1. ARE YOU FIRST IN LINE, LAST IN LOVE?
   
   He was zealous to begin with,
   Grateful. Just to be chosen.
   The sun was hot, but does it even matter?
   O for the honor of serving the Master.
   
   But somewhere along the line, he shifted ...
   His eye from the owner to the “others”;
   Instead of laboring for the Lord of the vineyard,
   He looked for rights, rewards, recognition.
   
   And so his days stretched long and hard,
   Everything became a chore.
   He lost the joy of serving in the vineyard
   When he forgot God’s grace and call.
   
   Are you first in line, last in love?
   Have you forgotten why you came into the vineyard?
   Have you become weary? Is your eye envious?
   Remember: the last shall be first, and the first last.

I AM NOT A PRISONER

Reflections from studying the man Paul as he wrote to his disciples from a Philippian jail (from the book of Philippians):

I AM NOT A PRISONER

To the shackles on my feet –
I stand tall and steadfast as a bond-slave of Christ Jesus,
I can do all things through Him who strengthens
Me.

I am not a prisoner,

I am not defined by my chains;
To know His power, I count all things as loss,
For to me to live is Christ, to die is
Gain.

I am not a prisoner -

Of man-made glory, greats and
Gods -
These soon shall pass, but O for the surpassing
Value of knowing Him, and reaching His upward
Call.

I am not a prisoner -
The Son of God has set me free
To serve and suffer for the sake of the gospel,
To fly beyond these walls, to dare to dream.

“I draw a line on the sand

And it cannot be crossed.” (Jer 5:22, The Message)

“I draw a line on the sand

And it cannot be crossed.”

The sea, with its pride may rush and roar,

Yet must bow humbly, be hushed, . . . withdraw.

“I draw a line on the sand

And it cannot be crossed.”

Man may be smart, he may scheme and soar -  

But he’s nothing till he’s still, and knows He is God. 

“I draw a line on the sand

And it cannot be crossed.”

When He orders, “Move!” No angel can halt;

When He says, “Go!” No power in heaven and hell can stop. 

“I draw a line on the sand

And it cannot be crossed.

Why do my people not stand in awe?

Why do they dishonor Me, and follow after false gods?

Today is the last day of the year 2013. Here's my wish for everyone:

COME & SEE

The disciples were curious,
“Teacher, where do you live?”
Jesus turned around, waved, and said,
“Come, and you will see.” (John 1:39-40)

The woman at the well was shocked,
“He knows everything about me!”
“Come, see Him who gives living water.”
And those who did believed. (John 4:28, 40-41)

Mary was afraid and trembling,
“Where is my Lord?” she cried.
“He’s not here, He’s risen  –  come see
“The tomb’s empty,” the angel replied. (Mat 28:5-7)

As 2013 draws to a close,
Here’s a prayer for you, my friend,
May you come every day to Him with curiosity,
And see His grace, His love, His plan.

Come, leave all that behind -
The old, bad, ugly;
And see Him who knows and cares for you  –
And Who fills you with fresh grace and beauty.

Come and see, fear not, He's alive,
He lives in you and me -
And in anyone who will make room for Him,
And say, "Yes, I want to come, and see."

Still thinking about Christmas and gifts these few days, and came across one of the most tragic rejections of a gift: Numbers 13, when 10 of the 12 spies came back from the land that God had wanted to give them and said, "No go!"

GRASSHOPPERS, ANY?

They saw the land flowing with milk and honey

But chose to focus on the ‘too strong”, “too many.”

They heard the Voice who led by day and by night
But listened only to the song:“We’re grasshoppers in our own sight.”

Instead of crying to Him who called from heaven,

They complained, and cringed under defeated giants.
Giants that plunder dreams with no power,
And rain on vision with silent passing showers.

Giants that steal our passion for faded glory,

And hold us prisoners to yesterday’s stories.
That make us forget we, too, have dreams; and keep us living
For other man's imaginations - that we can’t fulfill or believe in.

If God has given you a vision, a dream -  

That you can see clearly even when you’re not asleep;
Starve your fears, seek hope, silence the doubters -
Remember: without dreams we live as shadows, with no faith we miss the mountains.

With the Christmas rush for year-end feasting and gift-buying, here's a thought on "things" from Eccl 5.

THINKING ABOUT THINGS 

Do not love “things.” 
“Things” won’t satisfy us. 
They only make us want more (Eccl 5:10).

Do not think, “If I have more things, my problems will be solved.”
“Things” don’t give world peace (Eccl 5:11).
“Things”, in fact, rob us of rest (Eccl 5:12).

