Praying With Tears

Hezekiah king of Judah once became severely ill to the point of death and the prophet Isaiah also had a message for him from God, saying that he would definitely die and not recover. At this Hezekiah, turning his face to the wall, cried out bitterly and prayed to God how he had walked before the Lord faithfully and wholeheartedly. Then a miracle took place as the prophet was leaving the palace. The word of God came to the prophet saying, “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him that the Lord have heard his prayer and seen his tears, that the Lord will heal him and add fifteen years to his life” (2 King 20:5-6).

Prayer is like breathing as we’ve been taught, which illustrate the importance of praying in Christian life. The apostle Paul also reminded his church brothers and sister to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) in all things and in every situation. Praying to God is  so natural and spontaneous that it becomes a Christian’s lifestyle. However prayers can become routine and habitual, forgetting the One we’re supplicating or talking to is the God of Creator of heaven and earth as well as our loving heaven Father. He is the God Almightly deserving our reverence and honor and he is able to save. King Hezekiah knew his God was full of saving power and compassion so he cried out to him for mercy.

Do you think you’re losing the power of prayer? Do you think God has closed his ears without hearing your prayers? Let’s learn from the way Hezekiah prayed to God–weeping bitterly before Him.

When Will Your Heart Burn Within You?

Many politicians in some respects are so good at arousing their audiences’ emotions that the people will stand up and vote for them as they listen to those campaign speeches. These natural-born politician employs various strategies in order to catch the people’s attention or even manipulate his audience at his disposal. We as the audience thus lose our self-awareness and follow them blindly wherever they go as if we were they personal bodyguards.

This is not he case with our Lord Jesus who never used persuasive speeches or human eloquence to convert non-believers or convince his followers. Instead, he taught his audience with truth which is God’s word. When he called Peter and his brother Andrew to be his disciples, he simply said to them, “Come, follow me and I will mak you fishers of men.” Both brothers immediately left their fishing nets and followed Jesus to the end of their lives.

On another occasion when Jesus was resurrected and appeared to two of his followers on the way to Emmaus discussing how Jesus was crucified, he joined them talking about what had happened in Jerusalem but he kept himself from being recognized. Later, the two men found out that they were talking with Jesus the Lord himself, they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)

When will our hearts burn within us as the two disciples said to each other, it is the time when He talk to us and reveal his love and truth to us.

Who Is Able To Administer Justice?

The other day my wife and I consulted with a real estate agent concerning rental litigation. He is a seasoned professional in this area helping his customers with many lawsuits. He mentioned that the law is to protect those who understand or perhaps manipulate the law but not those who  are innocent. It sounds a little bit cynic, yet it is true of the court system most of the time in modern world. A judge is the person who has the authority to render justice in a court. To practice a lawyer or become a judge, a person has to pass law exams and receive some kind of certification in that country. He or she must study very hard to pass those exams to receive a lawyer’s certificate because they are keenly competitive.

However, who is able to judge fairly or truly? Is it the person with a lawyer’s certificate or the expert in the law? Solomon dubbed the wisest king in his days asked God to give him a discerning spirit to be able to just God’s people fairly. One time two woman came to him arguing over a baby. The first woman said that the living baby belonged to her because the other woman lay on her own baby, the child died and then stole her baby away. The other woman said the same thing to Solomon. So King Solomon decided to cut the baby in half. At the moment, the real mother of the baby pleaded with Solomon giving the living baby to the other woman. Then Solomon knew the first woman was the real mother.

After all Israel heard of Solomon’s judgment, they all held him in awe realizing the wisdom of God was in Solomon so as to make him render justice? Who is able to administer justice? God is righteous and just, and justice comes him. Whoever seeks his wisdom and justice is capable of administering justice.

Working On The Sabbath

As God dictated to his people the Ten Commandment that they ought to follow obediently, they kept those laws blindly for ages, or oftentimes they obeyed the commands which were convenient to them. One day when Jesus taught in a synagogue, he saw a woman whom an evil spirit had kept sick for eighteen years. Jesus called out to her, “Woman! You are free from your illness.” The woman straightened her up and immediately was healed of her sickness and praised God. Some official of the synagogue was furious that Jesus healed the woman on the Sabbath, for he said to the people that Sabbath is a day of rest and Jesus should not heal. Jesus replied to him, “You hypocrites! you let an ox or donkey get out of the stall to drink water on the Sabbath, but wouldn’t have the woman be healed.”

God is just and full of mercy and love. He commanded his people to obey his law, not because he would like to punish them if they broke the law, but protect them from slipping into the mires of sin.

True Peace

The Dalai Lama, a world well-known religious and spiritual leader, came to visit Taiwan a couple of days ago ona humanitarian mission. He went to some areas in the southern part of Taiwan which were severely hit by Typhoon Morokat and consoled the victims after they lost their families and homes. One of his itineraries also held a dialogue with Taiwanese Catholic leader which drew a large audience including some dignitaries.

