Friday, July 29, 2011

Watch Your Eyes!

"Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man."
Proverbs 27:20

Truly this passage shows us a profound reality when it comes to man's sinful nature and it's lust. All of us have experienced the cravings of the flesh, and it's demand for more. But one thing that we should know and understand about lust is that it promises satisfaction but it's reward is emptiness - only a hunger for more. It is never, ever satisfied.

There is lust for power, some lust for blood. Most lust after money, prestige, and sex which is very rampant nowadays, so I want to deal in one area of lust that cannot be easily traced yet prone to everyone: "Lust of the eye". Yes, everyone is prone to the lust of the eye whether you're a christian or not, whatever status you're in. You are in this battle whether you like it or not - young and old, men and women alike - we all face this problem and we must admit it. Well it is another problem if you are not aware of this dilemma, then it is another matter to deal with. But I want to concentrate here, and expose the risk of breeding this kind of lust in our hearts. 

We are in a generation which promotes sex almost everywhere - fashion, songs, movies, commercials, magazine, TV shows, billboards, etc. In our daily lives we must admit that we are bombarded with sexually inspired images which stimulates our mind and encourages it to go beyond what we normally think about and entertain those images in our minds, until our eyes seek for something more, it hungers for something new. 

The Lord Jesus Himself taught us in Matt. 5:28 that if we look at a woman with lustful intent, we have already committed adultery in our hearts. The major problem with lust of the eye is it obviously lead us to sin in our hearts and take us away from God's will in our lives.

When we look at something, our minds will chew the information and flash those images in our mind. And if our minds find those images appealing it will automatically be stored in our memories. That is the problem with pornography for example. It feeds the lust of the eye. And even after repenting of that sin, those images are stored in your memory and it can be pulled out anytime and anywhere, and once we cherish it at the moment in our hearts, we commit the same sin all over again. Our purity is at stake. That is why I believe Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look at a virgin, and I believe that is not with lustful intent (Job 31:1). And these are not restricted only to men, but women are also prone to this danger, so we all should take extra precaution. 

Our eyes are never satisfied with lust once it starts, so we should take steps on how to mortify the flesh in this area, and not forget that it should be through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13). We should make it our aim to please God than to please ourselves and our flesh. Let us push ourselves not to linger on things where we shouldn't look at. And so, purify our minds and renew it, and not follow the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2). Therefore, we put away thoughts which is not pleasing to God, and replace it with pure thoughts which is good before the Lord, and strive and fight for the purity of our hearts, mind, and our eyes. 

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Faith or Positive Thinking?

Faith is so much different from positive thinking although many people are confused by the two. Faith is not merely a positive confession in a negative situation. In positive thinking, we declare positively the things which we think we need and deny the fact that we lack it. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the assurance of the things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." In faith, we do have conviction of the things "which we do not see", yet we are fully assured that God will provide for it. In positive thinking, we make ourselves believe we have the things which we do not see and refuse the fact that we lack it. For example (this is even taught in the church), don't say "I don't have money" (although it's a fact), instead say, "I do have money" even if you lack it.

Well, lets apply this principle in our salvation. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we are saved by faith and not by works (nor by positive thinking). Now if we are going to apply positive thinking here, it would look like this; a lost soul applying faith through positive thinking keep saying to himself, "I'm saved, I'm saved!" without the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16) and make himself believe he is. Genuine faith is different from positive thinking, instead of refusing to acknowledge the things he lack, a person would come to the point of admission that there is nothing in his hands that he can offer for salvation, and believe in the Gospel and put his faith in Christ. A person do not get saved by a mere profession or by the power of his mind. Faith isn't about what you say, it is about what God says. Faith is looking through God's word and not a positive mantra that you invite through your positive incantations. God is sovereign above all things, he doesn't bend to our wills unless, it is his will to happen.

Acknowledging the fact in our everyday lives that we lack something isn't doubt. It is just plainly, a fact. Doubt comes when we start to waver in our trust that God can do something about the fact that we do lack something, for example, in our finances. But faith comes when, despite the reality that there is nothing in our hands right now, God is sovereign and is in control of all things. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. We will be rest assured to trust God that he can do something for His glory to be revealed, and in every circumstances God has a plan to get glory for Himself.

By the way, I am not against positive thinking. I agree that it is good for a person to be optimistic. There is nothing wrong with positive thinking, but it is wrong to take positive thinking as faith.

Soli Deo Gloria

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Love or Duty?

"I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."
Revelations 2:2-4

Reading this passages shows us that it is possible to almost do every good thing a christian could do, and end up not loving the Lord. We could say that the first part of message given to the Church in Ephesus was a commendation. Yet, it was followed by a strong rebuke "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first".  What I could see sometimes in here is myself. When I feel my love for the Lord being dampened by the things of this world, I go back to these verses and meditate on it.  Then I see myself as a man so busy in the ministry, having a reputation of being alive from the outside yet dead inside (Rev. 3:1). We all know that the Lord looks at the heart, and He is much interested on who we are than on what we do. A church, like the one in Ephesus, could have every external marks of a healthy church: they endured patiently, they cannot bear those who are evil, they tested those who claim to be from God and proved them to be false. They even endured for the sake of the Name of their Lord Jesus Christ and they didn't grow weary. We might ask, what else could be done? That's exactly what we need in our churches today right? If we see a church like that today we would no less commend it. Yet, the Lord rebuked them. He could see their hearts. He could see straight in our hearts. His sight penetrates through our dead works no matter how much we hide our cold hearts with activities, good works, busyness in our ministries, bible studies or any form of religious act. He could see it all...

How much do you love Christ? We all love Christ from a degree. Does your heart burn for Him? Does the service you render to Him a form of love, or a form of duty? What is your motivation? Do you look constantly upon the cross? When you go to church, is it about you being blessed? Or you go to church so that you might bless God with your life? What is it all about? Is it about Him being sovereign in your life? Or being only a "part" of your life. Christ is never a part of your life. He is your life (Colossians 3:4).

See, the point being made in here is that we, as fallible creatures could easily be unaware of our standing before God, and mistake our love for Him with the things that we do for Him. Altogether, let us all savor His grace. Look back to the Cross. Do not be content. Challenge the love you have for Him. Test yourselves (II Corinthians 13:5). One thing that amazes me about Mary, the brother of Lazarus,  is that each time she appears in the gospel she was at the feet of Jesus Christ. Can we do that? To sit at the feet of our Maker and to see His glory and splendor. To love Him for who He is above all things. And so, perform our duties out of love and not out of responsibilities.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength..." 
Luke 10:27