Do not place security in “things.” 
Things don’t belong to us; 
They rot, get stolen, they must be left behind - every bit of it - when we die (Eccl 5:15).

Success in life is not in the gathering of enough “things.” 
It will never be enough.
Success is in gathering enough wisdom to be satisfied with the much or little we have (Eccl 5:18).

Reward in life is not measured by how many “things” we possess.
We will never possess "things"; they possess us.
Reward is in possessing the time, freedom and health to rejoice in the fruit of our labor with the many or few we love (Eccl 5:19-6:1).

Luke 18:35-19:10 has the back-to-back story of two characters: the blind beggar and Zaccheus the tax-collector.

Here’s a reflection as I thought about year-end wishes, an evangelism talk that's coming up next week:

Zaccheus, poor Zaccheus, he was too short;

But Jesus was coming, he refused to be stopped;
“I’ll look like a clown, I know, if I climb up that tree,
“So go ahead, laugh at me! Today the Master I must see.”

The blind man, the poor blind man, he was, um, too blind;

And people around him weren’t even kind;
“Shh, get lost, you’re only a beggar!”
Did that stop him? Ha! No, he cried even louder.

Jesus was busy, but not too busy to stop

And say to Zaccheus, “Come down, you and I got to talk.”
Yes, it was really noisy, but He heard the blind man’s cry,
“From now on you’re free, come, regain your sight.”

You see, it’s never ever about whether we’re too short, too blind,

Too late, too far gone, too shy, too lagging behind;
What it's about is do we know when God is passing through,
And are we ready with an answer when He asks,
“What do you want me to do for you?” (Lk 18:41)   

 

This is a season of great needs: need to meet deadlines, entertain, take a break, Christmas programs . . . and not forgetting Haiyan that rudely interrupted our ordered lives.  Here's a response from Luke 10:25-42's two back-to-back stories: the “Who is my neighbor” and the “busy Martha":

WHAT AM I MISSING TODAY?

Lk 10: 28 And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."

There was a man lying in pain on the road
But the priest and the Levite didn’t even stop to look;
“We have ministry to do, messages to share –
“Mission board meetings, and a church camp to prepare.”
They missed the chance to live the eternal life.

There was a Savior calling, “Come sit at my feet.”
But Martha had many things to tick off on her list;
“Got to impress everyone with my talents and gifts,”
“Can’t afford to stop, no time to sit.”
She missed the chance to listen to the Eternal Life.

Can we stop and see the chances God has given us?
Or do we scurry through our schedule each day in a rush?
Always making it on time, but missing the appointed times
To give, love, breathe, pause, obey, live the eternal life.

IN A LONELY DESERT . . .

In a lonely desert – Moses was called,

Jacob woke up from his dream, Elijah grew strong.

In a lonely desert God sent manna to His people;
He also did, in another deserted place, the five-loaves-two-fish miracle.

In a lonely desert John the Baptist proclaimed,

“Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand! Turn from your sin and shame.”
                                            
In a lonely desert a eunuch couldn’t understand -
God sent Philip to explain the Word, he was born again.

In a lonely desert Saul the Pharisee was stopped;

And there he learned to see, to feel, and became the apostle Paul.

Are you in a lonely desert, in a dry forsaken place?

You can’t see the hills before you, have you lost your way?

Stop, don’t fear the silence, for our Savior does His art

In the lonely desert, He speaks, He saves, He strengthens our miserable heart.

So stay, sh-hhh, shut out the sounds that shatter you  

For very soon He'll come and with His still small voice break through.

Go Sister Go!
Reflections From Luke 10:38-42, Mark 14:3-9
This morning I thought about a woman who, against traditions and fears and disapproval of people around, spent all her money on perfume to anoint Jesus.

“SHE COULD HAVE SAID”

She could have said:

I’m a woman – 
What can I do?
Not even invited;
They’ll say I’m rude,
Will they stare and talk?
Or think that I’m showy?
Should I give the money to the poor
And make everyone happy?

But she said:

I’m a woman –
But more than that,
Jesus saved me,
He freed me of all debts.
If I miss my time and chance
To do what I can today -
Tomorrow I may not have the courage
To love God this way.

She could have been:

Another fan, another follower,
Just like you and me;
Another who warmed the pews
Same place, same time, each week.
Another, perhaps, who served
Out of surplus energy and time,
Met everyone's expectations,
And never went out of line.

But she was:

Mary, who long ago decided
To love the “only one thing” that’s necessary;
Mary, who didn’t allow the “many things”
To cause her to fuss and worry.
Mary, who when she broke the vial,
Shattered all those nice men’s hearts;
Mary, who didn’t care that she was a woman
When she chose the good part.

