Sunday, July 23, 2006
Life Uncommon - Jewel
If God asked you to walk around naked in public for 3 years, would you do it???
I remember asking this to me class of 16 year olds a long time ago. Caught unprepared, the smart fellas did a typical lawyer thing and avoided the question. God would not ask us do such a thing, they argue. No way. For such and such reasons.
I smiled. I was impressed. But i then turned them to Isaiah chapter 20v1-5:-
In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it - at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, "Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet." And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.
Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt's shame. Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame.
I enjoyed the shocked silence that followed the reading - yeah, i can be cruel. LOL! But i reassured them that this incident was one of a kind - and in all probabality, God will never ask any of them to do such a thing. What i wanted to draw thier attention was the commitment of Isaiah - who definitely have had years of preparation and training and extra portion of His strength and grace to be one of the great prophets in the OT.
I was recently reading Jeremiah - another of the prophets who did not have it easy. The heading given to Jeremiah 20v7-18 in the NKJV Bible is Jeremiah's Unpopular Ministry. He was the original prophet of doom! His task was not to only convince the people that Jerusalem's doom is sealed but to tell them that they should not fight the enemy! They should instead defect to the enemy (21v9).
I tried to put meself in his sandals and found it really tough!
Today, our calling by God's grace is not as tough as Isaiah's or Jeremiah's. But it is no less important! And no less challenging!
A couple of weeks ago, John spoke on Sunday morning here. I like John. He teaches really well and clear - and gives it as how the Bible does, not holding back, nor candy coating anything (when i fisrt saw him speak, i was like "Whoa, Saruman is taking the pulpit"!!! He has the looks - albeit kinder and a brilliant bass voice).
He spoke specifically on Mark 8v34 - that we as Christians must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. His message was partly evangelistic in nature as are all Sunday morning messages in the church i attend here - yet, he gave it as it is. He wasn't afraid of turning away potential Christians by saying that Christians must deny themselves.
Most of the time today, evangelists focus on the positives - God's love, eternal life, peace and joy etc. But they conveniently leave out the hardship and persecutions and the price of commitment - until after the people have signed up for Church!
Not John. He made it clear wat it means to be a Christian - but he oso balanced it up with reasons why we are to deny ourselves, and how that would be to our benefit. For wat good would it be if a man gains the world but loses his soul?
Too often today, the focus is on the self. I want to do it cuz i want to. No one is gonna tell me otherwise. It's my life. I'm gonna do it my way. I like it that way. The greatest love of all is to love yourself.
Sure, i acknowledge the importance of recognising our self worth, of being true to our hearts - but it doesn't stop there.
The words of Jesus are clear - "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me".
Isaiah and Jeremiah - and countless others in the Bible - have set the example for us, for me. Jesus himself prayed "Not my will but yours be done".
I find it hard. I guess tt's why Jesus said to carry our cross daily. It's a new fight, a new challenge everyday. And i know that each time i fail, if i confess my sins, he will forgive me (I John 1v9). And i know that i do not have a high priest "who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin" (Heb 4v15).
It's a paradox - only when we deny ourselves is when we truly learn how to live - and live abundantly!
I remember asking this to me class of 16 year olds a long time ago. Caught unprepared, the smart fellas did a typical lawyer thing and avoided the question. God would not ask us do such a thing, they argue. No way. For such and such reasons.
I smiled. I was impressed. But i then turned them to Isaiah chapter 20v1-5:-
In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it - at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, "Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet." And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.
Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt's shame. Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame.
I enjoyed the shocked silence that followed the reading - yeah, i can be cruel. LOL! But i reassured them that this incident was one of a kind - and in all probabality, God will never ask any of them to do such a thing. What i wanted to draw thier attention was the commitment of Isaiah - who definitely have had years of preparation and training and extra portion of His strength and grace to be one of the great prophets in the OT.
I was recently reading Jeremiah - another of the prophets who did not have it easy. The heading given to Jeremiah 20v7-18 in the NKJV Bible is Jeremiah's Unpopular Ministry. He was the original prophet of doom! His task was not to only convince the people that Jerusalem's doom is sealed but to tell them that they should not fight the enemy! They should instead defect to the enemy (21v9).
I tried to put meself in his sandals and found it really tough!
Today, our calling by God's grace is not as tough as Isaiah's or Jeremiah's. But it is no less important! And no less challenging!
A couple of weeks ago, John spoke on Sunday morning here. I like John. He teaches really well and clear - and gives it as how the Bible does, not holding back, nor candy coating anything (when i fisrt saw him speak, i was like "Whoa, Saruman is taking the pulpit"!!! He has the looks - albeit kinder and a brilliant bass voice).
He spoke specifically on Mark 8v34 - that we as Christians must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. His message was partly evangelistic in nature as are all Sunday morning messages in the church i attend here - yet, he gave it as it is. He wasn't afraid of turning away potential Christians by saying that Christians must deny themselves.
Most of the time today, evangelists focus on the positives - God's love, eternal life, peace and joy etc. But they conveniently leave out the hardship and persecutions and the price of commitment - until after the people have signed up for Church!
Not John. He made it clear wat it means to be a Christian - but he oso balanced it up with reasons why we are to deny ourselves, and how that would be to our benefit. For wat good would it be if a man gains the world but loses his soul?
Too often today, the focus is on the self. I want to do it cuz i want to. No one is gonna tell me otherwise. It's my life. I'm gonna do it my way. I like it that way. The greatest love of all is to love yourself.
Sure, i acknowledge the importance of recognising our self worth, of being true to our hearts - but it doesn't stop there.
The words of Jesus are clear - "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me".Isaiah and Jeremiah - and countless others in the Bible - have set the example for us, for me. Jesus himself prayed "Not my will but yours be done".
I find it hard. I guess tt's why Jesus said to carry our cross daily. It's a new fight, a new challenge everyday. And i know that each time i fail, if i confess my sins, he will forgive me (I John 1v9). And i know that i do not have a high priest "who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin" (Heb 4v15).
It's a paradox - only when we deny ourselves is when we truly learn how to live - and live abundantly!
pic taken at the V&A Museum
# posted by imissw : 2:40:00 pm
