A Place of Discovery

INCLINE YOUR HEART TO FEAR GOD The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! (Deuteronomy 5:28-29 NIV) Paul expressed this very well when he said,  So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. (Romans 7:14-15 NLT) Sin has paralyzed all our abilities. We can't even synchronized our "will" and "our "action". Our lives incline to be inconsistent. Even when our hearts know what is good, just like the Israelites - ".... Everything they said is good." But the way they lived often far from good: Ungrateful ~ easily t...

MEANINGLESS DISCUSSIONS OR HOLY CONVERSATIONS The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. (‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭5-6‬ NLT) To some extent we all are influenced by the Presidential Election's campaign. We loved to follow the news (I believe most of them just made up stories). We talked, argued, debated about it like seasoned politicians.  How much time had we spent on these matters? How much have we gained especially in relating to our faith? Have them made us better persons? To avoid meaningless discussions, John Wesley have taught all Methodists to observe "holy conversations" as a means of grace. What are Holy Conversations? Beware! Holy conversations should not make us naive, narrow, rigid and full of d...

WALK IN OBEDIENCE So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. (Deuteronomy 5:32-33 NIV) I believe the first step to obedience is knowing and trusting. He is our loving, wise an d mighty God who only knows the best and will only give us the best. Disobedience stepped into the history of humanity when Adam and Eve started to 'doubt' about God. Give no rooms for doubt! To walk in obedience, we need to trust and delight in Him. As Jesus also told us, "if you love me, you will keep my commands" (John 14:15). On the same note, if we keep His commands, we will remain in His love (John 15:10). Our relationship with Christ determines the degree of our obedience to Him and vice versa. Trustful and loving relationship makes obedience possible. (plt230814)

WHY CONTENTMENT? Photo Courtesy: Gunarto Song Photography Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. (1 Timothy 6:6 NLT) Tips for contentment; 1) Cherish what we have (money and other possessions)  2) Enjoy what we have 3) Not looking at what we don't have nor envy those who have what we don't have. The nutshell of all these is "BE GRATEFUL" to God who gives according to His love and mercy.  Why sometimes He seems to bless some people with more wealth and some less? This is where our "godliness" is being tested. Do we adore GOD for who He is or for what He can/will give! Will God alone be sufficient for us, or does He always have to give us (to do) something? Therefore, to be content with what He has given to us is also be content with God, trusting that He knows what is the best. God is our best wealth, the fountain of all blessings. This should put our hearts and minds at peace! "The best of all Christ is with us!" (John W...

A FAMILY PICTURE Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. (1 Timothy 5:1-2 NIV) The message is very clear. The challenge for us perhaps is in this fragmented society, many of us do not have a proper picture of how a family should look like. How do we rel ate and regard to each others: to our fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters and children. When God created Adam and Eve, He initiated families (Gen 1). He has the Blue Print /picture of a godly family. Did He explain and show the design in detail to Adam and Eve? I would believe, since God has created them in His image, He has given them the abilities and capacities to be come His co-creator, He won't dictate them every single detail. Rather, He gives men and women rooms to explore and discover ways to build their own families. Isn't it challenging and more interesting? Go...

BE A GOOD BOSS Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on. (1 Timothy 6:2 NIV) I would rather read this from the employer's perspecti ve. As Christ followers, have we treated our workers and subordinates well? Taking care of their welfare, better than those who do not know Christ yet. It seems that in Paul's time Christians made better bosses, 'devoted to the welfare of their slaves'. Therefore Paul reminded all the slaves to serve them even better. John Wesley on his sermon, Family Religion' urged all Methodist to take treat all who work under our authority as "secondary children" after one's own children. Let's seek for ways to promote their welfare and well being not because of th...

"RESPECT YOUR BOSS," SAYS GOD  All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. ... These are the things you are to teach and insist on. (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NIV) Why Paul highlighted the relationship between "employees" and "bossess" and asked Timothy to teach and insist on it? What kind of bosses  do you have? For some bosses, respect comes very easily. They are worthy of our respect. For some, respect seems impossible. But, God wants us to respect them for God's sake and it's one of the very core values of our faith, as Christ' disciples. Living in the utilitarian culture, we are accustomed to a transactional kind of relationship. "If you're kind to me, I'll be kind to you." If You are a good boss, I'll respect you. But God's law surpasses this exchange system. We all are beneficiaries of His Unconditional Love, the...

TO BE LOOKED GODLY" OR "TO BE GODLY" Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8 NLT) Check the differences: "TO BE LOOKED GODLY" or "TO BE GODLY" - To be looked godly is to do with our outward appearance. Fluent in all religious doings. To be looked godly seek to impress and may not necessary to transform lives. To be looked godly often happen by imitating some practices that  impress us. Whereas to be godly is the matter of our hearts and our relationship with God. Such godliness may not always be fluent with religious doings but are known by their fruits...the change starts inside out, the process may be slow and unassuming. But it "promises benefits in this life and in the life to come." "the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and se...