as He carried the cross for you?  Like my experience in the Via Dolorosa, my own suffering with my crosses in life pail in comparison with the kind of physical and emotional suffering that Christ went through with His Cross.  And even yet if we suffer more than what Christ went through, can we say that Christ is worth it?

As for me, I can think of nothing else greater and more worthy than our Lord Jesus Christ.  "The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41)."

Lord, you are worth the sufferings we go through. Forgive us of the times we complain because of little discomforts, delays, or disappointments.  May we learn to value the Cross and realize daily that through Your suffering we are offered salvation.  Thank you for considering us to be worth it.  Amen.

"In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us (Ephesians 1:7-8)."

Mission-Ready!

I just came from a meeting with people whose hearts are on fire for the work of global mission! I couldn't help but be set ablaze in love for God. The Holy Spirit dwells in the praise of God's people and pours upon those who truly seek and desire His gifts for empowerment.

These are the qualities I noticed of Mission-Ready people:

1. A great desire to do God's will.
Setting up the mission is not easy. Along comes many challenges, but the desire for mission always lets us see beyond a seemingly hopeless situation. To be on mission is the command Jesus gave in His great commission. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19).

2. The humility that God will use them powerfully. 
Mission-Ready people know that victory is the Lord's and that God just needs their yes for Him to work His marvelous deeds. We feel unnecessary pressure if we are too reliant on our abilities or backgrounds. Genuine confidence comes from the realization that we are merely God's instruments to do His holy will.

3. Infects others to do mission.
One thing about mission-ready people is that they are very contagious. People can't help but be drawn to be part of the mission they are passionately talking about. When we form teams for mission, many of those who come are influenced by the team leader.


4. Willingness to Sacrifice.
They set aside personal resources to make the mission possible. They also use up their limited leave of absences to do mission. There will be discomforts in mission and a lack of rest. But it is the sacrifice that makes our offering pleasing to God.

Being Mission Ready sets us up to receive God's providence. How can we receive His blessings if we are not ready as a vessel to be filled? Readiness is very impotant since God opens up divine opportunities or kairos, and we have to seize the moment or we will lose the chance to be used fully by the Lord and experience His awesome power.

Let us be like Abraham when God called Him, he immediately responded, "Ready!" (Gen 22:1)

To Be A Follower

Following Jesus is no walk in the park. He didn't sugar-coat it. In Luke 9:57-62, he was direct and upfront about the hardships in being a true Christian.


The Would-be Followers of Jesus.
As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “[Lord,] let me go first and bury my father."But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”[To him] Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”


Christ requires us to sacrifice, surrender, and be single-minded for Him.

Sacrifice is born out of love. We are willing to be inconvenienced, disrupted, and disturbed for the sake of God's call.  The test of service comes when it is tempting to make excuses just to do away with a service offer.  When it becomes too far, too long, or too expensive, we start to think if there are other choices of how we can help. It is contrary when we say, "I will follow you wherever you go" then we say, "But Lord, this is where I want to go." We sacrifice as Jesus sacrificed.

Our surrender makes God number 1 in our lives.  Surrendering does not mean neglecting our families or our livelihood. Surrender means not to make our families and livelihood as an excuse not to follow the will of the Lord. God gave us our families and our jobs to be good stewards, but for the purpose of God's will. We then ask, "How can my family and job help me do God's will?"

Being single-minded is to get rid of distractions.  While technology is a useful tool, many are enslaved or addicted to it. I am not implying to get rid of technology in our lives, since it can also be a tool to evangelize and an aid to our work. But try to measure the number of hours we spend on our hobbies (like games, movies, social networking, etc.) as compared to praying, serving, and doing something productive for your family and country. In more serious cases, these hobbies can even be a source of our sinfulness. Single-mindedness is to be focused on the Lord. "What are the things that distract us from our service?" It may be an unmended relationship, hurts, frustration, anger, laziness, or even our pride. These things are usual causes of "back-sliding."

We follow Jesus not with fear and hesitation but with love. We are able to sacrifice, surrender, and be single-minded with the power of the Holy Spirit. He will not call us to follow Him without His help and if we were not capable to do so. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you (John 14:26)."

God Prepares Us For Our Life's Challenges

Finally had time to catch on with some sports activities. Thanks to my household. It's just that since I haven't really had a "real" exercise in the past months, i woke up with a sore body, hardly being able to move. I had muscle pains in places I never knew would ache. It would even hurt when I laugh.

Remembering the passion of Christ, I could just imagine the pain our Lord went through. What was even more difficult was that He knew exactly what He will be going through.  The prayer at Gethsemane must have been excruciating for Him.  Yet, despite of the knowledge of what He will suffer, He still went on with it, telling His angels not to help Him and telling God, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34)."

When I reflect on the pains that I have gone through in my life, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, I think nothing can compare with the sufferings of our Lord.  We are even spared of the knowledge of our future sufferings and sacrifices.  God prepares us for our life's challenges and won't give us what we can't bear to overcome.  He helps us to go from strength to strength by enduring every problem that comes our way.

Lord, may we not forget Your great love for us, made evident by every wound and every drop of blood you gave for our sake.  We love you so and we pray that our life's sufferings and sacrifices may lead us closer to You. Amen.