Reflection from Mark 1:32-38

Yesterday a young campus staff told me, “I turned off technology for one day - as you suggested in the talk on 'Margin'; but when I switched them on again, I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of messages in my inboxes!”
I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. But this morning as I prayed, the Lord gave me an answer from Mark 1:32-38.
Here Jesus faced the same problem as the young campus staff. It was recorded that He hid away to spend time with the Father. And what did He find when He came back?
The multitudes . . . . jamming his inboxes.

“Many things” came cramming at the door -  

But where on earth was Jesus?
O He sneaked out "while it was still dark"
To spend time alone with the Father.
“Many ’many things’ are here!” Peter cried.
“Quick! Give them some attention!”
But surprise, surprise, Jesus replied,
"Let's go - and do only the important.”

Life, I discover, has many “many things” that
We're not made to rescue all or handle -
But we can and must  – dare I even say it -
Switch off that phone, unplug that computer.
And be still and learn from the Only One who knows
What are the few that are necessary,
And not be ruffled, worried, guilt-ridden, directed
By the very many “many.”

YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH (Mat 5:13)

I am the salt of the earth.

I bring flavor
And not seek favor
From men.
I use words that heal,
Shield, defend,
Mend.

I may sting,
Even shock,
But I won’t bend
The truth, I won’t trivialize
The Name of God,
The worth of man.

I am the salt of the earth.

I work on the bland,
I don’t blend
In.
I speak up against
Stumbling blocks, shame,
Sin.

I can’t sit on the fence,
I can’t play it
Safe
If I want to stand up
For the fatherless,
Broken,
Enslaved.

I am the salt of the earth.

I am different.
This is who I am, not what I do;
This is my voice, my call.
But when I become indifferent
To who they are, and what they do,
I miss. I’m not salt at all.

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU? (Mark 10)

 

“What do you want me to do for you?”

“What do you want me to do for you?”

In Mark 10 Jesus posed this question twice,

Let’s listen to the answers - see who was wise.

First He asked the sons of Zebedee -

Then to the blind man who called, "“Have mercy on me!”
While James and John were His own star pupils,
Blind Bartimeus wasn't in anyone's inner circle. 

"That's easy," James and John said, “In the not-too-distant future

“Put us on your right and left, we have all the credentials;

“You won’t regret it, we can really help you,
“Besides, we're very gifted in telling others what to do.”

“As for me, Rabboni,” the blind beggar replied,

"All I want right now is to regain my sight.

“I don’t really care if I look important or cool;
“I can sit anywhere, but please, let me live life to the full.”

“What do you want me to do for you?”

“What do you want me to do for you?”
This morning as I read Mark 10,
Jesus asked me again and again.

To be honest, I almost prayed,

“More power, less red tapes, definitely more say;
“How can this poor woman serve you efficiently -
“With all these barriers unless - I've more authority?”

But thank God, He taught me to say, "I'm only a servant -

“Help me see through the clutter of self-importance,

"With both eyes open, then I can do your will
"And live each day to the full - and glorify you."

 

 

 

The Twelve had a great campaign of preaching. healing, and signs and wonders. Then immediately, they failed their next challenge: the feeding of the 5,000 [Mark 6:34-52].  Here's a reflection:

So when Jesus said, “What shall we do?

"Can you see the people are hungry?”

The disciples immediately responded
With their calculator, they were ready:

“Ahem, postpone the project, Lord,"
"Please  -  send them away.”
“Cut our losses, we humbly advise - "
"O, we're just helping you save face.”

Ah, it’s not about what we have, is it?

But obeying all God says.

Not “delegation” but “dependence”;
Not “let’s be practical” - but “let’s pray.”

To do well in ministry, use "the towel" -
Your "titles" are good only in your offices;
Forget show-and-tell, bend down, pray,
Surrender, serve, share your five loaves and two fishes.

The Question We Must Ask Everyday

Reflections from Paul’s conversion encounter with Jesus and testimony from Acts 22

Saul, born in Tarsus, knew all the answers,

Gamaliel’s A-Star* pupil had only one ambition –

“Stop Jesus’ disciples – get them out of my sight!”

Until God confronted him in bright shining light.

“Saul, Saul,” the Lord asked, “why do you persecute me?”

And his eyes were opened the day he couldn’t see.
He had only one question but it forever changed his life,
Got him into God’s plan: the good, perfect, and wise.

“What shall I do, Lord?” That’s what he asked.

"What shall I do, Lord?" Here's how you and I start;
Each day, every day, humbly ask the Master,
Then lay down our A-Star* plans, and wait for His answer.

MARGIN

MARGIN
“Margin, the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits . . . .” Richard A. Swenson

Today. Put back the margin in your life.