In this Buddhist-Catholic conversation both religious leaders agreed according to the local media that “the goal of religious dialogue is not to convert the other” but to improve understanding as well as find common ground. The Dalai Lama pointed out that “all religions should teach mutual tolerance, respect and cooperation with one another in order to promote world peace.”

Of course, we do whatever we can promote and maintain peace between persons and even nations. Yet, can we find true peace in this world? Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will hve trouble or tribulation. But be courageous! I have overcome the world.”

Peace in Christ is like a ship letting go its anchor that keeps the ship at rest.

A Shepherd’s Heart

Though King David made couples of big errors and offenses against God in his life, the Lord God “called him a man after his own heart” in Acts 13:22. What did David do to make God fond of him even though he committed adultery, a grave sin in God’s sight?How could he perceive God and please him greatly? One thing we can learn from David’s life is a shepherd heart firmly embedded in his personality.

One time God’s anger burned against David (2 Samuel 24) because he took a census of Israel and Judah, so the Lord sent a plague upon Israel. For three consecutive days a total of 70,000 people died throughout the land of Israel. At that time, Dvid saw the angel of God striking the people, he pleaded with God, “I am the one who has sinned against and done wrong! But these sheep, what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family” (v 17). David took full responsibility for the offense made against God. He would rather suffer the consequences than see his receive punishments.

Can we see any leader like David who admitted his errors and not to pass the buck? Let’s learn from David and humbly come before God praying for our sheep if we are shepherds.

Can Satan Do Us A Favor?

In the book of Genesis man fell into the trap of the serpent by eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil which had been forbidden to Adam and Eve, thereby causing death and separation between God and man. Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden and they never saw God face to face and walked with Him intimately. The serpent was the culprit who led humans away from God and this serpent or snake was Satan himself. As we read in Revelation 12:9, it says, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” Satan is the destroyer, trying everything he can to ruin our relationship with God.

As we came to the New Testament, Satan didn’t deceived but entered Judas Iscariot directly who later handed Jesus over to his enemies and to be nailed to the cross. Satan assumed that by killing Jesus, Son of God, human beings would be lost in eternal damnation. However, He did us a great favor that has enabled us to receive the salvation of Christ. God reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18). We are no longer separated from God, but united to him eternally.

What a amazing and wonderful plan God has set up for his children! It looked as we became hopeless if God’s only begotten Son was crucified, but God has turned evil into good.

Last Words

According to a survey released after the 9/11 tragedy, most Americans would say ” I love you” to their relatives and friends if they came to the end of their lives. It is human nature or perhaps for any living things that communicating love and affection is a type of God-given gift, to show we need love and to be loved.

When King David spoke out his last words, he too expressed his love and thankfulness to God who had protected him and given him wonderful success throughout his lifetime. So he commanded his children to rule in righteousness and in the fear of God. “The person who rules righteously and fearfully before God is like the light of morning and the sunrise bursting forth in a cloudless sky as well as the refreshing rains that bring tender grass from the earth” (2 Samuel 23:4). King David knew that It was God that lifted him up among his people and delivered him out of his enemy’s hands. It is God who deserves the credit for his success and prosperity.

To be imitators of David, we need to take to heart all his David’s words that direct us to walk in righteousness and have reverence for God.

Marriage After Life?

I read an article in the newspaper, giving an account of  older couple who were found lying dead in the farming field. According to the news article, the couple were both very frail and interdependant to each other. Also the husband had to take care of his wife who was chronically and terminally ill. They didn’t want to cause each other to suffer and wished to remain a couple after life, so they decided to commit suicide by drinking pesticide. The couple were found hand in hand as they lied dead on the ground.

Many couples indeed enjoy and cherish their marriage lives so that they wish they could be husband and wife after they leave the world. But is it possble that we still have marriage in another world? When Jesus responded to some of the Sadducees’ question regarding resurrection and marriage, he put it clearly, “Marriage is for people here on earth. But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage” (Luke 20:34-35).

As Jesus mentioned of no more wedding or marriage in the age to come, let’s enjoy our marriage; after all, God has created one man and one woman to be united as one flesh.

What Will The Elderly Do?

Remember that David became a well-known, great hero in Israel after he with God’s help defeated Goliath, a Philistine giant. But in his later life as we read in 2 Samuel 21:15-22, David and his soldiers went out at war with the Philistines as they continued harassing the people of Israel. In one battle, David became tired and exhausted so that Ishbi-benob, a descendant of the giants, almost took him in captive. David’s men came to his rescue. After that, they appealed to David not to go out to battle again lest he be in danger. “Why should we risk snuffing out the light of  Israel,” declared David’s solders.

Being withdrawn from the battle, David, I assume, would spend more time in the Temple of the Lord, seeking his face as well as praying for his men while they’re in battles. As we’re getting older, we might not as before engaging in various outreach programs like visiting nursing homes or hospitals, but what we can do as older brothers and sisters in Christ is to pray more for the next generation and the kingdom of God.

Without a doubt we’re fading away, losing our physical energy and vigor; however, our spiritual stamina remains as long as we look to Him and seek His might.