Walk. Slowly.
Life’s about the moments and relationships,
Not simply getting from A to B.

Do. Less.
But do it well, with all your might.
With great joy. Do it right.

Don’t. Check. Your. Messages.
Look at me when I'm talking to you.
See? I’m here. I'm not virtual. I’m Real.

Delay. On. One. Decision.
Here's a tip: Pause before you answer.
Pray before you "enter."

Holiness. Is. Wholeness.
Sleep seven hours. Stop at the florist. Take a walk
Have time for people. Be kind to yourself. Love God.

Today. Put back the margin in your life.

WHY DO YOU CALL ME GOOD?

Reflection on Mark 10:17-18: “As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? . . . .’”

WHY DO YOU CALL ME GOOD?

Why do you call me “good” –
When you hide your dreams from me?
And zip up tiny little pockets in your heart -
Surely you don’t think I can’t see?

Why do you call me “good” –
And make for yourself those secret plans?
Why announce to the world, “I want God’s will” –
But crave the nods and praise of man?

Why do you call me “good” –
But need so much control?
Why toss in bed, dreaming of the bigger and better,
Losing friends, lovers, your own soul? 

Why do you call me “good”
When I can't be your “one thing” and “best”;
If you want me to be that "good” in your life,
Take off that mask, let's talk, surrender, . . . rest.

COUNTING & NUMBERS

REFLECTION ON I Chron 21, when David displeased God by counting his people.


What is wrong with David numbering His people? Wasn’t he just organizing, keeping his accounts? But it displeased God. First there’s the motive: in counting his strength, he was saying, “Look at me. I did it.” And there’s the pride. You see, David’s success did not come from his strength, it came from his submission to God. David’s secret to winning was not in fighting well, but fully trusting in God. His worth was not in his power, possession or people; but in the provision and protection of God.

I wonder, I wonder, what we are counting today?
Grades? Height? Votes? Facebook friends? Take home pay?
Is our worth measured by the district number of our home?
Or the size of our car, TV, hi-fi, garden, stocks we own?

But in counting we compare and compete – O what a curse!
Keeps us moving - homes, jobs, continents – even worse;
We pass the curse on and say: “Son, you need more tuition!”
Drain our kids’ childhood dry – with what we call enrichment.

We count calories and forget how to enjoy a meal,
Analyse food content to death – and every conversation kill;
Rush around to stop time when we learn to count wrinkles,
Lay still to count sheep, and forever lost that sparkle.

Lose friends and lovers, keeping account of their shortcomings –
While counting what we don’t and can’t have, we miss Jesus’ teaching –
“Seek first God’s kingdom,” He says, “let tomorrow be.”
“I number the hair on your head, don’t forget, you can lean on Me.”

Today count – only your blessings – look who’s in your life?
Stop and smell the flowers, they won’t stay, be wise.
One more thing, number your days, remember how you began,
He’s already taken care of you this far, He’ll do it again, and again.

DOING RIGHT OR RIGHTEOUSNESS

The ark represents the presence of God. But by I Samuel 4, it became a "secret" to success. So the Philistines stole it. But it gave them nothing but trouble so they returned it, and it remained in the home of Abinadad, a Levite, for 20 years. In I Chron 13, David decided to take it back to Jerusalem and here's the story:

When David was crowned, he said,
“I can’t bear the sight -
“Of the Ark being away for 20 years,
"We must set things right!”

“Bring it home, it belongs here!”
He told his captains and leaders,
The thing looked so right
In the eyes of the people (v 4).

The king spared no expenses,
Even designed a new cart,
Never mind that God had said,
“Only Levites carry the Ark.” (I Chron 15:13)

So it failed, someone died,
And three sober months later,
David did it again, but in God’s old-fashioned way,
And gained His complete approval.

Do you aim to do God’s will
But say, “Let’s be practical, get a cart”?
The cart of worldly wise and convenience,
Of trends, compromise, short-cuts?

God doesn't accept our “rights” without righteousness –
This you must know;
Without His blessings, our great and noble
Are but fuss, frustration, at best a big show.

ON MISSING OUT, A REFLECTION ON TIME

I fear missing out . . . on living
So I cram all my days in -
With meetings, goals, one more plan, dream, objective,
And in fearing, I miss.

I fear missing out . . . on too many things -
My youth, happiness, promises to keep,
There’s a world to see, castles to build,
And in fearing, I miss.

I miss living today,
In escaping the demons of my past;
And in fearing the future,
I forget to breathe and laugh.

I miss the rhythm and beats of life
When I fear the tyranny of time,
In the dread of being late, I sorely miss
The joy of listening to its chimes.